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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#8,596
ElegantRascal said:
Thank you both so much! I haven't studied French since I was sixteen and though I remember a decent amount I'm quite shy about trying to speak it… But I'll at least try and slip in a few "Bonjour"s and "Merci"s. I hope soon I'll have a success story to add to this wonderful thread! :smile1:
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My French, while good, is always rusty when I first get to Paris as I don't have anyone at home to practice with. As someone who has lived in Paris and visits several times a year...I will say that even a poor attempt at French is better than jumping straight into English, or your native language. The mistake I hear the most at FSH is people starting with no greeting right into "I want", whether it's in English, French, Cantonese, Swahili - doesn't matter, it comes off harshly.
I think we have all had people approach us this way in our language - even when unintentional it just feels rude.

"Hello, how are you? I am looking for...." goes a long way. Most Parisians will switch to English if you start to lose the thread. This is probably my #1 tip for Paris. (It's also a lovely language, and if you learned it, why not brush it up? It's such a delight to speak!)
 
#8,597
QuelleFromage said:
My French, while good, is always rusty when I first get to Paris as I don't have anyone at home to practice with. As someone who has lived in Paris and visits several times a year...I will say that even a poor attempt at French is better than jumping straight into English, or your native language. The mistake I hear the most at FSH is people starting with no greeting right into "I want", whether it's in English, French, Cantonese, Swahili - doesn't matter, it comes off harshly.
I think we have all had people approach us this way in our language - even when unintentional it just feels rude.

"Hello, how are you? I am looking for...." goes a long way. Most Parisians will switch to English if you start to lose the thread. This is probably my #1 tip for Paris. (It's also a lovely language, and if you learned it, why not brush it up? It's such a delight to speak!)
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Thank you, that is encouraging. I might make a point of going to other places before FSH to warm up… My French, not my credit card! :amuse: I've always been a better written than spoken linguist and tend to get suddenly terribly shy when faced with talking to a fluent speaker… And people always talk so quickly in their native language! It can be so hard to keep up.

But I'm sure the fairly common assumption of tourists (at least, those from the U.K./America etc.) in France, and every other country with its own primary language, that everyone will just understand English must get incredibly trying for all the local people. So I always try my best, even if I do often end up lapsing in confusion into English… I think the least one can do when visiting another country is be nice and respectful and polite to its residents!
 
#8,598
Princess D said:
Fingers crossed for you :p
Off topic but can you tell me what's the weather like? I'm flying on Monday and am having a headache now figuring whether to pack short sleeves or cashmere... Yahoo weather says 12-23 degree Celsius which is a wide range...
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It's pretty chilly. People are walking around with light jackets on. It was in the mid 60s today, but next week it's in the 70s. I would pack a sweater and a light jacket for evening strolls. [emoji38][emoji38]
 
#8,599
Hi All,

I was in Paris in June and in Paris now and I realize that a lot of the regular SAs are on holiday. An intern helped me today and I knew I was out of luck. The non Asian couple in front of me was shown a B35 in red in the men's dept. Another friend of mines also got an intern and the SA had to ask her manager for approval. The SA said upfront "my manager says we are very limited on the B/K/L and I we don't have any now. I will try again on Monday!

Wish me luck!
 
#8,600
ElegantRascal said:
Thank you, that is encouraging. I might make a point of going to other places before FSH to warm up… My French, not my credit card! :amuse: I've always been a better written than spoken linguist and tend to get suddenly terribly shy when faced with talking to a fluent speaker… And people always talk so quickly in their native language! It can be so hard to keep up.

But I'm sure the fairly common assumption of tourists (at least, those from the U.K./America etc.) in France, and every other country with its own primary language, that everyone will just understand English must get incredibly trying for all the local people. So I always try my best, even if I do often end up lapsing in confusion into English… I think the least one can do when visiting another country is be nice and respectful and polite to its residents!
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Exactly! I am sure if you practice in cafes, with perhaps a glass of wine :D , you will get comfortable. It's most important to know the softer words, i.e., "I would like" instead of "I want". It is Paris and here and there someone may be rude about your French, but that is their problem, not yours!
I do recommend not warming up that credit card too much as FSH can end up being quite a workout ;) Good luck!!
 
#8,601
Hi everyone! everyone I will be in Paris next week for my birthday and will be trying to buy a Kelly bag. I own a B35 in bleu Lin which i purchased 2 years ago in the U.S. But I'm not sure if I should bring it there. Will Wearing the B to FSH increase my chances of getting a kelly? Or is it irrelevant?
 
#8,602
Oh snap!! One of my SAs took a holiday in May. How many holidays do they take a year? Should I start having a panic attack now or wait? This is making me sad. My anxiety is eating at me. Did you ask for specific SA?
jenniferx430 said:
Hi All,

I was in Paris in June and in Paris now and I realize that a lot of the regular SAs are on holiday. An intern helped me today and I knew I was out of luck. The non Asian couple in front of me was shown a B35 in red in the men's dept. Another friend of mines also got an intern and the SA had to ask her manager for approval. The SA said upfront "my manager says we are very limited on the B/K/L and I we don't have any now. I will try again on Monday!

