Hot Topic
reviews and complaints

Hello, my name is Ashante and I wanted to complain about an employee my best friend had an issue with. My best friend's story of the employee is " I"m with my other two friends and I felt like I was being picked on by a girl employee. While I was looking around the store I was listening to the songs playing, i knew the song so I started to sway and the lady was telling me I can't dance in the store. After I apologize for dancing I started to just nod my head to the rhythm of the song and the lady was still looking at me and said "DO I NEED TO THROW HANDS WITH YOU?!" ( which means that she asked me if she wanted to fight me just so i can stop doing anything). Keep in mind that we were the only kids in the store and I'm only 15 years old. She kept asking me if she needed to change the song for me to not dance." Thank you for reading my story. Sincerely, Ashante. :)

I have been wanting this shirt for a quite a long time now but have never had the money to get it. I finally got the money so I went to my local Hot Topic to get it. The only two sizes they had were small and medium. I'm a pretty heavy set girl so I needed an XL. I asked the clerk if they had anymore in the back but she said they didn't have ANYTHING in the back. That quite disappointed me. So I left the store and went on the website. On the website, it says that you have no more in stock. I'm extremely disappointed to say the least. I really wanted that shirt and you've had it for years. I don't understand why you don't have it anymore.

I am a big fan of the movie IT and my friend told me today that Hot Topic released a new exclusive -- Pennywise in the Gutter pop figure scene. I called around different Hot Topics and they were all sold out except for the store at Stonebriar Mall in Frisco, TX (they had 4). Excited... I told them I was on my way to pick up one . I drove from Dallas (about 45-55 mins) and when I got there... one of the ladies told me in a very "smiley, cheerful demeanor"... oh... we sold out... somebody bought them all 30 mins before you got here. Hot Topic Management - I know CASH IS KING and if YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE but do exercise some discretion. When you are selling an exclusive item -- please be mindful of your other customers. Why was it ok to sell 4 of the same exclusive item to one customer? Wasted my time... Yup -- one star in my books.

Today I purchased a 21 Pilots lanyard from Hot Topic in Bakersfield, California and I was not welcomed and I was rudely disrespected my entire visit by a sales associate named Sarai. I told her that I had a rewards card for the store and she obnoxiously replied, "Should've told me earlier" like there was nothing she could do and she also yelled at me when I was told to sign the receipt because I paid using my debit card. The other sales associate also did not acknowledge my presence as I was standing there trying to pay for the lanyard for about 2-3 minutes and I was forced to go to Sarai instead.

I placed an order for a shirt on 12/02/2017. The charge was immediately taken out of my account and I was told 7-10 business days to receive order. Eight days later, my order went from "in process" status to "shipped" status. But the tracking number they sent me was in "pre-shipment" status which means the order was never actually sent to USPS. So today (12/14/2017), I called Hot Topic customer service (for the 3rd time) to ask about my order. He first told me my order was shipped. I then explained to him that "pre-shipment" and "shipped" are two different things. He put me on hold to check with his supervisor only to come back on the line and say my order was lost. So, 12 days after I placed the order, I am stuck with a charge to my account and no items shipped. I requested a refund. Yea, I guess I won't be holding my breath for the 3-5 business days he said it would take to credit my bank account. I'm almost 100% positive that I will be disputing a charge to my account soon. Save time and money, don't order online with Hot Topic.

I placed an order online Dec 5th, got a confirmation email with order #DH2008876978
However 9 days later & it still says "in processing"? I've sent 2 emails, & no one has replied, I've been calling the customer service all day someone was to return my call within an hour & it's been 3 1/2 hrs no call back! So I'm on hold now for 20 mins so far...
I even tried calling a local hot topics to see if they could help me but I guess they take phone off hook cuz it's constant busy signal! THIS IS REDICULOUS! I WANT MY STUFF OR MY MONEY BACK!
ANGRY CUSTOMER,
Betsy Neil

Hi
I ordered two shirts from hot topic on line and received notification in the 15 October that they had been sent via DHL.

They still have not arrived.
The DHL tracking number is not a valid tracking number.

I contacted Hot Topic on the 15 November and was told to wait longer.

