How I got my first VCA bracelet

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#16
allanrvj said:
When I woke up, I was a little upset. I thought, I’m not even after a Birkin. It’s not that rare. It’s only a bracelet and sometimes it’s available to be bought on the website. I then had the impulse to check the website.
Naturally it showed the website in French since I’m in France and I gasped when I saw the Add to Cart button on the page of the blue agate bracelet. So I decided to come back at Place Vendôme and since it’s the mothership, I had assumed they would be able pull out from their online inventory and sell it to me.

So I went back, this time to the other half of the Place Vendôme store and proceeded to be assigned a male Asian SA. I told him what I was looking for. He led me upstairs, and while walking asked me where I’m from. I said I’m originally from the Philippines but I’ve been living in Denmark for many years now.

He told me to wait by his desk while he gets me my drink (I chose water) and my bracelet.

“I’m sorry, sir,” he said when he came back. “It seems like we are sold out of the blue agate bracelet.”

“But I saw that it’s available at your website,” I said, showing him my phone screen that said “Ajouter au panier” button below the picture of the bracelet. “Can I buy this right now and pick it up here on Monday when you open?”

“Sorry, sir, that’s not enough for time to do that.” He hesitated for a bit and said, “let me make some calls.”

With every call he made he updated me. “Just a moment, sir.” “I’m going to try another one. Please be patient, sir.”

At one point I heard him say “xiexie” so I asked if he’s Chinese. “Taiwanese,” he corrected me. “And you’re from the Philippines so we’re just neighbors.”

After what seemed to me like a lot of phone calls, he said, “I think we are getting lucky. Please be patient, sir.” He waited until his phone rang, and when he hung up, he told me, “wait for me here.”

He emerged from the back door carrying the jewelry tray just below his chest. I was seated so I couldn’t see what’s on it. When he was in front of me he said, grinning, “are you ready?”

When I said yes he set the jewelry tray on the table, and I saw the most perfect shade of blue for my agate bracelet, not too light, not too dark. Like a Goldilocks blue.
“It’s so pretty,” I said. He asked if I wanted to try it on and of course I said yes.

View attachment 5669355

At this point I thought the worst was over and I could happily go back to my hotel after paying. But no, when I tried to pay for the bracelet, all my cards keep getting declined.

I thought of three things:

  1. This can’t be happening
  2. I have enough money in my bank account to cover the bracelet (I use direct debit)
  3. I have paid for way more expensive things at Hermès and my card didn’t get declined

I kept apologizing profusely for the SA’s inconvenience, and also I was deeply embarrassed after asking him to try many times and with various amounts.


I ended up calling my bank. And I kept on getting disconnected because signal was weak from where I was seated, so I stood beside the window of the store and tried calling again. Whatever luxury I felt while doing this purchase has been thrown out the window.


I thought, now I’m like those customers I see near the cashier at Hermès FSH, frantically calling their banks, sometimes crying, because their cards have problems.

My bank’s customer service explained to me that since I’m outside Denmark, a cap is placed on my cards to prevent fraud, and so they assisted me in how to split the bill for each card so that my payment goes through. To be fair to me, this is my first time to spend this big in another country. I may have spent more at Hermès but that was still done at home.

I asked the SA to process my payment one last time, giving him the same instructions the bank gave me. At last it went through and I breathed an audible sigh of relief.

“This is important to me,” I told him. “It’s my gift to myself. I just became a citizen of Denmark last September after living there for so many years. I did it all on my own. This bracelet is to celebrate that occasion. And I came here in Paris just for this bracelet. There’s no Van Cleef and Arpels store in Denmark and I wanted to see it in real life before buying it.”

View attachment 5669357
(The Danish citizenship ceremony last September)

“Congratulations,” he said. “What a great way to treat yourself.” I asked him if he’s a French citizen. “Of course,” he said. “I’ve been living here for 22 years.”

He mentioned that sales of blue agate bracelet has skyrocketed for the past six months, and he doesn’t know why. I said it’s probably because of Queen Camilla; she has the exact same bracelet. He agreed that the UK royal family is fond of his employer’s creations, and that customers would often come to the store wanting the set Kate Middleton has.

“They want the set. Always the set,” he said.

My bracelet got the original packaging so I didn’t even have opportunity to discuss about their recent decision of doing away with the velvet boxes.


View attachment 5669359


“Would you like to wear it now?” he asked. It didn’t even occur to me to do that but I’m glad he suggested. “Yes please. Thank you,” I said. Later on, when I got back to my hotel, I would learn that it takes a bit of time to put the bracelet on my own.

