Do you remember this shelf tag at Target? It showed us that even the most mundane cleaning-product sale can trigger an existential crisis. The sign promises a free cleaning product if you buy a broom, and also 50% off that same cleaning product. Is the Clorox product 50% off? Is it free? Where am I? Is this real life?

We wrote to Target to ask which sale was the correct one, but they never answered us. That’s okay: we can just check on things on the ground.

Fortunately, brave reader Steve saw the sign, and who doesn’t need a broom? He picked up items in the promotion, and headed to the checkout to find out whether the cleaner was 50% off or free. The answer was…neither.

“A manager refused to honor the sign,” he wrote to Consumerist, “since it was ‘not clear if it should be free or 50% off’ and said the register was correct in pricing the cleaner at full price.”

Thank you for finding the answer for us, Steve. We should have known that the answer would be “neither” or “the cleaner costs twice as much if purchased with the broom.” That’s the only way that things make sense at Target.

We wrote to Target again to learn whether they’ve figured it out yet.

PREVIOUSLY:
At This Target, 50% Off And Free Are Pretty Much The Same Thing

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.