The Salvation Army Family Store

crap, crap and more crap
and ask a pretty penney for it too
employees always in a bad mood
not willing to help
if you buy furniture… be ready to move it yourself

Honestly, the $$$$ rating for this Salvation Army (SA) store is absurd because it is not a boutique where everything costs an arm and a leg. So, don’t be fooled by that rating.
I came here on a Saturday evening, and they have a 50 percent off storewide sale because of the Christmas season. I did not smell anything bad that would make a normal person not go to a thrift store. They also have a nice and clean restroom!
When I was paying for my stuff, the cashier told me «Merry Christmas.» I’m not sure if that’s a company policy, but I applaud SA for taking a stance and not being politically correct. I think that is evident based on the bible verse that is plastered on their wall.
My experience at this SA was awesome, and I wish every SA stores were like this. Too bad, I don’t live in the area to frequent the store!

I work at another thrift store and I was hesitant to go to a store that wasn’t owned by the company I work for.
After reading the poor Unilocal reviews I was even more hesitant, but… after some coaxing from a friend I decided to go shopping in the store.
I found some AMAZING deals! I think I bought 4 pairs of shoes, 2 jackets, and 4 shirts all for under $ 100. Considering the prices of 2 pairs of those shoes is $ 100 retail price, I think I got an excellent deal.
The staff was friendly, helpful, and polite.
I will be returning in the future :)

This is the most expensive thrift store I have ever been in. The prices are OUTRAGEOUS!!! Who pays $ 80 for used jeans that you can buy in store for less! I don’t care that they are «name brand».
Never shipping here again.

The Salvation Army does so much to help their community from housing, feeding and clothing the homeless and the low-​income, helping people in the community, feeding people and helping to rehabilitate people and teaching them to work, church, and so much more. When you shop here you are helping people get back on their feet during hard times. Check them out! The store is clean and nice along with the customer service. I highly encourage everyone to donate there that is in the back of the store and see the ever helpful «Ernest» to help you. Patrick is the one that will help you load your item in your vehicle. Talk about amazing help and really good people working here. Both came through the Salvation Army program and stayed working here.
The cool thing about Salvation Army is they have daily sales and many times 75% and 50% off. I have gotten amazing deals for furniture, expensive gowns for the holidays, etc.

At a recent visit to this Temecula SA location, I spotted what looked like rolled up money by my feet on the ground. As soon as it had registered in my head what I was looking at, a SA employee walk right past me and scoop it up off the ground and put it in her pocket. She never even looked around or asked the customers waiting in line if it belonged to us. So then I asked myself. .. was it hers? I am still not sure. But she went straight to the woman’s clothing section without saying a word. What if I had dropped it? She didn’t even so much as say «excuse me but does this belong to you?» I was disgusted by what I had just witnessed.
I am also aware of another instance where money was found in a purse that had been donated to the Escondido location and that employee was fired for keeping it.
On a previous visit to this store my husband purchased several CD’s and when we got home the CD cases were empty.
Just saying…

This place has awesome deals when they have promotions, but I find that it can be a little overpriced. They had a 50% sale yesterday and I came up on a great dinner plate set. It was a great deal because it was an additional 25% off because of a red tag. Now, you’re probably wondering why I’m thinking its overpriced. I came here looking for great kitchenware items. I was looking through the pots and pans and I found small plans with scratches all over them for $ 10! It was absurd! I found a really neat mirror that I would’ve loved to shabby up. The frame looked liked wood, but it was actually soft plastic material. I checked the back to see the price and it said $ 115?! I thought no way, so I went up there and spoke to Gloria. She said it was indeed $ 115. I told her it wasn’t solid but plastic it had paint scratches all over it, and she walked away. Odd…
If you can find great deals on other things this place is pretty great but they could probably work on customer service and pricing a little better.

OMG! This is the most overpriced thrift store I have ever been two, and I have been to hundreds. Even at 50% off, the prices are outrageous. I saw the mustached man with a sharpie pricing things in the back and I wanted to rip that marker out of his hand! Clearly the power has gone to his head. I’m giving it a two only because it’s huge and very nicely organized… Geez.

This store is Awesome! The manager is doing a great job here and the staff were all friendly.
Not only did I find what I was looking for, but everything I was looking for. I went in on 50% off Tuesday, and I am glad I did!
:-)
PS
I love the choice of music too!

The people who work here are extremely nice (especially Patrick) and the selection of clothes is HUGE! I love this store.

