Shopping at discount stores like Marshalls, T.J. Maxx, and Ross can be as good as a treasure hunt for some folks. That is, if the store employees are stocking merchandise and marking prices correctly.
A recent customer of Marshalls says her experience was soured by an employee who insisted her clearance-priced candle was actually marked down incorrectly. As the worker insisted on a price check, the customer says her co-workers openly discussed withholding merchandise from the floor for themselves.
Marshalls worker price-checks $3 clearance candle
In the video, TikToker @kittykillz_ says she visited her local Marshalls after having not shopped there for a while, and found a candle marked down for $3 in the store’s clearance section. When she got up to the line of cash registers, she says the employee handling her transaction began to turn the candle over in her hands talking about how cute she thought it was.
She then insisted that it was priced incorrectly and was actually supposed to be $12.99.
“She starts calling people,” @kittykillz_ says in the video. “At this point I’m annoyed because I’m like, what is she doing calling all these people? ‘Look, look at this candle,’ and calling people for prices. She literally stopped me, stopped my transaction to send someone, call someone to tell them to do a price check on this candle. Really? For a candle? Like I’m telling you, that’s what the price was on there.”
Marshalls price tag swapping
She adds that she understood that the Marshalls employee may have believed that she switched the tag on the candle with another item in the store. But the TikToker thinks the “price check” never involved a similar item to cross reference the price of the merchandise that she wanted to buy.
Price tag swapping is a common method customers use to lower the price of an item, but @kittykillz_ says that is absolutely not something she would do herself.
She says the employee handling the sale of the item simply decided to price the item at $12.99, more than quadruple the price it had been marked down to.
While this is happening, she says she heard multiple cashiers talking about merchandise that had just been delivered. They were allegedly planning on withholding some items from being stocked on the shelves so they could purchase them on their lunch breaks.
Suspicions arise
“I’m like, are you serious right now?” @kittykillz_ says. “You’re giving me all this B.S. I’ve been waiting here this entire time for this so-called ‘price check’ on a stupid candle. And you’re over here yapping about how you’re hiding things from customers in the back so that you can buy it on your lunch break? But you’re giving me mess about a frickin’ $3 candle?”
Ultimately, she did not clarify whether she was able to purchase the candle. But she did shame the employees for holding merchandise in the back, as she found her local store to be less well-stocked than other stores nearby.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @kittykillz_ via TikTok direct message and a comment on the video, as well as to Marshalls via email.
Marshalls’ hold policy
The poster claimed Marshalls does offer holds in-store for customers and employees alike. However, the retailer’s website does not provide any information elaborating on the parameters of such a policy.
Some viewers felt the poster was making something out of nothing, as the retailer offers holds for both customers and employees on merchandise sold there.
“You’re making a big deal out of it I worked at TJ and I guess if you hold things for employees then they do,” one commenter wrote.
“They’re trained to not ring items if they suspect the tag was switched,” another said. “Also, they’re only allowed to put their items on hold for a day. Everything goes back to the floor when the store closes.”
“As a former wal mart employee we used to hide the seasonal gift items when they would go on clearance in the back,” a third commented.
Some shoppers have shared that they are unable to find items in their local Marshalls stores due to a combination of factors. These include employees withholding items, and resellers purchasing in-demand items in bulk, clearing shelves in one fell swoop.
@kittykillz_ @Marshalls #marshallsfinds #marshalls #marshallshaul #marshallsemployee #rude #discrimination #annoyed #fy ♬ original sound – KittyKillz_
Unhonored clearance prices
Others shared that they had similar experiences with the retailer, and clearance prices were not honored.
“I bought a Halloween runner that had a clearance price,” one commenter wrote. “I didn’t notice until I got home that the cashier had removed the clearance to charge me full price. I didn’t switch tags. Shady switch.”
“Similar thing happened to me and they claimed a clearance item was mistagged,” another commenter wrote. “I went back at a later time and they had it out again for the same price. clearly their friend decided not to buy it.”
“Something similar happened to me, and she thought I wasn’t gonna take it still!” a commenter wrote. “And to be petty, I did.”
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