TJ MAXX FRAG BUYERS BEWARE!

If you're hunting for fragrances at TJ Maxx, proceed with serious caution.

Multiple bargain fragrance enthusiasts and influencers are reporting a disturbing trend: shrink-wrapped boxes containing used, swapped, or even EMPTY bottles. In some cases, the bottles are clearly from other retailers (like Macy’s), and don’t even match the fragrance (or brand) on the box.

Last Friday, I bought two Khadlaj fragrances from their Fort Wayne, IN location: Sarah and Cream Velvet. They were locked in a case, and I was not allowed to inspect the boxes. In fact, I got heavy pushback and was even questioned about whether I could afford the $58 total. A manager rang them up and bagged them without giving me a receipt.

Red flag city.

Here’s what I found once I got home:

Cream Velvet: Shrink wrap intact, but the bottle was suspiciously light. The cushion inside the box had visible dust, and the atomizer was badly tarnished, a classic sign of long-term use or someone sloppily decanting the fragrance.

Sarah: No shrink wrap, just clearance stickers sealing the box. The box was torn, crushed, and full of pet hair and debris. The bottle? Clearly used, about 1/8th of the fragrance is gone and it no longer fits properly in the packaging due to the damages.

Not even a little bit cute.

This situation has already been escalated to TJ Maxx corporate, but the store-level behavior and resale of obviously used, repackaged, and damaged product is a serious issue. I've seen at least two TikToks about it from users not in Indiana and genuinely thought it was for attention because what major company would pull stunts like that?!