Buying LV....boutique be Selfridges vs Harrods
- Thread starter lv in yyc
- Start date
I would go to a standalone since you're first in London. There are several ones. Just because of their computer systems. The system they use at Selfridges is not the same as the stand alone shops use and should you need something repaired etc you have to go to Selfridges and not LV. It's a completely different thing. I have gotten some pieces by Selfridges and also the standalone. I prefer the one at Sloan Street, just bc it's smaller and I find them nicer than the one one New Bond Street
but I guess I would recommend going to the big Maison if it's your first time at LV in London. Just bc of the size etc I like Liz there. I must also say, that the nicest pieces I found was at the Maison. The ones from Selfridges sometimes seem to be 2nd pick of batch in my opinion. Harrods I don't know. Never shopped there. Don't like Harrods at all.
Selfridges and Harrods has 14days full refund or exchange policy. Both LV in these department store offers nice selection pieces. Ground floor in Harrods are mainly handbags and accessories and is the busiest. 1st floor is RTW and handbags which is more quiet and you get nice service. Same goes for 5th floor shoes which has handbags and slgs but very limited choice.
Selfridges ground floor offer good selection and they tend to have good availability in stock, 2nd floor is RTW and handbags which is more quite and on the other end of 2nd floor is shoes and very few bags.
Standalone stores only offer exchange policy, strictly no refund. The flagship store in Bond Street is the largest with 2 floors and they sometimes have limited stock too, especially in slgs. You can see exquisite exotic pieces more and made to order service in display. The store is Sloane Street is the worse in stock for slgs and the most quiet of all. Their stock are too slow moving. For instance if you see a piece of slg that isn't in good condition hoping it will be sold in 2-3 weeks time for them to get replenish, that's unlikely to happen. But the good thing on the other hand is their bags on display are hardly being touched by client compare to busier Harrods and Selfridges.
Items bought from Harrods or Selfridges is best to bring them back there for after service but it doesn't matter if it's brought to Bond Street after care service or back to your country. After care service at Bond Street will accept any item bought from anywhere in the world.
Both Harrods & Selfridges now offers yellow colour receipt ( which they didn't in the past) together with their store receipt.
SAs in all of the store are nice, as for VAT, it's easy for any of the store. Harrods and Selfridges uses Global Blue company and standalone stores uses Premier Tax. U have to check with two company as I don't claim VAT myself, but procedure is very straight forward.
Standalone store will print VAT form during when you pay at the cashier. Whereas Harrods and Selfridges, after purchasing everything, collect all reciept to proceed to upper floor at tax refund office to be issue VAT form.
Selfridges ground floor offer good selection and they tend to have good availability in stock, 2nd floor is RTW and handbags which is more quite and on the other end of 2nd floor is shoes and very few bags.
Standalone stores only offer exchange policy, strictly no refund. The flagship store in Bond Street is the largest with 2 floors and they sometimes have limited stock too, especially in slgs. You can see exquisite exotic pieces more and made to order service in display. The store is Sloane Street is the worse in stock for slgs and the most quiet of all. Their stock are too slow moving. For instance if you see a piece of slg that isn't in good condition hoping it will be sold in 2-3 weeks time for them to get replenish, that's unlikely to happen. But the good thing on the other hand is their bags on display are hardly being touched by client compare to busier Harrods and Selfridges.
Items bought from Harrods or Selfridges is best to bring them back there for after service but it doesn't matter if it's brought to Bond Street after care service or back to your country. After care service at Bond Street will accept any item bought from anywhere in the world.
Both Harrods & Selfridges now offers yellow colour receipt ( which they didn't in the past) together with their store receipt.
SAs in all of the store are nice, as for VAT, it's easy for any of the store. Harrods and Selfridges uses Global Blue company and standalone stores uses Premier Tax. U have to check with two company as I don't claim VAT myself, but procedure is very straight forward.
Standalone store will print VAT form during when you pay at the cashier. Whereas Harrods and Selfridges, after purchasing everything, collect all reciept to proceed to upper floor at tax refund office to be issue VAT form.
