Goodwill needs to change its name to GREEDWILL

[emsimon33]

Andrew Anderson, a 19-year-old employee at a Goodwill store in East Naples, Florida, was arrested and charged with felony grand theft. His crime? Providing discounts to customers who appeared to be in desperate need:

The 19-year-old was an employee at Goodwill Retail and Donation Center in East Naples -- giving out discounts to customers he thought were in need.

"People would come in on bicycles -- wearing all of the clothes they had, coming in with $2, $3 max," Anderson said.

Not thinking anything of it, Anderson would cut prices in half, leaving families with a smile.

"I wasn't actually stealing. Goodwill is a giving and helping company, so I took it upon to myself to be giving and helping because I feel people deserve it," Anderson said.

Read the rest of this Daily Kos article at the following:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/09/27/1241823/-No-good-deed-goes-unpunished
[link:http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/09/27/1241823/-No-good-deed-goes-unpunished|

Personally between this and the 6 and 7 figures that Goodwill executives make plus their often paying disabled employees way below minimum wage, I am donating my things elsewhere.

In deference to honesty in advertising, the company should change its name from Goodwill to Greedwill.

[KamaAina]

1. Someone needs to 'Shop that

and change the blue to green while they're at it.

[babylonsister]

2. If that were the case, everything should be free.

Sorry, but they have to have some rules. They employ a lot of people and clothe them, too, as well as overhead for all those stores.
I don't know anything about their salaries; heard Salvation Army was pretty despicable.

[emsimon33]

5. Some Disabled Goodwill Workers Earn As Little As 22 Cents An Hour As Execs Earn Six Figures: Report

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/21/goodwill-workers-disabilities-low-wage_n_3478013.html

[snagglepuss]

10. Interesting that only Goodwill USA operates that way. Goodwill Canada is completely different

http://www.goodwill.on.ca/documents/Goodwill%20Wages%20Statement.pdf

[progressoid]

11. How about a million $ or more...

...Harold said he believes Goodwill can afford to pay him minimum wage, based on the salaries paid to Goodwill executives. While according to the company's own figures about 4,000 of the 30,000 disabled workers Goodwill employs at 69 franchises are currently paid below minimum wage, salaries for the CEOs of those franchises that hold special minimum wage certificates totaled almost $20 million in 2011.

In 2011 the CEO of Goodwill Industries of Southern California took home $1.1 million in salary and deferred compensation. His counterpart in Portland, Oregon, made more than $500,000. Salaries for CEOs of the roughly 150 Goodwill franchises across America total more than $30 million.

Goodwill International CEO Jim Gibbons, who was awarded $729,000 in salary and deferred compensation in 2011, defended the executive pay.

http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/25/19062348-disabled-workers-paid-just-pennies-an-hour-and-its-legal?lite

[Xyzse]

3. I read up on it a bit. I can somewhat see where Goodwill is coming from but...

So I'll go by Pros and Cons, Pros on goodwill and Cons.

Pros:
-Goodwill uses sales to run their stores, and pay the employees that help out.
-It is not good business practice to give discounts like that, since others may just do the same. Uniformity is needed.
-The kid did break the rules, even if it is for a good cause, he should have went and asked a manager first. Unless if there is an employee based discount that he could have used.

Cons:
-The kid did not profit from this, and was doing it to give some people a break.
-The kid offered to pay for the difference.

It is stupid of Goodwill to prosecute someone who would be willing to pay for the difference and involve the courts. Especially since this was done to further the cause of charity and good will.

This is heavy handed and ridiculous. Congratulations Goodwill, you have just earned a PR disaster.

Either way, they should settle this out of court, even before it got to this point. Idiots.

[emsimon33]

7. Great points but it is a PR nightmare

[Xyzse]

8. Yeah, and they deserve it for being that way.

Sometimes, they really should know when to use the breaks and think things through.

[Jefferson23]

4. Grand theft, really? Sucks they're trying to make an example of him. n/t

[Journeyman]

6. Goodwill has always been a "for profit" company. . .

And though I applaud Anderson's compassion and desire to help, his action is no less a crime that it occurred at Goodwill than if he'd done the same at Sears. Goodwill has a different business model than Sears, but the profit motive -- and the corporate attitude -- remain the same.

Hopefully, reason will prevail and Goodwill will find an amicable resolution to this, but ultimately Anderson was actually stealing and must now rely on the good will of the company to avoid either penalty or imprisonment.

A good maxim for all: Know your employer and don't get fooled by their marketing ploys.

[xfundy]

9. I used to shop at Goodwill but their prices are too high.

Seriously. In some cases, close to retail.

And I will never shop at Salvation Army.

[emsimon33]

12. I agree with you regarding the Salvation Army

[littlewolf]

18. why? I have never shopped there, but have donated stuff there. nt

[gvstn]

13. Goodwill dropped the charges.

No details on whether he has to repay the lost revenue.

http://gma.yahoo.com/goodwill-drops-theft-charges-against-teen-gave-customer-214513630--abc-news-topstories.html

[Liberal_in_LA]

15. good

[emsimon33]

16. Thank you for the update.

[Sgent]

14. They should

drop the charges and fire this kid at most -- if not just invest in re-training.

There are legitimate reasons to not have such a discretionary discount policy, and I thought there was a way for people to receive credit vouchers -- so following the proper channels and getting the customer to fill out the forms would have been the correct way to go.

Regardless, at least two people should have been in on the decision (manager and employee, or even two employees).

[littlewolf]

17. agreed., well thought out response, Hope Goodwill does it. nt