Hermès bag gang buys up half the supply

[cravin]

Has anyone heard from their SA regarding a temporary quota freeze and stricter policies being implemented more or less so because of this incident? Or is it just Canada? I haven’t seen anyone post about it but I’ve spoken to a few and it seems Canadian stores are currently being told to hold off on offering quotas for those who was previously offered last year. I mean with the pandemic I wasn’t l very optimistic about getting a bag this year anyways but being that its already hard in Canada and only 1 quota per year it’s disheartening hearing this so I was just curious if it’s a worldwide thing?

No discussion of changes to quota or anything of the like during our last visit. We could have purchased a bag had we wanted.

That being said, the wife brought in her new B30 into the boutique for the visit. Our SA was awesome as always "Looks perfect on you." "Please don't put a twilly on this one. Looks perfect as is." etc. But she did say "So glad you took off the plastic on the hardware. We've noticed more and more people walking around with the plastic on". It then went into the discussion of resellers. She brought up this article specifically about the FSH scheme. "If you no longer use a bag, definitely sell it as it's better than just wasting away in your closet" but she was well aware of people that were making appointments at the boutique to just flip a bag. It was about a 15 minute interesting conversation, but long story short, the SAs are watching more closely.

 

[litostar]

I don't think the quota has anything to do with the gang situation but basically it's about the lack of inventory in Canada in general. As well, they are being very judicious about virtual visits and payments. It's also a bit of overkill because Hermes knows many of their VVIPs internationally re-sell but they don't care as they spend so much money. It's really offputting for the rest of the clients IMO.

My SA did say it was their attempt to weed out resellers but again how is that even possible and whether it’s because of this recent incident I’m not sure. I have a friend in TO that’s never shopped in store before and now that everything’s virtual with the stores closed, they won’t even bother helping her because she doesn’t have an existing account so she can only wait until stores reopen. But Canada always getting the cold shoulder is no surprise but with its already low inventory I felt it’s unfair with the quota freeze and these new polices and rules if it’s not happening across the board. Sorry I really just wanted to rant. Thank you for everyone’s input, this is such a wonderful community!

 

[xray]

My SA did say it was their attempt to weed out resellers but again how is that even possible and whether it’s because of this recent incident I’m not sure. I have a friend in TO that’s never shopped in store before and now that everything’s virtual with the stores closed, they won’t even bother helping her because she doesn’t have an existing account so she can only wait until stores reopen. But Canada always getting the cold shoulder is no surprise but with its already low inventory I felt it’s unfair with the quota freeze and these new polices and rules if it’s not happening across the board. Sorry I really just wanted to rant. Thank you for everyone’s input, this is such a wonderful community!

They are being a little unreasonable. My SA told me that if my husband contacted her to buy something for me during the lockdown, she would be unable to sell it to him as he has no pre-existing account even though I've been her client for over 10 years ! Hermes has crazy rules.

 

[CMilly]

They are being a little unreasonable. My SA told me that if my husband contacted her to buy something for me during the lockdown, she would be unable to sell it to him as he has no pre-existing account even though I've been her client for over 10 years ! Hermes has crazy rules.

They are being strict. I know people who were told no bags are being sold via curbside pick up and until lockdown is over for in store sales. I don’t know if that’s actually true.

 

[perlerare]

I agree with those who said the whole thing was about crashing a money laundering/ tax evading organisation. H bags were only a vehicle of this organisation.
The big plus in picking that vehicle, is that there is no "criminal value" attached to the bag itself.
Criminal organisations tend to pick a vehicle that has less penal weight, if I may put it this way.


On the other hand, as far as I can recall, the conversation about H vs resellers has been going on.
The whole secondary market, would it be auction houses, reselling online platforms, consignment stores or online platforms, small registered businesses resellers, IG resellers etc, is extremely useful to H, so they know the true value and appeal of each of their products, and surf the wave accordingly.
What happens in the store, the policies, who they sell to and who they don't, all that is marketing choreography. You either dance or not. But they lead it. They do. From A to Z. Whoever you are (or pretend to be, in the gang's case)
In about 30 years, I have seen this beautiful house change so much. What has not changed is that dance you are invited to.

