Paris trip for Hermes

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#29,204
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.
 
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#35,313
_gelato_ said:
I find it interesting that the recent posts from various members have reported different things about scheduling appts with their Paris SAs in advance and bypassing the online lottery. Some have said the SAs invited them to do this after only 1 meeting for at the lottery appointment, while one poster who has a long-term established relationship with a Paris SA was told they still had to apply online and hope to get lucky if they wanted a bag, the pre-scheduled appointment was just to buy non-bag items. Wonder why the difference in treatment?
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I can only speak as to my own personal experience which seems to differ from others here. My SA is not a leather SA, but she clicked with my DH immediately and also understood my taste, pretty much immediately from what I wore and purchased during the first visits (K25 and the day after that, three dresses). She’s happy for me to shop with her for RTW 2X a year, and I was invited to preschedule an appt well in advance. I assumed the pre schedule appt to be for RTW, but no specification was ever made. During that visit, she brought in two racks of RTW, and she also surprised me with a 28K quadrille and a navy cargo pico that happened to be available. I think she kindly offered the bags bc the RTW runway piece that I loved didn’t fit, and the tailor recommended that I not purchase. But, I don’t ask for or expect anything in particular, and if she didn’t have any bags, I would still shop RTW. I also trust that she will chose things I will like based on my initial visits. My spend is relatively minimal, and i feel very fortunate, but there’s really no pressure or expectation

@SakuraHoney , detax in gard du norde Eurostar bf you get on the train via Pablo machine. There is also a manned desk to assist.
 
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#35,315
_gelato_ said:
I find it interesting that the recent posts from various members have reported different things about scheduling appts with their Paris SAs in advance and bypassing the online lottery. Some have said the SAs invited them to do this after only 1 meeting for at the lottery appointment, while one poster who has a long-term established relationship with a Paris SA was told they still had to apply online and hope to get lucky if they wanted a bag, the pre-scheduled appointment was just to buy non-bag items. Wonder why the difference in treatment?
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Hi, I can share how I developed my relationship. I had been shopping in Paris around 2011 sporadically- I was fortunate to have a SA but he moved on quickly and I might have bought items once or twice over a year or 2-
Nothing very concrete but there was a history of purchase in Paris and some other locations in Europe that I traveled to work for.

In 2017ish- I would say I got slightly more regular but by then my SA had left so I went through lottery system- no big deal. I myself preferred the lottery over waiting in line since I saw people bunking in a sleeping bag the night before and then 10 people would cut the line ( how I hated that!) … COVID changed all that.

In early Dec 2020- I received a call from FSH saying I could order a bag and they would ship since the boutique was still closed ( America had opened up for business) I ordered something crazy ( like a croco 25- take a chance right?!?) they took my details down and said I would get an email or call if it could be fulfilled. It wasn’t but I got a contact from the leather director. I asked her could I have an appointment next time I travel for work- and she gave it to me. I then would pick up items ( not spending $$$, but always regular) every time I dropped through Paris ( 2 times a year) and then I just kept my SA. He did pull up my profile before offering to work with me.

I will also add my SA in US did show me the screen which demonstrated I had 1 quota bag from Paris ( it should have said 2) and since I’m very honest with my SA in US, he said to keep both locations open but for more desired bags/ to try in Paris.
 
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#35,316
Hobbiezm said:
I’m very honest with my SA in US, he said to keep both locations open but for more desired bags/ to try in Paris.
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+1 on both counts. I did get a 25B sellier gold in the US from my main SA, but he views Paris as a fortuitous extra.
My FSH SA got the idea to offer me a toile quadrille bc I had purchased a toile leather jacket from my local SA that had sold out in Paris. My local SA was thr one who persuaded me to get my first 25K in Paris ( I was initially unsure as to whether the color and ghw were my style. In my case, being transparent has worked well for me . I have a well developed QB collection already, so don’t plan or need to get one on every visit. I’m hoping for more RTW in a few months instead
 
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#35,317
birkin11 said:
VIPs have an SA that they contact before arriving in Paris and they have a normal appt. They don’t go through lottery. You don’t need to be VIP to do that. If you build a relationship with the SA you meet, you can do it also but it takes a bit of luck - meeting an SA where you like each other.
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You are right.
I know a neighbor (ex-neighbor as I moved away), she was dressed head to toe Hermes and I have seen her with QB I have never even dreamt of seeing in real life haha. Mostly special edition, except 1 huge Kelly she used as a luggage when she went on a weekend trip.
So, She told me that she shops a lot at Hermes and with the same SA, and spent a certain amount (which I think it was implied: A LOT LOL). and she actually just give the wish list to the SA and that person contact her directly to come in to pick up the QB when it's in,,,,,,not based on chances/luck..... SA works for her LOL !!!!!

