#trending: S$500 top-up for a Lego set? Netizens shocked by The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's promotion
The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Singapore's recent promotion features a free mini Lego set (left) for customers who top-up a minimum of S$500 to their CoffeeBean SG rewards e-card.
SINGAPORE — A recent promotion by The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (CBTL) Singapore has left some consumers in shock and disbelief.
The coffee chain is giving away a free mini Lego cafe set designed to look like a CBTL drink station, along with a cake and pastries display, and a mini barista figurine.
However, here is the catch: Customers will have to top-up a minimum of S$500 to their CoffeeBean SG rewards e-card in order to redeem the Lego set for free.
The eye-watering amount has left many customers in shock, with some questioning if the published amount is correct.
On online forum Reddit, a user named “throwawaynetizens” posted an image of the promotion on Thursday (Aug 17) with the title: “Would you top up S$500 for a free Lego cafe set?”.
This was followed up with a question wondering if even "hardcore" Lego fans will pay such a price.
The image in the post showed the physical standee at one of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Singapore stores, with the featured cafe-themed Lego set in a display case.
The Redditor gave further context in the caption of the image, saying they had come across the “beautiful” Lego set featured in the promotion, but thought they had misread the information due to the hefty S$500 top-up requirement.
I don’t think I’d be able to spend that much on Coffee Bean before I die.
As of Friday afternoon, the post has garnered 335 upvotes and 141 comments.
Redditors were quick to echo the user's reaction, with many saying that they could not believe the stipulated top-up requirement.
A top comment read: “I don’t think I’d be able to spend that much on Coffee Bean before I die.”
Another user’s comment compared the promotional set to other recent Lego sets: “This isn't even an official set, so please keep that in mind if you're trying to build a collection.”
The fine print in the promotion's description states that the set "is not a Lego product", but rather are "new Lego elements with custom printed designs that have been re-packaged or altered".
The user added: “Besides, it's ridiculously expensive. 500 bucks for 106 pieces tops up to ~S$4.72 per brick.
"For reference, this year's modular set, the Jazz Club, has 2,899 pieces for S$350, giving ~S$0.12 per brick. And for that, you're getting a 3-floor build, not a pathetic stand equivalent in size to a fist."
The promotion was first featured on The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Singapore’s Instagram and Facebook pages on June 23, with the promotion officially beginning the following day on June 24.
The post touted customers to “bring a mini #CoffeeBeanSG home”, along with details on the S$500 top-up requirement.
Initial reactions to the original promotional post were similar, with users zeroing in on the substantial top-up amount.
One Instagram user said: “Who in the right mind would commit S$500 to future purchases at CBTL?”
Another Facebook user said: “$500 minimum top up!!!!! That's just too much. Sorry, but that's mad just for a Lego set like that.”
However, other Redditors offered a different perspective, saying that the Lego set was simply a bonus for customers who already consistently purchased drinks from the store.
One Redditor was puzzled by other users’ reactions, asking: “Why do most comments think it is paying 500 for Lego when it is paying 500 for coffee and getting free Lego? If you drink Coffee Bean, it is probably just 100 cups. Just 100 days use up already.”
“I mean that's how expensive these drinks are now right?” they added.
Another Redditor said: “If you're constantly finding yourself buying CBTL coffee or tea, why not? Won't be long until you've spent S$500 anyway.
“Thanks for posting this. I love Lego and will probably get this this afternoon.”
TODAY has reached out to CBTL Singapore for comment.
