Subscribe for updates

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

  • Home
  • COOKBOOK
  • Blog
  • ABOUT
↑
  • Home
  • Farm Life
    • Chickens
    • Gardening
    • Survival
  • Money Savin’
    • Best Deals On
    • Thrifty Tips
  • Recipes
    • Freezer Meals
    • From Scratch
    • Frugal Recipes
  • Oils
  • ABOUT
  • Contact
  • WORK WITH ME

Happy Money Saver

A thrifty blog with freezer meals and DIY recipes.

  • Recipes
    • Cookbook
    • Freezer Meals
    • Vintage
    • Family Favorites
  • Money Savin’
    • Gift Ideas
    • Best Deals On…
    • Thrifty Tips
    • Happy Thoughts
    • Black Friday
  • Farm Life
    • Chickens
    • Gardening
    • Survival
  • DIY
    • Around My Home
    • Health & Oils
    • Cleaning Recipes
    • Beauty Recipes
    • Get Some Essential Oils

Home » Money Savin' » Ripped off at Walmart – Money Saving lesson learned

Ripped off at Walmart – Money Saving lesson learned

This post may contain affiliate links. See the disclosure policy for more information.
93.4Kshares
  • FACEBOOK
  • YUMMLY
  • EMAIL THIS!

For the past few years I have purchased my boneless skinless chicken breasts from places like Albertsons, Costco and every once in awhile even Walmart.

The last few times I have come home from Walmart with a package of chicken breasts I got this feeling like something just wasn’t right.

The styrofoam package and the little juice-soaker-upper thingy (I know… real technical) felt almost as heavy as the chicken breasts inside. I had this nagging feeling that I was getting ripped off.

So last week when I brought home another package of chicken from Walmart I decided to go with my gut and actually weigh the chicken and package.

In the store the price said $2.09 per lb. That’s an okay price – I usually get better deals at Zaycon.

Here is the package I brought home.

2013-09-26 15.38.34

2013-09-26 15.38.46

I paid $10.74 for the package.  It says there is 5.14 lbs of chicken inside. At $2.09 per lb the price is correct.

So the first thing I did was to set the whole package on the scale to see if it was 5.14 lbs.

2013-09-26 15.40.44

Ummm…nope! It weighs 4.938 lbs.  So right there the price is off. I measured a few other items to make sure my scale was accurate first and it was.

I did read on the packaging it says “Contains up to 15% natural chicken broth.” I was assuming that it was injected into the chicken breasts or something, but I noticed a TON of chicken juices in this package. I think that is kind of weasly, don’t you?

Next I decided to take out all the chicken and see how much that weighed by itself.

2013-09-26 15.42.172013-09-26 15.43.32

This is all the chicken in the package. I tared the scale and then put the chicken on the scale.

3.97 lbs.

I knew it. Oh the humanity. I was irritated and annoyed at this point. I should have only paid $7.92 for this package at $2.09 per lb.

Still,  I wanted to weigh just the package and juice-soaker-upper thingie.

2013-09-26 15.44.27

This weighed almost exactly ONE pound.

So…that $2.09 per pound price is now $2.71 per pound.

Sneaky sneaky packaging.

I feel cheated. Duped. Bamboozled (yeah, I just went there. ) I wanted to run to my computer and share this all right away. But I was nervous. I mean posting online that I was ripped off at Walmart? What if I got the Oprah treatment? (sued)

Well, just in case, I will leave this little disclaimer…this problem may have only been at my local store and not chain wide.

One Week Later

I bought chicken again, this time I happened to be at Winco. The chicken was priced at $2.09 per lb again.

IMG_2414  IMG_2415

On the package it says it should be 4.04 lbs, but it was actually 4.15 lbs! Way to go Winco…you actually considered the weight of the packaging!

When I weighed the chicken it was spot on at 4.04 lbs. Their styrofoam package was not nearly as heavy as the Wally world one. Sheesh.

So anyways, I was going to say to always avoid these kinds of packages and just go for either the frozen bags at Costco or fresh from a deli. But Winco surprised me that they actually are honest in their policies of weighing the meat.  (Big slow clap for Winco!)

As for Walmart – I didn’t call customer service or complain to them in store.  We ate the $3.00 lb. chicken and it was tasty. No problems in the quality of the product, the problem I have is the jacking up of the price because of the packaging dishonesty.

