[piaffe]

Talk about a bit of a tempest in a "High Tea" pot...

If members are receiving PMs questioning the authenticity of their bags in contravention of existing tPF protocol/policy, then clearly, the rules surrounding authentication have gone off the rail somewhere. We as a group need to be able to revisit - or at least *discuss* - what that protocol and what those policies say.

Guests visit this site and new members join all the time, often specifically to have things "authenticated". If VickyB has a few questions about the authenticating process despite current, posted information, she is probably not the only one. And frankly, rules need to evolve. I've seen the Authenticate This thread periodically FLOOD with new posters who toss personal (and sometimes totally uninformed) opinions around - much to the chagrin of some of our very experienced thread contributors. Rules are important, because everyone benefits!

Whether I share her concerns or not, I think VickyB is absolutely as entitled to generate points for discussion as the next person. If we want to start measuring abstract "rudeness" around here, I have to say, I think a lot of seasoned tPFers might be surprised at how poorly they score.

jag, thank you for posting this sticky.

[gga]

Thank you, JAG. I was the recipient of one of those unpleasant IMs, actually meant for another member, discussing a third party's bag. Made me a little sick to my stomach, actually. Not nice at all. Not nice.

Um, and I totally piaffe!

[sakara54]

[mistikat]

Agree 100% - well said, Piaffe!

[emila]

Originally Posted by piaffe

Talk about a bit of a tempest in a "High Tea" pot...

If members are receiving PMs questioning the authenticity of their bags in contravention of existing tPF protocol/policy, then clearly, the rules surrounding authentication have gone off the rail somewhere. We as a group need to be able to revisit - or at least *discuss* - what that protocol and what those policies say.

Guests visit this site and new members join all the time, often specifically to have things "authenticated". If VickyB has a few questions about the authenticating process despite current, posted information, she is probably not the only one. And frankly, rules need to evolve. I've seen the Authenticate This thread periodically FLOOD with new posters who toss personal (and sometimes totally uninformed) opinions around - much to the chagrin of some of our very experienced thread contributors. Rules are important, because everyone benefits!

Whether I share her concerns or not, I think VickyB is absolutely as entitled to generate points for discussion as the next person. If we want to start measuring abstract "rudeness" around here, I have to say, I think a lot of seasoned tPFers might be surprised at how poorly they score.

jag, thank you for posting this sticky.

ITA piaffe and um gga I piaffe too!!!

[jag]

Ok, I am going to try and tackle some of the issues prompted by this thread:

1- we are not re-naming the authentication threads. We have made it quite clear that such threads are merely expressions of opinions and everyone is entitled to share their opinion in a respectful manner and in accordance with PF protocol.

2- If someone shares their opinion as to authenticity and you are not familiar with them or do not think they possess enough knowledge to share their opinion, simply disregard it and move on. You can always get another opinion. It would be simply too hard for us to police who is and is not allowed to share their opinion in such threads, but I do agree that everyone should be quite mindful of sharing their opinions as to authenticity because there are people you will rely on your opinion! I do want to add that most of the time, in every subforum, there are a few members who stand out of the crowd because of their knowledge and experience with the product. We are lucky in Hermes to have several, outstanding members who devote an enormous amount of time to help other people regarding authenticity without expecting anything in return. We are all incredibly grateful to all of you for sharing your knowledge and time with other members! Without you, and your contributions, such threads would be worth very little!

3- This thread is NOT to challenge or even begin the discussions regarding the "Authenticate This Threads." Any such suggestions can be done in the Feedbox area as it is up to Vlad and Megs to determine if any changes to the current system is warranted. I can do very little about any such comments in this thread, and I respectfully ask that we keep this thread on topic only!

This thread is solely about proper decorum and respect for each other- and by seeing some of the posts in this thread- I ask everyone to simply take a step back and re-read the original message. Start acting and treating others as you would expect to be treated- it is a simple message.

