#Wayfairgate: Viral 'child in box' Wayfair ad is fake, video doctored version of FedEx commercial
Days after the Wayfair child trafficking conspiracy theory surfaced on the Internet, some social media users are now indulging in editing and promoting fake content to fan the theory. A widely-circulated "Wayfair advertisement" is being shared on Twitter, showing clips of children opening boxes with the Wayfair logo and a child emerging out of one of those boxes towards the end of the clip. The video, which appears heavily edited, however, is not of the furniture and home goods company but of FedEx. In the original FedEx advertisement, the boxes contain the FedEx logo and include people of all age groups, including children.
The edited video was shared on Twitter by user Jack Parker Elliott @JackPElliott, who wrote: "By this is the #wayfair ad they don’t want you to see!! RT download and share before they scrub the internet!" The edited video, which shared early morning on Monday, July 13, has been shared more than 4,000 times and has received over 3.4k likes on Twitter.
Here's the link to the original video titled 'What's Inside.'
Wayfair began trending on social media on Friday morning, July 10, after thousands of people took to Twitter to indulge in a conspiracy theory, accusing Wayfair of child trafficking. The theory started after people apparently noticed that the company was charging exorbitant prices for items like storage cabinets and throw pillows, and although all of the items appeared identical they allegedly had different names written on the item descriptions. Some social media users believe that the furniture and home-goods company is selling "missing children" through their high-priced cabinets and throw pillows costing nearly $10,000 to $12,000 and $9,000.
While many social media users believed that the video was legitimate and slammed Wayfair, there were others who raised doubts on the clip's authenticity. One user wrote: "This is crazy!!! Right in our faces!!! W@yfare delivering kids in boxes!!!" While another insisted the clip was edited, writing: "If people actually believe that ending was real we are all in trouble. I'm not saying it's not happening but that box wasn't even a wayfair box lol."
When people asked @JackPElliott if the video was edited, he wrote: "It’s only barely doctored." However, there were many users who believed the video to be of Wayfair's. "An advert in bad taste at best. Getting in on the Pizzagate delivery service act. Not good, bad vibes and connotations abound," one user wrote. Another added: "When they show you who they are #PayAttention #wayfairchildtrafficking #WayfairTrafficksChildren."
While there were others who said that although they believe the Wayfair child trafficking conspiracy theory, the video was being circulated to discredit people backing the theory "Nah, she’s right. Someone edited the ending. Annoying, really. Something to discredit us if passed around?" another user on the same Twitter thread wrote while referring to one who stated that the video was edited.
Wayfair, after the allegations, had released a statement dismissing the theory, saying: "There is, of course, no truth to these claims. The products in question are industrial grade cabinets that are accurately priced. Recognizing that the photos and descriptions provided by the supplier did not adequately explain the high price point, we have temporarily removed the products from site to rename them and to provide a more in-depth description and photos that accurately depict the product to clarify the price point."