Designer and influencer Marcus Pork went viral after going against his "no refund or exchanges" policy to fulfill an order for a customer's nonbinary friend.
Pork shared the story on Instagram after he was able to make the t-shirt wish come true, and people online are cheering.
A customer bought one of the designer's "Autistic Girl Summer" t-shirts for a friend's birthday.
Before gifting the shirt, though, the customer's friend came out as nonbinary. So, she reached out to Pork hoping he would not only bend on his return policy but also consider altering the shirt design.
In the emails shared by the designer, the customer wrote:
"Last week I ordered a present for a friend of mine from your website: a beautiful tshirt written 'Autistic Girl Summer.'"
"It was for a really important friend that just the day of their birthday came out as they/them. I was incredibly proud of them but at the same time I felt really bad for buying the tshirt written 'girl,' so at the end I decided not to give it..."
The customer then acknowledged Pork's policy on returns but also shared hope that they could find a solution.
Pork responded that typically he would not issue an exchange, but he had to make an exception.
He wrote:
"While I have a strict no return/exchanges policy, I sometimes become a Soft Man, especially in Emergency They/Them Situations - such as the one you find yourself in now."
He added that he would be "happy" to offer a replacement, giving the customer options to replace "girl" with "person" or the friend's name.
The customer opted to have the friend's name, Camilla, put on the shirt and offered to send the other back, but Pork said to give it to someone who matches the description or "burn it."
His only request was a picture of Camilla wearing the shirt.
You can see the exchange below.
People on social media were moved by this heartwarming story, and they took to the comments to thank Pork for his allyship.
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@marcuspork/Instagram
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We love that Pork went out of his way to make this journey even more special for Camilla.
And it looks like they love it, too ❤️
@marcuspork/Instagram
@thekalenallen/Threads
U.S. Mint
