TikTok user Mark Roberts (@mmarkroberts) went viral after claiming he was unfairly kicked out of a Target store by a secret shopper for testing a toy.
In his recent video, which has garnered more than 1.2 million views at the time of writing, Roberts recounts how he got “spied on” by a secret shopper at Target when he noticed a man he didn’t recognize following him around the store.
When grocery shopping goes wrong
“I went to the hair aisle to get some shampoo,” he says, “and I saw that he also went to the hair aisle to get some shampoo.”
This allegedly continued in whichever aisle Roberts would end up in. Finally, he says he decided to move quickly to the other end of the store in hopes of losing him.
When Roberts was confident he had lost the alleged follower, Roberts said he started looking at some toys in the toy aisle, when he came upon an interesting toy.
“I’m having a great time, and I saw this guy; his name is DJ Bouncin’ Beats,” he states. “And in the box he was in, it said, ‘Try me … Tell me something, and I’ll make it into a song.’”
The Fisher-Price DJ Bouncin’ Beats toy Roberts is referring to does have an interactive feature where kids can speak into the toy, and it turns their words into a song.
However, Roberts then decides to do something a little questionable. “Maybe [being] the degenerate that I am, and knowing that no one else was in the aisle,” he says. “I do a little moan.”
He continues to say DJ Bouncin’ Beats “did not disappoint” and “the song was hilarious,” but suddenly, he spotted the same man who was following him earlier.
“Hey, what are you doing with that toy?” the man allegedly asked Roberts.
The TikToker says he responded casually, explaining that he was just playing with the toy when the man revealed he was a secret shopper for Target and told him his behavior was “unacceptable,” asking him to leave.
Roberts believes the secret shopper was following him around because he suspected the TikToker was “up to no good.”
Previously, Roberts sparked conversation when he warned his audience to never switch seats on a commercial flight, claiming he almost got scammed when he did.
Are ‘secret shoppers’ a thing?
A secret shopper or mystery shopper is a person hired by a company, most commonly in order to assess customer service.
According to Indeed’s FAQ page, a mystery shopper’s mission is to “compile a report about what they experienced” at a store. They usually have tasks assigned, such as purchasing or returning a product and evaluating the staff’s performance.
While there are some companies advertising mystery shoppers who watch for shoplifters, the Daily Dot couldn’t find any reports of such an occurrence.
@mmarkroberts secret shoppers at target will sneak up on you when you least expect it — but for real i shoulda just blamed dj bouncin beats
♬ original sound – Mark Roberts
Commenters share their thoughts
In the comments, some users are upset that the TikToker got kicked out of the store, while others question the truthfulness of his story.
“Kicked out for testing something that the shop lets you test out is crazy,” wrote one user.
“Secret shoppers spy on the employees though???” questioned another.
“Bro’s life is a movie,” joked a third, playfully questioning Roberts’s story and referring to the numerous videos on his TikTok account of wild events happening to him weekly.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Mark Roberts (@mmarkroberts) via email and Instagram direct message, and to Target via email.
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