‘Return all that’: Man pulls out cash to pay for kids’ clothes at Zara. Then the worker whips out a money-checking machine

A Zara customer was outraged after an employee scanned their cash to ensure it wasn't counterfeit. Dada (@dad_yung_god) posted a TikTok that now has over 116,000 views. In it, they called out the worker for checking their cash, stating that they wanted to return their purchase of children's clothing as a result.

"Zara? What would you call dis? For kids clothes..." a text overlay in the video reads. Dada records the Zara employee feeding several $20 bills through the machine. The machine appears to be a money counterfeit detector.

"Check this [expletive] out. This how you—this how you purchase [expletive]? You gotta run your money through a machine?" the TikToker says.

From the sounds of the customer's voice, they aren't too happy with the protocol. Subsequently, this ire is confirmed after Dada says, "Return all that [expletive]. I don't want none of that [expletive]."

Some don't see an issue

Numerous commenters said Dada shouldn't feel insulted by the employee's actions. "Have you ever worked retail? It’s not personal," they penned.

Additionally, this sentiment was echoed by another user on the app. "Lmao I’m sorry but sir you doing toooo much and she just doing her d*mn job," another said.

"People doing their job wow what an insane concept," a third wrote.

Others took offense

One user thought it was particularly strange that the employee felt the need to verify $20 bills were authentic. "I worked retail all my life & I ain’t NVER seen someone check 20s, only 100s & 50s. But people scam a lot more lately so that could be why," they speculated.

"Its not a problem until its yall. And I highly doubt she do this to EVERYBODY. SO YEAH return all that," another wrote, agreeing with Dada.

A third said they would have also returned the merchandise.

One person who claimed to be a former Zara employee stated the machines are usually reserved for more valuable bills. "I worked at Zara used that same machine your only suppose to use it for 50s and 100s. She’s doing too much!" they exclaimed.

Fake bills on the rise?

ABC News reported in March of 2024 that "the crime of counterfeiting is making a comeback." In 2023 alone, the U.S. Secret Service reported it seized almost $22 million in counterfeit bills. In 2020, that figure was much higher. The agency was purportedly able to intercept nearly $500 million worth of fake money.

@dada_yung_god

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♬ original sound - Dada_yung_god

'Don't check my money'

Moreover, one Reddit user also delineated a situation similar to Dada's, albeit from the perspective of an employee. The post was uploaded to the site's r/retailhell sub, where they shared how they scanned a customer's stack of $20 bills.

"Anything that’s $20 or higher I immediately check, each register has a small machine beside it we insert the money into. It scans the bill, if the light is green, we can take it, if not it has to be handed back for to the customer and either we ask for a new bill or or another form of payment," they shared.

The customer demanded the worker "apologize" to the customer for scanning his bills.

After the Redditor explained that they were just doing their job, the patron insisted that his feelings were hurt.

The Daily Dot has reached out to Zara via email and to Dada via TikTok comment for further information.

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The post ‘Return all that’: Man pulls out cash to pay for kids’ clothes at Zara. Then the worker whips out a money-checking machine appeared first on The Daily Dot.