Baby's Closet (children's consignment @ 40/42) closed! Anyone know what's up?

Does anyone know anything about the Baby's Closet Chidren's Consignment Store closing. It was beside Mike's Cleaners on Commerce Parkway in the 40/42 Area.

I had a lot of clothes there, and I'm sure some money in my account. I got a phone message. They called Father's Day and we were at my in-laws. I phoned the next day, and left a message, but have not heard back (not getting my hopes up here).

I'd at least like to get the $ that was due me.

Babys Closet
130 Commerce Parkway Ste 108
Garner, NC 27529
Phone: 919-772-7755

 

She called everybody that had stuff there to tell them she was closing the Saturday of Fathers Day weekend, and to either come get your stuff or it would be donated to chairty.

The only reason I know it, is because I was up there shopping and I heard her making the phone calls. I asked her why she was closing up so suddenly and she said that she had to do it in secret because she was breaking the lease, and she didn't want the landlord to keep everyones stuff.

 

Thanks - do you know anything about where the clothes went or if we're going to get our $?

Jan

 

She told me that the clothes that weren't picked up were being donated to some charity that sends stuff overseas for underprivilidged kids?

As far as the money, I don't know, because I didn't consign there. I'd just keep trying to call her.

 

I am no lawyer, but seems to me a longer notice should have been given to the consignors to pick up their belongings. I guess it may show in her comments 'breaking the lease, don't want landlord to find out' that she may not be following the laws here.

I feel bad for those that lost their consigned items!

There is consignment sales in Raleigh that you price them and get the items back that do not sell. One is called Kids Exchange and there are a few more popping up.

 

Thanks for the info. I consign at Kids Exchange, and also at Once Upon a Child in Cary (which gives you your $ up front...they buy from you, and you take back home what they didn't want).

I just tried to also support a local business and got the short end of the stick on this one (as did several of my friends).

 

Sorry I couldn't have been of more help, but I didn't consign there, I just shopped, and I guess I happen to be in the right place at the right time to overhear sone conversations.

 

FWIW, most (if not all) of those places that say they send their stuff "overseas" are FOR PROFIT. They take old clothes and shoes and run them through balers and then ship them by the containerload to brokers who then resell them.


Those big drop boxes that have sprung up all over the place are a perfect example. If they don't have the name of a local charity on there, they are most likely doing this FOR PROFIT.

I know this is a bit off the original topic, but this practice really makes me mad. I don't mind the fact that someone is making money, but I feel like they are doing it in a deceptive manner- by making people think they are donating to a charity and then making a profit off of these donations.

I would rather support the local charities (Basic Needs, etc) that directly impact the people in my area- OR even the big national charities (Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc).


Kel


here are a couple of links I found with a quick search:

http://www.tvindalert.com/recycling/usedclothes.htm

http://www.rickross.com/reference/tvind/tvind46.html

http://www.religionnewsblog.com/18492/planet-aid

http://www.tvindalert.com/planetaid.htm

 

I have a friend that had items there, she was also owed money - and never received a call to come get her money or items.

I understand that those sort of businesses are sometimes hard to keep going, but she could have stored the items for "x" amount of time to give people a chance to get their things.

Very sad.

 

Z's consignment in the WalMart shopping center didn't last long either..

 

Babys Closet is Closed

I am the owner of Babys Closet, I have received your message Jan from Babys Closet and I had planned on calling you this weekend. I did hold your stuff from the store because you spoke with my sister on Sunday night and said you would be by on Monday to pick it up, I left you a message on Monday to see if you you still wanted the items, never heard anything, but I did hold onto your items and a few other peoples items from the store that I knew they would want their stuff back. I had no intentions of sticking anyone, if I had done that then I would not have called over 200 people over the weekend to see what they wanted me to do with there stuff. As for the money, I have told everyone that their checks would be mailed by the end of June and that is what I intend to do. I apologize to everyone for such short notice, but I work a fulltime job during the week and that is all of the time I had to close the store not including that is what I was advised to do by my attorney. My email babyscloset@dockpoint.net is still active so if you have any questions please do not hesitate to email me. Please let me know who your friends are that think that I stuck them too, there was a hand ful of people that I could not reach, either because they were out of town or their phone had been disconnected.

 

my2girls

Thank you for replying

- I let my friends know how to get a message to you.

They had tried to call you previously, but the number was disconnected.

 

For anyone that had clothes donated from Babies Closet- they went to a good cause. I know the person who handled the transaction and there is no need to worry about anything being sold for a profit.

 

A heartfelt thank you. You should be commended for your professional response and attitude during a time which I am certain is very difficult and stressful. I very much regret I did not take the opportunity to stop in your store. I wish you the best of luck in the future.

 

Donations website

For all who are concerned, here is the website. Thanks Paula!!!


http://www.operationrenewedhope.org/

 

Baby's Closet: Concerned Consignor

Okay I'm one that is NOT happy with how things went down.
First - I did NOT get a phone call message until MONDAY NIGHT at 5pm stating that IF I wanted my clothes I had to come by the end of the day OR they were to be given away. NOW let me tell you that my husband just happened to be home sick that day. He dragged himself off the sick bed to go get my clothes before the end of the day. Had he not have been home we would not have gotten the message in time. You would have STOLEN my clothes.

