Paris trip for Hermes

[papertiger]

Please try to stay on topic. I realise because of the complexity of some of the posts members may veer off but in answer do not 'go there'.

For info and questions on US customs please post on the thread below: post https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/us-customs-discussion-airports-importing.905560/

Detaxing (to US from Europe) https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/best-way-to-detax-after-h-in-europe.178302/

or non-US destinations: https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/does-h-store-paris-wants-to-ship.605014/page-3

For questions relating to prices https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/reference-hermes-current-prices.102567/page-357

For traveling with boxes https://forum.purseblog.com/threads...me-hermes-boxes-when-traveling.1044553/page-5



I will leave this reminder as a sticky because tthis is often a thread that new members (or new Hermès lovers) post on - hopefully temporarily.

 

[AtiaOfTheJulii]

Hello, quick questions for upcoming Paris trip in July. I read a while back about high end hotel concierge can help score an appt with FSH, though that was before the online system. Anyone have luck using this method recently? I am staying at the Ritz, hoping to maybe ask them for help.

Also, it sounds like croc BKC are hard to come by? Was definitely hoping to get an exotic bag because the price is much better in Europe.

I stayed at the Four Seasons during my trip last week and tried to get their help, They said thay Hermes no longer works with concierge services

 

[lcutli1]

I would also like to share my recent H journey in Paris. I was in Paris during May 4th to May 11th (I wasn’t aware that during my stay there were 2 major public French holidays).

Saturday, 5/5: Once we landed on Saturday both my DH and I tried to reserve an appointment for Monday. No luck for either of us.

Monday, 5/7: Both of us tried again on Monday for Tuesday’s appointment but still unsuccessful. I was starting to feel a little nervous.

Tuesday, 5/8: We had already purchased tickets to go to Versailles on Wednesday but I really don't want to lose any chance. So we decided to give it another try hoping that either of us will get an appointment on Wednesay. We also decided to go to the FSH store on Tuesday as well to see if we could have any luck (maybe if I purchase something the SA can introduce us to the leather specialist??). I first went to the jewelry section and was greeted by a young Asian salesman. I tried on some silver rings and finally picked the CDC ring. I tried to be a bit direct and asked to see if he could check with one of the staffs downstairs to see if there were any cancelled appointments. He told me “no I’m sorry, but you have to use our new system to make the appointment.” I explained to him that we have tried for couple days and were unsuccessful and he told us every day Hermes receives over 3,000 appointment requests and only 300 appointments are available each day!! We then went downstairs to check out other stuff and I ended up picking the Mini Dog Clous Ronds bracelet in black with rose gold hardware. We were also told that it was actually a French national holiday that day but since the Sevres store was closed the FSH store decided to have special hours and opened their store on Tuesday.

Later that evening miracle happened!! My DH received the confirmation text for Wednesday’s appointment! (We ended up wasting 2 tickets to Versailles on Wednesday and bought another 2 tickets to go on Thursday instead )

Wednesday, 5/9: Our appointment time was at 3:10 p.m. However as we checked around 2:00 p.m. the time kept pushing back. I didn't want to lose our spot so we decided to just sit at a Japanese tea house a block away to wait. The time kept pushing back to 3:30, 3:45, 4:10, 4:40 and finally 5:10. Not a good sign! We decided to go to the store at around 4:45 to see what happened. The lady at the front greeted us and checked us in and told us to stay in the store and my DH should receive a text message when the SA was ready for us. We waited for another 10-20 min. and finally it’s our turn.

We were greeted by a very nice and friendly young male SA and brought us to the 1st floor. He asked us what we’re looking for and right away I made it direct and told him that I was looking for a Kelly 32, preferably in gold hardware but also okay with palladium. I gave him my color choices and leather type as well. He looked on his phone and said let me check and he disappeared for about 10 minutes.

He later came back with a small, flat box and asked me to follow him. By looking at the box I could tell instantly that this would not be a Kelly. He took us to a lady’s fitting room and closed the door. He carefully opened that small orange box and it’s a Constance 18 in a nice medium blue color. He said “I’m sorry but we’re completely out of Kelly”. Constance is my #2 on my wishlist so I asked if he might I have the size 24 instead. He looked on his phone and said he saw a couple available, one in black with rose gold hardware and another one in a darker red with silver hardware. He showed us both and both my DH and I picked the black on rose gold hardware.

Summary: Despite I wasn't able to get my first choice, I felt very fortunate for being able to secure the appointment on Wednesday as I later found out the store was closed on Thursday due to another French catholic holiday and we were leaving Paris on Friday.

So here are several tips for those who are planning to visit the FSH store:

1. Try to register at 10:30 a.m. sharp. Thought they say it's lottery system, I feel like you get a bigger chance to secure an appointment if you register within the first 20 seconds after their registration system is open.
2. Dress nicely for the appointment. You don’t need to wear a lot of brand names but dress neat and descent.
3. If you happen to get to a situation similar as ours that the appointment time keeps pushing back, it won’t hurt to still show up at the original appointment time. They might still be able to check you in.

Hope my intel helps!!

My gosh your story is an inspiration! My dream H bags would be a Kelly danse and Constance! Congratulations to you on your persistence!

 

[AtiaOfTheJulii]

Hello! Since this thread was so incredibly helpful during my trip to Paris last week, I wanted to share my recent experience in super detail - sorry if I go off topic! I hope anyone making a trip soon finds this helpful - BTW I am from the USA (Southeast).

My sister was there already for work and since the flights were very reasonable I decided to tag along last minute . I landed in Paris on Wednesday, May 23rd in the afternoon. My return flight was scheduled to leave Monday, May 21st in the morning. I wish I had followed the advice of most of you on this thread to request an appointment even if you may be late. I arrived to the hotel at around 2pm. We stayed at the Four Seasons on George V Avenue - a 3 minute walk from a Hermes boutique (This wasn’t intentional).
That left us with appointment opportunities for Thursday, Friday and Saturday since they are closed on Sunday. Sadly, we were given the reject message:

We were planning to do more of the touristy stuff on Thursday and Friday so this didn’t bother me at all. Figured i’d share some highlights of my itinerary a bit!

Thursday - Declined from an appointment
We went to the Palace of Versailles - The gardens were much more extensive then I expected - wish i wore sneakers instead of sandals!. We had a private tour guide which I HIGHLY recommend you splurge a bit on as the line was insane, it gave us fast entry and we saw all of the “major” points.

