Hi Azzazza thanks! I checked it out. The reviews didn’t say much but I will be wary too given their negative responses
Buying off Instagram | Instagram Sellers
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I just almost purchased a bag from them. There were several red flags that stopped me.
1. They said their SA was able to find a bag (very easily, within a few days). Previous SAs who usually work miracles failed to find this same bag, even a few months ago when it should've been more available. This CAN happen, but it is a popular out of season bag and I do believe it is completely sold out everywhere.
2. They refused to do PayPal and even refused to allow me to pay the Chanel boutique directly (I have a shopping/purchase history at stand-alone boutiques and have bought this way before from reputable personal shoppers), and insisted on only bank wire transfer. As soon as I heard this, alarms went off in my head. I never do bank wire transfer unless I have had experience with a personal shopper/seller and they are very well known & reputable. It is incredibly risky. If they turn out to be a scammer, you are essentially screwed out of your hard-earned money unless you sue them which is a long, costly process.
3. Within an hour of messaging me to tell me the bag was available, they posted two "client reviews" of supposedly satisfied and happy clients that received their items via FEDEX. Yet, when I looked for these people (their IG icons are partially blocked out, but not totally) I did not find them on luxeality's followers or following list. My suspicions are that they are fake or taken from another account.
4. They were not reviewed on here at all, except for a couple of questions asked about them.
After all that the red flags were just too much, and I couldn't go through with the transaction, even though it was a dream bag of mine.
Be careful out there...
"Glitterbomb, post: 33845142, member: 612987"]I just almost purchased a bag from them. There were several red flags that stopped me.
1. They said their SA was able to find a bag (very easily, within a few days). Previous SAs who usually work miracles failed to find this same bag, even a few months ago when it should've been more available. This CAN happen, but it is a popular out of season bag and I do believe it is completely sold out everywhere.
2. They refused to do PayPal and even refused to allow me to pay the Chanel boutique directly (I have a shopping/purchase history at stand-alone boutiques and have bought this way before from reputable personal shoppers), and insisted on only bank wire transfer. As soon as I heard this, alarms went off in my head. I never do bank wire transfer unless I have had experience with a personal shopper/seller and they are very well known & reputable. It is incredibly risky. If they turn out to be a scammer, you are essentially screwed out of your hard-earned money unless you sue them which is a long, costly process.
3. Within an hour of messaging me to tell me the bag was available, they posted two "client reviews" of supposedly satisfied and happy clients that received their items via FEDEX. Yet, when I looked for these people (their IG icons are partially blocked out, but not totally) I did not find them on luxeality's followers or following list. My suspicions are that they are fake or taken from another account.
4. They were not reviewed on here at all, except for a couple of questions asked about them.
After all that the red flags were just too much, and I couldn't go through with the transaction, even though it was a dream bag of mine.
Be careful out there...[/QUOTE]
I completely understand that you don’t want to get scammed again as you mentioned in the private messages on Instagram. As a seller, I am afraid of being scammed as well. PayPal doesn’t protect sellers as the same as protecting buyers and some buyers are using PayPal to scam sellers.
I started doing personal shopping in November 2019. I don’t have many followers and clients as other personal shoppers. So I understand why you wrote the review.
The most recent 2 client reviews I posted are not fake or from another account. They literally just received their purchases this week. I blocked their icon pictures and names to respect their privacy. One of the clients actually responded to my post of the review.
The white sequin bag you inquired is not sold out. That particular Chanel SA of mine ensured it’s still available at her boutique while it shows it’s available in the system.
I understand this forum is for everyone to be able to review their experiences. However, I am not a scammer.
1. They said their SA was able to find a bag (very easily, within a few days). Previous SAs who usually work miracles failed to find this same bag, even a few months ago when it should've been more available. This CAN happen, but it is a popular out of season bag and I do believe it is completely sold out everywhere.
