Independent profile. Not owned, sponsored or endorsed by Winmark.

Winmark Reviews & Complaints

Winmark Corporation of Minneapolis is the franchisor of Plato's Closet, Once Upon A Child, Play It Again Sports, Style Encore and Music Go Round; the brands say their stores are independently owned and operated. This page lists where to take store-level problems, BBB and Trustpilot figures as displayed on 2026-10-20, and the court record.

REVIEWS & COMPLAINTS16on USAComplaints · none in last 3 yrs · latest 2014
WEBSITEwinmarkcorporation.com
HEADQUARTERSMinneapolis, MN
PROFILE CHECKED2026-10-20
Submit a Complaint Read reviews & complaints ↓ Official website ↗
VERIFIED

Contacts

PhoneEmailAddress

VERIFIED

Locations

  • Headquarters605 Highway 169 N, Suite 400 Minneapolis MN 55441
EDITORIAL

Is Winmark Legitimate?

BBB, Trustpilot

Legal name
Winmark Corporation
Business type
Franchisor of resale retail brands (Plato's Closet, Once Upon A Child, Play It Again Sports, Style Encore, Music Go Round), headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Nasdaq-listed (WINA). Its stores are independently owned and operated franchises
Website
winmarkcorporation.comSource: Winmark corporate site, checked 2026-10-20
Headquarters
Minneapolis, MNSource: Form 10-K cover page and Winmark home page list 605 Highway 169 N, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55441, checked 2026-10-20

Winmark Corporation files annual and current reports with the SEC (CIK 908315) and is listed on Nasdaq under WINA; its latest 10-K covers the year ended December 27, 2025 and its latest 8-K, filed 2026-10-14, reports third-quarter results, a quarterly dividend of $1.02 and a special dividend of $4.00 per share; a 10-Q for the quarter ended September 26, 2026 was filed the same day. BBB's page data shows a file opened in 2005 and a business start of 1982; BBB displays a rating of A+ and no accreditation. The company's brand pages say each store is independently owned and operated and publish corporate operations contacts.

Complaints and reviews about specific stores (the archive posts, BBB and Trustpilot on this page) are allegations by individual customers about franchise locations. Because experiences differ by store, a complaint about one store does not describe the franchisor or other stores.

EXTERNAL SOURCE

Independent Sources

Shown for context — not merged with USAComplaints' own numbers.

BBBSecond BBB file for Winmark Corporation, Minneapolis (listed as Franchise)
3 complaints · BBB business grade A+
BBBWinmark Corporation, Minneapolis, MN (listed as Franchise)
1 review · 1 complaint · BBB business grade A+ · average customer rating 1 / 5
Trustpilot
21 reviews · TrustScore 1.8 / 5
EDITORIAL

Complaint Themes

consignment, buy-offer or payout disputes at individual storesstaff or manager treatment accountsreturns, refund or coupon disputes

Themes summarize what people write about most often. One complaint can touch several themes, and some complaints (a positive report, or one later retracted by its author) fit none, so themes are not a count of complaints.

CONSUMER ALLEGATION

Reviews & Complaints on USAComplaints

USAComplaints currently maintains 16 historical complaints about Winmark, published between 2003 and 2014. No approved complaints have been published on this site during the last three years. For a current reputation snapshot, see the independent sources on this page.

Show 11 more on this page
EDITORIAL

Complaint and review record

These figures are shown as displayed on 2026-10-20 and are not combined with each other or with the archive posts.

  • BBB. BBB profile for Winmark Corporation, Minneapolis (Franchise): not BBB Accredited; BBB Rating A+; "1 complaint in the last 3 years. 0 complaints in the last 12 months"; reviews tab "1/5 stars, Average of 1 Customer Review". The one displayed complaint on that file (status Resolved, dated 2024-04-08) concerns a Play It Again Sports store that closed and store credit the writer held. BBB lists eight alternate names: the five brands plus Winmark Franchise Partners, Winmark Capital and Wirth Business Credit. A second BBB file for Winmark Corporation (see the details on this page) is shown separately and is not combined with this one; individual franchisees may have their own BBB files, which were not read.
  • BBB, second file. BBB shows a second file for Winmark Corporation, Minneapolis (Franchise): not BBB Accredited; BBB Rating A+; "3 complaints in the last 3 years. 0 complaints in the last 12 months". Its page data shows a file opened 1990-05-18 and a business start of 1988-01-01, which differs from the other file (business start 1982-04-01). The two files are shown separately and their figures are not added together.
  • Trustpilot. platoscloset.com: 1.8 from 21 reviews, claimed profile; playitagainsports.com: 3 reviews, 2.9, unclaimed; onceuponachild.com and winmarkcorporation.com: no reviews. Trustpilot says it does not fact-check reviews.
  • CFPB. Winmark is a retail franchisor rather than a lender or financial-services provider.

