A Walmart shopper named Erica (@ericathib) is urging customers on TikTok to check their receipts. She says she was slapped with a random $46.27 charge for “nothing.” The customer highlighted the corresponding code on her receipt and showed a screenshot of the Walmart app displaying her list of transactions, where the “nothing” charge doesn’t even sport a correlating photo.
The code for the item listed on Erica’s receipt is “2ND MDCVP.” Other customers who responded to her viral clip replied that they too have had to contact Walmart and dispute charges for scans on items that simply don’t exist.
“OK, I’ve seen people post about this, and I take things I see on the internet with a grain of salt, but this just happened to me!” Erica prefaces.
She explains that she went to Walmart to buy items to prepare for her new gluten- and dairy-free diet, expecting the bill to be a bit pricey.
“But when I got to the checkout, the girl said my total was $125,” she says. “I was a little bit flabbergasted and I even kind of said, ‘Whoa.'”
However, Erica says the distractions around her (a fellow customer talking to her baby, and her two children) kept her from investigating further.
“So overall, I just paid and left,” she says. “Thankfully, I was making a TikTok of the grocery haul, and I had to go look for the prices. I couldn’t find my receipt at first so I went to the app, and there’s a $46.27 charge for nothing.”
She then shows the “nothing” charge highlighted on her receipt, with the code “MDCVP,” and no correlating product photo in the app.
“And when I click it it’s like we cannot take you to this page,” Erica explains of the “item” in the app. “I am genuinely floored and now I have to go back to Walmart so they can refund me almost $50. Guys, check your receipts. Check, check, check your receipts.”
Several customers have hopped on social media to show a cryptic-looking receipt code with a corresponding charge for a non-existent product. This Facts Verse YouTube video highlighted how a shopper was suspiciously charged $10 for code “000000000001K,” even though it wasn’t associated with an item in the store.
One commenter who responded to the clip said, “Walmart is so good at making a mistake of double charging your items, but never make the mistake of undercharging anything you bought.”
In the case of Erica’s CVP code, it seems to stand for Customer Value Pricing, according to this Walmart Red Wing post. The Facebook account states the code means shoppers are enjoying discounted costs on items they’re purchasing from the store because they either are placed in “damaged” packaging containers or are getting closer to their “best due by” or expiration dates.
This seems to be corroborated by a Reddit post that also discusses what CVP codes stand for, as one commenter wrote in the comments section that it’s a way for employees to mark down items.
However, many customers have experienced massive “nothing” charges, and it’s unclear whether or not these are a result of employee error. Another TikToker previously went viral after showing they were slapped with a $200 “nothing” charge after visiting a Walmart.
The Daily Dot has reached out to the chain via email with regards to CVP codes and whether or not these discounts are manually input by employees as opposed to an automated system Walmart has implemented.
@ericacthib @Walmart what the heck is going on?! #momtok #momsoftiktok #groceryhaul #walmart #groceryscam ♬ original sound – Erica | SAHM
Other commenters who responded to Erica’s post said they’ve been on the receiving end of Walmart overcharges.
“Girl I got charged $160 for 4 Roma tomatoes. I was distracted by my kid and didn’t even notice the total just swiped my card. I went back later and they reviewed the video footage and refunded me,” one TikToker said.
These discrepancies come amid a class action lawsuit filed against Walmart that accused the retailer of inflating prices of weighted goods. Though Walmart denied the suit’s accusations, the company settled out of court. Some shoppers may be entitled to a payday, as one recently shared online.
@ericacthib Replying to @CK the fact that this has happened to so many people is mind boggling #momtok #momsoftiktok #groceryhaul #walmart #groceryscam ♬ original sound – Erica | SAHM
In response to a commenter, Erica clarified that the $46 “nothing charge” was the result of an SKU scanning error. At least, that’s what Walmart told her when she reached out about the charge.
The Daily Dot has also reached out to Erica via TikTok comment for further information.