A customer was almost denied a FREE reward at Target despite several signs advertising the offer.
The frustrated shopper blamed the employees for the situation, which allegedly occurred during a recent grocery shopping trip at his local store.
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Target offers its customers various discounts on goods daily and weekly.
Some of the chain’s 1,963 stores offered a “buy three, get one free” deal on first aid supplies earlier this summer, according to a TikTok clip from customer and lifestyle influencer Tammy (@thefoxypineapple).
Tammy wanted to capitalize on the campaign and showed in her video pictures of the signs she found near bandages in her store that advertised them.
“If you purchase 3 first aid items, you will receive 1 Band-Aid first aid kit free,” it says.
A date on the label also revealed that the promotion runs until August 31st, so it is likely to continue.
“It says clearly in big, bold letters ‘free,’” Tammy emphasizes in the video.
She panned up to show shoppers the sports bags themselves, which come in a variety of color and design combinations.
There was also another label on the bags that drew attention to the promotional offer: “Buy 3 participating items and receive a free bag.”
Savings rejected
As if that wasn’t clear enough, Tammy also found the offer on Target’s mobile app.
“It even shows you on their app that these patches count as a participating item for this free bag,” the shopper noted.
However, Tammy encountered complications when she arrived at the self-checkout kiosk.
In the fine print of the advertisement, the sports bag was not free, but cost $5.99.
After Tammy made several attempts to complete the purchase correctly, she called staff for assistance.
A manager allegedly told the buyer that the free label on the product did not mean what it said.
What is Target Circle 360?
In April, Target launched its first paid membership program, Target Circle 360.
For $99 per year, members get access to the following benefits:
- Unlimited free same day delivery on orders over $35
- Additional 30 days to return your items
- Free two-day shipping on hundreds of thousands of items
- 5% discount in store and online
- Automatic offers and exclusive partner benefits
A closer look
“She said, ‘If you read it carefully, it doesn’t say ‘free,'” Tammy recalled their conversation.
Tammy argued that the label clearly stated “free” in big, bold letters, but the employee allegedly told her that the retailer does not give away items for free.
Confused and frustrated, Tammy said the employee eventually allowed the deal to go through but demanded that Target take action to prevent other customers from having to fight over the promised free item.
“Why did I have to argue about it?” asked Tammy.
“Something has to change.”
Several buyers stated in the comments that they had had similar disputes with employees because of the campaign.
Some blamed an update to the Target Circle app for the price discrepancy.
Although the cause of the misunderstanding is unclear, Tammy’s complaint joins a list of several that have occurred at Target’s self-checkout lanes this year.
Some left shopping carts full of groceries in protest after the retailer introduced a 10-item limit at all self-checkouts this spring.
Others urged customers to double-check their receipts after a “strange” surcharge was charged at some self-service checkouts.
