‘You have to be careful with the perfumes too’: Marshalls shopper says store started putting hard-to-remove tags on bags to prevent customers from swapping real luxury items for fakes

In a viral video, a TikToker explained what she’s noticed her Marshalls location started doing to prevent fraudulent returns.

The TikToker stitches a video the Daily Dot previously covered in which Amanda (@fashionnoodle) explains that people need to be “so so so careful when you go to the bougie T.J. Maxxs and bougie Marshalls to pick up some designer goodies.”

Amanda says the issue with buying luxury handbags and items from these stores is that when a customer goes to return the item, there is no one who is verifying the authenticity of the returned piece.

“So what’s happening, folks are buying fakes and returning the fakes and keeping the real,” she claims.

In response, Caalleigh (@caalleigh), a Canadian fragrance influencer, shared how her local Marshalls is taking action against this.

Caalleigh shows viewers the “plastic hard to remove red tag” now attached to the store’s luxury handbags. It includes a note stating that refunds or exchanges must have the red security tag and a valid receipt attached.

@caalleigh #stitch with @Amanda have you guys seen these tags at marshalls or anywhere else in the US or Canada yet? #marshalls #designerbags #marshallsfinds #marshallshaul #marshallsdesignerhandbags #winnershaul #winners #tjmaxx #tjmaxxhaul #winnersfinds #realdesigner #tjmaxxfinds ♬ original sound – calleigh | perfumes 🫶🏻

“So somebody can’t return a fake,” Caalleigh says.

She then shows that the tag is on bags from high-end brands, including Valentino and Kate Spade.

“Rest assured that if you’re buying a designer bag from Marshalls or Winners in Canada, you are safe,” Caalleigh adds, concluding the minute-long clip.

The video has garnered more than 200,000 views and over 160 comments as of Wednesday morning.

“Have you guys seen these tags at marshalls or anywhere else in the US or Canada yet?” her caption read.

The top comment joked about why the problem was irrelevant to them. “I’m safe- I’m too broke to have this issue,” they said.

Others shared their own warnings and experiences.

“You have to be careful with the perfumes too,” a commenter wrote.

“I work there [and] this is 1000% true. a lady bought a gucci bag for $1500 and tried to return a wallet with the tag of the bag on it lol,” another shared.

“I worked at macys for years and they would always try to return fakes, specially on the holidays when it’s super busy,” a third viewer said.

The Daily Dot reached out to Caalleigh and Marshalls via email.

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