“Oh no no. You tell the manager.”
Tensions are flaring between Dollar Tree customers and employees as TikTok continues to spotlight budget-friendly “dupes” for high-end products. Viral finds like hand sanitizers and beauty items have sparked a surge of interest—and occasional conflict.
In a video with over 50,000 views, TikToker YourTikTokSister (@tiktocksister) shared her own frustrating experience while hunting for a “Laneige mask dupe” at her local Dollar Tree.
The Incident
The TikToker explained she was searching for the popular lip masks, rumored to rival Laneige’s $24 Lip Sleeping Mask. After failing to find them in the beauty aisle, she approached an employee she had spoken with before. The worker, who said she hadn’t seen the masks, offered to help check a shipment.
While walking together, the TikToker spotted the masks herself on a shelf in the medicine aisle. Excited, she began taking them off the hook. However, the worker allegedly grabbed the masks first, saying, “This right here?” before proceeding to remove every single one from the shelf.
When the TikToker asked for just one of the sweet mint-scented masks, the worker reportedly replied, “Be right back,” but instead moved all the masks behind the counter. At the register, the TikToker asked again, but the worker allegedly revealed that she and another co-worker had taken them all for themselves.
“I truly didn’t even know how to respond,” the TikToker said, adding that she was left “so disappointed.”
Are Workers Allowed to Hoard Products?
In the comments, viewers were quick to assure the TikToker that employees aren’t allowed to reserve products for themselves during store hours:
- “Oh no no. You tell the manager. That’s against store policy. If management doesn’t do anything, you call corporate and take pictures,” one user wrote.
- To this, the TikToker revealed, “She is the manager.”
Other Dollar Tree employees chimed in:
- “I work at DT and that was not right for her to do. You should have been able to buy what you wanted, then she could’ve gotten hers after,” said one.
- Another added, “My manager once bought an entire box of the viral winter lip masks. They’re supposed to limit customers, not hoard!”
Customers Sound Off
Dollar Tree shoppers expressed their own frustrations over similar incidents:
- “It’s crazy. I check every week and can’t find anything viral. I’m over it,” one user said.
- Another shared, “A cashier told us employees buy up all the viral items first, leaving the leftovers for customers.”
- “My Dollar Tree does this too, especially with name-brand finds like Stila lip gloss,” another added.
As TikTok drives demand for Dollar Tree’s viral dupes, customers are increasingly vocal about fairness and policy enforcement. For now, the debate over employee hoarding adds a sour note to what should be a sweet deal.
