Why are people swapping the lids on the Owala tumblers? This fad is not only annoying store employees, but it’s also prompting calls for Owala to allow customers to customize their bottles online.
The first water bottle to capture the hearts of thirsty consumers was the lightweight and trusty Nalgene. Then, their sights were set on other brands, such as Yeti, Camelback, Contigo, S’well, and Hydro Flask.
Then came the Stanley cup in all its high-handled glory. Consumers went feral over these things—so much so that they actually became too mainstream to be cool.
Now, consumers have chosen the Owala as their bottle du jour.
Primarily available at national retailers like Target, the colorful water bottles have led to an unintended consequence for sellers. In their quest to find their perfect color combinations, customers have taken to swapping the lids on the bottles.
In one video shared by user @ricxn.mxmiii_, the Target employee shows a small cart full of lidless water bottles and then an assortment of lids. “This is what happens when you tamper with the owala lids,” the text overlay on the video reads.
In a caption on the video, @ricxn.mxmiii_ clarifies that the items were not thrown away. The worker also clarifies that she had to sort through the cups and lids and “whatever was [left] in the cart is what didn’t have a matching lid or cup.”
The video has drawn over 1.8 million views.
@ricxn.mxmiii_ rip😔 #deadowala #ripowala #owala #owala ♬ SpongeBob song – chris talbalz
Suggestions for Owala
Commenters are suggesting that the water bottle brand should simply begin offering customized colors for their water bottles online.
“Owala just needs to make custom bottles on their website,” one recommended.
“Owala needs to release a custom option if they see this is what’s happening obvi it would be a good choice $$ but to help workers too like?” another said.
“They need to start selling the cups and lips seperate,” a third suggested.
Customers are accidentally purchasing mismatched water bottles
Others shared an issue that they have run into, as the consumer, while trying to purchase one. One customer said they accidentally bought a water bottle that had its lid switched out. And they said Target refused to accept the return.
“My fiancé tried surprising me with a tumbler I had my eye on for awhile and didn’t realize the lid and straw were changed out and didn’t match until he brought it home,” another commenter wrote. “They wouldn’t take it back.”
In another video, customer @scyllor called out the Owala fans who swap the lids. “Dear owala shoppers, can you please stop changing the lids…” she pleaded in the video.
@scyllor I went and bought one and had no idea it was the wrong lid … can yall please not do this and just buy the cup …. #owala #target #waterbottle ♬ Chasin’ – Paris Hilton & Meghan Trainor
That TikToker, in her caption, revealed she was one of the many customers who purchased a bottle, unaware that the lid that was on it was not the correct one.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Target via email, to Owala via email, as well as to both @scyllor and @ricxn.mxmiii_ via TikTok.
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