Hello tPFers and TB lovers! I have a couple of stories to tell you about my experiences in TB boutiques here in my area!
The first was when I first visited their store. It's a quaint size and did not carry much, but certainly have the recent collections. I buy the Dash tote in Navy that was released for the pre-fall collection. I am very picky about the quality and asked so many questions! One of the SA's tell me that it was full on leather 'thinly applied' with canvas lining inside. I thought for $350, it was a pretty good deal! Then I specifically asked her to make sure the bag had no flaws. I left the place pretty content with my purchase.
Until I got home.
Usually the straps of TB bags are covered in cellophane, which is fine. But when I carefully cut the cellophane off and inspected the straps/tote handles, sure enough there is a decent sized tear on the leather. Mind you I only cut part of the cellophane so I could slowly rip the rest with my hands so the scissors wouldn't touch anything! But there they are, plain in sight. I was disappointed, so I called the TB store right away inquiring them about the damage. I never got a call back.
A weekend passed by and I decided to go to the store myself. I was weary since it takes me more than an hour to get there! But since my love for TB was too much, I decided to venture out.
I arrived and surely the SA's were there. I told them about a damage and the strangest thing happened! They went to the back and got me a new bag! Didn't even look at the damage, the receipt, or anything! Literally I walked in, told them I had a damaged item and description of what I had, the SA walked away and came back with a new one! I was like what!!! That was it? I was a little baffled, thanks them and walked away. Was the even legal??? Anyway, this time, the bag was good.
Except later I started seeing white scruffs at the edges... It turns out that the bag was not 'thinly' lined with leather! It was just canvas that was colored very thickly! The only leather part were the handles! I was furious. It was passed the return time and this is the first time I've had a situation where me babying a bag turned out bad for me! I felt deceived. I knew that the first time I heard it, it sounded strange, but the SA's charms reassured me. Well I outta!
The second time was this Black Friday. I come in around 9ish in the morning, and it sure was hectic. It took me nearly an HOUR to get service! I am a patient person and understanding so I waited. I only wanted a pair of the classic Reva's in gold medallion. I told them specifically that my size was usually a 7, but I know for these flats, I am 7.5. So I specifically told them to give me a 7.5. Surely enough when the SA came back I was given the 7.5, and they fit perfectly but not too tight! So with my $50 gift card given my TB through email, I bought them! I gave the SA the box that clearly was 7.5 and my card as she walked towards the back to do the purchase.
That very night, tired from being at the mall for nearly 7 hours, I wanted to gush over my new Revas. Trying them on, I was a little taken aback at how my feet hurt, it was strange since they fit teeny bit loose snug that morning. I looked at the bottom and gues what!!! My Reva's were size 7! I looked at the box and they were also size 7! I was like what??? How did this happen??? I was angry! I called them right away and left them a message to call me back right away or contact me through email. Surely, I never got a call back. AGAIN.
So to my dismay, I drove back on Sunday. However I had the intention of using the Holiday discount event with my gift card instead, so I planned to return the Revas. I was debating on two items as seen in this forum: Robinson Middy Satchel and the Robinson Zip Tote.
I asked the SA if they had any middy satchels. She looked at me, confused. "middy?" she replied as she looked at the other SA's who look equally confused. I know I couldn't be wrong since it's in the TB website lol. So I pointed to their regular Robinson Satchel and told them its the same one but in medium as opposed to the mini that also exists. It was strange to me that when I pointed at the product, they bounced back and told me that the regular is what they carry. It was clear to me that they had no clue what I was talking about before I pointed it out! It was appalling! I can understand if major department store such as saks/neiman had SA's not knowing about a product, but TB SA's their SPECIALTY? Really?
So pushing that thought I told them I would like to see the Robinson Zip tote. They unfortunately only have the Wildberry and Magenta. That's okay, I was torn between the Black and Wildberry anyway. They helped me a bit on choosing colors, but when I asked if there were known issues they replied that it has none. Clearly it was a lie, because later when I mentioned the straps pulling the lining and possibly ripping it, they were like 'Oh! yeah! That was an issue. These are the new ones though, they attached it in the leather' but I was skeptical since even though it was attached to the leather, it still pulled the lining. But they assured me that they 'fixed it'. I also told them about the weight and rubbing issue which they answered in very vaguely, almost aloof and ignorant-seeming. I researched a LOT about these bags for months, and I feel like I know more that these people! It didn't make me feel good, in fact it made me feel really uneasy. They even claimed that it was made out of the same leather as Prada. Hah! Really!I wanted to laugh. Just because they are both made out of saffiano leather does NOT mean that it is exactly the same one. The way they process they leather may be different than Prada's!