That took up most of the day. We then did a dinner & show package at “LIDO”. Dinner was much better quality then I expected. Show was fantastic!!

Friday - Declined from an appointment
We did a lunch cruise with BATEAUX PARISIENS - again much better food then I was expecting and a great way to see the city

Tea time at Prince de Galles hotel next door to the four seasons - We met a friend there and that loved the hotel so you may want to considering staying here.

Saturday - Declined from an appointment
I figured since some of you mentioned having luck by simply going to the boutique, I figured i’d give it a try! I had a small list of things I wanted to purchase anyway.

Arrived to the mothership a few minutes after opening. It was pretty busy - I overheard the SA saying that the next day was Mothers day in France. I had no idea but I definitely saw what looked like many people with their moms as well as families.

I first went in and met with someone at the service desk on the main floor, I expressed that I had tried to make an appointment 3 days in a row and was not granted an appointment for any day. She was apologetic and asked what I was looking for. When I told her a Birkin 25 or a Kelly in a smaller size and I was looking for a dark color in preferably gold hardware. She told me that it was nearly impossible without an appointment and that I should try again for Monday, but I was leaving Monday AM.

I saw a pair of block heeled sandals (sorry can’t remember the model) that I loved. The SA was kind enough to check other locations in Paris. I then started asking her more questions about the reservation system. She said that they try to accommodate roughly 150 appointments per day and that it is completely random. She said that your chances have nothing to do with your purchase history or how often you try, but more so the amount of people who are also trying to get an appointment (so the more ppl trying, the slimmer your chances). She also mentioned that since Mothers Day was Sunday, They likely had a lot of appointment requests which gives you a slimmer chance. She then suggested I check with the other boutiques.
I was then on my way to the Hermes boutique on Rue De Serves since this is where the shoe SA said they had one pair of the shoe I was looking for - I was actually surprised with how quiet the store was compared to the mothership. There is a very “airy” design to it - Sort of seemed Asian inspired to me - quite different then the mothership. I went to the shoe department, found my shoes (yay) and told the SA about the dilemma I was in. She was VERY sweet and told me that there were about a dozen people in line at the leather department but she will see what she can do. She then took my passport info and came back nearly a half hour later with two boxes. I know a lot of you ladies here can tell what’s inside based on the box size but I really had no idea. The first bag she had was a Evelyn in a orangey-red and the second was a Gypsy in a very light blue or possibly green color. Sorry if i’m butchering these names! lol. I kindly said no thank you and bought my shoes, a scarf, a few of those H enamel bracelets and a necklace with an H as a gift then left. I was pretty sure at that point my chances were pretty much over.

We went shopping on a street called Rue De Frances Boutgeois. This street reminds me of Soho in NYC. Lots of smaller shops for big names like Maje and Ted Baker. More 1 on 1 attention and less crowded then other shopping areas that we had passed by during our trip. I discovered 4 brands that I’ve never heard of (apparently not in the US) and had such a great shopping experience!

We had dinner at Costes. This place was BUMPIN! Lol GO THERE ESP IF YOU ARE WITH FRIENDS OR YOUR BFs/HBs. The food was sooo good - the risotto and cheescake were the best i’ve ever had. They actually had a decent cocktail menu which I noticed most places we went to didn’t have in general.

Over dinner my sister said we should just try for an appointment on Monday (Monday appointments are made on Saturdays). My flight was early in the morning and hers was in the evening. I called to see what the flight change would cost and to my surprise it was very reasonable. We both went on the website and crossed our fingers (it was around 5pm).

 

[AtiaOfTheJulii]

Monday - Finale
To our surprise we both were granted appointments :O. Mine was at 10:30AM on the dot and hers was at 4pm. Just to give you some background this is my second Paris visit where I made a Hermes purchase the first visit (early last year) I only purchased a scarf and a tie for my dad then. My sister never made a single purchase at any Hermes store ever - which makes me believe that it is truly random.

I called and had my flight changed to later. My sister’s 7pm flight was actually the last flight of the day so she cancelled her appointment - we figured if we can’t get it at the 10:30am appt then maybe it just wasn’t meant to be! One of the perks of a 10:30am appointment is that it isn’t “subject to change”. My sister got the link that directed her to refresh the page incase there is an update to the time. I got to the store at 10:25am, I was hoping for earlier and the uber said only 10 mins but there were a lot of street closures in the area which turned it into more like 25 minutes. There was a line of about 20 or so people in front of me (this is outside at the main entrance). They promptly opened the doors at 10:30am and we were all let in. It seemed that very few people new where they were going and the SAs on the first floor started telling people to go to the second level if they had an appointment. Once at the 2nd level people seemed to scatter around - confused? Luckily I managed to quickly get to the right place. Once you go up the stairs there is a counter just past the shoe dept on the left, I guess this is the official “leather” department. There is another service desk there and an SA checking people in. There were about 5 appointments in front of us and at least 10 SAs that were being matched up. They asked for my name and I believe my passport as well but I cannot remember for sure. I was then immediately matched up with an SA.

We sat at a hightop table not too far from the cashier on that level. He immediately asked me what I was looking for, I told him a a Kelly in a small size or a Birkin 25. I was hoping for a dark color in general as I wear a lot of jeans and was nervous about the color transfer. He didn’t write anything down like others mentioned which made me nervous.. But he asked if I wanted something to drink. I said no because I didn’t want him to waste time fetching me a drink lol. He then quickly left for about 20 minutes.

I was sitting in a sort of central area and could easily hear the conversations others were having. In the 20 minutes I was there two appointments were taken at the same table and there were about three appointments going on at the tables next to mine. I was surprised by how many people were requesting a constance. I didn’t really know this bag was so wanted. I also heard requests for a Garden party, Lindys and Evelyns. To my surprise I did not hear the word Birkin once! One lady who’s appointment was taken next to mine did mention 2nd to a constance she would consider a Kelly. My sister unfortunately then got a call and had to leave early for a meeting. She wished me luck and right after she left my SA came back with one large box, two small boxes, and two cylinder like boxes. He then said to follow him! I was SO excited and since I didn’t see anyone in the open areas of the store where I had been waiting being shown B Ks or Cs I assumed it was something amazing.

