This is so interesting to me. Before the euro (yes, I know that's a long time ago), I bought a lot of Chanel and they would keep my amex cards on file. I would be able to shop just by walking in and talking to my sales person. Recently, I was at chanel and they said that they were no longer able to keep cards on file -- imprint -- in the same way because of fraud. . . They said that other luxury stores were following suit -- but I didn;t know or think to ask which ones. I am no longer as much of a shopper -- because I cannot stand the way prices have increased for luxury goods, but I believe that a certain service the SA's would provide is gone -- they used to call; they used to know what was in your closet; they used to be able to truly advise you; and they used to advocate for you. I once bought a classic black chanel boucle jacket (not resort) but regular collection -- and took it on a trip to Paris -- it pilled; and they gave me a choice to have it "shorn" and reblocked or return for a full refund, not credit (and I do not normally return). I don;t think that happens anymore. And, I was not a top spender, but rather a regular, up and coming spender. I am a bit disappointed with the H service experience in comparison, but maybe H does not care as much about cultivating a younger or smaller budget client who is going to grow. My H SA at the Madison avenue store never thought to offer me the two straps (orange and grey croc/canvas) that they had in the store for my BB kelly, but said that she would have told me of their existence/ offered them to me had she known I was open to different colors. The fact that she seemed shocked that I would have considered this option -- even though she's seen how I put things together makes me think that maybe H corporate does not encourage SA's to think outside the box? Re this particular situation, i think it could have been addressed by them saying they need a physical imprint or checking your buying history. Sorry to be OT.
Different Policies at Wall Street?
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This is so interesting to me. Before the euro (yes, I know that's a long time ago), I bought a lot of Chanel and they would keep my amex cards on file. I would be able to shop just by walking in and talking to my sales person. Recently, I was at chanel and they said that they were no longer able to keep cards on file -- imprint -- in the same way because of fraud. . . They said that other luxury stores were following suit -- but I didn;t know or think to ask which ones. I am no longer as much of a shopper -- because I cannot stand the way prices have increased for luxury goods, but I believe that a certain service the SA's would provide is gone -- they used to call; they used to know what was in your closet; they used to be able to truly advise you; and they used to advocate for you. I once bought a classic black chanel boucle jacket (not resort) but regular collection -- and took it on a trip to Paris -- it pilled; and they gave me a choice to have it "shorn" and reblocked or return for a full refund, not credit (and I do not normally return). I don;t think that happens anymore. And, I was not a top spender, but rather a regular, up and coming spender. I am a bit disappointed with the H service experience in comparison, but maybe H does not care as much about cultivating a younger or smaller budget client who is going to grow. My H SA at the Madison avenue store never thought to offer me the two straps (orange and grey croc/canvas) that they had in the store for my BB kelly, but said that she would have told me of their existence/ offered them to me had she known I was open to different colors. The fact that she seemed shocked that I would have considered this option -- even though she's seen how I put things together makes me think that maybe H corporate does not encourage SA's to think outside the box? Re this particular situation, i think it could have been addressed by them saying they need a physical imprint or checking your buying history. Sorry to be OT.
^^^^
Thanks for sharing that 880. I think customer service overall has deteriorated at most stores - not just H. It sure is not like it used to be - and it really makes me appreciate the SA's who actually provide good old-fashioned customer service! I had quite a bad experience with a particular (non-H) store over the weekend, and it made me stop and think about all of this. The caliber of employee at many of these high-end stores is just terrible. You would think that in this economy particularly, these stores would only hire the finest individuals. They simply cannot afford not to.
My FA has always, always, always advised against doing wire transfers to any business. You have absolutely no recourse should their be a problem in transit, a problem with the product later on etc. Besides, it is such a hassle to have to do a wire transfer - if I have to leave the house to pay for something that is going to be shipped to me, the likelihood is that I will decide to purchase the item elsewhere...lol
Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts and experiences with all of this!
Thanks for sharing that 880. I think customer service overall has deteriorated at most stores - not just H. It sure is not like it used to be - and it really makes me appreciate the SA's who actually provide good old-fashioned customer service! I had quite a bad experience with a particular (non-H) store over the weekend, and it made me stop and think about all of this. The caliber of employee at many of these high-end stores is just terrible. You would think that in this economy particularly, these stores would only hire the finest individuals. They simply cannot afford not to.
My FA has always, always, always advised against doing wire transfers to any business. You have absolutely no recourse should their be a problem in transit, a problem with the product later on etc. Besides, it is such a hassle to have to do a wire transfer - if I have to leave the house to pay for something that is going to be shipped to me, the likelihood is that I will decide to purchase the item elsewhere...lol
Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts and experiences with all of this!
Slightly offtopic but relevant to what Pepper noted...I spent quite a bundle (relative to me) at the Hermes in the Hilton Paris last fall and used a Capital One Mastercard...best part is that Capital One does not charge a fee for FX conversions...
A little OT, but I was told that wire transfers are safe because they are tracked by the federal government & there is a paper trail which makes fraud very difficult. I was also told it's safer than using a credit card, because it's easy to commit credit card fraud and get away with it. Don't know if it's true, but it's the reason I have felt safe doing wire transfers. 
^^^^
Thanks for sharing that 880. I think customer service overall has deteriorated at most stores - not just H. It sure is not like it used to be - and it really makes me appreciate the SA's who actually provide good old-fashioned customer service! I had quite a bad experience with a particular (non-H) store over the weekend, and it made me stop and think about all of this. The caliber of employee at many of these high-end stores is just terrible. You would think that in this economy particularly, these stores would only hire the finest individuals. They simply cannot afford not to.
