As an employee of Hot Topic in Virginia, I would like to point out that our body jewelry is tested to be nickel free. Also, the wonderful man who does all my piercings (20+ years experience in the best shop in my town, the owner, Joe Hagerty, shits awards for his tattooing) agrees with me, that aside from our acrylic, our jewelry is very decent, more so than Spencer’s (Who have REALLY fucked up my ears before by selling me shitty silicons.) Also, the workers in the store do not label the jewelry. We buy as a third party seller. It was Morbid Metals that mislabeled. Also, with many companies, return policy is a store-to-store thing. We will accept all body jewelry at my store for returns and exchanges, damage them out, and continue on. I’m really sorry to hear that the person had such a terrible experience with our jewelry. I buy most of my jewelry from my store and have never had a problem like that, and had it been my store, I would’ve made sure that they could have been returned. That was just not okay. Mistakes happen, and most likely they were mistakenly labeled by the other company that we buy from.
I will say a good thing to do in ANY Hot Topic, is find the person with the best piercings. My store, all of us are pierced by professionals and are great to talk to. I realize in other stores it could be different. They’re uneducated, they don’t care, or both. I personally always try to make sure people get either metal or silicone. But I had a bad experience with acrylic so I stay as far away from it as possible and try to direct other’s in that direction.
But yeah anyways, I just felt like explaining a few things and I hope no one else has a problem like that, and if anyone wants to here my personal rages about having to sell some of that jewelry, just message me :3 I may be an employee, but I still have my pet peeves! (Like idiots who jump 4 sizes with silicone after I basically beg them not too)
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MODERATOR COMMENT:
Nickel free, eh? So what the fuck was it then that I had a reaction to in the steel tunnels I bought from HT? The reaction that prompted me to downsize completely and restretch, that wasn’t the result of nickel (which I’ve been allergic to my whole life) in the cruddy jewelry I bought from HT? And those knock-off silicone (not silicon, they are different) plugs made of who-knows-what grade that may or may not be body safe? Sounds like a good deal and quality jewelry right there. I have bought my fair share of HT jewelry, but the only things worth anything were the glass, which is a bit wonky anyway, but at least it’s not toxic or anything.
Return policy thing…meh. I guess you could damage it out as some people have suggested, but for something that’s been in the body, you open it, it’s yours and I don’t think that’s a ridiculous policy to have.
And your store might be great, but a lot of people’s stores aren’t, so I will always always always recommend going in cautiously and if an employee is giving stretching advice and it seems off, don’t feel pressured into buying things. And I don’t think I will ever recommend going to spencer’s for jewelry. Might as well search through scrap metal…
-Kat
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And all stainless steel jewelry has some nickel in it… Not sure what tests you’re referring to, but they’re totally bogus.
Support your friendly neighborhood piercers instead and get good jewelry and good advice every time (provided you’re going to a good piercer, obv). :P
- Hayley
