Hermes Return Policy (or: How to Curb Bad Behavior)

[jedimaster]

Jedi, agreed. As Rose100 phrased it, there's "H excitement at the store." These fora make the H excitement last longer. There's also so much encouragement to get the next "high."

I need to ponder your perfectionism question a bit... so many intertwined issues... it's the cachet of Hermes, the expense and the consensus that H quality is "the best", among other things.

There seem to be people who are obsessed with buying but are never satisfied with anything - they buy tons and tons of things and then return or sell everything. The sales people laugh about these people and call them "shopping bulimics" but they also recognize they need to have obsessed, addicted shoppers to make their numbers. Not all of these people are pigs of course - imbalanced, yes, but pigs, not always. It still creeps me out to get a returned bag from one of these folks, however. Maybe it didnt sit out on the lawn for blog pictures before being returned, but it gives me some pause to take a bag that someone else has had for a couple of weeks and allegedly didnt use. Maybe they did, maybe they didnt. My recent shopworn shawl experience made me more skeptical about what people do before they return something.

 

[umamanikam]

beaumonde ur pm is full ...i did warn u )))

 

[gracekelly]

That's really not good enough!

I refused a keychain because some of the print on the animals face had been scratched off only to go in a few days later and see it for sale....

Such a good point. That is one reason why I don't rush into the H sale. My general feeling is that since the merch is basically timeless, it must be damaged and/or dirty for H to put it on sale.

 

[gracekelly]

There seem to be people who are obsessed with buying but are never satisfied with anything - they buy tons and tons of things and then return or sell everything. The sales people laugh about these people and call them "shopping bulimics" but they also recognize they need to have obsessed, addicted shoppers to make their numbers. Not all of these people are pigs of course - imbalanced, yes, but pigs, not always. It still creeps me out to get a returned bag from one of these folks, however. Maybe it didnt sit out on the lawn for blog pictures before being returned, but it gives me some pause to take a bag that someone else has had for a couple of weeks and allegedly didnt use. Maybe they did, maybe they didnt. My recent shopworn shawl experience made me more skeptical about what people do before they return something.

When I was growing up there was a woman who lived across the street and my DM used to say that Mimi returned in the afternoon what she bought in the morning!

 

[jedimaster]

I don't get the point between makeing a reveal and return it...
Do you mean somebody goes to Hermes, spend 8K$, makes a reveal and than bring the bag back just to show it here??? Why somebody should do it? And why if you showed the bag here you shouldn't retourn it? Especially if the suggestions you got here helped you make up a decision...

I dont know that anyone ever buys a $8K for the express purpose of doing a reveal and return. However - per some of the comments on this thread -some people are addicted to the quick high of buying. Such folks often dont really like owning, may hate the item two seconds after they buy it, and end up returning etc. The wikipedia page on oniomania actually explains this in great detail. This is a real problem for such individuals, and I think it is irresponsible for such behavior to be encouraged on a blog, in a store, or otherwise.

 

[beaumonde]

@Gracekelly -- Do you think it's boredom or sickness?

@Jedimaster -- As to H in particular... I think so much of the Hermes oniomania is due to lack of full information in the marketplace and limited supply of goods. Say, for example, that there was a printed catalogue that arrived monthly (like those darn J Crew Ones) showing exactly what was available and you could, at a click of a button, order something and have it arrive the next day. Would the oniomaniacs buy everything in sight like they might do while at the boutique? I think not. Also, someone above suggested that there's an element of "I have something you don't have"... it's sad, but true.

 

[beaumonde]

I dont know that anyone ever buys a $8K for the express purpose of doing a reveal and return.

I wouldn't be surprised. There is a lot of "fawning". (Am guilty of it too, so it's not a criticism.)

 

[tibaka]

Are you seriously saying that this happens??!!!

I am totally with you. I do loathe the "show and tell" on tpf and then the bag gets returned.

I only want shrink-wrapped boxes, to be honest.

 

[umamanikam]

I feel its just an unhealthy competition ..saying I have more than you...or maybe some sort of rush you get when you do reveals and people applaud you ...who knows ???

 

[costa]

I think sometime people get bags from Hermes because they think they won't be offered another one soon or because they think this is the coloser to what they wanted. In this cases you might easely regret the buy.

But really, I have never seen a reveal of somebody that used the bag and retourned it.

Boumonde, please PM me if you don't mind, some of this examples.

 

[zoopla]

beaumonde: I'd love to see some examples as well. I must admit that I did reveal the Jypserie at 7 at night and returned it the next day at 10 am. I tried it on and kept it on my shoulder to see what the weight feels like over a period of time. But that is pretty much it. I haven't returned any of my Birkins.

 

[kipp]

]I think sometime people get bags from Hermes because they think they won't be offered another one soon or because they think this is the coloser to what they wanted. In this cases you might easely regret the buy[/B].

But really, I have never seen a reveal of somebody that used the bag and retourned it.

Boumonde, please PM me if you don't mind, some of this examples.

Well, ITA with this. The apparent "scarcity" of Birkins in particular, plus the Hermes shopping high can make for purchases that aren't well considered. I've always thought that this is why H can usually only be returned for store credit. Think about all the returns if cash or credit card refunds were given. I think the situation (with clearly used returns) would be a lot worse than it is now...

 

[gga]

I think sometime people get bags from Hermes because they think they won't be offered another one soon or because they think this is the coloser to what they wanted. In this cases you might easely regret the buy.

But really, I have never seen a reveal of somebody that used the bag and retourned it.

Boumonde, please PM me if you don't mind, some of this examples.

I've been around here off and on as a lurker or a member since April of 2006, and I've seen this happen a few times.

 

[zoopla]

The fact is far less than fair (or more, depending)

If you're the type of customer with at least a quarter million yearly spending, you literally can exchange bags bought more than 2 months ago

If you're the other type that shows up daily hoping to bump into a kelly or birkin, buy the cheapest bracelet or a twilly or gasp, a tie ONCE in a blue moon to make it looks you're a customer

THEN the return is under 10 days, or better less

What! No way!

 

[zoopla]

I wouldn't be surprised. There is a lot of "fawning". (Am guilty of it too, so it's not a criticism.)

I find this hard to believe. I love this forum to bits but really, it would be hard for me to imagine that someone needs this type of attention...