TikTok Consumers Think They’re Advertising on iPhones. Instead, They Won Teddy Bears

TikTok live stream box in front of the camera where about 250 viewers place their ads.

“This could be yours, chat,” the host says. “Wake it up.” The recipient’s face is hidden from view, their hands are only visible on the front of the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook cases. The auction starts at $1. As the counter decreases, the price increases quickly, with bids over $100 and winnings. When the auction closes, a digital prize wheel appears and spins through several possible items before landing on what the top bidder just won: the bear.

The winner was pissed. “I just paid $147 for a stuffed animal,” they wrote in the river’s chat. “When I advertised, you said I could win an iPhone, and it gave me a BB3 Zodiac,” he said, referring to

This person was not alone in their frustration. Several viewers on the stream were outraged when they invested big money thinking they would get Apple devices, only to find out their prize was a chance to spin a digital prize wheel that arrived at a bargain price. “No, no. This is false advertising. wrote another angry bidder. “Calling my bank now.” The demand for refunds was a common refrain.

This is part of TikTok’s so-called “Surprise Set,” where advertisers create buckets of up to 500 products and whoever borrows the most gets a chance to randomly choose from the available prizes. These streams often have several big ticket items, such as iPhones and iPads, to attract viewers. Some of these items are not really necessary, such as charging cables and pencils. This feature was added at the end of last year to the platform and remains the way to invite sellers on TikTok.

Most of these “Surprise Sets” for TikTok look similar: a bunch of expensive items are shown on the screen, and different crowds gather several hundred viewers at the same time to pay more and higher. If a viewer clicks on the small button at the bottom left of the screen, they can see the odds of winning each item and a full list of items that are still available.

The popularity of “Surprise Sets” on TikTok is a sign of how gambling is progressing online, indeed and

WIRED reached out to TikTok for comment last Wednesday to share examples of upset viewers who felt they were being hacked. On Thursday, TikTok released its update and what hosts are allowed to do on “Surprise Sets.” (It’s a policy that TikTok says was already in the works.) Hosts are also not allowed to include iPhones, iPads, TVs, diamonds, gift cards, or precious metals as part of the prizes that viewers can win during a surprise sale. Following the rule change, crowds appear to be following the new guidelines, with no iPhones appearing in “Surprise Sets” spotted by WIRED.

“TikTok Shop requires all sellers, including those with Surprise Sets, to accurately display the content on offer. We will take action against violations of our rules, including removing items and suspending accounts,” TikTok spokesperson Ben Rathe said in a statement to WIRED. If a buyer feels misled, they can reach out to TikTok’s customer support to review their purchase.