In a viral video, a Nordstrom worker exposed how influencers will go to a store and buy thousands of dollars of merchandise, knowing they’ll return it.
The TikTok starts off with a stitch from sales associate Jordyn Aaliyah (@_jordynrich), who said that as a cashier, she’s seen influencers return $3,000 in outfits after wearing them once for Instagram pictures.
In his video, Sergio (@sergiosecret) shares how when he worked at Nordstrom, he faced the same situation “all the time.” Bloggers and influencers, some of who had millions of followers, would arrive at his retail location in Dallas on the day of the store’s anniversary sale and buy a ton of merchandise.
@sergiossecret #stitch with @Jordyn Aaliyah let it be known now! Everything is a false reality as someones whos workes behind the scenes 🤍 #nordstrom #anniversarysale #returns #designer #shopping ♬ original sound – Sergiossecret
“When I tell you, 95% of it came back. Almost everything got returned,” Sergio shared.
He told his viewers to be aware of the fashion content they consume, especially when they align with major sales at stores like Nordstrom.
“When everybody tries to sell you everything that you don’t really need… just know that they all return it once that statement comes in [for] their credit card for them to pay it off,” Sergio said, concluding the minute-long clip.
Sergio’s TikTok has amassed more than 230,000 views and nearly 300 comments. The Daily Dot reached out to Sergio via TikTok comment and to Nordstrom via email.
“Let it be known now! Everything is a false reality as someone [who] works behind the scenes,” the caption read.
Since the rise of the internet, fashion haul videos, and ready access to cheap clothes, overconsumption of fashion has run rampant—even becoming a major threat to the environment. The United States alone produces up to 11.3 million tons of textile waste every year. That amounts to about 2,150 pieces of clothing each second, Bloomberg reported.
Those at the intersection of climate and fashion have long advocated for people not to fall into too many trends, instead advising the public to buy clothes they’ll get a lot of wear out of, mend their clothes instead of just rebuying items, and incorporate second-hand shopping into their lives to aid the global fashion waste problem.
Several people said they’ve had similar experiences with influencers.
“Same with Sephora, I’ve seen influencers buy $4000+ worth of product, post a haul, then they come and return it,” one person said.
“I worked at Neiman Marcus and they would do the exact same thing,” another wrote.