My Experience with the "Letter"

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#91
After just reading 6 pages of comments, there are several points I'd like to touch on.

First, Zoe222 - I'm so sorry you got "the letter." I think sending an email with pictures is a fantastic idea. I would send an email, a letter with pictures, AND make a phone call to make sure they got my message! I also wonder why this was addressed to you, your husband, and your daughter. Are you all on the same credit card? Obviously paying cash would avoid any problem, but one shouldn't have to pay cash to make a sale! Oh, and I would make a formal complaint about that rude SA (state it in the email, letter and phone call, PLUS write a letter to the outlet manager). Her behavior is totally uncalled for. I know it sounds like alot of paperwork, but probably well worth the effort.

Also, I don't think Peacocky was being rude. I believe she was just trying to state that if one isn't a reseller, or doing anything wrong, they don't have anything to worry about. I don't think she was being accusatory.

ITA that if Coach has rules, they need to make them known to their customers. I also agree with those who said Coach could make their limits known - the same as any store with sales might. Often in printed sales ads, it will state: Limit 3 (or whatever the case may be). In the case of an item like Sabrina, Coach could put a limit of 1 from the outlet if they wanted, and ease this restriction as time passes. That way, more Coachies would be able to get one. But their rules need to be consistant.

Today, I carried a bag around the outlet for about an hour, but put it back because it wasn't right. The SA told me, "Well, you know if you leave the tags on and keep the receipt, you can always return it." So they pressure you to buy, even knowing that one might not keep it. I preferred not to buy it at all. I think it's ridiculous how one gets the message it is ok to buy and return, and then gets a letter saying, "We're going to spank you for doing that!" like happened to another tPF-er.

I'm not a big fan of the prinicipal of resellers, though I often use Ebay to get bags for convenience sake. But when I buy something, aren't I free to do with it what I wish? If I go to the outlet and buy a bag, I can burn it up, give it to my friend, or sell it on Ebay. This is America right? BUT, if Coach enforced their limits, they wouldn't have the problem. And no, I've never sold one of my bags on Ebay, Craigslist or anywhere for that matter! (new or used).

Coach is cutting off their nose to spite their face. These letters seem exceptionally nasty. Thankfully, Zoe222 doesn't plan to leave Coach. But many others would and will. Somehow they have to get the message from their customers. I think sending the pictures of Zoe's collection is one step. As everyone has said, in this economy Coach needs to do what they can to attract and KEEP good customers. Their letters are doing the opposite.
 
#92
I can't see how Coach would dare send the letter to a customer without knowing for sure that they were constantly re-selling. How can they take chances like that against a good customer like yourself, OP? That's nuts. I love your collection by the way. Very varied and well-balanced.
 
#93
What a LOVELY collection, and you are truly a lover of Coach. It makes me sad to see you treated that way. I am very curious to see what the response is to your pictures (which detail your obvious huge collection and not re-selling)..because wow, have you spent a fortune (And I don't mean that rudely) but to treat you that way after all that cash in their corporate pockets...yikes.

Thanks for sharing with us! I hope you continue to be a part of TPF!
 
#99
I'm not sure. I doubt they'd ban anyone for sending a letter explaining a situation and asking for policy change especially if many people sent them. I mean if they'd ban you just for that, you could send in a letter signed with someone else's name and get THEM banned. Just imagine if you had a vendetta against a fellow coachie. JUST KIDDING OF COURSE.
 
#100
Personally, if this happened to me I'd be furious and I'd take it straight to the top at Coach - this is ridiculous and a horrible way to manage customer relations and loyalty. I find that when you go straight to the top, you don't often get a response directly from them, but they do forward the matter to someone who is empowered to handle it and since the orders to handle it come from the top it actually happens. I'd even be inclined to go to one of those TV consumer shows if I really got ticked off! (I'm not the shy type, work in the business world and have media connections so it might be easier for me, but it can be done and all it starts with is a well written, concise and polite but firm letter sent (I love to use Fed Ex -get's right to the desk of the person it's addressed to) via some trackable form.) Of course follow up to nudge them.

You're not a reseller, you didn't break any rules (yes, you bought more than 3 items, but they sold them to you so they allowed their ineffective (sure doesn't seem to stop reselling does it) rules to be broken, not you) yet you were punished - this is idiotic on the part of Coach. I'd expect an apology from Coach and from the person who initiated the "banning" at the very least!
 
#101
brahh said:
BTW...I, and a couple of my friends, got "a letter" from Macy's about six months ago that said "if we didn't start buying more with our Macy's Credit Card they were going to cancel it." I laugh as I type this! So many "letters" out there!
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:wtf: I have never used my Macy's CC. I hope it does not get canceled.
 
#102
x_TaNgErInE_x said:
I don't understand why Coach would do this, it seems to me that they're having a lot of issues concerning outlets. First of all, if they don't want so many people to sell marked down products on ebay or elsewhere, maybe they should stop sending stuff to outlets so quickly after release. Second if they can afford to mark down products so much at outlets, why not reduce the FP of items. This would limit what goes to outlets because more people might be willing to buy at boutiques also they might not have to reduce items something like 90% just to get them out. It's their own fault that people will buy mass quantities at significantly reduced prices from outlets and then turn around and sell them for profit. I think it's totally uncalled for, for them to be sending out these "letters" or blacklisting people, instead they should be changing their policies.

