Customer Service/Quality Control issues post here.

[lionlaw]

Thanks for the helpful info, Lionlaw, because I am completely new to exotics. Our bags were made from the same hide, and after inspecting the bag again, I agree that most of the leather is very nice. But it was only on one section - the top flap- of the Clutch Me where there was blemishes.

I love the ostrich leather with those big bumps instead of the little close together bumps and was hoping to get more of that on the clutch. Is that part of the skin more expensive?

Yes, the larger bumps are from the bigger areas of the hide (smaller bumps are legs and smaller areas). The larger bumps are more expensive because you are using the best part of the hide. Then you have the smaller bumpy areas then lastly the no bump areas. The value goes down as you loose the bumps. HTH

 

[hipnycmom]

Hip, are all of your rings gold or just the side ones? On mine (root IB) it's just the side ones, but it really bothers me, and I'm not OCDish at all (I wish!). I think it bothers me because I'm so much not a BE gold hardware girl, while brass is usually FINE with me, so I definitely notice the gold. Sadly, even the gold zippers bother me, but I'm hoping to get used to them.

Hi Jenny, I believe all the rings are gold (even the ones on the front and back). The ones on the side are the same, and the finish is different from that of the hook. I am not yet sure if it bothers me but I am probably a lot more OCDish than you.

Honestly, every brand has quality issues. I remember a Balenciaga City I had in pine green that was so beautiful but I noticed that the zipper tape was a completely different (and awful) shade of green and it really stood out. A lot of people were bothered by this pairing but I don't recall Bal ever doing anything about it. It wasn't a quality issue for them. Same goes for fading on their bags, etc (always a quality issue on the forum but many will say it is bound to happen with certain colors).
I had a couple of Chloe bags whose handles fell off completely within a week of gentle use. And a brand new Chanel bag came to me with a seam unsewn. I sent it back and it took 2 months for them to do a simple seam.
So in light of past mishaps, mismatched rings aren't the biggest deal though I would rather that they matched. In any case, I would rather fix it here than send it back.

One of my detachable rings on my mottled gold LM Mini was loose/not locking properly when it arrived and Maya sent me a replacement pair immediately. That is probably a more convenient fix.

 

[gingersierra]

Hello everyone. I'm fairly new to the board, and also BE. Just yesterday I received my first BE . It is a WTM midi in Aubergine. I am going to receive new tags since it looks (to me) like one tag was Aubergine, and the other was a purple matte, and the crystal has what looks like glue residue on it. I definitely love this bag, but it does have a two small scrapes around the zipper and two near the bottom on the front of the bag.

Also, a quick question. What is the usual dustbag sent with these bags? I assumed it was a satin/silk bag, but what I received is a somewhat stiff cotton-like bag.

 

[Jenova]

I remember a Balenciaga City I had in pine green that was so beautiful but I noticed that the zipper tape was a completely different (and awful) shade of green and it really stood out. A lot of people were bothered by this pairing but I don't recall Bal ever doing anything about it. It wasn't a quality issue for them.

I have one of those and it the bag that I kept but shouldn't have. It is the one that taught me not to accept substandard goods unless they have been radically reduced. This happened in AW 2007 about when Balenciaga's quality started to take a really bad tumble. I wouldn't touch their goods with a bargepole after sampling their 2008 products. Mismatched components, mismatched fading weak lamb leathers and messy stitching may not have been QC issues for them but they were for me as a customer and I voted with my feet. Multiple quality issues and sloppy matching/finishing would drive me away from any company.

 

[Jenova]

Hello everyone. I'm fairly new to the board, and also BE. Just yesterday I received my first BE . It is a WTM midi in Aubergine. I am going to receive new tags since it looks (to me) like one tag was Aubergine, and the other was a purple matte, and the crystal has what looks like glue residue on it. I definitely love this bag, but it does have a two small scrapes around the zipper and two near the bottom on the front of the bag.

Also, a quick question. What is the usual dustbag sent with these bags? I assumed it was a satin/silk bag, but what I received is a somewhat stiff cotton-like bag.

I had a cotton dustbag sent me recently too but it came with an older bag from the sale.

 

[susa]

Gingersierra: die older BE models had cotton dustbags ( I prefered cotton to the satin dustbags )

I agree that there are quality issues with almost any brand, also with bottega veneta i.e

the best after sales service I ever received (after having the bag already 5 years) was Louis Vuitton, they even did not charge me for repair !

 

[*suzi*]

The best service I have ever had was with Miu Miu. The logos seem to fall off frequently. However, Miu Miu will repair the bag for free.

