Hello? Is Anyone In there???

My husband and I haunt Goodwill. We find lots of great stuff that is ‘used’ but then becomes ‘new’ to us. Why on Sunday I found a Vera Wang purse for $15. What woman would not want a Vera Wang purse for $15??!! Sold!

Today we found a mower. I love to mow – it is my valium.

I have recently been looking at mowers. I don’t need a mower, I have one, but I want a better one. One that is self-propelled.  I am old; I need an easy push, not a push until I pass out because my mower is as old as my children mower. It practically wears me out just pulling the cord to get it started! I basically have to take a nap right after I get it started. I only mow now if my husband is around to start it.

But you don’t care about all that.

This mower looked fairly clean and little used. Another bonus. It had the famous “TESTED” sticker on it, which is supposed to mean that the staff at Goodwill has tested the product and they say it works. They loosely judge the idea of works.

I have purchased items that said “TESTED” and once I got them home found that they do not in fact work. So I am skeptical of the “TESTED” sticker.

We wanted to "TESTED" this mower ourselves. So we asked if we could. The employee we talked to initially looked at us like we had 2 heads and were spitting fire at the random furniture sitting around. He could already see the headline: “Local Goodwill Goes Up in Flames!” So, he just turned and walked away - no comment - no answer - just walked away like we hadn't even spoken to him.

So, since our interaction with him was completely useless, we searched for the manager. We found her and she was a rather talkative, but not a listening, type of woman. Here is the exchange (which is the reason for this post):

Us: We are interested in this mower. May we take it outside to make sure it works?

Manager: It just came in from another store this morning.

Us: Um yes, we are interested in this mower. May we take it outside to make sure it works?

Manager: It looks like it is a very good mower.

Us: Um yes, and we are interested in this mower. But may we take it outside to make sure it works?

Manager: I don’t know why we got it from the other store...

Us: Great, but we would like to take it outside and test it.

Manager: We don’t usually allow items that use gasoline in this store.

Us: Great, but may we TAKE IT OUTSIDE AND TEST IT?

Manager: You know, it just came from another store and we just put it out on the floor about an hour ago!

Us: Wonderful. May.We.Test.It? The door to the outside is right there (we were pointing)!

Manager: Oh, you want to test it? It has a “TESTED” sticker on it, two in fact so it must be fine.

Us: Yes, but we have purchased items before that had that sticker on it and then got the item home only to find that it actually didn’t work. Soooo, may we take the mower outside and just see for ourselves that it really works.

Manager:  I wonder why we got it from the other store. We have only had it a couple of hours.

Obviously we were not getting through to her (or she was just ignoring our request) and I was rapidly losing what little bit of self-control I possess, so I grabbed her by the shoulders, looked her square in the eye and said:

“Look, I don’t trust your “TESTED” sticker, I don’t care where it came from, how long you have had it, or whether your store allows a gas powered anything in it. I NEED to take this mower outside that door – right there – and start it myself and push it around to make sure it works. Any questions?”

She calmly answered, “Why no, go ahead.”

I think my husband and I are magnets for those who are inept or stupid. I really do.

 

 

 

P.S. No word on the buffalo yet...I will keep you posted though!