Is the brand founded by singer Tuan Hung selling fake watches?
Recently, public attention has been drawn to the news that singer Tuan Hung founded a watch company in 2017, extensively advertising it as a distribution system for authentic watches in Vietnam, specializing in Swiss, Japanese, German, and French brands. However, it was discovered that the company was selling counterfeit goods, specifically products of Chinese origin, but deceptively advertised as being from Germany. This incident has damaged the trust of consumers and fans who had supported Tuan Hung and his brand.
The watch brand founded by singer Tuan Hung is under suspicion of defrauding consumers by selling Chinese-made watches but labeling them as "German".
Even though Tuan Hung Watch's official Facebook Fanpage posts content affirming that the products are genuine, officially imported goods, it doesn't lessen the doubts about the origin of the watches sold by singer Tuan Hung's brand.
According to information advertised by Tuan Hung Watch Store on its website donghotuanhung.com, the Bonest Gatti watch brand is "originated in Germany." Even when customers visit the Tuan Hung Watch Store at 29 O Cho Dua Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi to purchase Bonest Gatti watches, the sales staff confirm that the products originate from Germany. This, coupled with numerous online advertisements, has led to misunderstandings among readers and consumers, with many claims stating: "The famous German Bonest Gatti watch brand is now available at Tuan Hung Watch Store."
However, a more thorough Google search for the Bonest Gatti brand reveals that, alongside advertising articles, some information indicates that the brand is not German but is instead advertised as being manufactured in… China. This raises suspicions among consumers about the origin of Bonest Gatti watches sold by Tuan Hung Watches. These products are priced at tens of millions of Vietnamese dong, equivalent to watches from major European brands. Numerous comments on social media suggest that singer Tuan Hung established a company selling "fake" watches, "scamming" consumers and exploiting his fame to sell counterfeit goods.
Amidst the public outcry, numerous reports were sent to media outlets requesting an investigation to clarify the truth. However, some people also dismissed the rumors as fabricated: "There's no way singer Tuan Hung would sell counterfeit goods! Surely, singer Tuan Hung wouldn't risk his career, trust, and reputation for something like this…" These doubts persisted, as official statements from Tuan Hung Watches only confirmed: "The products are officially imported and genuine." No further evidence was presented to confirm that they were selling watches from Germany, not China.
To clarify the situation, the Industry and Trade Newspaper took the lead in publishing a series of investigative articles about the truth behind the Bonest Gatti brand being sold at Tuan Hung Watches. Everything became clear when reporters worked with relevant parties and discovered the truth about the importer and the origin of the Bonest Gatti watches distributed by Tuan Hung Watches: they were imported from China.
Tuan Hung Watches "transforms" products of Chinese origin into German-branded goods when they reach the store?
After discovering that the Bonest Gatti branded products sold by Tuan Hung Watches were not genuine German watches, the press investigated further to clarify the company's operations. According to Tuan Hung Watches' official website, the company distributes authentic Bonest Gatti watches imported by Bonest Gatti Vietnam Joint Stock Company.
Further investigation into Bonest Gatti Vietnam Joint Stock Company reveals that, according to information on the national business registration portal, the company only started operating on March 30, 2022, with Mr. Truong Ngoc Anh as its director. Notably, the company owning the website Bonestgatti.com is Ni Hang Science and Technology Co., Ltd. in Guangzhou, China. A representative from Bonest Gatti Vietnam also confirmed that Ni Hang Science and Technology owns the Bonest Gatti brand.
Bonest Gatti Vietnam Joint Stock Company is located at 17A/51, Lane 250, Kim Giang Street, Dai Kim Ward, Hoang Mai District, Hanoi. It is known that this is a private residence and only the company's registered office is there; no sales are conducted there. Customers wishing to purchase products must go to the official, exclusive distributor, Tuan Hung Watches, in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Bonest Gatti Vietnam Company's address is 17A/51, Alley 250, Kim Giang Street, Dai Kim Ward. This is both the company's headquarters and a private residence; a new sign was added after the company was reported on by the press.
As for the website bonestgatti.vn, according to Bonest Gatti Vietnam Joint Stock Company's self-introduction on the certificate provided to its exclusive distributor in Vietnam, it currently shows no signs of activity and is undergoing maintenance for feature upgrades.
