A TikTok personality went on the platform to claim she accidentally spend $80,000 on Robux, the virtual currency used in the Roblox gaming platform. Though it appears it might just be a comic video from a performer and not an actual disaster in the making, some commenters were ready with advice, concerned, and apparently eager to watch it all burn.
The video comes from creator Louisa Melcher, who identifies via her Instagram bio as “a pop singer, infamously.” According to her IMDb page, “earned a B.A. from Columbia University in Theater, with a concentration in play writing and has won multiple awards for her original plays. She co-wrote the 126th Varsity Show at Columbia University, a student produced full-length musical”—a tradition that boasts Kate McKinnon among its alumni. She’s also the sister of Lincoln Melcher, an actor and voice actor of some renown.
In the video, which has attracted more than 1.6 million views since going up on TikTok last Friday, Melcher explains her predicament in a whimsical voice.
“Hypothetically, what should a person do if they might have just spent $80,000 on Roblox?” she begins. “What should they do if they thought that they were making in-app purchases with game money and with and with points and then they got a notification from Apple Pay?”
Then, she says, “And that seems not so likely? What should that person do?”
@loulouorange Hope my landlord accepts rent in Robux…😒 #fml #roblox #fail ♬ original sound – louisa melcher
It finishes with her saying, “No biggie, just a little hypothetical,” and then waving her hand—all in front of a screengrab showing an Apple Pay transaction to Roblox for $77,290.48.
The comment accompanying her video read, “Hope my landlord accepts rent in Robux.”
Roblox bills itself as “the ultimate virtual universe” for interactive games and other “immersive experiences,” and according to its website, attracts 59.5 million daily active users. $77,290.48 worth of Robux could go a long way in Roblox, and some commenters coming to Melcher’s TikTok thought she should do just that.
“Go spend it all and then refund it because it’ll let you keep the stuff you bought and give you your money back,” one advised.
Another asked, “How would she spend 4.3 million Robux before the refund date?”
Someone else in the thread suggested, “Limiteds, bae.”
Some were genuinely concerned and offered advice to negotiate Robux refunds; one person noted, “If you haven’t spent the Robux, you can call Roblox and return it.”
A few people suggested shifting the blame, including one who said, “You call up and say ur kid purchased it all and you’d like a refund.”
“I spent 5000 on my moms as a kid and they returned it all,” another claimed.
However, a Roblox spokesperson who reviewed the TikTok didn’t find the portrayal realistic, noting that the process for buying avatar items as Melcher described is different from purchasing Robux, and users would be conscious of what they were spending in real money with each transaction.
While it seems like Melcher is just doing a bit—given the outrageousness and costuming in some of her other videos—there were still true believers who were looking for a Part 2.
“Hypothetically, what should a person do when they made a video,” one commenter wroter, “and it getting 11.3M views only to not update on the situation?”
Though that commenter probably meant 1.3 million views, the point stands—a lot of people’s curiosity was piqued.
The Daily Dot has reached out to the creator via email.
