“Nah, she’s right”: Woman rejects $898 Walmart ring, says it proves her boyfriend “doesn’t listen”

A popular Threads post launched new relationship discourse after one woman revealed why she rejected her boyfriend’s engagement ring. She claimed that her refusal was not about the price, but about his failure to deliver the kind of ring she wanted despite telling him multiple times.

Does the ring matter in a marriage proposal?

Last week, Threads user Priscilla (@prissyxoxo25) started the debate by posting images of the ring and her text conversation explaining to her boyfriend why her answer was “no.” She asked for her followers’ thoughts and got more than she may have expected.

Her boyfriend’s initial message revealed that it was a public proposal, which is a choice, and said that her rejection left him feeling “crushed.”

Priscilla explained to him that “it’s not even about embarrassing you, it’s about you not listening.” She said that she had told him “more than once” what kind of ring she wanted, and the $898 piece from Walmart isn’t it.

“I still spent $900 regardless of where I got the ring,” her boyfriend argued. “I put so much effort into this.”

Priscilla, however, did not believe he put enough effort into the purchase—because it’s not the ring she wanted. She claimed that his failure in this respect means that “you don’t really hear me,” adding that she wants “to feel chosen not just proposed to.”

The price of the ring may be a bit low, even if that wasn’t the biggest problem. Earlier this month, Bustle surveyed a number of brides and found that the average engagement ring price rang in at $6,988. Still, many commenters understood that the real problem was a simple failure to listen.

When a proposal becomes a communication test

Though some sided with her boyfriend, most responding Threads users got Priscilla’s point. Some shared images of either simple engagement rings that matched exactly what they told their partners they wanted or incredible custom-made rings that showed real thought and effort.

Others explained it in a way that Tyler might understand.

“Let me translate for men: You are a diehard Eagles fan and all you want is a Randall Cunningham jersey to hang in your man cave,” wrote @elle_lowe80. “Your gf knows this cuz you’ve shown her THE EXACT jersey and where to get it from MANY TIMES.”

“For your bday she invites your friends and fam over to watch her give you a TROY AIKMAN jersey becuz that’s all they had at TJ Maxx, AND she EXPECTS you to HAPPILY hang this on your wall 4EVER.”

“It’s not about the ring,” @rubyyyork explained. “It’s about her stating her needs and him dismissing them. That’s a deeper issue than a Walmart ring. I’m on her side.”

Not feeling heard or getting one’s needs met is a classic relationship killer. Unfortunately, men don’t seem to have the best reputation when it comes to these simple tasks. Some, however, are stepping up.

“For centuries men have been praised for simply attempting the bare minimum and women are expected to do the praising,” wrote @eileenkmyers. “Women are evolving and men like this are hopefully going extinct.”

“Remember ladies: Travis Kelce remembered the specific jeweler Taylor mentioned EONS ago and tucked that away in his brain,” @kristy.leigh.86 pointed out. “He created her a secret garden. He proposed just the two of them, no public spectacle. In short: if he wanted to, he would.”