I don't mind quality issues because I know it does happen with every company, but it is a deal breaker for me if I can't trust the company to resolve it.

 

[hipnycmom]

ITA Suzi. I don't think there is any company without issues but in my opinion the companies with the best customer service are the ones that address the issues immediately. The store I purchased my Chloes from felt so bad about them falling apart that I got free shoes, free perfume and free gift certificates. So much free stuff that I started to feel bad about having to return the bag. But I have continued to purchase from them and have been very satisfied with their service.

 

[lovebags2]

ITA Suzi. I don't think there is any company without issues but in my opinion the companies with the best customer service are the ones that address the issues immediately. The store I purchased my Chloes from felt so bad about them falling apart that I got free shoes, free perfume and free gift certificates. So much free stuff that I started to feel bad about having to return the bag. But I have continued to purchase from them and have been very satisfied with their service.

I couldn't have expressed my sentiment's any better.

Mistakes do happen but it's how you handle them that will determine whether or not I"ll remain a customer. In the case you just described with your Chloe experience I would've been even happier then before and remained loyal!!

Does the company allow the customer to have a stress free experience with the resolution or do they try and deny there is even an issue with excuses?

I don't mind errors it's just the reaction I pay close attention too even if I"m not directly involved.

That said, Karmenzsofa If you have your heart set on trying a BE handbag then I would! Most of my PF friends that I"ve spoken too have all had QC issues at some point (including myself with markings/scratches) but I'm sure BE must be improving or at least working on some of these issues at the moment if they want to stay around.

 

[K.Z.]

I already have a BE bag and looove it ...so much so that I'm considering future purchases, and those are the ones I was thinking of when I said I'm concerned about some of the QC issues I'm reading about here.

I'm not an avid shopper, not even close, so I don't run into problems as often as those who shop till they drop.
As a result, I don't have as much experience dealing with quality and service issues. Most of the designer bags I've owned are MJs, MKs, HHs, and Coach (a while back), and I've never had a single problem. I'm glad to hear, however, that others here have had issues with bags from high-profile brands like Bal, MM, Chloe... It's good to know nobody is perfect.

 

[gingersierra]

Hello again. Could you more knowledgeable BE ladies please help me out with a few questions.

I definitely think that the WTM Midi is a fabulous bag, and I am still loving my new Aubergine BE, but since I have had more time today to look it over, I am seeing a few things that concern me. Should I expect to see white scrapes in the sheen leather on a brand new bag? Is this just the nature of the leather?

Has anyone ever received tags with one of the crystals looking like it had been covered in glue, and a split tag? I have included photos so you can see what I am talking about.

I will admit that I didn't expect a perfect bag, but I am surprised by a few things. I must say though, even with the things that bother me about the Aubergine bag, I definitely am still interested in other BE bags, especially the TME Midi.

 

[Ms.Lizardo]

I'm not sure what you mean by white scrapes. Can you show us a pic? I will say that the sheen leathers can have some marks as you describe. My cobalt MMS and purple glossy LM midi did have some faint whitish striations. Not bad but still there. IMHO the sheen or glossy leathers are one of the least durable.

I have never received a BE tag where the crystal had glue on it. But I admit I glue over the crystals them myself so they don't fall out.

I have had a tag split a little at the edges, after the bag was well-used. (like my beloved tan TMA) but have never even seen a split on a new bag, and even my TMA isn't that open.

 

[sgreg]

I'll bet if you contacted BE about the splitting of the tags, they'd send you new ones, particularly if you mentioned that they shipped it that way to you. I've personally not had any trouble with splitting tags before.

As for the crystals and glue issue, I had one bag arrive with weird glue on one tag and the crystal looking like it was prised up, sitting on top of the mountain of uneven glue. I think one of the craftmen must go a bit nuts with the glue sometimes.

 

[hipnycmom]

Hi ginger, I have an MMS Midi in Aubergine and any scuffing does tend to show as white (corners). I don't have any white lines/scratches on the main body of the bag - just small ones on the corners after a few uses. Sheen and glossy are actually different leathers and I find the glossy to be quite hardy, the sheen to be more delicate. Do you have any pictures?

As for the tags, I agree with the ladies above. That is unusual (re splitting) - you may want to let BE know.

 

[gingersierra]

Ms.Lizardo, Sgreg, Hipnycmom, thanks so much for your quick response.

I have added two photos of the front of the bag, showing the marks, and two others that show the loop of leather around the drawstrings. One seems to be Augerbine, and the other a lighter leather. Oddly enough, the loops don't bother me, I think it's kind of quirky.