I am a former employee of this particular Plato's Closet. I went back as a customer today, and it was a mistake. No matter what this company tried (or didn't try) The service I saw my then-coworkers giving was always the same-- "Thanks for bringing in your items. We passed on these due to style and/or condition. We can offer you $___ for these." The lack of morale, the lack of effort, the fact that the teenaged girls around me were always hungry, tired, upset, or stressed...it wasn't a healthy place to be and customers constantly witnessed it. Just read the other reviews.
I'm writing this because I went back to this location for the first time in months. And from a now-outsider's perspective, unfortunately not much has changed. I brought in two bags of clothes. Some of my items were questionable or a little bit older, but the majority of them were from very fashion-forward brands, as I do put in a lot of effort to keep up with current trends. Fashion Nova, Pacsun, Forever21, Brandy Melville, True Religion, Missguided, some of the brands and styles I know they go crazy for. Keep in mind I also know their average selling prices (50-70% below retail value) and the percent I could expect to receive on each item (30-40% of their selling price.) This is something you have to ask about to learn.
My clothes had no stains, no odor. In fact, unlike many sellers who brought in dirty socks and stained underwear (which we don't even buy), I took the time to actually wash these clothes one more time before I came in.
I was offered $9 and some change for distressed True Religion shorts, ripped American Eagle jeans and Kim Kardashian inspired sock boots that I've probably worn twice. I knew that going in there could be awkward, but this was just bizarre. The employee cashing me out kept apologizing to me, as if she knew they should have taken or offered me more. But that is just a guess. When I asked what was wrong with my clothes, as we all have, she said it was the "style". If you don't want trendy, gently used brand name clothes...maybe that shouldn't be your motto.
So if you made it this far in my review, and have read the other ones, you know you can expect a crappy experience at this location. I cannot speak for any other Plato's Closet, but I can confidently say that this establishment does little to nothing to support or empower their employees, and that shows to their customers. Not to mention the constant drama, pettiness, hiring/firing, horrible pay (nobody over the age of 21 can live comfortably on this, so they only hire kids?), short breaks, understaffing, giving store keys to girls who can't even legally vote yet...this place was a hot mess then, and it's a hot mess now.
I left the store feeling the same way almost all of the reviewers under me do: confused, frustrated, uninformed. Instead of elaborating on why exactly my never worn PacSun tee, halter crop tops, or Pink leggings aren't "styles they are looking for," (but definitely were not too long ago...?) It was quickly brushed over and said in a very close-ended way. Can't really argue with that, so I didn't. When I left the store, a complete stranger asked if she could buy one of my "unstylish" dresses off of me...
Upon doing the math, after the fact, I realized each item was priced oddly low compared to the selling prices I had gotten accustomed to seeing, logging, and setting firsthand, for a little bit over a year. You can find the items they took for $16+ on Plato's sales floor. Especially True Religion, which usually gets a price of $20-$45. But they priced each of my items at around $10 for me to make the measly $9 and some coins. Im not sure why they would have changed their buying criteria or pricing system so significantly..or maybe they didn't.
In conclusion, I'm very disappointed with this store. Still. Very sad to see they've done nothing to change and do right by the ones that give them business. Horrible environment to shop at or work at, especially because I always tried my best to go above and beyond for customers and be genuine with them. I hardly saw anyone else do it. If you want money for stuff you don't wear, there's Depop, PoshMark, even EBay would be better. It's not as quick, but you'll make a lot more $$$ and also not get treated like an idiot who can't dress themselves. Save your time and money and avoid this place like the plague read more