A Taco Bell customer has gone viral after claiming that one of the company’s workers “stole” from her by rounding up her order total without consent.
TikTok user Luray (@imluray) posted a video explaining what happened at her local Taco Bell in La Vale, Maryland. In the video, which reached 1.8 million views as of Jan. 4, Luray warned her 411,000 TikTok followers that Taco Bell might “steal your money without thinking that you would notice.”
The TikToker said she was “pissed” and hoped that the “big wigs of Taco Bell” would see her video.
She explained that the cashier said her total was $30.44 after she placed her order at the drive-thru. Luray gave the cashier $31 in cash, expecting to receive 56 cents back. However, the cashier simply handed her the receipt and closed the drive-thru window. She opened the window again to hand Luray her order and told her to “Have a nice day.”
The TikToker said she stopped the cashier, telling her that she hadn’t received her change. The cashier claimed that Luray’s total was $31 and pointed out that Luray had given her exact change. Luray corrected the cashier, insisting that she should have received 56 cents back because her order total was $30.44.
@imluray @tacobell your LaVale location won’t be seeing us ever again 🤷🏻♀️. And Before all the “it’s not that serious”, “it’s going to a good cause”, “it’s only .56 cents” … the point is, I NEVER gave my consent & my money was taken sneakily thinking I wouldn’t say anything…. #tacobell #readyourreciepts ♬ original sound – Luray
According to Luray, the cashier changed her story at that point. She told Luray that she had to “round up” the order total to $31 because she didn’t have any change to give back to the TikToker.
“It would not have been a big deal if [the cashier] said prior, ‘Hey, we don’t have change if you wanna use your card,’” Luray said. “It was never mentioned to me, and then they went ahead without my consent to round me up to give it to the Taco Bell Foundation.”
The TikToker then put her receipt in front of the camera and pointed out the charge which showed a 56-cent donation to Taco Bell’s foundation. The Taco Bell Foundation awards scholarships and grants to youth-serving nonprofit organizations focused on education and career readiness, according to the foundation’s website.
When Luray called the cashier out for keeping her change without asking her, the cashier excused the action by saying that there was no change in the register or the rest of the store to give her. Luray said she understood the situation of not having change, but it didn’t excuse the cashier for not informing her sooner.
“You didn’t ask me if you could round up,” the TikToker said. “You’re literally just taking 56 [cents] of my money and donating it to your foundation. That is theft. You just stole.”
Luray admitted that 56 cents may not seem like a lot of money, but it would add up quickly. She questioned how many customers had their change taken by the Taco Bell location that day.
“That is so illegal. You cannot take someone’s money without their consent and then just be like, ‘Oop, sorry, nothing we can do,’” Luray proclaimed in the video. “Watch your receipts because that’s fucking bullshit.”
Although the TikToker expressed mild hesitance at her anger over 56 cents, viewers reassured her that she was right to call out the cashier.
“.56 or not, a person is never to assume you’re willingly going to donate it. You did right by calling them out on it,” one viewer commented.
“They should of rounded down. They are suppose to have change. Taco Bell should have change for their drawers,” another wrote.
Several other viewers commented that the same thing happened to them at Taco Bell and other fast-food restaurants.
“That happened to me too!! they asked if I wanted to round up and I said no. but they still did! I didn’t notice until I looked at my receipt after,” one viewer wrote.
“I … had the same thing happen, she stole 5 without permission. and charges my card too!!” a second shared.
“I just had a similar incident happen! I got ripped off of almost $2 though haha,” a third commented.
Even a former Taco Bell worker chimed in, saying, “I use to work at a Taco Bell and this happened a lot actually.”
In email correspondence with the Daily Dot, a Taco Bell spokesperson provided this statement:
“The Taco Bell Foundation’s Round Up program breaks down barriers to education for students nationwide. Money raised provides grants to youth-serving organizations focused on education and career readiness and funds Live Más Scholarships to support the educational needs of future leaders across the country. Participation in the Round Up program is optional, and Team Members are trained to ask the customer if they’d like to participate.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Luray via TikTok comment.