We go into the room and he said he found something he thinks I will love! To my surprise it was a beautiful Kelly bag in a neutral color just like I asked! (i’m planning to do a proper reveal post with more details) I was soo happy. He then proceeded to show me a charm, twillys to match, a coin purse to match and a few other small items that would compliment my purchase. I politely declined these items as I needed time to digest my purchase lol. He was not pushy one bit and quickly wrapped everything back up and escorted me to the cashier. I paid for my bag and then started chatting with another SA that was in the stationary area. I told her how we both tried 3x each and were not offered an appointment so I felt very lucky. Like the SA from the previous day, she insisted it was completely random and system generated. She also mentioned the high number of requests due to mothers day. She told me It was great that I was there right before Fashion Week as it was just a few days from now. She said that the chances of getting a B/K/C during any fashion week were as rare as the holidays.

Some tips

• If you go in to see if there are any cancellations, go to the service desk on the 2nd level near the stationary. Right before I was taken to the private room a lady asked if there were any cancellations, I saw him on my way out sitting down with a handbag SA.
• I don’t believe there is any reason to line up very early if you have a 10:30am appointment, It seems like they have plenty of SAs to fill that appointment time - there were even 2 SAs that I noticed not matched up at the end. So have a nice breakfast
• Ask for a plain bag to be put over your box. While I took a door to door Uber and there is some sort of embassy across the street , my SA said that it’s safer this way.
• You must mail in the PABLO receipt after being scanned in order to get my tax refund for Hermes purchases. Regardless if it was declined or not at the kiosk. Most of the other shops I was at said that I didn’t have to mail it back.
• You may get stopped by the tax officers so have your bag in easy access. There was a table there so that you can do it neatly. I found them to be very professional and didn’t rush me at all as I unpacked my bag.
• You can go through the Tax kiosk/officers before checking your bags. I had a few new purchases in the bag I was going to check so I had to bring that with me.
• Stop at the Goyard boutique - there is a line outside but it moves very quickly. I know on the Goyard forum people mentioned that they hated the service.. But it’s worth the amazing savings and availability compared to in the US. If no one is attending to you downstairs then don’t be afraid to go upstairs. Also you can just let the doorman know and he will direct an SA to you once one becomes available.

CUSTOMS BACK HOME

• I declared all of my purchases and got hit with a 5% tax on the pre-vat price. They were very nice and professional. At the end they only charged my the fee on half the total pre-vat value of my purchases. I ended up spending about 30K total during the trip. He only charged me the 5% on my biggest purchase which was the bag and then let me go. On my way out of the main exit I saw a lot of people being stopped and having their baggage inspected. I’ve heard horror stories and very high fines for this (way higher then 5%). I highly recommend you declare your purchases.

I wish you all luck on your upcoming visits. Please don’t be discouraged if you are not offered an appointment the first few tries. Am open to answering any questions

 

[LadyD21]

Monday - Finale
To our surprise we both were granted appointments :O. Mine was at 10:30AM on the dot and hers was at 4pm. Just to give you some background this is my second Paris visit where I made a Hermes purchase the first visit (early last year) I only purchased a scarf and a tie for my dad then. My sister never made a single purchase at any Hermes store ever - which makes me believe that it is truly random.

I called and had my flight changed to later. My sister’s 7pm flight was actually the last flight of the day so she cancelled her appointment - we figured if we can’t get it at the 10:30am appt then maybe it just wasn’t meant to be! One of the perks of a 10:30am appointment is that it isn’t “subject to change”. My sister got the link that directed her to refresh the page incase there is an update to the time. I got to the store at 10:25am, I was hoping for earlier and the uber said only 10 mins but there were a lot of street closures in the area which turned it into more like 25 minutes. There was a line of about 20 or so people in front of me (this is outside at the main entrance). They promptly opened the doors at 10:30am and we were all let in. It seemed that very few people new where they were going and the SAs on the first floor started telling people to go to the second level if they had an appointment. Once at the 2nd level people seemed to scatter around - confused? Luckily I managed to quickly get to the right place. Once you go up the stairs there is a counter just past the shoe dept on the left, I guess this is the official “leather” department. There is another service desk there and an SA checking people in. There were about 5 appointments in front of us and at least 10 SAs that were being matched up. They asked for my name and I believe my passport as well but I cannot remember for sure. I was then immediately matched up with an SA.

We sat at a hightop table not too far from the cashier on that level. He immediately asked me what I was looking for, I told him a a Kelly in a small size or a Birkin 25. I was hoping for a dark color in general as I wear a lot of jeans and was nervous about the color transfer. He didn’t write anything down like others mentioned which made me nervous.. But he asked if I wanted something to drink. I said no because I didn’t want him to waste time fetching me a drink lol. He then quickly left for about 20 minutes.

I was sitting in a sort of central area and could easily hear the conversations others were having. In the 20 minutes I was there two appointments were taken at the same table and there were about three appointments going on at the tables next to mine. I was surprised by how many people were requesting a constance. I didn’t really know this bag was so wanted. I also heard requests for a Garden party, Lindys and Evelyns. To my surprise I did not hear the word Birkin once! One lady who’s appointment was taken next to mine did mention 2nd to a constance she would consider a Kelly. My sister unfortunately then got a call and had to leave early for a meeting. She wished me luck and right after she left my SA came back with one large box, two small boxes, and two cylinder like boxes. He then said to follow him! I was SO excited and since I didn’t see anyone in the open areas of the store where I had been waiting being shown B Ks or Cs I assumed it was something amazing.

We go into the room and he said he found something he thinks I will love! To my surprise it was a beautiful Kelly bag in a neutral color just like I asked! (i’m planning to do a proper reveal post with more details) I was soo happy. He then proceeded to show me a charm, twillys to match, a coin purse to match and a few other small items that would compliment my purchase. I politely declined these items as I needed time to digest my purchase lol. He was not pushy one bit and quickly wrapped everything back up and escorted me to the cashier. I paid for my bag and then started chatting with another SA that was in the stationary area. I told her how we both tried 3x each and were not offered an appointment so I felt very lucky. Like the SA from the previous day, she insisted it was completely random and system generated. She also mentioned the high number of requests due to mothers day. She told me It was great that I was there right before Fashion Week as it was just a few days from now. She said that the chances of getting a B/K/C during any fashion week were as rare as the holidays.

