Walmart receipt checker stops shopper at the Door. Then the worker does something sketchy with the receipt
If you’re a frequent shopper, you’re probably familiar with the Fetch Rewards program.
How it works is simple. After you make a purchase, either in person or online, you scan your receipt into the site. From there, you can start earning points. Eventually, these points can be exchanged for things like gift cards and sweepstakes entries.
Like any rewards program, people have found ways to game the system. This woman didn’t expect to have the system gamed on her—but that’s exactly what happened on a recent trip to Walmart.
What Happened To This Woman’s Fetch Rewards?
In a video with over 1.8 million views, TikToker Rachel Haselden (@therachelpaige) films herself laughing in a car outside of Walmart.
According to Haselden, she and her partner were leaving the store when an employee asked to look at the pair’s receipt. They handed it over, and the employee took a photo. At the time, they “thought nothing of it.”
However, when Haselden went to scan the receipt for Fetch Rewards, she saw something surprising.
“It says it’s ‘already been submitted by myself or someone else,’” Haselden states. “We just got this receipt. That lady, she stole my Fetch Reward. The Walmart worker stole my Fetch Reward.”
The end of the video shows them trying to find the worker, who appears to have already left.
An Update From Fetch and Walmart
Haselden later posted two updates to her story.
In the first, she explained that she was laughing in the original video because she “genuinely thought it was funny.” That said, she says she’s now considering saying something to the store “just to protect anyone else that she might possibly do it to.”
Her second video offers an update from Walmart and Fetch. According to Haselden, both Walmart and Fetch reached out to her to resolve the issue. Not only did Fetch return the missing points, but the company offered her an additional 1,000 points as well.
“When it comes to the lady herself, I am not going to try and get her fired,” Haselden says in response to comments. “I don’t see a point in that.”
Still, Haselden notes that Fetch may be taking actions to prevent the employee from doing this in the future.
“Fetch is going to possibly deactivate her account,” she states.
“I’m not mad over the situation,” she adds. “I found it hilarious — because who would have thought I could say in my lifetime [that] a Walmart worker stole my Fetch Reward?”
In an email, a Fetch spokesperson wrote the following: “The Fetch app is the fastest and easiest way to earn rewards for everyday moments. We love seeing our users on the hunt for Fetch Points, but we do have a few rules in place to maintain the integrity of our platform. Per our Terms of Service, Fetch users are only permitted to snap receipts from purchases that they have made personally, and those who violate the TOS are subject to removal from the app. This policy ensures a level playing field and allows us to continue delivering value to millions of consumers.”
Has This Happened Before?
Looking around the internet, it seems that this sort of thing happens more often than people would like to believe.
Across social media, there are numerous stories of people having their Fetch Rewards taken by store workers, or employees themselves admitting to hoarding receipts in order to get Fetch benefits.
One post on Reddit’s r/Walmart asks, “Anyone else scan the receipts scattered around the store for fetch and stuff?” Commenters in this thread and others affirmed that they did use customer receipts to get benefits. That said, most said they only did so with discarded receipts, and some warned that employees could be fired for this behavior.
Alternatively, there are also stories from shoppers about having their Fetch Rewards stolen. One Facebook user alleges they met a Walgreens worker who had accumulated 300,000 points from scanning customers’ receipts. Others claim they had a similar experience to Haselden, saying they caught or suspected employees of taking their Fetch Rewards.
Commenters Are Divided
In the comments section, some users complimented Haselden for her handling of the situation, while others said she should’ve escalated the issue.
“I commend you for taking the high road and letting it go. Too often, people just want to destroy others,” said a user. “I’m happy Fetch made it right for you.”
“I would have walked right back in for her manager! That’s ridiculous!” countered another.
“I love that Fetch stepped up and helped you out and resolved it quickly and easily without giving you a difficult time,” shared a third. “I also think you are handling it perfectly you got your rewards, she’s being punished by Fetch but not losing her job in this economy. Sounds like a good deal to me! Glad you got some extra points!”
@therachelpaige @Walmart I want my reward! ?? @T-Smitty #fyp #fetchrewards #hilarious #viral #fypchallenge ♬ original sound – Rachel Haselden
The Mary Sue reached out to Walmart via media relations contact form and Haselden via Instagram direct message and email.
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