Rogério Villarreal said he didn't know anything about French jeweler Cartier when the ad appeared on his Instagram feed last December. He clicked on it and perused pages of handbags, watches, necklaces, and other high-end items listed for thousands of dollars each.
Villarreal, who lives in Mexico, then noticed a pair of earrings. It was a thin, diamond-lined 18k rose gold studded cuff that cost just 237 Mexican pesos, or about $13.
“I was surprised when I saw the price of the necklace and said 'someday,' until I saw the earrings,” said Villarreal, 27. wrote on social media. “I swear I'm breaking out in a cold sweat.”
He bought two pairs. The price of the earrings was then adjusted on Cartier's website to cost him 237,000 pesos, or more than $13,000.
The purchase sparked a months-long battle between Villarreal, a surgeon from the northern state of Tamaulipas, and Cartier, with hundreds of social media users cheering, some mockingly following, and even the Mexican Senate. Lawmakers also weighed in on the debate. But Villarreal said Friday she received the earrings at a deeply discounted price and said she had someone special in mind for the recipient.
“I’m especially excited for my mom,” he said. The earrings are hers. ”
This sweet deal did not come to fruition without some resistance.
Within a week of the purchase, Villarreal said Cartier began a series of attempts to cancel the order, first saying the earrings were unavailable.
When Mr. Villarreal refused to cancel the order, he began receiving phone calls from company representatives.
The man said that he was told, “The price of the earrings I ordered was not appropriate, so I would like to cancel the purchase, and that it would be a nuisance, so I would give it as a gift.''
As “compensation” and “a gesture from the Cartier family,” the company offered a free bottle of Cartier Cuvée Champagne and Cartier leather goods, according to an email sent to Villarreal.
He refused the gift and decided to fight back, using the contact form on the company's website to inform Mexico that suppliers of goods could be taken to court “if they do not comply with the following conditions”: It cited federal consumer protection laws. A product or service is purchased.
Cartier did not respond to several requests for comment.
Villarreal found the terms of the sale on Cartier's website in Mexico. It states that any disputes may be referred to the Federal Consumer Prosecution Service for “mediation.”
So he did just that. He filed a complaint with the Matamoros branch of the Federal Consumer Protection Agency.
The agency has a role similar to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and has a history of intervening on behalf of consumers when retailers change list prices after a sale.
In February, the Consumer Affairs Agency called on consumers to join a class action lawsuit against Sony, which canceled orders for the PlayStation 5 that was offered at a 30% discount on a Mexican website.
Consumer protection laws are very well known in Mexico, and people use social media to post about incorrect prices on Amazon and other retailer websites, according to El Economista, a financial newspaper in Mexico City. is widely viewed and shared. news.
Villarreal said the Consumer Affairs Agency subpoenaed Cartier for arbitration, and the government made several attempts to broker an agreement. Officials said they cannot share information about unsolved cases with anyone outside of the group.
Jorge López Zozaya, a general counsel in Mexico City, said the consumer protection agency can impose fines and other penalties if it finds a company negligent, but it cannot force companies to comply with the prices they offer. He said he could not. If an agreement cannot be reached, either party can ask a judge to resolve the grievance.
Zozaya said Mexican law does not extend protection to consumers when the listed price is clearly wrong.
“If this case had gone to court, it probably would have been resolved in Cartier's favor,” Zozaya said.
However, the issue seemed to have ceased. Ahead of a Consumer Affairs Agency arbitration hearing next week, Villarreal said on Monday that she had received notice from Cartier that her order would be fulfilled, and on Friday announced delivery of the earrings. Cartier or its distributor could not be reached to confirm the agreement.
“The war is over,” he wrote in english in a social media post on Monday.
Villarreal said the earrings arrived on Friday and shared a photo of two small boxes wrapped in paper with wax seals. “Once upon a time, it was December,” he wrote in a social media post.
While some users praised his tenacity in trying to force Cartier to comply with the terms of purchase, others, including a Mexican senator, said he abused consumer protection systems for his own benefit. he accused.
“It is wrong to use mistakes to disadvantage others.” Lily Tellez wrotethe Sonora state senator added, “even if the law supports it.”
Villarreal said he was glad the ordeal was over and intended to sign an agreement with the consumer protection agency to resolve the complaint.
Elda Cantu I contributed a report from Mexico City.