You may have already heard of the trending CHAGEE ‘Tear & Win’ contest on social media. To join, customers need to purchase any drink from CHAGEE stores that come in a special cup, then tear the perforated section on the lower half of the cup to reveal a small paper stub with a random prize printed on it. If customers are lucky enough to find the paper stub, they can claim their prize directly at CHAGEE.
However, a video went viral showing one of the brand’s employees separating prize-containing cups, which has since sparked outrage among netizens, who felt cheated. The company quickly responded to the backlash but was met with even more criticism. Here’s what happened:
Yesterday (Tuesday, 19 November), CHAGEE Malaysia issued an official statement in both Malay and English regarding the controversial viral video. The company apologised for the incident and assured customers that an investigation would be carried out, with appropriate action taken against the employee involved. However, netizens noticed something off about the statement.
Many pointed out how poorly written the English-language statement was, and to make matters worse, the Malay version appears to be a direct translation of the English one. Netizens then criticised the brand for not proofreading the official statements before publishing them while others suspected that they were written by someone who is not proficient in either language. Some brought up previous allegations that the company is racist, claiming they do not hire specific ethnicities.
The statements were not the only thing upsetting netizens about CHAGEE. Prior to the explanation, the brand requested that a Twitter user delete the viral video, threatening legal action if the request was not honoured. This decision did not sit well with many, as several people called out the company for being unprofessional and taking excessive measures.
Is this the beginning of CHAGEE’s downfall? Watch the viral video below:
