“How does this even happen?”: Boomer mom orders a bowl from Walmart Marketplace. She can’t believe what arrives

It appears Walmart Marketplace is starting to give AliExpress, and customers aren’t happy about it.

Would you make the same mistake?

In a viral video with more than 1.7 million views, content creator Megan Schmutte (@megan.schmutte) shared her mom’s unfortunate shopping mishap.

While some commenters are dragging her mom for the mistake, it’s a situation that even the most internet-savvy person could have fallen prey to.

In the video, Schmutte’s mom is holding a flat package from Walmart in her hand, already looking disappointed.

“When my mom orders a bowl from Walmart…,” the text overlay reads.

But when she pulls the package out, it’s very clearly not the bowl she was expecting, well, kinda.

“…and it comes as a license plate.”

A bowl of sorts did come in the package. However, it was a large printed image of the 3D floral bowl she thought she had ordered.

@megan.schmutte you’ll get em next time!!! #walmart #bowl #scammed #boomer ♬ Chopin Nocturne No. 2 Piano Mono – moshimo sound design

“You’ll get ’em next time!!!” Schmutte jokes in the caption.

What is Walmart Marketplace?

It used to be that if you bought something from Walmart, it was guaranteed to come from the retailer itself.

You could trust that you were gonna get the same level of quality control, customer service, and straightforward return policies that Walmart stores were known for.

However, since 2009, Walmart has seemingly adopted the Amazon business model of allowing outside vendors to sell on its site with the launch of Walmart Marketplace, as reported by CommerceIQ.

That change dramatically shifted the shopping experience. Now, when you search Walmart’s website, you’re just as likely to see products sold by third-party merchants as you are to see items shipped directly from Walmart.

Walmart Marketplace controversy

The marketplace expansion has opened the door to greater product variety and competitive prices, but it’s also blurred the lines of accountability. Customers often don’t realize they’re buying from an independent seller until something goes wrong: a defective product, a misleading listing, or an impossible return policy.

Unlike Walmart’s own merchandise, which is subject to strict standards, these third-party sellers vary widely in quality and reliability.

And while Walmart has marketed this shift as a way to give customers more choice, critics argue that it has created confusion and risk. Shoppers now have to read the fine print and vet sellers themselves. Previously, they never had to worry when Walmart was the sole gatekeeper of its shelves, both physical and digital.

“Literally how does this even happen?” a top comment reads.

“I ordered an eyebrow pencil and got a piece of paper that said ‘thank you for shopping with us’ typed on like Microsoft Word,” a person shares.

“Always have her click the ‘in-store’ option, and nothing will be fake lol,” another suggests.

“Please tell me she’s going to display it in the kitchen,” a commenter jokes.

The Daily Dot reached out to Schmutte for comment via TikTok direct message and comment and to Walmart via email.

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