According to Mr. Truong Ngoc Anh, representative of Bonest Gatti Vietnam Joint Stock Company, the Bonest Gatti brand originally originated in Germany, and was later acquired (transferred) to Khoa Ky Ni Hang Co., Ltd. The products are imported as complete units from China, through Noi Bai airport. In the customs declaration, the product origin is also stated as imported from Khoa Ky Ni Hang Co., Ltd.
Thus, it can be seen that Bonest Gatti watches are being presented with a "German" brand name, but in reality, they conceal all information regarding their business operations, production, and origin from China. They even fabricated six limited-edition product collections in South Korea, Japan, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, using them in advertising to build trust and deceive consumers.
In response to the information, Mr. Pham Cao Son, representing Tuan Hung Watches, still affirmed: "Bonest Gatti watches are imported through official channels and are genuine." He also added: "The manufacturing and assembly adhere to the strictest standards of German watchmaking." However, regarding the advertising content, the company realized that using the word "produced" was insufficient and has since corrected it.
Regarding this issue, many believe that when the watch company founded by singer Tuan Hung became an authorized retailer and warranty service provider for Bonest Gatti watches, it was aware of the operations of Bonest Gatti Vietnam Joint Stock Company. All products sold must have clear documentation showing their origin from China; however, Tuan Hung Watches ignored this requirement and continued to advertise and sell "Chinese" products with flowery language, giving customers the impression that they were "German." This is similar to a previous Vietnamese business that ambiguously marketed "Italian goods," eventually having to change it to "Italian-style goods."
The certificate from Tuan Hung Watch Store confirms that they are an official dealer selling Bonest Gatti watches with the inscription "Made in Germany," leading many to mistakenly believe that the product is from Germany.
Even the certificate that Tuan Hung Watches received bore the rather large and eye-catching inscription "Bonest Gatti Made in Germany." This ambiguity regarding the product's origin led customers to buy "Chinese" watches but be sold at "German" prices, believing they were using a famous brand from Germany.
By deceiving customers about the origin of their watches, the owner of Tuan Hung Watches only makes a few million dong profit each year?
According to the newspaper "Journalist & Public Opinion," Tuan Hung Watch Joint Stock Company was established in 2017 by singer Tuan Hung, whose real name is Nguyen Tuan Hung (born in 1978), who also owns the brand. The company's registered office is located at 19 Hang Khay Street, Trang Tien Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi City. The current legal representative is Ms. Vu Thi Duyen. The company specializes in distributing famous watch brands such as Orient, Garmin, and Bonest Gatti. Specifically, the Bonest Gatti line is sold by Tuan Hung Watch at prices ranging from 20-40 million VND per product, with some exceptional products reaching nearly 70 million VND.
Tuan Hung Watches also uses many flowery words when advertising this product, such as "made in Germany," "part of the Bonest Gatti Explorer Series ' Discover New Things' collection," "one of the most coveted products," "designed for watch enthusiasts with design inspiration from famous supercars." Tuan Hung Watches also commits to being the official distributor of Bonest Gatti watches in Vietnam, offering a 100 million VND compensation if counterfeit products are found...
Despite dealing in luxury goods, according to investigations by the Newspaper & Public Opinion, Tuan Hung Watch Company's total assets at the end of 2021 were quite modest, only about 3 billion VND. The company's registered charter capital was 9 billion VND; however, it is noteworthy that the equity at the same time was only a meager 3.25 billion VND. With profits and losses of only around 100 million VND each year, by the end of 2021, Tuan Hung Watch Company had accumulated losses of only a few tens of millions VND. Therefore, it is highly likely that the company had not contributed the full amount of capital as registered.
Despite extensive promotion involving many friends from the showbiz industry, Tuan Hung Watches only brings in a few billion VND in revenue each year for the male singer. In 2021, the company's revenue reached 1.9 billion VND, but the profit was a mere 9 million VND, which is less than the price of a single "budget" Orient watch according to the company's website. This has surprised the public regarding the reliability of the aforementioned information. Currently, Tuan Hung Watches' website has removed all information about the Bonest Gatti product.
According to an investigation by the Newspaper & Public Opinion, the company in question is Guangzhou Niheng Technology Co., Ltd., and was only established in early 2017. This coincides with the year 2017 when Tuan Hung Watch Joint Stock Company was founded and owned by singer Tuan Hung.
We will provide further updates on this matter.
Gia Nguyen
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