My rather disappointed experience in Venice

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#31
ladysarah said:
well I guess - there are more people wanting prestige leather items - than there are available. so Hermes will keep the most popular items for their regular customers who buy into the whole Hermes brand, nothing particularly shady about that...
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I have no issue with selecting customers or award bags to customers who spend a lot. This is perfectly understandable. What annoys me is that they told me to go back and told me the bag was available, but then declined to sell me because the bag was told be be reserved (while I think the reason is that I didn't buy additional items that they want me to buy.)
 
#32
I must say I get really confused by the messages H is sending sometimes. I get the appreciation of the brand point, and the hordes of tourists clamoring for a Birkin day in and day out only because it's an expensive bag would get on my nerves too... But OP showed interest in a lot of items, and the Bolide is still comparatively under the radar....

So why insist on "the game"? It can't be to prevent resellers - if anything, resellers are the ones who will fork out the cash to buy up half the store's inventory, precisely because they know they will get their money back (and H doesn't seem to care about that as evidenced by the recent massive haul reveal by a member here who turned out to be a reseller).

Needing to clear out inventory is one thing, and perhaps H should take a long and hard look as to why some items, particularly RTW, don't sell. And it's fair game to try and push customers, but this level of rudeness has to leave a bad taste in many customers' mouths.

Rant over - I am actually going to Venice this spring. I wasn't planning on scoring a bag, but might think twice before patronizing this particular boutique regardless.
 
#33
How exactly do the resellers go about their buying? Just put in a huge order of all sorts of other Hermes goods at once, and then magically acquire two or three B's and K's? Then how do they get rid of the other stuff. Bracelets and scarves sell themselves so I wouldn't think this pushy tactic would have to be applied to selling them. I would assume the reseller would need to buy RTW or maybe household goods. Then they are in the hole for it even while making a huge profit reselling the handbags.


I agree with you on the RTW. They wouldn't have to push it so hard if it were something people wanted.
 
#34
beekmanhill said:
How exactly do the resellers go about their buying? Just put in a huge order of all sorts of other Hermes goods at once, and then magically acquire two or three B's and K's? Then how do they get rid of the other stuff. Bracelets and scarves sell themselves so I wouldn't think this pushy tactic would have to be applied to selling them. I would assume the reseller would need to buy RTW or maybe household goods. Then they are in the hole for it even while making a huge profit reselling the handbags.


I agree with you on the RTW. They wouldn't have to push it so hard if it were something people wanted.
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Resellers need to buy a lot of non leather items... Such as Silks,Jewellery and etc.. Surprisingly not that many RTW,and they tend to buy whatever the SA suggest(or force) them to get ..most of the time resellers flog things off less then the retail price or sometimes even half of the original price ( for example, the rose gold kelly bracelet,I have seen few sellers selling them at 3500£ despite the retail price is around £6000, but getting one rose gold bracelet almost guarantee a bag..and most importantly it is about building up a relationship with the store and the SA,in that way the B/K will keep coming in ..and if they get a exotic skin bags they can make profit around £10k and much more..

I tried this splashing cash tactic in a US store but despite the fact that I spent $35k in 10 days,they did not offer me any bags ... According to the SA I need to build a relationship with her.. well after the money I have spent and not being offer a bag upsets me.. I just stop buying things from that particular store..I told my experience to a SA in Munich and he hinted that if I spent that kind of money in the Munich store , I am almost certain will walk out with a bag or two.

My nearest h store is in london.. however I never build any relationship with any SA,they are too busy looking after VVVVVVVIPs....I know for a fact that , a h store in london has a
list full of potential big spenders that the manager told the SAs to hold the bags hostage until those people spend enough money on the items that the store want to get rid of in order to
get a bag..most of the time they will do it just not to upset the SAs...that is crazy and only H can have that kind of practice ..
 
#35
beekmanhill said:
How exactly do the resellers go about their buying? Just put in a huge order of all sorts of other Hermes goods at once, and then magically acquire two or three B's and K's? Then how do they get rid of the other stuff. Bracelets and scarves sell themselves so I wouldn't think this pushy tactic would have to be applied to selling them. I would assume the reseller would need to buy RTW or maybe household goods. Then they are in the hole for it even while making a huge profit reselling the handbags.


I agree with you on the RTW. They wouldn't have to push it so hard if it were something people wanted.
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You should read Michael *******'s bringing home the Birkin. It's an enlightening look into the reseller world. And the "formula".
 
#37
ninunani said:
Resellers need to buy a lot of non leather items... Such as Silks,Jewellery and etc.. Surprisingly not that many RTW,and they tend to buy whatever the SA suggest(or force) them to get ..most of the time resellers flog things off less then the retail price or sometimes even half of the original price ( for example, the rose gold kelly bracelet,I have seen few sellers selling them at 3500£ despite the retail price is around £6000, but getting one rose gold bracelet almost guarantee a bag..and most importantly it is about building up a relationship with the store and the SA,in that way the B/K will keep coming in ..and if they get a exotic skin bags they can make profit around £10k and much more..

I tried this splashing cash tactic in a US store but despite the fact that I spent $35k in 10 days,they did not offer me any bags ... According to the SA I need to build a relationship with her.. well after the money I have spent and not being offer a bag upsets me.. I just stop buying things from that particular store..I told my experience to a SA in Munich and he hinted that if I spent that kind of money in the Munich store , I am almost certain will walk out with a bag or two.

