Woman gets new KitchenAid mixer for Christmas. Too bad a Target shopper decided to bamboozle her: ‘Do they not check it when it’s returned?’
There’s nothing more exciting than unboxing your Christmas gifts, but for TikToker Callie Miller (@angelcallie), there was an unwelcome surprise waiting for her when she opened her supposedly new KitchenAid from Target.
Describing her gift as the “first scam of 2026,” Callie showed the box she received, which had a white KitchenAid on the front.
However, she wasn’t prepared for what she would find inside. As she took the item out of the box, it was abundantly clear that the KitchenAid she received from Target was very different from the one that was on her box.
Not only was the KitchenAid red, but it also appeared to be used. Callie claimed that the item had fingerprints and food residue on it.
She concluded by saying, “Whoever did this […]I hope everything that you bake with this turns out absolutely nasty.”
The video amassed 125,900 views. Callie didn’t immediately respond to The Mary Sue’s request for comment via TikTok comment and email.
What did commenters think?
In the commenters, users emphasized that it wasn’t Target who “scammed” her—it was the owner of the red mixer.
“That’s called: Somebody bought the brand new one put their old one in it and then returned it to get the money back and Target didn’t bother to open the package,” one wrote.
“OH MY GOSH,” another added. “Someone swapped their old one and got their money back! Insane!”
While a third asked, “Like how do people actually do this and live with themselves?!”
And a fourth suggested that “someone wanted an upgrade and didn’t want to pay for it.” A fifth concurred, “Looks like someone bought it for their selves, put their old one back in and the merchant didn’t check to see.”
In the comments, Miller also issued an update, sharing how Target was “really helpful” and gave her the right mixer.
Target didn’t immediately respond to The Mary Sue’s request for comment via email.
@angelcallie To whoever did this… I hope everything you ever cook or bake is rancid ?? #kitchenaidmixer #kitchenaid #targetfinds #targetmusthaves ♬ original sound – Callie Miller
How common is this scam?
Over on Reddit, it became apparent that this scam is pretty common. On the r/Target subreddit, multiple Redditors said they had experienced return scams at work in Target and other retailers for items like TV, vacuum cleaners, and microwaves.
Customers also made their feelings known, with one experiencing an identical situation with Miller. “I once bought an air mattress from Walmart but when I opened it up I discovered it had been returned with a smaller, completely different mattress that didn’t even have the electric air blower and had been already patched AND was covered in animal hair and questionable stains,” they shared. “It was disgusting.”
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