A woman in Singapore transferred $220 to a seller online for what was supposed to be a genuine first-generation Labubu doll, but she suspected upon meeting up with the girl that she'd been sold a fake.

Upset when the seller refused to issue a refund, the woman then called the police. 

Shin Min Daily News reported that the 37-year-old woman, surnamed Du, had come across the listing on a Facebook group for the rare collectible.

She then transferred $220 to the seller.

"The original retail price for the doll is $39.90, but the product is no longer in stock and scalpers have driven prices up," said Du, who added that she'd decided to buy the doll from the seller after doing some verification checks.

"I saw that the seller had listed it for $220 and asked her to provide the QR code for authentication, and it seemed reliable," said Du.

Du told Shin Min that as the seller had claimed she needed the money urgently to purchase tickets for a concert, she transferred the full amount on Monday (Dec 2). They then arranged to meet two days later on Dec 4 at Pasir Ris for the transaction.

When the day arrived and Du was able to get a closer look at the doll, however, she suspected that the product was a counterfeit and immediately asked for a refund.

Said Du: "[The seller] appeared unfazed, as if she knew the doll was a fake. I asked for a refund but she kept saying she has no money."

Based on photos provided by Du, the seller appeared to be very young, Shin Min reported.

Du claimed she had offered several suggestions for the seller to return the money, including by doing so through instalments, but the latter had simply refused.

Du then asked the girl for her parents' contact number to demand an explanation. To her surprise, Du said the girl's parents were the ones who suggested that she make a police report.

"Unexpectedly, after her parents found out what happened, they just told me to call the police, and so I did," said Du.

Upon their arrival, Du said the police suggested that she file a report with the Small Claims Tribunals.

Spent five-figure sum on Labubu

With its serrated teeth and sneaky grin, Labubu is a character that's part of Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung's story series, The Monsters, which he created back in 2015.

In 2019, blind-box brand Pop Mart entered an exclusive licence agreement with Kasing, and the revenue generated from the first series broke sales records in the art toy category. 

According to Shin Min, Du is an avid fan of Labubu and has spent a five-figure sum on the dolls so far.

So when Du got her hands on the doll she'd purchased from the seller, she realised that the colour on the doll's hands and face was uneven.

"This is the first time I've encountered people selling fakes. If it's a counterfeit at a lower price, I might just let it go. But at such a high price for a fake, I'm very angry," Du remarked.

Scarred by the experience, Du added that she has since rejected other Labubu sellers who had approached her following the incident.

candicecai@asiaone.com

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