Houseworks

Reviews 6

NE

Ned Szumski

I often find nice stuff at Houseworks, although a lot of the stuff there is, in my opinion, overpriced by a longshot. I have a problem with the employees, though. They seem to have this peculiarly nasty and adversarial attitude toward their customers. Ive never been treated any way but coldly and curtly as a paying customer there. They never say "hello" or "thanks" or "have a nice day." It may sound petty, but they act like your presence in their store is an imposition. I always leave there feeling like I wronged them somehow just by shopping there. (Ive never used a cell phone in the store, and I fear the worst for those who do; I hope upon hope I never get an emergency call while Im in the store.) Ive witnessed the owner dressing down (i.e., shouting at) another customer for breaking something by accident. Just an unpleasant place to shop. PS: They dont accept checks (I work with people with disabilities, and many people getting SSI and/or Medicaid Waiver services are not allowed to have credit cards or debit cards, so the only option for them is to go in to the store with a heap of cash, the possession of which is frowned upon in our organization), and (even though theres no sign to indicate this) theyll respond brusquely if you ask whether theyll take a check (cuz DUHHH, you should have known that nobody accepts checks, even though check bouncing doesnt really even exist anymore). Plus, theres a good chance theyll put you through a guilt trip if you (GOD FORBID) pay with a credit card or debit card. Otherwise, its fine?

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JO

Josh Green

Well here it goes, the first negative review I have ever written. I have been going to this consignment store for years but not anymore. Every single time I have gone in I have either witnessed the owner being very rude to costumes or I have received her rudeness directly. I am a very easy going and respectful customer and I did not deserve the embarrassing lecture I received from the owner as she yelled at me from the other side of the store for opening a box to see the condition of the item inside. I was told I had to do that at the counter with her supervision. After doing so I found that the item that was supposed to be in the box was not even there, instead it was filled with Christmas decorations. Of course I did not get an apology. That wasnt even the last straw though, what did it for me was when I recently witnessed her chewing out a customer who was either a service provider or a family member of a special needs person who was going through things on his own and apparently the owner didnt like that and yelled for his adult care giver to come and watch him. He was causing no harm at all by the way. Iowa city isnt the place for someone who treats loyal customers like this. I will stick to Goodwill, Potentially Yours, Crowded closet, and Salvation Army Family Store. I recommend you do the same.The houseworks owner also likes to go to these stores and buy things to sell at houseworks at a marked up price.

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EM

Emily Farber

Sue, the owner of Houseworks continues to amaze me with her rudeness. Every time I decide to give the place another chance, she ticks me off. Its like her personal mission to agitate me...and Im generally a pretty laid back individual. Today I had a bit of time to burn, and I stopped in. I decided to buy two board games for the kids. The total, with tax, was $8.40. She has a sign at the counter asking that customers "consider paying with cash" for purchases under $10 because it costs them up to $0.44 a transaction. I didnt have cash in my wallet, so I told her Id have to pay with debit, or a check. She doesnt accept checks...ok, fine I get that. She then refused to let me pay with debit. I pointed out the sign says "consider paying" not "MUST PAY." She said, "Yes, we ask customers to be considerate of our business and pay cash." She then told me I could go to an ATM and come back while she held the games for me. Um....no thanks...you just told me I was INCONSIDERATE for shopping at you local business. You can keep your $0.44 transaction fee and Ill take my business elsewhere. Good job, Houseworks. Youve proven, again, what I already thought: rude, poorly managed and all-around unpleasant. She could have handled the interaction with me with a bit of politeness and I would have gladly offered to COVER the 44 cent transaction fee, but no.

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HA

Hannah Bott

The selection is usually pretty decent, the prices range from great to a bit crazy for a second hand store. But the owner is the worst. She is really rude, talks down to everyone, refuses to make small talk, and is otherwise incredibly unpleasant. To cite one experience I had: my mother and I love to find a bargain and come in frequently to buy vintage goods as gifts or for ourselves. One day we were in and had made a particularly large find and our bill came out to around $150. We had the grand misfortune of being their while the owner was working register. My mother asked (very nicely) if she would accept checks and Sue scoffed, threw her hands up, and slammed her hand down on the sign that said "no checks." Okay, so we should have looked a bit closer but was that really necessary? We balked for a moment before my mother offered up her credit card. The response? "It is going to cost me 75 cents to run this, you know!" Really? You run a business in the 21st century, no one carries $150 cash around. And on a large sale youre going to complain about losing less than a dollar? We honestly should have walked out then and there. That said, the staff (other than the owner) are great and very helpful. Its a fun place to look around and definitely cleaner than most thrift shops.

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KE

Kelsey Johnson

If I could rate 0 stars I would. As a repeat customer and resident of Iowa City, I expect some semblance of respect from local stores I continually go out of my way to support. Heading home with my dog in tote, I decided to stop briefly for something Ive been needed for the house. I was inside for less than two minutes when the owner reprimanded me (via shouting across the store) for leaving my dog in the car while I was inside. While experiencing slight confusion, I calmly explained that the car was running, AC on, window cracked, in the shade, I didnt intend on staying for more than ten minutes, and the vehicle was visible from the shop window so I could keep an eye on him. She disregarded my statement in which, rather than shaming her for questioning my integrity with my companion, I attempted to reassure her I have my dogs best interests in mind. She continued to address her opinion on the situation in an inappropriate manner- embarrassing me in front of other customers, she asked if the car was REALLY running, if the AC was REALLY on, and if my dog was REALLY okay. I quietly returned my item to the shelf, walked out, and was greeted with a cooled vehicle and a happy dog. I will take my business elsewhere.

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A

A Private User

I was a frequent shopper at this store. I knew by going in there that they people didn’t care about their jobs and it was a run down *&^* hole, but they are the only place that sells used records at a good price. So, when moving I took some of my things there. Sue, I believe her name is, was very rude to me the whole time. Then I sold a perfectly good working dvd player and she stated it was broken charging me $20. Later when I returned to test this “broken” player she said she threw it out, later to find out that I knew the person that bought it and they never returned it. She then kept all the profits of my stuff adding up to $38. This place is horrible. I talked to a lawyer about taking her to court but he said the chances of her paying are slim and it would be small claims court. Even if I won she probably wont pay. All I have to say is never ever go into the store, and if you do please talk on your cell phone if you want to see how big of a (*&& she is!

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