Are the stock issues frustrating anyone else?

[honey52]

The lack of stock wouldn’t bother me if not for the insane post purchase customer service. My SA did not get back to me at all like she said she would when it came back from service. I made three attempts to call for which whoever picked up said they would relay the message to the SA who never responded. And then they did not give me the extra links back. Communicating with them is a nightmare.

And another thing. With not a lot of stores around. Them talking like you should have loyalty to a store or an SA is ridiculous.

 

[DeryaHm]

I mean, I would be completely fine with 6 months to a year. It's not the waiting - it's the way VCA goes about handling the stock situation that I find problematic. Here's an example - as there is no boutique in my city and Vancouver told me there is no wish list for this item, I call from time to time to check on the perlée d'or bracelet I have been trying to purchase since May 2023. I am always told there is no stock but that I will be placed on a wish list with the SA. I was told each SA has their own customer list and it is fine to be on more than one. This week I called once again. The SA I was speaking with informed me that not only was there no stock (not a surprise), but that I was not on any wish lists for the item (surprise!). She was lovely and placed me on a list, and sent me a confirmation email that I was placed (I did not even know this was a thing). It did leave me feeling a bit perturbed, thinking I had been on a list since May 2023 when in fact, I never was.

Yes the whole communication style makes you lose your trust. Most of my years shopping with Van Cleef there was no wish list. If I wanted something not in stock, I paid some or all along with the order and the piece arrived when it was ready. Then it took longer after shortages started, but it came. A while ago I started hearing about the wish list and the concept that certain pieces cannot be ordered. At that same time I started to receive more urgent calls from SA because surprise a item from wish list is suddenly available and also many others in the store have it on their list and can I decide right then or it wil go to someone else.

Of course it is a fake emergency. I can wait. And so I usually say no but they keep doing the same tactic. But I start to wonder if I am being manipulated. Actually maybe this supposed to be had to find piece is really hard to sell? It makes me
feel an element of tricking that I didn’t feel before and I also hear it from others here who are told items are very rare that really are not. In the last few months I remember posts about this about an Alhambra wrist watch that was maybe in stock on line and an Alhambra watch necklace one poster said an SA had told them was rare and they needed to make a quick decision about and on the same thread someone said no it’s not rare it has been in my store in the UK for months. So there is a loss of trust. I am not in a rush on pieces and won’t be pressured into buying but it makes the whole experience feel less pleasant and I will be taking a break.

I am older and not active on social media. I have been a loyal client with a regular high yearly spend. Other things I spend this level on the service provider knows me and understands and takes time to know what will work and how I can be persuaded and my preferences or priorities. Yes, I have told my SA that I do not care if something is hard to find, I will patiently wait years if I want it or pass if I do not. He keeps doing this approach. Writing this makes me see it is time for a break and maybe a change

 

[Rami00]

I mean, I would be completely fine with 6 months to a year. It's not the waiting - it's the way VCA goes about handling the stock situation that I find problematic. Here's an example - as there is no boutique in my city and Vancouver told me there is no wish list for this item, I call from time to time to check on the perlée d'or bracelet I have been trying to purchase since May 2023. I am always told there is no stock but that I will be placed on a wish list with the SA. I was told each SA has their own customer list and it is fine to be on more than one. This week I called once again. The SA I was speaking with informed me that not only was there no stock (not a surprise), but that I was not on any wish lists for the item (surprise!). She was lovely and placed me on a list, and sent me a confirmation email that I was placed (I did not even know this was a thing). It did leave me feeling a bit perturbed, thinking I had been on a list since May 2023 when in fact, I never was.

This is so frustrating. I have few wish list items but never received any email. Ugh, now I wonder if I really am on the list.

 

[ameliabedelia]

I was disgusted by the behavior of some of the shoppers over the holidays. People letting their children run around touching things, barging in and demanding what they wanted etc. I have always loved VCA before it became, "On trend". My SA said people were gobbling up items and they were running out of inventory and selling anything they could find in the back. This is not what I am used to. It was like people trying to get their pink Stanley Cup from Target. It's a big turn off and I'm not convinced price increases will help the situation. Influencers and social media ruins everything good.

 

[sleepydoc.]

This is so frustrating. I have few wish list items but never received any email. Ugh, now I wonder if I really am on the list.

I've no idea if this is commonplace. Perhaps she only emailed me as I expressed frustration at not being listed for the item in their system.

 

[nicole0612]

I've no idea if this is commonplace. Perhaps she only emailed me as I expressed frustration at not being listed for the item in their system.

