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.

 

[Audrey1964]

This is exactly why I decided to post about my experience. I love to read success stories and I'm truly happy for the ladies and gents from this forum who managed to get their dream bag.
At the same time there is a sense of "what is wrong with me/ what am I doing wrong that they won't sell me a bag" when you get turned down. And it’s completely irrational because it’s just a bag, but you still feel bad.

I'm also happy I helped you clear up some of your own feelings about Hermes. You really can't take them too seriously and their attitude towards you to heart.

You are very philosophical about the experience, and I agree with others that writing bad experiences as well as happy ones is really useful.

When I read stories like this, though, I can understand why many people buy from resellers. If Hermes don't like this practice, perhaps they could be a little more honest (and respectful!) to customers in the store. Do you think they are under the impression that you are a reseller? It seems their attitude only became unpleasant after checking their computer for your name.

 

[Hanna Flaneur]

I'm really sorry about your experience Hanna I feel for you! The way Hermes treated you is just disrespectful, everybody deserves to be treated with respect and in your case, I think these SA's crossed the line, I even feel this is an abuse of power, they have no right to play with people's feelings and with people's time.
I understand that the demand is higher than the supply but it has to be a better way to do this. I feel this type of treatment towards clients is not acceptable, even worse coming from a super luxury house like Hermes. Shame on you Hermes! I'm so sorry dear.

Thank you for your kind words
I was mostly irritated because if I knew she was pulling my leg I would simply stand in the queue and try my luck with someone else. I feel as if I missed a few opportunities.
Also, their attitude that since I already have one bag what would I need another one for, was bizarre.
A lady should be allowed to have more than one bag!

 

[Hanna Flaneur]

Some of my family members are visiting Paris, and they offered to stop by the Hermes store for me. But I would not want them to go through the trouble if the chances of the store having my bag is slim to none! I'm not interested in getting a K or B! Just looking for an Evelyne GM in gold. Does anyone know if that will be difficult as well?

No problem. In case of E if they have it, they will sell it. Just sent them in the morning, or right before closing time so there are less people. Forget about 12-15 a lot of SAs take their lunch break, so the queue moves very slowly. Good Luck!

 

[chkpfbeliever]

Hanna,

Sorry to hear that you were mistreated. I feel that they like to give people the run arounds because they think how much we love to get a B or K and they think many Asians are resellers. Personally, I find this whole experience insulting because anyone with money should be able to buy things that they like. The queue is understandable given the popularity of their products as well as the low Euro and strong dollar in addition to being Summer visitors. That is why I'm willing to pay a markup to get the exact bag that I want from a reseller or buy preloved ones just to avoid this kind of insult. I probably will visit someday but will not be hoping to get a B or K. While some lucky TPFers encountered nice SAs, 90% of them don't and most of the time their service sounds like Walmart.

I hope you still enjoyed Paris while you were there.

Hello, I will write a bit about my experience at FSH in July.

On Wednesday, I tried to get in touch with the SA who sold me my first B back in January. Upon entering the boutique I gave his name to SA who greets customers and after calling him on walkie-talkie she said he was unavailable because he already had appointments with other customers for an entire day. Not seeing anything wrong with it I said that since I'm going to be in Paris for a few days I would like to see him to make my own appointment. At this point the greeting SA looked down right angry and said that if I'm interested in a bag I need to stand in the queue with everyone else. To which I replied that I'm not interested in bags only, but other items too.
Put upon the SA called him again and said to wait. When “my” SA came down I could already see it would go nowhere. I tried to be friendly and say something about enjoying the bag he sold me and since back in January all the other things I wanted to buy as well (jewelry, scarves, belt) were not available in my size or colour pallet, but before any of that he said he only vaguely remembers me and besides he now mostly works from the office and not on the floor. Which as you can imagine was a little embarrassing to see him work on three consecutive days helping on said floor...
Mostly I didn't understand why before I even asked for anything they both felt the need to lie to me. If I got help from "my” SA, I wouldn't bother asking for any bags, just buy other things to build a relationship. Since he wasn't interested in helping me I decided to try my luck buying a bag with a random SA. It was around 11 and at that point the queue was so long I decided to come back later in the afternoon. Which I did, but after waiting for over an hour I got some young, fresh SA who mumbled no B, no K (I didn't even ask for a K) without even pretending to check.

