I’VRE perfume subscription closes, users left in the dark amidst founder’s criminal allegations

When I first wrote about perfume subscription business I’VRE, I did not expect the business to go down in less than two years. After all, perfume subscriptions were all the hype at that time, and the business claimed to have sold out its stock within just three weeks of opening.

In all honesty, I would’ve opted for I’VRE’s services due to their affordability if I hadn’t received two full-sized fragrances as gifts earlier this year — but lucky me, I guess.

While the business received rave comments when it first started out, everything started to go downhill the past couple of months when users started to realise that they hadn’t received their orders. Some users were told that their perfumes were “out of stock”, while some never received responses at all.

If I were in the same predicament, I’d try to cancel my subscription as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, though, many users are at their wits end as the only way to cancel a subscription was to contact the business — to which the majority are greeted with radio silence.

Unable to cancel their subscriptions, I’VRE’s customers were continuously billed, with some even reporting that they’ve had up to 11 unauthorised charges made to their cards.

The business would hold the customers’ card numbers and charge them for items not purchased. What was worse is that there is no button or option for instant subscription cancellation, and one can only write in via email to do so. To which, their customer service is extremely slow at responding as well.

Essentially, you can be billed as and when the company feels like it and there is nothing you can do about it (perhaps cancelling your card might do it). Overall, I do not recommend this. You’re better off getting your perfumes from somewhere else.

– An I’VRE customer shares her experience with the perfume subscription service via Google Reviews

According to I’VRE’s website, though, the business is apparently in the process of being “acquired” — yet, when I looked into the company’s latest ACRA records today (Dec 15), the company’s working officers still remain the same since its incorporation.

I’VRE’s founder legally changed his name following his criminal indictments

Image Credit: I’VRE

In 2021, I’VRE was founded by Christian Kwok– or rather, Darren Kwok — according to sources close to the matter. Kwok had legally changed his name following his past records of criminal indictments, where he cheated an insurance agent and stole from a family member, among other crimes.

In 2020, the 22-year-old lied about paying for insurance plans to get an insurance agent to lend him S$3,600. The insurance plans required a one-time payment of S$7,200.

Although he told the insurance agent that he had the money to pay for the insurance plan, he asked to pay in instalments as he required money for his day-to-day expenses. Payments by instalments were not possible, hence, the insurance agent lent him S$3,600 to pay the lump sum first, and he would repay her S$300 every month.

Kwok only had S$500 in his bank account at the time, yet, he made two transfers from the account totaling S$7,200 via Singapore Post’s SAM electronic payment system as he knew that despite the unsuccessful transaction, SAM’s payment system would show a page indicating the successful transfer of funds to AXA insurance.

Kwok sent screenshots of this payments page to the insurance agent, however, the agent lodged a police report once she found out that the payments did not go through.

He stole S$31,000 from his grandfather and was expelled from school

Christian Kwok, founder of I’VRE/ Image Credit: I’VRE

A year earlier in 2019, Kwok stole five cheques from his grandfather’s bedroom drawer in their home along Hong San Walk in Chua Chu Kang to pay for his personal expenses and to repay one of his friends.

He forged his grandfather’s signature after stealing these cheques to cash them into his bank account for a total sum of S$31,000.

Kwok also stole other cheques that were pre-signed by his grandfather and cashed them, but court documents do not indicate how much were stolen from these cheques.

His crimes were uncovered when his grandfather filed a police report after discovering unauthorised withdrawals from his bank accounts.

Prior to this, Kwok was allegedly expelled from Hwa Chong Institution in 2017 after he was caught stealing his classmate’s money and misusing their credit cards. He was charged with a total of 28 counts of theft, fraud, and unauthorized use of credit cards, and sentenced to two years of probation.

Kwok’s business partner is influencer Elaine Yuan

Elaine Yuan, Kwok’s business partner and co-founder of I’VRE/ Image Credit: @yyuanxinn

Kwok’s business partner (and co-founder of I’VRE) is influencer Elaine Yuan. The duo met through mutual friends during a party a couple of years back, and according to sources close to the matter, both Yuan and Kwok have been involved in financial misdealings, allegedly defrauding individuals of their money.

One of their victims, who wishes to remain anonymous, lodged a police report against the duo for stealing a Rolex worth S$28,000 and a stack of cash amounting to about S$30,000.

Given their troubling history of defrauding others, the closure of I’VRE seemed like it was bound to happen sooner or later. Vulcan Post has reached out to both Kwok and Yuan for comments, however, they are yet to respond.

Featured Image Credit: I’VRE

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