I plan on going in again with my scale and see if it happens again. And if it does I will complain.

So watch out for chicken cheats and always try to get what you paid for because if you’re not careful you may end up paying over two dollars for a piece of slimy chicken juice packaging.

Oh and question everything my friends. If you feel something is wrong, it probably is.

Pssssst...

Make sure to follow along with @HappyMoneySaver on Instagram, connect with me on Facebook and pin along with me on Pinterest!.

Want all the latest straight to your inbox? get the Happy Money Saver Newsletter straight to your inbox!

October 10, 2013
Money Savin', Thrifty Tips

Comments

  1. william haney says

    January 11, 2020

    January 2020
    I have found the same issue with frozen seafood at Krogers. When thawed out, the water content of the seafood made a substantial difference in weight which obviously drives the cost per pound up.

    Reply
  2. Rando says

    January 4, 2020

    It’s January 2020, currently in Nashville

    This issue occurs with the kroger brand chicken breast… Fairly consistently..

    I don’t have exact numbers on hand… But there’s been times where the numbers were dramatic:
    Eg, |5# package yielded nearly 2.5-3#… At 2.49/lb… This bumped it up to ~5/lb

    I found this same problem at kroger in Columbus Ohio

    I’ll say that I’d still get these as usually it still comes out to a better value…

    I did attempt the national weights and measures folks but was told that I should contact the state… It seems that something needs to occur nationally as this extends beyond state lines

    Reply
  3. Keasha Bellamy says

    January 3, 2020

    This is the 4th time I have ordered groceries from Walmart and been charged the wrong price. The Chuck roasts are marked on the package as $10 and change and $11 and change. I’m constantly being charged and exact amount of $14.13. I have contacted a manager all times, and been told it would be taken care of, and I’d receive a refund. I have never received a refund, and yet again I get charged the $14.13 again. I’m so frustrated. Tomorrow they are taking care of this. Can you imagine how many people are being overcharged, and how much they are making??? Please people check your prices. Especially on your chuck roasts

    Reply
  4. Craig Smith says

    September 21, 2019

    This just happened to me last week. It’s so incredibly frustrating. I feel ripped off and cheated. Shame on them.

    Reply
  5. Kat says

    August 4, 2019

    It’s mid 2019 and this is STILL a problem!! We just got ripped off too! The package said 2.06lbs and when we put it on our scale it wasn’t even 2lbs!

    Reply
  6. Sarah S Campbell says

    May 7, 2019

    Gotta be a snartass…in every situation I guess.

    Reply
  7. Amy says

    November 28, 2018

    Here in Winston Salem, NC I came across this issue and that is how I found this site. I DID contact the dept of Weights and Measures who went out within 24-48 hours and found that, indeed, there was a problem.

    I was told that all of the packages inspected were under, as much as 1/3 of a pound and that adds up. He said emails were going out and possibly all of the NC Walmarts were going to be inspected. After 2-3 weeks they will all go back out and if there is still an issue they will go to the plant where it comes from and start handing out big fines.

    However, I am wondering if the consumers have any recourse. This is an issue that is at least 5 years old. This means Walmart has been basically ripping us off and not giving us what we’re paying for. It adds up. It’s the bigger picture and if just the ONE store is selling about 40 packages a day (says the mgr) at an average of a 55 cent rip off that’s over 8k a year. One store. One product.

    Reply
    • Sarah S Campbell says

      May 7, 2019

      Really appreciate your help and information shared.

      Reply
    • Richard Kahn says

      July 18, 2019

      Hi Amy, I have owned a restaurant for the past 3 years and at times need to use the local supermarkets for fill-ins. I have noticed also that the weights on the packages do not portend to the exact need weight of the chicken within. I have lots of information and documentation and have contacted a class action attorney that I have used on another case involving BMW. If you are interested in possibly being part of a class action if the firm takes the case, please feel free to contact me at 864-412-5555 and ask for Richie.
      I hope we can put an end to this deceptive and cheerful practice of shortchanging us the consumers. Thanks for your posting. Richie Kahn

      Reply
  8. michael says

    April 6, 2018

    I see this is a rater old post but I’ll respond anyway– you should not hesitate to contact your state’s Dept of Weights and Measures, or Federal, if need be. These things are investigated and if found to be an actual practice (not an oversight) there are stiff fines to the violators.