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Awesome! Also: if you don't like the vibe from the SA you get, don't be afraid to ask for another. It's not rude. Your experience is a big big part of what will make you want to come back to LV
just ask kindly to be served by someone else don't let anyone rush you! And please please please inspect your item up and down, in and out before you pay! Your SA should just let you do your thing. Sometimes if you don't, and you find something, they will tell you: " you should have checked it before you left?" Sooooo just look at it as you taking that advise!!!This is your dream your looking for right?
Look at
symmetry
Stitching
Smell
Wrinkles
Spots
That the bag is NEW and not a returned one
Well that's just my two cents anywhoo! Enjoy and good luck! And have fun in this amazing city😊
THIS is a big one. Yes. Self and Har offers 14 day refund in sellable condition. Have to say that this is a big one, and also why I shop at Self sometimes.
and a very nice explanation of the store layouts! Kudos!
Ps: No store in the UK is legally allowed to advert that there are no returns since October 2015, HOWEVER, that is only of the item is faulty. And that's a fight you can spare yourself for. I would go to Selfriges and have a look around. I must say that they are quite nice there
Haha...that's what I do. I smell...don't care what the SA thinks. If I have to choose a perfect wallet, I will come back 10 times if I have too.Awesome! Also: if you don't like the vibe from the SA you get, don't be afraid to ask for another. It's not rude. Your experience is a big big part of what will make you want to come back to LV
This is your dream your looking for right?
Look at
symmetry
Stitching
Smell
Wrinkles
Spots
That the bag is NEW and not a returned one
Well that's just my two cents anywhoo! Enjoy and good luck! And have fun in this amazing city😊
Now THAT I don't agree with. Not after sales anyways! The best CS out of Maison and Selfridges is definitely Selfridges. They are super nice there. Second is Sloan. Lastly the Maison (in London anyways) The best I've ever had to deal with was the Maison 5th avenue NYC. Amazing amazing! The worst: Salzburg Austria! Lol
Hehehe! Well that's what they tell you you SHOULD have done whenever you have to complain about something! "Please please, it's very important you check the item you buy next time before you leave ok??"
Oooooook! Sniffffffffff lol
Seriously, LV customer service is amazing in Europe...make some of the US experience i had to shame. OP, i would go to Harrods just for the experience if its your first time in London, my 2nd choice would be flagship on Bond street.
Start with Bond Street - because it is the UK flagship store.
It is spacious and pleasant to be in; there are places to sit; the staff are all really nice and can talk about the goods; if you have to wait, they offer you refreshments; it has a hot stamping facility.
If you want something they do not have in stock there, they can locate if for you elsewhere including the Selfridges and Harrods.
It is spacious and pleasant to be in; there are places to sit; the staff are all really nice and can talk about the goods; if you have to wait, they offer you refreshments; it has a hot stamping facility.
If you want something they do not have in stock there, they can locate if for you elsewhere including the Selfridges and Harrods.
Thank you all for the great input. I was planning on purchasing a delightful pm in Azure with beige lining. Went to bond street Maison, they had 1 in stock but there were stains on the strap. She told me that both Harrods and Sloane street had 1, Selfridges didn't have any. So I went to Sloan but they said it was stock issue and they didn't have any even though system showed one. So I bought the 1 that Harrods had. The customer service was ok at all locations but the wait time at Harrods was long. They did say that the after sale service/repair is world wide (even if purchased from Harrods) so that was a plus.
I would have preferred to buy from Heathrow and save £33 extra (no fee on VAT refund) but they didn't have it in stock at the moment (they usually carry it). Also, I was flying out in April so I would have been hit with the increase as well thy is effective April 1.
I would have preferred to buy from Heathrow and save £33 extra (no fee on VAT refund) but they didn't have it in stock at the moment (they usually carry it). Also, I was flying out in April so I would have been hit with the increase as well thy is effective April 1.
THIS is a big one. Yes. Self and Har offers 14 day refund in sellable condition. Have to say that this is a big one, and also why I shop at Self sometimes.
and a very nice explanation of the store layouts! Kudos!
Ps: No store in the UK is legally allowed to advert that there are no returns since October 2015, HOWEVER, that is only of the item is faulty. And that's a fight you can spare yourself for. I would go to Selfriges and have a look around. I must say that they are quite nice there
Louis Vuitton and a number of other stores at Selfridges have there own refund policy and don't follow Selfridges one.