Some tips

• If you go in to see if there are any cancellations, go to the service desk on the 2nd level near the stationary. Right before I was taken to the private room a lady asked if there were any cancellations, I saw him on my way out sitting down with a handbag SA.
• I don’t believe there is any reason to line up very early if you have a 10:30am appointment, It seems like they have plenty of SAs to fill that appointment time - there were even 2 SAs that I noticed not matched up at the end. So have a nice breakfast
• Ask for a plain bag to be put over your box. While I took a door to door Uber and there is some sort of embassy across the street , my SA said that it’s safer this way.
• You must mail in the PABLO receipt after being scanned in order to get my tax refund for Hermes purchases. Regardless if it was declined or not at the kiosk. Most of the other shops I was at said that I didn’t have to mail it back.
• You may get stopped by the tax officers so have your bag in easy access. There was a table there so that you can do it neatly. I found them to be very professional and didn’t rush me at all as I unpacked my bag.
• You can go through the Tax kiosk/officers before checking your bags. I had a few new purchases in the bag I was going to check so I had to bring that with me.
• Stop at the Goyard boutique - there is a line outside but it moves very quickly. I know on the Goyard forum people mentioned that they hated the service.. But it’s worth the amazing savings and availability compared to in the US. If no one is attending to you downstairs then don’t be afraid to go upstairs. Also you can just let the doorman know and he will direct an SA to you once one becomes available.

CUSTOMS BACK HOME

• I declared all of my purchases and got hit with a 5% tax on the pre-vat price. They were very nice and professional. At the end they only charged my the fee on half the total pre-vat value of my purchases. I ended up spending about 30K total during the trip. He only charged me the 5% on my biggest purchase which was the bag and then let me go. On my way out of the main exit I saw a lot of people being stopped and having their baggage inspected. I’ve heard horror stories and very high fines for this (way higher then 5%). I highly recommend you declare your purchases.

I wish you all luck on your upcoming visits. Please don’t be discouraged if you are not offered an appointment the first few tries. Am open to answering any questions

Congrats! Very happy for you and yes, always declare your purchases because you never know what can happen. I always declare and last time I went to Paris, I was pulled over (at random) after passing customs to verify my bags (funny story of them thinking I had brought back oranges which were twilly boxes )

 

[nicole0612]

Congrats! Very happy for you and yes, always declare your purchases because you never know what can happen. I always declare and last time I went to Paris, I was pulled over (at random) after passing customs to verify my bags (funny story of them thinking I had brought back oranges which were twilly boxes )

Oh I remember your story! I laughed so hard!

 

[hello.ffl]

Monday - Finale
To our surprise we both were granted appointments :O. Mine was at 10:30AM on the dot and hers was at 4pm. Just to give you some background this is my second Paris visit where I made a Hermes purchase the first visit (early last year) I only purchased a scarf and a tie for my dad then. My sister never made a single purchase at any Hermes store ever - which makes me believe that it is truly random.

I called and had my flight changed to later. My sister’s 7pm flight was actually the last flight of the day so she cancelled her appointment - we figured if we can’t get it at the 10:30am appt then maybe it just wasn’t meant to be! One of the perks of a 10:30am appointment is that it isn’t “subject to change”. My sister got the link that directed her to refresh the page incase there is an update to the time. I got to the store at 10:25am, I was hoping for earlier and the uber said only 10 mins but there were a lot of street closures in the area which turned it into more like 25 minutes. There was a line of about 20 or so people in front of me (this is outside at the main entrance). They promptly opened the doors at 10:30am and we were all let in. It seemed that very few people new where they were going and the SAs on the first floor started telling people to go to the second level if they had an appointment. Once at the 2nd level people seemed to scatter around - confused? Luckily I managed to quickly get to the right place. Once you go up the stairs there is a counter just past the shoe dept on the left, I guess this is the official “leather” department. There is another service desk there and an SA checking people in. There were about 5 appointments in front of us and at least 10 SAs that were being matched up. They asked for my name and I believe my passport as well but I cannot remember for sure. I was then immediately matched up with an SA.

We sat at a hightop table not too far from the cashier on that level. He immediately asked me what I was looking for, I told him a a Kelly in a small size or a Birkin 25. I was hoping for a dark color in general as I wear a lot of jeans and was nervous about the color transfer. He didn’t write anything down like others mentioned which made me nervous.. But he asked if I wanted something to drink. I said no because I didn’t want him to waste time fetching me a drink lol. He then quickly left for about 20 minutes.

I was sitting in a sort of central area and could easily hear the conversations others were having. In the 20 minutes I was there two appointments were taken at the same table and there were about three appointments going on at the tables next to mine. I was surprised by how many people were requesting a constance. I didn’t really know this bag was so wanted. I also heard requests for a Garden party, Lindys and Evelyns. To my surprise I did not hear the word Birkin once! One lady who’s appointment was taken next to mine did mention 2nd to a constance she would consider a Kelly. My sister unfortunately then got a call and had to leave early for a meeting. She wished me luck and right after she left my SA came back with one large box, two small boxes, and two cylinder like boxes. He then said to follow him! I was SO excited and since I didn’t see anyone in the open areas of the store where I had been waiting being shown B Ks or Cs I assumed it was something amazing.

We go into the room and he said he found something he thinks I will love! To my surprise it was a beautiful Kelly bag in a neutral color just like I asked! (i’m planning to do a proper reveal post with more details) I was soo happy. He then proceeded to show me a charm, twillys to match, a coin purse to match and a few other small items that would compliment my purchase. I politely declined these items as I needed time to digest my purchase lol. He was not pushy one bit and quickly wrapped everything back up and escorted me to the cashier. I paid for my bag and then started chatting with another SA that was in the stationary area. I told her how we both tried 3x each and were not offered an appointment so I felt very lucky. Like the SA from the previous day, she insisted it was completely random and system generated. She also mentioned the high number of requests due to mothers day. She told me It was great that I was there right before Fashion Week as it was just a few days from now. She said that the chances of getting a B/K/C during any fashion week were as rare as the holidays.

