Rome and Milan

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#331
LailaT said:
Dear sandbag and other U.S. shoppers in Italian Hermès boutiques --
Would you kindly let me know if your experience was the same as mine: I received only a long printed receipt to fill out for Global Tax Refund with the envelope to Bratislava, and not the typical forms as I did from non-H boutiques. I have received the other two refunds on my credit card statement but not yet the one from H. It was in the same envelope as the other two, and those refunds came through 2 weeks ago. So I'm worried! I'm expecting a refund of almost $1,500 - is the amount what may be delaying it? Any feedback from your experiences in Italy would be appreciated. TIA
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This was a year and a half ago and fortunately I have also traveled a lot since then, so my memory is a bit dim now,
I remember buying some moussies, maybe a CSGM, and a couple of bags. The dollar was really strong then, so everything seemed like a bargain. I think I also got the long receipt you mention and it was different from what I got at Missoni. I remember I had to wait in two different tax refund lines at the airport. I don't remember how long it took to get the refunds, but I did get them. Give it a month or two. Thankfully, I've never had a problem. Don't worry!
 
#332
LailaT said:
Dear sandbag and other U.S. shoppers in Italian Hermès boutiques --
Would you kindly let me know if your experience was the same as mine: I received only a long printed receipt to fill out for Global Tax Refund with the envelope to Bratislava, and not the typical forms as I did from non-H boutiques. I have received the other two refunds on my credit card statement but not yet the one from H. It was in the same envelope as the other two, and those refunds came through 2 weeks ago. So I'm worried! I'm expecting a refund of almost $1,500 - is the amount what may be delaying it? Any feedback from your experiences in Italy would be appreciated. TIA
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the refund process could take up to 3 months, the best practice is let the Global blue agent took the stamped form with your credit card info total up for your refund. This will be safest bet since they already acknowledged the stamped form being received. The fastest is to get the refund in 5 days with Visa or Master Amex will take more days.
the longest ever is 3 months. you can also track you refund process with the ID on the top of the refund receipt to see if they had received it yet.
 
#333
^ thank you again fellow tpfers, the credit for the tax refund did now come through, although just under 10.5%, for others' info. And no, my credit card does not charge foreign transaction fees, so the > 1.5% was kept on the EU end.
And yes it took under 2 months.
 
#336
LailaT said:
^ thank you again fellow tpfers, the credit for the tax refund did now come through, although just under 10.5%, for others' info. And no, my credit card does not charge foreign transaction fees, so the > 1.5% was kept on the EU end.
And yes it took under 2 months.
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What were you able to purchase at the rome store?
 
#338
I was in Rome a few days ago and went to the Hermes shop to browse. I asked for a Lindy or a Constance and they immediately said no. The next day I went browsing again and found a super pretty watch that my husband wanted to buy for me as an early Valentine's Day gift. It was the mini Medor watch with diamonds. After we decided on buying the watch, the sales assistant asked us if we wanted to look at anything else. My husband mentioned that I wanted a Constance or a Lindy in 26. She took me over to the bag section, talked to a male sales assistant for awhile and she said he would go look. Afterwards, he came back down with an orange box and said they had one orange and one blue hydra Lindy 26. I contemplated a bit about the blue hydra since I had wanted a blue bag but at the end refused because I wanted a darker blue. It's amazing how even after buying 8300€ worth of goods, I was only offered a Lindy 26. I had hoped my purchase would open doors to more rare items.
 
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#339
Always had the same experience in Rome as well where they are very stingy on bags (either the hard to find gems (b,k,c) or even a not as popular, toile etriviere shopper, for instance). When you see a Display Only sign for an ordinary Double Sens your chances of being able to purchase a bag is nil and sets the tone for that boutique.

If you bought the watch in Naples, Palmero, Olbia, Padua, and so forth (less touristy cities) you would of had your choice of bags in the back! I didn't even buy a watch but rather an exotic CDC, a calfskin leather belt kit, and other small items totaling about 3500 Euro and I purchased a Constance that was reserved already for a client. I was also given the choice of a Kelly 32 Togo, Kelly Cut, and two Kelly pochettes in swift.

Rome, Florence, Milan...Fun to browse but never buy although those smaller Italian cities...Heaven!


Juh512 said:
I was in Rome a few days ago and went to the Hermes shop to browse. I asked for a Lindy or a Constance and they immediately said no. The next day I went browsing again and found a super pretty watch that my husband wanted to buy for me as an early Valentine's Day gift. It was the mini Medor watch with diamonds. After we decided on buying the watch, the sales assistant asked us if we wanted to look at anything else. My husband mentioned that I wanted a Constance or a Lindy in 26. She took me over to the bag section, talked to a male sales assistant for awhile and she said he would go look. Afterwards, he came back down with an orange box and said they had one orange and one blue hydra Lindy 26. I contemplated a bit about the blue hydra since I had wanted a blue bag but at the end refused because I wanted a darker blue. It's amazing how even after buying 8300€ worth of goods, I was only offered a Lindy 26. I had hoped my purchase would open doors to more rare items.
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#340
Everlong said:
Always had the same experience in Rome as well where they are very stingy on bags (either the hard to find gems (b,k,c) or even a not as popular, toile etriviere shopper, for instance). When you see a Display Only sign for an ordinary Double Sens your chances of being able to purchase a bag is nil and sets the tone for that boutique.

