Joseph Duclos Thread

[Love Of My Life]

I just want to point out that this one issue has completely dominated this thread since July.

Personally I have had great experiences dealing with JD and view this episode as not typical.

Likely many of his clients have not had this issue, but in spite of that, offer a reasonable explanation
where @YGR doesn't feel that she is getting stonewalled.
The best of the best make mistakes, but the right thing is to be as professional about it as one
can & to keep good will which this case is not example of , JMO

 

[YGR]

I just want to point out that this one issue has completely dominated this thread since July.

Personally I have had great experiences dealing with JD and view this episode as not typical.

I also had a great experience with JD prior to this situation. That is why i'm very surprised with how JD is handling it.

 

[textilegirl]

I just want to point out that this one issue has completely dominated this thread since July.

Personally I have had great experiences dealing with JD and view this episode as not typical.

I agree @bagnut, and have been thinking about those clients who've had successful experiences with Duclos. To a large extent, what matters is the bag in front of you, and for many, the bag is a beautiful, Ramesh Nair-designed, often heritage leather treasure, that hopefully will bring joy to the owner for years to come. But for those of us who've had this brand on the radar for consideration, the way this matter has been handled is so far from the norm of responsible enterprise ownership, never mind any sort of luxury shopping considerations, that it is simply astonishing. I get better service from Amazon.

 

[ParisBound]

I just want to point out that this one issue has completely dominated this thread since July.

Personally I have had great experiences dealing with JD and view this episode as not typical.

To me the issue is why has that amazing customer service changed? What is going on with them today that wasn't in the past? This should have been dealt with by now to some level of satisfaction.

 

[bagnut1]

To me the issue is why has that amazing customer service changed? What is going on with them today that wasn't in the past? This should have been dealt with by now to some level of satisfaction.

I won’t call into question a member’s account of what happened and JD seems to be steadfastly holding the line on their position. So we have two conflicting accounts and the parties seem to be at an impasse. It sounds to me like all efforts to provide help to YGR on this forum have not produced results.

(Perhaps it’s worth noting that JD now uses Shop to handle its checkout - it doesn’t sound like that was the case at the time of the purchase so maybe these are related?)

Whatever the case, I think we are beating a dead horse here.

 

[Love Of My Life]

I won’t call into question a member’s account of what happened and JD seems to be steadfastly holding the line on their position. So we have two conflicting accounts and the parties seem to be at an impasse. It sounds to me like all efforts to provide help to YGR on this forum have not produced results.

(Perhaps it’s worth noting that JD now uses Shop to handle its checkout - it doesn’t sound like that was the case at the time of the purchase so maybe these are related?)

Whatever the case, I think we are beating a dead horse here.

The question remains if the state sales tax was paid by Duclos why would it not reflect in the state of CA?
The state is requesting a seller permit # which should be a simple question to answer from JD but this
information is not reflecting in the database of the state. SO that tax is still due (which YGR did pay)
Going forward if JD is using SHOP to handle its checkout that's fine, but we are going back to 2023
where JD says on their website "all taxes & duty are collected at the time of payment".
Not sure that @YGR is ready to give in, but that is her call & hopefully in due time she can update us .

 

[Love Of My Life]

It's astounding to me that the company would not just refund the sales tax amount to the customer at this point so that she can pay the state directly. It is not that much money relative to the cost of any of their bags; at this point, the reputational costs far outweigh the amount they owe this customer.
I will say that the difference in customer service culture was evident to me when I had an issue with my Fontelie, as well.
A fastener on the side of the bag broke within a few days of my owning it and I had to send it back for repair. A US-based company in that situation very well may have just replaced the entire bag given it was so new when the defect surfaced; JD instead made me wait while they repaired it. They sent me a perfume as a gift in apology for the wait, which was a nice gesture, but I didn't want a perfume - I wanted a functional bag that I'd paid thousands of dollars for!

This whole business with @YGR is quite upsetting. I'm now wondering if my own state will come back to me asking for state taxes (which are incidentally quite high!) even though I thought everything was taken care of by JD.
The situation is so distasteful that it's also adversely affecting my enthusiasm for the bag I bought. UGH!

