Netizens were ecstatic on social media after sharing clips of the Rhode Skin by Hailey Bieber pop-up at Mall of Africa, with many rushing to purchase the products as they never expected the brand to come to South Africa.
However, excitement turned into disappointment and concern when content creators on TikTok shared that it might be a fake pop-up since Rhode Skin is not available in South Africa.
What was more concerning for many was that the owner of the brand and the official social media pages of Rhode Skin never mentioned anything about the brand coming here.
The fake brand pop-up became a viral sensation, and other content creators questioned the authenticity of the products. Some were even pointing out that some of the products had misspellings on them.
Others mentioned that the store had discontinued Rhode Skin products, which made the whole situation even more suspicious and concerning.
TikTok user @noya.noy was among those who shared the exciting pop-up; her video garnered over 86,000 likes and 1.5 million views.
“Pop Up of Rhode products in Mall of Africa Jhb,” she captioned her post.
@noya.noy Pop Up of Rhode products in Mall of Africa Jhb 👀🥰 #fyp #foryou #rhode #sa #jhb #mallofafrica #foryoupage ♬ original sound - audios 🤍
In just a few hours, it was discovered that the pop-up was fake and that it also sold counterfeit products.
To add fuel to the fire, the next day, a content creator went back to return her products and found that the store was gone.
@ms.prinsloo wrote in her caption, “In less than 24 hours of me buying from them, why can’t we have nice things in South Africa?”
@ms.prinsloo In less than 24 hours of me buying from them 😭 why can’t we have nice things in South Africa 🥲 #mallofafrica #southafrica #rhode #scammed ♬ original sound - Danè
Social media users had a lot to say about the fake Rhode Skin pop-up.
“Your first mistake was when you made a choice to buy a Rhode product,” @dash.l.v.d.p said.
@iiam_.reaa added, “That was such a clean scam.”
While @nicole.curlygirl commented, “I mean Rhode would have announced that there’s going to be a store in South Africa like Rihanna did with Fenty, she announced that the products will be available here in South Africa.”
Mall of Africa shared a statement on Saturday on their Instagram story that they have decided to close the pop-up store.
“Mall of Africa takes any concerns around product integrity seriously and continues to provide a trusted shopping experience of the highest standards. Exercising care, Mall of Africa has made a decision to close the Beutessa pop-up at SOOK Mall of Africa.
“Mall of Africa apologises for any inconvenience caused and remains committed to transparency and providing a positive shopping experience for all.”