Have you ever bought a bag with bad reviews? Did you regret it or not? Poll!

[Thenewestgirl]

Have you ever bought a bag regardless of it's bad reviews? Did you regret it or not?

I have been dreaming about one particular bag for years, you know when every other design just feels wrong in comparision? Yeah, that's me and this bag right now.

I dont own many bags, and very few designer ones, I mostly carry my dionysus woc as my every day bag, as I don't really need anything bigger for a normal day. I am even considering buying the Chanel woc to have something even more light weight!

For some occasions, like when I travel, or just need to bring a sweather or something like that, I reach for my larger bags (of which none are from a premium designer), but in a year when I have finished my degree I think that I might get a bit more use out of a larger bag, and anyway, I feel that I want to have a nice, roomy bag for when needed, even if that is not every day in my case.

Unfortunately, this dream bag of mine has not got the best reviews from its owners (although I have not found many reviews of it), its owners seem to think it is uncomfortable and not super easy to use, and I have been adviced to look for some other bag by tpf-members that I have discussed this bag with.

I really value their opinions and I am thankful for the advice I have got on here, but as a very unexperienced bag buyer I struggle with weighing the pros against the cons. Hence why I am still on the fence although I was set on buying it earlier this summer when they still had one in stock. Now I find myself still debating wheather I should go for it anyway, I obviously can't "let go" of it mentally, trust me I have tried! Or if I should look for something else, whatever that would be, as I don't have any real compeditor to weigh it against at this point.

I really love the look and proportions of the bag, and I don't know if the problems others are experiencing would bother me that much, as I would not use it THAT much, but the bad reviews still keeps me hesitant.

And I also find myself thinking that once I start working buying a new bag wont be such a big deal as it is now, so I might aswell buy this one and just buy a new one later if I find it too difficult to use.

So, to mess up my mind a little more:

Have you ever bought a bad regardless of it's bad reviews? Did you regret it or not?

 

[Yoshi1296]

But what you love! Don’t worry about negative reviews. You are going to own it so if it makes your heart sing then buy it and use it with confidence and pride. But if you are concerned you should maybe check the bag out in store just in case.

May I ask what bag you are talking about? It would be easier to ease your mind and help if we knew what the bag is and the feature that is giving it negative reviews.

 

[Evia]

If it’s about the style or look of the bag that wouldn’t bother me at all, I’d buy it if it appealed to me. On the other hand if there were comments about its functionality or the quality of its construction, I’d want to do some research before committing to a purchase, particularly if several reviews were making the same point. Having said all that sometimes you’ve just got to make up your own mind and give it a go.

 

[remainsilly]

I read some tpf posts & think, "Wow."
Because no one routinely hauling bottles of soy sauce, inside designer handbag, is considering options thoroughly.
Yet, same person will post about how awful bag lining looks/smells.
Then may complain about handles fraying & seams loosening later.

So, yes.
I ignore lots of bad reviews.

I also ignore lots of good reviews--from people who receive free merch & pose it for 2 weeks in cute photos.
Or are resellers, trying to move stock.

I concentrate on those which tell me about bag features.
If tell how comfortably bag wears on shoulder, consider this information useful.
If discussion of hauling infant nappies & breast pumps creeps in, I move on.

My point is that no one is using bags quite same way as am I.
So must brain-filter reviews.
And pick out few gold nuggets in the swill.
Then dump rest.

Most of my bags have bad reviews somewhere.
Regrets=0

 

[catsinthebag]

I haven’t bought a bag that got bad reviews, but whether I would would depend on the reason for the reviews. If a bag is getting lots of bad reviews based on quality, I’ll pass, but if it has to do with function or style, which is more subjective, I might go ahead and buy in spite of the reviews.

As another poster said, it would be helpful to know what bag you’re talking about and what’s behind the bad reviews.

At the end of the day, the heart wants what the heart wants. If the bag continues to haunt you and nothing else will do, perhaps you should buy it and see for yourself. Does the desire outweigh any regrets you might have?

 

[all7s]

Expectations are important. If you are aware of and accept the bag's limitations, then you are not going to be as disappointed or frustrated as someone who bought the bag not knowing.

