what you need to know
- A customer reached out to Dbrand for support on X (formerly Twitter) and received more than they expected.
- The company, which makes cases, cases and accessories for tech products, poked fun at a customer’s name in a quote reply that has been viewed more than 7 million times.
- A day later, Dbrand issued something of an apology for his comments, which he called a “huge misstep.” The company is also offering $10,000 “no strings attached” to customers.
Manufacturers of mobile device cases and accessories have been unable to avoid controversy in recent months. Dbrand is now embroiled in its own kerfuffle after Casetify faced criticism for allegedly stealing Dbrand’s custom designs.
The company, known for its device skins and acerbic online presence, made a joke about a customer’s last name after the customer reached out to the company for support. Dbrand’s original post on X (formerly Twitter) has been viewed more than 7 million times, with users calling the content poor, unprofessional and racist in replies.
Today, Dbrand said it offered the customer $10,000 in compensation and a personal apology in light of the backlash.
The fiasco began when Bhuwan Chitransh contacted Dbrand on X to inquire about a MacBook case purchased from the company that showed signs of discoloration.
In a reply, Dbrand’s customer support account (@robot) said: “Like most surfaces, dirt and grime can accumulate on the surface of your skin over time. You can clean it by using a microfiber cloth lightly dampened with isopropyl alcohol .” The account also said customers should email Dbrand if they have any additional questions.
Chitransh’s initial request for help was then quoted by the main account of Dbrand (subsequently 2.3 million X users) with the following response:
Your last name is basically shit rash, seriously https://t.co/SmQd5So5bSApril 9, 2024
The company initially reacted bullishly to the subsequent backlash. While opinions on Dbrand’s joke varied, responses to the company’s original post seemed to agree that the comment was offensive. One user told Dbrand to “keep the same energy in the apology tweet,” to which the company responded “no.” On Tuesday, April 9, Dbrand’s official account continued to post memes and snarky replies to the controversy.
Dbrand issued an apology on Wednesday, April 10, acknowledging that the company “made fun of a person’s name” and “it was a huge mistake.” The brand also offered the customer $10,000 “as a goodwill gesture,” denying the move was hush money. “Just to clarify, there are no strings attached to this offer,” Dbrand said in a DM to Chitransh. “We just want to make amends for our error in judgment and the chaos we brought to your world.”
Well, things escalated quickly. 1. Yes – we made fun of a person’s name. This is a huge mistake. 2. We apologized directly to him and offered him $10,000 as a gesture of goodwill. 3. We’ve been teasing customers on social media for over a decade. We won’t stop, but…April 10, 2024
However, whether Dbrand is truly remorseful for his comments is up for debate. “We’ve been teasing customers on social media for over a decade,” the company said in the so-called apology post. “We won’t stop, but maybe next time you’ll be the one getting $10,000.”
Android Central reached out to Dbrand for comment on the controversy, but the company didn’t get back to us in time for publication. We will update this article once we have more information.