Hot Topic
reviews and complaints

As someone who loves pop culture and alternative fashion, I have had mixed experiences with Hot Topic. While they offer a wide range of officially licensed merchandise and clothing, the customer service and online shopping experience have left much to be desired. Some customers have reported issues with canceled orders, poor communication, and problems with refunds and shipping. On the positive side, Hot Topic is known for its unique collection of band tees, pop culture-inspired items, and collectibles. However, the inconsistency in service and the high prices have made it a challenging shopping destination for many. If you're a fan of niche fandoms and unique apparel, Hot Topic might still be worth exploring, but be prepared for potential hiccups along the way.

I love ordering from Hot Topic. My most recent order came this week. I pre-ordered the new Paramore CD and had it the da after it was released. Very happy customer here! Thanks Hot Topic!

I have 4 kids and Hottopic seems to always have something everyone in my family loves. We have ordered online multiple times and we love everything we have bought from them! The quality is really good as well!

I love, love, looooove Hot Topic! The jewelry, the clothes, the posterz, the d?cor! I ordered a $18 poster no too long ago online. It was waaay bigger than I expected! I enjoy seeing all the unique stuff they have for all kinds of cultures and people!

I bought Potter Hufflepuff Girls Cardigan as a birthday gift and believe the receiver will be thrilled, I will find out this Sunday, I have not given it yet I can say the quality is excellent and arrived very fast, I will be buying more from them for Christmas gifts

I am very satisfied with 1stopbedrooms. Fast delivery and great customer support. Their prices are usable and we would recommend them to everybody! Customer service team is very kind and will help if there are any problems. It was the best experience I have had with a furniture store. Thank you.

I bought three tee shirts and a vest the other day from Hot Topic. A few hours later I ran back to exchange the tees for smaller sizes (vest was unchanged). The cashier asked if I wanted the original receipt back and, like a dummy, I said no.

Later on I started worrying about whether the vest would need to be returned... and the fact I'd have to take a store credit since I no longer had the original receipt. I went to the store, explained my situation, and the two girls were very helpful. They went into the back room and found my original receipt, and also printed out a duplicate receipt for me. They were extremely polite, didn't get annoyed at having to do a few minutes of looking around, etc.

Figured I'd write something positive on their behalf.

Four years ago, I made a purchase that didn't go well & I never received it. I was very discouraged to purchase anything from the online website ever again until recently I saw a dress I really wanted to wear for my birthday. I took my chances and ordered from them back in August, package came in within a week & during that duration, I spoke to customer service, they were so polite & helpful. I was so impressed that I made another purchase and my purchase of two stripe shirts is another success! My only criticism is that I wish they could update their delivery system where you could track your order through Fedex as well update the status of your order when its been shipped instead of "In Process". Other than that, I believe that the website has potential to grow and be better regarding business.

I've shopped at HT for 16 years now. Recently I've made several online purchases and everything went smoothly. I recently tried to use a HotCash I received in the mail with one of those purchases. On the website it kept telling me my code was invalid, but after trying the code on several devices and checking it at least 10 times, still no luck. I called customer service. I wasn't thrilled with this experience but the team member was very pleasant. He didn't seem to understand I was trying to pay with a HT Guest List, and told me I would need to complete payment online. There was nowhere on the site that allowed me to update payment method but I could see the order. I saw a dress I was purchasing was not listed at the 50% off price (combinable with the coupon I had) and also saw the discount on the order was for $70 when my coupon was for $75 off $150. I put together an email with a front and back picture of my defected HotCash coupon, a screenshot of the dress price noting it was listed as 50% online and noted the difference in my coupon and the discount. Within 24 hours I received a response. They put together my order again, applied the correct coupon, and corrected the dress price. Everything was exactly how it should have been; I was able to call CS back and complete the payment with my HT GuestList card as planned. I've never had any with their stores or the website besides this instance, and when I did, they made sure to make it right. That says a lot to me!

