With Black Friday upon us, numerous consumers are quick to point out that many seasonal sales are "scams." However, that doesn't mean all promotional discounts are acts of marketing skulduggery.
Take this sale on a Blackstone prep cart Walmart shopper Bologna James Smith (@bolognajamessmith420) showed off online. In a TikTok that accrued over 500,000 views, James revealed how Walmart discounted the item to around 1/20th of its standard price.
James' video begins with their camera focused on what appears to be an unbelievable deal. Walmart is selling a Blackstone prep table cart that originally retailed for $297—a fraction of its original cost..
She writes in a caption for their video: "The deal of 2024!! Was $297 now $15 dollars!!"
It appears that the chain is using the steep discount in an attempt to offload the item. It's not clear that the sale applies to any other Walmart locations.
Walmart's website confirms the black Blackstone ProSeries 28" Serve and Store Prep Grill Cart with cabinet indeed retails there for $297.
The cart is on wheels and features a holder for a trash bag on one side and a place to hang a roll of paper towels on the other. There's also two shelves to hold various product. A drawer and cabinet door offer additional storage.
Attachment "wings" expand the top surface area of the cart. Additionally, there are metal hooks to hang utensils and a stainless steel cover that can be removed on one side. This uncovers a hanging basin to use preparing meals.
As per its description, the cart weighs a hefty 125lbs and stands 33 1/2 inches tall. Its 28 inches wide with a depth of 24 inches.
It carries a respectable 4.6 out of 5 stars from 101 different reviewers on Walmart's website.
One TikToker expressed disbelief that James was able to secure such a massive deal. "I dont know about that price show receipt," they wrote.
James assured them that Walmart was indeed selling it at this price and said they bought two of them. "It’s real I paid $15 each."
To prove her point, James uploaded a follow up TikTok that supports her claim. In the video she shows that she bought the prep cart on Nov. 19. The bill of sale indicates there were two $15.00 purchases, each with identical corresponding item numbers.
The sales tax on the "accessory" items was $2.63, which brought her total to $32.63 for two prep carts.
Others remarked that they wished they were so fortunate while shopping. One person penned, "Lord I see what you’re doing for other."
Another lamented, "I never get this lucky to find anything that cheap."
However, some skeptics thought there must be something wrong with the item to be sold so cheaply.
"Was it returned over and over for being faulty? Why else would they have it marked down to $15??" offered one.
Another echoed this sentiment. "Was a return that couldn’t be sent back to the warehouse. Went through several markdowns based on the tiny yellow stickers showing it’s been returned more than once."
This isn't the first time consumers have found massive deals at major retailers. The Daily Dot has previously reported on Home Depot's "penny deals." These sales have become the subject of debate. Some argue that the penny markdowns aren't legitimate as employees will often prevent customers from buying them.
That's because the 1-cent price tag is an indication to associates that they need to be removed from the store floor. These items are purportedly to be returned to the manufacturer for store credit. However, customers have reported being able to bring these to self-checkout kiosks and purchase them for just one cent.
The Daily Dot has also previously reported on TikTokers buying $83 Hoover vacuums for just one cent. Another TikToker posted about buying cabinet sets that retailed for $400 for just a penny.
In both instances, the customers utilized self-checkouts to purchase the items without issue.
@bolognajamessmith420 #duet with @bologna James smith #walmart ♬ original sound - bologna James smith
The Daily Dot is awaiting a response from Home Depot as to whether or not patrons are allowed to purchase these items.
In James' case, however, it appears that Walmart is promoting the slashed price of Blackstone's offering. The Daily Dot has reached out to Walmart via email and James via TikTok comment for further information.
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The post ‘The deal of 2024!’: Walmart shopper finds $297 Blackstone prep cart ringing up for $15 appeared first on The Daily Dot.