2. They refused to do PayPal and even refused to allow me to pay the Chanel boutique directly (I have a shopping/purchase history at stand-alone boutiques and have bought this way before from reputable personal shoppers), and insisted on only bank wire transfer. As soon as I heard this, alarms went off in my head. I never do bank wire transfer unless I have had experience with a personal shopper/seller and they are very well known & reputable. It is incredibly risky. If they turn out to be a scammer, you are essentially screwed out of your hard-earned money unless you sue them which is a long, costly process.
3. Within an hour of messaging me to tell me the bag was available, they posted two "client reviews" of supposedly satisfied and happy clients that received their items via FEDEX. Yet, when I looked for these people (their IG icons are partially blocked out, but not totally) I did not find them on luxeality's followers or following list. My suspicions are that they are fake or taken from another account.
4. They were not reviewed on here at all, except for a couple of questions asked about them.
After all that the red flags were just too much, and I couldn't go through with the transaction, even though it was a dream bag of mine.
Be careful out there...[/QUOTE]
I completely understand that you don’t want to get scammed again as you mentioned in the private messages on Instagram. As a seller, I am afraid of being scammed as well. PayPal doesn’t protect sellers as the same as protecting buyers and some buyers are using PayPal to scam sellers.
I started doing personal shopping in November 2019. I don’t have many followers and clients as other personal shoppers. So I understand why you wrote the review.
The most recent 2 client reviews I posted are not fake or from another account. They literally just received their purchases this week. I blocked their icon pictures and names to respect their privacy. One of the clients actually responded to my post of the review.
The white sequin bag you inquired is not sold out. That particular Chanel SA of mine ensured it’s still available at her boutique while it shows it’s available in the system.
I understand this forum is for everyone to be able to review their experiences. However, I am not a scammer.
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I understand not wanting to accept PayPal, even though most personal shoppers use PayPal (especially ones that are new and do not yet have a strong reputation), but refusing to accept payment directly to the boutique is for sure strange. After all, that is the usual/common way of purchasing Chanel items.
As for availability, the white matte sequin bag (from 19K, with the number: AS1126 B01449 10601)...is definitely sold out. I don't understand how you can say it is available in the system. I have called the Chanel customer service number and asked myself and they told me it is sold out. I also have been told by several reputable SAs and personal shoppers on here that it is completely and totally gone. But your SA has one available at the same boutique she is located at...that's very lucky.
I would be 100% happy to admit that I judged incorrectly if you would disclose the boutique that the bag is located at so I can call and inquire to confirm that it is there, or if you are not comfortable with that because you think I will try to purchase it directly and avoid giving you a PS fee, then if you have another way of proving that the bag is really there that works for me too.
As for availability, the white matte sequin bag (from 19K, with the number: AS1126 B01449 10601)...is definitely sold out. I don't understand how you can say it is available in the system. I have called the Chanel customer service number and asked myself and they told me it is sold out. I also have been told by several reputable SAs and personal shoppers on here that it is completely and totally gone. But your SA has one available at the same boutique she is located at...that's very lucky.
I would be 100% happy to admit that I judged incorrectly if you would disclose the boutique that the bag is located at so I can call and inquire to confirm that it is there, or if you are not comfortable with that because you think I will try to purchase it directly and avoid giving you a PS fee, then if you have another way of proving that the bag is really there that works for me too.
Meeee!!! I've purchased from her twice. She was able to get me two prada bags. She's very sweet and she's legit!
Some personal shoppers accept PayPal and some don’t. If you are not comfortable using my service, I understand. However, please don’t smear my service. I care about my clients and my small business. It’s already difficult to operate a small business during these unprecedented times. Please don’t accuse me as a scammer.
Some personal shoppers may be willing to share their SAs’ information and some personal shoppers may not be willing to do so. SAs are personal shoppers’ resources. As a buyer, you’re afraid of being scammed. As a seller, I am also afraid of being scammed. I respect your decision not to shop with me.
My SA confirmed the bag is available at her boutique and I was asking for more pictures for you. It took a few days for my SA to confirm availability because not all the boutiques and retailers are open due to Covid-19 and looters. She physically wanted to ensure the bag is indeed at her boutique. I’ve purchased Chanel items for myself from the boutiques or retailers when I’ve been told by Chanel customer service that the items were sold out. I understand that you have your doubts and don’t want to trust me.
