He Paid $13 for $13,000 Cartier Earrings, and Then the Jeweler Noticed

Americas|He Paid $13 for $13,000 Cartier Earrings, and Then the Jeweler Noticed

Rogelio Villarreal knew thing astir the French jeweler Cartier, helium said, erstwhile an advertisement popped up connected his Instagram provender past December. He clicked connected it, perusing the pages of bling and different luxury items, including handbags, watches and necklaces, each listed for thousands of dollars.

Then Mr. Villareal, who lives successful Mexico, noticed a brace of earrings: slender studded 18-carat rose-gold cuffs lined with diamonds, priced astatine conscionable 237 Mexican pesos, oregon astir $13.

He bought 2 pairs. Later, the terms for the earrings was adjusted connected the Cartier website to 237,000 pesos — much than $13,000.

The acquisition initiated a monthslong tussle betwixt the country nonmigratory from the bluish authorities of Tamaulipas and the storied brand, with hundreds of societal media users pursuing on — immoderate cheering, others taunting — and adjacent a Mexican legislator weighing successful connected the dispute.

“I was amazed to spot however overmuch the necklaces outgo and truthful connected and I said: ‘Someday,’ until I saw the earrings,” Mr. Villarreal, 27, wrote connected societal media. “I curse I broke retired successful a acold sweat.”

Within a week of the purchase, Mr. Villareal said, Cartier began a bid of attempts to cancel the order, initially saying that the earrings were not available.