Did Walmart sell eggs for "illegal prices" and are $500 store credits being given to customers to "make it up"? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Walmart sold eggs at illegally high prices nor is there any evidence of consumers being able to get $500 in store credit from the world's largest retailer as compensation. The claim resembles recent claims about Walmart and other large-volume retailers that Lead Stories also has debunked.
The claim appeared in a post on Facebook (archived here) published on February 15, 2023. The post said:
W*Mart Eggs were sold for illegal prices! W*Mart hands out ~500﹩ Store Credit~ to customers to make it up 👉 Answer 4 questions to collect
This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of the writing of this fact check:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Fri Feb 17 16:13:19 2023 UTC)
Social media
The Facebook page cited in the post, "Food checks," was created on February 15, 2023, according to its Page transparency section. This is the same day the post was shared. The page only had three posts as of February 17, 2023.
Clicking the "Apply now" link in the post takes you to a page called "Walmart Eggs Settlement Program!" that shows Walmart's logo and informs users that if they participate in a four-question survey they can receive a "$500 Walmart Gift Card." The website does not appear to be associated with Walmart and the URL for the site begins with "44qwerty.info."
As Lead Stories previously reported, such links usually disappear once a click target is reached.
The site does not mention that Walmart (W*Mart) was selling eggs at illegal prices as the Facebook post suggested. It states:
Today, 17 February, 2023, you have been chosen to participate in this survey. It will only take a minute of your time and you can receive a fantastic compensation: $500 Walmart Gift Card! Only for those living in the United States! This survey aims to check if you're eligible for the $500 Walmart Gift Card.
The first question asks if the user bought eggs at Walmart last year. Here is a screenshot of the page from February 17, 2023:
(Source: 44qwerty.info screenshot taken on Fri Feb 17 16:13:19 2023 UTC)
Pricey eggs
There have been accusations of price gouging in the egg industry as prices have climbed to record levels during the pandemic. According to news organizations, the reasons include inflation, supply chain challenges and the deadliest avian flu outbreak in history, which kills birds and requires many laying hens to be killed. While a federal lawsuit filed in California alleges wrongdoing, there's been no ruling or settlement in the case. Also, members of Congress are seeking answers and have sent letters to the country's top egg companies asking for explanations.
Lead Stories contacted Walmart for comment but the retailer had not answered by the time of publication. We will update this fact check when a response is received.
For a previous Lead Stories article, "Fact Check: Walmart Was NOT 'Fined Big For Raising Prices Illegally High', Consumers Can NOT Apply To Get $500 In Store Credit," Charles Crowson, the retailer's press office director, responded via email on January 16, 2023, that Walmart's publicly accessible "Fraud Alerts" page addressed survey scams like the one in the post.
The website specifies:
Gift cards are not given away through Twitter, Facebook, or text message. If you receive a notice through one of these channels, it is likely a scam. Do not click on any links in these messages.
This is how Walmart describes its procedure for awarding gift cards to survey participants:
Surveys
Walmart In-Store Experience Survey
Walmart offers a survey, located at survey.walmart.com, from invitations appearing on receipts in our stores. Customers are offered entry to the survey through register receipts or emails from our survey team, and the survey can only be completed online. The survey participants may choose to enter a sweepstakes which offers five winners a $1,000 gift card every 3 months, and 750 winners a $100 gift card. Winners are notified via phone and certified mail. Gift cards are not given away through Twitter, Facebook, or text message. If you receive a notice through one of these channels, it is likely a scam. Do not click on any links in these messages.
Other Lead Stories fact checks of claims about Walmart can be found here.
