I am a strong believer that you get what you pay for. If someone gushes over a package of deluxe premium cookies that they got at the Dollar Store, I have serious concerns about those cookies and where they have been. I know that if I got to a really price-lowered-almost-to-the ground clearance rack, I find pretty much the reason why it is on clearance. It's crap. "As is" is another thing that sets my suspicious mind to wondering. "As is what?"
It doesn't mean I don't buy things on sale. I just wonder if someone wiped something on the sale item before lowering the price, or if it was returned having been worn by someone with a particularly pernicious viral illness that seeps into clothing and lingers on clearance racks. Plus for some reason when I get home, every time I look at the item, I think, "Oh, it was on clearance." Somehow it does not look as good then. Usually my really good clearance buys then go on FreeCycle and I pass them on to someone who doesn't know its Clearance Record.
Which leads me to another topic. Freecycling. I have always been a big fan of giving stuff away. My husband and friends tend to think I am ruthless. At age 60, if it is not going to be going into the casket with me, I'm pitching it. I have gotten rid of lots of stuff. Unfortunately my husband is collecting more as I make room in the house. Unfortunately, not all my stuff is Chez Magnifique! so even FreeCycle won't take it. One example would be the sofa that we advertised this week. This sofa did not belong to me, it belonged to my son. So right there I am absolved of all responsibility.
I think he got it used to begin with. A "pleather" sofa, creamy color and nice and soft. It had a couple issues. The "pleather" had some pretty nasty scratches in it probably from his cat taking bites of it now and then and had a strong smell of pee thanks to feline indiscretions. George and I loaded it onto the truck and brought it home, determined to put it out for bulk pick up. We set it out last night in hopes that one of the bulk pickup junkies would whiz by in his truck, jam on the brakes and go "Wow! Just what I needed." He would load it into his truck and that would be the end of the sofa.
Of course once he got home he would be able to smell the pee, indeedy he would, and have one of several choices. 1. Put it out for bulk pick up. 2. Bring it back and put it where he found it, with a nasty note. 3. Bring it back and hurl it at our house. 4. After hurling it at our house, he would pee on something of ours.
This scenario so worried me that I parked myself outside this morning, feeding peanuts to the blue jays to keep an eye on the pee sofa. A man did come by with a car full of crap and gave it the once over, slowed down even, but kept going. Then the trash men came. I wanted to make sure they took it. I went over and said "Good morning!" and "Thank you so much." I did not have a tip to give them, other than peanuts, but that would have been a nice touch.
Hopefully, they won't bring it back because of no tip.
9 comments:
I don't think this was ever a sale item, but maybe it was. Years and years and years ago, my sister worked in a bridal salon and they had one dress that kept getting returned by multiple purchasers, complaining of a rash, or a smell, or something. After some investigating they discovered the original purchaser had bought it to be worn in a casket and then returned it before the burial. So, yeah. You never know.
Jeanne,
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I chuckled as I read this. I too have my anxious moments and would have wanted to know the sofa wouldn't be hurled back into my life once I thought I had gotten rid of it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that a good wipe down with disinfectant will dissuade the new owner from bringing back the sofa. :D
Well, M.C., now I am convinced of my theory about the Clearance Woes. At least it wasn't a velour suit.
You don't always get what you pay for. The phenomenon of overpaying for something shoddy is called, "Being ripped off" and unfortunately, it happens to a lot of people. And contrary to what many people will say, "oh let the buyer beware, etc." I'm going to throw out there that if people weren't such liars and cutthroats and enjoy hurting other people, then maybe this kind of thing wouldn't happen. I'm not advocating distrust for people in general...it's just I wish douchebaggery in general was a rare phenomenon amongst people trying to earn a buck. Then again, asking for integrity from capitalists is probably like expecting an ostrich to fly.
Sounds like you have had some bad experiences, Mike. You know where my bad experiences have come from is not so much the products themselves, although certainly there have been some problems but it is the problem with services. OMG. Talk about cutthroats and overpricing, plus poor workmanship.
Funny story, Jeanne. If it hasn't come back yet, it must be gone for good. Perhaps someone has it out in the woods to set up their targets on the back. Woe to anyone who thinks this is a place to rest.
I'm a kindred spirit in this. Unlike many of my friends, I don't seem to be able to nab great deals at Marshall's or Ross. If I do buy something there, it never quite works, I think because in my mind it is tainted. Funny, too, I was just thinking about checking out Freecycle. Great story!
Thanks, Charlotte. I love FreeCycle. I have met some really nice people in it. Have also gotten some wonderful things for my elementary school for free so it has been a blessing for me.
I think what you do for others is great and inspirational. What a wonderful idea. Thanks for the post.
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