Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Hot Topic, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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• 

  Hot Topic, Inc.

  18305 San Jose Ave City of Industry, CA 91748-1237

• 

  Hot Topic

  999 S Washington St # E155 North Attleboro, MA 02760-3656

• 

  Hot Topic

  11160 Veirs Mill Rd Spc 148 Wheaton, MD 20902-5909

• 

  Hot Topic

  9501 Colerain Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45251-2003

• 

  Hot Topic, Inc.

  5000 Shelbyville Rd Louisville, KY 40207

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/20/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was given a gift card by a friend for my birthday. This gift card was for *********** one of the companies owned by Hot Topic. I purchased two pieces of clothing with it. When they arrived one outfit was significantly larger than was stated in their size chart. So first off false advertising. I contacted them to return. They allowed me a return however I was forced to pay postage despite the fact that it was their product that was misleading in sizing. I saved my tracking number and have confirmed they received my return on 6/6/25. It has now been two weeks and I still have not received a refund to my gift card for the item. I contacted two days ago inquiring about why they still a hadnt refunded me and the associate simply said I had to keep waiting. A day later I received another response that theyd refund whenever they get around to it. This birthday gift card was supposed to be something nice and fun instead I have to basically beg for be refunded. Between them forcing me to pay return shipping and not getting a refund Im very unhappy with this company!!

  Business Response

  Date: 06/24/2025

  We apologize for any confusion and inconvenience caused. Please note that returns by mail do take a little longer, and unfortunately, a refund cannot be issued immediately after a return label is scanned. For mail-in returns, we will process your refund as soon as we receive the returned merchandise at our warehouse.
  
  Depending on your bank's policies, it may take up to 7 business days for you to receive credit if you are in the U.S., and up to 14 business days if you are located internationally (non-U.S.). Please remember that you will not be reimbursed for your original shipping or return postage.
  
  Shipping surcharges are not refundable. To learn more about shipping surcharges, check out our Shipping FAQs.

  https://www.heruniverse.com/customer-service/returns-exchanges/
  
  We were able to find the customer gift card and the funds are available.
  $ 27.92.
  
  Thank you. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/16/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I tried to place an order using a gift card I got for Mother's Day. When I placed the order, the page just kept loading for 5 minutes last night. So, I refreshed and then my cart was empty, no order number in my acct details and no email confirmation of the order. I checked my gift card to see if the $100 was taken and sure enough, it was. Tried to tell this to customer service through email but for some **** reason they kept telling me to go to the grocery store it was purchased at because it needed to be activated then told me it needed to have the funds released. Like, what the hell? for one I've been a customer since 2004 and never in my life have I had issues with HotTopic. The customer service I got over email was **** poor and made barely any sense with running around the issue after saying they'd escalate it then 5 minutes later telling me basically I'm SOL. So thanks HotTopic you took $100 for free and didn't even have to send any merchandise out! now THATS how you run a business I guess.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/24/2025

  Hello,
  
  We apologize for any confusion. After reviewing the customer interaction, I'm unable to determine where the mention of "purchasing" in-store originated. While that isn't incorrect, please note that gift cards—whether from Hot Topic or any brand purchased in a store not purchased directly in our company—would need to be returned or you can call Blackstar, which handles third-party gift cards.
  
  In this case, the gift card has locked itself. This typically occurs after an order is canceled or if an error occurred during order placement. The funds will be released automatically or manually. I'm pleased to inform you that the funds for this order have been released, and $100.00 is currently available.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/05/2025

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On June 5, 2025, I attempted to make a purchase on Hot Topics website during the advertised **** 70% off promotion and a free shipping deal for orders over $70.However, during checkout, despite my order totaling $81, even with the **** offer, I was still being charged $15.92 for shipping, that being the cheapest option. The website clearly encouraged me to spend more by showing how much more was needed to qualify for free shipping. I added extra items, the free shipping message disappeared, yet I was still being charged for shipping. I tried refreshing the page, re-adding items, but they were still charging me.This is misleading and feels like bait-and-switch advertising. I did not complete my order because the advertised deal was not honored. I request that Hot Topic review this issue, clarify their promotion terms, and respond appropriately. All my items should have qualified for free shipping, and if they dont, the misleading free shipping advertisement should be removed.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/13/2025