I went into Hot Topic on July 20,2019 at the mall in Destiny USA Syracuse NY. An employee came from the other side of the store really fast saying "hi, how are you doing? Need help with anything?" Your employee needs to give people some time to enter into the store to look around before they are in your face. I saw first when she/he did that to my children and my husband. It got worse when this person not sure if it was a he or she, saw me, that person came even faster to the other side of me, saying can I help you with anything today. I said I was with the people that "you were talking to before."
I was so annoyed and angry that I don't get time to be in the store without feeling harassed. On top of me and my family following us through out the store. More me than anything else. The store was a bit crowded and I know they have to watch the customers in the store. But it was only my family and I that was followed through out the store more than anything. Not the white customers that was at the store. I have three children that love anime and my middle child was looking at a headband and I took it off him. "I said no your not getting that. You don't need it." As I put it down that employee is right behind me saying let me get for you, I'll just put that away.
Now we are walking to the middle of the store and this employee assisted in following us once again. There's other people to follow but this person felt it was better to follow us. Popping up where ever we were watching everything we would do. I told my children "put the stuff down and let's go, I'm getting tired of being followed through this store." As I said all of that, that same the employee plays it off and says awe your children are so cute and funny. At this point I'm very angry and I don't acknowledge this employee, I just turn around took my sons and walk towards my husband and my daughter. I said let's go we are being followed. Now mind you there's other customers that can easily steal but instead my family and I get followed through out the store. As we are leaving the store I see the same employee following back towards the front of the store.
I had enough this month alone being discriminated against in different stores where my family and I go. This is the third store I have reported. These other stores were not hot topic but still the same thing being judged for being black and/or brown. I had enough and I'm not going to let this go anymore. I know this person is not going to get fired, just like the other stores that didn't fire the racist employees they have. But I'm not going to stay silent anymore.
This why I stay home because I'm tired of dealing with people who like to discriminate against people like my family and I all because we look different from them and think that my people are the only people that steal. When white customers are bigger thief because no one judges them or follows them throughout the store.
I'm posting anywhere I can so people can know what to expect when your shopping while brown and black in America.

A white manager with blue hair walks stares and follows around the store when they are a poc. She is rude and does not offer help but only follows and stares. She also lied about coupon redemption and refuses to return jewelry when that isn't part of the return policy.

Executive Escalations,

Through our nightmare experience of having our orders canceled because you were sending too many shipments & they would not arrive in time for our company holiday event, we have discovered shocking incompetence & misinformation from your customer service reps. ORDERS DH2141115502 AND DH2142533316 are owed refunds. We have run into a dead end with your customer service representatives because of their outrageous refusal to refund based on their false info. For example, your customer service reps are stating the following: Enough is enough. Talking to your customer service lowers the IQ. You obviously know that Hot Topic ships from warehouses in numerous states - the shipments to us originated from NJ, SD, CA & TN. We had the orders canceled, & you intercepted the packages you could. UPS does not process an interception request and return it to TN when it comes from SD, NJ or CA. That would violate UPS policy. They only return a package to the sender - where it originated from. What still arrived to us was returned with a return label you provided. Your customer service representatives’ denying our refunds because your own shipments were returned back to where they came from, and not TN is outrageous & shockingly incompetent. Your customer service representatives saying to complain to UPS & file a claim is also outrageous & incompetent. A receiver cannot file a claim, & UPS would laugh since the shipments are not lost - they were returned to the sender. Your various stores/warehouses simply failed to refund after they got back their own shipments. You must address this failure to coordinate a customers refund automatically. It has been 3 months of waiting for a refund, but being stonewalled by incompetent customer service representatives who need to be trained regarding common sense facts about Hot Topic’s shipping locations & about UPS, what “return to sender” means. Look at EXHIBIT A which shows another customer service rep not even know how to read what UPS tracking is saying, misunderstanding RETURNED TO SENDER as delivered to us, ignoring that Sioux Falls, SD is not Mission Viejo, CA. The same rep Yanery was corrected, & then promised a refund of that shipment, but 11 days and counting, & its clear she did not actually process the refund.

