young men in mcdonald's drive thru with caption 'this is how you finesse any mcdonalds'

@drizzy9994444/TikTok

‘And cause someone to get fired?’: TikToker sparks backlash with ‘trick’ to getting ‘free’ McDonald’s

Is the viral scam even worth it?

 

Siobhan Ball

Internet Culture

Posted on Sep 14, 2021   Updated on Sep 14, 2021, 3:26 pm CDT

A now-viral guide to scamming extra food out of McDonald’s inspired mixed responses on TikTok with some calling it brilliant and others concerned about whether or not the staff members would be the ones in trouble over it.

TikToker @drizzy9994444 uploaded his video with the caption “Enough wit the school licks,” and the text “this is how you finesse any McDonald’s” overlaid on the screen. The scene opens with a car full of people picking up their order from the drive-thru window when another person appears, running quickly through the gap between the car and the window and grabbing one of the bags out of the passenger’s hand. There’s a moment showing what seems to be a shared, stunned response and then a cutaway, reopening on the contents of a McDonald’s bag. There is also purple text that reads: “gang.”

Some viewers were confused, pointing out that at McDonald’s you usually pay at the first of two windows, so the food that the friend is running off with already belonged to them.

Bro you know you gotta pay first before you get yo food
Dee/tiktok
But McDonald's has you pay at the first window?
Dee/tiktok

But the scam here is to get the restaurant to replace your “stolen” food, meaning that while you have already paid for the food the runner has made off with you’ll then get your order filled again for free. Twice as much food and all you have to do is risk getting arrested for trying to scam McDonald’s to do it.

Its not about not paying its about getting more food for a lesser price it's smart asf... just think about it what you think they got do. remake the food
Derek S./tiktok
You still pay but get even more food
Derek S./tiktok

Some people thought it was brilliant.

say y'all getting more creative every generation
Derek S./tiktok
Act broke stay rich
ReX

Some thought that considering the low price it wasn’t worth the risk.

Bruh it's McDonald's its hella cheap
ReX
Its jus McDonald's man you saved like three dollars
ReX

And some people were worried that the staff members would end up being punished for it.

and cause someone to get fired? food aint free. say this was to happen a manager would have to promo the items and ring it up for free and then
who's that?/tiktok

However, some McDonald’s and other fast-food workers clarified that they have to remake people’s orders all the time and nothing ever happens of consequence, so if people do decide to start doing this no one’s apparently getting fired for it.

as someone who works in McDonalds the managers do not care. They'll just say pull to the front for a refund or another meal
who's that?/tiktok
literally my job b remaking orders for less than this its never that deep
zemiah/tiktok

And if the comments are anything to go by there’s going to be some copycats coming soon.


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*First Published: Sep 14, 2021, 3:23 pm CDT