TikTok has become a hotbed for money-saving life hacks—but we shouldn’t always believe everything we read on the internet. And this is something user @TrailerParkGal learned the hard way after realizing that the much-rumored free Krispy Kreme deal isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.
“Rumor has it that if you go to Krispy Kreme and order one donut they give it to you for free,” she began, filming the video from her car. “So let’s see. Let’s see what’s up with that, I’m pulling up right now.” As she pulled up to the Krispy Kreme drive-thru, she added, “I’m going to be so embarrassed if they don’t, to be honest, because I’ve seen so many TikToks of people ordering and they always get it for free.”
She then ordered a chocolate donut with sprinkles, but was left shocked at the next window as she had to pay for it. “I want to speak to Mr. Krispy; Mr. Kreme. … What the f**k?” she asked. “It’s so good though.”
@trailerparkgal I love tiktok hacks 😍😍😍😍 #tiktok #hacks #lifehack #foodhack #krispykreme #donuts #freefood @Krispy Kreme ♬ original sound – Tr@ilerP@rkGal
The TikToker’s video was viewed 140,000 times. She didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via TikTok comment.
Some viewers were disappointed but not surprised by this turn of events, with one commenter asking: “Why would this even be true? Why would they give away their most popular items for free?” Numerous others informed the creator that you can only get the glazed donuts for free and that free samples were only available when the Hot Light is on. But is this actually true?
“The Hot Light signals that donuts are hot and fresh coming off the line, not a free donut,” a representative for Krispy Kreme told Delish via email. “Some shops sometimes offer samples, but that isn’t dependent on the Hot Light being on.”
Still, not all is lost, because there are two a surefire ways to get Krispy Kreme donuts outside of ad-hoc free samples depending on the store. According to the Krispy Kreme website, if you join their Rewards program, you get a free glazed donut upon joining. Then, if you earn enough “Smiles” with its reward system (100, to be exact) you can get another glazed donut for free. So, while it isn’t as simple as some TikTokers have suggested, it isn’t impossible by any means.
Krispy Kreme didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via email.