Shopper uses friend's employee discount to buy over $1400 worth of clothes, doesn't understand why friend wants to cut her off: 'She is taking advantage of you'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Jan 19, 2026 10:00 PM EST

Employee discounts can be a bit of a trap.

They're nice when you get to use them, but people might start taking advantage of you, and some pretty awkward situations can arise. I used to work in a retail setting, and I didn't love when people visited me at work. Sure, it was nice to see a friend in the middle of a workday, but I never knew the appropriate way to use my employee discount. Do I give it freely to all friends or do I save it for the ones I'm really close to? What if my boss thinks I'm using it too much? I don't want to lose my job. There are too many questions and reasons to worry. It's best just to avoid the situation altogether, if you can. But you also want to help your friends out and provide discounts when you're allowed to.

What came up in this situation, though, was difficult for everyone to manage and ended up exposing the characters of everyone involved. It's hard to learn that your friend isn't who you want them to be. Maybe it has taken a while for them to show their true colors, but now you're seeing them in full force. It can make you rethink your whole relationship with someone. You don't want to keep someone around who is going to disrespect you and take advantage of you. There are plenty of fish in the sea. You don't need to keep around friends like that.

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • A woman looks at a dress at a store
    via Unsplash+ (Andrej Lišakov)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • That's what happened in this story, where a woman exposed her bad behavior by asking to use her friend's employee discount. She used it way too much and ended up risking her friendship in the process. And the worker wasn't sure what to do about her so-called friend's behavior. She didn't want to end up losing her job in the process. She wasn't sure whether or not her behavior was justified, and needed more takes on the sticky situation she found herself in. Scroll on to read what happened in this story and see what you would have done. 

  • Am I in the wrong for telling my friend she can't use my employee discount anymore after she misused it?

    I work at a popular retail store and employees get 30% discount. We're allowed to use it for friends/family occasionally. My friend "Vanessa" (both 27F) has asked to use it maybe 4-5 times over the past year which was fine. Last month she asked to use it for "a few things." I said sure and gave her my code. She spent $800. I was shocked but whatever, she bought a lot of winter clothes.
    via u/Opposite-Canary-1359
  • Two weeks later she asked again. I said didn't you just shop? She said "these are gifts." Fine. Another $600. Then last week she asked AGAIN. I said this is getting excessive. She said she'll "pay me back" for helping. I said its not about payment, I'm worried about my discount being flagged for misuse.
    via u/Opposite-Canary-1359
  • She promised it was the last time. I reluctantly agreed. She came to my store while I was working and filled TWO CARTS. Got to checkout and the total was $1,400. I said absolutely not, this is way too much. She made a scene saying I "promised" and now she's embarrassing in front of everyone. I told the cashier not to apply my discount. Vanessa left the store angry.
    via u/Opposite-Canary-1359
  • Now she's texting me saying I "humiliated her" and "broke my word." She told our friend group I'm being selfish with my discount when "it doesn't cost me anything." My manager actually pulled me aside and said my discount has been used unusually high lately. AITJ for cutting her off?
    via u/Opposite-Canary-1359
  • TL;DR: Friend kept using my employee discount, last time tried to spend $1,400, I refused, she says I embarrassed her and broke my promise to help.
    via u/Opposite-Canary-1359

  • Commenters agreed that there might be more going on here.

    Firebird562 Is she selling the items for profit?
    via u/Firebird562
  • A woman looks at clothes at a clothing store
    via Unsplash+ (Andrej Lišakov)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • DesignerSandwich... She is taking advantage of you and doesn't seem to care that you could get in trouble. Doesn't sound like much of a friend
    via u/DesignerSandwich8678
  • Relative-Giraffe-977 No u're definitely not the jerk. she was literally about to get u fired over some sweaters. $1400 is insane and she's being a fake friend for even asking that much.
    via u/Relative-Giraffe-977
  • PissFingerz42069 sounds like she's possibly selling the items to flip a profit. Cut her off since she's clearly not thinking about the possibilities on your end. Real friends don't jeopardize others. NTJ
    via u/PissFingerz42069
  • Beneficial-Sort4795 Group text. "My manager pulled me aside and said my discount was used an unusually high amount. That's all Vanessa. Then she tried to use it for $1,400 and caused a scene at my job when I said no. This is officially abusing my discount and my
    via u/Beneficial-Sort4795
  • friendship and she will no longer be allowed to use it. This isn't up for debate. I'm not losing my job or my discount trying to be nice." NTJ but rethink the friendship. It's likely Vanessa is reselling everything she's buying.
    via u/Beneficial-Sort4795
  • DumbBees2 Ntj Tell to get a job at ur store, problem solved. Btw she needs to grow up.
    via u/DumbBees2
  • SaturnaliaSaturday NTJ; she's going to get you fired. She's not a friend.
    via u/SaturnaliaSaturday
  • Woodiewoods No you are not the asshole. Your friebd is using you and the exact thing you were worried about happening happened. Do not risk your job for someone who doesn't care what happens to you. And they might remove the discount for all employees due to this.
    via u/Woodiewoods
  • honorthecrones Ask her why she needed to buy so much? Tell her about the store's policy to flag abuse. If she's still complaining, she was never your friend
    via u/honorthecrones
  • C_Visit_927 NTJ. I don't think people nowadays understand what a friend really is. Friends don't do this crap.
    via u/C_Visit_927
  • bamf1701 NTJ. She is abusing a favor you have granted some of your friends a few times to buy a few things. Unfortunately, she seems to have come to see you as the provider of a discount as opposed to an actual friend. If your manager pulled you aside because of this, then she has definitely abused the privilege.
    via u/bamf1701
  • OnaFloridalsland Have others of this 'friend group' asked why they didn't know that they, too, could get this discount?
    via u/OnaFloridalsland
  • Any-Key8131 NTJ All I can think of right now is that hopefully you were able to explain the situation to your manager, and haven't gotten into trouble over it yourself
    via u/Any-Key8131
  • Will_sue_when_an... If she loves the store so much she should get a job there and have her very own discount code.
    via u/Will_sue_when_angry
  • kmflushing YTJ to yourself for jeopardizing your job.
    via u/kmflushing
  • apearlmae NTJ but she is likely selling them and it can bite you in the ass. In addition to abusing the discount your job is in jeopardy if she is profiting from this. And it isn't difficult to figure out if she is. I'd do some digging.
    via u/apearlmae
  • Superb-Coyote 5972 Let your friends know how much she abused the privilege of your employee discount and that you could. get fired for her shenanigans.
    via u/Superb-Coyote5972
  • CeejayMyers NTJ, she could jeopardize your job and didn't care calling you selfish when your job could be on the line. She's the selfish one. Has she done anything to pay you back? I'm guessing no. Has she always been a user or selfish and you
    via u/CeejayMyers
  • just didn't realize? If a friend doesn't care if you loose your job she's not much of a friend. You humiliated her, but she didn't care about you possibly loosing your job.
    via u/CeejayMyers

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

employee discount friendship drama retail retail worker storytime friends friend drama friend story discourse
Scroll Down For The Next Article