 

[ConsciFashion]

I am not against resellers at all, although buying up half the stock is quite different. As a scarf collector, I would never be able to grow my collection of people were not selling older scarves on eBay and other places (I buy new season scarves at the boutique only, of course).

I can, however, confidently say that I buy bags with 0 expectation of them holding their value / reselling them. In fact, I am more likely to think of the sterling silver tableware we inherited and bought over the years as ‘value’ than bags. It seems that bags are just too fragile — they are not gold bars. What if your pen leaks all over the bag? Your kid takes a permanent marker to it? Something terrible spills on it and stains it? I suppose if you have lots of them, then statistically speaking, you are likely to be able to access most of the value.

Not trying to argue with you at all, just sharing my perspective.

I think it depends on your income and wealth level. A lot of people buy the bags with the intention of keeping them in circulation of buying and selling. Sell a bag and buy a new one with the same money because they can't shell out beyond a certain amount but still want to be a part of that lifestyle. It's aspirational for them.

Versus for someone above a certain economic level this won't be the case. You'd be able to buy an Hermes bag as just a bag. For the person in the above example maybe they would be able to buy a Coach or Michael Kors bag as "just a bag." That's when the resale value really matters.

 

[xiaoxiao]

Interesting. A guy from a FB group I’m a part of had a post on his profile calling for women located in France to join his group to become buyers at H and he’d pay them for their time as well as front the cost of the bags. He was from HK. I should have taken a screenshot of it.

Oh my goodness say this isn’t so!!! No wonder I’ve been having such a hard time in the new country buying, even though I’ve been a customer (but not here) for almost 20 years! >_<

 

[Chapitre_Deux]

Interesting article about actors playing a part to obtain bags. For some reason reminded me of this article about a more successful actor presumably leveraging his fame to turn a side profit as well. All kinds of resellers.

'Fast and Furious' Badass Rick Yune -- I'm the REAL Victim in Hermes Purse Scam

The gun-toting, Vin Diesel-hating villain from "The Fast and The Furious" is now a major player in the dangerous world of women's fashion accessories ... and TMZ has learned he's now at the center of a lawsuit involving the most COVETED purse on the planet.

www.tmz.com

 

[PetitVoyageur]

Interesting article about actors playing a part to obtain bags. For some reason reminded me of this article about a more successful actor presumably leveraging his fame to turn a side profit as well. All kinds of resellers.

'Fast and Furious' Badass Rick Yune -- I'm the REAL Victim in Hermes Purse Scam

The gun-toting, Vin Diesel-hating villain from "The Fast and The Furious" is now a major player in the dangerous world of women's fashion accessories ... and TMZ has learned he's now at the center of a lawsuit involving the most COVETED purse on the planet.

www.tmz.com

You are absolutely right, I heard even some D list stars/celebrities are doing this job on the side at Faubourg, once a crocodile bag is obtained will be quickly flipped to resellers

 

[Mousy]

Le Parisien:

"False" buyers recruited from theater schools

It appears that the network was recruiting "mules" responsible for legally buying the bags in the 21 Hermès stores throughout France, and even in Europe. They were sometimes selected in theater schools or on social networks in order to give credibility to the image of wealthy customers and to defeat the vigilance of employees. So some small hands - mainly women - even wore Hermès clothes and recited scenarios to justify their interest in these highly prized luxury pieces: it could, for example, be a gift for a terminally ill loved one. 'cancer…

Because to become the happy owner of a Birkin or a Kelly, you have to show your white paw: make a good impression, register on the waiting list, explain your wish ... The demand is greater than the supply: each piece is unique and handcrafted by one of the 7000 Hermès artisans, without a sewing machine. It takes a week for them, all settled in France, to make a bag. These accessories sell on average between 7,000 and 8,000 euros each. Some models can reach astronomical prices - a Kelly bag in white crocodile skin has just been sold for 365,545 euros in Hong Kong.

According to investigations, these bogus clients for a day were paid up to 500 euros by the network to act and were constantly replaced. Nearly half of the bags sold in recent years by Hermès could have been acquired by "mules", despite the very great vigilance of the shops ... Some "false" customers have thus been "burned" by sellers, who then pretended no longer be able to place an order. Employees have themselves been approached by the network and, for some, dismissed by the house in case of doubt about their integrity.

