Viewers were angry after a woman claimed restaurants and other corporations add hidden charges that people don't notice unless they double-check the receipt.
The woman, who goes by @alexservestea, posted the video to TikTok where it received more than 1.3 million views and 6,700 comments, with many users warning individuals to be cautious about hidden fees at various large corporations.
In the video captioned "check your receipts," Alex explained that a viral TikTok was circulating a few months prior showing a customer at Chili's paying at the self-help kiosk. In the video, the customer claimed they were being charged more than the expected total.
Alex, who said she used to work at Chili's, said she was suspicious about the video and assumed the customer used a coupon which made the tip inflated, although the customer said this was not the case.
"But now all of a sudden there's a lot of videos coming out where these companies are doing this s**t," Alex said.
In one video that Alex was tagged in, a customer at a Texas Roadhouse showed proof of their restaurant receipt which showed incorrect math. The correct total was $44.97 but the receipt said $46.95.
"Stealing two dollars," Alex said. "This one I cannot explain. Where is that extra money coming from?"
She said the customer allegedly called the manager over who said they would "look into it." Alex told Newsweek that commenters said the charge was due to a $2 upcharge that did not show up on the bill.
In another video that Alex was tagged in, a woman said she went to AMC Theaters for a movie and was charged 60 percent tax.
"She got two drinks and pretzel bites and it came out to $30," Alex said.
The woman assumed the price was just steep because it was movie theater concessions, but once she overheard another customer complaining about the tax, she decided to check the receipt.
"That's when she looked down at her receipt and noticed that they charged her 60 percent tax," Alex said. "[It was] $11.05 on $19.87. So she went back and asked for a manager."
According to Alex, the manager told the woman that the issue was happening "all day" and that it was occurring at the "corporate level" so he could not do anything about it.
She also claimed that the manager said they told corporate about the issue but that they had not fixed it.
Alex said that the customers who did not ask for a printed receipt did not even know that they were being taxed so heavily.
"Corporate is just pocketing all this money?" Alex asked. "Hi, hello, wake the f**k up people. These corporations are doing everything to f**king bleed us dry. Not only to the employees but to the consumer."
Nearly 7,000 users commented on Alex's video, many acknowledging that something similar occurred to them while they were shopping or out to eat.
"Walmart as well," one user claimed. "The prices marked are not the prices when scanned at register."
"This happened to me at Sams Club," another user claimed. "Manager spent 30 minutes trying to figure out why I got charged $2 extra."
Many users also brought up the legality of the practice, with many saying it is completely illegal.
"Class action lawsuits need to happen quickly," one user said.
"That's completely illegal to charge more tax than what their sales tax is," another comment read. "Bet the state and local auditor would be interested."
Alex told Newsweek that this is apparently occurring at most large corporations.
"According to the comments, this is happening everywhere. Someone sent me pics of Walmart overcharging as well," she said. "Retail employees are saying prices are going up quicker than staff can keep up changing tags."
Newsweek reached out to AMC Theaters for comment.
