Suhali Le Fab Quality Problems.... I am so disappointed!

ShyShy · Aug 2nd, 2008, 12:16 PM

I bought my suhali le fab a few months ago (march/april). Yesterday as I was comparing it to my newly bought le superbe (purchase a few weeks ago) I noticed the bottom of my le fab popped up and down (on one side) if you pressed on it (as if something inside that formed the structure of the bag is compromised or something). I am extremely upset about this since I only use this bag occasionally on the weekends (I alternate between my other suhalis on the weekends).

I take extreme care when I store my bags and never put much in them (even in the epi jasmin, I have room to spare as I don't carry much). I do not recall any major mishaps that could have put any pressure on the bag and I am quite careful with my bags.... I don't understand?

I brought the bag back to the store and was told it may just be a leather thing, but the SA who sold it to me said he couldn't say for sure since he was not the repairs or service centre expert. So I have to bring it in during the week to have it checked. I am really worried they are going to just shrug it off or say I have to pay for it if I wanted to fix it. I am only saying this because a few years back the mono petit bucket that I bought crumbled on the inside (the painted wall cracked & crumbled) and the paint stuck all over my vernis wallet. All LV could tell me was that it sometimes happens to that bag and I could pay to have it fixed... as for my wallet, they just shrugged and said they couldn't remove the paint. I was extremely upset because the wallet was purchased for me by my husband when we were dating and the wallet was still in such excellent condition... as a result I can no longer use my bag AND my wallet. I still remember the SA telling me I should not have left the bag in the dustbag. Why didn't anyone tell me that when they were trying to sell me the bag? They usually tell me to keep my bag IN the dustbag when not in use?! I was extremely disappointed and decided to stick with suhalis since they were marketed as LV's top line (plus people mainly had issues with the canvas bags).

I have compared it to other le fabs in the store.... none of them has this funny popping thing like mine.... I am sooo sad!

Given the experience I've had with them in the past (notwithstanding how much customer service and quality issues have popped up on tpf) I'm really worried they'll treat it the same way again or maybe even push the responsibility under the banner of "not being responsible once it's been used"? Now I'm really kicking myself for not thoroughly checking the bag when I made the purchase.

Plus I am not sure in the future whether the base would get worse with use or not... but in my mind a bag should be made to hold up to normal use period, let alone light use.

Sorry for the long rant but this really ruined my weekend as the le fab was one of my favorite (and most expensive!) bags.

Bengt · Aug 2nd, 2008, 12:21 PM

I feel sorry for you..

Addy · Aug 2nd, 2008, 12:33 PM

Oh dear... do you like in a hot or humid climate? Sometimes, that has an effect on the bags' structure

ShyShy · Aug 2nd, 2008, 01:19 PM

No, I don't, I live in Sydney Australia and am nowhere near water. It's generally pretty dry here....

ShyShy · Aug 2nd, 2008, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bengt

I feel sorry for you..

Thank you Bengt. I knew tpf was the place where people would understand...

sarah2808 · Aug 2nd, 2008, 02:29 PM

I hope they can help you when you bring it back in this week. I would be very upset too. The Le Fab is an extremely expensive (and stunning), bag. For that price you are entitled to perfection. Let us know what happens.

ShyShy · Aug 2nd, 2008, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarah2808

I hope they can help you when you bring it back in this week. I would be very upset too. The Le Fab is an extremely expensive (and stunning), bag. For that price you are entitled to perfection. Let us know what happens.

Thanks for your concern sarah2808, I will. I have just been so bummed out about this since the store could not help me yesterday and knowing the "service reputation" of our store here, I can only hope they will honor their quality and give me a faultless bag. I was told by the SA that to repair it the bottom stitching would look different since the repair people here don't do it "like how they do it in France" (plus I will have to pay for their repairs however much that would cost me...)