My nearest h store is in london.. however I never build any relationship with any SA,they are too busy looking after VVVVVVVIPs....I know for a fact that , a h store in london has a
list full of potential big spenders that the manager told the SAs to hold the bags hostage until those people spend enough money on the items that the store want to get rid of in order to
get a bag..most of the time they will do it just not to upset the SAs...that is crazy and only H can have that kind of practice ..
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Thanks so much for the information. I can't believe (well yes I can) that you spent $35K and this was not enough to endear you to the particular S/A. I guess with the global economy there are so many VVVVVIP's, they can sell to whomever they want.


Gosh, I guess I have to look for resellers for my bracelets. I've developed a yearning for them after reading the forum.
 
#39
sophieg said:
I must say I get really confused by the messages H is sending sometimes. I get the appreciation of the brand point, and the hordes of tourists clamoring for a Birkin day in and day out only because it's an expensive bag would get on my nerves too... But OP showed interest in a lot of items, and the Bolide is still comparatively under the radar....

So why insist on "the game"? It can't be to prevent resellers - if anything, resellers are the ones who will fork out the cash to buy up half the store's inventory, precisely because they know they will get their money back (and H doesn't seem to care about that as evidenced by the recent massive haul reveal by a member here who turned out to be a reseller).

Needing to clear out inventory is one thing, and perhaps H should take a long and hard look as to why some items, particularly RTW, don't sell. And it's fair game to try and push customers, but this level of rudeness has to leave a bad taste in many customers' mouths.

Rant over - I am actually going to Venice this spring. I wasn't planning on scoring a bag, but might think twice before patronizing this particular boutique regardless.
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omg...someone turn up to be a reseller after a massive haul reveal ?!?!?! Would you mind PM me the member name??
 
#40
beekmanhill said:
Then they should have made the policy quite clear to her when the S/A called. She had bought several items the day before. Why induce her to rush to the store with false promises only to hold the bag hostage to purchase of items she did not want. It seems some of the customers don't really buy into the whole Hermes brand, they are forced into it to get the bag they want.
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Exactly!

I totally understand that stores wish to sell in-demand/highly coveted items to their preferred clients. I would fully expect that a client who spends tens of thousands of dollars (or hundreds of thousands) per year at Hermes would be offered certain bags before someone like myself who spends much less. However, I don't agree with the game playing that seems to take place.
 
#41
sophieg said:
I must say I get really confused by the messages H is sending sometimes. I get the appreciation of the brand point, and the hordes of tourists clamoring for a Birkin day in and day out only because it's an expensive bag would get on my nerves too... But OP showed interest in a lot of items, and the Bolide is still comparatively under the radar....

So why insist on "the game"? It can't be to prevent resellers - if anything, resellers are the ones who will fork out the cash to buy up half the store's inventory, precisely because they know they will get their money back (and H doesn't seem to care about that as evidenced by the recent massive haul reveal by a member here who turned out to be a reseller).

Needing to clear out inventory is one thing, and perhaps H should take a long and hard look as to why some items, particularly RTW, don't sell. And it's fair game to try and push customers, but this level of rudeness has to leave a bad taste in many customers' mouths.

Rant over - I am actually going to Venice this spring. I wasn't planning on scoring a bag, but might think twice before patronizing this particular boutique regardless.
Click to expand...

Reveal and Resell? This is interesting (scratching my head...)

I've been to Venice H several times. First of all, be careful with the door, it opens with funny angle, you could hurt your feet like I did :D
Inside the SA's will greet you with formal cold face, scan what you wear and tend to ignore you, but one Asian lady is always nice to me, and she helps me with patience and respect when I shop for scarves there.
 
#42
ms.kim said:
Reveal and Resell? This is interesting (scratching my head...)

I've been to Venice H several times. First of all, be careful with the door, it opens with funny angle, you could hurt your feet like I did :D
Inside the SA's will greet you with formal cold face, scan what you wear and tend to ignore you, but one Asian lady is always nice to me, and she helps me with patience and respect when I shop for scarves there.
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I know which SA you're talking about. She's nice.
 
#43
Was just in Venice last week and had a rather horrible experience.

I had asked for a Evelyne GM (black) in Rome and they were out, but said that the store in Venice had one. I asked that they hold it for me.

While in Florence, I found that the store had the bag I was looking for and decided to buy it. I thought it wiser to purchase what was in front of me than to wait and possibly miss the chance.

I went to the Venice store upon arrival and asked if they had any Evelyne GMs in a darker color and I was told that "all of the bags in the store were reserved and no longer for sale". I was told that there was no reason to visit the second floor where the bags were kept, as i would just be disappointed.

When asked if every single bag was reserved, I was told yes. They offered nothing.

After being treated this way, I explained that I had an Evelyne on hold in my name.

The SA stated that she would check to see if anyone agreed to hold the bag. She finally brought it out to show me and told me I must visit the second floor to try it. I was then told again that NOTHING upstairs was for sale.

Upon arrival on the second floor, we found a fully stocked sales floor.

Weirdest experience in a store ever. I must have been deemed unworthy.
 
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