A car dealership crew humiliated a pizza guy over $7. The internet's revenge was brutal.

It remains one of the internet's most satisfying tales of instant karma, a story from 2015 that perfectly illustrates how a moment of cruelty can backfire spectacularly in the digital age. It began with a pizza delivery, a $7 dispute, and ended with a business's reputation in flames.

The incident, originally reported by CNN, involved Jarrid Tansey, a delivery driver for Palace Pizza, and the staff at F&R Auto Sales, a car dealership in Westport, Massachusetts. Tansey delivered a $42 order and was paid with $50. Assuming the extra money was a tip, he left. However, he soon received a call from the dealership demanding he drive back to return the $7 and change.

Security camera footage, later leaked to LiveLeak, captured what happened next. Tansey returned with the money but expressed his frustration at having to make a special trip for such a small amount. The dealership staff did not take it well.

Security cam footageCanva

Rather than showing understanding, they ganged up on him. After sarcastically confirming the money was returned, Tansey said, "You got your $7 back, so the world is right now." The situation then escalated, with a female employee yelling, "Out the door before I put my foot in your a."** As the staff erupted in laughter, another man chillingly added, "I want him dead." Tansey, clearly outnumbered and humiliated, left without another word.

But the internet had plenty to say.

Gif that reads "We've got your back" via Giphy

After the video went viral, public outrage was swift and overwhelming. Amanda Rogers, a former waitress who was moved by Tansey’s calm demeanor, started a fundraiser called 'Get Jarrid his tip money!' Donations, many in symbolic $7 increments, poured in from across the country.

Meanwhile, F&R Auto Sales was hit with a tidal wave of negative online reviews. The backlash was so severe the owner was forced to intervene, ultimately firing the female employee for her behavior and issuing an apology to Tansey.

Salesman at car dealership speaks to a woman in a carCanva

The incident serves as a textbook example of what researchers Christine L. Porath and Christine M. Pearson described as the hidden costs of incivility. Their work highlights how rudeness in the workplace erodes morale, damages customer relationships, and tarnishes a company's reputation.

For Jarrid Tansey, the humiliation was temporary. Thanks to the kindness of strangers, his lost $7 tip was replaced with more than $11,000 in donations. For F&R Auto Sales, it was a brutal lesson: a $7 dispute ended up costing them their reputation, an employee, and a permanent spot in the internet’s hall of shame.

Hands held up to the sky make a 'heart' signCanva

This article originally appeared earlier this year.