@Rami00 I never receive an email about items I am on a waitlist for, but I am in the USA vs Canada. We are also required to prepay in full now as of recently, even if there is no ETA for the item. I don’t get a receipt, but I do take a screenshot of the PBL. No receipt/email for me until the item arrives and they have the official receipt with the serial number.

 

[fice16]

I refuse to put down any more prepayment for any pieces I am on waitlist for.
I prepaid 50% for a piece more than 1 year ago, there is still no ETA for the item yet. So, I told my SA I will only pay for my waitlisted items when they arrive. I am always ready to pay for my waitlisted items when they arrive (as long as VCA make them available).

 

[ameliabedelia]

I refuse to put down any more prepayment for any pieces I am on waitlist for.
I prepaid 50% for a piece more than 1 year ago, there is still no ETA for the item yet. So, I told my SA I will only pay for my waitlisted items when they arrive. I am always ready to pay for my waitlisted items when they arrive (as long as VCA make them available).

It takes away from all the excitement. By the time it arrives or you get notice, you don't even want it anymore. And if you do, that money could have been accruing interest. Lol.

 

[TankerToad]

It takes away from all the excitement. By the time it arrives or you get notice, you don't even want it anymore. And if you do, that money could have been accruing interest. Lol.

Agree with this -

 

[altaria888]

I asked for a 10 motif MOP "we've only got one in this country". Asked for a sweet MOP pendant "we've only got one in this country" literally my face:

 

[GlamarousBarbie]

I refuse to put down any more prepayment for any pieces I am on waitlist for.
I prepaid 50% for a piece more than 1 year ago, there is still no ETA for the item yet. So, I told my SA I will only pay for my waitlisted items when they arrive. I am always ready to pay for my waitlisted items when they arrive (as long as VCA make them available).

Me too, I never do a downpayment, I'm like 'yeah... no, I'll just keep that money in my own bank account and not the bank account of VCA'

 

[Diana.a.aa]

It seems that I cannot get anything I want nowadays because there’s never any stock, I want the white gold guilloche earrings and they never have them. It’s bizarre to me because before Christmas, WG guilloche never sold out and was always online but never the earrings. Why don’t they put effort into restocking earrings?

Yes. It feels like they are playing the Hermes game……

 

[ameliabedelia]

And now NYC will have another location on Madison. So does that mean more inventory? I heard it's only going to be higher end pieces.

 

[sassification]

I am done playing the VCA chasing game... the whole experience became such a turn off. I am doing my SA's job for him.. helping him to monitor and followup on my own orders. How laughable.

I also dislike the "this 10 motif chalcedony just came in, if you dont want it , will go to next client on the list". Honestly, tiffany did the same . I am no longer having trust in what they say. If i want something, i will get it but not because someone else wants it.

I managed to stop wanting anything luxury for almost a year. I recently caved as my bday is coming and just got a silver earrings from Tiffany. But i think overall, i am doing quite well steering off the luxury bandwagon. Which is really not feeling very much worth the hassle anymore

 

[GlamarousBarbie]

I am done playing the VCA chasing game... the whole experience became such a turn off. I am doing my SA's job for him.. helping him to monitor and followup on my own orders. How laughable.

I also dislike the "this 10 motif chalcedony just came in, if you dont want it , will go to next client on the list". Honestly, tiffany did the same . I am no longer having trust in what they say. If i want something, i will get it but not because someone else wants it.

I managed to stop wanting anything luxury for almost a year. I recently caved as my bday is coming and just got a silver earrings from Tiffany. But i think overall, i am doing quite well steering off the luxury bandwagon. Which is really not feeling very much worth the hassle anymore

Me too. I just stopped paying attention to my SA and did my own thing if I wanted something. It just sucks because I adore VCA, they are the only high-end jewellery brand which I find to have creativity in their craftsmanship and has feminine designs.
I've found the online boutique (over the phone) to be useful, albeit slow with contacting physical boutiques.
I find luxury to be dead; in my opinion, for something to be luxury, the experience needs to be high quality too. For the most part, I've had luxurious experiences at VCA. Sometimes they take you to the backroom if you're doing a bigger purchase, they may give you a book and other free gifts with your purchase which is nice. But, the consistency isn't there as I've had bad experiences with specific stores.
At LV, Dior, Tiffany, etc. I've had bad experiences with RUDE SAs or I've overheard them. A woman at LV told me "well, if you have the money in your bank account, why don't you just get it?" when I was trying on the pink Capucines bag, which is absolutely insane. At Dior, I've overheard an SA speaking to a non-english customer and she said "why don't we see if your card swipes?", just absolutely disgusting. They are so desperate for sales that it comes off as entitled, and they're just so rude about it. Luxury is just dead, it's deceased