Shopee PH apologizes to BLACKPINK fans: Event fell short of high standards

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Shopee Philippines apologized to fans of BLACKPINK (called Blinks) for “issues” involving a meet and greet organized by the shopping platform. 

“All of us at Shopee would like to sincerely apologize to users and fans of Shopee and BLACKPINK for the issues involving the Shopee x BLACKPINK meet-and-greet today in Manila,” Shopee said in a statement late Thursday evening, June 6. 

“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,” it added. 

BLACKPINK returned to Manila on June 6 for a quick meet-and-greet event at the Samsung Hall at SM Aura in Taguig City.

But on Thursday, Filipino Blinks turned to social media to criticize Shopee for allegedly “scamming” them out of a chance to meet BLACKPINK. They accused Shopee of changing the mechanics to a promo for passes to event. Some Blinks claimed to have spent tens of thousands for a chance to get a pass. 

The hashtag #ShopeeScam trended both in the Philippines and worldwide on Thursday.

“We are reaching out to all those affected by this issue, and we are also taking steps to ensure that such an incident does not occur again in the future,” Shopee added. – Rappler.com