A Walmart shopper is urging folks scoping out deals in the store’s clearance section to hold onto their wallets before scanning them at checkout.
TikToker SavvySavings (@savvysavings) demonstrates in a viral video how several products she scanned using her Walmart application retailed online for prices significantly cheaper than what they were marked down at in-store. However, Walmart shoppers who responded to her video expressed that her method doesn’t always ensure they will receive that cheaper online price at a physical location’s checkout.
@savvysavings #greenscreen ♬ original sound – SavvySavings
In the video, the TikToker recorded herself walking through a Walmart store. “Ooh, a random aisle,” she began. “This right here is a sign to scan everything.”
“So now we’re gonna look at this,” she continued, pointing at the yellow clearance sticker on a comforter. “Another sign to scan; don’t trust your price. This was marked down on September 17th, and it was $14.97.”
The sticker shows a markdown cost of $9.00, but is the item really at its bottom dollar price?
Not according to a screenshot the TikToker provided. “Now it is $5,” she said, pointing to an image she captured of the comforter’s product listing after scanning the item in the Walmart app. She then shifted her focus to another item resting on the clearance rack. “And next, the sheets. Now this one gets a little bit tricky … So these were marked down on October the 5th,” she said, pointing to another yellow clearance tag that showed an $11 price for the item. “You would think it’s still $11 bucks. No, ma’am.”
The TikToker again displayed a screenshot of the online listing that popped up when she scanned the item, which showed that the sheets had dropped further from their original price of $21.94 down to only $5.
In another part of her clip, @savvysavings walked up to a “gold metal” hanging mirror that she shows off on camera, complimenting its aesthetic. She said the mirror’s original cost was $49.98, but its online clearance price was $8.42.
The TikToker wrapped up by repeating her reminder to shoppers to always check the prices of items online on Walmart’s app. “Moral of the story is don’t trust the price tags and scan everything, especially if it looks out of place,” she said.
Some viewers said they’d had issues using @savvysavings’ price-busting methodology.
“Every single time I scan it says price only online and they don’t honor the same price in store,” one commenter shared.
“My app is broken lol everyone I scan something it always comes up regular price even if it has a clearance sticker,” a second said.
Someone else said they have the opposite problem. “When I scan it always matches the sale tag but rings up cheaper at register,” they wrote.
One person offered an explanation for why clearance prices may be lower online than in-store. “I always scan clearance stuff,” they said. “I’ve found a lot of things that need marked down again and the workers just haven’t gotten it yet.”
Another shared just how much they saved by following @savvysavings’ practice. “My husband and I got our boys a power wheels car for Christmas! originally $350 we got it for $111 all because I scanned it!!!” they wrote.
The Daily Dot reached out to Walmart via email and @savvysavings via TikTok comment for further information.