Extremely poorly managed store. First of all, very expensive. Even the new items of same quality are not as expensive sometimes as these items are. Secondly, very unorganized. For example, if u have to buy a lamp, u have to look in the entire store for a bulb. Else you dont know if its working or not. If u buy it without checking and it doesnt work, they dont give ur money back, they give u store credit, again to buy the non functional crap. I dont expect them to be ‘service to God’ as they claim, but at least they should have good business ethics at least.

New manager, better pricing, clean items. They are working hard to make this a better place! Thank-​you, come and see.

Just wanted to say how happy, friendly and helpful the staff was during my last visit. The store seems full of life and left me with a feeling of happiness. I look forward to returning in the future. The new store manager rang me out. Very helpful and professional.

We went into this store on our way to a sale at an electronics store that is in the area. Normally we don’t shop at Salvation Army, but I yelled at my husband as we were passing by, STOP! I WANT TO GO TO THE SALVATION ARMY!
He did stop, and we went in. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, but thought I might find something. Perhaps a doll. Perhaps something that was worth a lot of money for a song. Nope, none of that here. This place is severely overpriced.
Desperate to find something, I went over to the books. I was pleasantly surprised to find a Brittanica book of the year that was perfect for my sister’s birthday! She is hitting a big one next year and this is the perfect gift.
And this WAS a deal– $ 2, but they were having a 50% off sale so I got it for a buck. It’s going to cost me a lot more to ship it to her than I paid for it, and she’s going to LOVE it! Or hate it. I’ll let you know.

–_​– the prices… YOU ARE A THRIFT STORE! All your inventory is DONATED! At this location you can find–
— a dresser with a missing leg ($ 120)
— a cup with a 99cent Store price tag ($ 3)
— a blanket with holes and stains ($ 15)
Last time I went I found a Louis Vuitton bag with a $ 10 price tag. I went up to pay. The cashier wanted to get a manager to double check the price. The manager comes up to explain to me that the actual price is $ 90! That I can find the actual price written in sharpie inside the bag… So you ruined the bag with a sharpie and now you want $ 90? She says and I qoute– «This is Louis Vuitton, we would never sell this for $ 10, the price tag was from another store.»
I reminded her that this was not a Louis Vuitton store and she didn’t work at South Coast Plaza, that in fact it was a thrift store and the item was donated and now damaged with sharpie because of them.
I can’t stand this place…

Who prices things at this store??? I thought I was at a high-​end department store like Nordstrom or Bloomingdale’s. Actually I think those places would have been cheaper.
Last time I checked I thought that everything in the store was donated. So it cost them nothing. People that shop at thrift stores usually do not have a lot of money and are looking for needed things at a decent price. You need to be making six digits minimum to buy anything from this thrift store… and the majority of the stuff is junk! I am completely flabbergasted!

Shame on you Salvation Army!
I thought you were about helping people in need, which is why I have donated tons of
Stuff to you over the past decade, but your prices have gotten ridiculously high.
I came in looking for a dresser and this location has crappy beat up dressers for between $ 200-​$ 450!!! That is so greedy and wrong. I guarantee that the kind people who donated those dressers FREE of Charge, did not anticipate you re-​selling them for upwards of $ 450. How does that help out the community members in need?
People don’t shop at Salvation Army because they have hundreds of dollars to spend on a simple dresser. They shop there because they need AFFORDABLE goods.
This location also has crappy dining room tables for $ 300-​$ 400, a beat up rocking chair for $ 250, and other junky furniture for outlandish prices.
I understand you use some of the money to fund rehabilitation programs, but should it be at the expense of other people in need?
I think you should seriously reevaluate
Your mission statement and your religious stance because what you are doing is COMPLETELY unethical.

This place is unbelievably expensive. I don’t know who is pricing their stuff, but they clearly are delusional.
Clothes here are more expensive than brand new from Ross or Marshall’s. The furniture is crappy and overpriced.
I’m baffled.
The selection is huge but everything is so expensive I recommend avoiding this place unless you can’t go elsewhere.
Never did I expect the Salvation Army to be twice as expensive as Goodwill. See my pic — a crappy, damaged wetsuit for $ 65. LOL!

I used to shop here all. the time…
However, since receiving a new manager and the new store, the prices have become absolutely ridiculous.
$ 99 for a pair of Express jeans?

Man, I hate to beat a dead horse here… but I don’t think a used Kirkland shirt from Costco should not cost more than a brand new one?
I think they have «sales» every once in a while, and a 50% off Unilocal check-​in coupon is available on a normal day.
The renovation they did a few months back makes the store look a lot nicer, but I’d personally stick to a local Goodwill or Ross/Marshall’s before I went back to this place…