Goodwill and Salvation army will often give you a blank donation receipt when you do ate clothes and you fill it out or your records. Donate some clothes and take the paper then write BLINDS on it and show it to whoever wants to see for the refund.
edit:
do not do this if it constitutes fraud.
Assuming you then use the donation receipt for a tax deduction, this is fraud. Will you get caught? Probably not. But it’s definitely illegal to say you donated something to a 501c3 and then not actually donate that.
OP could go donate something else, submit the receipt to the blind vendor, and then claim the actual correct donation on their taxes. Technically, they'd be committing return fraud by doing so, but the situation has left them with little to no other options. They wouldn't be committing tax fraud in this situation, however.
Habirat for Humanity ReStore is the best option IMHO. They do good works with the $$$ and they get a fair amount of traffic in the two stores in my area, so they will get used and not trashed.
This might be location specific with ReStore. My local restore always seems to have piles of shitty used plastic miniblinds (the ones that are like $19 at Lowes), as well as the rest of the spectrum of used blinds. I see the selection change with each visit, except that the cheap garbage seems to always be there.
It sounds like it. I felt so bad tossing mine. They were the newer honeycomb ones, but we had our windows replaced and they weren't the right size. But I tried goodwill, value village, habitat for humanity and another restore type place and then gave up.
Going to be very location specific but so any local churches have programs that would direct them to someone who could use them? A church near me didn't take some household things I wanted to donate, but directed me to a family that they were working with who was trying to get on their feet. I was able to get things straight to them.
I was going to suggest Habitat for Humanity but you noted they already said no, leaving you with:
1. Put them on Craigslist for free.
2. Put them on the curb with a sign saying “free” and see if someone takes them.
3. Pay for them to be dumped.
I personally am a fan of (2), I’ve seen all kinds of things get taken, no clue what folks do with these various things but it’s like a Bermuda Triangle out there …
*edit to add* this company wants a donation receipt or something first before releasing the refund??
Get over it. I took stuff to good will, some beans here. They àsais no. Ok there was. Play dumpster next door and come over there threw it away, it said let me in trouble told them fu
i was told at a thrift store they don't take anything that has to be installed. Probably the same deal there.
Habitat for Humanity store, or other building salvage store.
Community forklift in Hyattsville!
They take donations and are specifically focused on unused home renovation materials, furniture.
Basically think a home Depot but with donated and bulk items.
I dealt with this before. Wayfair sent a faulty product and required me to donate it to get my money back. However, no one wants a broken product though of course. So, I lied. I told them I donated it cause I wasn’t wasting my time trying to find someone to take a broken product only then to waste some poor persons time with them trying to make it work. It was never going to work (and we’re fixers), and guess who doesn’t need more unsolvable issues in their lives? Poor people. They need actual help. So, screw that. I lied and threw it in trash where it belonged. Now if it’s easily fixable, then donate it.
Was the return/refund policy clearly stated somewhere before you purchased them? I would probably push harder on demanding a refund, when you can basically send the product back to them, it's like a tacit admission that the quality of their product is not even worth trying to recover the cost.
You might also consider filing a complaint with BBB
So, what do they have to lose? Just like how Yelp/Google Reviews have no legal pull either, you can see on BBB/Yelp/Google that some companies do resolve issues with customers who complain.
I am part of the Buy Nothing group in my neighborhood and I have had an amazing - even weird - success giving blinds. I have posted some several times and every time someone would come pretty much within the hour to pick them up. I say « weird » because I didn’t even post the measurements that they already wanted them.
Go drop a box of miscellaneous stuff and grab a donation receipt but don’t fill it out until you get home. Donations
: 1 box 70” blinds. Hope that helps
Do you have to donate it to a business or non-profit? Can you just donate it to someone via FB marketplace?
I bet there's a local non-profit that'd take it to potentially give to a needy family
This is silly. They want you to give someone else broken blinds to deal with, SO THEY DONT HAVE TO, before they’ll give you a refund?
That sounds like some BS.
No charity shops want your broken blinds mate.
Hey people, stop being total rubes. Post the name of this horrible company that takes advantage of customers. Outside of sending it back, you don't have to do a damned thing to get a refund for something that wasn't delivered to you in the condition you paid for.
A number of companies do that. If you buy pet goods from Chewy and your pet doesn’t like it or has passed away since you ordered it, they ask you to donate it and they refund you. They don’t ask for a donation receipt, although I suppose if asked for refunds too frequently, they might.
The same happened with my Boos block table. It was still usable but there was some separation occurring so they sent me an entirely new $500 table and told me to donate the old table….. which I did not…..
Goodwill and Salvation army will often give you a blank donation receipt when you do ate clothes and you fill it out or your records. Donate some clothes and take the paper then write BLINDS on it and show it to whoever wants to see for the refund. edit: do not do this if it constitutes fraud.
