This woman accidentally bought a knockoff Ms. Rachel doll on TikTok Shop. Now, she’s warning others.
Who is Ms. Rachel?
Ms. Rachel (whose full name is Rachel Anne Accurso) is a preschool teacher turned online star. Best known for her catchy songs, she creates educational and positive videos on YouTube and TikTok aimed at younger children. Her content helps these young ones develop their language and social-emotional skills.
Ms. Rachel has amassed nearly 12 million followers on YouTube (@msrachel) and 5.3 million on TikTok (@msrachelforlittles). Just this year, she collaborated with her beloved Elmo.
She started the channel when her son was diagnosed with a speech delay. She couldn’t find a digital channel to help him, so she made it herself, she told Today.
With so much overstimulating content out there that sometimes doesn’t lead to the best example-setting for young minds, Ms. Rachel is regarded as a shining star among parents and educators.
With two master’s in education (one in music education from NYU and another in early childhood education), Ms. Rachel takes an expert-backed approach and tends to teach through accessible formats like music, interactive play, and sign language.
“Ms Rachel uses techniques recommended by speech therapists and early childhood experts to help children learn important milestones and preschool skills!” her YouTube description reads.
Ms. Rachel? More like Ms. Raquel.
In a viral video with more than 1.6 million views, nurse and mother Andrea Martinez (@andreamartinez_95) warned against giving the toddler in their life a Ms. Rachel doll.
As Ms. Rachel’s success continues, she’s launched books and a number of toys for kids aged three months to three+ years, including a puzzle, sensory learning farm, and cuddly plushies.
However, her most popular toy is a mini version of herself with popular phrases and songs from her videos. The Ms. Rachel doll costs $29.99 on her website and at Target.
You can also purchase through the TikTok Shop, but beware of knockoffs, Martinez warned.
“Sure enough, this was not the Ms. Rachel doll,” Martinez said.
She explained that she got one for her daughter from TikTok Shop, but something was off about the doll when it came in the mail.
While it looks really similar to the original, Martinez noticed this doll’s hairline was off, the facial features were a bit different, and it was missing the Ms. Rachel tag.
That’s when she realized she accidentally got the toy through a third-party seller using photos of the original item.
“Will my eight-month-old daughter realize that this is not the real thing? Probably not, but ugh, I am so disappointed right now,” Martinez said.
The sound quality from the doll’s speech and songs was also lower than Martinez expected.
“You CAN buy it from the Tiktok shop, but ONLY buy it from Ms. Rachels verified link!” Martinez wrote in her caption, adding, “Just sharing so others can be more [vigilent] and check the shop before buying from any link!”
@andreamartinez_95 To be more specific… You CAN buy it from the Tiktok shop, but ONLY buy it from Ms. Rachels verified link! When I bought it, I didnt realize it wasnt from her shop, but instead, a 3rd party seller. They where using the real, authentic doll to advertise which is why I was mislead. Just sharing so others can be more vigalent and check the shop before buying from any link! @Ms Rachel #msrachel #msracheldoll ♬ original sound – Andrea Martinez
TikTok Shop scams
While TikTok Shop is a legit marketplace, there are plenty of scams (and bad shopping experiences) going on there.
For example, people sell fake items, pretend mass-produced items are original designs from a small business, and never ship products.
One particularly heinous scam is when buyers direct shoppers to make payments outside of TikTok’s secure payment system. They urge people to send a direct bank transfer, pocketing the money and making it virtually impossible for buyers to get their money back, Trend Micro reported.
To avoid getting scammed, lean toward buying from verified sellers, use the in-app payment system, read reviews, and don’t give out personal information.
Commenters react
“That’s Ms Raquel,” the top comment read.
“We have Ms Rachel at home,” a person joked.
“I just got mine from target and it doesn’t sound like that at all,” another shared.
“SAME GIRL! I got one for my niece & she started playing with it & then Ms Rachel started yelling at her in JAPANESE!” a commenter wrote.
The Daily Dot reached out to Martinez for comment via email and Instagram direct message, to Ms. Rachel via her website contact form, and to TikTok via email.
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