The sudden surge in popularity of AUPEN bags has been met with a mix of intrigue and skepticism. On one hand, the brand has achieved a notable presence in Hollywood, with its signature asymmetrical designs being sported by a roster of celebrities including Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Hailey Bieber, and Olivia Rodrigo.

This hypervisibility, coupled with the brand’s vegan-friendly reputation and an accessible price point under $500, has contributed to its rapid rise in less than a year since its launch in November 2022.

However, beneath the surface of this newfound fame lies a contentious issue that has left many customers frustrated: AUPEN’s return policy. AUPEN deducts a hefty $80 from refunds for returns, a policy that not only deters customers from returning their purchases but also raises questions about the brand’s confidence in customer retention.

“I fell victim to this scam as well, it’s ridiculous to charge $80 dollars for a refund. I went ahead and asked a friend in the garment manufacturing space in China. Since Aupen ships directly from their factory, they simply chose a super cheap turn key manufacturing that has no QC. This is why their quality and build is so much worse than brands in the same price range. They hide this $80 refund price unlike other companies that will inform you prior to purchase because they have NO CONFIDENCE in the quality of their bag. The refund fee actually covers all their OPEX as well as a small profit for the company. Therefore they will make money either way. Honestly, just a really shitty way to do business, and when asked about it they hide behind argument of ‘we are just small business’. Completely unethical!” said a reddit commentor.