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.

 

[periogirl28]

I have a question. Do you think it is easy to be offered a crocodile K/B in Paris Hermes stores (specifically FSH)?

No

 

[ladysarah]

I am off to Paris again and will stop by Rue de Sèvres. Not to buy a bag but as a general look around. I totally recommend it. Lovely experience and stop by the cafe too...

 

[LKNN]

What a lovely SA-- hold on to her info with all your might
To be offered an SO so far outside of SO season is quite a thing. With an SA like that you'll surely find exactly what youre looking forsoon enough. Best of luck!

Hi everyone,

I have been reading this forum since I decide to get my first Hermes bag.
I am gone share my experience from the saint honoré boutique, some of you might be interesting.

I got an appointment at the fourth time for Friday 5h30pm, wasn’t able to check the others store.

First of all I am European, French is my mother language, I am not french.

Got my appointment on time, end up with a lovely SA around 35-40 years old.
She didn’t lost time ask me what I want, I told her that I was looker for a birkin 25-30 open to a Constance small size and also Kelly. Gave her some colors preference and told her gold or rose gold hardware is a must no platinum.

She left for around 10 minutes and came back with her box I saw it was a Constance. We went in a quite place and it was a Constance big size étoupe with gold hardware. Haven’t told her when she ask but etoupe and gold was maybe the two neutrals that I didn’t want. She told me that it was the only Constance left in non platinum except ostrich leather.
It’s at that my moment that we start to talk, she thought that i was French, told me that the stock was no existent in the size hardware that I was looking for. She also told me no delivery on the Saturday. When she realized that I was not from Paris and saw that it was really for me ( don’t think a personal shopper with decline that combo) she told me a client decline an other back let me grab it. She came back with a Kelly 25 vert amande but platinum.
She saw at my face that I wasn’t excited about, same for the Constance but want it to show/offer me something.
She told me I could offer you a special order but would take almost a year( I have no purchase history). I thanks her for that but I am looking for a classic bag no 2 colors, exotic so not interesting for me at this point.
She gave me her card and told me send me an email so we can fix an appointment ( done it this morning still waiting for a return).

Even if i am quite disappointed that I wasn’t able to find a bag I had an amazing experience, meet a lovely SA, was show two bags( too bad not for me.)

Not gone lie I think that the fact that I am European help a lot and speaking French.

About the stock they must have bags for celebrities can’t imagine no birkin Kelly in gold but I guess those bags can’t be sold to simple customers.

She also confirmed me August September terrible timing.

I did the appointment with my ID so on Monday gone start with my passport, she suggest me to try again.

Peoples say time has nothing to do with stock but I think it do Friday really end of the day terrible how it was just bad luck that day.

She also told me I can’t reserve bag, sell at distance or told you what we got that day.

Gone try my luck again next week and hopefully will get a bag that I love.

Hope it will help some of you.

 

[Alexandra.freilich]

What a lovely SA-- hold on to her info with all your might
To be offered an SO so far outside of SO season is quite a thing. With an SA like that you'll surely find exactly what youre looking forsoon enough. Best of luck!

Hi,

A few of members told me that I was very lucky I’ve read quite a few pages here and apparently sometimes SA offer you that when they cannot help you..
I was able to get a birkin couple of days later in one of my top 3 colors.
I am gone keep her personal info, she was very nice and i am thankful for the bag. At the end she was quite « pushy », she suggest me an insert, a wallet.
I was planning to get at twilly as a gift, putting twill, rodeo etc it’s not my style.
The insert to be honest I find the Hermes not the best not even talking about the light color..
The wallet that she saw me wasn’t a kelly or Constance style, the one more affordable I guess but not practical for me. She then came back with a card holder, that I find super boring and again not appropriate.
Too bad she don’t show me the 24 coin purse which I am planning on buying.
I saw that she was kind of pissed that just took a twilly, not talking about the « attitude » when she find out I was paying in cash.
Not sure if I ask for her next time she will be that nice
I never was interested in playing the game of buying items that it’s not on top of my wishlist to be offer a bag. I am european Paris is less then 2h train, of course leaving the boutique empty ended not pleasant but I always can go back.
Hermes is a amazing brand, it as a history, made in France, when I look at my bag I saw the details. But at the end they are just bags ( don’t insulted me for saying that ).
What I mean it’s we are already so lucky to be able to spend that kind of money in materials items. It’s not your bag how welcome you home, with how you chat..
For me Hermes bags are beautiful,as a fashion lover I am very happy to have a birkin in my collection but I am as much with my classic Chanel.
Maybe that she didn’t saw me super exciting put her a bit off ‍♀️