Your customer service reps have literally admitted that Hot Topic steals customers funds after a couple of issues with orders. So, if a customer moves, and their 5 orders are all returned to you, you will only refund the first few orders, then you will have too many issues, tough luck, & keep the rest of the customers' funds. Is that right? Do I understand your overseas customer service reps correctly? Is that Hot Topic’s position? That is basically what they are saying when they keep refusing to refund, as well as being stuck on this false belief that UPS would have returned your own shipments all to La Vergne, TN even though the shipments came from your other locations. I am clearly owed $2,415.06 and $1078.81 on these 2 canceled orders in which the shipments are clearly RETURNED TO SENDER, but because Hot Topic has already refunded previous order issues, you are just going to ignore the fact that you have your merchandise & our money? Do you think you can get away with this? Do you think the public isn’t going to be outraged by this? It is very confusing, & Hot Topic can’t possibly be taking this position, & can’t possibly think we are going to give up on our $3493 owed. Attached as EXHIBIT B & EXHIBIT C are shipping tracking & item breakdowns for the 2 orders owed refunds.

You are urged to refund the card used for these 2 orders immediately. You have no right to these funds. Your customer service agents have provided a plethora of documentation showing you have the worst training, & worst service out of all ecommerce. Please resolve this immediately and do the right thing & do not make us escalate this further to be refunded.

I have already called and talked to someone. I am waiting to hear from the district manager. However I was refused service because I wore a Donald trump shirt. I was also called a [censored] and snowflake when I called to try and get the employees name. I have an audio recording of that and I am very willing and prepared to go to court over this. He was the only employee in the store, working the front desk. Shouldn’t be hard for you to find his name.

I got my purse and the print was upsidee down, and they were sold out, so i get no compensation at all just a refund, like i wanted the purse? So just screw me and my order i guess? It doesnt help that i ordered a hoodie a week prior and it was the worst feeling hoodie ive ever felt, it was thin, seemed wrongly sized. Another problem is that i spent over $300 to get platnium status and it still says im gold, even after they told me that i am plat status. Hot topic is just becoming a big mess of a store, and im honestly thinking about giving up on it.

Ordered a t-shirt late last night as a gift for someone but noticed afterwards that the sizes are all in junior sizes. So I waited until the morning to call customer service right when they opened to have in canceled.

The useless guy who answered the phone told me that my order(only 10 hours old at this point) was "too far along to cancel".

He would not give me his name, transfer me to someone else, or let me speak to his supervisor. Upon repeated requests to get someone who would help me cancel the order he told me he was going to disconnect the phone call and hung up on me.

I am now forced to wait for this t-shirt to arrive in the store and have this fight in person with a store employee to hopefully get my refund completely wasting my day because customer support can't do their job.

I placed an order on 10-21-2022. I was promptly charged the $62 and change for the order. Over the next few days I could see through my email that I was receiving messages that shipments were going out. It was 1 to 2 items at a time and the charges at the bottom were just for those items. So I checked my bank account just to be safe and what I found there was that they were charging me for just those items in random charges.

Apparently, the original amount they charged me they returned at some point bw ause it was just a hold? I'm not really sure of the specifics because I contacted them through their chat on their website to inquire and really wasn't given any specific answers in the two times I reached out. In the end it was three shipments total. There are random amounts charged on different days spanning 6 to 7 days equaling the original charge, which was not a real charge but a hold according to them, from the date of ordering. I don't think it's right for someone to order, have the money in their account that they're aware of, have it only be pending and never truly taken out but then recollected at random for the next week in amounts you weren't aware of. I don't see how anyone could manage their money if they're buying something and the money's taking out immediately. But then things happen that they're not aware of and their own bank account because now I'm in the negative today and I'm paying $90 basically for $17 t-shirt because Hot topic has a really poor process and customer service agents in the chat that never truly answer the question you're asking, I did contact them tonight through the chat and was told that it would take seven business days for the money to go back. It is 8:00 pm. So I have 4 hours to get it in before midnight or I get charged the fee anyway. So I said just send the t-shirt. May as well get a consolation prize for my overdraft fee.

I’d like to file a complaint about the Hot Topic in vintage fair mall in Modesto. That place used to be great, the employees used to greet customers as they would walk in and were very useful. I went in the other day and the two boys who were on duty were too busy at the cash rap gossiping to even acknowledge my existence. The store manager was in the back room probably on break at the time. They didn’t pay any mind to anything I was doing or bother to ask if I needed assistance with anything. When the old management was around that type of behavior would have been unacceptable. That place has gone downhill and it’s extremely sad.

i was just in the store, i am not very skinny, the options there are for people who are skinny. they biggest pants option was 11, and the rings are tiny. I absolute hate the fact that i don’t fit in so many of the cut pants options because i’m not tiny.