These 2 comments are very different from what your experience was @bagnut1 with Joseph Duclos & in their own way they speak for the client service coming from JD
Not sure anyone is disputing the quality or design of their bags, just how they have handled
certain situations.. You were fortunate you haven't had any issue to date & hopefully you won't, so
enjoy your bag

 

[BalletDream]

The question remains if the state sales tax was paid by Duclos why would it not reflect in the state of CA?
The state is requesting a seller permit # which should be a simple question to answer from JD but this
information is not reflecting in the database of the state. SO that tax is still due (which YGR did pay)
Going forward if JD is using SHOP to handle its checkout that's fine, but we are going back to 2023
where JD says on their website "all taxes & duty are collected at the time of payment".
Not sure that @YGR is ready to give in, but that is her call & hopefully in due time she can update us .

We need to be aware that sometimes we have to pay additional fees on top of these ones (duties and sale tax). Importing goods into the USA can be tricky (specially above $2,500) and there are additional fees that could show up later. It’s very complicated so maybe hiring a specialist can help. Even if you pay sale taxes and duties, the costumer might need to pay additional fees, it sucks but it happens. Sometimes you can get charged for storage fees (from when they held a package until it cleared costumes) etc etc. Maybe JD is trying to see exactly were the money went before they reply.

 

[kipp]

We need to be aware that sometimes we have to pay additional fees on top of these ones (duties annd sale tax). Importing goods into the USA can be tricky (specially above $2,500) and there are additional fees that could show up later. It’s very complicated so maybe hiring a specialist can help. Even if you pay sale taxes and duties, the costumer might need to pay additional fees, it sucks but it happens. Sometimes you can get charged for storage fees (from when they held a package until it cleared costumes) etc etc. Maybe JD is trying to see exactly were the money went before they reply.

This is true. But since @YGR has been dealing with this from the state of California revenue service since March of this year, it seems unlikely (to me, at least) that JD is waiting to see where the money went before they figure it all out.

Re: the thread being kind of hijacked---I think it is important that people on this forum hear about how JD is handling (or not handling) this issue. I will say that if I had known about this I almost certainly would not have purchased the bag that I did in March, and I will not order from JD in the future. It's possible I might buy in person in Paris, but ordering from out of the EU will be out of the question.

I'm truly confounded by @YGR's situation, as JD's representatives were fantastic with me during the ordering process and of course, many people here have had no problems whatsoever. If anyone here has had a stellar experience ordering from the US last year and hasn't had their state's revenue service (especially from California) come after them for unpaid state taxes, it would be great to hear from them now.

I won't know about my own state tax situation re: my purchase until next year---but will be extremely ticked off if I hear that my state tax, which I paid to JD, was not paid to the state as well.

 

[Love Of My Life]

We need to be aware that sometimes we have to pay additional fees on top of these ones (duties and sale tax). Importing goods into the USA can be tricky (specially above $2,500) and there are additional fees that could show up later. It’s very complicated so maybe hiring a specialist can help. Even if you pay sale taxes and duties, the costumer might need to pay additional fees, it sucks but it happens. Sometimes you can get charged for storage fees (from when they held a package until it cleared costumes) etc etc. Maybe JD is trying to see exactly were the money went before they reply.

How complicated can it be when the state of California is asking for a selling permit #
where it shows that JD has paid or forwarded taxes collected to the proper agency
JD is not in the database in the state of CA & this is the reason that @YGR was sent a
bill for unpaid tax.
If the sales tax paid was an incorrect amount the client would get a notification with the amount now due
& the same would apply with duty.
The amount that @YGR paid to the state is the same amount she paid to JD at the time of payment
for the sales tax in the state where the bag was shipped to.
So what type of fees could be in the $500+ range for @YGR to pay, only sales tax because the bill
came from the state.

 

[Love Of My Life]

this is what i received from the State of CA today: I am unable to find a SALES TAX ACCT for JOSEPH DUCLOS 1754, could you please tell me what name or Corporation umbrella you are selling under collecting the CA SALES TAX. we do not want to charge the customer double sales tax if it’s being collected time of purchase.

