Controversial $20 'Crumbl' cookies spark flood of complaints

By Georgie Hewson, ABC

For Sydney foodies with a sweet tooth, the chance to try treats from a famous cookie brand only sold in the US was too good to pass up.

So, a pop-up store selling the cookies advertised on TikTok in Bondi over the weekend was met with long lines down the block.

Many had high expectations for the treats, which were being sold for $AU17.50 ($NZ19.40) each.

But soon, social media was flooded with complaints about the quality of the cookies and their high price.

Then an even-more confusing story emerged: The pop-up was not approved or run by the US brand Crumbl, and the organisers has gone to unusual lengths to bring the product to Australia.

It was the result of a group of people who flew to the US and purchased more than 800 of the cookies, spending more than $13,000 importing them for resale.

Spokesperson for the pop-up, Toby, who declined to provide their last name when contacted by ABC News, said in a statement that the group had faced "considerable backlash" over the event but defended the pricing and process.

So, how did we get here and who is behind the viral pop-up?

What happened?

In the week leading up to the sale, a TikTok and Instagram account began advertising that the cookies would be sold in Australia in a pop-up event.

It featured professionally shot and edited posts of the cookies.

But after the event, attention on social media turned to the high prices and 'staleness' of the cookies.

Then, comments on these videos began to question the legitimacy of the pop-up.

On one video, the founder of the US company, Sawyer Hemsley, commented that the pop-up was not affiliated with their firm and that the cookies were only available for purchase in the US and Canada.

Sydney student Sofia Qistine planned to go with her friend after seeing the pop-up advertised on Instagram.

But a few days prior, she said she realised the pop-up wasn't an official event.

"I think it was deceptive because in the beginning I genuinely thought it was (them), until I did a deep dive into the comments on videos that said it wasn't an official event," she said.

"In the beginning they never stated it wasn't Crumbl, they only said that when people started questioning the authenticity of the pop-up, which I thought was strange."

Qistine and her friend decided to go anyway but were disappointed by the taste of the cookie and the price.

"No-one prior to the pop-up knew what the price would be and as a cookie enthusiast I knew (these) cookies in Sydney go for almost $11 sometimes, but $17.50 was a big shock to me and my friend," she said.

"I think the cookie I ate was OK, but my friend's was terrible and I don't think it should have been sold.

"They seemed old, the texture was dried up."

Pop-up not permitted by US brand

Toby confirmed the pop-up clearly stated it was not officially endorsed.

The US company has not responded to ABC's request for comment.

The people behind the Sydney account have since deleted all TikToks and provided a link to a statement on the situation.

"Customers who were genuinely interested watched the full video or read the comments and bio, where we clearly stated, 'Not endorsed by Crumbl' or 'Not official Crumbl'," he said.

"The majority of our customers were satisfied with their purchase.

"We received over 15 positive messages and only one complaint on the day, which was resolved with a full refund and return of the product."

How did they get the cookies?

According to the pop-up's spokesperson, organisers flew to the US to purchase the cookies and brought them back to Australia for sale.

"The cookies were picked up late Tuesday (Sydney time) and kept refrigerated until Sunday midday when they were sold," said.

"This is in line with (the makers') recommendations."

He said the process also explained the high prices of the cookies, which sell for $US4.99 ($AU7.25).

"We had approximately 840 (240 of which were damaged)," he said.

"The logistics were particularly expensive as we had to book last-minute flights due to an unexpected flight issue."

He said additional costs included import duties and taxes, customs brokerage fees, venues, microwaves, tables, marketing expenses and wages for staff on the day.

So, why did they do it?

"Our goal was to bring cookies to fans who otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to try them," the statement read.

"Our intention was not to generate substantial profit."

Qistine said there was a mix of people at the event.

Some, she said, knew it wasn't an official event and wanted to try the cookie anyway, and others had no idea.

"There were kids in the line who had seen the videos and dragged their parents along," she said.

Will there be legal action?

The Sydney group said they will not hold any more planned pop-ups due to "negative feedback".

"If (the company) had reached out and expressed any concerns, we would have respected their wishes and halted future events - but they have not done so at this point."

The spokesperson said they believe they complied with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) guidelines on parallel imports.

"Importing and reselling is called parallel imports," they wrote.

"Parallel imports are legal and more information can be found on the ACCC website."

They said they also legally followed customs laws to import the cookies.

"We followed all legal procedures, declaring the cookies as commercial goods and obtaining the necessary approvals from Australian customs.

"We've attached the customs entry (with sensitive information redacted) to confirm that everything was imported legally and cleared by Biosecurity."

The ABC has contacted the ACCC for comment.

- This story was first published by ABC