‘Is Zepto running China scam?’: ‘Fake Apple Watch worth Rs 50,000’ delivered to Vir Das

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jun 15, 2026 01:58 PM IST

Actor and comedian Vir Das has said he received a counterfeit Apple Watch through Zepto. In a video, Das said he ordered an Apple Watch worth around Rs 50,000 through the quick-commerce platform. What he received was allegedly a Chinese knock-off.

Das posted images of the watch and its packaging. He said the packaging carried the phrase “Designed by Watch in China”, rather than any Apple logo.

In the post, the comedian said his attempt to get customer support was unsuccessful, adding that a Zepto representative later informed him that there was little the platform could do. “Okay. Am I wrong or is @zeptonow running china scam? Needed an apple watch quickly for a shoot. Paid full price. This showed up. Do all Apple Watches look like this? Please tell. I’ve never used one. @zeptostoresofficial @kaivalyavohra,” Das wrote on Instagram.

Sharing the same video on X, the comedian wrote, “Okay. Am I wrong, do all apple watches look like this or is @ZeptoNow @zeptocares being shady with china copies? By the way their customer device agent on the phone said there’s nothing they could do. Full scam. We needed one quick for a shoot. They charged us 50k.”

Watch here:

Okay. Am I wrong, do all apple watches look like this or is @ZeptoNow @zeptocares being shady with china copies? By the way their customer device agent on the phone said there’s nothing they could do. Full scam. We needed one quick for a shoot. They charged us 50k. pic.twitter.com/2YiOx4qMYB

— Vir Das (@thevirdas) June 15, 2026

The post quickly gained traction, drawing reactions about similar complaints. “I ordered AirPods 4. Discharges in 1 hr. Even after multiple complaints no resolution. So your assumption just might be true,” an X user wrote. “That’s definitely not original. The font of the text on the back of the watch is a dead giveaway,” another user commented.

“Usual zepto script. Refuse to acknowledge the issue, unless you cry on social media they won’t listen. Have faced it couple of times,” a third user reacted.

Zepto shares clarification

In a clarification shared with indianexpress.com, a Zepto spokesperson informed that a reverse pickup of the product delivered to the comedian has been scheduled. The company is investigating the matter.

“We take such concerns seriously and have already scheduled a reverse pickup of the product, which is our standard process in such cases. This will help us investigate the issue with our brand partners. For high-value products, users receive an OTP at the time of delivery. The OTP should only be shared after checking that the package is properly sealed and in good condition,” the company said.

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“We are currently looking into this case and will take appropriate action based on our findings,” it added.