Walmart shopper finds $3 shoes, but they ring up for $19, says the price changed 3 times—while she was in store: ‘Dynamic pricing should be illegal’

Shopping used to be a mundane yet predictable part of one’s routine. As technology infiltrates pricing on shelves, this stability is turning into a thing of the past. It seems costs are fluctuating the moment a customer enters the store. One woman shared in a five-video series how she allegedly witnessed this occur several times with a pair of kids’ sneakers at Walmart.

A Trip To Walmart

“I’ve had a hard day today,” TikTok creator Kat (@lifeaccordingtokp) begins the first video, sniffling. “But what I want to talk about is Walmart. I want to tell you guys what happened because I’m so angry.”

First, she provided context about why she visited the retailer. “My kids have outgrown their shoes and need new ones,” she says. “Everything is so wildly expensive. I thought, ‘Let me go and see if there’s anything on sale.’”

During her browsing, she says she stumbled across an $18.98 tag crossed out and replaced with the new $3 for kids’ sneakers, which she showed a photo of as proof. However, the correct shoes weren’t there.

The $3 Sneaker

“The shoe hanging below it is a purple sneaker, and I scan with my phone for that location. It comes up $18.98,” Kat says in the second clip. “So, I scan the QR code on the tag, and it takes me to a black shoe with rainbow laces.”

After more searching, she found the correct shoes. “I find them [lying] on the shelf somewhere else,” she explains. “I scan the tag on the shoe, and it comes up $3. It says on this location $18.98, marked down to $3.”

As soon as it was time to check out at the conveyor belt self-checkout, a wrench was thrown. All of the merchandise she scanned into her cart was vastly more expensive than on the floor. Panic set in, questioning the legitimate prices.

“Do I stop and pack everything back up? [Do I] go back and take pictures of everything?’” she recalls the thoughts in her mind. 

However, the shoes ringing up at a higher cost raised more questions than answers in her head. “Then, I go ring up these $3 sneakers and they ring up $18.98,” Kat says. “So, I pause, call the guy over, and I scan it with my phone, only sold online, $18.98.” 

A Walmart Price Change In Action?

“This is the same exact shoe [that I scanned] in the back of the store 20 minutes ago,” Kat says in the third video. “The guy comes over, and he’s like, ‘It’s $18.’”

When she tried to dispute this, she says he shrugged and sneered, “‘Can you prove that?’”

They would argue in circles, neither of them budging on their stances. Therefore, she hunted down the shoe’s digital price tag and snapped a photo of it, including the QR code. 

Once the employee scanned her picture evidence, the shoes were, in fact, $3. Right before her eyes, she allegedly witnessed what would be the first price of many price alterations in real time.

“‘This scares me because that means it’s choosing the price based on where I’m standing in the store,” she recalls sharing with the employee. “‘That is unacceptable.'” 

His response? “‘Man, what do you want? A manager? You’re gonna wait,’” she recalls him saying nonchalantly, followed by laughing in her face.

The Price Saga Continues

When a female manager does get involved, Kat says the manager didn’t believe her.

“‘She is telling me, ‘No. They’re $18,’” she recalls the manager saying in part four. “‘If you have time to wait, I’ll go back there and check.’”

Sure enough, she proved the customer correct, who also noticed this trend. “She comes back winded and she’s like, ‘I’m sorry. You’re right. They are $3 but I see what you mean,'” she reportedly told the creator.

“So, that woman apologizes profusely. Another employee happens to come over, we fill them in and they’re like, ‘We were worried about this,’” she recalls.

Although the manager and the other employee understood, the female boss at the customer service desk did not.

“Then the head manager comes over and says, ‘Well, I just think you’re not understanding how to use the app,’” she remembers the higher-up saying. “‘We won’t get into it. Just go and get in line and let her have it for $3.’”

However, the shopper refused to be patronized, responding, “‘That can stop right now. I’m embarrassed at how fluent I am with your app. This is a bigger deal. The price actively changed while I was in the store.’”

The supervisor was cynical, saying, “‘I think you went to Walmart.com. I don’t think you went to the store.’” 

To prove it, Kat gives the supervisor a visual demonstration of yet another alleged price swap that occurred in real time.

“I clicked on my app, I scan the shoes $18.98, but I can buy them on sale, online for $8.92, full price, $17.98,” she says. “So, now I’ve got new prices. That means you have another false price.”

@lifeaccordingtokp Today was hard and this exchange made it harder @Walmart #walmart #digital #app #fyp ♬ original sound – LifeAccordingToKP

The Concluding Walmart Installment

In the final video, Kat, the main manager and apparel supervisor, trekked to the shoe department where the sneakers were. Indeed, she was right yet again that another alleged price switcharoo occurred.

“‘Well, the shoe is not gonna ring up for $3,’” she recalls the head manager saying, adding, “‘Oh, look at that. Comes up to $18.98. I guess you can’t get it for the $3.’” 

Within an hour of this debacle, she had allegedly watched several digital price changes, including from the main boss. Even when confronted by the head manager, she refused to back down.

“‘We’re not doing that again just because you’ve now decided to change the price while I’ve been here talking to you,’” she remembers telling the manager. “I’m not mad at any human here. This is just a glimpse, tangible, provable event that this is happening.’” 

After all of the quarreling, she does end up snagging the shoes for the lower cost.

“They [allowed] me to buy it for $3,” she says.

Viewers Virtually Applauded

Kat’s saga amassed 8 million views collectively, where many in the comments section praised her for holding her ground.

“You fought for all of us today. Thank you,” one viewer commented.

“I appreciate you standing up for us all,” another echoed.

“You’re the hero we didn’t know we needed!!!” a third complimented.

“Good for you for standing up and seeing it through!!” a fourth praised.

A Prevalent Phenomenon?

Two years ago, Walmart announced the switch to digital tags, aiming to be in all stores nationwide by the end of this year in a bid to cut labor costs, improve efficiency, and accuracy. Workers can update a price tag instantly and wirelessly. However, consumers are apprehensive about the possible risks of dynamic pricing, an occurrence where costs can fluctuate depending on demand. While the retailer denies that dynamic pricing is at play, it hasn’t stopped customers like Kat from feeling apprehensive.

In December, one man filmed the price of a coffee mug allegedly changing in front of him. But it doesn’t stop there. In September, a woman was shocked to discover the rhinestones she intended to purchase had a 154% increase, which turned out to be a result of a worker not updating them to the “proper price.”

The Mary Sue reached out to Kat via email and TikTok comment as well as Walmart via media contact form.

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