TikTok Shop sellers have been luring bidders into livestream auctions with iPhones and iPads, then handing most winners cheap prizes like teddy bears and charging cords, according to WIRED. In the feature, called Surprise Sets, the top bidder wins a random item from a bucket of up to 500 products, most of them low-value, and angry buyers have demanded refunds after paying as much as $147 for a roughly $20 plushie. After WIRED flagged examples, TikTok rolled out a policy barring hosts from including iPhones, iPads, TVs, diamonds, gift cards, or precious metals in Surprise Sets, a change it says was already planned. TikTok bans gambling and says it does not consider the auctions gambling, but experts told WIRED the time pressure and near-miss mechanics mirror sports betting and could push younger users toward addiction.
