'That Escalated Quickly': Facing Backlash Over Indian Surname Snark, Dbrand Offers $10,000 As 'Gesture Of Goodwill'

However, Dbrand also clarified that it won't stop poking fun at its customers on social media.

Dbrand's main account, which boasts a following of 2.3 million users, made a public joke about Chitransh's last name in a quote reply to his complaint.

Source : Screenshot/X/@dbrand

Dbrand, a company renowned not only for its high-quality device skins but also for its bold and often contentious online persona, found itself in troubled waters over remarks made on social media that have been widely condemned as insensitive. Facing major backlash on social media, the company eventually offered $10,000 to the victim, announcing in a post that it won't stop "poking fun" at customers. 

What Went Down

The controversy began when a customer, Bhuwan Chitransh, reached out to the company on the social media platform X (previously known as Twitter), seeking assistance for a MacBook skin that was showing signs of wear and discolouration. It responded to Chitransh's complaint in a manner that quickly ignited a firestorm of public backlash.

The company's customer support account advised Chitransh on cleaning the product but the situation escalated when Dbrand's main account, which boasts a following of 2.3 million users, made a public joke about Chitransh's last name in a quote reply to his complaint.

Your last name is basically shit rash, be serious https://t.co/SmQd5So5bS

— dbrand (@dbrand) April 9, 2024

The attempt at so-called humour was met with immediate criticism from the X community, with many users denouncing the company's comment as "awful," "unprofessional," and "racist." Despite the initial negative feedback, Dbrand's response was to double down on its stance, engaging in further snarky exchanges and posting memes about the situation on April 9.

Dbrand Backed Down

However, by April 10, the tone from Dbrand had shifted. The company issued an apology for its behaviour, admitting to making an inappropriate joke about the customer's name and acknowledging it as a "huge fumble."

In an attempt to rectify the situation, Dbrand offered Chitransh $10,000 as a gesture of goodwill, stating that the monetary offer was made with no strings attached and was intended to make amends for their mistake and the subsequent uproar it caused.

However, it did add, "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."

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…

— dbrand (@dbrand) April 10, 2024

The sincerity of Dbrand's apology has been called into question, especially in light of their statement that humour at their customers' expense has been part of their social media strategy for over a decade and their indication that such practices would likely continue. This incident has not only put Dbrand's customer service practices under scrutiny but also sparked a conversation about the appropriate boundaries of brand interaction on social media platforms.