A man made an unpleasant discovery when he got his groceries home from Walmart. The chicken that the store listed as one weight did not in fact match that amount. Not even close.
Now he’s going viral for accusing the nation’s largest retailer of what is, if true, essentially theft.
TikToker @housethornhill films himself weighing a large package of boneless, skinless chicken breast on a digital scale.
“This is Walmart’s chicken. It’s saying it’s six pounds. 6.39,” he says.
Then he places it on the scale.
“‘But if you weigh it, it’s four pounds,” @housethornhill says. The weight displayed on the scale clocks in at 4.4 pounds.
The chicken cost $16.42 at a displayed rate of $2.57 per pound, which corresponds to the 6.39 pounds listed on the package.
The creator is clearly displeased.
“What yall think about this #scam,” he writes in the caption.
His post has 355,000 views as of this writing.
Walmart did not respond to an inquiry sent via contact form on its website.
What’s going on with Walmart’s meat?
This isn’t the first time Walmart has been accused of selling meat that weighs less than the package states.
In 2023, Walmart settled a $45 million class action lawsuit accusing it of inflating the weight of meats it sold. Walmart denied the claims but agreed to the settlement.
The suit alleged that Walmart’s point-of-sale software was intentionally programmed to “falsify weights, unit prices and ultimate product prices.” Plaintiffs claimed that it wasn’t a mistake, but “a programmed fraudulent scheme” to overcharge customers.
Some customers were entitled to refunds of up to $500, per the terms of the settlement.
‘This is why they took the scale out’
Walmart hate oozed in comments on @housethornhill’s post. Many pointed out that the weight of the chicken he purchased includes the packaging.
“When you open it, and remove the chicken, it’s literally sitting in a diaper that adds weight,” one wrote.
Another opined that incidents like this are why people are boycotting Walmart. “They are cheating you every way they can,” they added.
Several referenced the class action lawsuit settlement over inflating meat and produce weights.
One user urged the creator to contact the department of weights and measures. As USAGov explains, “The Office of Weights and Measures (OWM) promotes uniformity in U.S. weights and measures laws, regulations, and standards to achieve equity between buyers and sellers in the marketplace.”
Others suggested that Walmart should be fined, sued, or otherwise penalized.
Another common refrain was that Walmart intentionally removed scales from its stores so people couldn’t spot check weights.
“This is why they took the scale out of stores like we had as kids,” wrote one.
At least one person thought that the specific Walmart probably wasn’t to blame.
“Walmart sells mostly a case ready product. It’s packaged, weighed and priced at the plant where it’s produced. Check the Est number to find out where it was produced,” they advised.
The creator didn’t respond to a direct message sent via TikTok.
@housethornhill What yall think about this #scam ♬ original sound – House blue rose
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