Uptown Cheapskate

I got a personal call from the business owner Lowell and he seemed really sincere and nice about wanting to do right. So I change my rating to 2 stars. I would have changed it to 3 stars but I don’t go on Unilocal much and so I have not been on here in awhile-​I come on here today and see the answer from Lurinda which is sort of a catty apology and insult mixed together. I see why Lowell mentioned that the not so nice girls who used to work there are gone, maybe Lurinda was one. Her answer was not as professional as desired. She mentions that my previous post was so inflammatory it was removed. An odd way to start an apology. I will be honest it was removed because it seemed threatening. It was a funny poem and sort of nonsensical, I am a creative person and so I don’t always do things in the normal way. It was not actually at all threatening-​but perceived that way. I was trying to have some fun with the situation.
If I was going to give re-​sale a chance after the nice call I might have gone to Uptown Cheapskate. However I have had those 3 bad experiences and I stand by my opinion that many times buyers have an ego like a doorman of a club. I experienced that in the 80’s and I can feel the same thing, not by this place every time, but several others. I find the psychology of that interesting. A fragile ego gets a position of slight power and wants to feel even bigger so there are small slights which then make the fragile person feel stronger. I feel really good about myself-​so I don’t need that and won’t put up with it and won’t put myself in a position to experience it again.

Update 2÷1÷2016−
Today, Lurinda (the owner) edited her original response from being super scathing and rude, to being more pleasant. Good on her! My response below may be a little confusing, as it was a response to her ORIGINAL response, which she just changed today.
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This is my response to the owner’s response. Read my original review below for context)
I’m not attacking you or your staff. I’m explaining a disappointing experience exactly as it happened — from my perspective — and leaving the reader to come to their own conclusions.
First off — where in my Unilocal review did I say that I was unaware that this was a charity event? I knew that the event was benefiting a charity, but was not aware that 100% of the proceeds would go straight the charity, and I was not aware that the money was not going through the store’s hands first.
To answer your question, I would NOT ask the American Red Cross for a refund if I agreed to make a donation. But I would ask Goodwill, a charitable organization, for a refund for clothes I did not like. Once again, I knew your event was tied in with a charity, but I did not know to what extent.
I commend the store for holding an event like this, but to embarrass a person because they choose not to participate after receiving more details (i.e.: ratty clothes **in MY opinion**, and not within my current budget to just give), and then go back on your word that you’d give said customer a refund, is just rude. Once again, it is not your place to judge why I did not want to participate — you do not know my intentions, which charities I already donate to, or my financial situation.
And I did not just «leave» the store and return days later randomly. I ASKED first if it was okay that I return with my receipt at a later date, because I was making my sister late for work. I even had an employee sign my receipt to say that I was approved to return at a later date. Alice explicitly told me that I would get my money back. This was all discussed before I stepped foot out of the store door, and my money could have been retrieved and set aside at that point before «the envelope was sealed».
Yes, I returned to your shop last night to use the $ 5 coupons that Alice gave me — what other choice did I have? ONLY after I shopped for 30 – 45 minutes, tried on clothing, picked my items, and totally completed the transaction with the coupons, did Alice try to hand me $ 15 in cash! I politely declined. Why would I take the clothes PLUS the cash refund at that point? I already went through the hassle of getting over the incident and shopping. Once again, it’s NOT all about the money. It’s about the experience.
I’m pretty sure your hope was that I WOULD take the money and the coupon-​purchased clothes, so that you could attempt to demean my character on Unilocal,more than you already have, of course. And I’m also pretty darn sure the money was only offered after you read my review. Because you still don’t see where you guys went wrong.
Asking for a refund to not participate in a charity event, and then being upset after being lied to (and receiving no real apology for it. which really rattled me). that IS defensible. Even after reading my review and my side. I’m not sure how you don’t see the logic in this.
The fact is, this could have been handled much better on many levels and at many moments by you and your staff. But this is what Unilocal is for.
Merry Christmas and Happy Thanksgiving to you too.

