1. Goodwill - Watsonville

    1. Goodwill - Watsonville

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    Watsonville, CA

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    Goodwill - Watsonville

    2.5 (37 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 8:00 pm

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    The first/only goodwill employee I've had scrutinize my donations. How unpleasant!
    Sharon K.

    I'm moving out of state so I've been cleaning out the house and made several trips here. First 2 days of multiple drop offs were fine. Friendly staff, no complaints about what I was donating, no scrutinizing every item I dropped off. In general I've never had anything I donated rejected until today. The guy (in my picture: grey beard, long braided hair) was looking at every item I dropped off. Looking in the bags and moving things around to look at everything. He tells us no foam mattress toppers or pillows but he accepts the blankets. If it's a bed bug issue I understand but then blankets shouldn't be accepted either. Then he has us fill out a form for a working flatscreen tv with remote. If it wasn't working why would I donate it? I've donated electronics before and never filled out a form. I never ask for a receipt so it's not like he was itemizing stuff or anything. I've never come across a goodwill employee that scrutinized my donation that much. It was my last donation before hitting the road and it just left a bad last impression.

    Charlotte G.

    Where do I begin? Think of all the negatives about buying used and you will find it here. The merchandise and store are dirty, disorganized, and worst of all the merchandise is expensive and overpriced! The staff doesn't seem to care. They would much rather stare you down as if you are going to shoplift than offer to help you or tidy up their workstations and the rows of crammed, disheveled merchandise. I wanted to take a look at an item in their locked, glass display case but no one ever showed up with a key so I gave up and walked out. Goodwill has the same color tag system a lot of chain, thrift store's use. A certain color tag will be marked down to 50% off. The question is: What is the point of their half off sales when their prices are so outrageous to begin with! I saw a lot of new items at this Goodwill but the box and the exterior packaging of these "new items" were dingy and beat up and they still had the nerve to price these items at prices that seemed about the same, if not more expensive than retail! $39.99 for a "new" coffee machine in a beat up box that looks like it's been sitting there for years! Really?!?!? I've seen cheaper at Walmart! For my friends and family who buy and resell used merchandise as a source of additional income: I saw a Goodwill job posting looking to hire an individual whose primary job function is to go through their donated merchandise and find the items of value, with real gemstones and precious metals, higher end, brand name, trendy, and designer items. Probably so they can then mark those items up to near retail price and/or keep them for themselves. This is bad news for those who are in the business of buying and reselling. When there is hardly "any meat left on the bone" there is no point for resellers to shop here. You'd think they'd want to bring in as many types of customers they can to sell items that were donated to them in the first place and to keep the flow of goods going and therefore keep the money flowing. I heard that Goodwill has a facility in Salinas, CA where Goodwill stores in the area send their unsold merchandise. Then they are placed in filthy, nasty bins and I believe whatever you find is sold by the pound. Why not price your donated merchandise at a fair price to begin with so you don't have to have such a facility?!?! I thought Goodwill, as their name would suggest is to bring "goodwill to the community?" I guess they are intent on seeing how much they can get away with and sucker people into paying up-the-wazoo! I feel for those who can only afford to shop at thrift stores. They are getting swindled when they come here if you ask me. Hopefully people figure out that they are better off going to a Ross Dress for Less, T-J-Max, Marshalls, or some other discount store. I was at Ross the other day and heard the cashier at the checkout counter say the price of the designer men's dress shirt being purchased by the gentleman in front of me was just $1.49! Way cheaper and much better than if he were to go to a Goodwill! If he saw a similar dress shirt at a Goodwill it would have been used and dirty and would have probably been priced at near retail price! Even Walmart has cheaper new clothing than here! This thrift store and it's steady decline in service, outrageous prices, and bad quality of merchandise are the main reasons why I have stopped going here. Honestly, I saw some items that were fit for the dump! I understand that sometimes bad quality items slip through the cracks and end up on the store floor but if at least half your items are either too expensive or too dirty to sell, you might want to reconsider your business model and pricing! The lower you price your items, the more people will buy, the more money you make. The service you provide can also make or break a business. Also customers who have good shopping experiences will tell their family and friends and then they in turn will tell their family and friends. I gave Goodwill a second chance earlier this week after at least a decade ban. As you can see it was a disaster and reaffirmed the reasons why I stopped shopping here. I shall not be visiting this store or any Goodwill ever again!

