A customer who stopped by Lowe’s to grab a simple ceiling fan made a surprising discovery: installing it would cost nearly three times as much as the product itself.
In a TikTok video with over 72,900 views, he says the “easiest ceiling fan install ever” came with an unexpectedly high price tag.
How Much to Screw in a Socket Ceiling Fan?
TikToker @deadlift.d.mcgee explains he picked up a socket fanlight at Lowe’s for around $50.
“It is a ceiling fan that you screw into a light socket,” he says. “Quite literally the easiest ceiling fan installation you could ever have.”
According to him, it takes just half a minute to pull it out of the box, attach the blades, and screw it in. That’s it. No tools or electrician required. Not even a ladder, if the ceiling isn’t too high.
But when he got to the register, Lowe’s gave him an option to have someone install it for a whopping $150.
“They wanted $150 for the installation,” he says. “By the time you paid for that, you could have bought a real ceiling fan.”
He says it “took everything in [him] not to bust out laughing in the middle of the store.”
McGee adds that he’s curious how many people actually pay for the installation on this specific product. “I just cannot believe the audacity of Lowe’s to charge $150 to screw in a light bulb,” he says.
To him, it feels like something out of a joke. “I have heard jokes before of women being charged like $200 for a cigarette lighter installation,” he says. “This is about as close as that comes to being reality.”
Why Would They Offer This Service at Lowe’s?
As several commenters pointed out, this is most likely just standard procedure when Lowe’s sells an appliance that requires installation.
In this case, since it’s a fan, it would fall under the same installation cost as a regular ceiling fan—even if it just screws into a light socket.
Others added that not everyone can install a ceiling fan, even an easy one. People with mobility issues, older customers, or folks who just don’t want to climb a step stool might actually use the service.
@deadlift.d.mcgee Lowe’s had me ready to square up #construction #remodeling #house #contractor #houseflip ♬ original sound – Deadlift.D.Mcgee
The Fan Itself Got People Talking, Too
Aside from the installation fee, viewers had thoughts about the possibilities the product offers.
One commenter wrote, “Humm I am thinking about adding this to my ceiling fan so I can get a counter rotation just to see what happens.”
Another asked, “Can you put it in a lamp?”
A third chimed in, “What if I slap 3 of these on my 3-bulb ceiling fan?”
The Mary Sue has reached out to Lowe’s via email and @deadlift.d.mcgee via Instagram messages.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
