So Fashionphile did end up giving me a partial refund. Not enough for a new strap or repair in case LV doesn't do it for free (would probably cost 2-3x my partial refund), but overall I'm satisfied enough for the customer service to return in the future if some bag really catches my eyes. Hope this could help others in the future - no harm in asking for partial refund!Since they mentioned it was an LV issue they may not give anything but I hope they do for you…..if you are near an LV store stop in and ask , maybe they will do it for free since it was an issue…