Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Ollie's Bargain Outlet, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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Ollie's Bargain Outlet, Inc. has 86 locations, listed below.

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  Ollie's Bargain Outlet, Inc.

  6295 Allentown Blvd Ste 1 Harrisburg, PA 17112-2693

• 

  Ollie's Bargain Outlet, Inc.

  702 W Broad St Hazleton, PA 18201-6108

• 

  Ollie's Bargain Outlet, Inc.

  1573 N Main St Marion, VA 24354-4317

• 

  Ollie's Bargain Outlet, Inc.

  640 Commonwealth Blvd W Martinsville, VA 24112-1849

• 

  Ollie's Bargain Outlet

  1277 N Memorial Dr Lancaster, OH 43130-1626

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/04/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a food product from Ollies in Tyler, Tx and ate some of the product that evening. I felt like it was not like the package stated the product should be while I was eating some. I then looked at the best by date on the back of the package and it had expired over three years ago! How is it legal to sell outdated food? I had a stomach ache that night. Thankfully I didn't die from the bacteria. I currently have a bacterial infection. I called the store manager soon after the incident and he said to bring in the product and he would talk to me. I brought the product into the store and he barely spoke to me and gave me a refund and a quick sorry about that statement. Terrible service and compassion. I decided to call corporate and talk to them about the issue. I spoke with ******** at ###-###-####, and she kept talking about that this is their normal policy and it is fine to sell a food product over 3 years old to the public. There has to be a law for protecting consumers from bad food and bad companies pushing the limits. We trust these companies with our health and safety with regards to food. She stated that everything was done correctly and that is all she can do. I told her I will be contacting the CEO **** ******* to inform him of this total lack of respect for the consumer who buys his products. I will no longer be a customer and will get the word out about their terrible policies. All they had to do is pull the expired products, give me an honest apology, and a gift card for the major inconveience. Apparently, I am nothing except $$$$ to them. I will spread the word on all social media to steer clear from this company! The product is ******* ******** Dark Chocolate covered Coconut product #******* Not a reduced price product Lot#***** Best buy date 01-23-20. I purchased the product at store#431 on 3-24-23. Not even close to the best buy date. Ollies didn't even open in our town until 9-1-21! This is a Corporate Issue!

  Business Response

  Date: 04/05/2023

  Response to Complaint #********
  

  Good afternoon *************************,

  Ollie's business model is buyouts and closeouts. One of the ways we acquire products production/packaging issues: misprints.  We contacted our District Manager today and he was able to photograph the product's sell by date.  We have attached a picture of a bag from the same lot #***** from the Tyler, TX store. The printer slipped while producing the best buy date. The bag is dated for 1/23/24 and the item in question is an in date product, making it ineligible for discounting. 
  

  Our normal process with sell-by and expired products is posted on our website:

  It is important to note that there is a difference between a best by date and an expiration date. Best-by, sell-by, use-by dates all indicate the date of peak freshness of an item.  Whereas expiration dates denote when a food item can no longer be guaranteed to be safely consumed you will typically see these on foods that can spoil quickly, such as: meats, poultry, dairy, etc.  We very rarely carry food items with an expiration date.  
  Even with best by dates, due to the nature of our business, we sometimes receive foods that are close to these dates. We have processes in place and our stores work diligently to monitor dates, and when appropriate, discount items to sell very quickly. If you happen to find an item that is out-of-date, please notify a member of store management to address. 
  

  The Customer Service Representative ******** stated to him, that as a closeout business we often receive items that are close to and sometimes past the best buy date.  If an item has been found that is past the best buy date normally a customer will bring it to our attention so that we can mark the price down.  She asked him if he brought the item to the managers attention at the store, and he replied "Yes".  He stated that he did not receive a discount. She advised this is because he received a refund for the amount that he paid for the product.  ******** then explained to him that there is a difference between "Best Buy and "Expired".  He told her that he should have received a gift card for the fact that he purchased an item past the best buy date.  Customer Service does not have the ability to offer a gift card, she offered to forward his complaint to the District Manager after he asked to get the name of the CEO.  He stated, no he did not want to be contacted by the District Manager. He stated he was going to put it on social media and enter a BBB complaint. 
  