You probably will always want the bag. I have bags out there that i know wont work for me. But they will be so gorgeous to me when i see them while browsing on the internet. Each time I have to talk myself down and remind myself of all the ways i know it will irritate me. I am comfortable with my experiences with other bags to be able to visualize what works for me. But the yearning is still there.

Until you experience the bag yourself, you wont know how much something will bother you. Everyone has different things that are dealbreakers in how a bag functions. Live and learn and enjoy the bag for the parts that attract you to it.

It's a style you are attracted to now, enjoy it in this moment. Not every bag has to be a lifetime purchase or investment. The money you pay is to experience that moment of being the person that carries that bag. It's like a vacation. You spend the money on the fun time and memories and the money is gone. Have that acceptance and it wont hurt as much if you end up not getting much use out of it. If that loss of money is a problem, then dont buy.

If it is an unpopular bag, there may be discounts or cheap resales ahead. Perhaps the hunt for an incredible price will be a bigger thrill than owning now. Dont let anything rush your decision, but dont put the decision that you want the bag off indefinitely. Dont hunt for a bag you arent sure you want.

Regret is a state of mind. Go into a purchase with open eyes and realistic expectations. Or make peace with yourself that you dont need the bag. You will always have this moment in time where you were obsessed with the bag. Believe that what you choose is the correct decision.

 

[bellebellebelle19]

Yes! I have, my holy grail bag. I went into it knowing that it was difficult to open and heavy, and that didn't matter to me because I am in love with the quality and the look. I don't regret it at all! I think the only thing to worry about is quality. If people are saying the bag you want is poor quality, I would go pick out your bag in person and find one that doesn't have any flaws, or I'd make sure to order online from a place with free shipping and returns and order a couple options.

 

[ccbaggirl89]

Yes. It was a Valentino and everyone seemed to dislike it for whatever reason. The leather wasn't great, the size was too small, the bag was too heavy, etc. Not many positives in online reviews. But I somehow *knew* it would be ok for me. I bought a dupe from a department store and tried it for 3 weeks and felt like the actual bag would be fine for me. It was. I was very happy with the bag (still am). You have to judge for yourself. If all the reviews are negative, but focus on different things it matters less to me than if all the negatives are about the same thing. I pay attention to negative reviews but look for similar complaints and not different ones.

 

[Sparkletastic]

I have several times and it’s worked out well for me because I spent a lot of time thinking about and evaluating the bag before purchase. Two notable examples:

Prada Double Zip Totes in saffiano leather: There are a LOT of complaints about Prada quality overall and this style of bag in specific. People complain about cracking of the bags’ edging as well as unflattering slouch over time. There is even a tPF thread about the quality issues. But, I really loved the clean structured look and wanted the carefree ease of the saffiano leather. Plus these were some of my first premier designer bags and... well... at the time I just wanted Prada bags because they were Prada. Lol! So, I purchased two (mini pink and small red) preloved being sure to get authentic ones.

I love both of these bags. My experience with them has been outstanding. The saffy leather really is carefree so these bags always get hailed out in bad weather. No slouching at all and I just spied a tiny crack in the edging of one after 6 years of ownership and use. This can always be fixed so no biggie.

The other example I’ll cite is my silver microcannage Dior Diorama. This bag got a lot of dings from others because they said their bags peeled. I craved the bag but held off buying because of repeated lconcerns on tPF. Then after trying to soothe my craving with a bunch of other silver bags, I finally caved and got the Diorama new during my last trip to Paris. OMG! I ADORE this bag!!! Most people say metallic bags aren’t for everyday use and that this is very delicate. I use this bag quite often and have had ZERO quality issues. I am so glad I trusted my own mind.

I’ve also bought other materials and types of bags people said were bad news like metallic lamb or python or heavy-ish bags with chain straps and have had zero issues because they were what I wanted and I knew going into the bag what the potential not inevitable downsides were.

So, I guess my advice would be to buy the bag if you think you’ll truly love and use it. If it makes sense (like with my Prada DZT’s) consider buying resale so your investment is limited. If it’s better to be the first owner so you know it’s care history (like my Diorama) buy new on store. Also, try to buy where there is a good return policy so that you have some opportunity to return if it just isn’t going to work for you.

Good luck and let us know what you decide!