Inflation has impacted nearly every aspect of consumer life in the U.S. over the past two years, from increasing credit card debt to expensive housing and even higher grocery bills.
Many folks are feeling the pinch, and so are businesses. Those costs get passed along to the customer in the form of raised prices. Sometimes, this can raise concern among customers, who might accuse a business of price gouging, or raising the price of an item far beyond what is considered a fair rate for it. This is an illegal practice, but there is no federal standard for what is considered price gouging.
One customer on TikTok, Semajah Parker (@semajahparker), says that she did not bat an eye when the Wendy’s Four for $4 became a $5 Biggie Bag—but charging more than $0.99 for an Arizona tea? Not on her watch.
“When inflation hit Wendy’s, I ain’t say nothing,” she says. “Four for $4 is now a $5 Biggie Bag? OK, whatever. But when it hit Arizona teas, I was livid. The best thing Arizona ever did was give people permission to snitch because I was six-nine on them lines telling on the people anytime I saw a can of Arizona tea that was more than $0.99.”
She says she went into a business and found them charging double for the branded teas, which include a $0.99 price label on the packaging design.
“Why are you changing a good thing?” she says in the video. “Shout out to Arizona for always staying true to who you are.”
The question of what a business is allowed to charge for an Arizona tea appears to be one that is frequently asked, as the tea company’s website features an answer stating that the price on the can is merely a suggestion, and retailers can essentially sell the tea for whatever price they choose.
“Ultimately retailers can sell it for as much or as little as they like,” the website reads. “We suggest you find a store that sells it for $.99 or less.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Parker via email regarding the video.
Multiple viewers shared that they had seen prices higher than $0.99 for Arizona tea more often than not.
“Wait we not suppose to pay more than 99 cent! i just paid $2 the other day!!” one commenter wrote.
“Yo how tf can people snitch on Arizona tea cause I’m tryna snitch cause the corner stores by my house charging $1.50 to $2 for a $0.99 cent can,” another said.
“In Vegas near me they have 1.49 printed on the damn cans,” a third user wrote.
@semajahparker @AriZona Iced Tea ♬ Lovin On Me – Jack Harlow
Some insisted that stores are required to charge the price on the can, and were taking steps to avoid doing so.
“At the store I work at they send back the cans with the 99¢ on it so they don’t have to sell them at that price,” one viewer commented.
“Ain’t it a law about Arizona tea supposed to stay 99cent,” another speculated.
“Only if the manufacturer premarks the product(ex: Arizona cans that say 99c),” a further user claimed. “if it says 99c they legally can’t sell it for more than 99c, lower yes.”