I truly hope that you’ll be able to locate the bag and be 100% happy with your purchase.
I in no way "smeared" your service. I gave my opinions and review on my personal experience and what occurred. That is what this thread is for. Please do not try to silence my voice. I did not post here with anticipation of getting in argument or confrontation with you. This will be my last post in response to you, as I feel we are clogging up this thread and derailing it, as this thread was not intended to be used for personal shoppers to personally defend themselves to every review.
There is no need to bring current events into this conversation, of course it is difficult for everyone during these unprecedented times, however, that doesn't change the fact that you are refusing any other payment method other than wire transfer for a very large amount of money, which offers zero protection to the buyer.
I did not accuse you as a scammer, I said that people should be careful and I warned people against using bank wire transfer, because if someone turns out to be a scammer, then it will be very hard for them to get their money back. If someone feels comfortable making a $6,000 purchase with bank wire transfer to a relatively new personal shopper, that is their choice.
As for your SA confirming the bag is at your boutique, you have still given nothing that is reputable proof except words, when I have said I have asked reputable SAs and personal shoppers to search for this bag and they also told me it was sold out, and I have given the code of the bag for anyone to call up Chanel customer service and ask, for themselves if they wish, if the bag is available or sold out.
I have tried every way I can imagine to receive some peace of mind before blindly wire transferring $6,000, which as everyone here knows offers zero buyer protection, but you shot down every suggestion I have had.
I usually would not ask for proof such as what specific boutique a bag is located at, but with zero buyer protection and a relatively new personal shopper without a well-known reputation, most people would want to know these things before spending $6,000.
It is not that I do not "want to trust" you. I would be thrilled if I could trust you, but due to everything above my spidey sense is tingling. Most people don't just blindly trust and wire transfer $6,000 to a new personal shopper that has had their business for approximately 6 months.
There is no need to bring current events into this conversation, of course it is difficult for everyone during these unprecedented times, however, that doesn't change the fact that you are refusing any other payment method other than wire transfer for a very large amount of money, which offers zero protection to the buyer.
I did not accuse you as a scammer, I said that people should be careful and I warned people against using bank wire transfer, because if someone turns out to be a scammer, then it will be very hard for them to get their money back. If someone feels comfortable making a $6,000 purchase with bank wire transfer to a relatively new personal shopper, that is their choice.
As for your SA confirming the bag is at your boutique, you have still given nothing that is reputable proof except words, when I have said I have asked reputable SAs and personal shoppers to search for this bag and they also told me it was sold out, and I have given the code of the bag for anyone to call up Chanel customer service and ask, for themselves if they wish, if the bag is available or sold out.
I have tried every way I can imagine to receive some peace of mind before blindly wire transferring $6,000, which as everyone here knows offers zero buyer protection, but you shot down every suggestion I have had.
I usually would not ask for proof such as what specific boutique a bag is located at, but with zero buyer protection and a relatively new personal shopper without a well-known reputation, most people would want to know these things before spending $6,000.
It is not that I do not "want to trust" you. I would be thrilled if I could trust you, but due to everything above my spidey sense is tingling. Most people don't just blindly trust and wire transfer $6,000 to a new personal shopper that has had their business for approximately 6 months.
As I have mentioned, I respect your decision not to use my personal shopping service. I have not silenced your voice. You have the right to share your experience and I have the right to defend my small business when you made baseless accusations that my client reviews are fake or from other accounts.
Many businesses are dealing with the difficulties during the current unprecedented times and I am just stating the fact that I am trying to maintain my small business just like everyone else.
There are other personal shoppers voicing their concerns and defending themselves in this thread and in other thread. Are you able to sit in silence when your own small business is being smeared? I can respect that you fail to understand that you are smearing my small business based on groundless accusations. I also can respect that you do not feel comfortable making a purchase with me. As I have indicated, I was asking for pictures of the actual bag at the boutique from my SA. However, you have already expressed that you do not feel comfortable using my personal shopping service in private messages on Instagram. I respect your decision and I don’t want to bother you with my persuading you to make the purchase.
