A Walmart shopper says a worker refused to take the security tag off her item, even though she had bought it at the store three weeks prior.
Teresa (@terresamarria) posts a lot about her family on TikTok, especially her mother. Recently, the mom had an unpleasant encounter with a worker at Walmart. So Teresa got her to relay the story to her viewers.
Teresa offers further context to her mom’s story in the video’s text overlay. She writes, “She went back to the store to get the security tag removed and this is what they said.”
In the video, Teresa’s mom says she went to her local Walmart to ask if they could remove the security tags, but a rude security guard immediately told her no.
She recalls, “I said, ‘What do you mean no?’ And he says, ‘Well, how do I know you just didn’t take this?’”
The innocent mom says she thought the security guard was kidding. But she says he assured her that he was not. He then asked the Walmart shopper when she purchased the item, she continues.
She says, “I just told him the truth. I said, ‘Three weeks ago. I even washed it a couple of times. … But [the security tag] is bugging me.”
Eventually, she she says she had to ask to speak to a manager. After the security guard spoke to a superior on his walkie-talkie, Teresa’s mom says he came back and told her, “Today’s your lucky day, but let me just tell you right now, you’re a red flag.”
After that, Teresa’s mom says the security guard started following her around the store.
At the end of the video, she says that someone finally removed the security tag.
Viewers are amused
The video received 71,700 views. Many users were delighted by the mom’s spirited retelling of her encounter at Walmart. Many of them applauded her narrative skills.
“These kind of storytelling moms will have you so locked in to whatever they’re saying,” one person said.
“Omg best story teller ever! She had me fully invested, love the energy but so sorry that happened,” another agreed.
A third said, “Never a dull moment!”
Others claimed to have had similar experiences with security tags.
“I went to Walmart last week with the same issue. Luckily, I had gotten the shirt in a different state and my Walmart doesn’t sell it, so they couldn’t accuse me of anything. They took it off for me,” one person shared.
@terresamarria She really does buy everything at @Walmart ♬ original sound – Teresa
“I had to do the same thing w a pair of leggings that i bought in self checkout i didnt have my receipt but they saw me standing in line for 25 minutes to get the tag off a pair of $12 leggings,” a second wrote.
How to safely remove a store security tag
Many security tags are deactivated before they are unclipped. So it’s a common experience for shoppers to find a security tag still on their clothing after they’ve left the store. But there are a few hacks out there that shoppers can use to remove these tags at home.
The ideal way to remove a security tag is to return to the store, explain what happened, and have them remove it. However, as Teresa’s mom found out, store employees are often skeptical of these claims and may view the customer as a suspect for shoplifting.
Another option is to have a professional tailor or sewing expert help remove the tag. A third is to use an extremely powerful magnet to help pry the tag apart. Another is to cut the metal pegs holding the tag together with the help of wire cutters.
The Daily Dot reached out to Teresa via TikTok direct message and to Walmart via online contact form.
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