Molly-May Watson, a 27-year-old executive assistant from Kennington, south London, suffered second-degree burns after shapewear shorts she purchased from TikTok Shop "melted" into her skin. The £8.57 "Spanx-like" shorts were bought in May 2024 from a seller named MOONGIRL-UK on the social media platform.

The incident occurred on July 27, 2024, when Molly-May wore the shorts for the first time under a dress while attending her sister's baby shower. She initially felt a burning sensation on her upper right thigh, likening it to a bee sting, and rushed to the bathroom. There, she discovered the elastane stretchy material of the shorts had "melted" into her leg, forcing her to rip them off.

The following day, Molly-May attended A&E at St Thomas' Hospital in London, where medical staff confirmed she had sustained first and second-degree burns and warned her she could be "scarred for life." Hospital staff found the nature of the burn "strange," noting they were unsure if it was a heat burn or a chemical reaction. Molly-May has since been bandaged up and advised to work from home while she recovers.

After the traumatic experience, Molly-May attempted to contact TikTok Shop through the app's help function, providing pictures of her burns and the melted shorts. Despite her detailed complaint, she was offered only a refund for the shorts and a £10 coupon as compensation. Molly-May found this offer "insulting" and declined the coupon, stating she would "never be shopping from that shop again" or any budget/third-party sellers. She also noted that the seller, MOONGIRL-UK, could no longer be found on Google, suggesting it might not have been a legitimate operation.

Molly-May's experience has raised her awareness about online purchases, especially from third-party sellers, and she has heard similar irritation reports from friends who bought comparable items. TikTok, for its part, confirmed that the listing and seller page had been removed from the platform in June last year. A spokesperson for TikTok stated they had already responded and provided compensation to the buyer following the complaint.