This place very nice! And clean! The atmosphere is modern and the employees are helpful. the clothes are in style and appropriate for several age groups, male & female. I brought a few items here to sale… They didn’t take a lot but they offered me what I thought was a fair price which is actually more if i spend in store. I’ve been back twice since my first visit and plan going back again, but I need to clean my closet out first so I have room for new stuff.

This is by far the best resale store in town! Others stock tons of junk and I have to pick through the racks. Uptown Cheapskate has quality clothing that is clean and well organized and the people who work there give me an honest opinion re: how things look on me, they’re not just out to make another sale!
A couple of months ago I lost some weight and traded in all my old clothes for great new ones and barely spent anything! I was back in last week looking for new workout clothes and they were having a buy one get one half price sale so I got six new to me (and no one would ever guess they were used) running shorts and exercise bras! I’ll be back again and often!

Still loving the store! And they changed the inconvenience of selling to them and have really kept me happy forever shopping here!

Pretty good for a thrift store I’ve only sold here not shopped. I’ve looked around though they do have good items here for a thrift store! The store isn’t as disorganized as other second hand places, which I like!
They make the selling process easy you either can stay with the clothes or drop them off and come back the next day to get your pay out. Docked one star because their payout isn’t super high. It’s easier though then selling on Posh. I took in 20 items they only accepted 7, and I got paid $ 17. Most of the stuff I brought in were good brands too like loft or anthropologie so I was expected slightly higher payout.
Friendly staff though! Much better experience selling here then other second hand stores in town! Whenever I talk to friends about uptown they always say «oh yeah I love that place»!

If I could give this business zero stars, I would. We arrived at 11:15am with a medium sized box of clothes, fifteen minutes after the store opens and we were told that our clothes would not be ready until closing at 9pm? We were made a promise by a woman that it WOULD be ready. So I drove 30 minutes to the location again, arrived at 8:30pm only to be given another «promise» that it would be ready tomorrow. Almost ten hours and this business couldn’t get us out the door.

I showed up apparently after hours and am thankful to the girl who let me in anyways to try to shop. Didn’t like hearing one of the girs say «omg who cares we’ve been closed for an hour and five mins». Not polite on her part. I was just going by the times that show up when you search for a place on maps it showed I had an hour to shop. No negative things though. The store has so much to pick from and def cheaper than buffalo !!!

Amazing place with an organized selection! For me, the
best part is that it is like a treasure hunt. Of course, it is a
bonus that their prices are very fair. Friendly staff and
unique finds!

I frequently sell my clothes consignment to several shops around Austin, and have always done well in the money I get back for the quality that I sell to them. I’d been referred to Uptown Cheapskate by a few friends, and after my second attempt, it’s safe to say I will never be buying/​selling there ever again.
After a dissatisfying first experience, I decided to give them one more shot. I dropped a bag of stuff off at 6pm on a Thursday (normally they stop buying at 7pm and close at 8pm that day), and was told that they had stopped buying for the day. I was a little bothered, but as someone who works in retail/​customer service, I understand that sometimes these things occur and are beyond control of the associates. I asked when my items would be ready the next day and agreed to leave my items. I was told I was third in line for when buying began the next morning.
By 2:30pm the next day, I’d still not received a call. I called to check in, and my items had yet to be assessed. Patiently, I asked if they could estimate when the items could be ready. I was working until after their store would be closed but was willing to drive out there on my work break. They said they’d call when it was ready.
At 5pm, I’d still received no call, but was on my break and stopped by in hopes that maybe they’d forgotten to call me. I saw my items on the counter with a piece of paper attached and was relieved they were finally done. It took 15 minutes before an associate assisted me– no one even acknowledged me or said if they were busy and would get to me when they could– several associates stood around the registers talking.
When I was finally helped, I was told my items had STILL not been assessed by the buyer… Nearly 24 hours after dropping them. The associate expressed a computer error that had been taking buys longer than normal throughout the day. They offered for the buyer to look at them as soon as she got back from break, but by this point I was fed up and asked for my items back.
What put me over the edge was when the associate proceeded to roll up the articles of clothing, including designer silks and other sensitive materials that I’d taken the time and care to steam and dry clean prior to dropping them.
Now, not only has it been two days without any sight of payment for my clothes, but now I’ll have to take more time to iron/​steam them yet again before they’re ready to be taken to another consignment shop.
I work in customer service, so again, I’m understanding to mishaps, or sometimes situations that are beyond the employees control, but my experiences were beyond disappointing.
I won’t be shopping/​selling here again, and I’ve told my friends and coworkers they’re better off doing the same.