Some tips

• If you go in to see if there are any cancellations, go to the service desk on the 2nd level near the stationary. Right before I was taken to the private room a lady asked if there were any cancellations, I saw him on my way out sitting down with a handbag SA.
• I don’t believe there is any reason to line up very early if you have a 10:30am appointment, It seems like they have plenty of SAs to fill that appointment time - there were even 2 SAs that I noticed not matched up at the end. So have a nice breakfast
• Ask for a plain bag to be put over your box. While I took a door to door Uber and there is some sort of embassy across the street , my SA said that it’s safer this way.
• You must mail in the PABLO receipt after being scanned in order to get my tax refund for Hermes purchases. Regardless if it was declined or not at the kiosk. Most of the other shops I was at said that I didn’t have to mail it back.
• You may get stopped by the tax officers so have your bag in easy access. There was a table there so that you can do it neatly. I found them to be very professional and didn’t rush me at all as I unpacked my bag.
• You can go through the Tax kiosk/officers before checking your bags. I had a few new purchases in the bag I was going to check so I had to bring that with me.
• Stop at the Goyard boutique - there is a line outside but it moves very quickly. I know on the Goyard forum people mentioned that they hated the service.. But it’s worth the amazing savings and availability compared to in the US. If no one is attending to you downstairs then don’t be afraid to go upstairs. Also you can just let the doorman know and he will direct an SA to you once one becomes available.

CUSTOMS BACK HOME

• I declared all of my purchases and got hit with a 5% tax on the pre-vat price. They were very nice and professional. At the end they only charged my the fee on half the total pre-vat value of my purchases. I ended up spending about 30K total during the trip. He only charged me the 5% on my biggest purchase which was the bag and then let me go. On my way out of the main exit I saw a lot of people being stopped and having their baggage inspected. I’ve heard horror stories and very high fines for this (way higher then 5%). I highly recommend you declare your purchases.

I wish you all luck on your upcoming visits. Please don’t be discouraged if you are not offered an appointment the first few tries. Am open to answering any questions

Hello, Atia,
So your appointment was made online?? OR You went to the shop to check any cancellation on the booking??
Thank you very much!!
Best, FFL

 

[ukyane]

Monday - Finale
To our surprise we both were granted appointments :O. Mine was at 10:30AM on the dot and hers was at 4pm. Just to give you some background this is my second Paris visit where I made a Hermes purchase the first visit (early last year) I only purchased a scarf and a tie for my dad then. My sister never made a single purchase at any Hermes store ever - which makes me believe that it is truly random.

I called and had my flight changed to later. My sister’s 7pm flight was actually the last flight of the day so she cancelled her appointment - we figured if we can’t get it at the 10:30am appt then maybe it just wasn’t meant to be! One of the perks of a 10:30am appointment is that it isn’t “subject to change”. My sister got the link that directed her to refresh the page incase there is an update to the time. I got to the store at 10:25am, I was hoping for earlier and the uber said only 10 mins but there were a lot of street closures in the area which turned it into more like 25 minutes. There was a line of about 20 or so people in front of me (this is outside at the main entrance). They promptly opened the doors at 10:30am and we were all let in. It seemed that very few people new where they were going and the SAs on the first floor started telling people to go to the second level if they had an appointment. Once at the 2nd level people seemed to scatter around - confused? Luckily I managed to quickly get to the right place. Once you go up the stairs there is a counter just past the shoe dept on the left, I guess this is the official “leather” department. There is another service desk there and an SA checking people in. There were about 5 appointments in front of us and at least 10 SAs that were being matched up. They asked for my name and I believe my passport as well but I cannot remember for sure. I was then immediately matched up with an SA.

We sat at a hightop table not too far from the cashier on that level. He immediately asked me what I was looking for, I told him a a Kelly in a small size or a Birkin 25. I was hoping for a dark color in general as I wear a lot of jeans and was nervous about the color transfer. He didn’t write anything down like others mentioned which made me nervous.. But he asked if I wanted something to drink. I said no because I didn’t want him to waste time fetching me a drink lol. He then quickly left for about 20 minutes.

I was sitting in a sort of central area and could easily hear the conversations others were having. In the 20 minutes I was there two appointments were taken at the same table and there were about three appointments going on at the tables next to mine. I was surprised by how many people were requesting a constance. I didn’t really know this bag was so wanted. I also heard requests for a Garden party, Lindys and Evelyns. To my surprise I did not hear the word Birkin once! One lady who’s appointment was taken next to mine did mention 2nd to a constance she would consider a Kelly. My sister unfortunately then got a call and had to leave early for a meeting. She wished me luck and right after she left my SA came back with one large box, two small boxes, and two cylinder like boxes. He then said to follow him! I was SO excited and since I didn’t see anyone in the open areas of the store where I had been waiting being shown B Ks or Cs I assumed it was something amazing.

We go into the room and he said he found something he thinks I will love! To my surprise it was a beautiful Kelly bag in a neutral color just like I asked! (i’m planning to do a proper reveal post with more details) I was soo happy. He then proceeded to show me a charm, twillys to match, a coin purse to match and a few other small items that would compliment my purchase. I politely declined these items as I needed time to digest my purchase lol. He was not pushy one bit and quickly wrapped everything back up and escorted me to the cashier. I paid for my bag and then started chatting with another SA that was in the stationary area. I told her how we both tried 3x each and were not offered an appointment so I felt very lucky. Like the SA from the previous day, she insisted it was completely random and system generated. She also mentioned the high number of requests due to mothers day. She told me It was great that I was there right before Fashion Week as it was just a few days from now. She said that the chances of getting a B/K/C during any fashion week were as rare as the holidays.

Some tips

• If you go in to see if there are any cancellations, go to the service desk on the 2nd level near the stationary. Right before I was taken to the private room a lady asked if there were any cancellations, I saw him on my way out sitting down with a handbag SA.
• I don’t believe there is any reason to line up very early if you have a 10:30am appointment, It seems like they have plenty of SAs to fill that appointment time - there were even 2 SAs that I noticed not matched up at the end. So have a nice breakfast
• Ask for a plain bag to be put over your box. While I took a door to door Uber and there is some sort of embassy across the street , my SA said that it’s safer this way.
• You must mail in the PABLO receipt after being scanned in order to get my tax refund for Hermes purchases. Regardless if it was declined or not at the kiosk. Most of the other shops I was at said that I didn’t have to mail it back.
• You may get stopped by the tax officers so have your bag in easy access. There was a table there so that you can do it neatly. I found them to be very professional and didn’t rush me at all as I unpacked my bag.
• You can go through the Tax kiosk/officers before checking your bags. I had a few new purchases in the bag I was going to check so I had to bring that with me.
• Stop at the Goyard boutique - there is a line outside but it moves very quickly. I know on the Goyard forum people mentioned that they hated the service.. But it’s worth the amazing savings and availability compared to in the US. If no one is attending to you downstairs then don’t be afraid to go upstairs. Also you can just let the doorman know and he will direct an SA to you once one becomes available.

