Shopping at discount retailers can occasionally become a mixed bag when it comes to the variety and pricing of merchandise available.
Whether this is due to choices made by buyers who work for discount stores like T.J. Maxx or Marshall’s, or sneaky antics by customers trying to get a better price for their merchandise, there can be multiple factors behind what someone might pay for an item at these stores.
Retailers of this variety are often known for purchasing leftover merchandise from other retailers, as well as overstock, pricing it at a discount. However, one customer says she found an item that appeared to be severely overpriced, as she had allegedly purchased the item at the Dollar Tree.
In the video posted to TikTok by user @prissynpolished, a facial serum with a $39.99 price tag was locked in an anti-theft case at her local T.J. Maxx. She recognized the product as one she had purchased previously for much less.
“Y’all, I ‘m at T.J. Maxx,” she says in the video. “You see that price? $39.99. This is from the Dollar Tree. I bought this the other day for $1.25. I’ll show y’all. Same thing.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to @prissynpolished via TikTok direct message, as well as to T.J. Maxx’s parent company, TJX, via email.
Several commenters suggested that the item’s tag had been peeled off and swapped, a tactic frequently employed by customers in such stores.
“I bet someone returned it and kept the expensive item,” one commenter wrote. “Peeled the sticker and put it on that.”
“I wonder if someone took the stickers off and returned that,” another said. “They do put returned products back out.”
“Looks like someone bought a $40 eye serum at TJ Maxx and then place the Dollar tree one in there and returned it,” yet another commented.
@prissynpolished either it’s a come up or a scam #tjmaxx #dollartree #crazypricing #fyp ♬ original sound – Nail School Owner & Educator
However, the poster clarified in her comments section that there were several more bottles of the serum at T.J. Maxx, making it unlikely for one person to have bought and returned those price tags on different merchandise.
Some viewers shared that they had similar experiences buying items at T.J. Maxx and affiliated brands that they later found at other retailers for lower prices.
“Literally, I just bought a 2 pack of plastic containers at tj for $10, found the same ones at dollar tree for a dollar,” one commenter wrote.
“Almost bought a chair from Home Goods for $400 & then found the exact same chair on Amazon for $170,” another said.
“I just saw some shampoo in Marshall’s today marked down to 12.99,” a commenter wrote. “It’s at the dollar tree for 1.25.”