Having a small business for approximately 6 months does not mean that I am a scammer. I have explained that my small business is new and I don’t have many followers and clients like the other personal shoppers who have been in this business for a while. My small business in gradually growing and if you do not feel comfortable making a purchase with me, I respect your decision.
It’s quite common for a personal shopper to not accept PayPal and also quite common for them to not want to tell you which SA they are buying from. If they told you that, why would you need them? It’s also common for a personal shopper to be able to find things that you would think are impossible because they have a wide global network of SAs to check with. I don’t know this particular shopper but I wanted to clarify that these practices are not at all uncommon.
I strongly disagree with this and I think this is not the right message to send. It is common for a personal shopper to insist on wire transfer only when they have a long-standing business and reputation. For a personal shopper just starting out, that isn't common at all. I am not the only one that has said on these forums that an insistance on wire transfer is a major red flag. I have seen post and post on here about people that sent money via wire transfer to not very well known personal shoppers for that one special bag they have been dreaming of and surprise, the bag never arrived or they were sent a fake or damaged bag, and never were able to get their money back. It is incredibly risky.
I also did not ask which SA they were buying from, so not sure why is coming up. I said thank you and walked away after they wouldn't accept another form of payment that offers buyer protection as well as seller protection. I only mentioned on here, after this specific personal shopper made a new TPF account just to respond to my comment that I made a couple hours earlier, that I would be interested to know what boutique the bag was located at in order to personally confirm the bags availability (I would have then asked one of my own SAs to call the boutique and inquire on the bag), because at this point I have my own feelings and suspicions that may or may not be correct, but are too strong for me to ignore. I never asked for their SAs name, and never would ask that.
To clarify, I completely respected the personal shoppers refusal for PayPal as that is their right (although one that will for sure scare away a lot of clients) and offered to send a direct payment to Chanel (wire transfer), which would protect both me and the personal shopper, and send a wire transfer for the personal shoppers fee which was 8%. I was personally comfortable with risking 8% if something went wrong. I even said I would send the 8% wire transfer to the personal shopper first, before sending the direct payment to Chanel and of course before the bag was shipped to me, as I understood that they could be worried I was trying to skip out on their fee. They refused and insisted on a personal wire transfer to them.
I understand of course that personal shoppers can find rare items and out of season pieces due to having a wider global network, however, this personal shopper said that their SA found this rare bag at the very same boutique she works at...sure, it's possible that could actually be true, but imo when something sounds too good to be true it usually is. I have worked with several other reputable personal shoppers that I trust and who have found very rare pieces for me before, and they were unable to locate this bag.
Is there a chance this personal shopper is legitimate and their SA actually has the bag at their boutique and they simply refuse to take anything other than personal wire transfer, including a direct wire transfer to Chanel? Sure. I never said this personal shopper was 100% a scammer. I didn't proceed with the transaction, so I will never know. Personally, I am comfortable with that. Staying cautious and learning to trust my gut feelings has kept me safe even while buying bags from resellers and personal shoppers, and I will continue to do so.
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You accused my client reviews are fake or are from other accounts because I do not use PayPal. Fake client reviews are automatically associated with scammers, which I am not. I posted the picture of the bag from my SA on my Instagram page and you initiated the conversation on Instagram. I politely explained to you that my SA wants to ensure the bag is still available at her boutique and she did. You expressed that you are not comfortable with bank wire transfer and I have not forced you to make the purchase with me. You already expressed that you are not comfortable using my service so I should bother you and let you know that I can ask my SA to send me more pictures of the bag?
PayPal does not protect sellers like how it protects buyers. There are buyers using this to scam sellers. I respect your decision not to purchase with me and wanting to stay cautious. As a seller, I want to be cautious and not get scammed. It is within your right to share your experience. It is also my right to defend my small business when you accuse me of posting fake client reviews with groundless accusations. Many new and established personal shoppers block out or don't even show their clients' names and icon photos. Are these personal shoppers considered as scammers?