I placed an order December 27th for 4 items. My package was shipped through LaserShip, who does not deliver to PO Boxes. Now every other site that I order from if its not able to be shipped to my PO Box I get a notification and am prompted to choose a different shipping address. This did not happen so my package was not delivered. I contacted LaserShip, they said they needed approval through Hot Topic for an address change. Hot Topic would not approve said address change so my package was sent back. I had numerous phone conversations, emails and online chats with Hot Topic to no avail. When the issue was finally resolved I was only able to get my partial order 2 months later. One of the items was reshipped separately which got lost in the mail so I never even got that. I was given the biggest runaround ever on the whole deal. Fast forward to now. I placed an order for my daughter 2 days ago. Get the notification that it was shipped. I checked the tracking and see once again LaserShip was used, so I now get to go through the entire process again just to MAYBE get my order within the next 2 months cause once again I was not notified they were using LaserShip and once again they wont deliver to my PO Box. Hot Topic shipping is a serious joke.

I visited one your branches today 18/03/2022.

I was treated so bad that when I left I started to ask myself why did I even bother continuing to buy and about visiting Vaal Mall branch again. I was already in the shop 18:30 took a dress 18:55 I requested to fit the dress the employee told me that the store is closed she needs to go and ask the manager if she can allow me as she doesn’t want to be in trouble, I waited of which at time I’m thinking to my self by the time she gets to the manager I would be done. Nevertheless I waited. Then the manager addressed me informing me that if she allows me in, other clients might also expect the same curtesy. Im quite course I’m in their mercy I need this dress tomorrow I don’t have the outfit to ware. What made it worse when I got out my daughter had already took back the other dress, when I ask the same manager raised her voice at me “I’m the customer” The whole team was stirring at us I even started to panic as I was looking for right size of this dress that my daughter took back. Only one employee showed me kindness the lady with a ladies cut colored maroon, she told me to calm down-as she could see I’m even trembling trying to hurry up. I felt like I’m inconveniencing your employees by being there and it was not professional at all. I cannot feel or be treated like that. We were the laughing stock to your team and I love this shop but after today and the way I was treated today I’m not sure about your brand anymore. The time on my proof of purchase is 19:03 they could not even spare 5 minutes of their time for a customer. I think they need to be reminded that without customers the is no truworths meaning there are no jobs for them”sies” pathetic customer service I am returning the dress that I bought it will be a constant reminder of how badly I was treated by your employees. I even regretted why did I even pay I could have turned around and left while she was placing me in my box.

Cutting it to the chase. I was buying a dress for a friend. I asked an employee if they could take the black dress off the mannequin for me. I said something along the lines of, “Hi, is that dress for sale? Could you take it off the rack for me?” It was the only one in the store at the time, so I thought no biggie. They go up to the mannequin, then check the tag, look at me and go “I’m sorry, this is a size SM. Do you wanna try it on?” I said, “No, I’m buying it for a friend!” Then they proceed to ask, “Well, I can check online for it.” I say, “…Uh, sure?” They go over to the rack, then get the dress name and ‘look it up’ in the computer. So I sit and wait, because I really want my friend to have this dress! I waited in the store for about 10 minutes, just to see the same employee laughing with friends/co-workers in front of me. They were ‘folding clothes’—no where near the computer to do the ‘looking up’ as they said. I left shortly after. I want to also add that my size SM friend WAS IN THE STORE WITH ME. She was right next to me while I asked. I won’t deny, I’m a fat person. Like, very fat. 200+ lbs fat. But what gives you the right to assume I’m buying the dress for myself… for all they knew, I COULD fit a SM.