Saga continues and it is getting 'darker'
JD said that DHL is responsible for paying dues and taxes (which doesn't make sense to me for DHL to be involve with state sale taxes). JD contacted French DHL but there told to contact US DHL. US DHL told JD that their records only goes back 3 month. This order was from July 2023. After that JD says that DHL account manager in France, might have older records but her and her assistance are on holiday for the whole months. JD asked how i'd like to proceed. I requested JD issue me a refund for tax portion of my order, so i can remit taxes to the State on my own and be sure it is done correctly. After i sent that email, i got out of office reply that JD person i was communicating with is out on vacation from 8/10 - mid of Sept.
meanwhile, interest is being accrued on outstanding state sales tax; my name is in the state database for unpaid taxes; plus JD (their accounting system) overcharged me (by appr $100.00) on state sale tax... correct rate should have been 7.75% ... I did notice it a year ago but didn't question at the time since it is very hard to communicate via emails... and what's up phone number listed on JD site is never being picked up (i tried using it).
any advise/suggestions?

Just a portion of communications between JD & @YGR

 

[textilegirl]

Just a portion of communications between JD & @YGR

Maybe as the traditional rentrée period is underway there will be more communication from Duclos to address this, noting the mid-September comment. 🤞

 

[YGR]

Hello all

I, like many of you, also have had a great customer experience with JD. I bought Diane in July 2023. Then I purchased a mini Saint Claire in February 2024, but that bag had a closure issue (it was broken) and i had to return it. All of that was handled very well by JD.

In March 24 i got a 1st letter from the State (addressed to me) and I immediately emailed a copy of the letter to JD. I was very surprised why State is stating that my Sales taxes might be outstanding, etc... JD assured me that I don't have to worry, that all is paid off, and I don't owe any taxes back to the State. I took their words for it.

In July 24 State reached out to me asking via email asking if i know how JD is registered with the State, or their seller permit #. I immediately reached out to JD with State being cc and ask for that info. I also called State asking why they are reaching out to me and not JD and was told that State reached out to JD various time but was ignored. So at that time, i became a middle man trying to get info requested from JD so State can close this case. It was all done via email communication between all parties involved. Info requested was not provided by JD. The only answer we got from JD was something like this: 'XXX (state rep name), I already told you, DHL pays our taxes' .... at that point i was not asking for a refund, i was just trying to get info needed to clear my name with the State.

Beg of August 24, I got another letter from the State stating that I owe CA Sales tax for the JD bag, and interested is being accrued on the outstanding amount. I immediately emailed that letter to JD, copied state, and asking for JD to provide their CA seller permit # (it is not a confidential information). It was no responses. Few follow up emails later, i started to ask JD for refund of CA states sales taxes so i can remit it back to the State. I followed up, I escalated, I talk to a live person but as of now, I have no refund from JD as well as no seller permit # provided by JD.

I had no choice but paid to State taxes I owe. State told me if this issue is resolved (JD can provide a validation (seller permit #) that all taxes collected from the customer were remitted back to the State), State will help me to process a refund for the amount i recently had to pay.
State also said that similar situation happened in the past with some European bicycle company... for online purchases taxes were collected but not remitted; and at the end, the company issued a refund to customers.

sorry for the long comment

 

[bagnut1]

These 2 comments are very different from what your experience was @bagnut1 with Joseph Duclos & in their own way they speak for the client service coming from JD
Not sure anyone is disputing the quality or design of their bags, just how they have handled
certain situations.. You were fortunate you haven't had any issue to date & hopefully you won't, so
enjoy your bag

To clarify I actually did have an issue with my bag which I reported to them many months later. It was resolved quickly and without agita.

This is another reason I’m not convinced that YGR’s (legitimate) complaint is or should be a general litmus test for their client service performance.

 

[ParisBound]

To clarify I actually did have an issue with my bag which I reported to them many months later. It was resolved quickly and without agita.

This is another reason I’m not convinced that YGR’s (legitimate) complaint is or should be a general litmus test for their client service performance.

I do agree with you, those beautiful bags designed by Ramesh are still works of art. I don't think anyone should look at their bags differently. And I would still like a JD bag when they add some new styles. But this issue should never have gotten this far out of control. JD should have resolved it by now, which is why I am taking pause with them right now.