You can honestly sit in silence when your small business is being accused of posting fake client reviews? Like other personal shoppers who have signed up on the Purse Forum to defend themselves, I have every right to defend my small business.
If every single personal shopper shares which boutique she or he sources from then why would you need to use personal shoppers?
Please stop making defamatory statement about my small business.
I did not want to reply to you again, but you are now making defamatory, absurd, ridiculous and incorrect statements towards me, when I have said nothing defamatory against you. I never said you were a scammer and I said your business may or may not be legitimate, but that I personally felt uncomfortable and chose not to proceed with the transactions and explained the reasons behind my choice.
I did not accuse your client reviews of being fake because you don't use PayPal. If that is how you interpreted what I said, I suggest you reread it. The client reviews were posted within 45 minutes of you contacting me saying the bag was found and then you pointed them out to me in hopes that I would gain more confidence with you as a personal shopper and proceed with the transaction. I found that to be strange. Could it be a coincidence? Sure. However, I personally found it to be strange.
I again had no issue with you not using PayPal, although that is a common payment method for many personal shoppers. I was fine with doing a direct bank wire transfer to Chanel which protects both buyer and seller.
I only shared my personal experience and my thoughts, and what I considered to be red flags, which is what this forum is for. Your extreme reaction, and subsequent harassment of me and twisting of my words, despite that I clearly said I didn't want to continue communication with you, is only making me feel more secure in my choice to walk away. This quite honestly is shocking and I have never encountered anything like this when sharing an experience on TPF or anywhere else online.
I will say it clearly again: Please leave me alone. Please stop quoting my replies to other members. Please stop twisting my words. Please stop attacking me, just because I voiced my own opinions and feelings. You are now crossing the line.
I did not accuse your client reviews of being fake because you don't use PayPal. If that is how you interpreted what I said, I suggest you reread it. The client reviews were posted within 45 minutes of you contacting me saying the bag was found and then you pointed them out to me in hopes that I would gain more confidence with you as a personal shopper and proceed with the transaction. I found that to be strange. Could it be a coincidence? Sure. However, I personally found it to be strange.
I again had no issue with you not using PayPal, although that is a common payment method for many personal shoppers. I was fine with doing a direct bank wire transfer to Chanel which protects both buyer and seller.
I only shared my personal experience and my thoughts, and what I considered to be red flags, which is what this forum is for. Your extreme reaction, and subsequent harassment of me and twisting of my words, despite that I clearly said I didn't want to continue communication with you, is only making me feel more secure in my choice to walk away. This quite honestly is shocking and I have never encountered anything like this when sharing an experience on TPF or anywhere else online.
I will say it clearly again: Please leave me alone. Please stop quoting my replies to other members. Please stop twisting my words. Please stop attacking me, just because I voiced my own opinions and feelings. You are now crossing the line.
Here are the facts:
6/1 - I posted the picture of the bag.
6/1 - You reached out to me to inquire the availability of the bag.
6/3 - One of my new clients received her purchase.
6/4 - My other new client received her purchase.
6/4 - I posted both client reviews on my Instagram page.
6/5 - My SA confirmed the bag is available at her boutique. I have kept you updated between 6/1 and 6/5. I shared my most recent client reviews with you. You expressed that you don’t want to use my service. I apologized to you that I don’t use PayPal and thanked you.
You crossed the line when you accused my client reviews are fake or from other accounts with baseless accusations.
You can express your opinion because as you stated that is what the Purse Forum is for. I can also defend my small business just like other personal shoppers, especially I am being accused of posting fake client reviews with baseless accusations.
Sharing your experience is understandable. However, accusing someone’s small business posts fake client reviews is defamatory.
Anyone in the right mind would defend his or her small business when he or she is being accused of posting fake client reviews with groundless accusations.
You obviously have issues that I don't use PayPal so you made the accusation that I post fake client reviews. It is apparent that you do not care your baseless accusations can hinder one's small business.