A visit to a toy store in Hong Kong turned into an expensive ordeal for a couple after their five-year-old son accidentally knocked over a life-sized Teletubbies sculpture. The incident, which occurred on May 22 at the KKPlus toy store, has sparked controversy and led to a compensation payment of HK$33,600 (approximately S$5,900).
The father, who only identified himself as Cheng, told Commercial Radio Hong Kong that after stepping outside to take a phone call, he heard a loud bang and rushed back inside to find that his son had toppled an 1.8-meter tall Teletubbies statue. Cheng mentioned that the store staff initially accused his son of kicking the sculpture, though he and his wife did not witness the incident firsthand.
Despite the accusations, Cheng agreed to pay the compensation to the store, which had a retail price of HK$52,800 for the statue. CCTV footage later revealed that the boy had been leaning back to avoid a crowd, causing the sculpture to fall. The footage seemed to support the family’s claim that the incident was purely accidental.
Cheng expressed frustration over the store’s initial assumption that his son had damaged the toy intentionally. “He took a day off school today. Yesterday, he asked me three times why the doll was so terrifying,” Cheng shared, emphasizing that his son was unsettled by the toy.
In a statement issued on Facebook, which has since been deleted, KKPlus clarified that the amount of compensation received was less than the retail price of the sculpture. The toy store also assured that they had reached out to the family to resolve the matter and would learn from the experience.
The situation highlights the delicate balance between customer relations and the responsibility of handling costly merchandise in retail environments.