If it were your bag, what would you expect?

[Juilletdix]

I accidently got pen ink on a friend's baby blue Chanel flap bag (with the limited edition chain top handle from 2023). Of course we are both devastated and I assume the bag is ruined.

She is a dear friend so I want to make it right. I am not very familiar with Chanel though. First of all, what are my chances for sourcing this bag in new, not pre-owned condition? How would I go about that?

If I cannot procure a new bag, what would your suggest I offer her? Reimbursement for the bag she purchased? Tell her to get whatever she wants and I'll cover it? What would you want (expect) f you were in her shoes?

 

[Tina1010]

I think the best option for you both is to contact leather surgeons and offer to pay for the repair costs.

 

[Love Of My Life]

Pen ink is very challenging to remove. Where exactly is the ink?
There are several leather repair services that possibly can guide you & your friend to what realistically
expect.
Have you tried to reach any of them? Leather Surgeons has a good reputation & perhaps an image
can be sent.
There are several secondary resale sites where you might be able to replace the bag. It could
be a challenging hunt.
Fashionphile would be one & there should be a list of other resellers on tPF.. You can do a search
Have you discussed this in detail with your friend as to what she thinks would be the best solution here?
Reimbursement is certainly an option, has she had her eye on another bag that perhaps would work for
her?
Good luck & hope you can find a solution that will work for both of you

 

[onlyk]

I accidently got pen ink on a friend's baby blue Chanel flap bag (with the limited edition chain top handle from 2023). Of course we are both devastated and I assume the bag is ruined.

She is a dear friend so I want to make it right. I am not very familiar with Chanel though. First of all, what are my chances for sourcing this bag in new, not pre-owned condition? How would I go about that?

If I cannot procure a new bag, what would your suggest I offer her? Reimbursement for the bag she purchased? Tell her to get whatever she wants and I'll cover it? What would you want (expect) f you were in her shoes?

Depends on how deep and how big the pen mark is, also what type of leather. If lambskin and too deep and big mark and in the front of the bag then there is really not much can do, rather buy the bag out and sell it.

If it’s a new like new condition bag, I wouldn’t send it to anyone to touch up, it may further depreciate its value.

 

[MillStream]

@Tina1010 has offered a very good suggestion to you, @Juilletdix. If your dear friend's bag can be restored, that would go a very long way towards making things right. That said, your heart is in the right place. Even if leather surgeons can work their magic, if it were me I would also arrange a "celebration" lunch out and trip to Chanel and have your friend chose something to put inside that bag. Maybe a Chanel Mini O Case, Key Holder, iPhone case, etc. for her would make you both feel better.

 

[Swanky]

I’d definitely start with Leather Surgeons if I were either one of you.

 

[Juilletdix]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I do not think she is willing to even consider sending it to someone for repair restoration. The bag is basically new, I've only seen her carry it a few times.

The pen mark is a single horizontal line, about 3/4 inch long, but right on the front flap. (We were at dinner and I was passing my credit card slip and the waiter's pen back to him and the pen touched her bag).

After a sleepless night last night, I decided to go to the boutique today to see if they can find another bag and if not, I'll offer to pay her for the one I damaged. @MillStream thank you for the suggestion of something extra!

 

[Swanky]

Ah that's too bad. if my bestie did this to my bag I'd FOR SURE want us to try and have it cleaned before replacing!

 

[Tina1010]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I do not think she is willing to even consider sending it to someone for repair restoration. The bag is basically new, I've only seen her carry it a few times.

The pen mark is a single horizontal line, about 3/4 inch long, but right on the front flap. (We were at dinner and I was passing my credit card slip and the waiter's pen back to him and the pen touched her bag).

After a sleepless night last night, I decided to go to the boutique today to see if they can find another bag and if not, I'll offer to pay her for the one I damaged. @MillStream thank you for the suggestion of something extra!

It's damaged anyway, so why not restore it? What else would she do with the bag with the pen mark on it? Accidents happen, but at the end of the day I'm responsible for my personal belongings and if a friend damaged my very expensive handbag I don't think I would expect them to be able to replace it for me at the very hefty price tag, unless of course money comes easy to them. It's relative to your finances and personal situations in my opinion. If it was a restaurants fault, maybe I'd try to get my money back but no I wouldn't have the same expectation from a friend. This just made me think of times I've had guests over and had damages to furniture, carpets, etc for various reasons. No one has ever offered to pay for replacement. I think you're being very generous but if you can easily afford it, go for it.

 

[lill_canele]

Agree with @Swanky and @Tina1010 , if my bestie did it to my chanel bag, first thing I think of is repair/restoration.

I would be a little hesitant on having a close friend pay for the full cost of the bag unless he or she insisted on it. (I have no besties, just close and very close friends)
It was an accident and from your description, it's not a huge streak. (though I know it is very visible).
I say this with caution because, most of my friends are not as financially fortunate as I am and even for my very close friends, most of them do not buy luxury and are not willing to spend that kind of money. So even if I wanted them to pay for the full cost of the bag, I think that would be a black spot on our relationship.
I can probably only think of 1 very close friend and 1 close friend who would pay for the bag at the drop of the hat, no questions asked.

That's why I think considering a repair/restoration would be a good compromise, and if it can't be 100% fixed, then just owe me dinner and call it a day. I'm sure down the road, it would become a funny story, and I would know that my chanel bag is the one with the pen mark.

