Haircare can be a deeply personal thing for some folks. As such, many customers are discerning when it comes to what kinds of styling tools they are using on their hair, and they may try several before landing on one they love.
One T.J. Maxx shopper says she tried a new hair dryer purchased from the store but ultimately decided to purchase and keep another dryer. Because she did not see a reason to have two dryers, Nia (@niamcdow) says she thought it might be reasonable to return the unwanted dryer to the store where she purchased it.
“I will never be shopping at T.J. Maxx again,” she says in the video. “I’m literally crying in my car because this experience was super traumatizing. I bought a blow dryer not even two weeks ago. I got a new one, so I was like, OK, I need to return this one, I don’t need two. I’m actually shaking. It was a blow dryer with a bunch of attachments. I have really curly hair so I only used the blowing part, it was never in my hair or anything, so I thought it would be okay to try and return it.”
When she attempted to make the return, she says she was asked by the employee working at the returns counter whether or not she used the blow dryer. After giving an honest answer that, ‘Yes,’ she did use it, the employee consulted with her manager, who the poster says was “incredibly mean.”
“She’s like, you used it, it’s yours, you keep it,’” she says. “I’m like, OK, that’s fine, I’ll keep it. But she was saying it in such a rude tone, and I even said, it’s okay, I’ll keep it, I don’t need to return it. I was just seeing if I could return it. But it’s fine, I’ll keep it if you won’t take it. She was like, ‘No, I’ll just keep it, I’ll just do it.’ While this is all happening, I’m starting to have a panic attack. Tears are coming in my eyes, I don’t understand why she’s being so rude. I said I would keep it.”
Ultimately, she was able to complete the return, but the experience left her in tears once she got back to her car, she says.
“I just don’t understand why they were being so mean,” she says. “As they were doing the return, the girl and another girl were talking about me behind my back. Maybe I did something wrong, maybe I wasn’t supposed to return it. I know some stores you can return things when you use them but if I did something wrong can someone please tell me because I don’t understand why she treated me that way.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Nia and to T.J. Maxx via its parent company TJX over email regarding the video.
Several viewers encouraged the poster to go back to the store to take a stand in her own defense and call out the employee for being unkind to her.
“You need to match energy and don’t let people upset you, if she’s using a tone you use one right back,” one commenter wrote.
“Why are you crying,” another asked. “You go back and curse her out and demand a refund you can use things and if you don’t like it then you can return it.”
“Let me see the return policy,” a third commented. “Girl you are so sweet. You need to STAND YOUR GROUND AND MATCH ENERGY. Protect your energy.”
@niamcdow Really shitty storytime about @TJ Maxx ♬ original sound – 🌞nia🪐
Others wrote that they empathized with her, and felt she did not deserve to be treated that way based on her version of events.
“Even if you had done something against policy, that should have been communicated in a clear and professional manner,” one commenter wrote. “You are definitely not wrong.”
“You did nothing wrong, they weren’t professional & even if you weren’t supposed to return it, there’s no reason for them to act like that,” another argued.
“You seem so sweet. I am a retail manager and I would never have treated a customer like that,” a further user said. “I am so sorry they made you cry.”
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