Skims is delivering holiday cheer this season – in the form of refunds.
The lingerie and loungewear brand, founded by Kim Kardashianin 2019, is giving money back to the fans who bought the brand's pricey holiday advent calendar, after a flood of complaints online.
The Skims site describes the $148 accessory advent calendar as "a mix of playful items and everyday favorites," intended for 12 days of surprises.
Led by viral videos from online influencers, including one from a TikToker that has amassed more than 65 million views and 8 million likes, shoppers were indeed surprised once they discovered the "lackluster" assortment of contents inside the calendar box, as one Threads user put it.
“We understand that the calendar didn’t meet expectations
and we have personally contacted every customer who purchased the calendar and offered them a choice of a full refund or a SKIMS credit to put towards other products,” a Skims representative told Entertainment Weekly. USA TODAY has reached out to Skims for further comment.
“I’m hoping this is a prank and the last [day] is a $150 gift card for all my money back,” influencer Kayla Ryan said of the calendar in a Nov. 6 unboxing video, revealing items including different types of hair ties and bobby pins, keychains, foam "squishys" and a set of bra-strap style headbands.
Two days after Ryan's video, the influencer shared her Skims refund email, which acknowledged that “for some, the calendar didn’t meet expectations.”
“We want every customer to be truly happy with what they receive from SKIMS. Their feedback matters to us and will directly shape how we approach future releases," it continued.
View on Threads
“For SKIMS to be a CLOTHING brand and not include a single piece of clothing in the SKIMS advent Christmas calendar is crazy and ridiculous actually. 150$ for Bobby pins, scrunchies and tree ornaments WOW,” one Threads user wrote.
“That Skims advent calendar looks like what I’d find on the floor if I pulled my headboard away from the wall,” another person said.
Many went on to meme the images of the various advent gift items with captions like, "Kim is worst than the Grinch Who Stole Christmas" and "Skims advent calendar is just things my cat brings to bed every morning."
Several users also said the items inside the gift set were akin to "everything that falls between my car seats" and "behind the sofa."
One Threads user wrote, "This is the Fyre Festival of advent calendars,"
View on Threads
Still, the calendar is sold out online, with a waitlist – an outcome some online users said is all part of Kardashian's "rage bait" marketing ploy that shoppers continue to fall for.
"Nothing Kardashian is accidental. They did this on purpose. It is rage bait," onecommenter said.
"The Skims Advent Calendar being underwhelming is the Kardashian’s marketing plan," another Threads userexplained. "They sell lackluster products, it causes outrage, people create content, and it boosts the brand's engagement. They won, once again. You fell for it, once again."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kim Kardashian gives refunds for 'lackluster' Skims advent calendar after backlash
