An Australian woman was “accidentally” given a $20,000 Chanel bag when she bought shoes worth less than a tenth of its price, and hundreds of people have criticised her for the “controversial” decision she made afterwards.
Kathryn Tan got the shock of her life when she opened her shopping bags and discovered the Chanel So Black Classic Flap ($19,140) among her new items.
The Melbourne influencer made a trip to the Chanel store in Paris that same day and put the bag on hold to think about it.
“I went to the store with the intention of looking for a new bag, some shoes and maybe some jewelry,” Kathryn told FEMAIL.
‘I wasn’t 100 percent sure which bag I wanted, so I put a few different options on hold so I could come back the next day after sleeping on it. In the meantime, I bought a pair of heels.
‘When I got back to my apartment, I opened the box expecting to see my shoes, but to my surprise, it was a Chanel flap bag that sells for almost $20,000.’
Kathryn revealed that she could not keep the bag and returned it the next day, a decision that many described as “scandalous”.
Despite not having a large collection, Kathryn has been adding Chanel shoes, bags and accessories to her wardrobe for almost a decade.
Melbourne influencer Kathryn Tan visits the Chanel store in Paris
The influencer was worried about being blacklisted and “ruining” her relationship with the brand in the future if she simply decided to keep the bag.
‘To be completely honest, the thought (of keeping it) would cross anyone’s mind. I get the comments on my video and I don’t blame people for telling me to keep the bag.
‘However, I don’t think I could sleep at night knowing that I could have jeopardized the sales assistant’s job because of his mistake. He was so kind and patient with me that day and spent over two hours helping us.
“Even if I didn’t suffer any consequences, I didn’t feel it was morally right to keep the bag and I didn’t want to get into trouble with Chanel in the future.”
Kathryn’s split-second indecision dissipated as she returned to the tent.
“The seller was very, very relieved. He thanked me and said I had a ‘good soul’. He told me he had realised the mistake and was very anxious and grateful for me to return the bag, otherwise he would have been in a lot of trouble,” she said.
Kathryn got the surprise of her life when she opened her shopping bags and discovered the Chanel So Black Classic Medium Flap ($19,140) among her new items.
Hundreds of people shared their similar thoughts and experiences.
“You’re a better person than me,” one joked.
“This happened to me at Marc Jacobs,” shared another.
“They didn’t even send me a thank you card after I decided to return the wrong items that I didn’t order. So I will never receive them again.”
But others applauded Kathryn’s honesty.
“Good karma always comes your way. Good job!” wrote one woman.
“I’m so glad you’re returning it. It doesn’t matter how much the bag costs, what matters is your integrity,” said another person.