He carried the rest of my stuff while leading me back downstairs to the entrance. I thanked him profusely for being patient with me. He thanked me in return.

When I got out it was already dark. Since it’s winter, sun has set an hour ago and Christmas lights were already turned on at Place Vendôme, although the VCA store will still be open for two more hours.

View attachment 5669361

What a fun way to spend a Saturday in Paris, I thought. And what did I learn from this experience, I asked myself.

“How much do you trust the universe?” I remember Abraham Hicks saying. “How much do you know that it has your back? How much do you know that things are always working out for you? Because they do. Things are always working out for you.”

View attachment 5669362


And that’s the story of how I got my first VCA bracelet at Place Vendôme in Paris.
Click to expand...
thanks for sharing the great story, and big congratulation to your first piece, perfect blue agate. And...I have heard it's extremely hard to get Danish citizenship, congratulation there too! Too bad, Denmark has no VCA store.
 
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#17
Thank you for sharing your story. I am so happy that you got the blue agate...as I was reading your story, I could really feel the disappointment (when it wasn't available) and stress (when the payment was declined). But I am glad everything worked out so perfectly. Congrats on your citizenship and getting your bracelet. May both bring you loads of happiness.
 
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#19
I am glad it all ended up well for you, and they included the original packaging, but the VCA experience certainly is starting to not meet my expectations. I too queued at that store last month because my SA was off, but it took too long so I went off and had a nice dinner with DH. Congrats on obtaining both the citizenship and the bracelet. Wear it in the best of health!
 
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#21
Congratulations! Props to the SA who went out of his way for you to get that bracelet. And props to you for your amazing patience and persistence!
I would have been like, oh you don't have it, okay then, next time! :P

I'm glad you got the original packaging. I'm a little sad that they're doing away with that.

Congratulations on your citizenship! And don't worry too much about card declines. Happens all the time, even when the purchase isn't that large.

Enjoy your lovely bracelet! :heart::tup:
 
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#22
Congratulations...what a story! And happy to hear the SA came through for you in the end, which will make the experience more meaningful. And of course, congratulations on your citizenship!!!!
 
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#26
Can I just say it’s been awhile since I read something truly remarkable for a long long time on tpf. Remember back in the days back at H we used to read this amazing story of reveals from this lady? I forgot her name but I still saved the thread somewhere… anyway, your beautiful post reminded me of her. And that thread (I’m sure you know which one I’m talking about!!!). Congratulations my dear @allanrvj, a fellow OG!!! I hope to read more of your adventures in the future! :clap: wear it in GREAT health.

allanrvj said:
When I woke up, I was a little upset. I thought, I’m not even after a Birkin. It’s not that rare. It’s only a bracelet and sometimes it’s available to be bought on the website. I then had the impulse to check the website.
Naturally it showed the website in French since I’m in France and I gasped when I saw the Add to Cart button on the page of the blue agate bracelet. So I decided to come back at Place Vendôme and since it’s the mothership, I had assumed they would be able pull out from their online inventory and sell it to me.

So I went back, this time to the other half of the Place Vendôme store and proceeded to be assigned a male Asian SA. I told him what I was looking for. He led me upstairs, and while walking asked me where I’m from. I said I’m originally from the Philippines but I’ve been living in Denmark for many years now.

He told me to wait by his desk while he gets me my drink (I chose water) and my bracelet.

“I’m sorry, sir,” he said when he came back. “It seems like we are sold out of the blue agate bracelet.”

“But I saw that it’s available at your website,” I said, showing him my phone screen that said “Ajouter au panier” button below the picture of the bracelet. “Can I buy this right now and pick it up here on Monday when you open?”

“Sorry, sir, that’s not enough for time to do that.” He hesitated for a bit and said, “let me make some calls.”

With every call he made he updated me. “Just a moment, sir.” “I’m going to try another one. Please be patient, sir.”

At one point I heard him say “xiexie” so I asked if he’s Chinese. “Taiwanese,” he corrected me. “And you’re from the Philippines so we’re just neighbors.”

After what seemed to me like a lot of phone calls, he said, “I think we are getting lucky. Please be patient, sir.” He waited until his phone rang, and when he hung up, he told me, “wait for me here.”

He emerged from the back door carrying the jewelry tray just below his chest. I was seated so I couldn’t see what’s on it. When he was in front of me he said, grinning, “are you ready?”

When I said yes he set the jewelry tray on the table, and I saw the most perfect shade of blue for my agate bracelet, not too light, not too dark. Like a Goldilocks blue.
“It’s so pretty,” I said. He asked if I wanted to try it on and of course I said yes.

View attachment 5669355

At this point I thought the worst was over and I could happily go back to my hotel after paying. But no, when I tried to pay for the bracelet, all my cards keep getting declined.

I thought of three things:

  1. This can’t be happening
  2. I have enough money in my bank account to cover the bracelet (I use direct debit)
  3. I have paid for way more expensive things at Hermès and my card didn’t get declined

I kept apologizing profusely for the SA’s inconvenience, and also I was deeply embarrassed after asking him to try many times and with various amounts.


I ended up calling my bank. And I kept on getting disconnected because signal was weak from where I was seated, so I stood beside the window of the store and tried calling again. Whatever luxury I felt while doing this purchase has been thrown out the window.


I thought, now I’m like those customers I see near the cashier at Hermès FSH, frantically calling their banks, sometimes crying, because their cards have problems.

My bank’s customer service explained to me that since I’m outside Denmark, a cap is placed on my cards to prevent fraud, and so they assisted me in how to split the bill for each card so that my payment goes through. To be fair to me, this is my first time to spend this big in another country. I may have spent more at Hermès but that was still done at home.

I asked the SA to process my payment one last time, giving him the same instructions the bank gave me. At last it went through and I breathed an audible sigh of relief.

“This is important to me,” I told him. “It’s my gift to myself. I just became a citizen of Denmark last September after living there for so many years. I did it all on my own. This bracelet is to celebrate that occasion. And I came here in Paris just for this bracelet. There’s no Van Cleef and Arpels store in Denmark and I wanted to see it in real life before buying it.”

View attachment 5669357
(The Danish citizenship ceremony last September)

“Congratulations,” he said. “What a great way to treat yourself.” I asked him if he’s a French citizen. “Of course,” he said. “I’ve been living here for 22 years.”

He mentioned that sales of blue agate bracelet has skyrocketed for the past six months, and he doesn’t know why. I said it’s probably because of Queen Camilla; she has the exact same bracelet. He agreed that the UK royal family is fond of his employer’s creations, and that customers would often come to the store wanting the set Kate Middleton has.

“They want the set. Always the set,” he said.

My bracelet got the original packaging so I didn’t even have opportunity to discuss about their recent decision of doing away with the velvet boxes.


View attachment 5669359


“Would you like to wear it now?” he asked. It didn’t even occur to me to do that but I’m glad he suggested. “Yes please. Thank you,” I said. Later on, when I got back to my hotel, I would learn that it takes a bit of time to put the bracelet on my own.

He carried the rest of my stuff while leading me back downstairs to the entrance. I thanked him profusely for being patient with me. He thanked me in return.

When I got out it was already dark. Since it’s winter, sun has set an hour ago and Christmas lights were already turned on at Place Vendôme, although the VCA store will still be open for two more hours.

View attachment 5669361

What a fun way to spend a Saturday in Paris, I thought. And what did I learn from this experience, I asked myself.

“How much do you trust the universe?” I remember Abraham Hicks saying. “How much do you know that it has your back? How much do you know that things are always working out for you? Because they do. Things are always working out for you.”

View attachment 5669362


And that’s the story of how I got my first VCA bracelet at Place Vendôme in Paris.
Click to expand...
 
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#27
What an amazing story to share and congrats on your citizenship! The blue agate looks awesome on you, glad the SA was able to pull some strings and help you secure the highly coveted piece. When I was there last month they were also out of stock with anything blue agate. Thank goodness you got the original packaging for your very first VCA jewelry, it makes it so much more special :love:
 
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#28
xiaoxiao said:
Can I just say it’s been awhile since I read something truly remarkable for a long long time on tpf. Remember back in the days back at H we used to read this amazing story of reveals from this lady? I forgot her name but I still saved the thread somewhere… anyway, your beautiful post reminded me of her. And that thread (I’m sure you know which one I’m talking about!!!). Congratulations my dear @allanrvj, a fellow OG!!! I hope to read more of your adventures in the future! :clap: wear it in GREAT health.
Click to expand...
Girl! I didn't know you also hang out in this subforum (and also into VCA)! :heart:

I'm not sure I remember. Maybe it was @gina_b and her long-running reveal thread about Paris, her H bags, and her lover (?). It was on its tail end when I joined the H subforum so it didn't really register with me. I only read like half of the thread (it had a lot of pages because of the number of comments between her postings) but I remember thinking she had a knack for telling stories.

Thanks for your support, fellow OG :biggrin:
 
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#29
Congrats on getting your bracelet and also your Danish citizenship!! The blue agate bracelet is also my first piece and while reading your story, I was quite anxious for you! I think it was @tenshix who advised me to use washi tape in between the last 2 motifs while putting on my bracelet and that has helped me a lot in putting it on :D
 
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#30
allanrvj said:
I was going to put this in the purchases thread but since it got very long while I was typing it, I decided to make it a separate thread.

View attachment 5669348

I went first thing in the morning, a few minutes after they opened and already saw a line. The first on the line was a middle-aged Danish couple, and then the next one is a French mom with her teenage daughter, and then me. “There’s a line for expensive jewelry?” I asked the mom. “Apparently!” she replied, laughing.

When it was my turn to enter, I asked the doorman, “so what’s the difference between this store and the next?”

“This one’s for high jewelry and the other one is for the other collections,” he said. I told him I’m not buying high jewelry so should probably go to the other store.

View attachment 5669353
(The high jewelry department)

“No it’s okay you can also buy from here.”

Entering the Place Vendôme store is like passing through airport security. When I passed the first door, a guy inside motioned me to wait before they opened the second door. There were at least 3 people staring at me while I waited: a male SA, the female receptionist holding an iPad, and the security guy. Everyone is dressed mostly in black. After about 10 seconds, I was finally let in.

When I entered the very quiet store, everyone spoke in hushed tones as if things were solemn. The receptionist asked me if I had an appointment. I said I didn’t, so I was lead to this Asian SA right by the door. She looked very kind, asked me how I was, motioned me to sit down. I sat down by her desk and told her I was looking for a Vintage Alhambra bracelet in blue agate.

“I don’t think we have it. Let me check.” She typed on her computer. She looked up stuff on her iPhone. “I’m going to ask my colleagues,” she told me. And then proceeded to make phone calls. A lot of phone calls.

I can only understand a little bit of French so all I could pick up was “hey, it’s me” and “Alhambra blue”. After a few minutes she said to me: it’s out of stock.

“You mean like this store or?”

“All stores here in Paris. I asked around. We don’t have the blue at the moment. How long are you staying in Paris?”

I said I’m here until Monday noon. I asked her if there would be new stock by then. She didn’t think so. She said sorry as if it was her fault. I thanked her and left.

I didn’t believe her so I walked over to Galleries Lafayette to check out the VCA store there. Again, there was a line in front. I waited for about 10 mins. When I was finally let in I went straight to the point as if I can’t waste more time.

“Hi I’m looking for a vintage Alhambra blue agate bracelet,” I told the Asian SA who was assigned to me.

“We don’t have it,” she said, immediately turning her back towards me and started walking away. I thought, wow that was unnecessarily rude. I looked to the receptionist and saw that she looked surprised. But apparently the SA just went to check the inventory at the back of the counter. She walked back to me and said, “we only have black, yellow, and red. No blue.”

I said thanks and left.

So I thought, I went all the way to Paris to get my first VCA piece and will go home empty handed. This must be what it feels like for all those tourists who purposely go to Paris to try their luck on geting a Birkin, only to get nothing in the end.

I had lunch and tea at Ogata (I highly recommend this place), and went back to my hotel to take a nap.
Click to expand...
allanrvj said:
When I woke up, I was a little upset. I thought, I’m not even after a Birkin. It’s not that rare. It’s only a bracelet and sometimes it’s available to be bought on the website. I then had the impulse to check the website.
Naturally it showed the website in French since I’m in France and I gasped when I saw the Add to Cart button on the page of the blue agate bracelet. So I decided to come back at Place Vendôme and since it’s the mothership, I had assumed they would be able pull out from their online inventory and sell it to me.

So I went back, this time to the other half of the Place Vendôme store and proceeded to be assigned a male Asian SA. I told him what I was looking for. He led me upstairs, and while walking asked me where I’m from. I said I’m originally from the Philippines but I’ve been living in Denmark for many years now.

He told me to wait by his desk while he gets me my drink (I chose water) and my bracelet.

“I’m sorry, sir,” he said when he came back. “It seems like we are sold out of the blue agate bracelet.”

“But I saw that it’s available at your website,” I said, showing him my phone screen that said “Ajouter au panier” button below the picture of the bracelet. “Can I buy this right now and pick it up here on Monday when you open?”

“Sorry, sir, that’s not enough for time to do that.” He hesitated for a bit and said, “let me make some calls.”

