💸 Kardashian's Skims offers refunds on $148 advent calendar

Skims, the apparel brand founded by Kim Kardashian, says it has offered buyers of its $148 Accessories Advent Calendar a full refund or a Skims credit after a wave of online anger over what was inside the box. The story was first reported Nov 8 at 9:01 PM ET, and Page Six, Entertainment Weekly and Today all carried the brand’s statement.

Who says what

Page Six reports that a rep for Kardashian gave it a statement on the brand’s behalf, saying that since “the calendar didn’t meet expectations,” the company has “personally contacted every customer who purchased the calendar.” KVAL and Yahoo, both citing Entertainment Weekly, quote the same wording. Tyla and Daily Mail attribute it to a statement given to Today. The text is near-identical across the outlets.

"“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,”"

Skims spokesperson, in a statement to Entertainment Weekly, as quoted by KVAL

Note the construction: the statement apologizes for expectations, not for the price, and none of the reports read quote the word “apology” from Skims itself. Tyla’s headline calls it an apology; the quoted text is a statement. The refund terms are exactly two options, a full refund or credit toward other products. The reports read give no deadline, no order count and no word on how many buyers have taken either option.

The price against the contents

According to CBS News, the box includes four keychains, various hair bands, bobby pins and a Skims squishy, all exclusive to the box. Tyla lists all 12 doors: a bear keychain, three-packs of hair elastics, satin scrunchies and bobby pins, the squishy, a two-pack of clips, a two-pack of bra elastic headbands, a second three-pack of bobby pins, a comb keychain, a logo keychain, a second three-pack of satin scrunchies and a faux fur compact mirror keychain.

The site describes the box as “twelve days of fun surprises” with “a mix of playful items and everyday favorites,” per Page Six. Buyers weighed that against the price. One commenter quoted by Daily Mail wrote that “$150 is WILD for maaaaybe $20 worth of stuff”; another said they “wouldn’t pay $15” for the box, per Page Six. Those are viewers’ estimates. None of the reports read carry an itemized retail value, though KVAL says many of the items are sold individually.

The TikTok at the center is from a creator whom Yahoo and Daily Mail identify as @wetsloppyswollen. She is quoted telling Kardashian the box is “way too expensive,” per Page Six. CBS News also quotes creators comparing the contents to Dollar Tree finds.

The response

The company statement above is the response. Page Six and the other reports read quote no separate comment from Kardashian herself. Entertainment Weekly says it has also reached out to her representative, and Daily Mail and Tyla say they have contacted Skims for comment. As of the reports read, no further replies were published.

What happens next

The reports read do not state a refund deadline, a restock date or any regulator step. Page Six, CBS News and Tyla say the calendar is sold out and on a waitlist for a future batch. KVAL says the product page appears to be no longer active. Those accounts differ, and the reports do not say which is current.

Backstory

Page Six notes that Kardashian launched the brand in 2019 under the name “Kimono,” and that it was renamed Skims within two weeks after cultural appropriation criticism. On a 2019 episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians she said, per Page Six, “Foolishly and ignorantly, we never thought that it would be a problem,” citing a letter from Kyoto’s mayor, Daisaku Kadokawa. The reports read name no earlier Skims pricing dispute.

Tyla reports, citing the BBC, that Skims was valued at $5bn a year ago, and, citing News.au, that the figure has since risen to $7.21 billion. For Kardashian’s other record, see our earlier story on the SEC’s EthereumMax case, a separate matter from consumer complaints.

As of Nov 9, 3:03 PM ET, the confirmed part is Skims’s statement, quoted by several outlets, offering a full refund or credit to every buyer. Still pending or unreported: how many buyers have taken it, any deadline, a personal word from Kardashian, and whether the calendar returns.