I personally think they have a great selection of clothes, shoes, and accessories. All is fair priced and I love the markdowns they do on the tags. You have to search but you can find little gems here. It’s very clean and organized and doesn’t smell like a «used» store. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Only reason I have four stars
Is because they only took 5 items out of my two huge bins and didn’t give me a reason as to why. I have very trendy clothing so it was a little weird that they didn’t take more items. Either way, it’s one of those stores that you have to pick through the clothing but just might find something cute.

I’m ok with this place. They seem to buy more than Buffalo Exchange. They are most definitely cheaper. Dead serious. My biggest complaint with re-​sale shops is that those of use that started the resale craze back in the 80’s have been a bit priced out of it. Yet, Uptown keeps their prices low… for now. I like this place. I’ve made some killer buys here. So, try it out. Especially if you are down south and you’re starting to find the trek up north a pain in the ass.

First experience selling my clothes to resale shop today. I had one bag of dresses and tops and another with shoes. I went in early afternoon and it was not too busy-​just one person with a bag of clothes to evaluate before mine. I was told it would be about 45 minutes and since it was my first time they recommended I wait in the store.
The store has PLENTY of merchandise and it appears well organized. Primarily women’s apparel but there is a men’s section. (All apparel thoough, no home goods or anything). Price point was a bit higher than I expected but the quality was pretty good.
I got bored wandering around after 5 minutes (I actually hate clothes shopping), wish they had some seating area if they prefer people stay.
After a bit over an hour they called my name and called my number (glad they reached out once they were done, unlike other places) UC offered $ 25 cash (or ~$ 36 store credit) for about 4 brand new dresses and one pair of strappy heels. I was expecting slightly more, and they didnt actually explain how they arrived at their pricing or even why they picked certain items. So I’m not really sure why they wanted me to stay in the store (to entice me to shop, maybe)?
Anyway, this place was okay as a seller. I took the rejected clothes back (left the shoes to donate) and will try another business for the rest.

I love this place. The prices are great and there are some amazing items. My new go to.
Check it out!

I went into Uptown Cheapskate on a whim a few months ago and I fell in love. It was an extremely pleasant surprise to walk into a «second hand» store and not FEEL like I was in a second hand store. You can tell immediately that the staff pay close attention to the ambiance and general appearance of the store, down to the dressing rooms. Everything is very reasonably priced and I always walk out with a few new gems to add to my wardrobe. I haven’t tried selling any clothes yet, so I can’t comment on that side of things, but as a seasoned second hand shopper this place is hard to beat.
To sum it up:
–Friendly staff who almost always ask if they can take my load of finds to the front so I can keep browsing freely.
–Cute dressing rooms
–Very reasonably priced, extremely cute clothes, shoes and accessories

I love their selection of eclectic clothes, bags and shoes. I stopped by today and when I walked in I was the only customer; I wasn’t greeted but the girls who came in a couple minutes later were.
I work retail so I understand how sometimes you accidentally ignore people, but I was there for almost fourty-​five minutes before someone asked me if I wanted to hold my items up front… no fitting room offer.
The girl who rang me up was nice enough, but a few other workers would walk near me, see me, and then completely ignore me. I hope this was a one time thing and they don’t treat everyone that way, because this store is awesome!

I’m a male and the male section is really small but it’s like that in literally every single clothing store. I love how organized this place is. By size, then by color, then by cut it makes looking for things so easy.
The people that work the front are pretty helpful, some of the girls that work there were trying on clothes and were giving advice and compliments out to the customers.
It smelled clean and it was as tidy as you could expect a place like this to be.
They only had one bathroom but the bathroom was clean and well lit.
I haven’t used to selling option so I can’t speak to that but they have lots of deals, and lots of good clothes for girls.

