Haggling over H Items -- is it ever done?

#46
May I just say that the watch/jewelry trade is not the same as a "carriage trade" business such as Hermes. It has always been understood that jewelers offer discounts on watches to the public. I don't know exactly how high end jewelry stores work with clients on jewels. Obviously, people haggle over diamonds, etc. I truly wonder if the person who claims to have gotten a discount at Hermes has ever set foot in an Hermes boutique. :rolleyes:Are we suckers for paying such prices for our bags, scarves, etc? If we feel we have gotten the value of our money in exchange for the goods we bought, then we are not suckers. If we did not feel that way, we would not have bought the things we bought. From Hermes, Vuitton, Chanel or Home Depot. Simple economics.
 
#47
You can purchase Hermes watches at discount as they are items that are sold through authorized watch dealers. I sell the watches for 15-25% off depending on the style.

So I guess you can get a discount on Hermes. lol
 
#48
CAL!! You are killing me!!! HAHA!!! I would never even think about trying it. I'd be soooo embarrassed and probably kicked out. lol
Cal said:
Hmmmm...............I might try this next time I go in. Ideally it will go like this:

Me: May I have a look at that Croc Birkin please?
SA: Most certainly Cal. May I just say that you're looking exceptionally fabulous today.
Me: *blush*
SA: *giggle*
Me: Oh yes, this is beautiful and would look great in my *cough* collection. May I ask the price?
SA: 14 Gagillion Dollars.
Me: Hmmmm.....how about $500, a pack of gum, my kids and my nice Tiffany keychain *wiggles keychain in front of SA*
SA: Throw in that Juicebox that your kid is holding and you've got a deal.
Me: Done! Wrap it up.
SA: Excellent! Did I mention how fabulous you look today?
Me: Yes you did. Can I have your belt?
SA: No.
Me: It was worth a try.
Click to expand...
 
#49
This is interesting.
When I was at the DFS Galleria in Waikoloa a couple of weeks ago, DD and I tried on some H watches.

We were not allowed to purchase them, being residents (:P), but the saleslady was happy to show us all the styles as the store was not busy. I did not even think we were allowed in, but she said, yes, we could, and there was a section we could even purchase from (not designer goods though).

But we tried on lots of H, and I, of course was happy to rub the barenia watchbands.:P

Later, she said to be sure and ask for a discount if we were to shop at the boutique! I said, the Hermes boutique???

I was like this :wtf::wtf:. Exactly. DD was like this :jammin:

The saleslady said yes, they are allowed to give discounts on watches, and that some SAs are allowed to give larger discounts. I said, are you SURE, at the H boutique, not the DFS??? The real BOUTIQUE??? She said, absolutely, just ask.

I was still like this :wtf:

:shrugs: I dont think I could do it.
I cant do it at garage sales, either. At H, I would just be sick. But the saleslady was really really convincing about the whole situation.

She said it only works with watches. DD cant wait to try it, but I was distressed about the whole matter!
 
#50
I remember reading a post on this forum about someone buying scarves on a corporate discount - one person buying a bunch and saying it was for a company event or some such thing. I can't remember who made that post, though. It wasn't recently.
 
#52
don't see why anyone would feel mocked in this thread. and i can't believe people are actually getting upset in a thread about this... too silly for words.
and yes there are places where you can get discounts. a guy i know regularly gets discounts at patek philippe. the first time he came in looking for a watch for his wife, picked one, asked the price then upon hearing said price said, 'i'll give you (x amount), in cash'. and that's what he paid...
 
#53
I guess everyone now knows that I am a very cheap person because I even get a discount from Hermès!

merika said:
I remember reading a post on this forum about someone buying scarves on a corporate discount - one person buying a bunch and saying it was for a company event or some such thing. I can't remember who made that post, though. It wasn't recently.
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Oh yes, that was me, LOL.

luv2shophandbag said:
If we feel we have gotten the value of our money in exchange for the goods we bought, then we are not suckers. If we did not feel that way, we would not have bought the things we bought. From Hermes, Vuitton, Chanel or Home Depot. Simple economics.
Click to expand...

