Most of the time, when out and about shopping around, customers can be confident that an item on sale is genuinely being offered at a discounted price.
But what if it is not?
A Dollar General employee is putting the company on blast for advertising a “sale” price identical to the previous price, raising the undercounted price by 25 cents.
In a video posted to TikTok, an employee of the dollar store shared that when she was putting out a sale price sticker on a shelved item as directed by her employer, the price was actually being raised slightly and lowered back to the original price advertised on the shelf. The video posted by user Ashtyn (@ashtyn4444 on TikTok) highlighting the switch in price has drawn over 225,000 views on the platform.
“One thing about me, I hate corporate,” she says in the video. “Please look at this. Forever Pals bowl. Oh, it’s $5.75. Oh hey, Ashtyn, go put out the sales price. Oh, so we’re going to put it on $6, and it’s on sale for $5.75.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Ashtyn as well as to Dollar General via email regarding the video.
Is this legal?
Known as fictitious or deceptive pricing, the practice of offering an item at what appears to be a discount despite never being sold at the higher price is outlawed by the Federal Trade Commission, but has been largely unenforced outside of class action suits from unhappy customers, according to reporting from the Washington Post. To build a case against a business accused of using such practices, claimants typically have to establish that the business employs such practices frequently and for prolonged periods of time.
What can customers do?
Customers who suspect a business of using deceptive pricing tactics to entice buyers into making purchases they ordinarily would not may file complaints with their local consumer protection bureau.
Several viewers shared that they have suspected other businesses of using similar practices, and it’s put them off “sales”.
“That’s why no one gives af about sales. black Friday has been dead for years,” one commenter wrote. “if I don’t think something is worth that price then I’m moving on.”
“That’s why I’ve never freaked out over sells,” another said.
“Walmart does this too, they’ll do a ‘roll back’ on an item that was actually the original price but after the “sale” is done they increase the price of the item,” a further user added.
@ashtyn4444 This is not very demure of them #corporations #greed #greedflation #wtf #whatsgoingon #fyp #foryou ♬ original sound – Ashtyn
Some who work in retail commented that they had been asked to do the same themselves in their own jobs.
“Every store does this,” one commenter wrote. “I work for a grocery store and I change the tags sometimes and can confirm they trick you.”
“Our names are so similar and I work in pricing at a grocery store,” another commented. “for real though I see stuff like this all the time.”
“Toys r us made me mark up items $1 a week months before Christmas just so they could mark it $20 off after raising the price $25,” a third said.
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