CUSTOMS BACK HOME

• I declared all of my purchases and got hit with a 5% tax on the pre-vat price. They were very nice and professional. At the end they only charged my the fee on half the total pre-vat value of my purchases. I ended up spending about 30K total during the trip. He only charged me the 5% on my biggest purchase which was the bag and then let me go. On my way out of the main exit I saw a lot of people being stopped and having their baggage inspected. I’ve heard horror stories and very high fines for this (way higher then 5%). I highly recommend you declare your purchases.

I wish you all luck on your upcoming visits. Please don’t be discouraged if you are not offered an appointment the first few tries. Am open to answering any questions

Thank you for sharing your experience. Giving tips and including customs on your way back. This by far is my most favorite post to date. Very detailed. I can't wait for the actual reveal. Congratulations and bless your heart for giving back.

 

[AtiaOfTheJulii]

Hello, Atia,
So your appointment was made online?? OR You went to the shop to check any cancellation on the booking??
Thank you very much!!
Best, FFL

Yes, ultimately the appointment where I was given the bag was made online.

 

[Cygne18]

Monday - Finale
To our surprise we both were granted appointments :O. Mine was at 10:30AM on the dot and hers was at 4pm. Just to give you some background this is my second Paris visit where I made a Hermes purchase the first visit (early last year) I only purchased a scarf and a tie for my dad then. My sister never made a single purchase at any Hermes store ever - which makes me believe that it is truly random.

I called and had my flight changed to later. My sister’s 7pm flight was actually the last flight of the day so she cancelled her appointment - we figured if we can’t get it at the 10:30am appt then maybe it just wasn’t meant to be! One of the perks of a 10:30am appointment is that it isn’t “subject to change”. My sister got the link that directed her to refresh the page incase there is an update to the time. I got to the store at 10:25am, I was hoping for earlier and the uber said only 10 mins but there were a lot of street closures in the area which turned it into more like 25 minutes. There was a line of about 20 or so people in front of me (this is outside at the main entrance). They promptly opened the doors at 10:30am and we were all let in. It seemed that very few people new where they were going and the SAs on the first floor started telling people to go to the second level if they had an appointment. Once at the 2nd level people seemed to scatter around - confused? Luckily I managed to quickly get to the right place. Once you go up the stairs there is a counter just past the shoe dept on the left, I guess this is the official “leather” department. There is another service desk there and an SA checking people in. There were about 5 appointments in front of us and at least 10 SAs that were being matched up. They asked for my name and I believe my passport as well but I cannot remember for sure. I was then immediately matched up with an SA.

We sat at a hightop table not too far from the cashier on that level. He immediately asked me what I was looking for, I told him a a Kelly in a small size or a Birkin 25. I was hoping for a dark color in general as I wear a lot of jeans and was nervous about the color transfer. He didn’t write anything down like others mentioned which made me nervous.. But he asked if I wanted something to drink. I said no because I didn’t want him to waste time fetching me a drink lol. He then quickly left for about 20 minutes.

I was sitting in a sort of central area and could easily hear the conversations others were having. In the 20 minutes I was there two appointments were taken at the same table and there were about three appointments going on at the tables next to mine. I was surprised by how many people were requesting a constance. I didn’t really know this bag was so wanted. I also heard requests for a Garden party, Lindys and Evelyns. To my surprise I did not hear the word Birkin once! One lady who’s appointment was taken next to mine did mention 2nd to a constance she would consider a Kelly. My sister unfortunately then got a call and had to leave early for a meeting. She wished me luck and right after she left my SA came back with one large box, two small boxes, and two cylinder like boxes. He then said to follow him! I was SO excited and since I didn’t see anyone in the open areas of the store where I had been waiting being shown B Ks or Cs I assumed it was something amazing.

We go into the room and he said he found something he thinks I will love! To my surprise it was a beautiful Kelly bag in a neutral color just like I asked! (i’m planning to do a proper reveal post with more details) I was soo happy. He then proceeded to show me a charm, twillys to match, a coin purse to match and a few other small items that would compliment my purchase. I politely declined these items as I needed time to digest my purchase lol. He was not pushy one bit and quickly wrapped everything back up and escorted me to the cashier. I paid for my bag and then started chatting with another SA that was in the stationary area. I told her how we both tried 3x each and were not offered an appointment so I felt very lucky. Like the SA from the previous day, she insisted it was completely random and system generated. She also mentioned the high number of requests due to mothers day. She told me It was great that I was there right before Fashion Week as it was just a few days from now. She said that the chances of getting a B/K/C during any fashion week were as rare as the holidays.

Some tips

• If you go in to see if there are any cancellations, go to the service desk on the 2nd level near the stationary. Right before I was taken to the private room a lady asked if there were any cancellations, I saw him on my way out sitting down with a handbag SA.
• I don’t believe there is any reason to line up very early if you have a 10:30am appointment, It seems like they have plenty of SAs to fill that appointment time - there were even 2 SAs that I noticed not matched up at the end. So have a nice breakfast
• Ask for a plain bag to be put over your box. While I took a door to door Uber and there is some sort of embassy across the street , my SA said that it’s safer this way.
• You must mail in the PABLO receipt after being scanned in order to get my tax refund for Hermes purchases. Regardless if it was declined or not at the kiosk. Most of the other shops I was at said that I didn’t have to mail it back.
• You may get stopped by the tax officers so have your bag in easy access. There was a table there so that you can do it neatly. I found them to be very professional and didn’t rush me at all as I unpacked my bag.
• You can go through the Tax kiosk/officers before checking your bags. I had a few new purchases in the bag I was going to check so I had to bring that with me.
• Stop at the Goyard boutique - there is a line outside but it moves very quickly. I know on the Goyard forum people mentioned that they hated the service.. But it’s worth the amazing savings and availability compared to in the US. If no one is attending to you downstairs then don’t be afraid to go upstairs. Also you can just let the doorman know and he will direct an SA to you once one becomes available.

CUSTOMS BACK HOME

• I declared all of my purchases and got hit with a 5% tax on the pre-vat price. They were very nice and professional. At the end they only charged my the fee on half the total pre-vat value of my purchases. I ended up spending about 30K total during the trip. He only charged me the 5% on my biggest purchase which was the bag and then let me go. On my way out of the main exit I saw a lot of people being stopped and having their baggage inspected. I’ve heard horror stories and very high fines for this (way higher then 5%). I highly recommend you declare your purchases.

