Craft retailer Michaels is currently battling a viral firestorm after a shopper claimed their Black Friday sales were a massive “scam” involving price manipulation. The controversy kicked off when AJ, a regular Michaels shopper who uses the handle @isitgay on TikTok, shared a video on November 30, 2025, detailing what she believes is one of the worst Black Friday scams she’s ever seen.
AJ, who said she knows the store’s typical prices well, referred to the pricing practice as “a Black Friday scam like no other.” The video quickly racked up 6.1 million views before being found by Daily Dot, fueling widespread consumer outrage just days after the massive shopping holiday.
The heart of AJ’s claim centered on a small wooden item, specifically a DIY Villages Bakery house, that she intended to purchase. She pointed out that the item had a price tag of $12.99. The store was running a 50% off Black Friday promotion, which should have made the final price around $6.50. However, AJ noted that the item’s regular price, according to an online listing and her own knowledge, was actually $6.49.
Don’t believe the lie that Black Friday has become
If that original price is accurate, the store effectively doubled the price tag to $12.99 before applying the 50% discount. This means the item was being sold “on sale” for the exact same amount as its normal, everyday price. That’s just awful for the average shopper who thinks they’re getting a deep discount. AJ explained that buying the item with the 50% off promotion actually cost more than purchasing it at the regular price the week before.
As further evidence of questionable behavior, AJ pointed out that the regular price tags had been removed from the items promoted for Black Friday. Even worse, she showed that the price check terminals, which consumers rely on to verify costs, were also missing from the store. Removing the ability to price check is a strategic move that seriously hurts consumer trust.
Michaels quickly issued a defense, telling Daily Dot that they take pricing integrity seriously and are not removing original price tags from merchandise. A representative stated that their standard practice is to list prices on the shelf and tag seasonal items individually. The company also offered a specific counter-argument regarding the wooden house.
They claimed that the regular price for the DIY Villages Bakery has “always been $12.99.” Michaels suggested that the lower price AJ saw in her online search was simply a previous sale price, not the item’s true regular price. They explained that the sale price at any time is based on the current promotion.
However, many TikTok users weren’t buying the corporate explanation. The comments section exploded with users who agreed with AJ, stating that this practice isn’t unique to Michaels. Many connected this “scammy” behavior to other huge companies like Amazon and Walmart, which they said use AI-driven “dynamic pricing” to maximize profit. AI has already sold art, and now it can sell arts and crafts.
One user summarized the feeling perfectly, writing, “Who am I going to believe, the cute lady that makes Christmas villages or the multimillion-dollar company?”
