DTI probes #ShopeeScam amid outrage from BLACKPINK fans

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Trade and Industry said Friday it launched an investigation into a promo for a meet-and-greet event that e-commerce website Shopee Philippines organized for Kpop girl group BLACKPINK amid accusations from Filipino fans that the online shop failed to deliver on its promise.

Shopee Philippines last month announced it will bring back Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo and Rosé to Manila and that Filipino “Blinks” could have a chance to meet the girls by being one of the “top spenders” on the online shop.

But blinks took to social media their rage on the day of the event and accused Shopee of “scamming” them after some fans didn’t receive tickets despite being notified that they were one of the top spenders, sending #ShopeeScam to Twitter’s top trending topic.

In an interview with CNN Philippines, DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez said his agency started an investigation into #ShopeeScam, adding that the probe could be finished in a week.

Lopez said Shopee will be penalized if found negligent, adding that fans could get a refund if the online shopping platform failed to deliver on its promise.

“We’re investigating this because we have received many reports and we will find out who launched this promo. Is it the fansite or Shopee that created the promo? We have to protect the consumers who participated in the promo,” Lopez said in Filipino.

“We have also reached out to the operators of Shopee in the Philippines to get their side because we received the reports less than an hour ago,” he added.

The DTI said Shopee would have to pay penalty of P300,000 if it is found it changed the mechanics of the promo without informing the agency. | @louiedesiderio

— The Philippine Star (@PhilippineStar) June 7, 2019

Some Filipino blinks reportedly spent over P100,000 on products sold on Shopee Philippines in a bid to meet BLACKPINK — Shopee’s first regional brand ambassador.

Shopee issued an apology on Friday, saying the event “fell short of the high standards that Shopee users and BLACKPINK fans expect.”

“Although we took immediate steps as soon as we discovered the problems to ensure the rightful winners of our contest could claim their prizes, we know that the entire process caused confusion, disappointment, and upset for many,” the company said.

“We are reaching out to all those affected by this issue, and we are also taking steps to ensure that such an incident does not occur again in the future,” it added. — Ian Nicolas Cigaral