  Hello! The reason for the $15.92 shipping charge may have been due to having preorder items in your order. Please be advised there is a 1.99 shipping surcharge applied to all pre-order items shipping to your home as added handling costs. This surcharge is waived on one item if your order does not qualify for free shipping over $75. If you choose to ship your item to one of our stores, the shipping surcharge is waived entirely. The customer did chat in on 6/5 and was offered assistance in placing the order over the phone and waiving the shipping as a one time courtesy. If still interested, please call **************** at ************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/29/2025

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Hello Ive tired to contact hot topic customer service and they wont help me with my order and stuff and they was being rude and they wont help or change my email and stuff.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/03/2025

  Hello! We are pleased to inform you that your request for an email change has been successfully processed. It appears that the customer called our customer service team and was assisted by one of our agents over the phone with this update.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/22/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I would like the restriction removed from my account. The restriction is only on my account due to me calling the company to have sales tax removed from my orders. I was told by the company to do so and this is the only way to have these taxes removed. As per the attached I have a resale certificate which was filed and approved by the company. I do not understand why I am being penalized for doing what the company told me to do in the first place. If I do not call them they do not remove the tax from my orders.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/03/2025

  Hello, thank you for reaching out. We're sorry for having to repeat ourselves but the previous statement still stands.
  
  While our documentation for tax exemption has been approved by our accounting department, the restrictions on your account are not due to your tax exemption status, rather due to the numerous claims and refunds you have filed with the company. In the last few months, we have processed refunds totaling $610.26 for the two orders MDL4138099706 and MDL4138100806.
  
  As we have mentioned previously, we are not a wholesale company and cannot offer discounts on bulk ordering. These restrictions are set at an operational level and cannot be removed by customer service. You are still welcome to shop in-store, which we would strongly recommend.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/03/2025

   
  Complaint: 23365162
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  you have your information incorrect. I have not had two orders amounting $600 refunded through Hot Topic. As well any price adjustments are solely because the sales tax is not removed from any of my orders unless I call. I let an order process all the way until I received the order and the sales tax was not removed until I called hot topic. Any refunds are from me calling to have the sales tax removed from those orders which again I have to do. Your company refuses to do it unless I call. And on top of that you are penalizing me for it. That is an unfair business practice. How do you require I do something then make it a bad thing that I do the thing you require I do. Make that make sense.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********** *******

  Business Response

  Date: 06/13/2025

  Hello, the orders that were refunded came from BoxLunch, which is a sister company of Hot Topic. Our operations team has noticed that, prior to these refunds, you submitted multiple claims for both brands. For security reasons, we cannot allow any more claims to be filed. Additionally, we are unable to remove any restrictions on your account, as these are set at a systematic level.
  
  Please note that this situation is not related to removing sales tax; we have received your sales tax forms multiple times, so they are not needed again. This issue pertains specifically to the multiple refunded claims with our company. We advise you to shop in-store only.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/13/2025

   
  Complaint: 23365162
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  How are you denying me removal of sales tax from my orders? I have spent thousands of dollars between both companies. I really dont understand how you treat good customers like this. All I am doing is following what both companies told me to do in order to have sales tax removed from my orders. You are potentially losing a customer that by years end would have spent over $15-20k with your company. This is not a smart move on your companys behalf. Add up how much I have spent since January of this year between both companies. This is obscene.
  Sincerely,
  
  *********** *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/09/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  05/07/25 Order # DH2377408578 On 05/07/25 I placed a new order and reached out by Chat to have my taxes reimbursed. I was connected to *******. I advised her what my request was and it literally took her 40 minutes and she never completed my request. I got to the point that I asked Darleny for her supervisors information and after that I was just ignored.I proceeded to call customer service and I was connected to *********. I explained my request and he was able to quickly assist and take care of my issue.After taking a look at my request the next day 05/08, I noticed that the taxes were never reimbursed. I proceeded to again reach out to customer service through chat and this time I chatted with ******* who was apparently able to address my issue.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/14/2025

  Hello! We apologize for your experience and can see that you have provided proof of your tax exemption on 4/29. We understand it must have been frustrating having to provide the same information again. Please note the tax exemption has been noted and is good for 1 year from the date provided. It looks like the amount 6.27 was refunded on 5/8 and will process back to the original form of payment in 5-7 business days from that date. Again we apologize for the situation and have added a $5 reward to your Hot Topic account as well for the inconvenience