I wish you all luck on your upcoming visits. Please don’t be discouraged if you are not offered an appointment the first few tries. Am open to answering any questions

This is such a wonderful and detailed story. Thank you so much for keeping us informed, including your post-trip experience and tips. I'm so happy for you and I can't wait for your reveal! Kelly Power 4Eva!

 

[mi.kay]

Vo

Monday - Finale
To our surprise we both were granted appointments :O. Mine was at 10:30AM on the dot and hers was at 4pm. Just to give you some background this is my second Paris visit where I made a Hermes purchase the first visit (early last year) I only purchased a scarf and a tie for my dad then. My sister never made a single purchase at any Hermes store ever - which makes me believe that it is truly random.

I called and had my flight changed to later. My sister’s 7pm flight was actually the last flight of the day so she cancelled her appointment - we figured if we can’t get it at the 10:30am appt then maybe it just wasn’t meant to be! One of the perks of a 10:30am appointment is that it isn’t “subject to change”. My sister got the link that directed her to refresh the page incase there is an update to the time. I got to the store at 10:25am, I was hoping for earlier and the uber said only 10 mins but there were a lot of street closures in the area which turned it into more like 25 minutes. There was a line of about 20 or so people in front of me (this is outside at the main entrance). They promptly opened the doors at 10:30am and we were all let in. It seemed that very few people new where they were going and the SAs on the first floor started telling people to go to the second level if they had an appointment. Once at the 2nd level people seemed to scatter around - confused? Luckily I managed to quickly get to the right place. Once you go up the stairs there is a counter just past the shoe dept on the left, I guess this is the official “leather” department. There is another service desk there and an SA checking people in. There were about 5 appointments in front of us and at least 10 SAs that were being matched up. They asked for my name and I believe my passport as well but I cannot remember for sure. I was then immediately matched up with an SA.

We sat at a hightop table not too far from the cashier on that level. He immediately asked me what I was looking for, I told him a a Kelly in a small size or a Birkin 25. I was hoping for a dark color in general as I wear a lot of jeans and was nervous about the color transfer. He didn’t write anything down like others mentioned which made me nervous.. But he asked if I wanted something to drink. I said no because I didn’t want him to waste time fetching me a drink lol. He then quickly left for about 20 minutes.

I was sitting in a sort of central area and could easily hear the conversations others were having. In the 20 minutes I was there two appointments were taken at the same table and there were about three appointments going on at the tables next to mine. I was surprised by how many people were requesting a constance. I didn’t really know this bag was so wanted. I also heard requests for a Garden party, Lindys and Evelyns. To my surprise I did not hear the word Birkin once! One lady who’s appointment was taken next to mine did mention 2nd to a constance she would consider a Kelly. My sister unfortunately then got a call and had to leave early for a meeting. She wished me luck and right after she left my SA came back with one large box, two small boxes, and two cylinder like boxes. He then said to follow him! I was SO excited and since I didn’t see anyone in the open areas of the store where I had been waiting being shown B Ks or Cs I assumed it was something amazing.

We go into the room and he said he found something he thinks I will love! To my surprise it was a beautiful Kelly bag in a neutral color just like I asked! (i’m planning to do a proper reveal post with more details) I was soo happy. He then proceeded to show me a charm, twillys to match, a coin purse to match and a few other small items that would compliment my purchase. I politely declined these items as I needed time to digest my purchase lol. He was not pushy one bit and quickly wrapped everything back up and escorted me to the cashier. I paid for my bag and then started chatting with another SA that was in the stationary area. I told her how we both tried 3x each and were not offered an appointment so I felt very lucky. Like the SA from the previous day, she insisted it was completely random and system generated. She also mentioned the high number of requests due to mothers day. She told me It was great that I was there right before Fashion Week as it was just a few days from now. She said that the chances of getting a B/K/C during any fashion week were as rare as the holidays.

Some tips

• If you go in to see if there are any cancellations, go to the service desk on the 2nd level near the stationary. Right before I was taken to the private room a lady asked if there were any cancellations, I saw him on my way out sitting down with a handbag SA.
• I don’t believe there is any reason to line up very early if you have a 10:30am appointment, It seems like they have plenty of SAs to fill that appointment time - there were even 2 SAs that I noticed not matched up at the end. So have a nice breakfast
• Ask for a plain bag to be put over your box. While I took a door to door Uber and there is some sort of embassy across the street , my SA said that it’s safer this way.
• You must mail in the PABLO receipt after being scanned in order to get my tax refund for Hermes purchases. Regardless if it was declined or not at the kiosk. Most of the other shops I was at said that I didn’t have to mail it back.
• You may get stopped by the tax officers so have your bag in easy access. There was a table there so that you can do it neatly. I found them to be very professional and didn’t rush me at all as I unpacked my bag.
• You can go through the Tax kiosk/officers before checking your bags. I had a few new purchases in the bag I was going to check so I had to bring that with me.
• Stop at the Goyard boutique - there is a line outside but it moves very quickly. I know on the Goyard forum people mentioned that they hated the service.. But it’s worth the amazing savings and availability compared to in the US. If no one is attending to you downstairs then don’t be afraid to go upstairs. Also you can just let the doorman know and he will direct an SA to you once one becomes available.

CUSTOMS BACK HOME

• I declared all of my purchases and got hit with a 5% tax on the pre-vat price. They were very nice and professional. At the end they only charged my the fee on half the total pre-vat value of my purchases. I ended up spending about 30K total during the trip. He only charged me the 5% on my biggest purchase which was the bag and then let me go. On my way out of the main exit I saw a lot of people being stopped and having their baggage inspected. I’ve heard horror stories and very high fines for this (way higher then 5%). I highly recommend you declare your purchases.

I wish you all luck on your upcoming visits. Please don’t be discouraged if you are not offered an appointment the first few tries. Am open to answering any questions

Congrats! I really enjoyed your story and reading how you're not just in Paris for Hermès! I hope one day I will be as lucky as you and score my dream bag while doing touristy things in the city

 

[HavLab]

Hello, Atia,
So your appointment was made online?? OR You went to the shop to check any cancellation on the booking??
Thank you very much!!
Best, FFL

Wow you are the OP! that's awesome you're back on the thread! Good luck with your next visit!

