7 Walmart Items That Have the Most Customer Complaints
Written by
Cynthia Measom
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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There are far worse ways to spend an afternoon than browsing the aisles of Walmart. Whether you’ve come on a particular mission for anything from groceries to furniture or simply browsing to see what you didn’t know you needed, you’ll find a lot of good stuff just waiting for you on the shelves.
Unfortunately, there’s some not-so-good stuff to find as well. Not all Walmart items are created equal. According to some passionate reviewers, certain items are not budget-friendly or too expensive at best or outright harmful at worst. Reading the complaints of your fellow customers can help spare you from making a mistake at the check-out counter.
To help you save your money, GOBankingRates took a look at some of the Walmart products with the most customer complaints and poor reviews.
Poultry
When SheFinds curated its own list of poorly regarded Walmart items you shouldn’t buy, poultry was highly ranked for its poor quality. The article cited several TikTok videos that show what appears to be bacteria growing on chicken that has been poorly refrigerated.
SheFinds and the investigative TikTokers aren’t the only people who have taken notice of issues with the meat at Walmart. A recent Miami Herald news report described issues with mold and a bad bacteria buildup in meat at one Walmart market, prompting one of the harshest reviews of all — the lowest possible state inspection result.
Fresh Produce
Sadly, the fresh produce at Walmart also got some stale reviews from customers. On the site for Eat This, Not That!, Sarah Wong shared that Walmart was the unfortunate “winner” in an Eat This, Not That! Facebook poll for worst grocery chains for produce.
Readers shared that salad mixes they get at Walmart are prone to going bad days before their expiration date. They hypothesized that the issue might be related to the way that the produce is stored.
Great Value Crunchy Peanut Butter
Unfortunately, some Walmart customers don’t think this peanut butter lives up to its brand name. This spread ended up on the Eat This, Not That! list of Walmart items you shouldn’t buy, in part because of its poor showing in a peanut butter taste test held by the U.S. version of The Sun, not to mention other customer reviews.
Reviewers on the Walmart site said that they don’t feel the Walmart brand can match its brand-name competitors in terms of flavor. They also added that overly thick chunks can tear apart soft bread.
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup may be a fall staple, but you might do better smothering your pumpkin spice waffles and pancakes in a brand that doesn’t come from Walmart. Quoted in the SheFinds list of worst Walmart items, Julie Ramhold, consumer analyst with DealNews, shared that this brand is far costlier than its competitors.
Other reviewers complained of broken caps, as well as an overly sweet taste that is too reminiscent of corn syrup. One customer referred to the syrup as “sugar water.”
Fish
Nealy Fischer, founder of The Flexible Chef was quoted in Business Insider with some advice about where to find the best fresh fish — and it’s not at Walmart. She advised customers to turn to a local seafood market or even a health food store before getting fish at Walmart.
She’s not the only one who’d rather get their fish elsewhere. Reviewers on the Walmart site did not have kind words for the Atlantic salmon, citing everything from spoiled food to bad smells to inaccurate pricing.
Red Skin Potato Salad
The average customer rating for this Walmart potato salad is a lowly 1.79. Not exactly a ringing endorsement. Customers pine openly for the old recipe in their reviews, saying this new version is far too sweet, with tough and rubbery potatoes. One customer even lamented getting heartburn from this version.
Great Value Sliced Strawberries With Sugar
Ironically, the reviews for these sliced strawberries are split between five-star and one-star reviews, but the one-star reviewers make a very good case. They shared stories of mold and mildewed offerings, as well as black hairs in their food.
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