Vir Das accuses Zepto of supplying fake Apple Watches worth ₹50,000: ‘Complete fraud, copy in China’ | Today’s news
Comedian-actor-producer Vir Das has raised some serious questions about the authenticity of an Apple smartwatch that he says was ordered online through the quick-commerce app Zepto. Das on X, formerly Twitter, posted a video showing off the watch, claiming the box was not sealed. He said no logo was visible on the box and its accessories.
Vir Das on the alleged fraud by Zepto
Vir Das added that he contacted customer support about a product that didn’t seem genuine. However, he was told that nothing could be done about the post. The comedian said he placed an order for the shoot and paid ₹50,000 for the smartwatch.
“Well that’s funny. We need an Apple watch for the shoot so we got it from Zepto. They charged us ₹50,000 for series 11 or whatever.”
Showing the watch case, he continued, “It shows. This is kind of like a dirty Apple Watch. This isn’t sealed, is it? It says Series 11, etc., etc. Now you open it and no logo. Nothing on the box. Suddenly it says Series 9.” “No Apple anywhere,” he added.
“There is one charger without the Apple logo.
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Das laughed as he showed off a watch that said “Made in China” and “Designed by watch in China.”
He wrapped, “Bro, you charged us full price. Why are you cheating Zepto? What is this?”
His caption read: “Ok. I’m wrong, do all apple watches look like this or is @ZeptoNow @zeptocares suspected Chinese copies? By the way, their customer service agent on the phone said they can’t do anything about it. Total scam. We needed one fast for a shoot. They charged us 50k.”
Netizens react
The post has now gained a lot of attention on the microblogging site.
In response, one user wrote in the comments: “I received fake Apple EarPods from them once. But they refunded me immediately.”
Another responded in disbelief: “Really? That can’t be true.”
One said: “I’m starting to get spoiled/expired food products. I imagine I’m consuming dosa from a dough bag that must have been open for days in their stores. And they’ve stopped even listening to customers. Now I’ve uninstalled @ZeptoNow. @aadit_palicha.”
Another mentioned: “Rule 1 of e-commerce: don’t accept an order unless it’s a sealed box. Generally electronic items have an open box. But yes, Zepto is big on scams. stopped ordering from them.”
Someone else also said, “Brother, you could have sent someone to the store to buy such expensive things.”
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Zepto reacts
Meanwhile, LiveMint has reached out to Zepto for comment on the matter.
An explanation from a Zepto spokesperson read: “We are taking these concerns seriously and have already scheduled a recall of the product, which is our standard process in such cases. This will help us investigate the issue with our brand partners.”
“For high value products, users will receive an OTP at the time of delivery. The OTP should be shared only after checking that the package is properly sealed and in good condition.
We are currently looking into this case and will take appropriate action based on our findings.”