This is the response from Hot Topic below:
Re: (CID:cb8078709c6t06nrhd)

Hey Kate,

Thanks for emailing us at Hottopic.com!

We would be more than happy to assist you. Order DH2007536440 has been shipped as of 10/17, per the DHL tracking number [protected]. Please keep in mind that international orders can take up to 21 business days for delivery. As stated on the DHL website, the carrier is currently experiencing a delay and tracking information may be missing for certain orders. We recommend allowing a few additional business days for an update to appear on the carrier's website, if for any reason you still are unable to see an update please contact us back so that we can further assist. We appreciate your patience and thank you for shopping with Hot Topic.

I have contacted them again twice more requesting that they find my items or refund my money. They have failed to respond to my emails.
Total purchase was $80

Regards

Kate France

I made a purchase on hot topic online store on nov. 27th 2017, I waited for 9 days to receive a shipping confirmation to no avail until I threatened to cancel my order on the phone. I have been on the phone for an hour on dec. 7th waiting for a manager to get to the phone to assist me with cancelling my order. Still no manager I will never shop at this company again after this. Customer service is a joke, if they will not help you, why the [censor] should I shop here? Never again.

I ordered several things online. They had no problem taking the money off my card, but I received no confirmation # or order #.. I called them to waste over a hour of my time to be told they canceled the order but didn't charge me.. They did charge me I have statement records to prove it and I couldn't get a straight answer from your so called customer service.. I am filling fraud charges against your company with my bank.. Seems like several people have had the same issues..

Forget about buying anything from this website. They never deliver. It doesn't depend on a season. Frankly, I would like to talk to people who received their packages.
I ordered several sweaters for a cold weather in September. Haven't received anything yet, even though it's almost winter outside. Well, of course, I won't die, but it cost me 300 dollars, so maybe then you will refund?
I asked them the same question via email. No response.
Well, today I will send one more and give them a link to this complaint. Maybe they will start moving their a777s.

My package came damaged. My Funko POP!'s box was also damaged. I understand that Fedex has more than likely been at fault. However, after contacting Hot Topic's customer service. I was told scuffs and variations are to be expected. I don't believe they understand the difference between damage and variation. I was told they would only take further action if the Pop itself was damaged. I collect these and expect the boxes to be in good condition also. I was not offered a replacement or any type of gift card. They should not expect any future purchases from this household.

Don't get me wrong, I love Hot Topic and am a regular at this location. So far, I have had only one bad experience, which I am talking about now. This occurred back in June of 2017. The cashier was just plain rude towards me when I attempted to change my mind about purchasing a pin. I wasn't even like I had waited a few days to return it, I was changing my mind on the spot. She could not get the machine to work and didn't even bother to call service to help her, she just took 20 minutes and failed to do it herself. She was the only worker that day, and later when I was walking out of another store, I saw her on break with a huge line at the counter. Ridiculous. Luckily, I have not seen her since, and this is the only I have ever had a negative experience at Hot Topic.

On August 4th I bought some items including a shirt which I tried to return September 2, 2017. Your receipt said I had within 30 days to return. The first time I went in the cashier said I needed my hot cash to return the shirt, so I returned later with it. He then told me it was too late since today was the 30th day, yet I was still within the 30 days. He should've mentioned the first time I tried to return it that it was over the 30 day limit, even though I believe you should be able to return items on the 30th day. I made two different trips to try to return this shirt which was very inconvenient and time consuming.

On 7/29/17, I purchased three shirts for my daughter and paid by debit card ($49.80). My daughter came up and wanted to buy six buttons and a choker. I paid for these items with a $20 bill. The total was $13.85, so I received $6.15 back in change. We left the mall and I went to a another store and I attempted to use the $5 I had received from Hot Topic, but was told it was "fake". (the $5 bill and $1 bill were folded within the receipt from Hot Topic.)

I called the Hot Topic store immediately (at 8:07pm) and spoke to a Sierra. I explained that I had made purchases at 7:33pm, but that the cashier gave me a bill that was not real. I explained that if I had not gone to the next store and attempted to use the change I had received from Hot Topic, then I would not have been able to place exactly where the fake $5 had come from. I expressed that I was relieved that I could pinpoint that I had received the $5 bill and $1 bill as part of the $6.15 change from my $13.85 cash purchase.

Sierra said that she "had never experienced a situation like that and was unsure of how to handle it". Sierra asked me to give her my telephone number and stated she would call another store manager to see how to resolve the matter. I gave her my number, but I also asked why I could not simply come in for my $5 since I could specifically pinpoint that the associate Melissa gave me the change. She replied that she would call me back. This reply did not sit well with me, but I figured that she wanted to speak to the cashier and/or a manager.

About 15 minutes passed, but I received no call back (the mall was to close at 9pm). I decided that I should go back to the store and allow them to see the receipt and the money, so that even logically they could assess that I was not lying about the $5 bill or how I was able to pinpoint exactly where the fake money had been received. I made it back to the store around 8:30(ish), and I still had not received the "call back". I waited patiently in line. When I got to the cashier, Melissa (the very person who gave me the fake bill), I explained that I had called ahead and was back to return the fake $5 and get a "real" one.

Sierra came over and asked to see the $5. I handed it over along with the receipt showing that I had received a $5 and a $1 bill as change a short time ago. I explained that I had just spent $65 in the store and there would be no logical reason to attempt to lie/scam anyone for $5. I just believed that if I pay with authentic cash, then the business should provide me with real money as change.

At this time, Sierra stated that I had left an hour ago and by leaving the store it was no longer their problem! I was shocked. I explained that I had left the store and driven to another store to buy a bag of ice, took the $6 change out and handed over the $5 bill to pay, and it was at that time that I learned the change I had received was not real money. Sierra reiterated that they had no way of knowing that. I asked if I was going to receive another $5 bill. Sierra said "no". I said that was unfortunate especially as I had paid for all of my items with REAL money. I then stated that I wanted to RETURN all of the items I had purchased with my REAL money. Sierra said "no problem" and proceeded with the refund process on the $65 worth of merchandise that I had purchased for my daughter. (My daughter would have really loved to keep the items that we had found while shopping, but there was no way I wanted to patronize a business that responded that way to a logical line of reasoning to events that were no fault of the customer.)

As Sierra conducted the return process, I asked her for her manager's name. She stated that she was a manager, but that the store manager's name was Sam Wise. I inquired as to whether she had really called another store manager when she got off the phone with me. She stated that she did and that she was told "exactly what she told me." Sierra seemed to find the whole ordeal humorous, particularly the part wherein I decided to return the items I had purchased. I told Sierra that the situation was not funny, and I asked her if she had ever been in a situation like this? Her reply was, "No, I always check my money before leaving the store!" Wow! The denomination was five dollars, I didn't think that a store would give me back fake money as change. I also didn't think that a business would enjoy losing a repeat customer over mishandling a $5 transaction.

I know that $5 is such a small amount of money to haggle over, so I have taken that loss. However, the handling of the entire situation is what has me writing this complaint. As the customer/consumer, I was made to feel as if my money spent in the store was not needed. I was made to feel as though I would spend an hour leaving and returning to the store all so that I could tell a lie to cheat Hot Topic out of five dollars. I was embarrassed at the second store for presenting a counterfeit bill to pay for my item. I was lied to over the phone that I would receive a call back. I was laughed at and told that I did not do my due diligence by checking my money for authenticity before leaving the store.

If Sierra and Melissa (associates) did not know how to handle the matter, then I think that proper training would have prompted them to refer me to a store manager (the following day). Instead, the cashier decided to make up rules as she went along. I think that based on the explanation provided, the cashier being present for the purchase and the return visit, as well as the low denomination amount, that Sierra and Melissa should have simply given me my $5 bill back without the hassle. Had it been $20, $50, or even $100, then logically it might raise a brow. However, knowing that I was a customer in the store a half an hour prior, who had spent far more than the $5 in question, the situation should have been handled better. My daughter and I are repeat customers to this store, as my fourteen year old loves the merchandise. It was a blow to my daughter to have to watch her special items be returned because of sheer principle: my business at this store is unwanted or unappreciated.