ShyShy · Aug 7th, 2008, 07:37 AM

I just visited the store again today. There is nothing that can be done. The specialist has never seen the bag taken apart before but he thinks it's okay and that it's just the way the leather is (he doesn't think there is a anything inside that is holding the bag, i.e. no structure on the base, just leather). I am still disappointed by the lump and popping bottom though... the bottom line is I should still be able to use it - I did ask what if I continued to use it and the bottom sagged - the answer was, there are no guarantees with Louis Vuitton.

shalomjude · Aug 7th, 2008, 09:05 AM

I am disappointed to read about your experience at the store. My SA is the repair/cleaning person for the store and I recall her recounting a similar story about a suhali le fab that was returned for repair here and nothing could be done about it BUT that le fab had been used for MANY years not a few months. Is there anyone else you could to speak to about this as it is a quality issue

ShyShy · Aug 7th, 2008, 11:57 AM

Hi shalomjude... That's the thing, I am not sure who else can help me. I didn't want to kick a fuss in the store as well you know? I feel as though they should have offered to give me a problem free one since the bag is still so new, but they just said it could be a leather thing and sent me on my merry way - which I am not even sure what that means... perhaps that sagging and change of shape is inevitable? The service specialist did mention that some people don't like the l'ingeniuex or speedy sagging, but it just does.... I would be heart broken if my le fab started to sag at the bottom because it's suppose to be a boxy bag, not a slouchy one.

I have sang praise about the suhali range to many people and now I feel a little stupid about it.

LYNND · Aug 12th, 2008, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShyShy

I just visited the store again today. There is nothing that can be done. The specialist has never seen the bag taken apart before but he thinks it's okay and that it's just the way the leather is (he doesn't think there is a anything inside that is holding the bag, i.e. no structure on the base, just leather). I am still disappointed by the lump and popping bottom though... the bottom line is I should still be able to use it - I did ask what if I continued to use it and the bottom sagged - the answer was, there are no guarantees with Louis Vuitton.

I am obsessed with LV's mono line. That being said, I honestly don't buy into the idea that they are the best made bags. My first experience buying at LV was a disaster (or rather a series of them). I went on the 'net to see if I were alone and found one horror story after another (not referring specifically to this site). I only buy eBay now. Their loss, my gain. At least buying 2nd hand I don't expect anything. And I can see from the pics if it aged well and was made correctly to begin with. By contrast, you never know how well a new bag will hold up. Don't get me wrong: I love the look of an LV. But I can do without what passes for "customer service". They reserve the right to pick and choose who they will assist in these situations and who will get the shaft. That is why, I suspect, there is no written guarantee. The sad irony is that I bought a hand-tooled leather handbag from S. America that came with a limited lifetime guarantee. I had a problem with a D&B once and it was a "no questions asked" response and quick turnaround time on repairs. LV just doesn't have a customer-first attitude (IMHO). It's part of their corporate culture, I'm afraid. There are good SAs to be found, but that is to the credit of the individual -- their own sense of class and courtesy -- and by no means a reflection on the company at large. I wish I could say differently....

Pyrojilly · Aug 25th, 2008, 11:08 AM

Could you try to use inserts or newsprint or even a heavy book to remedy it? Hopefully it works out for you ughh...I want to get the Le Radieux but now am hesitant. Good luck!

ShyShy · Aug 27th, 2008, 08:58 AM

Hi pyrojilly, the repair person did say I could go to the art store to buy a piece of board to put inside. But I would have a piece of board on top of the lining, which really detracts from the bag. I haven't used the bag since. I just think this should not be happening in the first place for such a new bag, especially such an expensive bag too....

Classic Chic · Aug 29th, 2008, 12:43 AM

if you've got it w/n 1 year and have a good relationship w/SA, i dont' see why not ask for an exchange b/c obviously other ones don't have this issue?

ShyShy · Aug 29th, 2008, 11:02 AM

Sigh, unfortunately the Sydney LV store is not about customer service, at best they insist on fixing new bags.... as long as you pay the cost. They say the bag may be in good condition in the factory but during shipping or whatever, it may no longer be in the exact condition... whatever the case, they always need the repair person to see it, and because the repair person has never seen the le fab 'disected', he is not sure whether there is a structure inside or not and his guess is that it's just a 'leather issue' so it's like buyer beware as there are no guarantees with LV....

So even if the SA who sold it to me (I think he is pretty new, I think our LV store has a pretty high turnover rate) remembers me and he knows I only bought it recently, I don't think it's in the store's blood to honour their products. Not that he was rude or anything, it's more of the 'culture' of our flagship store I'm afraid. I've bought LV globally in many countries, Asia, Europe, US alike, and time and time again I find myself unimpressed with our service here.

Perhaps I have not insisted enough as I do not want to cause a scene, but it just makes me less interested now in stepping into the store. But to answer your question I have not developed much of a special relationship with any SA since there are too many new faces in there all the time.

I am lucky in the sense that one bag will not make or break me (yes, I know it is an expensive bag, as such I am thankful I can afford it), so I will not waste my effort 'fighting' against some sales people and ruining my day (or days!) - my experience with them in the past has taught me it's not worth it really, but perhaps it is their loss that I no longer want to spend my money there as much. Sad, as I have been devoted to LV for over a decade.

Aug 2nd, 2008, 12:16 PM	#1
ShyShy Member	Suhali Le Fab Quality Problems.... I am so disappointed! I bought my suhali le fab a few months ago (march/april). Yesterday as I was comparing it to my newly bought le superbe (purchase a few weeks ago) I noticed the bottom of my le fab popped up and down (on one side) if you pressed on it (as if something inside that formed the structure of the bag is compromised or something). I am extremely upset about this since I only use this bag occasionally on the weekends (I alternate between my other suhalis on the weekends). I take extreme care when I store my bags and never put much in them (even in the epi jasmin, I have room to spare as I don't carry much). I do not recall any major mishaps that could have put any pressure on the bag and I am quite careful with my bags.... I don't understand? I brought the bag back to the store and was told it may just be a leather thing, but the SA who sold it to me said he couldn't say for sure since he was not the repairs or service centre expert. So I have to bring it in during the week to have it checked. I am really worried they are going to just shrug it off or say I have to pay for it if I wanted to fix it. I am only saying this because a few years back the mono petit bucket that I bought crumbled on the inside (the painted wall cracked & crumbled) and the paint stuck all over my vernis wallet. All LV could tell me was that it sometimes happens to that bag and I could pay to have it fixed... as for my wallet, they just shrugged and said they couldn't remove the paint. I was extremely upset because the wallet was purchased for me by my husband when we were dating and the wallet was still in such excellent condition... as a result I can no longer use my bag AND my wallet. I still remember the SA telling me I should not have left the bag in the dustbag. Why didn't anyone tell me that when they were trying to sell me the bag? They usually tell me to keep my bag IN the dustbag when not in use?! I was extremely disappointed and decided to stick with suhalis since they were marketed as LV's top line (plus people mainly had issues with the canvas bags). I have compared it to other le fabs in the store.... none of them has this funny popping thing like mine.... I am sooo sad! Given the experience I've had with them in the past (notwithstanding how much customer service and quality issues have popped up on tpf) I'm really worried they'll treat it the same way again or maybe even push the responsibility under the banner of "not being responsible once it's been used"? Now I'm really kicking myself for not thoroughly checking the bag when I made the purchase. Plus I am not sure in the future whether the base would get worse with use or not... but in my mind a bag should be made to hold up to normal use period, let alone light use. Sorry for the long rant but this really ruined my weekend as the le fab was one of my favorite (and most expensive!) bags.

Aug 2nd, 2008, 12:33 PM	#3
Addy LV~Burberry~Bal MOD Location: The Purse Forum	Oh dear... do you like in a hot or humid climate? Sometimes, that has an effect on the bags' structure __________________ Join us! Click HERE for more information!

Aug 2nd, 2008, 12:21 PM	#2
Bengt Sofa King Banned Location: Bikini Bottom	I feel sorry for you..

Aug 2nd, 2008, 01:19 PM	#4
ShyShy Member	No, I don't, I live in Sydney Australia and am nowhere near water. It's generally pretty dry here....

