Influencer Sofia Qistine was one of the throng battling for a cookie, but she was less than impressed by the quality offered.
“What’s the moral of the story here? Crumbl Cookie isn’t all that, spend your $17 somewhere else,” she said.
Another influencer, Elle Salagaras, said she “couldn’t believe” she waited an hour for the cookies.
The organisers used real videos from the official Crumbl account. Credit: TikTok
“I didn’t do my research,” she said on TikTok.
In a statement posted to their TikTok account, the organisers of the event said they were just “fans” who brought the cookies into Australia as a parallel import, a process that allows businesses to sell products without the permission of the manufacturer.
“This event was never about profit. We aimed to bring the cookies to Crumbl fans,” the statement said.
The organisers, who have remained anonymous throughout the controversy, said they spent $4000 on flights and luggage, $6000 on the cookies and packaging, and $2000 in duties, taxes and customs fees.
They denied using the Crumbl trademarks in their videos, despite using video content directly from the company’s official account and the Crumbl logo in posters at the event.
They also denied the cookies were stale.
“Crumbl cookies should be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days, or refrigerated for up to seven days. We kept them to these requirements. Some were warmed to enhance their texture, which is what Crumbl does as well,” the statement said.
“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 organisers are yet to respond to follow-up questions from the Herald.
Crumbl Cookies was contacted for comment.
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