It saddens me that people would participate in something like this. Up to a million a month profit tells me how much disregard all involved have for other, real customers. I am a real cancer fighter who has had a difficult time finding the Hermès bag on my bucket list. My prognosis isn’t great. My SA is wonderful- he checks inventory almost everyday for the bag I want. Knowing what I’ve been through ... what I’m going through, using cancer as their fake excuse sickens me. I think society is reaching a new low in so many areas. We, the legitimate customers, are paying the price for the criminals and unscrupulous actors.

 

[ODEDIHAIMS]

It saddens me that people would participate in something like this. Up to a million a month profit tells me how much disregard all involved have for other, real customers. I am a real cancer fighter who has had a difficult time finding the Hermès bag on my bucket list. My prognosis isn’t great. My SA is wonderful- he checks inventory almost everyday for the bag I want. Knowing what I’ve been through ... what I’m going through, using cancer as their fake excuse sickens me. I think society is reaching a new low in so many areas. We, the legitimate customers, are paying the price for the criminals and unscrupulous actors.

Could not agree with you more! I hope you get your dream bag and more importantly that you win your battle with cancer!

 

[Mousy]

Could not agree with you more! I hope you get your dream bag and more importantly that you win your battle with cancer!

Thank you! Thymic carcinoma is scary. I know this will probably read superficial, but I look at my Hermès (and M) bags and they put a smile on my face. I can’t travel right now, so I might as well admire something beautiful I purchased.
As for the article- I hope the perpetrators get the book thrown at them. And I hope Hermès learns to value the clientele who truly appreciate the workmanship and design of their bags- not just customers wearing the right outfit with a convincing attitude.

 

[Hermes Zen]

It saddens me that people would participate in something like this. Up to a million a month profit tells me how much disregard all involved have for other, real customers. I am a real cancer fighter who has had a difficult time finding the Hermès bag on my bucket list. My prognosis isn’t great. My SA is wonderful- he checks inventory almost everyday for the bag I want. Knowing what I’ve been through ... what I’m going through, using cancer as their fake excuse sickens me. I think society is reaching a new low in so many areas. We, the legitimate customers, are paying the price for the criminals and unscrupulous actors.

I couldn't agree with you more. I was saddened to read about your battle with cancer. My DH was diagnosed last month with an aggressive cancer so my heart goes out to you with love. Fight, fight, fight it. Apologies for going personal here. Hope you get great news soon. Health-wise and your dream bag.

 

[Mousy]

I couldn't agree with you more. I was saddened to read about your battle with cancer. My DH was diagnosed last month with an aggressive cancer so my heart goes out to you with love. Fight, fight, fight it. Apologies for going personal here. Hope you get great news soon. Health-wise and your dream bag.

My thoughts and well wishes go out to your hubby! And thank you!

 

[Perja]

It saddens me that people would participate in something like this. Up to a million a month profit tells me how much disregard all involved have for other, real customers. I am a real cancer fighter who has had a difficult time finding the Hermès bag on my bucket list. My prognosis isn’t great. My SA is wonderful- he checks inventory almost everyday for the bag I want. Knowing what I’ve been through ... what I’m going through, using cancer as their fake excuse sickens me. I think society is reaching a new low in so many areas. We, the legitimate customers, are paying the price for the criminals and unscrupulous actors.

I couldn't agree with you more. I was saddened to read about your battle with cancer. My DH was diagnosed last month with an aggressive cancer so my heart goes out to you with love. Fight, fight, fight it. Apologies for going personal here. Hope you get great news soon. Health-wise and your dream bag.

@Sourisbrune , @Hermes Zen , my heart goes out to both of you. Love and power for the fight(and pretty treasures to cheer up your days, H or otherwise!)

As for the perps, their sob stories and aggrandizing Robin Hood complex don’t hold up in court (it didn’t at the previous H trial in June and Sept, where some defendants were going through personal hardship but still were deemed guilty). They’ll their just desserts.