Micheal's policy....please read

[barbstitches]

I would like to share this with all of you. Couple of years ago, I was in Micheals and they were cleaning out the yarn bins and getting ready to put new stock up. They had a buggy full of yarn, some without wrappers and some tangled. I asked the clerk if I could buy that, and she let me have all of it for .50 cents apiece. I was thrilled. Well....this year I was there again as they were pulling the old yard again and I asked could I get some again, and they told me no.....it would be cut up and put in the garbage. The store had passed a new policy and werent allowed to give it to anyone. IWAS SO MAD. There are alot of people who do crocheting for charity and need supplies, and Micheal's cuts it up and throws it away. How stingy and wasteful. I cringe when I think of the yarn that could be put to good use. I say we should try to do something about it. Anyone have any ideas?

[DesertCrocheter]

I was Sunday manager of a bookstore, and the same policy holds true. Books that were being reissued or no longer published were not, if paperbacks, returned to the publisher. We stripped the covers off them and sent the covers back for a refund, and threw the rest of the paperback away. And these paperbacks are not recyclable. Could we give them away? Nope. Could we tell people that these were in the dumpster? Nope. Did it bother us? Yes. But we had to adhere to copyright laws. Look inside any mass market-sized paperback in your home. You will find the following statement:

 

"Sales of this book without a front cover may be unauthorized. If this book is coverless, it may have been reported to the publisher as "unsold or destroyed" and neither the author nor the publisher may have received payment for it."

 

The same argument likely applies in his case, as the ball bands are gone. You can protest but it's unlikely the corporate policy will change.

 

Life doesn't always make logical sense.

 

Patty

[The_Virginia_Hooker]

Yarn and books, could of been used for a good cause, yet some people make these policies that say no.

 

Maybe because i've been on the receiving end of donated books and clothes, but to throw away useable needed items should be a crime IMO.

[The_Virginia_Hooker]

I would like to share this with all of you. Couple of years ago, I was in Micheals and they were cleaning out the yarn bins and getting ready to put new stock up. They had a buggy full of yarn, some without wrappers and some tangled. I asked the clerk if I could buy that, and she let me have all of it for .50 cents apiece. I was thrilled. Well....this year I was there again as they were pulling the old yard again and I asked could I get some again, and they told me no.....it would be cut up and put in the garbage. The store had passed a new policy and werent allowed to give it to anyone. IWAS SO MAD. There are alot of people who do crocheting for charity and need supplies, and Micheal's cuts it up and throws it away. How stingy and wasteful. I cringe when I think of the yarn that could be put to good use. I say we should try to do something about it. Anyone have any ideas?

 

 

Not to mention how ironic i go to 3 Michaels stores and there's "Warm Up America" ads everywhere. You'd think that yarn could go for THAT!!

 

 

As for any idea? Emailing the company would be a start. I'll think some more about this.

[Amy]

As for any idea? Emailing the company would be a start. I'll think some more about this.

 

Anyone who is upset with the policies of any particular business can make their opinion known to the business by contacting them directly via email or snail mail.

 

Even if you say something to a store manager, that manager doesn't have the ability to change corporate policy. Send your opinion straight to the corporate level. Sometimes when companies see that enough of their customers feel the same way on an issue, they may change their policy.

 

I don't know if yarn works the same way, but I wonder if there's something similar in place to the bookstore issue with unsold books. I wonder if the stores get some sort of credit back from the manufacturer if the cut up yarn and return the ball bands to the manufacturer. If that were the case, then suggestions for change would need to be made directly to the manufacturer who has asked the stores to follow such a policy.

[Titus2woman]

I was in a Michael's a couple of months ago and able to buy such skeins for $1. (((((HUGS))))) sandi

[pat54]

I was told quite a few years ago that items that were to be trashed and could not be given to anyone because the store reports that as a loss and if they gave it to someone or sold it that it would be fraud. I watched them throw away good toys and games and I wanted to know why they weren't given to charity and that's the reason I was given.

[crochetluvknot]

petsmart does the same thing with food it gets tossed

[smuchez1317]

Well that just isn't right. I know I will definitely be sending an email.

[The_Virginia_Hooker]

It's a shame it just can't be reported as a "sales loss" or something ya know.

 

That's one point i'll make in my email, another one being a lace of a guilt trip (hey, whatever helps) "think of how many people and animals that yarn like this could be used to create something of comfort and warth, showimg then that someone cares about them."