DO NOT think you are so knowledgeable that you should risk contacting another member about their bag that you THINK just might be fake. Contact a moderator or administrator and let us investigate it first, and we will contact that member IF your suspicious turn out to be accurate. It is really not complicated and this rule is not up for discussion.

[louis-v1234]

I think this is a truely thoughtful post and i want to say how kind it was of you to post it Jag.You are right at the end of the day we are here to talk about bags not someones life or any other subject which may effect us as human beings.Respect and consideration for peoples feelings needs to be addressed more in this it sometimes seems evil world.

[piperlu]

Read

[CobaltBlu]

JAG, I have I told you lately that you are awesome???????

[megsa]

Jag you are!!!!!! Thanks for all you have done!

[PennyD2911]

Originally Posted by CobaltBlu

JAG, I have I told you lately that you are
awesome???????

This is a post I am 110% in agreement with!!!!

[jag]

Thank you ladies!!!!

[Laboheme]

I'm glad to see this sticky too Jag... thank you!

I was singled-out once (in-thread, she didn't even bother to PM me) re: posting a fake in the H 'In action' thread and I found the insinuation pretty insulting.

Dh said to ignore it but...

...but he doesn't get it. (Ok, How old am I again?)

...Hopefully this will help to keep things fun! Thanks!

[archangel]

This is a forum for sharing information about our favourite subject - HERMES (barenia thongs with medor studs notwithstanding). Hence it needs to be taken in this perspective I feel.

In an ideal world, we would all buy our hermes bags & stuff from the store - authenticity would never be an issue and this forum would be an "ooh and aah" showcase for our purchases. But it is not - it is more than that. For whatever reasons pertinent to a member who buys his/her hermes items from eBay or reseller (limited funds, no ready access to Hermes store nor chance to build a relationship, discontinued model or leather or color etc), a member can seek the informed opinions of a group of dedicated ladies/gents (MrsS, Hello etc) who care enough to share their opinions gleaned from years of owning the genuine stuff and possessing a keen eye for details. Vlad/Megs has made it clear - members who seek opinions on the items they wish to purchase outside of the hermes store ultimately have to take sole responsibility for their decision. Buying outside of Hermes stores ALWAYS carries the risk of the item being fake. Through the collective wisdom of well meaning and informed members here, the risk is lessened significantly - until such time the items are accepted for refurbishing by Hermes craftsmen perhaps?

To request for qualifications of the "authenticators" before they can give opinions is perhaps missing the point of the forum somewhat - it is a not a professional body of bag valuers and members do not claim to have graduated from the Hermes craftsmanship course. People who seek guidance/opinions on this forum (hopefully) recognize that. What are the alternatives for a genuine buyer seeking an informed view of the authenticity of an Hermes bag/item from a reseller? Nothing feasible really, short of bringing the bag to Hermes for refurbishing and then paying the reseller only after the bag has been refurbished.

The collective wisdom of the forum has resulted in many fake eBay listings being pulled and prevented members from unknowingly purchasing fakes. There are a few instances of (overzealous?) members who (unwittingly or otherwise) resulted in real listings being pulled from ebay or cause anxiety to other members by "assessing" that their items are fake. BUT let's face it, this is the real world, there is NO PERFECT system. To me the pros outweigh the cons. I think Megs/Vlad recognize the overriding benefit of this sharing of information and hence has set rules to ensure that things do not get out of hand. I for one hope that the well informed members of the Hermes purseforum continue to provide their guiding light to the rest of us in this forum. Let's not throw the baby out along with the bathwater......

[ehmoody]

Hi Jag, you posted to contact you about fake bags. My sister in law just sent me 2 fake Hermes bags. I have no clue what to do with these things. I apologize if this is the wrong place to ask this but I do not want to do the wrong thing with these things. I don't want them, I only wear authentic stuff. Do you have any ideas or advice?

Thanks, Erin