Archive complaints on this site. 16 approved posts from 2003 to 2014 are linked to this page. They name individual Plato's Closet, Play It Again Sports or Once Upon A Child stores in several states; two name "Winmark Corporation" in the offender field. They are unverified consumer accounts about specific stores at the time, not findings about Winmark or about those stores' current operations. Theme counts on this page do not add up to the total.

Other posts in this site's archive that use the words "Team Winmark" or "Winmark Authorized Agent Group" describe a door-to-door cable sales agency and are not linked to this page.

Had an experience with Winmark? Tell other people what happened.

Submit a Complaint
EDITORIAL

Winmark complaints: stores are franchises, so where to take a problem

This page was checked on 2026-10-20. Winmark Corporation is a franchisor. According to each brand's Contact Us page, the stores that buy and sell used goods under its brands are independently owned and operated.

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Plato's Closet, Once Upon A Child and Play It Again Sports each state that their stores are "all independently owned and operated; all employment decisions are made at the individual store level." Most problems described on this site (offers, payouts, store credit, returns, staff treatment) arose at a single store; the Contact Us pages say questions about current inventory or job opportunities go to the local store through the store locator, and questions or comments about the brand go to its corporate operations address. Starting with the store you dealt with is our suggestion, not the brands' instruction.

  • Start with the store. Use the brand's store locator to find the store's own website and contact details. Keep the date, any receipt, consignment or buy ticket, item list and the name of the person you spoke with.
  • Brand corporate contacts. Each brand's Contact Us page publishes a corporate operations address for questions or comments: Plato's Closet [email protected]; Once Upon A Child [email protected]; Play It Again Sports [email protected]. Winmark's corporate phone is (763) 520-8500.
  • Online orders. The Play It Again Sports Return Policy page says a customer unhappy with an online purchase "must contact the originating Play It Again Sports® store for return authorization instructions within 7 DAYS of the delivery of their online purchase", that products must be returned to the store they were purchased from, and that "the customer is required to pay all return-freight charges, except in the instance of product damage that occurred during shipment".
    More detailShow less

    That is the company's stated policy. Separately, one BBB review (dated June 2025) describes a Play It Again Sports online order for a bat that arrived as an empty tube and says the writer contacted Winmark; it is one consumer's account and its outcome is not shown on the page.

  • Selling to a store. Play It Again Sports' Sell To Us FAQ says: "We can pay you on the spot (either cash or a check, depending upon the amount) or offer you a store credit for trade."
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    Once Upon A Child's Sell To Us page says it is "unable to buy car seats, recalled items and products that do not meet current government safety standards".

  • Other routes. BBB accepts complaints about Winmark Corporation (see the complaint record). You can also contact your state attorney general's consumer protection office or the FTC; check their current complaint pages directly.
EDITORIAL

Court and regulator record

Court records

The Form 10-K for the year ended December 27, 2025 says in Item 3: "We are not a party to any material litigation and are not aware of any threatened litigation that we believe would have a material adverse effect on our business."

More on the lawsuitsShow less

The Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 26, 2026 (filed 2026-10-14) says under Legal Proceedings: "We are not a party to any material litigation and are not aware of any threatened litigation that would have a material adverse effect on our business."

A CourtListener search for "Winmark" in case names, run on 2026-10-20, returned 58 cases. Two name Winmark Corporation as a defendant in a consumer-facing matter: Iskhakova v. Winmark Corporation (E.D.N.Y., filed 2022-05-13; cause listed as civil rights, disability; ended by joint stipulation of dismissal and an order dismissing the case on 2022-09-16) and Alexandria v. Winmark Corporation (S.D.N.Y., filed 2023-06-09; cause listed as Americans with Disabilities Act; ended by a stipulation of voluntary dismissal with prejudice filed 2024-03-13). Terms, if any, were not reviewed, and the docket entries read do not describe the underlying claims beyond the cause of action. The other results in that search were not reviewed individually and are not listed. SEC filings and the dockets on this page showed no regulator enforcement action against Winmark Corporation as of 2026-10-20.

PUBLIC RECORD

Court & Public Records

Iskhakova v. Winmark Corporation

Dismissed

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New YorkDocket 1:22-cv-02816Source ↗

Dismissed

Settlement terms, if any, were not reviewed.

Case details: Iskhakova v. Winmark CorporationShow less

CourtListener lists the cause as 42:1201 Civil Rights (Disability), nature of suit 446 (Americans with Disabilities - Other). The docket shows a joint stipulation of dismissal and an order dismissing the case on 2022-09-16.

Alexandria v. Winmark Corporation

Dismissed

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New YorkDocket 1:23-cv-04866Source ↗

Dismissed

Terms, if any, were not reviewed.

Case details: Alexandria v. Winmark CorporationShow less

CourtListener lists the cause as 42:12132 Americans with Disabilities Act - Discrimination. The newest entry is a stipulation of voluntary dismissal with prejudice as to Winmark Corporation, filed 2024-03-13; the case is shown as terminated 2024-03-14.

