A Mexican medical resident is the subject of controversy and outright vitriol due to two items he purchased online from Cartier’s website. The savvy shopper was doing some intenet browsing when he spotted a pair of Cartier earrings for only 237 Pesos or about 14 USD. According to the article, Rogelio Villarreal “broke out in a cold sweat” after spotting the incredible bargain. Believing the deal couldn’t possibly be true, he went ahead an ordered two pairs of the luxury designer’s gold and diamond earrings. When Cartier realized the error – the earrings should have been priced at 14,000$ not 14$ – they offered Villarreal a bottle of champagne in compensation. A many months long debate ensued but ultimately Villarreal received the two pairs of earrings for the incredible price of 28$ (instead of $28,000). Profeco, the Mexican government’s consumer protection agency, agreed with the decision but added that a conciliation hearing is scheduled. Villarreal received the earrings but not without having to campaign for months while being openly called “a thief” for insisting the company honor the price stated on its website. Nonetheless, the earrings arrived, likely minus the bottle of champagne.
Some observers criticized Villarreal for taking advantage of what they saw as an honest mistake by the top-end jewelry company. Some claimed he should give the earrings back, or pay taxes on them. Some called him a thief. Villarreal, a doctor doing his medical residency, said he had to fight for months to get the company to actually deliver and claimed that it offered to send him a bottle of champagne instead. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
“I have the worst luck in the world and I’ve never made any money, and what I have is because I bought it,” Villarreal wrote in his social media accounts. But now, he has been able to buy two $14,000 sets of earrings for only about $28.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/mexico-cartier-earrings-bargain-b95be161f44045deb95745d5c52a5404
