4 More Dollar Tree Items That Have the Most Customer Complaints

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Dollar stores are popular due to their low prices, not because of the quality of their products. However, inexpensive doesn’t always mean cheap, and retailers like Dollar Tree are booming because they offer deep discounts on decent products — sometimes, at least. 

In other cases, customers buy products that force such a severe compromise between cost and product integrity that the item simply isn’t worth the money, no matter how little they paid — and they warn other buyers to stay away with negative reviews and customer complaints. 

The following Dollar Tree products have earned the scorn of previous purchasers and might be best left alone.

E-Circuit Super Heavy Duty Batteries

The term “super heavy duty” alludes to power and durability, but when it comes to Dollar Tree’s E-Circuit brand batteries, it’s just a marketing slogan written on product packaging. 

The AA size gets a miserable 2.8-star rating, with the rest of the lineup not doing much better. Some customers complain that they ran out in a week. Others lasted just hours. 

That’s not to disparage the entire E-Circuit brand. Its alkaline batteries, sold in red packaging, earn much higher marks, but the Super Heavy Duty line, packaged in blue, is built with inferior carbon zinc. The small print reads “for low-drain devices,” but even customers who are aware of this and use them for suitable applications, such as remote controls, tend to wind up with buyer’s remorse.

Essentials Garbage Bags

Dollar Tree shoppers would be wise to avoid Essentials garbage bags if they value the advice of buyers who give them a combined 1.8-star rating. Top complaints include: 

• “Horrible even for $1.25.”
• “Do not purchase.”
• “Waste of money.”
• “Falls apart placing into trash can, ugh!”
• “TRASH! Trash bags.”

Tool Bench Nylon Cable Ties

Walmart sells 100-count packs of zip ties for $0.89, a far superior bargain than Dollar Tree’s eight-count packs of Tool Bench nylon cable ties for $1.50 — but quality is a bigger reason to stay away than quantity.

Customers, who give them a dreadful 1.8-star rating, overwhelmingly report that Dollar Tree ties are an unreliable waste of money. The fiercest customer grievances include: 

•  “Don’t buy these… they have zero hold!”
• “Worthless.”
• “Absolute garbage.”

Jot Dry-Erase Markets and Highlighters

If Dollar Tree is among your back-to-school shopping destinations, unsatisfied customers recommend avoiding Jot brand dry-erase markers, citing “poor quality” and “not a good deal if only half of them write.” 

One reported that “color faded with first use.” A two-star reviewer stated, “Tip failed on first use, hilarity ensued,” before concluding, “Trash marker, one extra star for the laugh though.”

The brand’s line of highlighters garners a similarly bleak customer backlash, as well.

Editor’s note: Prices are accurate as of Sept. 29, 2025. Prices and availability may vary by location.

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