Second - I was IN the store (did you notice the word in) on Friday before you closed and noticed that more than half of your inventory was gone. I questioned the girl behind the counter why was the inventory missing. I'm talking about toys, clothes, shoes PLUS all of the vendor goodies you sell (jewerly, purses etc). I point blank asked was Baby's Closet closing. I was LIED to and told NO. I then asked for my check. I was told that the checkbook was not there. I had the girl write down that I wanted my check written over the weekend and that I would be back for it on Tuesday.

Third - when my SICK husband came to get my clothes he questioned when the decision was made, where was my check and why did no one tell me about this when I was IN the store on Friday. He was told that the decision was not made til Friday night (not true b/c your inventory was already half gone). He confronted you about that and gave you an opportunity to be straight (even pointing out that inventory had already been removed when I was there on Friday).

If you were legitimate and were discussing this with a lawyer you would have done things differently. You would have given us consignors the same respect you gave your vendors. But you didn't, you allowed the vendors to get their things and gave others an hour notice. You could have held the clothes at your house and allowed people time to go pick them up.

A phone call message telling us to come get the clothes by the end of the day (after 5pm phone call) or you were going to get rid of them is STEALING. You had NO RIGHT to decide what I or anyone else wanted to do with OUR CLOTHES. I was lucky my husband was home sick and went back out to go get them. I'm not sure I'll ever see that check. Too much deceit happened around this closing.

 

Nothing Professional

I really hate to tell but as a consignor there wasn't anything professional about this closing.

 

I agree that this is unprofessional. There were many other options like holding the clothes at her house and/or giving people more time to pick up the items. People live busy lives and need more than 24 hours notice to do anything. I hope everyone gets their refund. If no refund then take it to court. It comes down to principal and money. Many people were obviously taken advantage of by not getting their items and money!

 

In response to the negative replys

First of all, the message you got on Monday night at 5pm was that we were closing the store and we were calling everyone to see if you wanted your items back or donated, had you told me your situation then I would have been willing to hold on to your items at my house like I did for others that I could not reach. If I had not reached you by phone then I would have held onto your items until I did reach you, that is not STEELING anything, last I checked when someone steels they do not give you an option to pick the items up first.

Second - You were in the store on Friday and spoke with a fill in that was not sure how the checks worked or anything else, if you were sooooo concerned about your check and the items missing from the shelves than maybe you should have left a message for me, the OWNER and I could have answered any questions that you had, it's obvious that you like to assume the worst before you know the whole situation. Half of the inventory was not gone, in fact NO ONE had been called to pick up anything at that point, and if you knew anything about running a business than you would have known that vendors do NOT pick up items after they sell them to a store, they were already paid for a long time ago. No vendor items were missing from my store. Maybe you noticed items (toys, shoes, clothes) missing because we had not made any appointments for dropoffs in June because that is when we start marking items down to move them because June and July are my slowest months of the year. Your were not LIED to about the business closing because the girl that was there had no idea. When you asked for your check then you should have remembered from the previous month that we only wright checks on Saturdays when I (the owner) am there. There was also a reminder of that on the front door, when you walk in.

Third - when your sick husband came in to pick up your items, he was not lied to about when the decision had been made about closing the store, there again, you or him did not run my business so you had no clue as to what was going on. You only assumed-which can be very dangerous.

I was legitimate in retaining a lawyer and I did things exactly as I was told, that is why I paid the lawyer to tell me how to handle things, seems that when I was looking for a lawyer in the yellowpages I did not see your name on the list, maybe you missed your calling and should go back to school for 8 years or more so that you can then tell other people how to close a business. I gave the consignors the respect that everyone deserved, if I was such an aweful person like you think than I would not have given anyone the oppportunity to pick up anything, I could have donated it all or let the landlord do what he wanted to do with it all, as I understand alot of businesses have done in the past. I still have a garage full of stuff that I did hold on to for people that I could not reach or they could not pick up there items. Would you like to see my garage? I would be glad to show it to you.

You were told like everyone else that the checks would be mailed by the end of the month, is the end of the month gone yet? The answer would be NO!!
If you don't get a check by the end of this month then you have every right to talk about me and grind my name in the dirt. As you can see I had no intentions of steeling any of your items, I did call you and ask if you wanted to pick your items up, people that steel do not ask first.

I guess you would have been one of the few that agreed to hang Jesus on the cross just because you assumed on who he was, and did not know him at all. I am not Jesus by no means, but I do live for him and I know that I handled things the way he would have wanted me to. When it comes down to it, I only worry about pleasing him and noone else.

 

I tried going to Baby's Closet the other day - and was VERY SAD when I saw it was closed. I loved shopping at this business. My new baby girls closet is full of clothes I bought at such wonderful deals. I was hoping to continue shopping at Baby's Closet until baby girl outgrew the merchandise. I hope all goes well for you in the future my2girls. I'll miss shopping at your store and my son will miss getting to visit with your little ones while I shopped.