A London man has expressed his shock and disappointment after spending a substantial sum on luxury Christmas crackers from the iconic store Fortnum & Mason, only to find the contents severely underwhelming.
The £585 festive splurge
Carmie Sellitto, 26, from London, paid £585 for a box of six luxury Christmas crackers from the renowned Piccadilly retailer. The product, presented in eye-catching gold packaging, promised indulgent gifts from across the store's famous floors, including sweet confections, teatime treats, and luxurious body and home gifts, alongside an exclusive bee-design coin purse.
Expecting a haul worthy of the near-£600 price tag, Carmie was instead left feeling short-changed. He estimated the total value of the items he received to be around £45, leading him to state he felt "genuinely been robbed." In a video shared online, he exclaimed: "I can’t believe I spent £585 on this."
An underwhelming reveal: What was inside?
While acknowledging the crackers looked "beautiful," the actual contents failed to impress. Carmie documented the unboxing, which revealed a modest collection of items.
The haul included:
- Two small boxes of truffles (Marc de Champagne Truffles and Pink Marc de Champagne Truffles).
- Spiced orange and dark chocolate biscuits.
- A tin of loose-leaf Plum, Apple and Cinnamon Infusion tea.
- A tube of Garden Song hand cream.
- A Christmas Spiced Tea votive candle.
- A cocktail jigger (a shot-measuring tool).
- The promised Elizabeth Scarlett bee coin purse.
- Standard paper crowns and joke cards.
Reacting to the final item, the cocktail jigger, Carmie said: "No way. I spent £585, and I got a cocktail shaker. This is actually insane." He directly addressed the store in his clip, asking: "Why are you doing me dirty for real?"
Public reaction and value debate
The story, shared on 18 December 2025, quickly attracted attention, with thousands of commenters agreeing with Carmie's assessment. The consensus online was one of disbelief at the perceived lack of value.
One social media user urged him to "get a refund," while another described the situation as "daylight robbery." A third simply commented: "That’s actually shocking." The incident has sparked a broader debate about the value proposition of luxury festive goods and whether the premium paid is for the products themselves or the brand experience and packaging.
When asked if the purchase was worth it, Carmie's verdict was emphatic: "hell no." Fortnum & Mason was approached for comment at the time of the original report.
