BLACKPINK Fans Tweet Horror Stories About Philippine Fan Meet, Blame Shopee For Chaos

BLINKs from the Philippines trended on Twitter for the hashtag #ShopeeScam after the online retail giant changed the mechanics of BLACKPINK fan meet at the last minute, depriving fans a chance to meet K-pop superstars Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo and Rose on their brief visit to Manila.

According to reports, Shopee stated in the mechanics of their Black Ticket Promo; fans will be entitled to a pass to the BLACKPINK fan meet if they become part of the 568 top spenders on the platform from May 11-25. The Top 40 out of these top spenders will be given a chance to get autographs from the Kill This Love artists.

However, on the day of the event, many BLINKs were disappointed and angry that they were denied entry to the venue because of an amended clause that Shopee has inserted on the day before the fan meet. It was included in the conditions that to avail of the pass to see BLACKPINK, the order needs to have been delivered and confirmed by May 25, instead of the June 1 date they earlier posted.

A lot of angry netizens took to Twitter and used the hashtag #ShopeeScam which trended on the top spot, sharing their horror stories about the event. There were plenty who lamented that they were cheated out of an opportunity to meet BLACKPINK even though they spent thousands to qualify for the event. To be counted as a top spender, minimum spending of P4,000 was required by the online store. There were also those that complained that those who spent less were given good seats at the venue.

There were also those who complained that while many legitimate fans were denied the opportunity to see BLACKPINK, the online store opted to give out free tickets to celebrities and influencers who were not even familiar with their idols.

Meanwhile, Shopee has released an official statement regarding the events that transpired for the Shopee x BLACKPINK event, apologizing to BLINKs whose dreams of seeing Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo, and Rose perform were crushed because of the confusion in the mechanics, reported ABS-CBN News.

"The event fell short of the high standards that Shopee users and BLACKPINK fans expect, and we hear our community's feedback loud and clear. Although we took immediate steps as soon as we discovered our errors to ensure the rightful winners of our contest could claim their prizes, we know that the entire process caused confusion, disappointment, and upset for many Shopee users and BLACKPINK fans," the company stated.

Shopee also reached out to the affected parties to ensure that such an event will not be repeated in the future. After the brief stop in the Philippines, BLACKPINK members Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rose will be performing in Macao's Cotai Arena this weekend, before heading off to sold out venues in Australia and Bangkok for their Your Area World Tour.

Source:Business Times, Photo Credit: Shopee/Facebook