Without going into too much simple economics because it will definitely bore a lot of ladies. If we consider simple supply and demand curve, the downward sloping demand curve suggests that someone would be willing to pay more than the market equilibrium price. In reverse, this implies that that person is actually losing out. I know it's weird logic (how can someone lose out when she is paying less than she is willing to pay) but you just have to trust me on this otherwise I have to go on for 2-3 A4 pages with all these lemmas which will make my head explode, LOL.

Taking for granted that what I said holds, it implies that that someone who is willing to pay a higher price for the same scarf than another person when both are getting one will have an implicit loss comparatively even though she does not realise it. In short, consider this a modified variant of the winner's curse prevalent in every auction. My head is going to explode, LOL so you have to look up winner's curse in Wikipedia.

If you want to know more; read Alfred Marshall: Principles of Economics but I prefer Antoine Augustin Cournot: Researches on the Mathematical Principle of the Theory of Wealth: it is older but much easier for an airy-headed woman like me to understand :P

Anyyyyyyway, who cares about boring old men and stupid old me talking economics, let us come back to Hermès.

luv2shophandbag said:
I truly wonder if the person who claims to have gotten a discount at Hermes has ever set foot in an Hermes boutique. :rolleyes:
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True, I have not set foot in Hermès for ten months (even when I had to exchange my dinner plates, I sent my husband to do it) but why don't you try going to http://corporategifts.hermes.com/ send a request and see whether I am telling the truth or not.

luv2shophandbag said:
May I just say that the watch/jewelry trade is not the same as a "carriage trade" business such as Hermes
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You are right because in automotive terms, Hermès is comparable to buying Mercedes Benz car (an up scale necessity viz. handbag) whereas buying Cartier, VC&A, Graff, etc. is more like buying a yacht (completely unnecessary irrational exuberance viz. diamond necklace) - they are apple and oranges.

I just realised that this is the perfect analogy! You don't get a discount for a Mercedes (I don't have one because I am broke) and again I don't have one but you do definitely get a discount for a yacht :P.

@ mrssparkles, I believe corporate discount is relevant. I think so anyway because when I had a job, sometimes it was the compliance department man who walked down with that little scarf booklet and the order with one of his name cards at hand. No one ever bothered us either. But hey that compliance gentleman's bonus was linked to our trading desk's profit so he was really nice to us, LOL. In any case, a company, by Hermès definition, is any business identity so IF (and a big if at that) I want to do it again, I can theoretically use let's say a random entity that one set up to receive stock's dividends for the reason of lower incurred tax rate (BTW, this is 100% legal in both US and UK if you really want to know).​
 
#55
I get discounts on things because I ask, but with H, I don't ask because they don't give them. They may do other favors for their shoppers (champagne, books, etc) --- but I've yet to ask anyone about a discount. Except on shipping and stuff like that,
 
#56
hlfinn said:
so anyone with a job can order a corporate gift? what's the quantity minimum? it's very interesting
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No!

DISCLAIMER: You have sort it out with your own company. You cannot sue me and have me extradited to the US because I am not responsible if you get fired, LOL.

I used to work at an investment bank and you know how investment banks work. Anything goes as long as it does not get you in jail which is taken to mean (rightly or wrongly, LOL) if no one talks nobody knows.

Apparently there are these things called Goldman Sachs Business Principles and all other investment banks' ethical codes; clearly nobody follows it given how much conflict of interest they have going on! Getting a discount using the company's name is a small speck in the grand scheme of things and perhaps compliance department's resource would be better utilised to sort out the crumbling to non-existent Chinese Wall!

The minimum, I don't really know because I have never asked but 1 dozen scarves gets you a discount - the rate of which you have to trash out with the store manager him/herself!
 
#57
hhmmm, I may order a dozen scarves to give ot to all my clients....then accidently forget to send them out!

Surely there is an opportunity for we ladies to take advantage here?

Anyone interested in a discounted scarf scheme?
 
#59
Grands Fonds said:
hhmmm, I may order a dozen scarves to give ot to all my clients....then accidently forget to send them out!

Surely there is an opportunity for we ladies to take advantage here?

Anyone interested in a discounted scarf scheme?
Click to expand...

That would be unfair for all other ladies because then you can engineer the costs of the scarves in such a way that counts as entertainment expense/capital allowance or whatever the US calls it and then use that to lower your tax liability, LOL. Am I talking too much here? :P
 
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