Buying products from stores with no-refund policies is always a hassle, and it's common among sole proprietors. They run the business and make all the rules with no board to answer to.
So, it wasn't a shocker when this viral TikTok showed a woman getting ridiculed for requesting a refund from an Etsy store.
The now-deleted post, from Elisabeth Manente, a model, showed some screenshots of her discussion with an Etsy store which went awry following her request for refunds.
There's nothing wrong with wanting a refund if the criteria fits regardless of the price, but the Etsy seller took offense because it was $19.
Manente's video had over two million views before removal, causing the store owner to act promptly to avoid further reputation damage. The person believed Manente shopped in a drunken haze, so they refused to refund her.
The TikTok user ordered a Harry Styles candle from the pop art Etsy store Cleaver and Blade for $19. Unfortunately, she clicked the wrong item and didn't realize it until the following day. Once she did, Manente requested a refund.
The store's correspondent agreed to refund Manente but not without complaints. They got into a heated argument as the correspondent accused the TikToker of changing her mind and not acting mistakenly as she alleged.
Manente replied to the person saying she'll take the interaction to her 11,000 followers, causing a barrage of insults. The store's rep accused the shopper of "smoking pipe," "shopping while high," and lying about the transaction.
They further ridiculed Manente for "dancing" on TikTok, saying they'll get their dancing shoes to help her understand better. The last statement shocked the shopper as she couldn't believe an adult had said those things to her.
The store owner, Vladimir Costa, made a TikTok in reply to Manente and shared his story. He said Manente ruined his store's reputation and impeached his ability to donate $5 of each sale to a women's shelter.
Vladimir's post is also deleted from TikTok leading people to believe they resolved their issues. However, that only came after Costa admitted that he was sarcastic in his response to Manente.
Costa spoke to Insider and complained about the TikTok user bullying him with her large following. He said small businesses suffer from negative viral moments like this one.
Costa said situations like that ruin the profit margin for small businesses, like how he spent $5 to refund $19. Manente, however, didn't mean to put a target on his back but wanted to warn people about mistreating their customers.
An Etsy seller debunked Costa's claims that it cost him $5 to refund Manente's money, saying he was only upset about losing the sale. Some speculated that the money was paid to the printer who made the pictures on the candle.
Sellers need to do better with customer service as such an interaction would lead to termination in a big corporation.
The large corporation in the mix, Etsy, refused to comment on the situation although Manente said a rep. promised to handle it officially.