You guy really screwed the goat on this one. Nothing goes right with you guys lately. Hot topic is becoming hot Garbage I mean real 🔥 trash. Customer services sucks and your store personnel don't know diddly. Very disappointed in your company. I use to enjoy buying stuff from you now its pay and wonder. I'll wait for my refund since you lost my item did not notify me so now its out of stock. Thanks

I purchased a pair of White Doc Martins look alike boots from Hot Topic online in Jan 2020. They sent an email saying they went on back order. Then covid came along and I never received the boots. I tried calling them, emailing and to no avail. So I'm out a cute pair of boots Plus my money and they still carry the boots! Very disappointed in the system and customer service. I find it extremely unacceptable And I can't imagine the amount of money they gained and customers lost during this period. Companies that steal from their customers should not be aloud to do business.

I ordered colletctible toy/figures (Aliens movie Reaction Figures) and they were shipped to me in a bag vs. a box, therefore the cardboard backing that the toys are attached to is damaged.

When purchasing/collecting items of this nature, they are not intended to be played with or even opened and taken out of the plastic/off of the cardboard backing, therefore the cardboard backing and plastic housing the toy/figure is an extension of the toy/figure itself.

I've contacted Hot Topic and they refuse to replace my order stating that if the toy/figure itself is not damaged they are not responsible. However, Hot Topic should realize that many of these toys/collectibles value is automatically decreased if the original box/package is marred or damaged. So they should never be shipping these type of items in a bag.

How can I get my item(s) replaced?

We were in the Silverdale Hot Topic last Saturday. Every question we asked Stephanie, she gave a rude answer. She had a very bad attitude and acted quite superior to us. Her attitude was so bad that we felt very uncomfortable and left without purchasing the things we had come for. When I shop I feel I should be treated in a respectful manner. There are many other stores to spend my money.

I don't feel like rewrite the whole experience again, so I'm pasting what I submit to their corporate hq.

Hello Hot Topic

I want to file a formal complaint about one of your employee that works at the Reno Meadowood Mall location. Her name is Kersti, she did not give me her last name, and I assume she was the store manager because she certainly acted like she was in charge by alienate your customer in this rude manner.

The whole ordeal started yesterday (10/12) when I was shopping at your store for some Funko Pops (I'm an avid but new to Funko collecting). While I was there, I suddenly gotten an email from your corporate saying my order on 10/5 (NYCC) was completely cancelled, even though I placed the order minutes after you went live on your site for all those NYCC Exclusive items. And the email did not give me any specific just said my orders are completely cancelled. Obviously I was a bit annoyed since I placed the order minutes after it went live, and I only get this email on 10/12, which is one full week later. By this time, you had almost nothing left in your store from the NYCC Exclusives. But you did had an Aquaman NYCC Pop, so I bought one yesterday from your store. While I was checking out, I just kind of letting the air out telling the check out lady that it was kind of ridiculous (which it was) that I just got an email a week later telling me my order was cancelled. I was not saying it was her or any of the staff's fault, I was just hoping for some sympathy. I was not loud or rude in any way, but Kersity was standing on the other side of the checkout area playing on the computer overheard, right away told me with an attitude "Oh that's not our problem, you need to call the customer services!" Actually my reaction was kind of shocked at that time, because I wasn't even trying to ask them to do anything for me, all I was doing is letting them know what happened, and why I'm picking up that Aquaman. Right then I just let it go because its not even worth get into it with her. In fact I ran into her couple other times, and every time she seems have some kind of attitude, even when I was just making a purchase and asking maybe some dumb questions about the Funko Pops. Her attitude is even worse when I had to return something from my online order. If you want more details, I'll be happy to provide you more. If you have a no return policy (which I know you don't, because the non refundable item they actually stamp the receipt during purchase), you should let the customer know, or train your staff not to give an attitude for anyone wants to return things!

