Does Louis Vuitton quality justify it's price for you? Issues with all of my items..

#91
Bought my Neverfull 8 years ago and I've used it daily , including as a beach bag and it is in top condition still ! Probably the only bag I own where money were well spent :smile:
 
#92
Sandra.AT said:
Okay thanks.. Than it's normal.. I just wanted to get sure as later it is difficult to exchange it this is not normal..
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You're right, better to check now when you can still return the item. If the problem gets worse in about a year, they often says it "normal wear and tear". But I personally don't see anything wrong with it. My damier straps look exactly the same.

And, after reading all those messages about defects, I too get more "suspicious" when I buy something.
 
#93
DLdesign said:
This thread is proving very interesting for me since I am thinking of buying back into the brand. Can I ask you a question about your aunt's Speedy please - I'm wondering if you've noticed a big difference in the hardware between the old one and your aunt's new Speedy b. I've been reading a lot of comments elsewhere about hardware differences. From the research I've done it appears that the old hardware is more likely to be solid brass (and probably a bit darker in colour even after polishing) and the new hardware is a lighter goldish plated colour and more shiny (and more prone to chipping and discolouring). I'm just wondering if you or your aunt have noticed that?
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Have you been able to determine, from your research, when the hardware went from being solid brass to just a gold-toned metal? I much prefer solid brass. Gold-tone metal cheapens a product, in my opinion.
 
#94
Bayou Minou said:
Have you been able to determine, from your research, when the hardware went from being solid brass to just a gold-toned metal? I much prefer solid brass. Gold-tone metal cheapens a product, in my opinion.
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I haven't had a definite answer unfortunately - I have a friend who is collector and she says a bag she bought 11 years ago showed a decline in quality so I suppose things have been on the slide for a while. I can't figure out why - solid brass costs just pennies more than gold toned metal. I'm quite alarmed by recent comments on the new model Speedy and the fact that the hardware fades within a couple of weeks in some cases - frankly, that is an insult. So the price hike is in order to maintain 'exclusivity'. Fine, but common sense dictates that there should be a commensurate increase in quality in order to justify it.

All of this leaves me in a quandary - after over two decades of absence from LV I am no longer enthusiastic about revisiting. There is something weird about spending hundreds of pounds on a bag which is frankly average in quality and costs just a few dollars to make (in materials). The ultimate pricetag is about branding, company overheads and their huge marketing outlay. That said, at least the bags can be sold for a good price if we tire of them. If that fact did not exist I wouldn't even be reconsidering LV.

I have all but given up on the preowned market - being in the UK there is little to choose from domestically and the prices I'm seeing beyond these shores are often higher than what I would pay in the boutique, and when you add on import tax the cost gets even worse. So I am veering back to buying new from the store - and I am not as excited as I would like to be.
 
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#95
DLdesign said:
I haven't had a definite answer unfortunately - I have a friend who is collector and she says a bag she bought 11 years ago showed a decline in quality so I suppose things have been on the slide for a while. I can't figure out why - solid brass costs just pennies more than gold toned metal. I'm quite alarmed by recent comments on the new model Speedy and the fact that the hardware fades within a couple of weeks in some cases - frankly, that is an insult. So the price hike is in order to maintain 'exclusivity'. Fine, but common sense dictates that there should be a commensurate increase in quality in order to justify it.

All of this leaves me in a quandary - after over two decades of absence from LV I am no longer enthusiastic about revisiting. There is something weird about spending hundreds of pounds on a bag which is frankly average in quality and costs just a few dollars to make (in materials). The ultimate pricetag is about branding, company overheads and their huge marketing outlay. That said, at least the bags can be sold for a good price if we tire of them. If that fact did not exist I wouldn't even be reconsidering LV.

I have all but given up on the preowned market - being in the UK there is little to choose from domestically and the prices I'm seeing beyond these shores are often higher than what I would pay in the boutique, and when you add on import tax the cost gets even worse. So I am veering back to buying new from the store - and I am not as excited as I would like to be.
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Nice to read a message written by someone who has a nice writing style! 😃
I just want to tell you that if the hardware creates anxiety, pick a bag with silver hardware. I have had no problem with any LV item that features silver hardware.
 
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#96
fabuleux said:
Nice to read a message written by someone who has a nice writing style! 😃
I just want to tell you that if the hardware creates anxiety, pick a bag with silver hardware. I have had no problem with any LV item that features silver hardware.
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Thanks - I think it comes from all those years when the headmaster at school used to stand over us with a cane. If our diction proved disappointing, things could get painful :P

I hadn't thought of opting for the silver hardware - I'll definitely look into that.
 
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#97
miss_h said:
Hello all!

So far, I'm quite dissapointed with Louis Vuitton. I have just begun collecting and I have problems with all my products I've purchased.

Here is my never full, I bought it April 25, 2014. This is how the straps look after that time. Do you see how one strap has tears by the stitching and the other does not? My Alma BB has the same tearing on the strap but only has it close to where the strap attaches to the handles.