 

[LKNN]

I wear my newin throughout my trip; to all the crowded museums, Eperney etc.
Paris is a very casual city IMO (outside of fashion week(s), of course). The Saint Honore and George V area are the exception. Still, i find Parisian casual to be smart and seemingly effortless-- very different from U.S. casual.
I see lots of H bags (k/bs) in Saint Honore while shopping and sometimes at happy hour in neighborhood bars deep inside Saint Germain. For context; I'm in Paris at least 2x a year and have seen her in all seasons.

Can I ask how many of those who get a bag in Paris carry it during the rest of their trip? Or do you take it home for its inaugural visit? As I mentioned some time ago, I didn't see anyone carry an H bag in Paris. Dress was casual, jeans, etc., among the populace which may have been one factor.

 

[bagidiotic]

I have a question. Do you think it is easy to be offered a crocodile K/B in Paris Hermes stores (specifically FSH)?

No these are reserved for those top spenders
Of coz you I may get lucky if you hit the right sa

 

[C4l3B]

I have a very noob question. If I didn’t manage to get anything for my appointment, can I submit an appointment request for the next day? Or each customer can only get one appointment?

 

[chkpfbeliever]

I have a very noob question. If I didn’t manage to get anything for my appointment, can I submit an appointment request for the next day? Or each customer can only get one appointment?

You can submit another appointment.

 

[eagle1002us]

I wear my newin throughout my trip; to all the crowded museums, Eperney etc.
Paris is a very casual city IMO (outside of fashion week(s), of course). The Saint Honore and George V area are the exception. Still, i find Parisian casual to be smart and seemingly effortless-- very different from U.S. casual.
I see lots of H bags (k/bs) in Saint Honore while shopping and sometimes at happy hour in neighborhood bars deep inside Saint Germain. For context; I'm in Paris at least 2x a year and have seen her in all seasons.

Interesting! Maybe when I go there next time I'll be able to people-watch if I'm a little more used to the area. There was a discussion in this thread not too long ago about whether purchased stuff could be worn on the trip or did it have to be kept wrapped up for Customs. Perhaps a little OT but you might find it interesting.

 

[micheniche]

As I said I’m a local and never had any problem with an appointment.
I got a purchase history of approx 4000€ and I know if i want a B or K I will have one, not maybe the day I will request it but for sure I will not have to take an appointment like tourists.
I’ve got a SA at Sèvres and he was able to get me a porte monnaie and a Picotin (exactly the one I wanted) in 2 weeks.
Just met him randomly one day when I was visiting Sèvres and got his card.
Since I’m in touch with him every time I need something and have it really fast.
They are happy to sell to local and to make « real » contact with clients who will grow up with them.

I really think that @micheniche should try Sèvres (far better that GV in my opinion).
Don’t take an appointment, try to have a connection with a SA, show your knowledges about H and your love for them and you will be able to score a bag without an appointment even if you have an historic with FSH, they will ask you your name to see your purchases and just say that you want to change your store.
My stepmother got all of her purchases in Sèvres and she’s got a K in box at St Tropez just on one visit on the shop...

I did mention that I have tried at Sevres a few times. Unless I am asking for furniture, the service is always appalling. I do not have small account but because I look foreign, they just automatically assume that I am some Chinese tourist. I am not from China btw lol. And they have managed to treat my husband like crap. He's French.

Now you have to line up in order to see someone from the bag department at Sevres. I know of this from the RTW manager at FSH. I am not giving up on FSH though. Just really frustrated. I have a longstanding connection with 3 SAs in FSH but only one from the bag department who has gotten injured and henceforth, there's nothing I can do about it. The other two will not help with bags. I don't want to get them into trouble as well.