My FA has always, always, always advised against doing wire transfers to any business. You have absolutely no recourse should their be a problem in transit, a problem with the product later on etc. Besides, it is such a hassle to have to do a wire transfer - if I have to leave the house to pay for something that is going to be shipped to me, the likelihood is that I will decide to purchase the item elsewhere...lol
Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts and experiences with all of this!
I do not live in the US but I have been buying from many US based stores and boutiques and having them shipped overseas for years.
What I understand is that many international/US merchants and retailers prefer Amex because they offer greater protection for both merchants and customers, particularly for shipped items. For example: the Amex in my country offers its cardholders 100% protection covering the maximum amount for any item that may be damaged or lost from overseas. I assume they offer an equally favorable protection to the merchant/store. I have 2 other credit cards that offer this maximum protection too so in my country, Amex is not special in this regard.
However, other banks/credit cards have different rules so for example, if you bought an item and had it shipped and problems were encountered, your protection may only cover a maximum of US$1,000 (this is just a sample amount). This would not be a problem if you are having a pair of US$700 Louboutins shipped but would be an issue if you are ordering an $$$$$ Hermes bag.
However, my one big issue with Amex is their annoyingly high forex rates. This is a pain when you are buying a big ticket item from overseas and they apply their exorbitantly high foreign exchange rates when other banks offer a much better rate. For a $10,000++ item, the difference can be in the hundreds of dollars. So using Amex isn't always that great either and I have used wire transfers for trusted merchants/sellers for big ticket items, because if you are transfering within the same bank (e.g. Stanchart London to Stanchart New York), the banks will often waive the wire transfer fees, hence the total amount ends up much lower vis-a-vis a credit card transaction.
I know this post didn't answer the original question, but I would encourage everyone to please check your banks and credit card's policy on damaged or lost items for overseas or inter-state shipping since many of us order items from various locations around the world. You may or may not be covered or protected as much as you think (and also rules differ from country to country due to regulatory requirements, so Amex Spain would probably have slightly different cardholder rules for Amex Japan.)
What I understand is that many international/US merchants and retailers prefer Amex because they offer greater protection for both merchants and customers, particularly for shipped items. For example: the Amex in my country offers its cardholders 100% protection covering the maximum amount for any item that may be damaged or lost from overseas. I assume they offer an equally favorable protection to the merchant/store. I have 2 other credit cards that offer this maximum protection too so in my country, Amex is not special in this regard.
However, other banks/credit cards have different rules so for example, if you bought an item and had it shipped and problems were encountered, your protection may only cover a maximum of US$1,000 (this is just a sample amount). This would not be a problem if you are having a pair of US$700 Louboutins shipped but would be an issue if you are ordering an $$$$$ Hermes bag.
However, my one big issue with Amex is their annoyingly high forex rates. This is a pain when you are buying a big ticket item from overseas and they apply their exorbitantly high foreign exchange rates when other banks offer a much better rate. For a $10,000++ item, the difference can be in the hundreds of dollars. So using Amex isn't always that great either and I have used wire transfers for trusted merchants/sellers for big ticket items, because if you are transfering within the same bank (e.g. Stanchart London to Stanchart New York), the banks will often waive the wire transfer fees, hence the total amount ends up much lower vis-a-vis a credit card transaction.
I know this post didn't answer the original question, but I would encourage everyone to please check your banks and credit card's policy on damaged or lost items for overseas or inter-state shipping since many of us order items from various locations around the world. You may or may not be covered or protected as much as you think (and also rules differ from country to country due to regulatory requirements, so Amex Spain would probably have slightly different cardholder rules for Amex Japan.)
Je ne sais pas.
Wall Street is Corporate. I've been an Hermes addict since 1989 and have seen many "rules" enter the World of Hermes. Ironically, each boutique manager/director can call the shots, based on personal knowledge of the client. IF you are known to that boutique, they have the option to let you use your Visa. IF the boutique doesn't "know' you - call the boutique that DOES "know you" and they can call the non cooperative one to do a direct charge send. This "rule" started with some kind of charge card fraud and only Amex insures Hermes if that happens. Go figure.
i just phoned the wall street boutique to ask if they had any hacs available and was told by a sa she couldn't discuss their inventory over the phone. i also had this experience with chicago and riverside. other stores have always been very helpful when i've inquired about handbags and happily accepted any credit card i wished to use as well. from those experiences i don't believe there is "company policy" regarding the disclosure of inventory or the sole use of amex to have a purchase shipped.
When I called to order some thing the other day, my SA said that they are now instituting a policy where each client who has their credit card info on file has to sign and mail back an authorization form. Apparently they had a problem where a client purchased a $40k croc birkin over the phone and later disputed the charge (and won!).
Don't know but I have seen it across the board a H. Some take anything and some only AMEX with about 4 forms of ID! Crazy. Some tell you what they have. Some don't. Some tell you what they REALLY have..others are all mysterious.
The wonderful wacky world of Hermes....
The wonderful wacky world of Hermes....
Hmmm, I've never shopped at the Wall St. store, but called them last week to look for two GM shawls. Thay had both and were delightful....and I think I paid with MC.
I think so much can depend on the SA you happen to get.
I think so much can depend on the SA you happen to get.