Man Buys GH₵171K Designer Cartier Earrings For GH₵171 After Advertising Error
- Luxury Jeweler Cartier erroneously listed their GH₵171,888 earrings for GH₵171 in an advertisement.
- Rogelio Villareal, a medical student, came across the advert and immediately purchased two pairs of earrings
- Later, Cartier tried to cancel the order and even offered Villareal a compensation package, which he declined
A Mexican man, Rogelio Villarreal, has received designer earrings worth $13000 (GH₵171,888) after paying only $13 (GH₵171).
Source: UGC
How did Rogelio Villareal pay GH₵171 for GH₵171,888 earrings?
Villareal had never heard of the French luxury jeweller Cartier until an advert appeared on his Instagram feed in December.
Curious, he clicked through to see various luxury items—watches, necklaces, and handbags—all with eye-popping price tags.
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But one item caught his eye: a pair of earrings, slender studded 18-carat rose-gold cuffs lined with diamonds, listed for just 237 Mexican pesos, about $13 (GH₵171).
Intrigued by the unusually low price, he bought two pairs.
What did Cartier do after Rogelio's purchase?
Later, the price for the earrings on the Cartier website was corrected to 237,000 pesos—more than $13,000 (GH₵171,888).
What followed was a months-long dispute between Villareal and the luxury jeweller.
According to the New York Times, Cartier attempted to cancel the order several times, citing the unavailability of the earrings.
They later admitted that the price was incorrect and offered Villarreal a gift as compensation—a bottle of Cartier Cuvée champagne and a leather Cartier item.
Rogelio Villareal's response to Cartier compensation package
He declined the offer and opted to fight back, citing a federal consumer protection law in Mexico that requires companies to honour the terms and conditions of a sale.
Using the contact form on Cartier's website, Villarreal referenced this law and filed a complaint with the federal Consumer Protection Agency, which oversees disputes between consumers and retailers.
The agency has a history of mediating cases where retailers change prices after a sale.
Though Cartier attempted to resolve the issue through arbitration, the agency summoned the jeweller for mediation.
The Consumer Protection Agency can't force companies to honour pricing errors but can impose fines or penalties. If no agreement is reached, either party can take the case to court, where the listed price might be declared invalid due to error.
However, the New York Times reports that Cartier decided to settle.
Ahead of a mediation hearing, Villarreal received notice that his order would be fulfilled.
The following week, he announced that the earrings had been delivered, sharing a photo of two small boxes wrapped in wax-sealed paper.
"War is over," he wrote in a social media post.
Reactions to Villarreal's victory were mixed. Some praised his determination, while others, including Mexican Senator Lilly Téllez, criticized him for exploiting a mistake at someone else's expense.
“It is wrong to take advantage of a mistake to the detriment of another person,” she wrote, adding, “even if the law supports you.”
Despite the criticism, Villarreal was relieved that the ordeal was over.
He planned to sign an agreement to close the case with the consumer protection agency.
As for the earrings, he had a special person in mind: "I'm excited," he said. "Those earrings are for my mom."
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