My account isn't small. It's a 6 digit figure spanning 10 years. I understand their products, the leather and even the colours. You just do when you're a client for that long. I get invited to events (saut hermes etc) but at the bag department, it doesn't reflect the treatment I get from the brand overall. Thus my frustration.

 

[micheniche]

Yes it is really weird to ask you to buy things and things before scoring a bag.
I speak openly about the H game with my SA and he told me that is false and you should never be asking to buy things before having a bag.
I think it really depends of your SA but I’m sure that if they want to offer you a bag with an history of 500€ they can!
But for sure they will not if you come and ask directly for a B or K. For me you must be « tactical », I just spent time speaking with him about leathers, Colors, H game etc and he knows that I will be a good client for them.
And as I said I only spent 4000€ at H (2000€ for a Picotin) and he knows that I will never spend 10k in one day and I will never do that to have a B or K...

Based on my experience in stores abroad, you have to buy something. In Seoul, they tell you upfront. Spend this much and that bag is yours.

 

[micheniche]

I have a question. Do you think it is easy to be offered a crocodile K/B in Paris Hermes stores (specifically FSH)?

It's easier than other stores but unless you have a long buying record or spend a bomb equivalent to the bag, no it's not easy. It's an unspoken rule. Of course the SAs will tell you, oh you don't need to buy anything to get a bag. It's a myth etc. If you're lucky, perhaps it is a myth. But around 8 years ago, I remember my mother getting offered a crocodile bag the moment she bought stuff equivalent to the price of the bag.

 

[micheniche]

By the way, recently my online (french) account has been merged with my Paris store account.
My whole purchase history in France is now under one account for ALL MY PURCHASES (both online and in store)
My in store purchases (FSH and Sevre) are now recorded under my online account, though i can't see B/K/C purchases when I log on Hermes online

Has anyone noticed this change lately?

I don't have this issue because my name online and offline are two different things. My SA merged my offline account with my husband's. This results in a system confusion. When I look up for my name on the SA's smartphones, often there are 2 records of me.

 

[kittynui]

Hi

I arrived in Paris on Monday 12th and my sister got an appointment after trying 3 times on the website.
The store was closed on Thursday and and our appointment was on Friday at the opening. My sister gave the SA my wish list telling her that it was for my 40th birthday but the SA came back empty handed. She told us that the stock was low in August and that there were no b/k she advised to register for Saturday and try the sevres store and George V which we did and ended up with nothing.
Yesterday evening, after my 4th attempt at FSH I finally got my appointment for Saturday at 11:35 am and gave the SA my wish list

1: étoupe or étain birkin 30
2: bright blue or rose jaipur 30
3: Kelly 28

She came back 20 min later with nothing in her hands but asked us to follow her in a small room in the back of the store and I saw a big orange box.

I was offered my first choice but in size 35 and I decided it was a good size for me so I took it. She also had a kelly wallet in étoupe but I passed and bought a twilly.

I am so happy to have scored my first birkin with no past purchase history !

Birkin 35 - Etoupe - GHW (i asked for RGHW but she said it’s very rare and almost impossible to get) 8.350€

 

[mcpro]

Hi

I arrived in Paris on Monday 12th and my sister got an appointment after trying 3 times on the website.
The store was closed on Thursday and and our appointment was on Friday at the opening. My sister gave the SA my wish list telling her that it was for my 40th birthday but the SA came back empty handed. She told us that the stock was low in August and that there were no b/k she advised to register for Saturday and try the sevres store and George V which we did and ended up with nothing.
Yesterday evening, after my 4th attempt at FSH I finally got my appointment for Saturday at 11:35 am and gave the SA my wish list

1: étoupe or étain birkin 30
2: bright blue or rose jaipur 30
3: Kelly 28

She came back 20 min later with nothing in her hands but asked us to follow her in a small room in the back of the store and I saw a big orange box.

I was offered my first choice but in size 35 and I decided it was a good size for me so I took it. She also had a kelly wallet in étoupe but I passed and bought a twilly.

I am so happy to have scored my first birkin with no past purchase history !

Birkin 35 - Etoupe - GHW (i asked for RGHW but she said it’s very rare and almost impossible to get) 8.350€

Congratulations!!! we're bag twins from the mothership....
enjoy Paris!!