In the end I chose Wildberry. But before I even left the store, and due to past experiences I was really pushing to check any issues the bag had. there were multiple visible black marks at the bottom and the handles of the bag, so I asked to check for more. The rest came and they still had marks (they would not come off by the way!) and some even uneven terrain on the handles . The SA's reason was that they are all like that, and 'it's not going to be perfect' and 'that's just how it is'. The SA disappeared for a bit and came out with another, with the wrappings off and everything. I checked... It still had marks, but it was the least marked one. I chose it, and the deal was done. I got home very tired, but happy.
My luck probably isn't very good. Because when I got home, out of habit, I looked at it again. I looked at the strap and there it was. There were AIR BUBBLES on part of the strap. if you slight bend it towards itself the leather starts crinkling and there is space in between the leathers! The crinkle of death! I was mad, but tanked that it wasn't on the bag itself.
Later that night I received a feedback request from TB. I wrote everything and graded as honestly as possible. I tell you, the report card was not good. But I had to let it out. I gave the option of replying back to me through email.
TO WHICH THE GENERAL MANAGER REPLIED THE NEXT MORNING!
I was happy for a second and then mad again! I call and call and nothing! Now that the company will see the feedback NOW they contact me??? She did not even mention about everything else but the wrong sized Revas. It makes me wonder if she read through my whole essay? She wants me to call but I prefer email so I can send proof to someone with higher authority, as I will ask her for that number.
I am so tired of this! I really love TB but these experiences are too tiring! I am very relieved that the SA's all in all were kind and patient, but they really lack knowledge about their products and cut corners like crazy! customer service is non-existent! Ahhhh! Now I have to struggle with what to do about the strap...
This was long, but thank you for taking time to read. What should I do? Should I ask for compensation from my bad experiences??? Not for just the strap, but my WHOLE experience. It was terrible! I wonder if asking compensation is a bit too much?
The first was when I first visited their store. It's a quaint size and did not carry much, but certainly have the recent collections. I buy the Dash tote in Navy that was released for the pre-fall collection. I am very picky about the quality and asked so many questions! One of the SA's tell me that it was full on leather 'thinly applied' with canvas lining inside. I thought for $350, it was a pretty good deal! Then I specifically asked her to make sure the bag had no flaws. I left the place pretty content with my purchase.
Until I got home.
Usually the straps of TB bags are covered in cellophane, which is fine. But when I carefully cut the cellophane off and inspected the straps/tote handles, sure enough there is a decent sized tear on the leather. Mind you I only cut part of the cellophane so I could slowly rip the rest with my hands so the scissors wouldn't touch anything! But there they are, plain in sight. I was disappointed, so I called the TB store right away inquiring them about the damage. I never got a call back.
A weekend passed by and I decided to go to the store myself. I was weary since it takes me more than an hour to get there! But since my love for TB was too much, I decided to venture out.
I arrived and surely the SA's were there. I told them about a damage and the strangest thing happened! They went to the back and got me a new bag! Didn't even look at the damage, the receipt, or anything! Literally I walked in, told them I had a damaged item and description of what I had, the SA walked away and came back with a new one! I was like what!!! That was it? I was a little baffled, thanks them and walked away. Was the even legal??? Anyway, this time, the bag was good.
Except later I started seeing white scruffs at the edges... It turns out that the bag was not 'thinly' lined with leather! It was just canvas that was colored very thickly! The only leather part were the handles! I was furious. It was passed the return time and this is the first time I've had a situation where me babying a bag turned out bad for me! I felt deceived. I knew that the first time I heard it, it sounded strange, but the SA's charms reassured me. Well I outta!
The second time was this Black Friday. I come in around 9ish in the morning, and it sure was hectic. It took me nearly an HOUR to get service! I am a patient person and understanding so I waited. I only wanted a pair of the classic Reva's in gold medallion. I told them specifically that my size was usually a 7, but I know for these flats, I am 7.5. So I specifically told them to give me a 7.5. Surely enough when the SA came back I was given the 7.5, and they fit perfectly but not too tight! So with my $50 gift card given my TB through email, I bought them! I gave the SA the box that clearly was 7.5 and my card as she walked towards the back to do the purchase.