EDITORIAL

Who Winmark is and how its stores work

Winmark Corporation, a Minnesota corporation (Nasdaq: WINA), has its headquarters at 605 Highway 169 N, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55441. Its Form 10-K for the year ended December 27, 2025 (filed 2026-02-25) describes it as "a nationally recognized franchisor" of Plato's Closet, Once Upon A Child, Play It Again Sports, Style Encore and Music Go Round, and reports 1,378 franchises in operation in the United States and Canada at December 27, 2025. The Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 26, 2026 (filed 2026-10-14) shows 1,378 franchised stores at the start of 2026, 35 opened, 15 closed and 1,398 at September 26, 2026, and says "Our franchisees sign 10-year agreements with us."

Websites and Winmark Capital. The Play It Again Sports Conditions of Use page says "This website is operated by Play It Again Sports, a division of Winmark Corporation" while its footer says "Each franchise is independently owned and operated." BBB lists Winmark Capital as an alternate name; the 10-K says leasing was conducted through Winmark Capital Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary, and that in May 2021 the company decided to no longer solicit new leasing customers and pursue an orderly run-off, which the 10-K says was completed as of December 27, 2025.

More company historyShow less

How the model works. According to the 10-K, each franchisee signs a franchise agreement and pays an initial franchise fee ($25,000 for an initial U.S. store at December 27, 2025). Plato's Closet's Sell To Us page says it buys "gently used teen and young adult clothes, shoes and accessories" and that sellers who accept an offer are paid "cash on the spot". Because each store is a separately owned franchise, offer amounts, returns and payout practices can differ by store, and the store, not Winmark, is the business the customer dealt with.

Brands by 2025 royalties and franchise fees (10-K, as reported). Plato's Closet $32.2 million, Once Upon A Child $25.9 million, Play It Again Sports $14.9 million, Style Encore $3.2 million, Music Go Round $1.7 million. Winmark's website says the company has operated for "more than 35 years".

EDITORIAL

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Winmark?

Winmark Corporation, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, describes itself in its 10-K as "a nationally recognized franchisor" of Plato's Closet, Once Upon A Child, Play It Again Sports, Style Encore and Music Go Round; it reported 1,378 franchises in operation in the United States and Canada at December 27, 2025.

Does Winmark own the Plato's Closet, Once Upon A Child and Play It Again Sports stores?

Each of those brands' Contact Us pages states that the stores are "all independently owned and operated" and that employment decisions are made at the individual store level. Winmark's 10-K describes its business as franchising.

How do I complain about a Plato's Closet, Once Upon A Child or Play It Again Sports store?

The brands' Contact Us pages say that questions about current inventory or job opportunities go to the local store through the store locator, and that questions or comments about the brand go to the corporate operations address. They publish corporate operations addresses for questions or comments: [email protected] (Plato's Closet), [email protected] (Once Upon A Child) and [email protected] (Play It Again Sports). Winmark's corporate phone is (763) 520-8500. Contacting the store you dealt with first is our suggestion, not the brands' instruction.

How are sellers paid at Play It Again Sports and Once Upon A Child?

The Play It Again Sports Sell To Us FAQ says: "We can pay you on the spot (either cash or a check, depending upon the amount) or offer you a store credit for trade." Once Upon A Child's Sell To Us page says that if you accept the offer you are paid cash on the spot, and that it is "unable to buy car seats, recalled items and products that do not meet current government safety standards". Offers and payouts are set at the store.

What does BBB show for Winmark?

As displayed on 2026-10-20, BBB's profile for Winmark Corporation in Minneapolis shows a rating of A+, no BBB accreditation, one complaint in the last 3 years and none in the last 12 months, and one customer review rated 1 out of 5.

What does Trustpilot show?

As displayed on 2026-10-20, Trustpilot lists platoscloset.com at 1.8 from 21 reviews (claimed profile), playitagainsports.com at 2.9 from 3 reviews (unclaimed), and no reviews for onceuponachild.com or winmarkcorporation.com. Trustpilot says it does not fact-check reviews.

Is Winmark involved in lawsuits?

Winmark's 10-K for 2025 states it is not a party to any material litigation. CourtListener lists two earlier federal cases naming Winmark Corporation as a defendant, Iskhakova (E.D.N.Y., 2022) and Alexandria (S.D.N.Y., 2023), both ended by stipulated dismissal; the cause is listed as disability civil rights or ADA, and no terms were reviewed.

What do the older complaints on this site say?

Eighteen posts from 2003 to 2014 describe experiences at individual Plato's Closet, Play It Again Sports and Once Upon A Child stores, including consignment payouts, buy offers, returns and staff treatment, plus one 2014 injury allegation involving a display inversion table. They are unverified accounts of those stores at those times.

Is Team Winmark the same as Winmark Corporation?

Our archive has older posts about "Team Winmark" and a "Winmark Authorized Agent Group" that describe door-to-door cable sales. Those posts do not name Winmark Corporation's resale brands and are not linked to this page; this page did not establish any connection between that agency and the franchisor.