Wish me luck!
Click to expand...
 
#8,603
jenniferx430 said:
Hi All,

I was in Paris in June and in Paris now and I realize that a lot of the regular SAs are on holiday. An intern helped me today and I knew I was out of luck. The non Asian couple in front of me was shown a B35 in red in the men's dept. Another friend of mines also got an intern and the SA had to ask her manager for approval. The SA said upfront "my manager says we are very limited on the B/K/L and I we don't have any now. I will try again on Monday!

Wish me luck!
Click to expand...
Good luck on Monday! I think they have more stock this September and I was lucky to get one two days ago. Saturday's are apparently bad for B/Ks - low stock.
 
#8,604
barbie444 said:
Oh snap!! One of my SAs took a holiday in May. How many holidays do they take a year? Should I start having a panic attack now or wait? This is making me sad. My anxiety is eating at me. Did you ask for specific SA?
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I don't think you should panic. I got a Kelly two days ago and I know someone else did too - saw a post here. Jenniferx430 could be lucky on Monday. The stock is apparently quite low on Saturdays.
 
#8,605
Thanks! It's just that I have two SAs that I get my bags from. One of them was on holiday in May and the other one helped me. I wish I could call fsh and ask if they are there
Naija Princess said:
I don't think you should panic. I got a Kelly two days ago and I know someone else did too - saw a post here. Jenniferx430 could be lucky on Monday. The stock is apparently quite low on Saturdays.
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#8,606
Let me start by apologizing in advance for this super-long post. I wanted to share my SFH experience with this group as the stories I have read on this thread were very helpful to me. Here goes...

My sister (fraternal twin) and I went to SFH on the day we got to Paris, Friday 21 August at about 5:00 PM. My sister wanted a B or K 40 and I wanted either in 35. After about a 10-minute wait on the short leather goods queue, we met an SA whom I heard turning down the pair before us - I noticed he didn't make any effort to check. On our turn at the counter, I asked specifically to buy a bright colored B or K in size 40 or 35. The SA asked for my color preference and I said orange, red or any other bright color with gold hardware. He wrote down the details and asked for my name and country of origin which he took down as well. He returned to the counter after about 5 minutes with a large orange box and ushered us to a quiet corner of the men's section where he slowly revealed an orange Kelly 40 PHW. I said it was beautiful and that my sister would take it. I thanked him and then said that I also wanted one in 35. He explained that he couldn't sell two bags in a single transaction so I asked if I could come back the next day. He discouraged us saying that the stock was low on Saturdays but that Monday would be better. He also mentioned that each person could only get one bag in 6 months. He was warm and professional - very to-the-point vs friendly. I asked for his name and he wrote it on an SFH card. As you can imagine, we were were ecstatic at scoring a Kelly and hopeful I'd get one as well. A lovely Asian lady (a customer) followed us outside, congratulated my sister and asked for success tips. I suggested being specific about the request (as that's what I did) and we wished her luck.

Monday - my sister and I again went to SFH and joined the leather goods queue. This time the line was very long. While contemplating whether or not to wait, I heard a very warm hello. It was the SA who had sold my sister the K30. He took us off the line and hosted us in a quieter part of the store. This time he was a lot more friendly and chatty. He asked someone to serve us drinks and then took down again the details of what I wanted. He returned about 10 minutes later empty-handed but asked how long I'd be in Paris. I said I'll leave on September 4th and he asked if I could come to SFH on the 3rd saying my chances would be higher then. This time he gave me a specific time in the morning and another in the afternoon. I thanked him and said I'll come back on Sept 3rd.

Sept 3rd - once again, my sister and I returned to SFH at about 11:30 AM. The line was incredibly long but this time I asked the hostess at the leather goods section for the SA (now my SA) and she said he hadn't come in that morning. He might be at a training course that would end at about 1:30. I was disappointed but recalled he'd also given me a 2:00 PM appointment so we left and returned at about 1:55 PM. He still wasn't there so we joined the incredibly long line. After about 10 minutes, I spotted my SA coming into the store. He didn't appear to see me but shortly after, the hostess I had spoken to earlier said he was in, ushered my sister and I to sit in a quieter area and served us drinks as we waited for him. He showed up about 5 minutes later and took my bag details again. I added more colors this time, making it more broader as I was leaving the next day - he said he remembered. It was a long wait of about 15 minutes but he returned with a large orange box. I was in heaven. He slowly revealed a K35 sellier in rouge casaque epsom leather and PHW. I told him it was beautiful "I am in love", to which he smiled and remarked "So soon? I see it was worth the wait." It was certainly worth the wait. Even though my sister and I would have preferred GHW, we feel very fortunate to have got the exact bag colors we wanted and it was a great experience. I'll post pics of both bags in a moment - as soon as I figure out how to.

Hope this is in some way useful to others looking to buy a bag in Paris. The stories on this thread provide great research and the rest is down to time and chance in my opinion.
 
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