Online auctions cater to Beliebers looking for Tim Hortons merch
A tie-in to a major promotion from Canadian coffee giant Tim Hortons and singing superstar Justin Bieber has some people looking to turn a profit on the limited-edition merchandise.
Early last month, the company announced a collaboration with pop star Justin Bieber that included three new flavours of the iconic Timbit.
Along with the treats, Tim Hortons also offers a tote bag, beanie and a fanny pack – all branded with the Timbiebs logo.
Now it seems that all the products, including the packaging the Timbits are handed out in, are going for big bucks online.
One seller even listed a set of five boxes, many unfolded, for $300.
Some other ads have cheaper prices for the merch, but they're still listed much higher than the regular $29.99 retail cost.
"Brand new and still in the packaging," says one ad offering a set of all three limited-edition items. "A must-have for the holidays!"
SOLD OUT IN STORES
Tim Hortons, in an email to CTV News on Saturday, said many restaurants in Canada were sold out of the Timbiebs merchandise "very quickly" when they became available in stores.
But it's something they anticipated and more could be made available soon.
"We knew our guests would be very excited about our partnership with Justin and that we'd be challenged to keep up with the incredible demand for both our Timbiebs Timbits and the limited-edition merchandise items," said chief marketing officer Hope Bagozzi.
"We're happy to share that we've given restaurants that have already sold out the ability to order more stock, so we encourage guests to try their local Tims again if merch wasn't available the last time they checked."
Even while the merchandise has a limited run, Bagozzi suggests superfans should focus on heading to stores to find what they're looking for instead of looking for resellers and paying a premium.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Fire in Labrador town under control, officials tells residents to stay away
RCMP say the fire that prompted a state of emergency in a Labrador town is now under control.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Iraq investigates a blast at a base of Iran-allied militias that killed 1. U.S. denies involvement
Iraqi authorities said Saturday that they were investigating an explosion that struck a base belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of Iran-allied militias, killing one person and injuring eight.