Skims Offers Refunds on $148 Advent Calendar After Shopper Backlash
Skims, the shapewear brand founded by Kim Kardashian, is offering refunds or store credit to every buyer of its $148 accessory advent calendar after viral unboxing videos mocked the contents, which included hair ties, bobby pins and keychains.
Kim Kardashian's Skims offers refunds to every customer who bought its $148 accessory advent calendar, the company said in a statement on Monday, November 9, after shoppers complained online about the contents.
Buyers can choose a full refund or a Skims credit toward other products. The calendar is now sold out on the brand's website.
What buyers found inside
The backlash grew from unboxing videos. One TikTok creator, posting as @wetsloppyswollen, opened all 12 doors on camera. Her video has drawn more than 8.1 million likes.
She pulled out a teddy bear keychain, a stress-relieving squishy and three silk hair ties. Then came a pair of nude bra straps. "What is this?" she asked.
"Kimberly, you're genuinely about to p*** me off," she said in the clip. "This is way too expensive."
Influencer Kayla Ryan posted her own unboxing on November 6. She showed hair ties, bobby pins, keychains, foam squishies and bra-strap style headbands. "I'm hoping this is a prank and the last [day] is a $150 gift card for all my money back," she said.
What Skims said
A Skims representative said the company is aware of customer feedback and has "listened carefully." The statement continued: "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."
The company said it wants "every customer to be truly happy with what they receive from SKIMS." It added that feedback "will directly shape how we approach future releases."
Ryan shared a refund email from Skims two days after her video. It said that "for some, the calendar didn't meet expectations."
How the internet reacted
The product page describes the calendar as "a dozen reasons to celebrate," with twelve days of hair accessories, keychains and other items. Skims was founded in 2019 by Kardashian, Jens Grede and Emma Grede and is known for shapewear and underwear.
Commenters piled on. "So basically everything that falls between my car seats," one wrote. Another asked, "How does an underwear brand give you no underwear?" Others called it the "Fyre Festival of advent calendars."
YouTuber Kiki Chanel said Kardashian should "post an apology video." "It's not even cute," she said.
Some online users argued the reaction was part of a marketing strategy. "Nothing Kardashian is accidental. They did this on purpose. It is rage bait," one commenter said. Skims has not commented on that claim.
The brand has drawn criticism before for its product releases, including a push-up bra with fake nipples in 2023 and a thong covered in faux pubic hair, named "The Ultimate Bush," last year.
The calendar remains sold out online, with a waitlist.
