2022 Holiday Pendant

[sunshineshiney]

did you all notice how VCA did not announce on their social medias this year's color? Do they usually do that i.e not announce?
I also noticed how it's not on their website

Last year they did make a post on October 1st.

I believe they are trying to navigate this year in a way that doesn’t create as much chaos (for them) as it did a year ago.
I have a feeling they will do an official post later this week, or after the majority of their clients on “the list” have had the opportunity to purchase or pass.

 

[Asuki]

I don’t believe there’s a “Paris list” for approved clients. I think this was what the SAs were told to tell their clients so that they seem like it wasn’t their decision and that they wouldn’t have to deal with complaints to management. It’s very simple… if an SA wants to sell you an HP then they will get it for you. People who have spent less than you are getting the pendent. There are too many factors involved that they can’t truly create a list. If you really believe that it’s based on “spend” then I guess all the flagship locations would be getting the majority of the pendents since those stores are in the wealthiest parts of America and would have clients with extremely high spends whether they are locals or tourists. For example, you can’t explain to “Jane” who shops at the NYC 5th store why she can’t have a pendent because she only spent $15k but then Jane sees her friend Mary from (a small town where most people do not buy vca often) was able to get one from her boutique after only spending $3k this year! Is Paris building separate lists for every boutique across the country? I highly doubt it. Personally I believe Paris sent out a guideline of what type of client should receive it and the managers relayed that info to SAs. SAs then decided on however many clients they wanted to reserve for and they let management know to “approve” it. Whoever made that particular’s SA’s cut for the pendent. Whoever is not getting a straight answer… the SA is waiting for a pendent to be turned down or hoping the boutique gets more pendents delivered that weren’t spoken for.

There is a list - I saw it in person when I went in to view the pendant. At my boutique each SA was allocated a number of pendants based on the size and spend of their client base and can only sell to clients on the list. Is that list static? I don’t believe so, SAs can submit additional names for HQ approval. However I expect in the first few weeks if your name is not on the initial list you will not be able to purchase one until the first batch of clients pass or additional pendants are received.

 

[papertiger]

I really wonder if VCA is moving into a different marketing strategy (akin to Hermes). These tactics put me off the brand or any brand that does this. While I understand the need to curb the resellers, unfortunately that will always be an issue but in the meantime they will alienate many clients, loyal and potential ones. Thankfully I was not madly in love with this year’s pendant but I would like to be able to purchase them in future years if the stone appeals to me. This should be open to all clients (it’s a 4k piece, not 80k for heaven’s sake). I get that some pieces like turquoise and rock crystal can be reserved for higher tier clients, but to do this for the HP is quite annoying. I adore VCA but lately with the pandemic and stock shortages it has put me off from buying more as it’s impossible to try on things without first “putting down a deposit.” If anyone has more insight into what corporate is thinking, I’d love to hear more. Curious what you all think of this.

It obviously is the same tactic. It unfortunately goes with the whole point of the HP though.

The making/marketing of HP is all to generate publicity for VCA in the run-up to Christmas (and Thanksgiving). They really don't mind who gets/doesn't get the HP so long as it creates a) publicity for the brand to occasional and would-be buyers b) perceived 'scarcity' and c) competition among existing clients to be favoured.

A, B & C can't be done with High Jewellery, it's like a Supreme collab. or an Omega as Swatch prices (both owned by the same company) the point is to 'speak' to the masses/mainstream in terms of generating publicity. It's not at all about pleasing existing clients. These luxury brands used to have to please their clients, with these perceived rewards, clients court their SAs.

 

[lovejewels79]

Thank you. And hearing more and more stories of other newer customers who have barely bought anything easily getting an offer makes it even harder to comprehend what exactly VCA is trying to accomplish. I most likely will be able to get one in future shipments but it’s never going to feel the same. I’m at a point where I’m seriously reconsidering if I should continue with my collection. It’s an extremely aweful feeling.

Could it be that they are trying to have the younger generations having a chance to get to purchase these items? I heard that some luxury brand watches are trying to let customers whom have never owned their items to get one?

For me i purchased 2 items within a year coming up to approx usd $9k and i texted my SA but got no reply from her. Was thinking of getting the HP for myself as a bday present but seems like SAs prob prefer big spenders? Kinda disappointing to hear that there are some with no purchase history that manage to get this year’s HP. Fyi i never owned any HP before as i just started on my vca journey in dec 2021.

