Imagine the tragedy of being gifted a 75-inch TV for Christmas only to find that it’s broken straight out of the box. Then imagine not being able to get a refund for it.
That’s the plight that Oklahoma-based TikTok creator Emily (@emillysellers) documented in a video put up on Saturday, gathering more than 737,000 views in a single day.
“What happened to customer service,” the caption laments, with an additional plea to help the situation.
The short video clip shows several people standing around the TV mounted on the wall. It looks like it’s damaged on both the top and bottom portions of the screen.
The on-screen caption explains, “You buy a 75” TCL TV on Black Friday, gift it to your sister, it’s shattered but neither TCL [nor] Walmart will give a refund or exchange it.”
What do the companies say?
Walmart’s official return policy, per its site, holds that “Returns are available for nearly everything Walmart sells.” It goes on to note, “Your purchase history on Walmart.com displays the latest eligible date for a return or replacement,” though the company recommends shoppers keep track of receipts and manufacturer packaging for at least 90 days after a purchase in case some issue reveals itself later.
It also notes, “If an item you received from Walmart.com is damaged or defective, your item may be eligible to be returned by mail or returned to any Walmart store and may qualify for a refund or replacement.”
TCL points toward the retailer’s direction in its return instructions. The company offers a one-year limited warranty, though it appears per its terms that an obviously physically damaged TV would fall outside its guidelines.
What commenters recommended
Some people responding to the video thought relief possible.
“Same happened to me at Walmart from TV ordered through online pick-up,” explained one user. “I went to the desk and stood there until I went through every manager. Remained nice [and] said ‘Not leaving until replaced.’ Two hours [later it was] done!”
A second user shared, “My son bought me a 75-inch [TV]. It shattered. He took it back and made them open the other one before he left with it.”
“You need to call the customer service number on their website,” suggested another user.
“That why I bought a Sony from Best Buy and even purchased a five-year warranty,” said someone else.
@emillysellers What happened to customer service 🥲 Help @Walmart @TCL @Erin Sellers #blackfriday #merrychristmas #fyp #oklahoma ♬ Messy – Lola Young
The Daily Dot has reached out to Walmart and TCL via email and to the creator via TikTok direct message.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
