Stupid charities, think their so great.

That's right people, I have a problem with everything, including companies that want to help others. Specifically, Goodwill Industries. Now around my area there are three different Goodwill stores and while I like the concept of getting rid of my old crap to help a charity, recently they have been annoying me more and more in several ways.

A. The whole receipt thing: They have become lazy about it. I'm not sure when it happened but somewhere along the way they switched from filing out the items and amount your donation was worth to just handing you signed and dated form for you to fill out when you feel like. You may think this is a great time-saver but I have two problems with it.
1. The first being the fact that I don't think the government should pay me money for something I'm going to be throwing away anyway. It's scams like charitable deductions that have helped make the tax code the giant mess it is right now (but more of that closer to tax time)
2. Talk about lazy! How much effort does it take for the guy to write down what you gave them and how much they will be selling it for, like a minute tops right?

B. They have a rule at the donation centers (and it's even posted on the goodwill website) that you can't leave items outside the donation center after hours. Well, screw that! I don't know about you but the days my wife and I get into a cleaning/ throwing out mode is always on a weekend. We set a goal of a couple of rooms and get to work. We work in short bursts on Saturday and Sunday and it's not until we are done that we have a complete pile of stuff ready to be taken to the center. Unfortunately, that's usually around Sunday evening and that is the day they close early (I blame god for that). So basically I have a pile of stuff that I have decided I want out of my house and have to wait for them to be willing to take it? F-NO. Now, I can understand they don't want people dropping stuff off one night and then coming back a day later going "uh, yeah I left a bunch of stuff outside last night can I get a receipt for that?" But for people like me who just want to get rid of the stuff and get on with my life I have one thing to say. Pick it up of the sidewalk in the morning and quit your bitching. And, if your worried about it getting stolen overnight it's not like you know what your missing out on.

C. Most importantly they are way too picky about stuff they receive. I'm sorry but if my whole livelyhood was based on the stuff I got from other people I would smile polightly and say thank you, no matter what was put in my hands (except for toxic waste then I might scowel a little bit) If I didn't want the item I would wait till that person turned the corner and threw the unwanted item away, which is exactly what they should do ( I know they have a dumpster). Otside the center they have a full sheet of things they won't take ranging from computers to window treatments. I could understand if they had a policy that everything they sold was perfect but they have a no return policy which says to me they know that some of the stuff they sell is broken. Even if they did have an "all electronics work" policy, they could start a quarter area, where stuff that they don't want to guarantee costs $.25 and they would still be making a profit. I say to them, If it's not 100% trash be happy you got it and charge whatever you think you can get for it, your not losing anything by doing so, in fact your gaining the extra revenue.

Although technically this isn't against the company (but I hope it might get back to them) I would also like to mention that the center in Brier Creek always has a jerk working in the donation area. I hope he is a volunteer because all I have ever seen him do is open the door (most of the time as your leaving after lugging in an armload of stuff) and hand out blank reciepts both are things capable of being done by inanimate objects.

Now, I'm not sure what there profits go to but I don know they are programs that they themselves operate which is a problem in my mind. Other then the fact that they are on file as a charitable foundation I have no way of knowing that they are doing what they claim they are doing. But, they've been around for quite a while so I won't rock the boat. However, If if ever get a warehouse given to me I plan to open up a store called "Betterwill". The motto of this store will be "thank you for giving whatever you are nice enough to give us". And, rather then trying to run my own charties, I would give out to measurable causes like Rulers 4 Kids (get it measurable... rulers, HEY, it's funny and you know it).

So, that is my rant on a company that seeks to make the world better, thus proving that I can complain about anything. In fact, I am so positive that I find the negative on any topic that I issue a challenge (similar to my rage hero Adam Carolla) that if you send me a topic I will find the bad in it. See ya tomorrow...

And PS Goodwill's Webpage takes FOREVER to load.