 

[ox4tahiti]

What do you think about this shade ?

 

[cloee]

I honestly think if there weren’t too many of last year’s piece instantly flipped by resellers, we wouldn’t have been in this predicament. It wasn’t always this chaotic to get a HP. VCA definitely needs to refine the process though. It’s just sad that something we looked forward to for the holidays is now causing frustrations and the fun has been taken away from the process.

 

[junngch]

Wow! Where are you located ?

US

 

[waterlily112]

Is your friend a known VIP at VCA?
I suspect the Store manager(s) may make HP offers decisions, not only based on past purchase history and whether the customer is a collector or not. But sometimes, SM can make offers decisions, also partly based on their forecast of clients' future VCA spendings. Maybe your friend is a known VIP at VCA, who VCA is hoping to get her purchase high jewelry in the future?

This is actually very Hermes vibe like...

Def not VIP, we joked that if she's even known as a client there since the last & only time she stepped foot in the boutique was last November. So many unknown variables. I just don't want people to get hung up on 'spending enough' or being on the list, you may still end up being offered one for some unknown reasons & being relatively a newbie to the brand. With that said, they might end up earning my friend as a potential client though since she only wear WG/platinum and she's now interested in buying something from their WG guilloche collection.

 

[littlewhiner]

There is a list - I saw it in person when I went in to view the pendant. At my boutique each SA was allocated a number of pendants based on the size and spend of their client base and can only sell to clients on the list. Is that list static? I don’t believe so, SAs can submit additional names for HQ approval. However I expect in the first few weeks if your name is not on the initial list you will not be able to purchase one until the first batch of clients pass or additional pendants are received.

I was at the boutique today for mine and my SA said he submitted all his clients’ names as he has no control who would get and it was really up to HQ to approve. He has many VIPs who did not get and he felt very bad for them. It’s a very stressful time for all the SAs in fact. He concurs that Management is not basing on spending as if they were to select based on purchasing power, the new clients would never make the list ever. That actually made sense.

Like many others, the actual piece looks way better than pictures. It actually looks different whichever angle / position I took it from. I adore it.

Oh and another thing that I have noted, he mentioned that if a client gives up the HP, he can’t just offer to another client. He would have to resubmit names for HQ to approve. ‍

The blacklist issue seems to be true too.

In the meantime…

 

[kmang011]

What does it mean to be blacklisted? They will not sell to that person anything at all or just HPs?
Strictly speaking it's none of the brand's business what the client is going to do with the purchase: there are no such terms in buy\sell contract that you are not allowed to sell an item for which you paid. Also no one told me for example that reselling will have consequences. There are people who genuinely may have a change of heart. I must admit there is this pressure to purchase the item because you are offered the privilege. If I were to decline would I be offered next year? I am sure others are asking themselves the same question.
I understand the brand's desire to fight resellers but the way it was orchestrated this year cannot be respected.

This brings up such an interesting point, IMO. Whether we like it or not, it is true that when someone makes a purchase it is theirs to do whatever they want with it. Sell it, gift it, trade it, keep it forever, etc. People have their reasons even if we don’t always agree with it. You can’t always predict people’s intentions or motives behind a purchase or why they’re trying to later turn around and sell it. Maybe it’s a gift from an ex, maybe they don’t gravitate toward it like they thought they would and want to put that money toward a different piece or maybe they’re just selling it to make a profit and nothing more (yes this is annoying). It’s still not my business. I say this as someone who doesn’t sell jewelry on the secondhand market (I don’t have the energy for that) and I buy all of my pieces with the intention to keep them and pass them down to my daughter one day. I suspect that this strategy often backfires though, because some big name luxury YTers that spend tons of money are some of the same people that turn around and sell for a profit yet on paper it might look like they are “loyal” to the brand, whatever that means. Big spend doesn’t equate to loyalty. A gen Z might have one single motif pendant and wear it daily and have more loyalty to the brand even if only spending 3k.

