‘They stole my money’: Spirit Halloween shopper’s card declines after $29. Then he tries to get it refunded
After a bad experience at Spirit Halloween, this customer is telling people to cancel them and stop buying there. Viewers are confused as to why the store couldn't help this customer.
What happened?
Jojo (@jojoinphx) says that while attempting to buy a mask for their family at Spirit Halloween, they ran into some challenges while checking out. They say that while they had $40 in their bank account, the register only charged them for $29.99 instead of the full amount.
“The lady said it didn’t go through, and I thought it was because I didn’t have enough money. So I went back to get a cheaper mask, and then I come back, and she said $29 went through. So how is that stealing?” Jojo explains to Lacy, a person, presumably a manager, that the cashier has on their phone on speaker. However, Lacy says Jojo will need to pay the full price of the initial mask, or they will call the police.
“We’re already in the middle of a transaction. We can’t go and make any changes,” Lacy explains.
Jojo provides further details on the situation in the video's caption.
They write, "Today me and my family walked in and thought we found the masks that were both the same price. One was a little bit more than we could afford because we were low-income. I only had $40 on my card and I thought I had a little bit more so I swiped it and only $29 went through [they] said I owed the remaining balance. I have to pay it no matter what if I don’t they will call the police and have me arrested so I asked if they could please let me get a cheaper mask and they said no the transaction is already halfway through."
They say the workers called the police, but "The police couldn’t do anything or give me my money back. They stole my money and kept my $29.99 and my family still went home with nothing."
The video has 141,300 views and almost 600 comments.
@jojoinphx @Spirit Halloween #repost Cancel the SpiritHalloween stores!! Today me and my family walked in and thought we found the masks that were both the same price. One was a little bit more than we could afford because we were low-income. I only had $40 on my card and I thought I had a little bit more so I swiped it and only $29 went through said I owed the remaining balance. I have to pay it no matter what if I don’t they will call the police and have me arrested so I asked if they could please let me get a cheaper mask and they said no the transaction is already halfway through. We are calling the police if you don’t pay right now so I ended up not paying and they called the police. The police couldn’t do anything or give me my money back. They stole my money and kept my $29.99 and my family still went home with nothing as well as I told the lady at the end I was going to post this on TikTok and she said go ahead. We only are open for two more weeks. TikTok was not shit It doesn’t matter what a shame on this store the manager and its CEO Lacey & Tristan from California running a store in Arizona ##spirithalloweenstore##cityofavondale##Spirit#Halloween##Avondale##Arizonaf#fypl#lacyc#californiah#happyhalloweent#trickortreatc#cancelthenoisev#viralvideo ♬ original sound - Jojo in phx
What is Spirit Halloween’s policy on this?
While the website does not state what to do in a scenario as particular as this, it does mention what the return policy is. According to its website, the company accepts returns and exchanges on items in their original, unworn condition unless it’s after October 24th.
Anecdotally, several self-described Spirit Halloween employees in the comments section confirmed the store's inability to void purchases mid-transaction and shared workarounds they used instead.
What are viewers saying?
Many viewers are confused about what the drama is, while others think the employees' reaction might be valid. Other viewers also share similar experiences.
"I work at retail also and I would’ve just voided the transaction and you wouldn’t have been charged anything since I canceled it. So idk why they couldn’t do that … maybe there system runs different," says one comment.
"This sounds fishy asf because this happened to my aunt at a spirit Halloween and she was paying with 2 separate cards but we had to go back and get my other cousins costume and she had already Partially paid and all the cashier did was voided the transaction. And it printed a receipt. And it instantly gave my aunt back the partially payment to her card," recalls a different comment.
"Im confused, since when do credit cards do partial payments like that and leave u hanging for the rest? it either goes fully thru and account is negative or it declines it cause u don't have enough," asks another.
One self-identified Spirit Halloween employee notes, "We cannot void actions!!!! I work here and it won’t let us. Instead of all the adults here trying to defend him you all need to grow up and realize all stores are different. You’re all stupid," to which another self-identified employee replies, "What we did at our spirit was finish the split payment by ringing it up as cash, starting the return process and never touching the cash. … always worked for us."
The Daily Dot has reached out to Jojo via TikTok comment and direct message and to Spirit Halloween via email.
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The post ‘They stole my money’: Spirit Halloween shopper’s card declines after $29. Then he tries to get it refunded appeared first on The Daily Dot.