Rollbacks, slashed prices, discounts, sales, and markdowns are all appealing ways to sell excess or unwanted stock in a store. Many shoppers will be on the hunt for such discounts, given the rising cost of living. But what happens when those discounts are not really discounts?
One shopper’s experience in Walmart—where shoppers have previously found the original prices of items to be lower than their “marked-down” sticker price—ended in her showing folks that several pairs of shoes on the retailer’s shelves were marked for clearance with a higher price than they originally sold for.
In the video posted by user Leanne (@leanne9364), she shows the $2 difference between two pricing stickers used to label a pair of shoes. She says multiple pairs were marked with higher price tag stickers.
“Hey guys, I’m at Walmart, check this out,” she says. “When you think you’re getting a deal, look at this. We have a pair of shoes, it says $13. But in reality, $10.98. They’re ripping you off.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Leanne via a comment on the video as well as to Walmart via its contact form.
Similarly, a customer shopping at the retailer around Black Friday says she saw cereal advertised as being marked down for a discount, though the product was more expensive than it was before.
Some viewers remarked that they had come to expect similar price manipulations from retailers.
“Known this for years, same w Black Friday lol go look at shelf price you will be surprised,” one commenter wrote.
“Dollar general stores do the same thing,” another said.
“It’s always been like that,” a further user added. “Nothing new.”
@leanne9364 ♬ original sound – leanne
Others suggested that the tag was simply a leftover sticker from other merchandise that was stocked on the shelf and that the old tag was never removed.
“Could be a wrong shelf label under it from an old mod tho,” one commented.
“Most of the time the label holders have old labels stuck under them,” another speculated. “New mod old labels.”
“They just don’t have time to remove the label,” a further commenter wrote.