I have seen her collection when I see her from time to time then. It is completely different than my own experience of having to play the lottery (and there were dry months...literally hundreds of requests between 2 of us...and did not get any appointments for months and months....) but then, miraculously, we got 3 appointments (among 2 of us) within 3 months after the dry months LOL.
So, it is a very different world.

p.s. That neighbor told me she knows Michael Coste quite well.... I wish I can go to 1 of her appointments with her to see how appointments in 'her world' is like LOL
She is really nice and friendly, so, I like her a great deal. So does my daughter, she even gave my daughter a Rodeo bag charm on her birthday....... LOL
 
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#35,320
_gelato_ said:
I find it interesting that the recent posts from various members have reported different things about scheduling appts with their Paris SAs in advance and bypassing the online lottery. Some have said the SAs invited them to do this after only 1 meeting for at the lottery appointment, while one poster who has a long-term established relationship with a Paris SA was told they still had to apply online and hope to get lucky if they wanted a bag, the pre-scheduled appointment was just to buy non-bag items. Wonder why the difference in treatment?
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From what my SA sounded like- she didn’t say it but implied, they want you to buy other things apart from bags in between asking for bags. And so if you get the bag offer and then afterward buy other things with her/him and then after 6 months maybe hit them up for another bag she also was very clear that the quota bags need to be 6 months apart. I don’t know how those other ppl bought 2 quota bags back to back in Paris. She said that’s a no-go.
 
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#35,321
birkin11 said:
I did it at the Eurostar kiosks without a problem. I guess because it was a larger amount it required a stamp because the machine made me go to the desk and a guy knew already and said “show me the Birkin” I had to go to a desk and open the box and then show my American passport (I’m American but live in London) and then he stamped the form. It took less than 5 mins.
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Thank you so much for sharing. Very nice bag you got!

May I ask did you have any problem walking through the Eurostar UK border with your bag? I have a B35 too and the orange box is huge, doesn’t really fit in the 20ft suitcase for a short weekend trip. I heard that a lot of UK residents were requested to pay the import duty at Eurostar custom in London even they ‘ hided’ their shopping esp H bags in their suitcase.
 
#35,323
QuelleFromage said:
Very beautiful bag. Not chèvre, Togo. Did it say chèvre on your receipt?

B35s in chèvre have not been available in a long, long time, so your announcement was a big surprise - but again, this is a Togo bag.
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I already responded that I mistakingly thought it was chèvre at first because it has a lot of veins in the leather. Sorry for so much confusion.
 
#35,324
Lovebb12 said:
Thank you so much for sharing. Very nice bag you got!

May I ask did you have any problem walking through the Eurostar UK border with your bag? I have a B35 too and the orange box is huge, doesn’t really fit in the 20ft suitcase for a short weekend trip. I heard that a lot of UK residents were requested to pay the import duty at Eurostar custom in London even they ‘ hided’ their shopping esp H bags in their suitcase.
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Nope- they didn’t even notice me- but it did cross my mind, on the London side, when you pass customs it’s usually very crowded, just walk casually lol. They didn’t even notice me. If you’re still in Paris you can go back to Hermes and ask for a plain bag! They it offered to me. I took one from Chanel last year - it was a plain fabric black bag. Hermes have something similar so no one knows it’s Hermes. They offer so you won’t get robbed! I didn’t think of the customs thing when I declined. Only took from Chanel because it was a huge box of boots and the bag broke after 10 mins so I went back.
 
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#35,325
Te_Te said:
Hi @jimmyshoogirl, thank you, this is great advice! I'm also very observant, but that's how I know I just come across a bit colder/less likable in the first moment. If my SA wants to chat, I'm sure I'd be able to find common ground. but if she starts out with "What do you want?" I feel like I'll become a "Sorry, no stock"-girl, haha. So I just want to up my chances by making the best first impression and also feeling comfortable (which I would be moreso, having another person by my side). There must be some kind of internal guidelines, because I read soooo many pages in this thread and most women who were treated well/offered stock brought their husband/children etc. etc. I read somewhere in here that you can now (since recently) only try on bags/ bag sizes when you have a leather appointment - has anyone on here done that? I feel like that might be a good way to get chatting - in my home store, we don't have any sizes/models for try-on and it would give me the chance to get the SA involved in the project/ask about her fashion sense ("What do you think works best for me?") etc. But I'd also be worried about coming off as an absolute amateur. What do you ladies think? Because I am so petite, I'm 99% sure, I'd only want a K25 or B25/30 which I know are the most popular sizes :/
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I was in Paris last August. Visited the store with my little girls a couple times (very well behaved and always get attention for their cuteness)… i felt it didnt help at all. I received a walk in appointment on the day I was on my own. I purchased items every time I visited except for the day I got the walk in… i think my
Mindset that day was different. I had zero expectations and probably didnt give off desperate vibes
 
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