Am I being too picky?

Tina1010

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Apr 26, 2022
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An SA told me today I am being too nit picky, am I? I noticed on my classic flap that the leather on the flap portion has the flatter kind of quilts vs. the portion on the bottom by the turnlock, which has puffy quilts. So the flap portion is still slightly puffy, but noticably less than the bottom portion. The bag also looks completely flat on the top where it bends. To me, it looks like two variations of leather. It's not a workmanship issue but IMO they mismatched the leather when they assembled it together.

I'm pretty sure I've pissed off the SA who sold me this bag. But I asked another SA for an opinion who said I am being too nit picky and I shouldn't pay attention to the bloggers on the internet. It really upset me at first, but I reminded myself and the SA that I have ignored any of the "handcrafted" variations and focused solely on the quality. I am looking for a bag that is Chanel worthy quality, without torn stitches and peeling leather and now mismatched quilts for the price I'm paying. The beauty of the bag is in the quilts, isn't it?

However, someone else is accepting the bags I've returned and of course they are ok with them. So, I'm genuinely curious, am I being too nit picky? Would you accept this bag? What are some of the flaws that you've accepted and think are no big deal?
 
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Personally, at these prices I feel the client should be entitled to some "nitpicky-ness".

The issue with inconsistent puffiness of the quilting is common with the bags displayed at my boutique. The quilting at top of the flap is slightly flatter than the quilting at the bottom of the flap. However, I just assumed it's because the leather is stretched as it's shaped and the quilting becomes flatter from that. I saw the photo you posted in the other thread and personally I'd have no issue keeping that as no Chanel bag is 110% perfect and it's not really something that takes away from the design nor durability IMO.

Utimately, I think you should pass on and wait for the bag that checks your every box. It's not worth it especially if you end up second-guessing yourself.
 
Each bag will be different in its own way- whether it’s the leather, quilting, stitching, etc. No bag will be perfect but if is not made to your standards, you shouldn’t buy it at these high prices. I don’t think it is appropriate for an SA to tell a customer that they are too picky. It is poor customer service. Maybe you should switch to another SA who is more willing to help and has better manners. Some things are okay to think but isn’t helpful to say out loud. I’m sure they come across plenty of picky customers all day, some SAs are better at handling the situation compared to others.
 
Personally, at these prices I feel the client should be entitled to some "nitpicky-ness".

The issue with inconsistent puffiness of the quilting is common with the bags displayed at my boutique. The quilting at top of the flap is slightly flatter than the quilting at the bottom of the flap. However, I just assumed it's because the leather is stretched as it's shaped and the quilting becomes flatter from that. I saw the photo you posted in the other thread and personally I'd have no issue keeping that as no Chanel bag is 110% perfect and it's not really something that takes away from the design nor durability IMO.

Utimately, I think you should pass on and wait for the bag that checks your every box. It's not worth it especially if you end up second-guessing yourself.
Yes that is my feeling. If the absurd cost is justified by the company than then we should be able to question if the quality meets basic standards without being called nit picky. Thank you for your input.

It's interesting to know what you have seen this variation in bags. I've looked through hundreds of photos on IG, fashionphile, Google, and mostly all bags have slightly puffy quilting at the least on the very top, not as flat as mine. And most definitely all look uniform, I tried to focus on the side views to get a better idea. If it's flatter, the entire bag looks flatter.
 
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Each bag will be different in its own way- whether it’s the leather, quilting, stitching, etc. No bag will be perfect but if is not made to your standards, you shouldn’t buy it at these high prices. I don’t think it is appropriate for an SA to tell a customer that they are too picky. It is poor customer service. Maybe you should switch to another SA who is more willing to help and has better manners. Some things are okay to think but isn’t helpful to say out loud. I’m sure they come across plenty of picky customers all day, some SAs are better at handling the situation compared to others.
I totally get the bag has many different parts and cannot look the same, fully understood. But is it unreasonable to expect uniform quilting?
The SA who said this said he understood my views and would help me find the right one. But I'm sure he still thinks I am too picky.
 