With every call he made he updated me. “Just a moment, sir.” “I’m going to try another one. Please be patient, sir.”

At one point I heard him say “xiexie” so I asked if he’s Chinese. “Taiwanese,” he corrected me. “And you’re from the Philippines so we’re just neighbors.”

After what seemed to me like a lot of phone calls, he said, “I think we are getting lucky. Please be patient, sir.” He waited until his phone rang, and when he hung up, he told me, “wait for me here.”

He emerged from the back door carrying the jewelry tray just below his chest. I was seated so I couldn’t see what’s on it. When he was in front of me he said, grinning, “are you ready?”

When I said yes he set the jewelry tray on the table, and I saw the most perfect shade of blue for my agate bracelet, not too light, not too dark. Like a Goldilocks blue.
“It’s so pretty,” I said. He asked if I wanted to try it on and of course I said yes.

View attachment 5669355

At this point I thought the worst was over and I could happily go back to my hotel after paying. But no, when I tried to pay for the bracelet, all my cards keep getting declined.

I thought of three things:

  1. This can’t be happening
  2. I have enough money in my bank account to cover the bracelet (I use direct debit)
  3. I have paid for way more expensive things at Hermès and my card didn’t get declined

I kept apologizing profusely for the SA’s inconvenience, and also I was deeply embarrassed after asking him to try many times and with various amounts.


I ended up calling my bank. And I kept on getting disconnected because signal was weak from where I was seated, so I stood beside the window of the store and tried calling again. Whatever luxury I felt while doing this purchase has been thrown out the window.


I thought, now I’m like those customers I see near the cashier at Hermès FSH, frantically calling their banks, sometimes crying, because their cards have problems.

My bank’s customer service explained to me that since I’m outside Denmark, a cap is placed on my cards to prevent fraud, and so they assisted me in how to split the bill for each card so that my payment goes through. To be fair to me, this is my first time to spend this big in another country. I may have spent more at Hermès but that was still done at home.

I asked the SA to process my payment one last time, giving him the same instructions the bank gave me. At last it went through and I breathed an audible sigh of relief.

“This is important to me,” I told him. “It’s my gift to myself. I just became a citizen of Denmark last September after living there for so many years. I did it all on my own. This bracelet is to celebrate that occasion. And I came here in Paris just for this bracelet. There’s no Van Cleef and Arpels store in Denmark and I wanted to see it in real life before buying it.”

View attachment 5669357
(The Danish citizenship ceremony last September)

“Congratulations,” he said. “What a great way to treat yourself.” I asked him if he’s a French citizen. “Of course,” he said. “I’ve been living here for 22 years.”

He mentioned that sales of blue agate bracelet has skyrocketed for the past six months, and he doesn’t know why. I said it’s probably because of Queen Camilla; she has the exact same bracelet. He agreed that the UK royal family is fond of his employer’s creations, and that customers would often come to the store wanting the set Kate Middleton has.

“They want the set. Always the set,” he said.

My bracelet got the original packaging so I didn’t even have opportunity to discuss about their recent decision of doing away with the velvet boxes.


View attachment 5669359


“Would you like to wear it now?” he asked. It didn’t even occur to me to do that but I’m glad he suggested. “Yes please. Thank you,” I said. Later on, when I got back to my hotel, I would learn that it takes a bit of time to put the bracelet on my own.

He carried the rest of my stuff while leading me back downstairs to the entrance. I thanked him profusely for being patient with me. He thanked me in return.

When I got out it was already dark. Since it’s winter, sun has set an hour ago and Christmas lights were already turned on at Place Vendôme, although the VCA store will still be open for two more hours.

View attachment 5669361

What a fun way to spend a Saturday in Paris, I thought. And what did I learn from this experience, I asked myself.

“How much do you trust the universe?” I remember Abraham Hicks saying. “How much do you know that it has your back? How much do you know that things are always working out for you? Because they do. Things are always working out for you.”

View attachment 5669362


And that’s the story of how I got my first VCA bracelet at Place Vendôme in Paris.
Click to expand...

I am thrilled for you!!! Congrats for your purchase after all the dramas and congrats for your citizenship! It all worths it when you see the clovers laying beautifully on your wrist, isn’t it? So eventually you got a blue! When will be your malachite? :biggrin:

Not being superstitious but I really think my alhambras bring me luck. Well at least I am happy everytime when I look at my wrist. I got a sweet carnelian for everyday wear and it makes me really happy!

Wear your Alhambra IGH :tup:
 
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