On Thursday I went in the morning and got an older female SA. We chatted for a little bit and got along well... until she went to check my name in their system. Once she knew I already had one B, it turned into an interrogation. At some point we talked about Chanel of all things and she went: "oh so you do nothing but shop all day". I was taken aback so I simply smiled. I mean, maybe next time I will explain that when in Paris I spent 80% of my time staring at dead man's paintings, but at the time I didn't know how to respond.

On Friday morning I got a male SA. Once again everything was going in the right direction, until he checked my name. Then he came back and said they had many colours to choose from in B (or was it HAC?) in size 40. I turned it down as I explained I can't carry heavy bags (asked for B 30 or 25), yet he kept pushing to consider size 40. I end up wondering if they now have problems selling bigger sizes. Usually they are bought by men, but I noticed that majority of Asian men (more like boys really) at FSH are now carrying 35/30 as well.
I went back in the late afternoon and got a young female SA. The pattern was exactly the same. Open, nice, friendly to on her guard. And another interrogation. This time I was more prepared and gave better answers so before I left (still no bags) I asked for her name and if I can ask for her next time. She appeared to be more than happy and even said "don't worry I will take care of you". Which is why *I* let my guard down and didn't realize I was being played.
I thought it was a case of making me return a few times to "prove" my loyalty and that after being turned down two, three times I will be "rewarded" on my last try, especially since she asked when I was leaving Paris, but:
She told me not to come on Saturday, when I first talked to her she claimed there was no new delivery (I saw a delivery truck right next to the employees side door), she kept saying to come around a certain time and IF she is free between customers she will help me, as if I weren't a real customer myself, but a friend dropping by and finally when I asked her for help with items from different departments she said she can't help me with that.

I still went on Saturday (no bags) and on Monday morning I was sent away and told to come back much later. So around three which was my last chance I wasn't expecting much, but still felt disappointment when she said they had no new delivery.
Add insult to injury when I went to men’s department I saw a lady being shown a red B 25 and another one also looking at a B...
So lesson learned, don't put all your eggs in one basket!

Sorry, for the super long post, I needed to vent ullhair:

 

[EmileH]

Thank you for your kind words
I was mostly irritated because if I knew she was pulling my leg I would simply stand in the queue and try my luck with someone else. I feel as if I missed a few opportunities.
Also, their attitude that since I already have one bag what would I need another one for, was bizarre.
A lady should be allowed to have more than one bag!

You obviously have a really healthy perspective on the whole thing. Good for you. Honestly, the games were beginning to ruin my enjoyment of the products. Now that I have the essentials on my list I feel completely liberated. The balance of power has changed and I don't need to play their games anymore, here or abroad. I wish you very good luck on your next trip. I will be in Paris the last week of October. If you are going to be there pm me and I'll buy you a drink at the Bar Hemingway. When does the Ritz reopen anyway? Hugs to you.

 

[chkpfbeliever]

You are very philosophical about the experience, and I agree with others that writing bad experiences as well as happy ones is really useful.

When I read stories like this, though, I can understand why many people buy from resellers. If Hermes don't like this practice, perhaps they could be a little more honest (and respectful!) to customers in the store. Do you think they are under the impression that you are a reseller? It seems their attitude only became unpleasant after checking their computer for your name.

Who knows what these SAs are thinking ? Many people have returned to FSH repeated and got bags. It is not that a customer can be on a black list.