Uptown is, in my opinion, the best place to sell secondhand. I always take my stuff there first and get a good payout every time. They take all different brands from high end ones to Target. I like them because they buy based on style and not based on what’s super trendy. I also appreciate their breadth of brands that they accept. I’ve been selling in the Austin area for over a year I have been all over to multiple other stores to sell, and without fail Uptown consistently gives me the best payouts.
It’s also a great place to buy. Their prices are REALLY reasonable and they do markdowns often. I especially love their vintage selections. In addition, the loyalty program is pretty great. Once you fill up a whole card with stamps, you can get $ 15 off. There’s no minimum of what you have to buy with this though other restrictions apply, I’m sure.
The staff is always super nice, very knowledgeable. They’ve always been very polite to me and were willing to get to know me as a seller, which makes it easier when it comes to knowing what to bring in. I want to address some criticism that I read some previous reviews here about selling here. I’ve never had an issue with any employee at Uptown as a buyer or as a seller. Their buyers are honest, open and always polite with buys. People have to remember that this is a business, and they have a specific clientele. Just because something is new doesn’t mean they’re going to buy it. Their buys are based on what their customers want. The staff is always willing to give advice on what to bring in next time.
Their buyers also don’t waste your time and they usually get buys done REALLY quick. If you’re in a time crunch, I recommend going Monday — Thursday during the morning or afternoon to sell. Sometimes they get busy for buys because everyone takes their stuff there first, which is how you know you’ll get the best stuff at great prices.
I cannot express my love for Uptown enough!

If I could I would give no stars. Old lady that works at the buy counter was flat out super rude because I changed my mind about selling my clothes. I’m sorry I didn’t want to give you my brand new merchandise I just bought a month ago all for $ 28 in store credit.
I was more than happy to wait I understand it’s a process but she seem to hate life and everyone around her. She gave such a bitch face and told me out loud «are you serious?!» Ummm… Yes. Even her coworker was shocked about how she talked to me.
Everyone else in the store was really awesome though. The ladies working on the floor and dressing room was really accommodating even though it was really busy. Thank you ladies, I hope that old lady isn’t rude to you guys like she was to me.
I’ll be taking my items to buffalo exchange or even platos closet, I’ve never had such a bad selling experience ever. Won’t be selling here anymore.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I have the physique of a 12 year old, the mindset of a 90 year old, and the sass of a 40 year old. Which means shopping with me, unlike Publix, is not a pleasure. Clothes drape on me like a child playing dress up, I end up snarling at myself in the mirror, and I tire after about 5 minutes. I actually love shopping in the same way that a masochist likes a good spanking — sure, it hurts but I feel fabulous by the end of it.
I don’t actually know what that has to do with any of my visits to Uptown, all of which have been nothing short of perfect. I mean my greatly overused debit card and slowly draining bank account disagrees, but people who «save money» aren’t that much fun, now are they? Besides, I don’t know too many other places I can walk into, find a fabulous sheer white button down Donna Karen for $ 15, promptly declare it a suitable dress for work, and have the amazing employee helping me vehemently agree. When I’m in serious shopping mode, the last thing I want to hear is no. They indulge me.
Also, I have this shoe problem where I buy way too many of them and also they’re all really high heels and also also they’re hot pink or a fierce shade of «do me» purple. And Uptown encourages that buy offering great mid-​level designer shoes at insanely affordable prices (this just turned into a bad late night TV infomercial).
My only pair of regular blue jeans are from over 10 years ago when I was in middle school. I put them on recently and the button flew across the room, making me think, «Hey, maybe I’m not a size 12 anymore!» If it weren’t for Uptown, I would have no clothes. NONE. So I will buy thst shirt that is actually way too long, belt that shit as a dress, step into a pair of patent leather pumps, and declare myself «fabulosity.» By the way, turn around, what’s that? BAM — FANTASTIC JEWELRY, YAY! Not often you can put together a designer outfit for under $ 50.
tl;dr Uptown provides me with the support I need to dress like an adult. Or the type of adult I wish I were (which is a fabulous one, if you haven’t caught on).