[karin4christ]

My mother worked for years in a small store that sold greeting cards, magazines, lottery tickets, etc. She was in charge of the greeting cards. Whenever she was told to pull the old cards after a holiday, she had to throw the cards away. They weren't allowed to sell them at a reduced price or donate them to a thrift store. All had to be thrown in the dumpster. That came from the regional manager.

[tris4crochet]

petsmart does the same thing with food it gets tossed

 

Actually our local petsmart donates the food to the rescues around here. they actually help out a bunch.. don't know if its just a local thing or company wide...

 

sad thing about "corporate policy" for other things tho

[texasredhead]

When the Michael's stores by me got rid of their teachers (I was one) they cleaned out their teaching rooms and threw bags and bags of craft supplies in the trash!! Which also included my samples, my paint and supplies that were in the cabinets completely labeled with my name! They had so much stuff that was put into trash bags leftover from all of their kids classes and demos in the store. I know the lady that packed it all up and she was just sick about it. I wonder if you would get into trouble dumpster diving at Michaels??

[rashidah]

That is so sad. I have over 2,000 books and a room full of yarn. I can not dream about throwing any of them away.

[Miss Crochet]

If, for tax purposes, the yarn has to be written off as a loss or destroyed, there might be a way for them to write off its value as a charitable donation. If that fails, they could sell it for charitable purposes for a nominal fee - $1 or similar.

When it comes down to it, a lot of these bigger companies have to conform to a central accounting practice. I imagine it's not a bad idea for concerned crocheters to send an e-mail and make one of the above suggestions. If enough people do it, something might change.

[Craw]

That's corporate America greed for ya. It doesn't make people buy any more yarn at the regular prices, which is what they think will happen. It just makes us do without. That in turn forces them to produce less product, lay people off, and lower salaries. Yes, it's a waste. A waste we all pay for at some point.

[Miss Crochet]

Ach, it's the same the world over. I worked at a famous German clothing company and when I joined my department there were three full-time employees and a part-time employee running the daily business. After 4 months there, one woman left and her job was divided up between the remaining two full-timers - 50% more work for each of us. At the end of that year I got a raise, which enabled me to take home an extra €20 a week. I came back to work in January and the first thing I saw was my boss's boss cruise in in his new Jaguar. The cost of his new ride? Oh, I'd say enough to pay another full-time employer for 2-3 years.

Greed, greed, greed!!

 

(A bit off-topic but sometimes logic - not to mention humanity - gets lost in the scramble for profit. THAT'S what annoys me. Sorry!)

[truckin Patty]

I don't understand why they can't donate to a good cause, they could take that off of their taxes and help others at the same time. We waste so much! Just think how much better the world would be without the senseless waste.

[CrochetAmore]

I was told quite a few years ago that items that were to be trashed and could not be given to anyone because the store reports that as a loss and if they gave it to someone or sold it that it would be fraud. I watched them throw away good toys and games and I wanted to know why they weren't given to charity and that's the reason I was given.

 

That's exactly what happens. The store reports it to the manufaturer as Damaged in order to receive a full credit/refund. The manufacturer then requires the store to return the label and destroy the yarn. If the store were to sell/give it to the consumer, or even a charitable organization, it would indeed be fraud. Basically it all comes down to money. They receive a larger credit from the manufacturer than they would from Uncle Sam.

 

EDIT: I meant to mention that if you want to change this practice, the people to contact would be the manufacturer rather than the seller.

[The_Virginia_Hooker]

That's exactly what happens. The store reports it to the manufaturer as Damaged in order to receive a full credit/refund. The manufacturer then requires the store to return the label and destroy the yarn. If the store were to sell/give it to the consumer, or even a charitable organization, it would indeed be fraud. Basically it all comes down to money. They receive a larger credit from the manufacturer than they would from Uncle Sam.

 

EDIT: I meant to mention that if you want to change this practice, the people to contact would be the manufacturer rather than the seller.

 

Good point.

[jeanmy19]

I work at a michaels part time and I know that we quite often use the regular yarn that is damaged or being discontinued to assemble theafghans for warm up America. If not sold while on clearance. Generally before it is to the point of being thrown away it is on clearance for quite a while. Also it it was a fashion yarn that may not be suitable for use in those projects it may be thrown out eventually. I know this spring, when styles changed, we had some of our fashion yarns on clearance for 3-4 months. I quite often purchase this yarn for a non-profit group I belong to for making scarves and hats for local schools, but I have seen our management team put yarn in the warm up america bins to be sewn together a lot.