I'm curious on the one being shown the B25. I heard that this size is extremely rare at FSH as most successful stores here are only bigger sizes like the 35. Once in a while, there may be a K28 but still rare. I wonder if they save the special sizes to their so called 'Non resellers VVIP'. Those always turn out to be the biggest resellers. From several resellers that I track on Instagram, they have the most desired smaller sizes and colors. You would wonder how they got these bags, from the same people that FSH trusts.

 

[crazyaboutbags]

Thank you for your kind words
I was mostly irritated because if I knew she was pulling my leg I would simply stand in the queue and try my luck with someone else. I feel as if I missed a few opportunities.
Also, their attitude that since I already have one bag what would I need another one for, was bizarre.
A lady should be allowed to have more than one bag!

That's right hon and no SA in the world is going to tell you otherwise
I hope you find your dream bag soon

 

[Hanna Flaneur]

Do you think they are under the impression that you are a reseller? It seems their attitude only became unpleasant after checking their computer for your name.

That might be the case? I'm not sure. I travel as a single women who still looks reasonably young. And when in Paris I make sure to dress up. Maybe that doesn't work in my favour

The problem is that I bought many things (not bags) from them through out the years, but it's only recently that they become very vigilant about having every customer in their system. Five, six years ago, they would ask "Do you live in Paris" and when I said no they didn't bother asking for my name or my passport number so I never had an account.
I only got it two years ago when I bought my very first bag (K), later a Halzan and a wallet, then this January a B. There are some scarves (and cosmetics and petit H), but not too many as I prefer to go crazy during the sale. So yes, my customer account is pretty new and filled mostly with leather accessories

On that note, always make sure that anything you buy, no matter how small, is put on your customer account. Some cashiers don't bother when they see you aren't French and aren't buying a bag

 

[Mininana]

This is exactly why I decided to post about my experience. I love to read success stories and I'm truly happy for the ladies and gents from this forum who managed to get their dream bag.
At the same time there is a sense of "what is wrong with me/ what am I doing wrong that they won't sell me a bag" when you get turned down. And it’s completely irrational because it’s just a bag, but you still feel bad.

I'm also happy I helped you clear up some of your own feelings about Hermes. You really can't take them too seriously and their attitude towards you to heart.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us Hanna.. You had both a good and a bad experience, and it's just so much harder because you did manage to get a B earlier this year.

Some SA really do suck the joy out of the hunt!!! My SA was so mean (I'm asian and so was she). She told me no b or k and I wanted a leather GP to which she also said no. To evelyne She only showed me toile and when I decided I wanted to check out the bambou in stock she brought out two evelynes that were not bright at all.... I was wearing my RT evelyne and looking at bambou, how did she decide I wanted a dark navy blue? Totally beyond me.

anyway.. she then said I could only buy ONE bag. I then asked her if everyone here is the same and she starts telling me the richest people in the WORLD come shop here and it's the same rule for everyone. I'm sorry... Oye.


sorry for my little rant here. So then she said 6 months.. I asked her I'm going early september which is right before 6 months rule and she said she would make an exception. Reallly? I just found out you can actually buy 3 bags per each visit!!! So mean of her.


anyway!! I will be back in two weeks and I'm starting to get really nervous. It will be right after the craftsmen come back and I really hope I get offered a B/K this time.


I hate that she automatically thought I looked like a reseller.. my man isn't asian. She totally ruined my first FSH experience and now I'm so scared that I'm thinking of sending my non asian man to get me whatever is on my wishlist.. .as she decided she would not let me purchase anything!! So sad.

 

[bluenavy]

I was there at FSH too today and turned down for a birkin. Very frustrating. I told the SA it was my first visit to Paris but I have been a loyal H customer for the past 10 years. I asked for a neutral colored birkin such as etoupe in either hardware in 30 cm or 35 cm. The SA did take my passport and went to look but came back saying there were no more birkins left. She was very polite. It made me sad as I walked around and saw at least two people being shown birkins. One was in etoupe. It is my last day in Paris and am debating whether or not to try again since I have been to George v and sevres without any luck as well. 😔

Good luck!!!!