Collector or person trying to make a profit, the problem isn't with them, the problem is with Coach and this so called "letter" isn't the solution.
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Excellent post!
Ironically this whole situation arose out of Coach not following their own policy in regards to their "rule of three".

angelic*ruin said:
Wow, I'm floored by this story. :wtf:

I definitely think you should write to Corporate. Putting your story in writing is almost always more effective than simply calling. And I'd enclose a picture of your closet as well just to drive your point home. :mad:

While I understand that Coach is working to eliminate re-sellers, they need to be looking at long-term buying habits. The holidays are not a time to judge anyone's typical buying habits.

I'm doubly stunned that they would be turning away customers so easily in this economy when every sale counts. :tdown:

I understand your wanting to continue collecting Coach, but, honestly, if you write them to protest the letter and do not get an adequate, thoughtful response in return, I know in your place, I would not want to continue spending my hard earned money with a company who does not appreciate, nor appear to want my business.
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Amen.
Condemning and convicting someone for their holiday purchases is ludacris!
If Coach does not appreciate your business there are many other brands that will!

Neliza said:
ITA!!! I would also add that another problem Coach has is the inconsistency of how the "rules" are enforced.

Case in point, my outlet has absolutely no problem with resellers; they get a ton of both Ebay sellers and Asian buyers who purchase an unbelievable quantity of items clearly for resale. I have even commented about it while I'm there because often they have bought up every bag of one style and I have wanted one of those bags only to not be able to get it. The SAs just tell me they're resellers and say that they will call me if the particular bag I wanted comes in again. These resellers are not receiving "the letter" because I have seen the same ebay sellers for years! That is very different from the outlets that enforce the 3 item rule.

Needless to say, if I as a lover of the product who does not sell gets "the letter" I will most certainly be contacting someone at corporate and addressing these issues one by one. Rules are not a problem as long as they are consistent and enforced. The fact that they have these rules, for example their liberal return policies and then send a letter to someone who has not broken it and has simply made returns in accordance with their policy is complete insanity.

Please let us know what happens when you contact them. I think providing a picture of your collection will probably be very eye opening for them.
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Somehow I dont think that Coach will ever admit that they are inconsistent in enforcing their own policies.
But when innocent customers get caught up in their system and banned as a result that is beyond comprehension!

zoe222 said:
I think the problem with limits is that it is up to the individual store sometimes the individual sa's to enforce the rule. But when you have sa's turning a blind eye to some and not others that is where the problem is. I understand that we all have to adhere to rules--but the only fair way for this to happen is when it applies to everybody. Some sa's love to see resellers like someone else posted. Coach knows that when they send a $700 bag to the outlet and sell it for half the price that they are taking a chance that someone is going to resell it. I think they want their cake and ice cream too............. On one hand they like the big sales because it helps the company and on the other hand they don't want resellers. Give me a break. But, if you will read my original thread this wasn't even purses--this was $9.99 keychains and $17.99 cosmetic cases. Oh wait am I wanting special treatment???? LOL
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I think you are on the right track with writing a letter to Coach.
If I were you I would also print out the pictures and enclose the copies of them with the letter you are sending to Corporate.
Call corporate and ask them who is the head of LP (or whatever Coach "entity" or person sent you the banned letter) and address the letter to that specific person.
I would also additionally have it sent with a signature confirmation and return receipt.Then you can find out who signed for it and also you have proof that the letter was sent and more importantly that it was received.


Furthermore like Suzzeee said you can always lean to your local media and have them make light of the situation for you.
In doing so you could possibly get Coach to equally enforce their policies.
I for one would love to hear them try to explain their way out of their numerous inconsistancies.
At a time like this (poor economy) Coach would not want to deal with the negative publicity this could cause them so I imagine that going the "squeaky wheel" route will resolve this issue to your satisfaction.

IMO Coach owes you a huge ass kissing apology, and a 50% off your entire purchase or $500 gift card or something to that extent, as they are clearly in the wrong here.
Somebody needs to call them out on it, otherwise nothing is ever going to change.

Please keep us updated on your saga. We are with you!
 
#103
I am sorry this happened to you. It's really a shame Coach wastes time and resources to generate letters like this based on a single "tip" from an employee.

Write a letter to Coach by all means, and tell them exactly what you told us in your post here--it's simple, straight-forward, and demonstrates just how silly they're being.
 
#104
Surely there's a Coach SA (outlet preferably) who can clue us in as to what involvement, if any, the SAs have in corporate sending these letters to customers.

My gut is also that it is the SA or mgr alerting corporate, but that's not based upon any real truth!
 
#105
The key here, people, is an excessive buying pattern. The OP obviously displayed this and someone at Coach had caught whim of it. The problem with sending pictures of a "3 year" running collection, is there are not 6 same cases and 6 same keychains in the pictures. All they have to do, is look at the pictures and compare it to your buying history, this could easily backfire on you, OP. Yes, people buy gifts, but many do not buy 6 of the same thing when it's not for a Bridal party, that kind of makes the gifts look thoughtless (my opinion). There are only so many gift occassions to give gifts, too.

I'm not defending Coach. I'm just giving an opinion of what I am reading, that Coach could be seeing as well. There are always two sides to every story. When the internet is almost anonymous, it's hard for us to see the other side, especially when all we know about the new OP, it what we are told.
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