Buckle up, we're in the middle of 'beadgate,' a multi-day microdrama over missing Etsy beads, and one of the spiciest things on TikTok at the moment

• Claire Tamar went viral after claiming she didn't receive a complete order of beads from an Etsy seller.
• Tamar purchased a bag of 500 beads but said she was only sent 247 beads.

A dispute between a TikToker and an Etsy bead seller went viral and spiraled into a tumultous saga of updates and rebuttals over the past week. TikToker Claire Tamar made multiple videos saying a bead seller failed to send her a full order of 500 beads while the Etsy merchant refuted her claim and refused to send more beads. Naturally, the internet weighed in.

Insider reached out to the Etsy merchant for information and was told on Monday morning they weren't interested in "feeding the drama" and declined to comment while the situation was "under investigation." By that point, there had already been several messages and TikToks devoted to the squabble.

But on Monday afternoon, Tamar (who did not respond to Insider's request for comment) made what appeared to be the final update video, claiming to be victorious: the seller refunded her the $10.99 for the beads. (When reached again, the seller refused to confirm whether they made the refund.)

Here's how the saga unfolded.

How a small Etsy debacle warped into a viral fascination

Videos about the internet beef have amassed millions of views. The situation shows how small microdramas — or seemingly insignificant arguments that fester as they gain attention and traction — can tear the internet apart.

Tamar posted her first video about "beadgate" on February 17. In the video, which amassed over 1.4 million views, she counted out every bead sent to her by the Etsy merchant CrazyDaisyBeadShop. She said there were only 247, way less than the 500 beads she purchased.

"Crystal bead seller on Etsy has got me fucked up," she said at the start of the video.

She continued to post follow-up videos after that, building a sizable army of followers who religiously tuned in for updates. The perpetual updates that often come with these internet microdramas, and the consistent delivery system of TikTok's algorithm, means that following the situation feels almost like watching a television show or soap opera, with a new update video every day. And while the dramas might be small or petty, there's a kind of thrill to closely following every new detail and rooting for your side to prevail in the beef. Her second video received over 630,000 views, and many of the following updates amassed more than 100,000 views each.

In the second video, Tamar shared an image of the listing ("500/pc BULK" glass crystal beads, for $10.99) and screenshots of the conversation she had with the seller. She said she tried to give the merchant the benefit of the doubt at first.

"I send her the listing and I'm just like, 'Hey, there's not 500 beads. I don't want to leave you a bad review, if you can just explain,'" she recalled in the video. "I'm thinking, maybe 500 p/c doesn't mean piece, and I just don't know bead lingo. I don't want to leave a bad review, I get it, mistakes happen, please just send me the correct amount of beads."

The seller said "yes 500 means 500" and then asked Tamar to return the beads to her, according to screenshots in the video.

"Please return those to me as I know what I sell and I know. There was definitely not 247 of them in the bag," the seller wrote in a message, according to screenshots in the video.

Tamar said she didn't send the beads back because the seller wanted her to pay for shipping.

The comments on the second video were fiery; some people were already invested and said they were "living for this bead drama," while at least a few folks said they sent the seller a mean message on Etsy.

The seller said they reported the TikToker to Etsy and the police after one of Tamar's fans sent a nasty message, according to screenshots in the third update video. (Etsy did not respond to Insider's request for comment.)

The Etsy seller appeared to be aggravated by how the incident had been spotlighted on TikTok. They told Tamar to take the video down and leave them alone, according to screenshots shared in Tamar's videos.

"i am so beyond Pissed, this is crazy," the merchant wrote in one message about the TikTok videos.

The rise of 'crony nation'

While the first few TikToks about the incident were serious, the saga skewed more absurd toward the end. Viewers began spamming comments about "beadgate," and Tamar started referring to her fanbase as the "crony nation" after the Etsy seller called one of Tamar's fans a crony.

"Welcome, my friends, to crony nation," Tamar said while suppressing a laugh in one update video with over 70,000 views. Behind her was a graphic of an American flag and "CRONY NATION" in a huge bold font. "For beads and justice. Give us a refund or feel our wrath."

In the end, Tamar claimed victory.

In her most recent video, posted Monday afternoon, Tamar said she got in touch with Etsy and secured the refund from the seller.

Insider has not returned Insider's requests for comment.

When reached, the seller refused to confirm the refund and reiterated that they were not commenting.

"Refund has been secured, so life is good," Tamar said in the video while Queen's "We Are The Champions" played in the background. "Overall, I just wanted to say, everyone being so into this has been really special to me. I'm just grateful that everyone is so supportive."

The comments were full of people celebrating the refund. "Commencing Crony dance of joy, throwing beads in the air!!!!" one top comment said. "Long live Crony Nation," someone else wrote.

Tamar said she decided to make friendship bracelets out of the merchant's beads.