Few relationships are as fraught as that between an influencer and a brand, as the new TikTok currently doing the viral rounds has proven so ruthlessly. Influencer and TikTok affiliate @reneemcclintock took to the platform to share a product review of a permanent bracelet set from the jewelry brand Locked.
Prefacing the review, Renee explained that as an influencer, she is free to request certain products as she did with the permanent bracelet set. After realizing that one of the bracelets she received from Locked had a faulty clasp, Renee said she reached out to the company to request a replacement of the clasp.
She said she “didn’t like” the response she received from Locked, who sent her a link to re-purchase the clasp rather than replacing it. Renee, having known of the Locked’s promise to return faulty items, “assumed their customer service was going to be top-notch.”
Renee took umbrage with the company’s refusal to send a new clasp for free, especially considering the product’s high price and her role in “promoting their products for free.” After questioning Locked as to whether she was expected to pay and sending photos of the broken clasp, Locked told Renee that she simply didn’t need to make a product review video, but she continued to receive no response when pushing the issue further.
“They have royally p**sed me off at this point by not responding,” Renee said. A faulty product and corporate ghosting might’ve been juicy enough, but the drama doesn’t stop there, however. Jumping head first into the mess, Locked’s official TikTok account commented on Renee’s product review, declaring that her version of events is “not what happened.”
“You emailed us saying you didn’t want to post the collab video due to the faulty clasp… so we canceled the collab with you,” Locked wrote. Naturally, this kickstarted a whole new facet of the feud, prompting Renee to respond with a seven-minute follow-up video explaining the whole ordeal. Better yet, she came with screenshots. Renee shared details of the email exchanges she shared with Locked, from her initially flagging the faulty clasp to their request that she still pay for the replacement.
The receipts also included images of the broken product, and Renee’s multiple attempts to follow up on the matter without hearing back. “I am very confused about the response I’m getting,” Renee wrote in one email questioning why the collab had been canceled. “I was very excited to show off this product and promote it, but it is very hard to get a resolution.”
Since that video also went viral, it wasn’t long before Locked headed back to the comment section. “We would have replaced it if you weren’t such a Karen,” Locked wrote, prompting Renee to declare that the company is “digging itself the deepest hole.” Renee concluded the message by saying Locked’s response to whole fiasco “isn’t a good look for you… this is embarrassing.”
Fans flocked to the comment section in support of Renee, echoing her sentiment that the company “really believe there’s no such thing as bad PR.” Other users said “they have to be joking,” or that the situation had successfully “de-influenced” them. “They are VERY unprofessional,” another TikToker wrote, “like what company acts like this?” The word is still out on whether Renee ever received a replacement clasp, but given Locked’s reaction to the drama, we wouldn’t hold our breath.