 

[bluenavy]

Hello, I will write a bit about my experience at FSH in July.

On Wednesday, I tried to get in touch with the SA who sold me my first B back in January. Upon entering the boutique I gave his name to SA who greets customers and after calling him on walkie-talkie she said he was unavailable because he already had appointments with other customers for an entire day. Not seeing anything wrong with it I said that since I'm going to be in Paris for a few days I would like to see him to make my own appointment. At this point the greeting SA looked down right angry and said that if I'm interested in a bag I need to stand in the queue with everyone else. To which I replied that I'm not interested in bags only, but other items too.
Put upon the SA called him again and said to wait. When “my” SA came down I could already see it would go nowhere. I tried to be friendly and say something about enjoying the bag he sold me and since back in January all the other things I wanted to buy as well (jewelry, scarves, belt) were not available in my size or colour pallet, but before any of that he said he only vaguely remembers me and besides he now mostly works from the office and not on the floor. Which as you can imagine was a little embarrassing to see him work on three consecutive days helping on said floor...
Mostly I didn't understand why before I even asked for anything they both felt the need to lie to me. If I got help from "my” SA, I wouldn't bother asking for any bags, just buy other things to build a relationship. Since he wasn't interested in helping me I decided to try my luck buying a bag with a random SA. It was around 11 and at that point the queue was so long I decided to come back later in the afternoon. Which I did, but after waiting for over an hour I got some young, fresh SA who mumbled no B, no K (I didn't even ask for a K) without even pretending to check.

On Thursday I went in the morning and got an older female SA. We chatted for a little bit and got along well... until she went to check my name in their system. Once she knew I already had one B, it turned into an interrogation. At some point we talked about Chanel of all things and she went: "oh so you do nothing but shop all day". I was taken aback so I simply smiled. I mean, maybe next time I will explain that when in Paris I spent 80% of my time staring at dead man's paintings, but at the time I didn't know how to respond.

On Friday morning I got a male SA. Once again everything was going in the right direction, until he checked my name. Then he came back and said they had many colours to choose from in B (or was it HAC?) in size 40. I turned it down as I explained I can't carry heavy bags (asked for B 30 or 25), yet he kept pushing to consider size 40. I end up wondering if they now have problems selling bigger sizes. Usually they are bought by men, but I noticed that majority of Asian men (more like boys really) at FSH are now carrying 35/30 as well.
I went back in the late afternoon and got a young female SA. The pattern was exactly the same. Open, nice, friendly to on her guard. And another interrogation. This time I was more prepared and gave better answers so before I left (still no bags) I asked for her name and if I can ask for her next time. She appeared to be more than happy and even said "don't worry I will take care of you". Which is why *I* let my guard down and didn't realize I was being played.
I thought it was a case of making me return a few times to "prove" my loyalty and that after being turned down two, three times I will be "rewarded" on my last try, especially since she asked when I was leaving Paris, but:
She told me not to come on Saturday, when I first talked to her she claimed there was no new delivery (I saw a delivery truck right next to the employees side door), she kept saying to come around a certain time and IF she is free between customers she will help me, as if I weren't a real customer myself, but a friend dropping by and finally when I asked her for help with items from different departments she said she can't help me with that.

I still went on Saturday (no bags) and on Monday morning I was sent away and told to come back much later. So around three which was my last chance I wasn't expecting much, but still felt disappointment when she said they had no new delivery.
Add insult to injury when I went to men’s department I saw a lady being shown a red B 25 and another one also looking at a B...
So lesson learned, don't put all your eggs in one basket!

Sorry, for the super long post, I needed to vent ullhair:

So sorry to hear your experience.

 

[Hanna Flaneur]

Hanna,

Sorry to hear that you were mistreated. I feel that they like to give people the run arounds because they think how much we love to get a B or K and they think many Asians are resellers... I hope you still enjoyed Paris while you were there.

