Sometimes, what we order online is not what we receive.
In a clip viewed more than 1.4 million times, a woman says she joined TikTok to share how she ordered a Dolce & Gabbana ashtray from Saks Fifth Avenue, which retails for $275, and instead received something rather suspicious.
@howdyfolks72 @Saks Fifth Avenue ♬ original sound – howdyfolks
When he opened his order, a black Dolce & Gabbana box, he found a can of tuna.
“When I opened it… this is what I found,” he tells viewers, taking out the jar. “A can of albacore tuna. And like it’s a little hard to see but there’s a ring in the foam like it’s been there and you can definitely see it in the lid… This is the most damn expensive can of tuna I’ve ever had.” never bought.”
In a statement to TODAY, Saks said the error was part of a trend of online shopping fraud involving returns and confirmed that the order had been replaced.
“We take our customers’ experience very seriously. In the retail industry, there has been an increase in online fraud, particularly related to returns,” a Saks representative told TODAY. “Luxury continues to be a target given its high price points, and as such, we have implemented more rigorous steps in our returns process, including additional reviews and stronger authentication. Our highly automated fulfillment centers handle millions of shipments every year, but it is not acceptable that even a small number of our customers have this experience.”
Viewers were left stunned by the shopper’s discovery, with many sharing stories of incorrect online orders.
Related: 5 Steps to Getting the Most Out of Your Product Return
“This happened to me,” one viewer wrote. “I ordered some Loewe sneakers from Saks and got a random jacket. Not really tuna LOL. Customer service was great.”
“This is the third video I’ve seen this week of an insane customer experience at Saks,” another pointed out. “What the hell is going on?”
A survey conducted by Appriss Retail and the National Retail Federation estimated that in 2023, 13.7% of returns, or $101 billion worth, were scams. Customers returned stolen items or “junk” — as in the case of TikToker, a can of tuna — instead of their orders or claimed they never received the order (but did).
“In cases where fraud is on the rise, like this year, as we have seen from the data, retailers are forced, at a minimum, to slightly modify their policies to address potential fraud and abuse,” said Michael Osborne , CEO of Appriss Retail, according to CNBC. “It increases costs and essentially erodes margin.”
Saks Fifth Avenue did not immediately respond Entrepreneurrequest for comment.