Value Village — Local services in Fairbanks

I usually adore this store, and have been a regular customer to multiple locations. Let me add that I’ve never had a bad experience until now. So last week I was going in shopping for clothes, and I’m still recovering from having a baby so I’m still unsure exactly what size I am. I asked about their dressing rooms which are closed due to covid. Completely understandable, they let me know that they were still excepting returns, so it would be no problem if they didn’t fit. Yesterday I went in to try and return the ones that did not fit. They said I could NOT in fact return the items, they must be exchanged for something else. I would have had absolutely no problem with that if they would have said that when I was purchasing the items. I understand they may call it a return out of habit but its frustrating. I also asked if it could be put on my acct as store credit also no. They were getting busy and the woman that was helping me was not helping customers that were starting to line up, so I assumed we could just knock this out and go on about our day. She tells me rudely that I have to wait and picks up the phone before making a phone call that lasted awhile. I had exchanges picked out already so I went to a different register, they seemed confused and made it seem like it was going to take forever they didn’t even get started either time. I said it’s completely fine as well people lining up behind me and I don’t wanna stop you guys up so if you could just put those clothes that I picked out on hold and I’ll come back first thing tomorrow. I came back today and the exchanges couldn’t be found and they said they must’ve been put back by accident. I said that’s fine but I’m on my lunch break and I only have two days to return this stuff and this is already my second trip in here, so the manager Amber was very nice and extended my return date which was very helpful. I’m still frustrated because I wasn’t given correct information the very first time I asked resulting in a bunch of wasted time and I still have to go back at some point to hopefully get rid of the clothing for good. Rant over.

I’m a single mom, I work my fricken butt off and quite frankly I just don’t have a whole lot of money to be wasting on clothes I don’t want. I bought more than I needed, expecting to recover from some of it because I knew there would be some stuff that wouldn't fit. I bought all the clothes I needed already. I don’t want more clothes to replace them. I want my hard earned money back. Point blank end of discussion. I would not have bought so much if I would have known it was an exchange...

UPDATE: it’s been a full year and the pricing has gotten even worse. Used things at full price of what it was bought for or more. Still cross referencing online second hand sellers. Remember this is a FOR PROFIT when donating items there are other options in town that give directly back to the community. They mark up items given to them completely free upwards to 100% -500%. This is so sad because people are feeling the finical strain and thrift stores used to be the place low income families could shop but now it’s unaffordable as well. Sad to see what Captialism has done to this country. Money community or making less of a profit. This company doesn’t really lose profit as they get EVERYTHING for free.

Also, I do not think it is okay to sell clearly indigenous made items for profit for the white man. It’s the disgusting. We have the ability to give those items to the community they belong to and they can do what they wish with them.

For a “second hand” store the prices are sometimes the same if not more then to purchase the same item on Amazon brand new. To get everything for free, and then sell it for retail price 🤔

However they could be better if you lowered your prices because the less items being sold means more items going into a landfill somewhere. Also people notice that you have been using eBay to cross reference pricing and trying to run small resellers out of business...

My experience is unique, but worth sharing still. I live off the road system of Alaska. So when I'm traveling through Fairbanks or Anchorage I love to swing through the thrift stores. This was my first time stopping in at this particular VV. I grabbed a few items in a hurry my first day in town, only to discover none of them fit. So I went back the next day. I knew the no returns/only exchange policy but I didn't realize they had no fitting rooms (apparently, they did this during covid, but why four years later have they not returned them???). I was flying out that evening so I asked if there was any way I could try stuff on so that I wouldn't be taking home stuff I couldn't try on and have no way to return. Nope. So, not wanting to be stuck with clothes I don't need but still wanting my exchange to be used and not wasted, I grabbed some kids clothes and a few pairs of good winter gloves and left. Only to find out when I got home that the best of the glove pairs was actually two left hands. 🙄

Overall, the experience was terrible. The prices are no longer thrift prices, most items were $10.99 and up. To charge that much, not accept returns/offer refunds, and not offer fitting rooms is ridiculous. I will not be shopping...