Also, the pochette that it came with has ripped, due to the natural bending that the strap is DESIGNED for.

Should I bring this in?? What would Louis Vuitton do for me>

Then there is my key holder. It is my newest piece and I have had it for about a week now. It is brand new and I've opened my door maybe 10 times since I've got it. The canvas is curling on it already.

I don't mind paying the prices Louis Vuitton charges, so long as they provide quality products. I'm not expecting indestructible, but my oldest piece is less than 3 months old so I don't think I'm exaggerating here.

I'd like to receive any input you may have as to LV Quality, If you think maybe I just happened to get bad items? Do you think they will replace my Neverfull? I don't want to wait 6 weeks for repair on such a new bag.

If I don't see any solid quality, I may just move to a new designer and abandon Louis Vuitton, which I don't want to do since I love some of their designs.

Thank you

Please note the difference in the two straps below, and the tear in the included pochette:
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I actually had an issue with my 3 year old bloomsbury (cracking at the seams). I took it into LV today and they immediately exchanged it out for a new purse. The SA said they have "new guidelines" regarding quality issues so I'd definately take it in to see what they say.
 
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#99
mrsinsyder said:
You should read the book Deluxe. A lot of what it talks about is how luxury these days is in the brand symbolism, not in the actual quality. LV is talked about a good deal, how as they grew and grew, and were turned into LVMH, most items are (fairly) mass produced, and the luxury is about the price tag and name recognition more than what you're getting. As much as I love LV, I do real think there is some truth to this. Most of the items are pumped out in a factory, and errors happen.

LVMH is a conglomerate, and cutting costs is important to any business. If I compare my speedy from 10 years ago to the ones sold now, there are obvious quality differences in the stitching, thickness of canvas, etc. Unfortunately, I think LV is letting their quality slip because they know people will continue to buy, just because of the brand.

I'd like to say their customer service justifies the price and relieves some of the quality issues, but I haven't had that experience yet either. My next purchase will be an LV leather bag that I've always wanted, but after that, I'm with you and most likely moving on (or at least no more canvas bags). I'm disappointed in what their products are becoming.
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I also highly recommend that book! It's fascinating to see how the luxury brand world looks functions. Very eye-opening. That said, I still love my small LV collection and fortunately haven't had any problems with my pieces. Hopefully that will remain true!
 
#101
mrsinsyder said:
You should read the book Deluxe. A lot of what it talks about is how luxury these days is in the brand symbolism, not in the actual quality. LV is talked about a good deal, how as they grew and grew, and were turned into LVMH, most items are (fairly) mass produced, and the luxury is about the price tag and name recognition more than what you're getting. As much as I love LV, I do real think there is some truth to this. Most of the items are pumped out in a factory, and errors happen.

LVMH is a conglomerate, and cutting costs is important to any business. If I compare my speedy from 10 years ago to the ones sold now, there are obvious quality differences in the stitching, thickness of canvas, etc. Unfortunately, I think LV is letting their quality slip because they know people will continue to buy, just because of the brand.

I'd like to say their customer service justifies the price and relieves some of the quality issues, but I haven't had that experience yet either. My next purchase will be an LV leather bag that I've always wanted, but after that, I'm with you and most likely moving on (or at least no more canvas bags). I'm disappointed in what their products are becoming.
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Thanks for posting.
 
#102
Mugiwara said:
But come on? You expect their craftman to be of top caliber to notice eventhe slightest flaws... even the corners are asymmetrical and crooked. Even the china people do it better... lv just doesnt do his best anymore, its more about the money for them than delivering truly quality goods. Look at how craftmanship has changed when you look back 10 years where also everything cost 50% of what they are now..

And also about "inspect the item before you buy", what kind of nonsense is that? Do you seriously expect me to check a wallet of 400 euros on flaws? If you aren't sick in your head, you should expect a perfectly FLAWLESS wallet for that price and not be skeptical about the fact of it being flawless or flawed... so please, quit jabbering about inspection, that's the task of QC
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:yahoo::woohoo:
 
#103
MissChris said:
I totally get what the OP is saying...I'm fairly new to LV and noticed some of the same things. I don't expect perfection at all but at LV prices, I do expect superior quality (and customer service) but that just doesn't seem to be the case anymore. The quality HAS gone down from what it was 10 years ago yet the prices continue to climb every few months. I was cleaning out my closet and took a close look at my Dooney & Bourke bags and was shocked to see that the quality of those bags seemed substantially better than my LV bags, for a fraction of the price! I never babied my D&B bags and never once had an issue with the leather, the stitching or the quality in general. The fact that they haven't fixed the problem of the cracking leather on their iconic DE NF after all these years and after all the complaints/returns they've received is kind of disheartening, especially for those of us who truly love the LV prints and designs.
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Not defending LV and not bashing D&B BUT I just had to return a Pebble Domed Satchel because of corner wear in a bag only a month old. Check my posts/threads to see pics.
 
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