But of course, this is your relationship with your bestie. And it depends on what she wants and how you guys communicate with each other. All the best!

 

[Love Of My Life]

@Juilletdix, reach out to Leather Surgeons with your friends approval first so at least you & your friend will have
a good idea of what expectations are about the bag.
Then go from there.
It was an accident & sure that you feel terrible about it as well as your friend.
If your friend decides to give Leather Surgeons a shot, of course you should offer to pay for the cost
But I think that the two of you need to have a conversation.. This is not something that should ruin
a friendship but if not handled in a sensitive way, it could be uncomfortable
I also like the idea that @Tina1010 suggested, take your friend out for a special afternoon &
casually walk into her "favorite store" & just treat her to something spontaneously
Hoping that this all works out for you both.. at the end of the day it is a bag & am not dismissing
that in a matter of fact manner, but would seem to me the friendship is much more important!
& there are potential solutions

 

[Juilletdix]

Ok, so I was first in line at the Chanel boutique this morning (kidding, there was no line) and it was actually my first time in the store. The SA who helped me could not have been nicer! She was able to locate a replacement, so I immediately called my friend and offered to replace the bag on the spot.

Yes, it is a ton of money. I personally wouldn't spend that much on a bag, but I can afford to replace this without too much pain and I would definitely feel 1000x better if I did. I think my friend is being extraordinarily gracious about not accepting and I hope she changes her mind.

Similar to what some of you said, if it were you, she asked for some time to think it over. The SA also suggested the Leather Surgeons, so I have reached out to them for an opinion/quote.

My friend did say that if I replaced the bag, she would give me the damaged one to try and repair and then sell.
Here are some photos of the damage, in case anyone has an opinion on how bad this is:

 

[880]

Ok, so I was first in line at the Chanel boutique this morning (kidding, there was no line) and it was actually my first time in the store. The SA who helped me could not have been nicer! She was able to locate a replacement, so I immediately called my friend and offered to replace the bag on the spot.

Yes, it is a ton of money. I personally wouldn't spend that much on a bag, but I can afford to replace this without too much pain and I would definitely feel 1000x better if I did. I think my friend is being extraordinarily gracious about not accepting and I hope she changes her mind.

Similar to what some of you said, if it were you, she asked for some time to think it over. The SA also suggested the Leather Surgeons, so I have reached out to them for an opinion/quote.

My friend did say that if I replaced the bag, she would give me the damaged one to try and repair and then sell.
Here are some photos of the damage, in case anyone has an opinion on how bad this is:

This offer is so kind and generous of you. And, Like your friend, I would not accept a replacement due to innocent accident by someone dear to me. But, I would be very touched and grateful for the sincere offer.

If it had been my bag, even brand new, I agree with @Swanky and @lill_canele, that my first instinct would have been to simply contact a trusted third party professional restorer. At the very least, that is what I would do as a starting point.

That being said, with pen marks, time is of the essence, so if either of you would like to try restoration on the original bag, I would do so ASAP. I believe chanel sends their repairs out to leather surgeons, but there are a few other places too.

I wish both you and your friend the best of luck.

ETA: whenever a waiter approaches my table for any reason, I tend to push my bag FAR far out of reach… (curry on my craie epsom Della cav; wine; even water) I am so very sorry that you and your friend had to experience this the hard way.

 

[onlyk]

Ok, so I was first in line at the Chanel boutique this morning (kidding, there was no line) and it was actually my first time in the store. The SA who helped me could not have been nicer! She was able to locate a replacement, so I immediately called my friend and offered to replace the bag on the spot.

Yes, it is a ton of money. I personally wouldn't spend that much on a bag, but I can afford to replace this without too much pain and I would definitely feel 1000x better if I did. I think my friend is being extraordinarily gracious about not accepting and I hope she changes her mind.

Similar to what some of you said, if it were you, she asked for some time to think it over. The SA also suggested the Leather Surgeons, so I have reached out to them for an opinion/quote.

My friend did say that if I replaced the bag, she would give me the damaged one to try and repair and then sell.
Here are some photos of the damage, in case anyone has an opinion on how bad this is:

Luckily it’s not lambskin, so it is possible to take the pen mark out without damaging it.

 

[Love Of My Life]

Ok, so I was first in line at the Chanel boutique this morning (kidding, there was no line) and it was actually my first time in the store. The SA who helped me could not have been nicer! She was able to locate a replacement, so I immediately called my friend and offered to replace the bag on the spot.

Yes, it is a ton of money. I personally wouldn't spend that much on a bag, but I can afford to replace this without too much pain and I would definitely feel 1000x better if I did. I think my friend is being extraordinarily gracious about not accepting and I hope she changes her mind.

Similar to what some of you said, if it were you, she asked for some time to think it over. The SA also suggested the Leather Surgeons, so I have reached out to them for an opinion/quote.

My friend did say that if I replaced the bag, she would give me the damaged one to try and repair and then sell.
Here are some photos of the damage, in case anyone has an opinion on how bad this is:

Have you submitted this image to see what Leather Surgeons can do? Will the repair be visible
once the ink has been removed.
Whether your friend accepts your offer, you are most generous to want to replace the bag
that "speaks in itself" & whatever she decides, hopefully you will just take her out as a friend
& enjoy your afternoon together & perhaps consider treating her to something unexpected.
It's likely not necessary as it sounds like the two of you have a special friendship but think doing
this will help you feel better about how this has all been handled.