Aug 2nd, 2008, 02:29 PM	#6
sarah2808 Member Location: Toronto Canada	I hope they can help you when you bring it back in this week. I would be very upset too. The Le Fab is an extremely expensive (and stunning), bag. For that price you are entitled to perfection. Let us know what happens.

Aug 7th, 2008, 07:37 AM	#8
ShyShy Member	I just visited the store again today. There is nothing that can be done. The specialist has never seen the bag taken apart before but he thinks it's okay and that it's just the way the leather is (he doesn't think there is a anything inside that is holding the bag, i.e. no structure on the base, just leather). I am still disappointed by the lump and popping bottom though... the bottom line is I should still be able to use it - I did ask what if I continued to use it and the bottom sagged - the answer was, there are no guarantees with Louis Vuitton.

Aug 7th, 2008, 09:05 AM	#9
shalomjude Member Location: Australia	I am disappointed to read about your experience at the store. My SA is the repair/cleaning person for the store and I recall her recounting a similar story about a suhali le fab that was returned for repair here and nothing could be done about it BUT that le fab had been used for MANY years not a few months. Is there anyone else you could to speak to about this as it is a quality issue

Aug 7th, 2008, 11:57 AM	#10
ShyShy Member	Hi shalomjude... That's the thing, I am not sure who else can help me. I didn't want to kick a fuss in the store as well you know? I feel as though they should have offered to give me a problem free one since the bag is still so new, but they just said it could be a leather thing and sent me on my merry way - which I am not even sure what that means... perhaps that sagging and change of shape is inevitable? The service specialist did mention that some people don't like the l'ingeniuex or speedy sagging, but it just does.... I would be heart broken if my le fab started to sag at the bottom because it's suppose to be a boxy bag, not a slouchy one. I have sang praise about the suhali range to many people and now I feel a little stupid about it.

Aug 25th, 2008, 11:08 AM	#12
Pyrojilly Member Location: Lawrenceville, NJ	Could you try to use inserts or newsprint or even a heavy book to remedy it? Hopefully it works out for you ughh...I want to get the Le Radieux but now am hesitant. Good luck!

Aug 27th, 2008, 08:58 AM	#13
ShyShy Member	Hi pyrojilly, the repair person did say I could go to the art store to buy a piece of board to put inside. But I would have a piece of board on top of the lining, which really detracts from the bag. I haven't used the bag since. I just think this should not be happening in the first place for such a new bag, especially such an expensive bag too....

Aug 29th, 2008, 12:43 AM	#14
Classic Chic Member Location: Caved in again -_-;	if you've got it w/n 1 year and have a good relationship w/SA, i dont' see why not ask for an exchange b/c obviously other ones don't have this issue?

Aug 29th, 2008, 11:02 AM	#15
ShyShy Member	Sigh, unfortunately the Sydney LV store is not about customer service, at best they insist on fixing new bags.... as long as you pay the cost. They say the bag may be in good condition in the factory but during shipping or whatever, it may no longer be in the exact condition... whatever the case, they always need the repair person to see it, and because the repair person has never seen the le fab 'disected', he is not sure whether there is a structure inside or not and his guess is that it's just a 'leather issue' so it's like buyer beware as there are no guarantees with LV.... So even if the SA who sold it to me (I think he is pretty new, I think our LV store has a pretty high turnover rate) remembers me and he knows I only bought it recently, I don't think it's in the store's blood to honour their products. Not that he was rude or anything, it's more of the 'culture' of our flagship store I'm afraid. I've bought LV globally in many countries, Asia, Europe, US alike, and time and time again I find myself unimpressed with our service here. Perhaps I have not insisted enough as I do not want to cause a scene, but it just makes me less interested now in stepping into the store. But to answer your question I have not developed much of a special relationship with any SA since there are too many new faces in there all the time. I am lucky in the sense that one bag will not make or break me (yes, I know it is an expensive bag, as such I am thankful I can afford it), so I will not waste my effort 'fighting' against some sales people and ruining my day (or days!) - my experience with them in the past has taught me it's not worth it really, but perhaps it is their loss that I no longer want to spend my money there as much. Sad, as I have been devoted to LV for over a decade.