A Chinese tourist’s quest for the perfect Hermès bag in Bangkok turned into a jam packed can of errors.
After splurging on what she believed was a genuine luxury item, she discovered that her prized possession was nothing more than a high-end knockoff.
To add a punchline to this fashion flop, the store’s proposed refund came with a discounted tag – a mere 70% of the original hefty price.
Here’s what happened.
Ms Deng, 27-year-old Chinese national, stumbled upon what she thought was an Instagram-worthy Hermès bag on social media.
Eager to elevate her style game, she contacted the seller and sealed the deal at a second-hand store in Bangkok’s bustling Ratchaprasong shopping district on 1 October 2023 for 1.4 million baht (S$53,460.75).
Little did she know, her designer dreams were about to unravel with a plot twist – the bag was fake.
The day after purchasing the bag, Ms Deng sought the expertise of The Catch Fake Brandname (TCR), a Thai institute known for sniffing out counterfeit luxury goods.
Bet you didn’t know that this exists, eh?
The verdict? The bag failed the authenticity test.
Armed with her faux Hermès, Ms Deng confronted the store for a refund but they rejected her, implying that the bag was already worthless. However, Ms Deng did not give up. She returned, this time with the police by her side.
The store gave in and proposed a refund but with a twist.
Citing the bag’s alleged “depreciation,” they generously offered a discounted repurchase deal at just 70% of the original fortune Ms Deng had unwittingly dropped – 980,000 baht (S$37,300).
Ms Deng did hire a law firm on 6 October 2023 to assist with her case and they filed another police report on 1 November 2023.
As negotiations hit a wall, Ms Deng decided to bring her fashion disaster to the Thai media on 10 January – which is why you’re reading this now.
She went public, appealing to Thai authorities for a resolution, and was concerned about her fellow fashion victims, as only short-term tourists could reclaim their money for incidents like these.
To date, there are no updates on Ms Deng’s situation.
In Singapore, under section 49 of the Trade Marks Act (TMA), it is a criminal offence to sell counterfeit goods