TikToker Claims Walmart Sold Her Lost Blanket: “Be So Serious”
On a recent shopping trip to Walmart, TikToker Devin Mira Montes (@amazingestmommy) made an unexpected discovery. She alleges that Walmart sold an item she had recently lost in the store.
“Look how trifling Walmart is,” Montes begins in her now-viral video.
“Remember I said I lost Ella’s blanket in here? Why did they pick it up, tag it, and put it in the clearance aisle?” she remarks, showing viewers a small silver blanket on a Walmart shelf. She flips it over to reveal a $7 clearance sticker.
In the caption, Montes writes, “Now I have to steal my own stuff from y’all?? Be so [expletive] serious.” The overlay text of her video boldly states, “Walmart sells lost and found items.”
Does Walmart Really Sell Lost Items?
Montes’ video quickly gained traction, amassing 2.1 million views and thousands of comments. Many viewers shared similar experiences of losing items at Walmart, only to see them reappear on store shelves with price tags.
- “Yesss, one time my sister left her wallet at Walmart (a wallet that wasn’t even sold there), and when we came back another day, it had a tag on it, hanging up, and still had all her cards in it,” one commenter revealed.
- “This happened to me with my kid’s baby doll, lmao. I just took it back,” another shared.
Why Might Walmart Sell Lost Items?
Some viewers speculated on the reasons behind this practice.
- “If they carry that product—or something similar—they may assume it’s just damaged. If it’s still usable, they’ll mark it down. If not, they’ll claim it out. It’s really not a far reach,” one viewer explained.
- “The worker probably assumed the tag got ripped off and just retagged it. They have no way of knowing if it’s been bought or not,” another added.
A Walmart employee offered further insight, saying, “If the item scans in our system, we have no way of knowing if it’s been bought or if someone just ripped the tags off, so we have to make new ones.”
Legal Context: Who Owns Lost Property?
According to Law Stack Exchange, common law principles state that misplaced objects should be turned over to the property owner (in this case, Walmart), as the true owner is likely to return for them. If the owner does not claim the item within a reasonable time, it becomes the property of the premises owner, giving Walmart the legal right to sell it.
A Viewer’s Creative Suggestion
One commenter joked, “Schools should do this to make $$$$,” prompting Montes to respond in a follow-up video.
“No, but this is actually a great idea. Our school, though, after a certain time without claiming lost items, sends out several notices. They usually just donate them to charity,” she shared.
Montes’ video has sparked conversation about lost property policies and customer experiences, leaving many to wonder about the unexpected journey their misplaced items might take.
