Walmart TV Pricing Error Sparks Customer Chaos

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Significant chaos erupted at a Walmart store in Playa del Carmen after customers discovered televisions being sold for 299 pesos due to an apparent system error. The incident, which occurred because the product's price was allegedly entered incorrectly into the system, led to dozens of customers attempting to purchase the items at the drastically reduced cost.

According to reports, customers found 50-inch Phillips televisions marked at 299 pesos. However, upon attempting to pay at the registers, cashiers refused to complete the transactions, stating the price was an evident mistake and that the product's actual cost is significantly higher.

The refusal sparked anger among the customers, who demanded that the store honor the 299-peso price displayed by the system, arguing that the error was the store's responsibility, not theirs. In response to the escalating confusion, other Walmart employees began removing all the 50-inch Phillips televisions from the sales floor and taking them to storage warehouses to prevent further attempts to purchase them and to de-escalate the tense situation.

Social media reports indicated that customers remained inside the Playa del Carmen Walmart for several hours, insisting on the advertised price. Store security personnel prevented them from leaving the premises with the merchandise. Customers also attempted to contact officials from the Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Procuraduría Federal del Consumidor) and the store manager, but their efforts were unsuccessful. They were not permitted to purchase the televisions at the system's listed price.

After several hours, frustrated and dissatisfied, the customers were forced to leave the televisions behind and exit the store without securing the mistakenly priced goods.

On social media, the customers faced significant criticism for attempting to take advantage of the error, with many commentators noting that a 50-inch television obviously costs far more than 299 pesos. The article also notes that this pricing error was not isolated to the Playa del Carmen location. A similar incident was reported at a Walmart in Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, where a screen was priced at 547 pesos; the customer was likewise not allowed to leave with the product. Additionally, employees at a Bodega Aurrera in Cancún were seen moving televisions into a storage room, suggesting a similar issue occurred there.