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/16/2025

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/05/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I ordered a few products from this company and one of the items was missing. I was told I will not be refunded or have the item replaced. The reason because I called them too many times to have sales tax removed from each individual order I place. I was told to do this by a company customer service rep. **** is hurting my business as I cannot afford to have this continuously occur and I cannot replace the item either

  Business Response

  Date: 05/14/2025

  Hello! We are sorry to hear we were not able to assist you with your missing item. The reason for the restrictions on your account is because we are not able to apply any discounts for bulk orders or orders for resell, as we are not a wholesale company. You can read more information about our bulk purchase policies here. ******************************************************************************************************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/16/2025

   
  Complaint: 23287065
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  The company response is irrelevant. I ordered a product. They charged me for it. The item was never shipped meaning it wasnt packed by their company. I received my order and it was not tampered with so the responsibility is on the company to refund me for the product or replace the product. Not only that the company is discriminating against me as I am tax exempt and they make it very difficult even when following their company protocols to have these types of issues resolved. I literally had to file a complaint with the bbb due to their lack or inability to simply resolve this issue amongst other issues.
  Sincerely,
  
  *********** *******

  Business Response

  Date: 05/19/2025

  Hello! Unfortunately do to the restrictions on your account, customer service is unable to assist with any claims. This includes claims for missing or damaged items. As these restrictions are placed on a systematic level, we are unable to remove the restrictions from your account. We would also like to clarify that the restrictions were not placed on your account because of the tax exemption request, but due to multiple claims and bulk purchasing. As previously stated, we are not a wholesale company and there are limitations to bulk purchases, which you can read about in the policies that were previously provided to you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/19/2025

   
  Complaint: 23287065
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I am a reseller and therefore do not pay sales tax to individual companies. This company has this documentation and it was approved by their accounting department. The restriction on my account is due to the fact I have to call the company after each order to have the sales tax removed from the order. If I do not call the sales tax is not removed. I am now being penalized for doing what the company stated I have to do in order to have sales tax removed from the orders I place. This is being drawn out which is extremely unnecessary.
  Sincerely,
  
  *********** *******

  Business Response

  Date: 05/20/2025

  Hello,
  
  While our documentation for tax exemption has been approved by our accounting department, the restrictions on your account are due to the numerous claims and refunds. In the last few months, we have processed refunds totaling $610.26 for the two orders MDL4138099706 and MDL4138100806.
  
  As we have mentioned previously, we are not a wholesale company and cannot offer discounts on bulk ordering. These restrictions are set at an operational level and cannot be removed by customer service. You are still welcome to shop in-store, which we recommend.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/21/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Ive tired to email hot topic about change by my email address since Ive got hacked and they wont changed it for me and hang up on me and I wanted to see if someone can change it for me I can speak to.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/05/2025

  We are pleased to inform you that your request for an email change has been successfully processed. It appears that the customer called our customer service team and was assisted by one of our agents over the phone with this update.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/15/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Dear Hot Topic , *** marketing for 4 shirts get one free was not upheld by your store at ***********************************************************************************************************. Even shirts from the frontage store by the public bulletin board should be as promised in this deal.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/15/2025

  Hello! We're sorry to hear the store in ********** was not able to assist you with the promotion mentioned. Promotions do vary online and in store. You can read more about our promotions and discounts policies here. ***********************************************

  If the promotion is still happening, you can call our customer service team at ************ to place your order over the phone.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/18/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased earrings at Hot Topic in the foothills fashion mall and was charged *****% tax rate. This over 4 times the tax other stores are charging in the mall and the tax rate of ********************I understand that additional tax maybe added, but not 4 times the amount and the receipts specifically state this.I wish to get refunded for the correct tax.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/26/2025

  Thank you for reaching out to us regarding the tax issue you encountered with your recent purchase at our Hot Topic store in **********************. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. We understand your concern about the tax rate applied to your purchase.
  
  Unfortunately, since this transaction was completed in-store, we are unable to process the refund or adjustment online due to the separate purchasing systems used by our in-store POS system and our website. However, based on the receipt you shared, there is still time to visit the store for a refund or adjustment.

  Please bring your receipt to the Hot Topic store at **********************, and our in-store team will be happy to assist you in rectifying this issue.
  We appreciate your understanding and patience.
  
  City of ******************* Tax Rates

  ****************************************