Limited edition timepiece intended as gift arrives with “RUMP” logo instead of “TRUMP”
A Rhode Island man who spent $640 on what was marketed as a limited-edition Trump-branded watch was left dismayed when the luxury timepiece arrived with a conspicuous typographical error.
Tim Petit purchased the watch—a pink “Inauguration First Lady” model—from the website GetTrumpWatches as a special gift for his wife, Melanie.
The watch, advertised as one of only 250 produced, promised to attract “prosperity and love while enhancing intuition and creativity.” However, upon delivery, the couple discovered the presidential timepiece was missing something rather important: the “T” in “TRUMP,” leaving only “RUMP” emblazoned on the watch face.
Expectations versus reality
“I thought it was really nice. It was beautiful, and I knew it would be something that she’d like,” Mr. Petit told reporters. “I wanted to do a special thing for her. And we expected that it would have the integrity of the President of the United States and good follow-through.”
The discovery left Mr. Petit “very disappointed” in what was intended to be a meaningful gift.
His wife Melanie, who was moved to tears by the mistake, said she liked the watch’s style but immediately noticed the missing letter. “I noticed it right away. The T is missing. It just says R-U-M-P,” she told local media outlet WJAR.
“How could they process this and go through something without checking their work?” she questioned.
Company connection and response
While the gettrumpwatches.com website markets its products as the “official watches of President Trump,” fine print on the site reveals that it merely licenses the Trump name and likeness. The website explicitly states it has no connection to any political campaign and that the watches “are not designed, manufactured, or sold by Donald Trump, Trump organization, or any other respective affiliates or principals.”
“I think that someone needs to be aware of it (the mistake) in their licensing department, that someone’s dropped the ball big time,” Tim Petit remarked.
Initially, the couple reported difficulty getting any response from the company regarding the defective merchandise. However, after sharing their story with local television station WJAR, the company offered the Petits an $800 coupon and an apology.
The incident highlights potential quality control issues with licensed merchandise and the importance of consumer vigilance when purchasing branded luxury items online.