    Reply
  9. robert says

    March 10, 2018

    Another Walmart Folly: Yesterday I bought 5 bags of 10 pound ice at Walmart at 2.00/bag. You pay first and then load later. As I was loading my basket, the bags felt light. I was in a hurry though so could not explore this more at the time.

    Today, we had one bag left and I weighed it. Yup, weighed only 6 pounds! So, instead of a .20/pound, I paid .33/pound.

    Reply
  10. Frank T Oneill says

    January 3, 2018

    I have just been through the same thing with Tyson boneless, skinless chicken breast from Walmart. The package said the net weight was 4.13 lb but the true net weight excluding the “fresh-pack” (aka “that puffy thing”) was 3.38 lb for a difference of 0.75 lb or 12 ounces. I called the Tyson customer service line and the lady, clearly a Arkansas resident, slowly and carefully explained that the weight on the package included the fresh-pack and the wrapping. This is in fact the gross weight and not the net weight and, despite a thorough search through “The Joy of Cooking”, I have been unable to find a recipe for “the puffy thing Tyson’s proposed remedy is to send me a check for $3.00. That will just about pay for a trip to the store or perhaps to the Weights and Measures people. If this weight difference is a routine practice then Tyson is consistently short-selling consumers by 19% and does not seem to be overly concerned.

    Reply
    • Richard Kahn says

      July 18, 2019

      Hi Frank, I have owned a restaurant for the past 3 years and at times need to use the local supermarkets for fill-ins. I have noticed also that the weights on the packages do not portend to the exact net weight of the chicken within. I have lots of information and documentation and have contacted a class action attorney that I have used on another case involving BMW. If you are interested in possibly being part of a class action law suit, if the firm takes the case, please feel free to contact me at 864-412-5555 and ask for Richie.
      I hope we can put an end to this deceptive and cheerful practice of shortchanging us the consumers. Thanks for your posting. Richie Kahn

      Reply
  11. Steven Littlejohn says

    September 11, 2017

    Way late on this, but, tonight I decided that the Walmart chicken you speak of has way too much sodium in it. Hate fake stuff. So I’m trying a different type, their Marketside frozen brand of boneless breast. 75 grams of sodium. On you weight stuff, try a can of Walmart tuna, or canned peas. The normal packed in water tuna has junk in it that gives me heartburn. Chicken of the sea’s packed in Olive oil doesn’t. Tuna packed in an under pressure pack cost a bit more, but it’s better. Life in the store is creepy. Walmart brand Honey Cheerios…small box is so much cheaper than the large box. Weird. Same with a lot of larger sizes. I hate that.

    Reply
  12. Severine says

    December 6, 2015

    This actually happened to me with a package of chicken from Publix. So not confined to just Wally World…unfortunately. Sigh.

    Reply
  13. George Texstel says

    September 30, 2015

    I think Wal-Mart’s – and other store’s – boneless chicken breasts are missing FLAVOR.
    I noticed this in the last year or so in chicken thigh fillets as well, (and don’t get me started on the pork they sell in this part of Texas).
    I located a little of the missing flavor in bone-in, skin-on cuts, and the rest in whole birds. I’m not sure what this is going to do to my regular cooking. I may be getting bones in my Chinese stir-fry, but I am not going to eat meat that doesn’t have satisfying flavor.

    Thank all of you for your entries on this blog – I read and learned from each one. —George

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Karrie

Hello & Welcome!

I'm Karrie. Come join me on my money savin' adventures but beware: you may find yourself wanting backyard chickens, making freezer meals and dancing along with me to 80's music.
About KarrieInstagramFacebook

Popular Recipes

Best EVER Homemade Carpet Cleaner Solution

15 Actually Easy Freezer Meals (Seriously!)

toilet with pou pourri spray

What’s that smell? – DIY Poo Fragrance Spray for the Bathroom

The Master Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

The Thrifty Lazy Way to Clean your Glass Stovetop

Making 50 Freezer Meals in one Day

It’s Soup Season!

Simple Chili With Smoked Sausage

Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Recipe

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup (Freezer Meal)

This Chorizo Black Bean Soup is a fun alternative to a more traditional bean soup with the flavors of spicy chorizo and fresh lime juice.

Chorizo Black Bean Soup

Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup

search

by Topic

archives

About  |  Contact  |  Privacy Policy
Copyright ©2021, Happy Money Saver. All Rights Reserved.
Design by Pixel Me Designs