This is in reply to some random questions:
The boutique is in CA. That's why I couldn't go with eLuxury for a break on sales tax. They charge tax to CA residents, too. It seemed like a safer bet to go to the store, except that we got unlucky. I would still like to believe that the "third time is the charm", LOL.
Also there was a question about whether we might have tipped the scales out of our favor by being too picky or saying things about the quality not being up to to our standards. I wasn't there when the gift was purchased, exchanged or returned so I didn't say anything about quality to anyone in the store (or later over the phone). My fiancé is Mr. Diplomatic and never speaks impulsively or with foot stuck in mouth. I've been with him for what seems like forever and I have never seen him rub anyone the wrong way. So there wasn't anything he said or did other than the mere fact that we needed a second exchange. The employees we ran into were just throwing their weight around for no other reason than the fact that they *could* (that the head manager and the original SA wasn't there when my fiancé made the third trip probably didn't help either. Let's just say we've learned our lesson about calling in advance in the event of returning a product!).
About the piping on the second handbag my fiancé was not permitted to exchange: The corner I mentioned was sewn into the seam so that less than 1/8-inch of leather piping was exposed in a a roughly 1" area. To see the piping cross that corner at all, you had to physically pry open up the canvas edges to see down into the seam. So it wasn't just slightly off, it was waaaay off.
Before my fiancé decided to surprise me by making the long drive to the boutique, I had been going through the eBay listings for about a month trying to educate myself. Some of the LV bags sold by powersellers such as
Fashionphile, provide tons of close-up pictures, far more than on eLux. These were used LV bags that didn't have the problems I've described. So while it is true that every purse differs because it is handmade, I would not include what my first post described as being anything like what some of the other "normal" speedy bags look like.
Handmade vs. defective: Partly, I can be confident because in the late part of high school and early college I worked weekends keeping a handbag sales and repair shop open (since mall stores can't close for the owners to take off). Most customers only brought quality items in for repair and not the cheap stuff from KMART. As a result, I ended up with five years of experience and on-the-job training giving repair estimates, telling customers whether an item was possible to repair, observing how products wear with time and use, and how they sometimes fail long before the manufacturer intended because they were defective begin with. So with respect to the leather being wound too tight and fraying on the first speedy's handles it really was. And with respect to the stain it was a blackish-brown scuff just like you might see on a brand new pair of white leather shoes. (It's no fun on a new shoe let alone the vachetta on a brand new LV!) Lastly, with respect to the piping it, too, was sewn incorrectly, but only on one corner so that's why my fiancé didn't catch it. On a normal speedy, the piping may dip in and out somewhat, but I would guess that most would agree that the piping shouldn't be swallowed up so that you cannot see the leather at all unless you pull apart the canvas to go looking for it in the depths of the seam!
The reason why this is just a sad story is because my fiancé really DID have bad luck, not through anything he might of said to set anyone off. I'm sure that if they would have spent the time they are paid for to help rather than to argue they could have helped him locate a bag that didn't have scuff marks, frayed leather or the like.
Hopefully, I answered all the questions I missed over the holiday. Once again, I do appreciate the understanding, and the realization that I am not the only one who has had a bad shopping experience. Have a great weekend (coming up)!
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