A Target worker is going viral on TikTok after revealing that part of his job entails fibbing to customers about price decreases.
User @notlionzion recorded his video from inside of a Target store, where he said he works “pricing.”
“Hopefully none of my managers see this,” he says. The content creator proceeds to show Target customers about an apparent “scam” the store is running, which includes altering the prices of items to make it appear as though the store is offering discounted prices when it’s really not. As of Wednesday, @notlionzion’s video explaining how the store does this had amassed more than 19,100 views.
“Incase you didn’t know, target is scamming you,” @notlionzion wrote in the caption of his TikTok video.
How is Target ‘scamming’ customers?
To showcase the so-called scam, @notlionzion shows viewers a shelf of OLLY brand’s extra strength probiotic gummies. The in-store price was $17.99.
“This is the current price as of yesterday,” @notlionzion says. But, the day of recording, the worker says he was tasked with putting a new label on the product, noting the price had dropped by nearly $1—to $16.89.
But this wasn’t exactly the case. Behind the $17.99 label is another $16.89 label, suggesting that the lower price was the original cost of the gummies all along.
“Earlier, the original price was… $16.89,” @notlionzion says. “So [Target] raised the price to $17.99 just, so they could lower it back down to $16.89.”
In the end, @notlionzion says the addition of the “new lower price” sticker tricks customers into thinking that Target actually lowered the price of this item. But, in reality, he says, “nothing changed.”
“They raised it just to lower it back down,” he says.
Target’s website reflects this “new,” lower price, too. A bottle of 50 gummies is priced at $16.89 online.
Target customers call out store over ‘discounted’ items
Some eagle-eyed customers have already taken notice of this phenomenon. Earlier in the month, one woman shopping at Target said she noticed the store advertised a Black Friday deal. The deal in question lowered the price of an Ember thermal mug from $179.99 to $143.99.
The content creator noted that, days prior, she had purchased the exact same mug from Target at the lower price point, indicating that the “sale” in question wasn’t, in fact, real. The content creator also called Target’s modified prices a “scam.”
In a second video, another TikTok creator called out Target over the cost of its TVs. In this instance, Target appeared to deny the allegations of price manipulation.
Viewers say this is common for stores
Viewers expressed their outrage in the comments section.
“All these corporations are [trash],” one viewer said.
“Price gouging the American public,” another lamented.
“You know what i hate America,” a third user wrote.
@notlionzion Incase you didnt now, target is scamming you. Brian Cornell is the CEO just incase anyone wanted to know #inflation #target #scam ♬ original sound – notlionzion
The Daily Dot has reached out to @notlionzion via TikTok comment and to Target through email.
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