Cartier, the renowned luxury jewelry maker, is not typically known for its generosity. However, in a rare instance, they went above and beyond for one lucky man from Mexico.
Rogelio Villarreal was casually browsing through Cartier’s website when he stumbled upon an offer that appeared too good to be true. In a moment of disbelief, he wrote on his X account, formerly known as Twitter, “I broke out in a cold sweat.”
According to reports, it seems that Cartier made an error when they mistakenly listed a pair of gold-and-diamond earrings for 237 pesos ($14), instead of the intended price of 237,000 pesos ($14,000). Taking advantage of this mistake, Villarreal promptly ordered two sets of these earrings.
Months of back and forth ensued, with Cartier offering him a consolation prize instead of the promised jewelry. Throughout this period, Mexican officials supported his stance that the company should uphold the advertised price.
Villarreal received the earrings he had been waiting for last week, and he excitedly shared a video of himself unboxing them online. However, he quickly became weary of the constant public focus on this one aspect of his life. In frustration, he posted on Monday, “Can we please move on and talk about something else? I’m tired of people only associating me with these earrings.”
Villarreal’s case became a lightning rod online during a highly polarized period in Mexico leading up to its June 2 presidential elections.
Critics accused Villarreal of exploiting what they perceived as a genuine error on the part of the high-end jewelry company. They argued that he should return the earrings or pay taxes on them. Some even went as far as calling him a thief.
Dr. Villarreal, who is currently undergoing his medical residency, had to persistently advocate for months in order to finally receive the delivery from the company. He further alleged that instead of fulfilling their promise, the company proposed compensating him with a bottle of champagne.
The company chose not to provide any comments in response to the requests.
“I’ve always been incredibly unlucky and have never been able to make much money. Everything I have, I had to buy myself,” Villarreal shared on his social media profiles. However, to his surprise, he recently managed to purchase two sets of earrings worth $14,000 for a mere $28.”
According to him, he gave one of them to his mother.
“It feels amazing and I’m thrilled to finally not be the underdog for once in my life,” expressed Villarreal.
Jesús Montaño, the spokesperson for Profeco, the consumer protection agency in Mexico, has confirmed Villarreal’s account of his struggle.
According to Montaño, the consumer filed a complaint in December. A conciliation hearing has been scheduled for May 3, but the consumer has already received his purchase.
Montaño emphasized the importance of companies honoring the published price and acknowledged that if there is a mistake, it should not be the consumer’s responsibility.
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