I don’t think they’re doing this ONLY to deter resellers.. I actually think it’s a transition to a new business model/strategy. They want the discretion to do what they want and “offer” it to clients as they see fit. There hasn’t been much consistency from what we’ve heard so far about the HP and it seems that they’re moving in this direction. Similar to Hermes, some people have an extensive six figure purchase history and don’t get an offer while you hear stories about people who literally have zero purchase history and just walk into a store and get an offer for a B or K. It doesn’t have to make sense yet it will still have people spinning and grateful that they received any offer at all. It’s almost as if they’re doing you a favor and you’re not a paying customer who can take your business elsewhere. I think they are trying to make a statement and target a different clientele, apart from those who buy a five motif bracelet and matching single motif pendant and call it a day.

 

[ShadowComet]

I was at the boutique today for mine and my SA said he submitted all his clients’ names as he has no control who would get and it was really up to HQ to approve. He has many VIPs who did not get and he felt very bad for them. It’s a very stressful time for all the SAs in fact. He concurs that Management is not basing on spending as if they were to select based on purchasing power, the new clients would never make the list ever. That actually made sense.

Like many others, the actual piece looks way better than pictures. It actually looks different whichever angle / position I took it from. I adore it.

Oh and another thing that I have noted, he mentioned that if a client gives up the HP, he can’t just offer to another client. He would have to resubmit names for HQ to approve. ‍

The blacklist issue seems to be true too.

In the meantime…

View attachment 5623220

I also just got off the phone with my SA and she said she can only choose 1 client to nominate in order to get the HP. If I really really want to have the HP this year, she will try her best to get me one, but I won't be able to get one next year.

 

[LenaDuree]

This brings up such an interesting point, IMO. Whether we like it or not, it is true that when someone makes a purchase it is theirs to do whatever they want with it. Sell it, gift it, trade it, keep it forever, etc. People have their reasons even if we don’t always agree with it. You can’t always predict people’s intentions or motives behind a purchase or why they’re trying to later turn around and sell it. Maybe it’s a gift from an ex, maybe they don’t gravitate toward it like they thought they would and want to put that money toward a different piece or maybe they’re just selling it to make a profit and nothing more (yes this is annoying). It’s still not my business. I say this as someone who doesn’t sell jewelry on the secondhand market (I don’t have the energy for that) and I buy all of my pieces with the intention to keep them and pass them down to my daughter my one day. I suspect that this strategy often backfires though, because some big name luxury YTers that spend tons of money are some of the same people that turn around and sell for a profit yet on paper it might look like they are “loyal” to the brand, whatever that means.

I don’t think they’re doing this ONLY to deter resellers.. I actually think it’s a transition to a new business model/strategy. They want the discretion to do what they want and “offer” it to clients as they see fit. There hasn’t been much consistency from what we’ve heard so far about the HP and it seems that they’re moving in this direction. Similar to Hermes, some people have an extensive six figure purchase history and don’t get an offer while you hear stories about people who literally have zero purchase history and just walk into a store and get an offer for a B or K. It doesn’t have to make sense yet it will still have people spinning and grateful that they received any offer at all. It’s almost as if they’re doing you a favor and you’re not a paying customer who can take your business elsewhere. I think they are trying to make a statement and target a different clientele, apart from those who buy a five motif bracelet and matching single motif pendant and call it a day.

I think it’s when you turn around and sell it immediately. Like the intention was to resell for profit.

 

[kmang011]

I think it’s when you turn around and sell it immediately. Like the intention was to resell for profit.

Yes, but I still think they’re going to have a difficult time trying to track this on the internet (various selling platforms and social media), enforce it, etc. unless someone has a really bad track record.

 

[LenaDuree]

Yes, but I still think they’re going to have a difficult time trying to track this on the internet, various platforms, enforce it, etc. unless someone has a really bad track record.

So with the lapis diamond bracelet they heard that people were selling it, looked it up online and figured out who it was and blacklisted them. People come into the store and talk about where they’ve seen them for sale, etc. Every piece has a serial number associated with the client who purchased.

 

[cloee]

I think it’s when you turn around and sell it immediately. Like the intention was to resell for profit.

Yes, ‘coz people do change minds and preferences as we age but selling immediately for a hefty profit is what they are trying to curb. Except the approach may not be the best. I also think they would want their clients to get the HP at some point. My last HP was in 2016 so that’s probably why I am able to get one. I still want a pink one and then I’m good with the HPs