Dbrand, a Canadian accessories brand, has faced a wave of criticism on social media for its offensive reply to an Indian man's complaint.
Bhuwan Chitransh, working in the Netherlands, tweeted his frustration about a Dbrand MacBook skin he bought that changed colour in just two months.
Sharing a photo, he tagged Dbrand, asking, “@dbrand bought this skin a couple months back. Couldn't even remain the same color after just 2 months. What should I do?”
@dbrand bought this skin a couple months back. Couldn't even remain the same color after just 2 months. What should I do?#dbrandcomplaint pic.twitter.com/3Uyvn0ZO48
— Bhuwan Chitransh (@BhuwanChitransh) April 8, 2024
Dbdran's response
Dbrand's response was shockingly blunt: “Your last name is basically s**t rash, be serious.”
Your last name is basically shit rash, be serious https://t.co/SmQd5So5bS
— dbrand (@dbrand) April 9, 2024
Netizens reaction
This comment did not sit well with users on X, triggering a backlash and calls for an apology.
"Not cool. Making fun of a foreign name and a market of over 1 billion people who probably won’t ever buy your products now," a user wrote.
Not cool. Making fun of a foreign name and a market of over 1 billion people who probably won’t ever buy your products now.
— Taimur Khaliq (@NomyEngineer) April 9, 2024
Cant believe a brand this low.
— SagasofBharat (@SagasofBharat) April 10, 2024
Normally your marketing is on point.
— Michael Swengel (@MichaelSwengel) April 10, 2024
This is in poor taste.
Despite the uproar and over nine million views on the post, Dbrand didn't back down or delete the tweet.
In a follow-up, Dbrand claimed its mocking came after offering customer support, saying, “Correction: we made fun of his name after the customer support,” alongside advice on cleaning the skin with isopropyl alcohol.
“Like most surfaces, dirt and grime can accumulate on the surface of skin over time. You can clean it using a microfiber cloth lightly dampened with isopropyl alcohol,” Dbrand wrote in a separate response to the techie's complaint.
Correction: we made fun of his name after the customer support. https://t.co/423Wu8INrb
— dbrand (@dbrand) April 9, 2024
Known for its brash social media persona, Dbrand later said it had apologized to Chitransh and offered him $10,000 as a goodwill gesture but made it clear that its social media tone would remain unchanged.
"Well that escalated quickly. 1. Yes - we made fun of a guy's name. It was a huge fumble. 2. We apologized to him directly and offered him $10,000 as a gesture of goodwill. 3. We've been poking fun at customers on social media for over a decade now. We're not going to stop, but maybe next time you'll be the one who gets $10,000," the company wrote.
Well that escalated quickly.
— dbrand (@dbrand) April 10, 2024
1. Yes - we made fun of a guy's name. It was a huge fumble.
2. We apologized to him directly and offered him $10,000 as a gesture of goodwill.
3. We've been poking fun at customers on social media for over a decade now. We're not going to stop, but…
What does Dbrand do?
Dbrand calls itself the top global in creating, making, and selling custom covers and protectors for electronic devices directly to customers online.
It started in November 2011 and is based in Ontario, Canada, with Adam Ijaz as its CEO. Dbrand is known for its bold and funny style on social media, where it playfully teases other brands and even its customers.