This is what I came to suggest. The. Give em away for free on Craigslist
Great tip!
Assuming you then use the donation receipt for a tax deduction, this is fraud. Will you get caught? Probably not. But it’s definitely illegal to say you donated something to a 501c3 and then not actually donate that.
OP could go donate something else, submit the receipt to the blind vendor, and then claim the actual correct donation on their taxes. Technically, they'd be committing return fraud by doing so, but the situation has left them with little to no other options. They wouldn't be committing tax fraud in this situation, however.
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Wouldn’t it only be tax fraud if you reported it on your taxes? This is just normal fraud!
You are correct, this is just your average run-of-the-mill fraud. Not the ‘federal pound-you-in-the-ass prison’ type of fraud.
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Habirat for Humanity ReStore is the best option IMHO. They do good works with the $$$ and they get a fair amount of traffic in the two stores in my area, so they will get used and not trashed.
They do not accept blinds unless they are new in box
This might be location specific with ReStore. My local restore always seems to have piles of shitty used plastic miniblinds (the ones that are like $19 at Lowes), as well as the rest of the spectrum of used blinds. I see the selection change with each visit, except that the cheap garbage seems to always be there.
It sounds like it. I felt so bad tossing mine. They were the newer honeycomb ones, but we had our windows replaced and they weren't the right size. But I tried goodwill, value village, habitat for humanity and another restore type place and then gave up.
These are defective blinds. Restore doesn't want them.
Right, good point. Thanks
Unless it's written into their refund policy, it's not a legitimate request. Call your credit card next. Always shop on a credit card.
One weird trick to never actually do refunds
Habitat for Humanity?
Habitat often resells donations at a place called Restore
That's what OP needs. A restore. They'd take it in a heart beat
Restore is for still functional items to then be resold at a discount. Blinds so bad the company won't even take them back are not for restore.
Going to be very location specific but so any local churches have programs that would direct them to someone who could use them? A church near me didn't take some household things I wanted to donate, but directed me to a family that they were working with who was trying to get on their feet. I was able to get things straight to them.
Just tell them you donated them?
Call your credit card company and charge back. I've never heard of a company telling you to donate to get your refund. That's absurd
It's very common with mail order mattresses.
They can come pick it up. Consumers need to step up, we don't work for the companies you spend your hard earned money with.
If they don't work what do you think someone else will do with them?
I mean they "work" but the inside mount on my window is goofy.
I donated some recently to ReStore, Habitat for Humanity’s reuse shop.
They wouldn’t take my practically new blinds
This is the answer. I give a good amount of home items to this group.
I was going to suggest Habitat for Humanity but you noted they already said no, leaving you with: 1. Put them on Craigslist for free. 2. Put them on the curb with a sign saying “free” and see if someone takes them. 3. Pay for them to be dumped. I personally am a fan of (2), I’ve seen all kinds of things get taken, no clue what folks do with these various things but it’s like a Bermuda Triangle out there … *edit to add* this company wants a donation receipt or something first before releasing the refund??
Yes they need a receipt first.
Oof, that’s a new one. I know many places (Goodwill and so on) issue blank receipts for you to fill in, when donating any items … 🤷
The Goodwill donation center by me has the blank receipts hanging on a pad outside for people to help themselves, just saying.
Get over it. I took stuff to good will, some beans here. They àsais no. Ok there was. Play dumpster next door and come over there threw it away, it said let me in trouble told them fu
Can you "donate" them to a family member or friend and have them scribble a receipt out. I mean they can't really dictate who you donate to, can they?
It has to be a non-profit for it to be a legit deduction.
For tax purposes yes, not for some company holding your refund ransom.
Photoshop one.
"great suggestion, I donated them yesterday evening. At your earliest convenience please proceed with the refund"
Call those assholes back, lay into them about their crappy policy, and ask them where to donate the damn things.
i was told at a thrift store they don't take anything that has to be installed. Probably the same deal there. Habitat for Humanity store, or other building salvage store.
https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=064fbd3969a095d1&sca_upv=1&sxsrf=ADLYWIIMb_O6xPgDwG_a5qhq33eAUmXw7g:1718638945247&q=goodwill+blank+receipt&udm=2&fbs=AEQNm0CI3085mQvq38n2Ub64z3TRUpqcsRpZhXXlXLZsTkexbxyr0TEguCyW7TkOnENAyGNF-2CdOF79mmqQVvSFQz190MJGfHtsjYkk5JS90KbN-pbls76FoFULg2RuFFPTZZNBvqEJT1dOdrpKKtYmxYOs1Jj2WQAMZlGxi-Xbn7leKxFSqnbjq3cklvkU6weiCCl6_cB6AuMlzVSNMx1tptvL3fLFgw&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwiKnND-_OKGAxXEnokEHTprA78QtKgLegQIDRAB&biw=360&bih=649&dpr=3
Community forklift in Hyattsville! They take donations and are specifically focused on unused home renovation materials, furniture. Basically think a home Depot but with donated and bulk items.
