Los Angeles woman finds $430 Shark hair tool at T.J. Maxx with no price. Then a worker says she can have it for $99: ‘I have never felt so betrayed’
A T.J. Maxx shopper finds a highly sought after Shark hair tool on the rack and tries to score a deal at the register. However, she can’t believe what the cashier tried to do when she asks for the price.
In a video with over 57,000 views, TikToker Kaila (@killa_beatz) holds up the Shark FlexFusion she purchased at the off-price retailer. The hair tool uses air to shape curls or blow hair straight with minimal pulling, which prevents damaging the hair strands.
“I have never felt so betrayed by a girl until today,” she exclaims.
Kaila explains that she found the hair tool with no price on the box, so she brings it to the register. The cashier calls over the manager and they discuss how to price it.
“She says, ‘$99?’ Yeah. Yeah, I’m gonna take that,” Kaila continues.
But just as she was about to check out, the TikToker says the cashier switched up on her.
“The girl comes back with the sticker. $149. She goes, ‘Yeah, it’s gonna come out to $149.’ I said, ‘What happened to the $99?'” Kaila asks. She says the cashier pointed out that the retail price for the hair tool is around $300.
“Girl, if you don’t shut the [expletive] up,” Kaila jokes at the end of the clip. The caption continues, “So I bought it in case she was trying to buy it.”
Can you negotiate the price at T.J. Maxx?
While Kaila was confused at the abrupt price change, T.J. Maxx workers may have little flexibility in pricing items. According to NASDAQ, the off-price retailer usually doesn’t offer price matches or adjustments.
On the r/TJMaxx subreddit, other T.J. Maxx workers explain that the company policy usually dictates how they price items. So if the hair dryer is marked for sale at one price in the system, they probably can’t bring it down based on the initial verbal offer.
“Markdowns are based on how long the product has been there. If you compare the numbers on all three of those Nike socks for example, despite the fact that they are all the same product, that number (the U-line) is gonna be different because most likely those socks arrived at different times,” one explains.
“We get product at different prices in the same store all the time. The price is based on when and where they bought the product. They might buy several rounds of the exact same thing, but the cost is different based on when and where the buyers purchased from,” another suggests.
Do viewers think the cashier was being sneaky?
Several viewers agree with Kaila’s suspicions that the cashier could have been trying to discourage her from buying the hair tool so she could bring it home later.
“Girl yesss! I found a Dyson airstrait at tjmaxx, then at the register the cashier was giving me the stink eye the entire time. Then she says ‘this should’ve been priced higher, you got lucky,'” one writes.
A second adds, “She was hoping you would change your mind so she could buy it for $99.”
“I was at a tj maxx and they had travel sized Caroline Herrera, Marc Jacob’s, Armani bottles priced at 3.99 each I bought them all the girl at the register looked at me I looked at her I said there are more there. She nodded and I paid lol,” another shares.
However, other retail workers agree that the initial price could have been a mistake.
“I don’t work in tjmax. But in my retail store we don’t make the prices and some times the bar codes on the box don’t match the ones the store makes/ the ones in the store are priced higher,” a commenter suggests.
“It’s possible that when she went to get the sticker the system wouldn’t let her price it that low and all markdowns you have to put your number in and loss prevention approves them,” another says.
A third remarks, “She 100% would’ve gotten in trouble if she sold that to you for 99 dollars.”
@killa_beatz So I bought it in case she was trying to buy it ?↔️ #tjmaxxfinds #sharkflexfusion ♬ original sound – ☆ kaila ☆
The Mary Sue reached out to Kaila via Instagram and TikTok direct message and to T.J. Maxx via email for further comment.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