 

[leuleu]

Monday - Finale
To our surprise we both were granted appointments :O. Mine was at 10:30AM on the dot and hers was at 4pm. Just to give you some background this is my second Paris visit where I made a Hermes purchase the first visit (early last year) I only purchased a scarf and a tie for my dad then. My sister never made a single purchase at any Hermes store ever - which makes me believe that it is truly random.

I called and had my flight changed to later. My sister’s 7pm flight was actually the last flight of the day so she cancelled her appointment - we figured if we can’t get it at the 10:30am appt then maybe it just wasn’t meant to be! One of the perks of a 10:30am appointment is that it isn’t “subject to change”. My sister got the link that directed her to refresh the page incase there is an update to the time. I got to the store at 10:25am, I was hoping for earlier and the uber said only 10 mins but there were a lot of street closures in the area which turned it into more like 25 minutes. There was a line of about 20 or so people in front of me (this is outside at the main entrance). They promptly opened the doors at 10:30am and we were all let in. It seemed that very few people new where they were going and the SAs on the first floor started telling people to go to the second level if they had an appointment. Once at the 2nd level people seemed to scatter around - confused? Luckily I managed to quickly get to the right place. Once you go up the stairs there is a counter just past the shoe dept on the left, I guess this is the official “leather” department. There is another service desk there and an SA checking people in. There were about 5 appointments in front of us and at least 10 SAs that were being matched up. They asked for my name and I believe my passport as well but I cannot remember for sure. I was then immediately matched up with an SA.

We sat at a hightop table not too far from the cashier on that level. He immediately asked me what I was looking for, I told him a a Kelly in a small size or a Birkin 25. I was hoping for a dark color in general as I wear a lot of jeans and was nervous about the color transfer. He didn’t write anything down like others mentioned which made me nervous.. But he asked if I wanted something to drink. I said no because I didn’t want him to waste time fetching me a drink lol. He then quickly left for about 20 minutes.

I was sitting in a sort of central area and could easily hear the conversations others were having. In the 20 minutes I was there two appointments were taken at the same table and there were about three appointments going on at the tables next to mine. I was surprised by how many people were requesting a constance. I didn’t really know this bag was so wanted. I also heard requests for a Garden party, Lindys and Evelyns. To my surprise I did not hear the word Birkin once! One lady who’s appointment was taken next to mine did mention 2nd to a constance she would consider a Kelly. My sister unfortunately then got a call and had to leave early for a meeting. She wished me luck and right after she left my SA came back with one large box, two small boxes, and two cylinder like boxes. He then said to follow him! I was SO excited and since I didn’t see anyone in the open areas of the store where I had been waiting being shown B Ks or Cs I assumed it was something amazing.

We go into the room and he said he found something he thinks I will love! To my surprise it was a beautiful Kelly bag in a neutral color just like I asked! (i’m planning to do a proper reveal post with more details) I was soo happy. He then proceeded to show me a charm, twillys to match, a coin purse to match and a few other small items that would compliment my purchase. I politely declined these items as I needed time to digest my purchase lol. He was not pushy one bit and quickly wrapped everything back up and escorted me to the cashier. I paid for my bag and then started chatting with another SA that was in the stationary area. I told her how we both tried 3x each and were not offered an appointment so I felt very lucky. Like the SA from the previous day, she insisted it was completely random and system generated. She also mentioned the high number of requests due to mothers day. She told me It was great that I was there right before Fashion Week as it was just a few days from now. She said that the chances of getting a B/K/C during any fashion week were as rare as the holidays.

Some tips

• If you go in to see if there are any cancellations, go to the service desk on the 2nd level near the stationary. Right before I was taken to the private room a lady asked if there were any cancellations, I saw him on my way out sitting down with a handbag SA.
• I don’t believe there is any reason to line up very early if you have a 10:30am appointment, It seems like they have plenty of SAs to fill that appointment time - there were even 2 SAs that I noticed not matched up at the end. So have a nice breakfast
• Ask for a plain bag to be put over your box. While I took a door to door Uber and there is some sort of embassy across the street , my SA said that it’s safer this way.
• You must mail in the PABLO receipt after being scanned in order to get my tax refund for Hermes purchases. Regardless if it was declined or not at the kiosk. Most of the other shops I was at said that I didn’t have to mail it back.
• You may get stopped by the tax officers so have your bag in easy access. There was a table there so that you can do it neatly. I found them to be very professional and didn’t rush me at all as I unpacked my bag.
• You can go through the Tax kiosk/officers before checking your bags. I had a few new purchases in the bag I was going to check so I had to bring that with me.
• Stop at the Goyard boutique - there is a line outside but it moves very quickly. I know on the Goyard forum people mentioned that they hated the service.. But it’s worth the amazing savings and availability compared to in the US. If no one is attending to you downstairs then don’t be afraid to go upstairs. Also you can just let the doorman know and he will direct an SA to you once one becomes available.

CUSTOMS BACK HOME

• I declared all of my purchases and got hit with a 5% tax on the pre-vat price. They were very nice and professional. At the end they only charged my the fee on half the total pre-vat value of my purchases. I ended up spending about 30K total during the trip. He only charged me the 5% on my biggest purchase which was the bag and then let me go. On my way out of the main exit I saw a lot of people being stopped and having their baggage inspected. I’ve heard horror stories and very high fines for this (way higher then 5%). I highly recommend you declare your purchases.

I wish you all luck on your upcoming visits. Please don’t be discouraged if you are not offered an appointment the first few tries. Am open to answering any questions

Thank you for the time you used to write this review : I enjoyed very much reading it. Enjoy your bag.

 

[HavLab]

I was in Paris recently and I tried for an appointment one day. I was too busy on the other days. I was rejected. I think its random!

 

[jadore couture]

Hi ladies! I'm going to France mid August with hubby for tourism and #Hshoppinggoals, planning to hit up Paris and South of France (Nice, St. Tropez, Monaco, etc.) and have a few questions:
1.) Should I go to South of France first part of my leg or save it for after Paris. I'm concerned is if (wishful thinking I know! ) that I do score a B, K or C bag, that it would be risky to fly and travel with it across the country with my purchases.
2.) Also curious to know what is actually closed in August. Hermes stays open right?
3.) has anyone had any experience with getting Hermes in the south of France stores? Do they have an online appointment system like the FSH location?
Thanks in advance!