A shopper called out T.J. Maxx after she bought what she thought was a new hair dryer only to discover signs that it had been used before.
Model Miller Grace Otto (@millyway_001) posted a short video to her TikTok, explaining what happened with her purchase.
“I just got myself a new hair dryer, OK?” she says, pointing the camera at a $40 Solia hair dryer still inside the box.
What’s up with the hair dryer?
“This is the box. I couldn’t open it or anything. It was wrapped, it had a security a security wire on it,” she says, referring to the anti-theft security cable that many stores use to prevent shoplifting.
“Open this up, this is what I [expletive] see,” Otto says as she opens the box to reveal a hair dryer that has clearly been used before.
At first, Otto says, she thought the box was simply missing one of the attachments. But after she lifted the machine, she realized that the dryer had previous been used.
“This is a fully used hair dryer,” she says as she lifts the hair dryer to reveal hair stuck to one side of the nozzle.
“Are you kidding me? This is disgusting,” Otto exclaims at the end of the video.
T.J. Maxx regulars were not surprised
Otto isn’t the only unsatisfied T.J. Maxx customer on TikTok. Another shopper tested the theory that discount stores like T.J. Maxx resell used beauty products and claimed that not only was she was able to easily return the items, but she also found them back on the shelf the very next day.
Otto’s video received 1.8 million views. Comments left by a number of T.J. Maxx shoppers revealed the model’s experience was not isolated.
“That happened to me with a hairbrush,” one person said.
“I got a used water flosser!!” shared another.
“I got a use BIKINI LINE TRIMMER!” said yet another unfortunate customer.
@millyway_002 @TJ Maxx ♬ original sound – Miller grace
How did this hair dryer get back on the shelf?
A few commenters tried to explain what must have happened for Otto to have received a used hair dryer.
“Someone returned it and the worker didn’t check it over. Which is a huge no no, that should never have happened,” one said.
Another user who said they worked at T.J. Maxx in 2015 revealed the store’s protocol for returned items in an attempt to explain how Otto received a used hair dryer.
They wrote, “They never made us look at the returns lol we would just tape them up and send them back.”
“I used to work at T.J. Maxx all returns just go back into a bin to go back on sale they don’t ask the workers to check them or anything,” another reiterated.
Many customers also shared that they had begun to check their items before leaving the store.
”Girl I open items like this at the counter before leaving and the look at me like I’m crazy,” wrote one person.
“I check EVERYTHING before I buy it at T.J. Maxx,” another confirmed.
@millyway_002 @TJ Maxx ♬ original sound – Miller grace
The Daily Dot reached out to T.J. Maxx via email and to Otto via Instagram direct message.
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