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Living each day in the public eye can undoubtedly bring some exciting and somewhat unnerving situations to your metaphorical doorstep. Influencers, reality TV celebrities, and full-fledged movie stars all exist on a plane quite different from an average person’s.
While some may believe their lifestyle makes things easier, that’s not always the case. Despite what we may think when we step into TJ MAXX to browse the Halloween section or when we buy yet another Disney piece of home decor, money doesn’t buy happiness.
Money can, however, buy us things that bring us joy, fun experiences, or fond memories. That very idea is at the heart of a TikTok video that an influencer recently shared, having been surprised by something during a lunch date with her late mother’s friend. Isabel, or Izzy Anya (@averagerichhousewife), is a lifestyle influencer from NYC, and we’re warning you now — you’re going to feel outraged after seeing this.
“Just when you think you’ve seen it all,” Isabel begins, someone tries to extort me.”
Isabel shares with her followers that she noticed her mom’s “friend” wearing the bracelet at lunch, and when she asked about it, the woman initially said no to Isabel purchasing it back, as she liked the piece of jewelry. That in itself outraged her more, as there was no note of remembrance of her mom or understanding of the situation; she simply liked the bracelet and didn’t consider giving Isabel a chance to repurchase it.
When she did consider the idea, the asking price for said bracelet became outrageous.
Some people are lucky enough to never have experienced life-altering loss yet, but we’ll all eventually go through it. It’s so hard to reason with the fact that someone you loved so intensely could cease to be there, and wanting something that belonged to them to keep a piece of them close is natural.
It’s hard to imagine someone being cruel enough not to understand that. Especially since the woman in question was likely around the same age as Isabel’s mom, meaning she’s likely experienced the loss of a loved one at that point or seen it firsthand.
This comment says what many of us are thinking; the woman with the bracelet said she didn’t “need” the money, but it’s hard to imagine anyone not “in need” refusing to give back something so sentimental.
It goes without saying that the COVID-19 pandemic put all of us into an unfamiliar financial situation. With factors like stockpiling household goods, inflation, and skyrocketing shipping costs, it suddenly became harder to navigate life the same way we were before. New York City’s Public Advocate, Jumaane Williams, spoke openly in an executive summary about how price gouging affected New Yorkers, and the same is said for people worldwide.
Lysol spray, which was once priced at around $4.99, was suddenly being sold for $19.99, face masks that ran for $18.20 for a box of ten was going for $199.99 during the height of the pandemic, and hand sanitizer that used to cost us around $6 for a bottle holding 12 ounces became a thing of the past; with consumers having to pay $30 for a dozen pack totaling 8 ounces.
What does price gouging have to do with a woman refusing to give back a bracelet? If you pay close attention, you’ll note that Isabel says her mother paid $3,000 for the item of jewelry, and her “friend” now wants $40,000 for it. If that’s not an otherworldly price increase, we’re not sure what is.
Of course, many who watched the video attempted to give Isabel advice, including this comment stating that if no bill of sale exists and it wasn’t “given” to her, she can sue to get it back. Several people suggested taking the legal route.
What exactly could come of the bracelet if Isabel were to take it to trial? Well, the woman could be charged with extortion.
The definition of extortion reads as follows: “the practice of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats.” The idea of being extorted is scary, but those who attempt to threaten someone to get money or other items shouldn’t rest easy themselves — the penalty for blackmail or extortion, as reported by Eisner Gorin LLP, isn’t something to take lightly.
“Blackmail or extortion under Title 18 of the United States Code, Section 873 is a federal crime punishable by:
- up to one year in federal prison, a fine, or both imprisonment and a fine.
- The actual sentence received by the defendant will vary depending on the factors contained in the United States Sentencing Guidelines, the equitable factors contained in Title 18 of the United States Code, Section 3553(a), and are subject to the relatively broad discretion of the sentencing judge.
Life can be hard enough, especially when loss is concerned, and we certainly hope that the situation with Isabel can be handled outside of a legal setting, but she’s not wrong for wanting to get a piece of jewelry back at a fair price. She never asked for the item for free, and the woman’s reactions since Isabel asked have been anything but reasonable or kind.
May we all offer one another a bit more kindness today; it costs nothing at all.