Florida T.J. Maxx customer finds ‘steal’ $32 necklace, asks to put it on hold while she shops. Then she checks the bag at home: ‘TJ MAXX SCAMMED ME?!’
A woman is calling out T.J. Maxx after alleging the store may have “scammed” her out of an item she wanted.
According to TikToker @so.so.nay in a video with over 576,000 views, she visited a T.J. Maxx location on Valentine’s Day. While there, she spotted a two-tone herringbone necklace at the jewelry counter. The price was just $32.
“When I pointed it out to the jewelry attendant, she was very much surprised to see the pricing on that necklace,” the TikToker recalls. “She was like, ‘Oh, you found you a steal!’ And I said, ‘I know, thank you!’”
The TikToker then asked the jewelry attendant to put the item on hold so that she could continue shopping. In response, the worker put the item in a black bag and put it behind the register.
When the TikToker was done shopping, the worker brought the black bag over to the register. The TikToker checked out without issue. However, when she got home and opened the bag, she was met with a surprise. In place of her necklace was a massive gold ring.
What Happened Next?
In disbelief, the TikToker called the store. The cashier who checked her out answered, claiming that she simply scanned the item the jewelry attendant gave her. From there, the TikToker was transferred to the jewelry department, which had an unsatisfactory explanation.
“She said, ‘Yeah, that was me. Honestly, I couldn’t remember what jewelry you had … It was a bunch of bags back there, so I just grabbed the one that I thought was yours. I thought you wanted the ring; I didn’t know you wanted the necklace,’” the TikToker says.
“So I said, ‘OK, well, I don’t want the ring. And, I don’t understand why you didn’t ask me which piece of jewelry was mine without just assuming. So,’ I said, ‘can you find me the necklace? ‘Cause I’m on the way down there now to exchange it.’”
It was at this point that the TikToker was told the necklace had been sold.
The TikToker says that the worker’s story doesn’t make sense.
“If I put that necklace on hold, and you found it later on that day, and you opened up the bag—you should have been like, ‘Oh, [expletive], she got the wrong piece of jewelry,’” the TikToker details. “Why would you sell [it]?”
Instead, the TikToker says she is suspicious that something else went down.
“I’m on the way to T.J. Maxx now just to confirm what I already [expletive] know: that jewelry lady gave me a [expletive] piece of jewelry, and she kept my [expletive] necklace,” the TikToker summarizes.
Did She Get Her Necklace?
The TikToker later posted an update video noting that she did, in fact, get her necklace. She also noted that she didn’t spot the issue earlier, as she has shopped at this T.J. Maxx for a long time and has never had an issue. Additionally, she says that if there was an issue, she was confident that she could resolve it with the store.
“It’s T.J. Maxx. It’s not Hermes,” she states. “They don’t have my social security number. If it’s wrong, I just take it back.”
As for how this happened in the first place, the TikToker does not make it clear. However, she certainly wouldn’t be the first to accuse a store worker of holding onto an item for themselves.
For example, in September 2025, a Best Buy customer claimed that they ordered an item for pickup. When they went to retrieve it, it was gone—causing them to believe that an employee had taken it.
Others have simply shared issues actually getting the items they’ve left on hold. To offer another example, a customer claimed that they left an item on hold at T.J. Maxx, only to notice another customer attempting to purchase it. The original customer managed to intervene and prevent the sale.
Commenters Have Thoughts
In the comments section, some users shared how this can be prevented in the future, while others offered their own similar stories.
“THEY DID THIS TO ME W/ a YSL palette,” said a commenter.
“Lesson#1 : as soon as you find something you like and the employee tells you that you found a ‘steal’, Do NOT put it on hold,” added another. “Pay it at that moment and then keep on shopping, because more than likely this will be the result.”
“I work at TJMaxx. If the clerk wanted the jewelry she could’ve held it for herself and bought it at the end of her shift,” stated a third. “Additionally, if you are a jewelry person, as I am, you ALWAYS check what jewelry has been marked down and has reached your desired price.”
@so.so.nay (UPDATE POSTED) I really hope it was just a mistake ?? #tjmaxxfinds #scammed #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp ♬ original sound – SoNay
The Mary Sue reached out to T.J. Maxx via email and @so.so.nay via TikTok direct message and comment.
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