Hundreds of people have slammed an Australian woman for her “controversial” decision after she “accidentally” received a $20,000 Chanel bag instead of buying a pair of shoes that cost less than a tenth of the price.
Katherine Tan got the shock of her life when she opened her shopping bag to find a Chanel So Black Classic Flap ($19,140) among her new finds.
The Melbourne influencer had visited the Chanel store in Paris earlier that morning and had put the bag on hold for consideration.
“I went into the store expecting to buy a new bag, shoes and maybe even some jewellery,” Catherine told FEMAIL.
“I wasn’t 100% sure what bag I wanted, so I put a few options on hold to sleep and come back to them the next day. In the meantime, I bought a pair of heels.”
“When I got back to my apartment and opened the box, I expected to find shoes, but to my surprise, it contained a Chanel flap bag that retails for about $20,000.”
Catherine said she was unable to keep the bag and went to return it the next day, but many people criticised her decision as “outrageous”.
Though she doesn’t have an extensive collection, Catherine has been steadily adding Chanel shoes, bags, and accessories to her wardrobe for nearly a decade.
Melbourne influencer Katherine Tan visits Chanel in Paris
The influencer was worried that if she continued to carry the bag, she would be blacklisted and it would “ruin” her future relationship with the brand.
“To be honest, the thought (of keeping the bag) has crossed everyone’s mind. I’ve had comments on my videos and I don’t blame people for telling me to keep the bag.”
“But I would not be able to sleep at night knowing that my mistake could have put the salesperson’s job at risk. That day the salesperson was very kind and patient with us, and helped us for over two hours.”
“Even if he had received no punishment, I did not think it was morally right for him to keep the bag and I did not want any future issues with Chanel.”
Katherine’s momentary indecision was abated when she returned to the store.
“The shop assistant seemed very relieved, thanked me and said I was a ‘kind person’. He said he had realised my mistake and was very concerned so he was grateful that I had returned the bag, otherwise it would have been a big problem,” she said.
Katherine got the shock of her life when she opened her shopping bag and found the Chanel So Black Classic Flap Medium ($19,140) among her new purchases.
Hundreds of people shared their thoughts and similar experiences.
“You’re a better person than me,” one person joked.
“Same thing happened to me with Marc Jacobs,” another user said.
“I didn’t even receive a thank you note after I decided to return the incorrect item I didn’t order. I will never use your service again.”
However, others praised Katherine for her honesty.
“Good karma always comes your way. Well done!” one woman wrote.
“I’m so happy you’re willing to return it. It’s not about the price of the bag, it’s your honesty that matters,” a second person said.
