Walmart customers using the price match promotion have tricked the company into selling $400 PlayStation 4 consoles for less than a quarter of their retail price.
Using third-party sellers on Amazon, Walmart customers were able to purchase PlayStation 4s for as low as $90, CNBC reports.
On Nov. 13, the company announced it would price-match select online retailers, including Amazon. However, any Amazon user with a registered selling account can create authentic-looking pages and list items “for sale” online.
According to the Walmart policy, customers were required to show the cashier a screenshot of the sale page to request the price match.
Walmart’s online price match policy states, “We’re committed to providing low prices every day, on everything. So if you find a current lower online price from an online retailer on an identical, in-stock product, tell us and we’ll match it.”
According to CNBC, some employees apparently did not verify the legitimacy of the online prices, as many customers have reported being able to purchase the PlayStation 4s for $90.
On social media, customers posted pictures of receipts showing that Walmart accepted and price-matched the fake Amazon listings.
On Wednesday afternoon, a Walmart spokesman told CNBC that the retailer’s policy has been updated. Stores will no longer honor prices from “marketplace vendors, third-party seller, auction sites or sites requiring memberships.”
“We can’t tolerate fraud or attempts to trick our cashiers,” Walmart said in a statement to CNBC. “This kind of activity is unfair to the millions of customers who count on us every day for honest value.”