Anyway, things got worse after I went home later that day. First of all, I got another online order in the mail, I bought a Yuri on Ice Funko Pop under the assumption it's an exclusive by Hot Topic, but after getting the Pop it does not have that Exclusive sticker on them, and as you should already know, that sticker is the only thing will identify the pop exclusivity. So, I was planning to go back to the store return it on the following day (today). Second thing, even though I got that cancelled email from your corporate, I logged into your website, checked my order history, it actually showed Aquaman and couple of other NYCC items did get shipped out, just not all of them! I was planning to bring back the Aquaman I just bought from your store. Also, I realized I already bought 1 out of the 4 Funko Pop from your store few days before, so again I was planning to bring back that one just exchanges for something I do not have.
Fast forward to today. I went into your store with my wife, after standing in line for about 10 minutes I explained to the check out lady what I'm here to do. Again, Keristy is playing on her computer few feet away, and AGAIN, right away the attitude just came out of her. I even mentioned about getting that cancelled email the day before, hoping she can understand why I want to return that Aquaman. First of all, even if I didn't have the cancelled order, are there any Hot Topic Return policy preventing me returning an unwanted item that was just bought in the previous day, still in mint new condition? Even figuratively speaking you do have a no return policy, is there ANY reason for your store manager giving me such attitude right away? Her face was full of disgust as if I was doing something criminally wrong! After only few seconds of uncomfortable exchange, she has the audacity to say to the check out lady "just return his stuff, I don't even want to deal with this…." As if I'm the one pissing her off! I'm not the type of person just going to take this kind of attitude for being a paying customer, so I told her I really don't appreciate this kind of attitude she is giving me. And guess what? She said, "if you feel this way, we don't need you being a customer here!" I'm like what did you say? Then she gave me even more attitude by giving me a hand-written card, "here call my district manager if you like" The card just had the name Jason and phone number of [protected]. I would've called him first before I'm writing you but I got home pretty late today, I didn't want to call him after 5. Plus, I feel she has a great relationship with him, that's why she's confident to tell me to call him after clearly, she gave me so much attitude to angered me. And right in front of me, she even started to type an email to, who I assume was Jason, an email telling him her side of story I suppose. I just have not seen anything like this around town. In fact, I literally buys hundreds of dollars' worth of Funko Pop from everyone, and I had to return a damaged Pop to Target, 2 pops I ordered multiple time by accident to Barnes and Nobles today! None of their customer services come even close to the one I got from Kersity! I emphasize, this is not the first time I felt this way at your store, but certainly was the worst. Exact same situation in other stores, but they all know how to make their customer feel like a customer, not like a criminal or someone begging for favors. Her stock up attitude is consistent every time I'm there, and I believe she even have huge negative effect on rest of the employees there. I've been there few times when she's not around, most of the staff there were approachable, we chat about Funko pops with random questions. The few times she was around, all of her staff are the same type of moody unfriendly look, usually without a nice greeting or smile. And during the return exchange today, the employee obviously scares of her when I asked them their opinion on the situation.
Actually, the situation became even worse because my original purchase included $10 Hot Topic Reward for spending up to enough points; so in any other reputable retail store, when you earn the in store cash, its not a coupon, it has equal cash value that get prorated into each items. So when you return these items, the opposite effect takes place, the reward either get refunded back to the account or at least return will be prorated. At your store, when I requested that Aquaman to be refunded, they want to refund me only $6 and some odd change because they will take the other amount out of the $10 reward. I don't know if this is how your real store policy goes, but during the exchange, she continues give me attitude for wanting to clear up this situation. I asked your other employee what they would do if you buy something for $15 and only get $6 back, no one would even answer, because again, Keristy seems have such power over them, they don't dare to speak. And this is kind of attitude I see coming of her consistently over the past month or so. This is because I only really start shopping at your store when I started collecting these Funko Pops recently. I've been an Elite Plus member with Best Buy for the past decade, never once run into this kind of customer service. And After reading your Yelp review, though there aren't many, but all the negative ones are consistently complaining about the customer service at that store, mostly due to attitude, not really anything bad because of the products.
I know I wrote quite a bit, and I'm not particularly a good writer to begin with. I don't know if Hot Topic even take things like this seriously, and I do hope you do. But what I can say is usually a good company, especially retail, they do take things like this seriously. They do appreciate their paying customer's feedback. You might think I'm just another needy guy complaint about everything, but I have to say, out of my 30 some years of adulthood, I only felt extremely necessary to file a complaint like this twice. One with Helzberg and Delta Airline, and both times they took the complaint very seriously, and try to understand from my point of view. I would never spend this much time and effort if I thought what I experienced today was totally unreasonable. But if you feel differently, the joke is on me, and it really tells how you want to run your business.