  We feel ******** did offer the best solution to his issue at the time, which was speaking with the District Manager.  Unfortunately, ************** did not accept the offer to speak to our field management, and this would have quickly resolved the issue concerning his misprinted item.  We sincerely apologize for any confusion that was caused by the label on the package.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/10/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  The product was not white in the center and was like a rubber ball.  It was not edible!  I will be contacting the Attorney General of ***** this week.  Thank you for not caring about your products or customers.
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************
  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/13/2023

  BBB of Metro Washington DC and Eastern Pennsylvania
  1337 North Front Street
  Harrisburg, PA 17102
  
  Dear *****************************:
  
  This letter is in response to complaint ID: ********

  Thank you for providing more information.

  Our field manager ********************* was able to get more information during his phone call with the customer.  He was able to understand further from ************** had a valid product quality issue.  Our District Team Leader looked into his concerns prior to calling him and had the team pull the product for further inspection. The team will file all necessary paperwork with our vendor during his next store visit in the Tyler  location.
  
  Since reaching out to the customer directly we were able to reach a resolution. We believe that our actions are satisfactory to resolve the customers concerns and consider the complaint closed. ********************* our District Team Leader is assigned as a liason for this customer, and he will be happy to personally address any further concerns.
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/24/2023

  It has been resolved.  I am content with the outcome.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/20/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I signed up for Ollie's Army today for the 15 percent off enlist bonus and bought multiple things today and didn't give me my 15 percent off even though I confirmed my phone number and email. I spent over 20 dollars then spent 50 dollars today.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/20/2023

  Hello *****************************,

  Re:   Complaint ID  ********;  ***************************

  The customer *************************** signed up for an Ollie's Army account today 3/20/23.

  The coupon for the 15% Enlistment Bonus arrives via email 24-48 hours after the customer goes home and links their at home profile to their store account.  The coupon is intended to be used on the next purchase. The customer has not created a profile yet. The bonus has not been issued and was not presented to the cashier for scanning. This is why the customer did not receive their bonus.
  

  Instructions are found on our website www.ollies.us:
  How Do I Get My Ollies Army Enlistment Bonus?
  
  "In order to earn your Enlistment Bonus for 15% off a future purchase, you'll need to complete your Ollies Army profile with name, mailing address, and email address. By providing us with your contact information at sign-up in the store, or by visiting our website at *************, or via the Ollie's mobile app within 21 days to complete your profile.
  Do this by signing up for an online account with an email and password. Then connect your Ollies Army card number (found on the back of your yellow Ollies Army card) and enter the other required information. After your information is updated, we will send your Enlistment Bonus of 15% off a future purchase in an email as a thank you! Don’t forget – provide BOTH your mailing address and email, as we mail some offers and rewards to your home AND some to your email address, so you get all your rewards, reminders and deal information! You can opt out at any time."

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/21/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  *$207.86 charged twice back to back.*No help. no help provided tried via phone calls also tried via in person at store where transaction took place. Refusal to provide any guidance for resolving.*Debit card charged twice back to back credit card fraud robbery.*No help refusal to help refusal to provide info to whom to contact to help refusal to any sort of assistance.* Ollie's bargain outlet member # ******-** *In-store transaction no order number. *In store transaction have registered number and receipt numbers if needed

  Business Response

  Date: 01/04/2023

  Dear *****************************,
  
  This letter is in response to complaint ID: ********

  We notified the customer *******************************;on 12/22/22, her BBB complaint was received by Ollie's Customer Service Team, and we created a service ticket on her behalf.

  Upon looking into this matter, we found her local store had already sent a request into Accounting/Cash Management concerning her double charge on 12/21/22. Our Accounting Team had reviewed the daily credit card reconciliation. They found there were no overages for the store and no repeat charges showing against her account.

  We emailed her on 12/28/22, and included direct contact information for *****, our Accounting Analyst **********************). We advised her to speak with him directly with any further questions.  As of today 1/4/23, we have not heard back from her and we have sent her a final email.

  At this point if the charges still remain, this is likely an issue on ******'s end. We encourage for the customer to contact her financial institution to resolve any further concerns.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/31/2022

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Ollie's ************** Greenville, NC ***** This has to be one of the worst stores in Greenville NC. The store is nasty and so are the cashier and manager. I went to Ollie's on 10/29/2022 to get some batteries. The moment I walked in the cashier and manager look at me and started laughing. I ignored it, but the behavior continued. Then the cashier stated that I sank. That is when I said that she was going to XXXX around and find out because I'm not the one. I went and got a small bag of laundry pods and went to the cash register. The manager look at me and roll her eyes and I approached her asking if there was a problem. The manager said that she was going to get on the phone and call the police and I said ok I can wait. The manager made no effort to de-escalate the issue and she got other customers involved. When I went outside one of the customers that got involved, tried to hit me with his car.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/03/2022