    Mike S.

    This Goodwill is far enough away from Santa Cruz to be just beyond the grubby reach of UCSC hipster's road bikes & bus passes. But close enough for me & my gas guzzling SUV to make frequent visits too. This is the most non-picked over Goodwill I have ever seen! Once found a brand new pair of We Who See heels for 4 dollars which were retailing at Urban Outfitters for 60+ dollars at the time! Can you say 'Come up!'?

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    1 year ago

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    10 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    1 year ago

    good stuff and not stupidly priced over retail like capitola recommended to shop for clothes mainly

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    1 year ago

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    4 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    20 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    15 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    5 years ago

    you need to deliver if only 10 mile radius!! you lost my sale today of over $200

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    8 years ago

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    15 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    7 years ago

    The used to be a great store now it's so overpriced I miss the old days. I want to come back but now with these prices

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    11 years ago

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    15 years ago

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    13 years ago

    Terrible place it smells and there is never anything new skip this place your better off going to gilroy or salinas to shop at goodwill

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    8 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Goodwill - Watsonville

    Review Highlights - Goodwill - Watsonville

    Maybe because I'm older and look a certain way I've never been asked to put my purse in a locker nor have been accused of shoplifting at the store.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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    The Salvation Army Thrift Store & Donation Center

    The Salvation Army Thrift Store & Donation Center

    3.7
    (84 reviews)
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    This is indeed one of my favorite Salvation Army stores to shop at in Northern California. It has…read morea huge layout with mostly clothing. There are weekly color tag 50% off deals like at the other stores. The rewards program is superb. I subscribe to their email newsletters and get often coupons to use. Today, I was there with my parents. The clerk was so patient and kind as their technology was not working well at time of purchase. I hope they get their issue fixed. Prices are generally good here. Great prices on t-shirts, jeans, books, and bags. There is a great selection of shoes but prices are kind of high considering the shoes are used. I would not pay $20 or more for a pair of sneakers usually unless they are in perfect like new condition, a designer brand and are made of leather. I saw some non designer fabric shoes that were priced kind of high. I have paid about $20 for a new pair of shoes on clearance at discount stores like Ross and Marshalls. I am more willing to pay about $20 and up for a pair of brand new shoes on clearance at a store that sells only new merchandise. I am aware that the bottom tread on the soles on used shoes can have been worn down or perhaps some other flaw which would explain why the shoes were donated to the thrift store in the first place. This store used to carry jewelry but I guess just like Goodwill, sell all of their jewelry online now except for the occasional jar of mixed costume jewelry. I do miss being able to purchase individual jewelry here like the other thrift stores.

    In the past two weeks I dropped off no less than 15 very large bags of good clothing at the drop…read moreoff. Last week no one was at the drop off so I left them at the drop off rear door (it was opened), I couldn't get a receipt because no one was there. Today I went again with 8 large bags of gently used clothing. There was a white car van at the entrance putting bags into the vehicle, the car in front of me pulled up, and I guess they knew each other, the large suv had about 15 bags of items and the woman in the white van was helping taking the bags out and putting them in the white van, 15 minutes later the suv finished and I pulled in her spot, again, no one there to help me with my 8 bags, the woman in the white van was still sorting items and putting them into her van. I'm not sure if she was an employee for the salvation army but I asked if anyone was available and she said no just put your items on the table inside. The problem was that many bags were very heavy, I had my grandson help me so I needed help, no help was available. After I finished I went into the store to speak to a manager, david was an assistant manager and I told him what happened, he basically said they were short handed, David was at the register so I didn't want to interfere too much with the sales. My point to the above is that people like myself donate for several reasons, like to give good clothing to people who can't afford retail and two, to employ people of the salvation army. To be treated with utter disrespect is absolutely unacceptable. I will go to goodwill next time. Don't go to this establishment....

    Goodwill - Watsonville - nonprofit - Updated July 2026

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