My luxury bag collection is pretty tight (10 bags, 3 of them Chanel), out of those maybe 1 or 2 that I can't find anything wrong with upon close inspection (none of those are Chanel lmao). For many of these bags I had to exchange them several times only to settle on an acceptable version. Long story short, while I have a tendency to be very picky, I learnt that if I want to own any of these bags, I have to make some compromises. Now, what you are willing to accept as a flaw, and what is a deal breaker is up to you. Buy/keep what makes you happy.
 
I saw your pictures in the other thread and I don't think you're being that picky. It seems pretty obvious the quilting on the bottom is puffier from the photos. That would bother me a little, but I guess technically the construction of the bag is perfectly fine... But to be honest consistency is part of quality and I do feel Chanel is a little off mark for that. I bought 2 wocs - the first has very flat quilts and I found the caviar a bit dull/matte which I didn't like. So after a few months, I managed to buy another one, which has darker caviar, very puffy quilts, and smoother zippers BUT the strap drop is half an inch LONGER? It's really annoying because I'm not sure which I want to keep since I feel the shape of the flatter quilted one is actually better. This is a REV piece that's been around for years, so why so much variation?

In any case, if you think it's gonna bother you long term then I think it's right you didn't accept the bag. It'd just nag you every time you looked at it.
 
I saw your pictures in the other thread and I don't think you're being that picky. It seems pretty obvious the quilting on the bottom is puffier from the photos. That would bother me a little, but I guess technically the construction of the bag is perfectly fine... But to be honest consistency is part of quality and I do feel Chanel is a little off mark for that. I bought 2 wocs - the first has very flat quilts and I found the caviar a bit dull/matte which I didn't like. So after a few months, I managed to buy another one, which has darker caviar, very puffy quilts, and smoother zippers BUT the strap drop is half an inch LONGER? It's really annoying because I'm not sure which I want to keep since I feel the shape of the flatter quilted one is actually better. This is a REV piece that's been around for years, so why so much variation?

In any case, if you think it's gonna bother you long term then I think it's right you didn't accept the bag. It'd just nag you every time you looked at it.
Yeah I definitely understand variation bag to bag but within the same bag.. is it asking for too much?
For the WOC, I would definitely suggest keeping the leather you like. You can adjust the chain by using clips. Actually I shortened mine using thread (not on the leather but through the metal parts) and it holds up really well.
 
Yeah I definitely understand variation bag to bag but within the same bag.. is it asking for too much?
For the WOC, I would definitely suggest keeping the leather you like. You can adjust the chain by using clips. Actually I shortened mine using thread (not on the leather but through the metal parts) and it holds up really well.
I don't think you're asking for too much. They should be consistent within the same bag at least if they can't be across the product line lol. I think it's like you said and the top and the bottom were made from 2 different batches of caviar, where one batch was quilted with more batting inside so it's puffier.
 
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I guess I fall under the same PITA category per your SA's comment. I check every nook and cranny and make sure everything looks right to my standards. Over the years my go-to SA learned what I like and don't like, she would check the bags before even texting me about the offers. A good SA should be happy to work with the clients, not gaslight them into thinking that it's wrong to hold a product to certain expectations. I'm sure there are CF's out there that meet your standards, you don't have to settle for something so expensive that'll bug the heck out of you just because it's merely the SA's job to get you what you want.
 
Honestly, no bag is perfect. If you constantly look for a flaw, you will find it. Once you find it, you probably can't unsee it. If it's not something you noticed right off, best to just enjoy your flap.
Yep I completely understand that I'll find a flaw, and I have, there are 3 others that I'm letting go of in the turnlock area itself. And actually yes this is my fault for not paying attention at the store. I was focused on everything else I had trouble with in the past that I didn't even think to check to see if the quilting was even. It never occurred to me that it wouldn't be. Under their shiny lights everything looked ok but it was a striking difference when I looked at it at home
 
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