If you bought the watch in Naples, Palmero, Olbia, Padua, and so forth (less touristy cities) you would of had your choice of bags in the back! I didn't even buy a watch but rather an exotic CDC, a calfskin leather belt kit, and other small items totaling about 3500 Euro and I purchased a Constance that was reserved already for a client. I was also given the choice of a Kelly 32 Togo, Kelly Cut, and two Kelly pochettes in swift.

Rome, Florence, Milan...Fun to browse but never buy although those smaller Italian cities...Heaven!
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Wow what you got offered was amazing. May i ask which of the smaller boutiques offered you the kc kp etc? Had no luck in Italy so far, only got offered a lindy in Venice after buying a Cape Cod watch [emoji28]
 
#341
labellavita27 said:
+1 I wanted a tpm but was wondering what stock is like in EU as well.
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Everlong said:
Always had the same experience in Rome as well where they are very stingy on bags (either the hard to find gems (b,k,c) or even a not as popular, toile etriviere shopper, for instance). When you see a Display Only sign for an ordinary Double Sens your chances of being able to purchase a bag is nil and sets the tone for that boutique.

If you bought the watch in Naples, Palmero, Olbia, Padua, and so forth (less touristy cities) you would of had your choice of bags in the back! I didn't even buy a watch but rather an exotic CDC, a calfskin leather belt kit, and other small items totaling about 3500 Euro and I purchased a Constance that was reserved already for a client. I was also given the choice of a Kelly 32 Togo, Kelly Cut, and two Kelly pochettes in swift.

Rome, Florence, Milan...Fun to browse but never buy although those smaller Italian cities...Heaven!
Click to expand...

I'm actually quite gutted to hear about you ladies unfortunate predicament with those boutiques. I can only speak profoundly about Milan, Rome and Naples. Their service has always been impeccable to me. Never had problems acquiring any of those coveted bags. They always offered me what was available, and if something wasn't available - they would order it for me!

I do also admit that I don't only purchase leather goods from Hermès, but also blankets and other interior items for the house, scarves, bracelets etc... I went back to Rome last week to visit my nephew, and we walked to Hermès and purchased a B without any problems. I'm Italian though, I don't know if that makes the difference... but yes, Rome and Milan do not really sell to foreigners, probably not even if you buy other things as it happened Juh512. Your best bet would really be Naples at this point or Palermo, where I assume their clientele mainly consist of tourists. I have many Italians friends who with no purchase history in Rome, Milan or Naples, were able to purchase B/K/C!
 
#342
heifer said:
I'm actually quite gutted to hear about you ladies unfortunate predicament with those boutiques. I can only speak profoundly about Milan, Rome and Naples. Their service has always been impeccable to me. Never had problems acquiring any of those coveted bags. They always offered me what was available, and if something wasn't available - they would order it for me!

I do also admit that I don't only purchase leather goods from Hermès, but also blankets and other interior items for the house, scarves, bracelets etc... I went back to Rome last week to visit my nephew, and we walked to Hermès and purchased a B without any problems. I'm Italian though, I don't know if that makes the difference... but yes, Rome and Milan do not really sell to foreigners, probably not even if you buy other things as it happened Juh512. Your best bet would really be Naples at this point or Palermo, where I assume their clientele mainly consist of tourists. I have many Italians friends who with no purchase history in Rome, Milan or Naples, were able to purchase B/K/C!
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Good to know! I am planning to go to Italy early September.
 
#343
@heifer You are so lucky! I think being Italian really helps. I bought a Medor belt in Paris on the same trip and was only offered a Lindy 30 also. The George V store I felt like didn't want to offer it to me, but I felt like the SA in Rome genuinely did not have anything to offer.
 
#345
Juh512 said:
@heifer You are so lucky! I think being Italian really helps. I bought a Medor belt in Paris on the same trip and was only offered a Lindy 30 also. The George V store I felt like didn't want to offer it to me, but I felt like the SA in Rome genuinely did not have anything to offer.
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I believe Rome is one of those who always have stock - after all, it is the second biggest store in Europe after FSH in Paris. The question here is, wether they want to sell it to you or not? Milan, I don't think is even worth a try as a tourist/ non Italian, they are very strict when it comes to B/K/C. Naples definitely will sell you bags if you purchase other things as a walk in tourist. I've seen tourists being offered bags there after they purchased something else... I've also had a chance to visit the Hermès store in Bari, south of Italy. Their shop is really really small, stock is very limited and the SA, who btw was very very lovely and helpful, told me that they are not a direct Hermès boutique, but a concession store - pretty much like the one in Pesaro.

But at the end of the day, and from my experience it all comes down to luck. Most of the times, when you're looking for something you don't find it and when you don't look for something, BANG!! you get offered something!
 
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