As far as a desirable resolution to my complaint, I don't know what to request. I was embarrassed at the implication that I would try to fraud the store. I was embarrassed that I was told by another business that I was in possession of fake money (received from Hot Topic). I was embarrassed when I returned to the store when told that the cashier "was not going to give me my money owed" and that she "checks her money before leaving the store." Aside from the embarrassment endured, my time and effort was wasted. My daughter and I had spent time in the store shopping for the items we purchased, which we no longer have. My daughter and I spent time driving back to the store/mall to see if the problem (due to no fault of our own) could be resolved. Also, time was wasted as Sierra took her time to complete the "return" transactions of the items my daughter and I had purchased/wanted.

I went to the Hot Topic in the Freehold Raceway Mall with my parents to shop for Harry Potter merchandise. I had recently dyed my hair orange and received a few compliments from the employees. However, one employee with blue dyed hair took it upon herself to come up behind me and run her fingers through my hair and play with it without my permission all while talking to me about how nice it was. She stopped after a couple minutes and I walked away, but she came up to me again and continued doing to until I left the store. She had absolutely no sense of personal space and it was extremely unporfessional to do so without my consent. I will never return to that store again.

On April 25th of 2017, I went into the Concord, NH Hot Topic. My daughter bought a few things and I decided to buy her the 'Rick & Morty Mystery Bag', the girl running the register opened the bag and checked it for some odd reason. When we got home my daughter opened the bag to find that there were only five items in the bag, when the card on the bad clearly states that there are supposed to be six items in the bag. I was far more disappointed than my daughter, I'd just like to receive the sixth item that I paid for. We've never had issues with Hot Topic before and if this can get worked out that would be amazing.

Hot Topic is the worst company to deal with! I bought something from them and paid extra $18 for fast shipping and didn't receive anything! My order was made 6 weeks ago and all that time I had no idea what was going on and where my order was. Recently they finally found time to contact me and finally I was told that my order was cancelled! They cancelled my order 5 weeks ago and no one bothered to tell me!
I asked for a refund and they said sure, but I already know how these guys work, so I don't expected to get it any time soon. Please, don't waste your money and time and buy from another store. Hot Topic is just not worth it.

When ordering Christmas gifts online (my first mistake), I never got a confirmation email for my first purchase and the money wasn't taken out of my account. So a few days later I reordered. Literally the next day, I received an email that my original order had shipped. Once I got the order, I returned it through the post office with the return label that hot topic sent me. After being informed it would take a few weeks to receive credit, I decided to wait it out. Well it's been over a month so I messaged hot topic and they message back five minutes later saying they'd be 'glad to help me' but they claim to have never received my return... a lot of looking around they did. They said to get back to them in three days if I haven't figured it out, and to call USPS first. Well the post office is zero help. I messaged them the return label they sent me, asking if that would be helpful in finding my package. They need a tracking number but I was never given one... I don't know if there was a problem with the label THEY sent me or they're just too lazy to look. A lot of hassle for something they screwed up originally. They basically kept telling me to stop contacting them and to figure it out myself, right after saying they're glad to help... Never shop Hot Topic. Worst experience I've ever had, and I online shop and make returns often. Never had such a problem.

order number: DH200353688
i had gotten a ravenclaw choker from hot topic in December. i had only tried it on once then put it away with my jewelry. when i tried it on again a couple of weeks ago it had white on the edges near the metal clasp and immediately broke when i put it on. i issued a complaint a week or so ago and was told there were none in stock but i would be getting a refund just this once. i still haven't heard anything from them and i haven't been issued a refund.

I often bought from Hot Topic and was pretty satisfied with their service until now. Two days ago I went to Hot Topic store and wanted to buy a dress. I needed it for a special event so I spent there quite a lot of time because I couldn't decide which dress to buy. While I was thinking one of Hot Topic employees came to me and asked if I was planning to buy something. She was rude and her voice was unfriendly. Then she added that if I wasn't buying anything I should leave the store! Tell me Hot Topic, how dare your workers talk in such a terrible manner with customers? I left the store because I was disgusted with that kind of attitude. You just lost a customer and I really wanted to buy one of the dresses and actually I was even thinking to come back for the second one later! Horrible service and that rude girl should be fired!