Woman spends around $500 worth of decorations from store but is followed by employee, resulting in her returning everything she bought: ‘They said that this would look bad on the store for having a massive return. I reiterated that's the consequences’

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Olivia Arocena • Writer and Editor
Aug 15, 2026 7:15 AM EDT

I wish I had come up with this vindictive idea every time I was followed around in stores.

This is proof that sometimes 'intuition' just isn't right. Some security guards and employees feel like you're onto something, and they are probably basing their opinion on some deep-rooted prejudice or the fact that you look like someone they dislike.

I wish I had come up with this idea because sometimes it's nice to rub a mistake in a prejudiced employee's face. She might have lost some time choosing her home's new decorative objects and clothes, but it was probably worth it given she taught that employee an important lesson.

To be fair, we don't know whether he learned the lesson or she just caused him an inconvenience, but either option is fine to me. She can go ahead and have a blast choosing decorations for her home somewhere where she is not being actively judged or followed around.

I think she was supposed to post this under the subreddit /pettyrevenge and not /maliciouscompliance, but it can be viewed as an example of both; nothing better than being compliant and showing your bag when you actually haven't got anything to hide.

I wonder what features the employees were observing when they thought she was a suspicious client; Are they not accustomed to people buying many products in their store? Lol.

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  • A girl about to decorate her apartment

    Cheezburger Image 10655726592
    via free stocks

    The woman before returning everything she bought

    Image for illustrative purposes



     

  • Empty my shopping bag, sure thing

    I'm not sure if this really fits but another story I saw reminded me of this. It was fall a few years back I had just bought my house so wanted to
    via Abject-Ad-2459
  • decorate. I ran to the ross that's right down the road and grabbed a cart and started shopping. Right away I noticed I was being not so subtly watched/followed by a
    via Abject-Ad-2459
  • certain employee. I did try and approach to ask a question but when I got close they took off to another section. But as I continued to shop I would notice they were not too far away.
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  • Well I get to checkout and load everything from the cart up and I probably spent around 500 better clothes and decorations. I noticed that the employee
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  • was waiting at the end of the checkout section but didn't think anything. After I already paid and everything this employee tells me they've been
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  • watching me and wanted. me to dump my purse out. A tiny handbag that fit al wallet and keys. I laughed and asked if they were serious considering I just bought so much stuff.
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  • They said if I didn't they would call the cops. So I emptied it in front of the employee and security guard and all that was in there was my wallet and keys.
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  • What would you buy?

    a deco store
    via amnectia

    The items she was purchasing for her home

    Licensed media provided as editorial context

  • After I put the items back in my purse, looked at the employee and said take me to the returns because I am returning everything I bought here today. They tried to back peddle
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  • and say it wasn't needed but I said, neither was stalking a customer and accusing them of stealing, so you can either return this stuff now or I will make a scene and go to
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  • corporate. They said that this would look bad on the store for having a massive return. I reiterated that's the consequences. They returned everything very begrudgingly but I have yet to set foot in that store since.
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  • The whole point

    ohdang_raptor ⚫ "This would look bad on the store for having such a massive return." Yeah. That's the point.
    via ohdang_raptor

  • Insisting is key

    TheDahkLord • I would've still gone to corporate afterwards
    via TheDarkLord

  • Causing drama

    Dadınkayak. That would have been tempting to say "go ahead, call the cops". They would be explaining why by saying a customer just bought $500 worth of merchandise and looks like they may have put something in her tiny purse.
    via DadInKayak

  • The art of returning

    woman giving brown box to employee
    via RoseBox

    The woman returning everything she bought

    Photo is a representation of scenes



     

  • I’m left wondering what would’ve happened if she had just said no to emptying her bag; maybe they would’ve called the cops, and the situation would’ve been much funnier and more ridiculous; but well, one can’t spend so much energy on drama. The option of going to corporate despite having returned everything seems more mature to me, and it might help the employees improve how they handle customers!

    How do you think issues like this could be solved? Is it really necessary to control customers like this?

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Tags

customer service malicious compliance customers petty revenge malicious compliance reddit
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