What should have been a dream deal turned into a nightmare at a Walmart in Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico, where a pricing error sparked chaos, police involvement, and a customer’s arrest.
A viral Reddit thread and circulating video show the moment staff tried to block a man from leaving the store with a 70-inch Philips TV he had purchased for just 547 pesos (around $29 USD), which is obviously a staggering discount from its real price of about 14,000 pesos ($750 USD).
According to local reports, dozens of shoppers rushed to the store after spotting the deal online. Many managed to pay for TVs at checkout before staff intervened, refusing to hand over the merchandise despite completed transactions. Witnesses described shouting matches, scuffles, and eventually, police arriving to restore order.
The situation escalated when one customer, determined to take home the TV he believed he had rightfully bought, was detained. Both he and one of the disputed televisions were taken to the State Attorney General’s Office to “give statements and determine who was responsible.”
So far, Walmart Mexico has not issued a statement clarifying whether the deal was a legitimate promotion or a system error, leaving angry customers and social media commentators to debate the ethics.
One Reddit user summed up the prevailing sentiment:
“Surely they should honour the price they (mistakenly) listed? If the transaction was over, that’s it!”
Others compared the incident to laws in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., where retailers are often compelled to honor posted prices once a sale is complete.
Consumer advocates in Mexico point to PROFECO, the federal consumer protection agency, which requires businesses to respect posted prices in many cases. But enforcement is inconsistent, and this Walmart episode highlights a lack of clear, unified policy when massive pricing errors occur.
For the unlucky customer, instead of walking away with a bargain TV, he walked away in handcuffs, which honestly feels a little unjust — even if he probably knew the price wasn’t right.
