Importers hit back at Crumbl cookie backlash

The importers who flew to the US and purchased some $6000 worth of Crumbl cookies to resell them back in Sydney have responded to a growing backlash against the scheme, defending their actions and maintaining they have not broken any laws.

In a fresh TikTok from the crumblsydney channel, the importers state they “never claimed” to be an official Crumbl store.

“This was clearly stated in bio and our comments,” they said.

“Our goal was to bring the authentic Crumbl cookies to Australia by importing the cookies directly from the USA.”

The brouhaha kicked off after Sydneysiders queued up for Crumbl cookies on sale at a pop-up store.

But Crumbl, a US company founded in 2017, did not endorse the Sydney pop-up.

The cookies were sold for $17.50 and some fans reacted with shock at the price and slammed the taste of the treats.

One called the pop-up store a “cookie scam”.

Early on Tuesday morning, the importers addressed “the drama surrounding the event” and said they had sold “genuine Crumbl cookies”.

“We travelled to the US to purchase the cookies and imported them with our original packaging,” they stated.

“We did not bake them ourselves.”

The importers then show off their apparent receipts for the Crumbl purchase.

The importers said they had not used Crumbl’s trademarks in their TikTok videos.

They added they had maintained the quality of the cookies.

“Crumbl cookies should be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days or refrigerated for up to seven days,” they stated.

“We kept them to these requirements.

“Some were warmed to enhance their texture, which is what Crumbl does as well.

“While most customers enjoyed the cookies, a couple of influencers felt they didn’t meet expectations.

“We apologise that they don’t live up to expectations; however, they are just cookies at the end of the day.”

The importers said the event was “never about profit” and claimed they had spent $4000 on flights and luggage, $6000 on cookies and packaging, $2000 in duties, taxes and customs broking and more than $1000 on staffing.

They also said they had not broken any laws.

“Importing and reselling is called parallel imports. Parallel imports are legal,” they stated.

The video also shows an apparent Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry customs and compliance form detailing their cookie import.

In a statement, a NSW Fair Trading spokesman said businesses could “generally, set, raise and lower the prices they charge for goods”.

“A business can decide the price of goods and services and the price charged may be influenced by the costs they incur, profit margins or market conditions such as supply and demand,” the spokesman said.

“The Australian Consumer Law prohibits any business from actions that may be false or misleading.

“If a consumer believes a business has not met its obligations under the ACL, they are encouraged in the first instance to contact the business.

“If the issue remains unresolved, consumers can make a complaint with NSW Fair Trading.”

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