How far would a Target employee go to give a customer a complimentary keychain? For one woman, the answer was “too far” after a worker from the chain basically accosted her throughout her shopping trip. Now she’s asking viewers whether she’s being “over-dramatic”–and many agree she definitely isn’t.
In a viral TikTok, Sav (@savylynn012) describes her “off-putting” experience with a Target worker after she popped into the store for some Fourth of July and birthday celebrations. Sav says she was taking her time shopping in the makeup section when she heard someone behind her go, “Here you go.”
“I realize it’s [a] loss prevention Target employee,” Sav continues. “And he’s holding up this keychain.” Sav describes the keychain as a glass seagull.
The TikToker let the employee know that she didn’t want it.
“No, it’s free,” the worker assured Sav. Still, she didn’t want the random keychain, and once again declined his offer, telling him it felt a “little weird” that he was gifting her a seagull keychain.
Misinterpreting her reluctance, he set off to find a different keychain.
Target worker wouldn’t take no for an answer
When Sav asked another employee for help finding some wicker baskets, she says the same loss prevention employee showed up and offered to take her to them instead. Left with little choice, Sav says she followed the man to the baskets. Surprise, surprise, he once again offered her a keychain–this time it was a glass sunshine with a tassel.
“I really don’t feel comfortable taking that,” Sav recalls telling him. “I appreciate it, but I’m OK. Thank you, though.”
He wasn’t having it.
According to Sav, the worker kept insisting it was free and urging her to take it. He reassured her he was a loss prevention employee, but Sav told him about her reservations. She says she brought up the TikToks where “girls were getting harassed” or people joking that they are loss prevention and “it’s not actually them.”
Sav eventually takes the keychain in her palm, but after a moment, she begs the worker to take it back because she feels “really anxious” holding it.
“Something feels off, and I don’t want it,” Sav tells him.
Eventually, the worker takes the keychain and backs off. Later, after Sav checks out and is leaving, she spots the worker again by the door. She attempts to joke with him about finally finding a wicker basket she liked, but Sav was surprised to find his cheerful demeanor erased. She says his face was serious, and he simply replied, “That’s good” in a stoic manner.
Is it just being friendly or something more?
Sav speculates that the worker was so adamant in trying to give her a keychain because they suspected her of stealing.
“It almost felt like the vibe [was] they were trying to get me to steal,” Sav says. “Like prove that I was stealing by using that item.”
She says se assumed that’s the only reason he would try so hard to give her the item.
“I’m just confused about why it went like that,” Sav says.
Viewers chimed in with some answers in the comments section.
According to them, Target is indeed giving out free keychains.
“Target is giving away free keychains to Target Circle members every Saturday in June for a summer promotion,” one user wrote. “And they are very cheap. My daughter and I were given one about a week and a half ago, but it was someone standing at the entrance, definitely not chasing people around forcing them on you.”
“I’ve been hosting the hello summer Saturday event at my store and we have a table at the entrance we do NOT chance ppl or give them out,” another wrote.
Is Target really giving out free keychains?
Indeed, it appears Target hosted a “Hello Summer Saturdays” in June, where the company gave out keychains to Target Circle members. The last keychain event was on June 28 (while supplies lasted) but in a follow-up post, Sav says it wasn’t even a Saturday when she visited. It was Tuesday at 9 a.m.
People still think the worker went too far.
“Target loss prevention just loves to harass people,” one user said. “We were looking at strollers and testing them out (the displays that are there for that reason) and had three people ask us if we needed any help and stayed close to us. Like…I’m not going to walk out w a stroller?”
Another advised Sav to call a manager and report the man.
“[Target’s] philosophy is you are not a customer, you are a guest. Meaning you should be treated as if you’re a guest in their home,” they said. “You were harassed and made to feel uncomfortable. That is not how you treat a guest.”
@savylynn012 Has anyone else experienced this with target and loss prevention?? #target #lossprevention #weird #experience #fyp ♬ original sound – Sav
The Mary Sue reached out to Sav via Instagram direct message and to Target via email.
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