In a viral TikTok video, a convenience store worker shares a story of how they were allegedly harassed by a customer over sales tax.
On June 1, user @0liviamillerr posted a video detailing how a customer refused to pay for a $3.99 bag of chips with tax—which is $4.51. She re-enacted the incident by portraying both herself and the customer.
@0liviamillerr #fyp #foryoupage #ontario #olg #conveniencestore #taxes ♬ original sound – Liv
“I’m sorry, but who are you to tell me how much money I’m spending or not spending,” the TikToker claims the customer said. “Like, if it says $3.99, that’s what I’m paying. I’m not going to give you extra money for you and the owner.”
“Do you want it or not? I’m not going to fight you over taxes,” she responds.
The customer then continues to say that they want the bag of chips for $3.99, the price before tax. The worker declines his request, noting that she has no power in deciding sales tax or the pricing of products.
She says the customer called this “outrageous,” before continuing: “How am I supposed to teach my daughter to grow up in a society where people like yourself take extra money from people like myself?”
After more back-and-forth, the worker tells the customer to take their issue up with the store’s owner. “I have no control over whether or not you’re paying taxes,” she says.
Following another request that she ring up the chips without tax, the TikToker claims that the customer responded: “How am I supposed to tell my daughter that you’re not allowing her to get the chips that she wants?”
When she told the customer that she is physically unable to adjust the price, she says the customer gave up and left.
At the end of the video, the creator added that her gas station does not do tax exemptions.
The video has received over 80,000 views and left many viewers shocked at the customers behavior.
“POV: yes, I am solely in charge of the government,” one user joked.
“Have they just not bought anything in their entire life? that’s how it’s always worked?” another questioned.
“Tell me you can’t afford the bag of chips without telling me you can’t afford the bag of chips,” a third viewer speculated.
Others shared similar experiences in which customers complained about the cost of items, which they have no control over.
“At my job every single day. They complain cause the prices are rising like I have any control over that,” one user wrote.
“When people heckle me over minor (cents!) price disputes at work I just walk around the store picking change off the floor for them,” another jokingly added.
The Daily Dot reached out to the user @0liviamillerr via TikTok comment.
Source: https://www.dailydot.com/irl/convenience-store-sales-tax/