Scalpers sell KFC’s Mofusand keychains at $50 on Carousell
Fans of a dewy-eyed cat donning a chicken bucket sold by fast food chain KFC have become the latest target of scalpers.
The coveted cat keychain is part of a collaboration between KFC and Mofusand, a popular Japanese cat illustration series, which released limited stocks of the trinkets, as well as sticker packs and red packets to dine-in and takeaway customers at 11am on Jan 13 to promote KFC’s cereal chicken.
For every cereal chicken box or cereal chicken burger box purchased, customers are allowed to buy one keychain for $12.95, with a new design launched each week over three weeks.
Each customer is limited to two keychains.
By 4pm, merchandise of the fluffy cat was being resold for up to $50, with The Straits Times finding some 70 listings on shopping platform Carousell.
One reseller even took pre-orders for designs that have not been released, in exchange for $40.
Sticker packs and red packets, which were given away for free with conditions attached, are priced between roughly $8 and $12 on Carousell.
According to KFC, the sticker packs are free for patrons who spend at least $12 in a single receipt on breakfast at its KFC Breakfast stores. The red packets are given out free to those who purchase cereal chicken or cereal chicken burger bundles.
Braving the rain, fans flocked to outlets around the island on Jan 13 to snag queue tickets for the keychain.
However, several reported their disappointment and frustration on Facebook as they left empty-handed.
KFC said on social media on Jan 12 that queue tickets would be handed out by restaurant staff at 11am on each launch date to customers who were physically in the queue.
It added that the ticket must be redeemed by 1pm on the launch dates, and the keychains would be considered sold out once the tickets were fully distributed.
Facebook user Shi Ting claimed to have left empty-handed, despite obtaining a queue ticket and lining up for about two hours for the keychain.
“This is totally ridiculous. What’s the point of having the queue ticket?” she said.
Others expressed confusion about whether the merchandise would be sold for the rest of this week.
In a media reply at about 10pm, a KFC spokesperson said its chicken bucket-wearing cat keychain was “mostly sold out” across all its stores, with many outlets selling out the keychains within three hours of launch.
She also praised several caring customers who were seen giving their queue tickets to strangers so that more people could purchase the merchandise.
Responding to online complaints, she added that KFC is looking into improving the process for the sale of another Mofusand keychain next week.
Fans of the cosplaying cat can try their luck again on Jan 20 and 27, when other designs of the cat donning an egg tart and a drumstick respectively will be released.
Meanwhile, a 20cm-long soft toy of a Mofusand cat wearing a chicken bucket on its head will be launched on Feb 5 for $19.95 at selected stores.
Sales of the exclusive merchandise end on Feb 18.
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