This two-cent storage bin sparked a "bizarre" encounter for a couple at the Penticton Walmart on Feb. 13, 2023.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Anthony Koo
February 18, 2023 - 7:00 AM
A Penticton couple left the local Walmart confused after they were accused of theft for buying a two-cent storage bin.
Employees tried to stop them from leaving and one followed them out of the store on Monday morning, Feb. 13, claiming the purchase was theft and the couple was warned not to buy it.
"I was shaking because he said if we pay two cents for an item, we are thieves at that point," Maricel Koo said. "He accused us."
Koo found the small storage bin without a price tag and was surprised to find it was priced at just two cents when she scanned the barcode. She paid for it quickly.
It wasn't until after she paid and had a receipt, staff told Koo the storage bin wasn't supposed to be on the display at all.
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They filmed the interaction with the Penticton store's loss prevention employee after he followed the couple into the parking lot. The video was later posted to TikTok.
The employee explained head office will drop a product's price to two cents when it has to be pulled. That can include a recall notice or a pull notice. Sometimes staff can't get to the product before customers like Koo take it to the till.
Koo said she wasn't warned not to buy the storage bin until after she got her receipt, when an employee saw the two-cent item on the self-checkout screen.
Despite assertions from the loss prevention employee, Koo didn't care whether it was supposed to be pulled from the shelf or not since she had her receipt. He offered her a refund if she brought it back inside.
"Basically, it was a completely normal transaction and the bizarreness happened after she made the purchase," Koo's husband Anthony said. "We're always trying to find an angle to save money, but we're not trying to do anything illegal."
According to the loss prevention employee, any item can be dropped to a price of two cents but it's unclear how that's decided. Store management refused to comment on the incident or its policy on two-cent products.
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Anthony called Penticton RCMP while they were at Walmart reporting himself for theft.
"When the police showed up, they actually retreated back to the store," Anthony said. "Then the police heard our story, looked at our receipt and laughed."
Penticton RCMP told iNFOnews.ca officers "resolved" the issue, but Anthony called the store to warn them that the couple will continue to buy two-cent products when they find them.
"I also told them... if you don't want these for sale, you should price them at $9999.99, not two cents," Anthony said.
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It appears to be a Walmart policy at other locations, too. The TikTok was posted by a woman in Ontario, who appears to often find products listed for sale at two cents at Walmart. She declined an interview opportunity with iNFOnews.ca.
"I do know this, we are trying to save money. We're not trying to rip anybody off," Anthony said.
Maricel describes herself as a "couponer," stacking deals to save money or collect the most points she can at grocery stores. The couple couldn't estimate how much they save in a month, but it allows her to work only part-time and spend some of her spare time keeping track of deals. The two-cent Walmart products are just another deal on her watchlist now, if she can find them.
The Koos said there doesn't appear to be any tricks to finding two-cent products at Walmart, but they believe it's often discontinued items, especially those that are out of season.
Walmart Canada didn't respond to an interview request to explain its two-cent product policy.
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