Uptown Cheapskate Roanoke — Local services in Roanoke

I came in Wednesday, really excited to spend an afternoon thrifting and trying on clothes. I spent 2 hours sifting through every single section, pulling out things that looked cute, and filling up my bin because I rarely have a day off. The worker who was helping me wasn't necessarily rude, but I did feel a hint of an attitude anytime we interacted. In general I felt like some of the workers were judging the way I was dressed. But I didn't dwell on it because I was more just really excited to try everything on. As I was about to do just that, my boss texted me asking if I was free to cover the lunch shift at my work. I apologetically told the lady that my boss had texted and asked if it would be okay if I step out for a couple of hours and come back after? She seemed slightly annoyed but she said that they can hold the clothes for 24 hours. No problem, I wouldn't be gone long. I reiterated to the lady once more that I will be back in a couple of hours. She didn't hide her disdain, and some of the other workers gave me a look, which made me feel like a burden, but she again verbally confirmed that it was fine. I left slightly uneasy, but I was determined to make her day better by tipping well later, because I figured she was just having a bad day. Exactly two hours later I came back SUPER stoked to try on the clothes. I found the same lady, and with absolutely no genuine remorse she said that she was very sorry but they weren't sure if I was returning so they put all the clothes back. Then another worker chimed in that I had picked out too many clothes for them to hold for that long (I was gone for 2 hours and it took me 2 hours to pick out all of those clothes, so they literally must have started putting my clothes away as soon as I left. There was not a single customer in the store when I had returned so they weren't busy). I didn't know how to react because they just seemed annoyed that I had come back when I said I would, and I didn't think any of them would be happy to help me pick out the clothes again. I felt embarrassed at how excited I had been a few minutes ago so I told them it was okay and left...completely dejected and feeling like my time was wasted. They could have told me before I left for work that they couldn't hold my clothes, and I would've been sad but I also would have understood. And if they were nice and actually apologetic I would not have written this review. I'll end this rant/review with some feedback: train the workers on customer service. They did not smile at me the entire time I was there (and I was there for a long time). Even if I dressed in rags and looked like I couldn't afford anything, at the end of the day you have to treat the customer like a person. Not just a walking wallet. Also, don't say you can hold clothes for 24 hours when you can't even hold it...

I have been shopping from and selling to Uptown Cheapskate Roanoke for several years. When they first opened I was very impressed with the store. The clothes were very stylish, and the place was incredibly tidy, organized and clean. The employees were super helpful and kind. However, over the past year or so I have sold and bought from this store I have been disappointed. It seems everything I really liked about this store has slowly disappeared. I went in to shop and sell this past weekend and it honestly felt like a completely different place. I was not greeted upon arrival, which usually I am fine with but I know that is part of their policy. The employees were very dismissive and inappropriate. I saw on social media they were asking for people to bring in their summer clothes, so I brought in some things I had actually purchased from Uptown the summer before and other name brand things I had never worn before, including a summer cocktail dress that had never been worn and a pair of brand new Birkenstocks. The only item they kept was a pair of black pants. I was shocked. A few months ago I actually brought my mother to shop with me, and when we went to try on clothes they asked her to leave her purse outside of the dressing room. We both felt this was an astonishingly strange request. I understand the store has theft issues but the solution is not to ask customers to hand over their bags to a teenager they do not know. This request made my mom feel very uncomfortable, especially since it was way too small to actually be able to hide anything in it. They also claim to be environmentally conscience but the last few times I have shopped here they have put my items in a bag without even asking me if I wanted a bag first. I also feel their inventory has taken a nose dive. I was not able to find any short sleeved dress shirts for my husband. I usually do not leave the store with less then ten items purchased, but this time I left with four shirts. Of those shirts, only two were summer clothing. I do feel they are really starting to target a very certain audience that I am not a part of. As a woman in her mid twenties, I would hope this place would have cute stuff for me to wear on multiple occasions. However, I feel I have to show 3/4ths of my body if I want to purchase and wear anything from this store anymore. In conclusion, the only stars I felt comfortable giving are for the first several years I shopped here not any...

They Took Advantage of Me — Over $100 Gone, and I Can’t Get It Back

I don’t usually write reviews, but I left Uptown Cheapskate feeling devastated — and honestly, betrayed. I trusted them. I believed they’d be fair, that they’d follow their own policy of offering 1/6 of the original price. But instead, I walked out with $212… when I should’ve gotten at least $312. That might not mean much to some, but to me, that extra $100 mattered. A lot.

Here’s what I brought in — items I took care of, spent my hard-earned money on, and expected to be valued:

3 Lululemon Define jackets 12 brand-new, sealed perfumes (worth $100 each) 2 prom dresses in beautiful condition ($75 each) A brand-new pair of unworn Doc Martens ($170 retail) I didn’t want to let go of these things. I sold them because I needed the money — not because I wanted to. I expected a fair exchange, not to be lowballed and dismissed. When I asked questions, the staff barely looked me in the eye. No breakdown. No explanation. Just a number on a screen and a “take it or leave it” attitude.

And to make things even worse — they didn’t even text me when my clothes were done. I sat around waiting, unsure if they forgot about me or just didn’t care. I had to drive all the way back to the store and ask myself if they were finished. That moment said it all: I wasn’t even worth a text. Not even common courtesy.

I went home feeling sick to my stomach. Not because I didn’t make as much as I hoped — but because I felt like I had been used. Like my time, my belongings, and my trust didn’t matter. I cried in my car. I just kept thinking: I could’ve given those things to someone who really needed them. Instead, I let a store take advantage of me.

I don’t know if they do this to everyone. But I know what they did to me.

Please… think twice before selling your things here. Some of us don’t have money to throw away. And what feels like “just business” to them? It was personal to me.

They didn’t just take my stuff — they took my trust, and I can’t...