Shopper’s Cartier earrings saga: From social media find to legal battle

Rogelio Villarreal admitted he was unfamiliar with the renowned French jeweller Cartier when an advertisement unexpectedly appeared on his Instagram feed last December.

Intrigued, he clicked through, exploring a lavish array of items including handbags, watches, and necklaces, each carrying a hefty price tag in the thousands of dollars.

However, something caught Villarreal’s eye as he scrolled – a pair of delicate 18-carat rose-gold cuff earrings adorned with sparkling diamonds, listed at a mere 237 Mexican pesos, the equivalent of about $13, reports the New York Times.

“I was amazed to see how much the necklaces cost and so on and I said: ‘Someday,’ until I saw the earrings,” Villarreal (27) wrote on social media. “I swear I broke out in a cold sweat.”

Villarreal bought two pairs. Later, the price for the earrings was adjusted on the Cartier website to 237 000 pesos – more than $13 000.

After Villarreal made his purchase, Cartier swiftly reacted upon noticing the mistake. After correcting the price on their website, they reached out to Villarreal, requesting him to cancel the order.

Initially, the French luxury brand asserted that the earrings were no longer in stock, reports the Mexico News Daily.

A battle for the bling

Despite Cartier’s attempts to dissuade him, Villarreal remained steadfast in his insistence on the purchase. When offered complimentary gifts instead, he stood his ground.

He meticulously reviewed the terms and conditions on the Cartier website before ultimately lodging a complaint with Mexico’s Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco).

A lengthy period of negotiations followed. Throughout this process, Mexican officials supported Villarreal’s stance, asserting that the company should honour the advertised price, reports Fox News.

Villarreal finally got the earrings last week, at his price, and he posted a video online of himself unboxing it. But he soon grew tired of the public attention and on Monday posted, “Alright already, talk about something else, I’m tired of the earrings being the only thing anyone knows about my personality.”

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