Customer allegedly assaults Hugo Boss manager after returning $1k blazer multiple times

A Hugo Boss Commercial Bay store manager says he fears leaving work at night after allegedly being assaulted by a disgruntled customer who bought and returned a $1000 jacket multiple times from the store. 

Josh*, who does not want to be named, was leaving work on May 30 when he claims he was punched by the former customer on Customs St West in Auckland CBD. 

“The first thing that came to my mind was my family.” 

Police confirmed enquiries into the alleged assault were ongoing. 

“A person of interest has since been identified in relation to this and police will look to serve them with a trespass notice.” 

The store manager told the Herald he had not seen the ex-customer since July last year when he noticed the man standing next to him at the lights on Customs St West while he was going home from work one night. 

“I was shocked, and then I said, ‘What are you looking at?’” 

“And he said, ‘I’m not looking at you’. 

“Then I stepped away from him. I had a bad feeling that he was going to try do something. Then I was about to cross the road, and he punched me in the face. Quite a hard punch, and then he ran. 

“The only thing that came to my mind was that I needed to go to a safe place, so that’s why I ran to the police [station].” 

The Hugo Boss store in Commercial Bay. Photo / Emma Tavai 

While running, he called his wife and explained what had happened. 

“She was there home alone with our kid and she was scared too. She wanted to come pick me up, but I didn’t want her to.” 

Josh said the punch landed on the side of his face and initially affected his hearing. 

Despite contacting police, Josh feared for his safety if the man returned. 

Memories of the alleged assault still flood back, especially when he is with his young family. 

“He could have done anything. 

“What will happen if he happens to see me and if he attacks me again? Should I fight back or stay still? Will police be able to do something?” 

Josh believed the incident would have been caught on CCTV but said police told him they could not find any footage. 

“Two or three days later I went to the intersection and looked everywhere and I saw a camera. I took a photo of the camera and sent it to police.” 

Police told the Herald no clear CCTV footage was located. 

Herald attempts to reach the customer were unsuccessful. 

Earlier dispute 

Footage obtained by the Herald shows the man growing agitated in July last year when he returned a jacket to the store. 

This was the fourth jacket the man had returned to the store. Staff tried to explain that the mark he saw on the jacket was part of its cloth, and a water and rubbing mark the man had caused trying to fix the jacket himself could be easily rectified. 

Josh said he told the man staff would call security if he did not calm down. 

The man then left the store without the jacket. 

Josh said the man was later trespassed from the store. 

According to a timeline prepared by the company, the man first bought a Houston jacket in size 92, along with other items, on June 15, 2025. 

He returned the jacket just under a week later, claiming it was too tight when he was sitting. The store offered him the Houston jacket in size 96, which he accepted. 

Four days after receiving this jacket, he returned it again, claiming the size 96 was also not comfortable when he extended his arms while sitting. 

Hugo Boss then replaced the jacket again, this time for the H-Huge jacket size 96S. 

Two days later, it’s alleged he returned to the store again, claiming there was a hole in the lining of the sleeve. The store offered to repair the issue but the man requested a new version of the jacket be sent from the Christchurch store. 

After receiving the new jacket the man returned to the store two more times, alleging further issues. He visited with his mother and her partner to review the final jacket provided by the company. 

He subsequently raised issues with this jacket too and then filed a Disputes Tribunal complaint. 

A September 2025 Disputes Tribunal ruling said the customer wanted a refund because a suit jacket, which he received as a replacement for a different jacket he raised issues with, had a “pulled thread”. 

Hugo Boss disputed his complaint, saying the jacket was of acceptable quality and the complained-of defect was not present when the man left its store. 

“He and his [family] spent about one hour arranging the exchange and had a full opportunity to inspect it, in good light, fully before they left the store,” the ruling said. 

The tribunal said given the series of items the customer had returned, it was fair to say the parties’ mutual trust in each other was severely eroded. 

“[Hugo Boss] ensured that it applied extra attention to this customer at this last meeting, and [he] bought his family with him due to that history.” 

The tribunal ruled against the customer, in favour of Hugo Boss. 

“Given the past history, it is somewhat difficult to accept that [a store manager] would allow a jacket with the damage to leave the store.” 

* Josh’s name has been changed to protect his identity.