  November 2, 2022
  
  BBB of Metro Washington DC and Eastern PA
  1337 North Front Street
  Harrisburg, PA 17102
  
  Dear *****************************,
  
  This letter is in response to complaint ID: ********
  In addition to the BBB complaint, **************** also contacted Ollie’s Customer Service regarding his store issue on Saturday 10/29/22. His complaint was sent to the field to be addressed on Monday 10/31/22. Our District Loss Prevention Manager interviewed the associates involved as well as reviewed the video. Our video corroborates employee statements that **************** acted in an aggressive manner and instigated further confrontation.
  
  Shortly upon entering, *********** snidely commented on a conversation the cashier and manager were having. Neither laughed laughed at him, nor did they initiate the conversation with him. However, they did find his comment to be unnecessarily aggressive.

  During checkout *************** continued his aggression by repeatedly asking the Assistant Manager, is there a problem, and getting more agitated over time. The Assistant Manager did not engage with him. When the transaction was complete, he walked behind the registers to confront her, and she asked him to leave several times. When he refuses to leave, she takes out her phone to call the police. He begins to come closer to her and proceeds to follow her in an intimidating manner as she walks away to make the call.

  At this point several customers felt compelled to intervene and also urge him to leave. He waves the customers away and stays glued to the Assistant Manager's side. As some of the involved customers exit to the parking lot, *************** follows them, and bangs on their car. Afterwards, **************** returns to the exit door and stands outside gesturing and yelling before walking away.
  

  In our opinion based on the review of this incident, the Assistant Manager acted correctly by involving the police.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/03/2022

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  
  I never walked over to a customers car nor did I put my hands on the customers car. That is a lie. Both the workers were rude and disrespectful to me and Ollies is clearly corrupt. Where is the video footage of on me putting my hands on a customers car? Can I review the vid footage?
  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/07/2022

  At this point, the store's video has been reviewed by both Customer Service and Loss Prevention.  It is clear from the video that **************** instigates every interaction.  We will not be pursuing this any further and consider the matter closed on our end.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/01/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Ollie's double charged me on a product today. Rung it up twice and doesn't want to give me my money back. This is not the first time I've had a problem with Ollie's, last time they rounded up my total without telling me and donated it to charity. Shady place.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/31/2022

  We have attempted to reach out to the customer several times via phone and email. The District Manager called on 10/4 and left a message and then followed up with an email.  We also emailed her from Customer Service on 10/3. We have yet to receive any sort of response back. 

  In addition, the store manager reviewed the video and spoke with the cashier (a supervisor) and no items appear to be double charged.  Without hearing from the customer, there is nothing more we can do.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/18/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This incident occurred at the Ollie’s located at Loucks Road, York, PA 17408 on 9/16/22. Around 7pm I entered the store with my daughter, along with my friend and her two daughters. As we walked the aisles shopping our kids selected toys from the store. Then we heard a woman shouting at the top of her lungs at our children,”STOP DOING THAT!” As she continued shouting at our children I rushed to up to my kids and told them to walk to my friend. Then then employee looking shocked to see me began to speak in a kind tone the total opposite of her rude shouting as she spoke with me. I know all kids can be loud at times or silly. Our children weren’t messing up the store or disruptive to the customers. I would’ve admonished them but the employee was so rude and disrespectful by shouting that I had to come back to the store to speak with a manager. This was the first time an employee spoke with our kids in this store as we shopped and she was mean, rude and disruptive to the entire store. The woman could be heard across the store. Yes, our kids were playing as they shopped. The kids are customers too! Our children would have said yes and apologized if the employee would have simply walked over to them and said the same thing without screaming at the top of her lungs. They looked scared. My friend and I spent $200 that night. I was angry and yet I was more polite to her than she was to children in her store. Yes our children playing in the store. Did they deserve to be screamed at? No. I have to ask would she have shouted at the top of her lungs if my children were white? How would you like someone to speak to your kids? Everyone has to remind kids to behave in a store but the adult employee had worse behavior! The next day another employee assured me that they yell at kids all the time. That is still wrong. I also spoke with a manager the next day but he was not on duty that night of the incident. Two sets of parents are angry and I will not be returning to Ollie’s.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/27/2022

  Our District Manager spoke with the customer on 9/22.  He apologized and let her know he would address it with the Manager in question.  The customer indicated she was satisfied with the resolution and was comfortable closing out the complaint.