I'm curious on the one being shown the B25. I heard that this size is extremely rare at FSH as most successful stores here are only bigger sizes like the 35. Once in a while, there may be a K28 but still rare. I wonder if they save the special sizes to their so called 'Non resellers VVIP'. Those always turn out to be the biggest resellers. From several resellers that I track on Instagram, they have the most desired smaller sizes and colors. You would wonder how they got these bags, from the same people that FSH trusts.

Well 90% of the people in the queue are Asians and they do have the largest market of re sell bags in the world, so many probably are resellers. After all, all those bags have to come from some where.
I just feel sorry for TPF Asian members, because resellers give them a bad name and make it so much harder to buy bags.

As for the B25 that I saw, it was being sold to two Asian ladies. The Mother was so happy she practically vibrated in place, while the daughter had that "yes good for you Mom, can we go now" look that most teenagers regardless of race or nationality do. The SA was positively beaming at them too. It was lovely to observe.

Paris was as always lovely, but the heat wave was unbearable.

 

[barbie444]

I also travel alone and I am in my early 20's, but look a lot younger the other day someone said I looked 17. I do dress up while I am in Paris no over the top but casual chic. Last time I was in Paris before I saw my SA, I went to another one and I was asked several questions about what I will do and what I will use the bag for. I said I only use my nice bags on the weekends and during the week I wear something more work appropriate. When I finally saw my SA who sold my my first B I literally couldn't shut up about my excitement towards H, but if sHe had made a comment about how i shop all day and don't work I would have been PISSED OFF, but I did tell her that the only thing that makes me want to go to work is so I can save more money to buy H. I really hope you are lucky in December. In May I saw many asians get lucky.

That might be the case? I'm not sure. I travel as a single women who still looks reasonably young. And when in Paris I make sure to dress up. Maybe that doesn't work in my favour

The problem is that I bought many things (not bags) from them through out the years, but it's only recently that they become very vigilant about having every customer in their system. Five, six years ago, they would ask "Do you live in Paris" and when I said no they didn't bother asking for my name or my passport number so I never had an account.
I only got it two years ago when I bought my very first bag (K), later a Halzan and a wallet, then this January a B. There are some scarves (and cosmetics and petit H), but not too many as I prefer to go crazy during the sale. So yes, my customer account is pretty new and filled mostly with leather accessories

On that note, always make sure that anything you buy, no matter how small, is put on your customer account. Some cashiers don't bother when they see you aren't French and aren't buying a bag

 

[lesyeux]

It comes to the fact that 70% of the people hunting for bags are resellers in FSH, but it's yet to be a proper reason for them to judge someone before acquainted.
And even not to mention that 70% of the sales comes from resellers.
I support the idea to avoid resellers, but I feel they go too far, such as judge by appearance, check passport, judge by countries.

As I was told by a SA in FSH, that following kinds of customers are more difficult to obtain a bag, 1.Shopping alone 2. Asian 3.Male. It doesn't mean that these kind of customers could never obtain a bag, just relatively more chicky.
They do have a blacklist, but I think they don't easily put you on just because you ask for a bag.
Your case is due to you have purchased a bag in Avril, and now they would like to keep you waiting until the end of the year to balance. Nothing personal to you.

 

[Hanna Flaneur]

You obviously have a really healthy perspective on the whole thing. Good for you. Honestly, the games were beginning to ruin my enjoyment of the products. Now that I have the essentials on my list I feel completely liberated. The balance of power has changed and I don't need to play their games anymore, here or abroad. I wish you very good luck on your next trip. I will be in Paris the last week of October. If you are going to be there pm me and I'll buy you a drink at the Bar Hemingway. When does the Ritz reopen anyway? Hugs to you.

“The quality will remain long after the price (bad service) is forgotten” the story of Hermes and my approach to it

Oh we will miss each other, I will be in Paris during the first week of October.
Still you can have a good drink in my name and I will have one in yours
As for Ritz it's still some way to go March 2016!