That very night, tired from being at the mall for nearly 7 hours, I wanted to gush over my new Revas. Trying them on, I was a little taken aback at how my feet hurt, it was strange since they fit teeny bit loose snug that morning. I looked at the bottom and gues what!!! My Reva's were size 7! I looked at the box and they were also size 7! I was like what??? How did this happen??? I was angry! I called them right away and left them a message to call me back right away or contact me through email. Surely, I never got a call back. AGAIN.
So to my dismay, I drove back on Sunday. However I had the intention of using the Holiday discount event with my gift card instead, so I planned to return the Revas. I was debating on two items as seen in this forum: Robinson Middy Satchel and the Robinson Zip Tote.
I asked the SA if they had any middy satchels. She looked at me, confused. "middy?" she replied as she looked at the other SA's who look equally confused. I know I couldn't be wrong since it's in the TB website lol. So I pointed to their regular Robinson Satchel and told them its the same one but in medium as opposed to the mini that also exists. It was strange to me that when I pointed at the product, they bounced back and told me that the regular is what they carry. It was clear to me that they had no clue what I was talking about before I pointed it out! It was appalling! I can understand if major department store such as saks/neiman had SA's not knowing about a product, but TB SA's their SPECIALTY? Really?
So pushing that thought I told them I would like to see the Robinson Zip tote. They unfortunately only have the Wildberry and Magenta. That's okay, I was torn between the Black and Wildberry anyway. They helped me a bit on choosing colors, but when I asked if there were known issues they replied that it has none. Clearly it was a lie, because later when I mentioned the straps pulling the lining and possibly ripping it, they were like 'Oh! yeah! That was an issue. These are the new ones though, they attached it in the leather' but I was skeptical since even though it was attached to the leather, it still pulled the lining. But they assured me that they 'fixed it'. I also told them about the weight and rubbing issue which they answered in very vaguely, almost aloof and ignorant-seeming. I researched a LOT about these bags for months, and I feel like I know more that these people! It didn't make me feel good, in fact it made me feel really uneasy. They even claimed that it was made out of the same leather as Prada. Hah! Really!I wanted to laugh. Just because they are both made out of saffiano leather does NOT mean that it is exactly the same one. The way they process they leather may be different than Prada's!
In the end I chose Wildberry. But before I even left the store, and due to past experiences I was really pushing to check any issues the bag had. there were multiple visible black marks at the bottom and the handles of the bag, so I asked to check for more. The rest came and they still had marks (they would not come off by the way!) and some even uneven terrain on the handles . The SA's reason was that they are all like that, and 'it's not going to be perfect' and 'that's just how it is'. The SA disappeared for a bit and came out with another, with the wrappings off and everything. I checked... It still had marks, but it was the least marked one. I chose it, and the deal was done. I got home very tired, but happy.
My luck probably isn't very good. Because when I got home, out of habit, I looked at it again. I looked at the strap and there it was. There were AIR BUBBLES on part of the strap. if you slight bend it towards itself the leather starts crinkling and there is space in between the leathers! The crinkle of death! I was mad, but tanked that it wasn't on the bag itself.
Later that night I received a feedback request from TB. I wrote everything and graded as honestly as possible. I tell you, the report card was not good. But I had to let it out. I gave the option of replying back to me through email.
TO WHICH THE GENERAL MANAGER REPLIED THE NEXT MORNING!
I was happy for a second and then mad again! I call and call and nothing! Now that the company will see the feedback NOW they contact me??? She did not even mention about everything else but the wrong sized Revas. It makes me wonder if she read through my whole essay? She wants me to call but I prefer email so I can send proof to someone with higher authority, as I will ask her for that number.
I am so tired of this! I really love TB but these experiences are too tiring! I am very relieved that the SA's all in all were kind and patient, but they really lack knowledge about their products and cut corners like crazy! customer service is non-existent! Ahhhh! Now I have to struggle with what to do about the strap...
This was long, but thank you for taking time to read. What should I do? Should I ask for compensation from my bad experiences??? Not for just the strap, but my WHOLE experience. It was terrible! I wonder if asking compensation is a bit too much?