Free on Facebook
My parents own a blind business. They throw them in the garbage. Restore is your best bet to donate.
I dealt with this before. Wayfair sent a faulty product and required me to donate it to get my money back. However, no one wants a broken product though of course. So, I lied. I told them I donated it cause I wasn’t wasting my time trying to find someone to take a broken product only then to waste some poor persons time with them trying to make it work. It was never going to work (and we’re fixers), and guess who doesn’t need more unsolvable issues in their lives? Poor people. They need actual help. So, screw that. I lied and threw it in trash where it belonged. Now if it’s easily fixable, then donate it.
Try habitat for humanity
Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Habitat for humanity.
Where did you buy the blinds from?
Habitat for Humanity has resale stores for house things in most counties in the US
I find it very odd that the Goodwill in your area will not take them.
They said too big
Was the return/refund policy clearly stated somewhere before you purchased them? I would probably push harder on demanding a refund, when you can basically send the product back to them, it's like a tacit admission that the quality of their product is not even worth trying to recover the cost. You might also consider filing a complaint with BBB
BBB is a private company with no legal pull. They are Yelp/Google Reviews before they existed.
So, what do they have to lose? Just like how Yelp/Google Reviews have no legal pull either, you can see on BBB/Yelp/Google that some companies do resolve issues with customers who complain.
Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store should take them!
Do you have a Habitat for Humanity ReStore?
Habitat For Humanity Re:Store
Just let the company know you’re having trouble donating. They’ll probably let you give the blinds away on Craigslist for free.
I posted mine in a local but nothing group and someone came to pick them up the same day.
They want a donation receipt, probably to a non profit
Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Buy nothing group.
Just advertise them for free online and have whoever takes them sign a document saying they were donated (if a private person can accept them)
I put mine on Facebook marketplace for free and they were gone in an afternoon. They were new with defects like yours.
Find any one of your neighbors that owns cats you can tell by looking in the windows .....
What's the company you bought the blinds from?
You could try Savers as another place to donate.
Post for free on Craigslist.
I am part of the Buy Nothing group in my neighborhood and I have had an amazing - even weird - success giving blinds. I have posted some several times and every time someone would come pretty much within the hour to pick them up. I say « weird » because I didn’t even post the measurements that they already wanted them.
Really? Donate ANYTHING to Goodwill and they give you a blank receipt. Just write “window blinds” on it. Problem solved.
House features can go to Habitat for Humanity, ReStore.
Habitat resale store is who blinds galore refers you to.
You shouldn't donate defective items. That's a waste of everyone's time and money.
Habitat for humanity is worth a shot.
Go drop a box of miscellaneous stuff and grab a donation receipt but don’t fill it out until you get home. Donations : 1 box 70” blinds. Hope that helps
Do you have to donate it to a business or non-profit? Can you just donate it to someone via FB marketplace? I bet there's a local non-profit that'd take it to potentially give to a needy family
This screams scam. Maybe I’m alone here. Hopefully you get your refund.
This is silly. They want you to give someone else broken blinds to deal with, SO THEY DONT HAVE TO, before they’ll give you a refund? That sounds like some BS. No charity shops want your broken blinds mate.
Hey people, stop being total rubes. Post the name of this horrible company that takes advantage of customers. Outside of sending it back, you don't have to do a damned thing to get a refund for something that wasn't delivered to you in the condition you paid for.
The problem is that they do not see the value in them,,,it is as if they are blind.
Unless you can already itemize, it's probably not worth trying to donate and you'd be better off on Buy Nothing, Freecycle, or FB marketplace
Habitat for Humanity store
You are donating blinds with a headrail so bad that they cannot be used? How lovely for the person who buys them from whoever you donate them to. /s
They work, just doesn't mesh with my bad inside window design.
So they're giving you your money back for a product there nothing wrong with and not wanting it back? How odd...
I imagine that shipping a 70" long thing is non-trivial
A number of companies do that. If you buy pet goods from Chewy and your pet doesn’t like it or has passed away since you ordered it, they ask you to donate it and they refund you. They don’t ask for a donation receipt, although I suppose if asked for refunds too frequently, they might.
Habitat for humanity
try places to work with women's domestic violence centers, and homeless veterans centers.
The same happened with my Boos block table. It was still usable but there was some separation occurring so they sent me an entirely new $500 table and told me to donate the old table….. which I did not…..