Spend threshold for B/K/C

[acrowcounted]

Hi Hermes lovers and this wonderful group! I would like to share my experience with Hermès. I started my journey last year back in April. I started off small and thought I found a SA that i clicked with . At that time I purchased Orans sandals and perfume. I explained at that time I wanted a Herbag 31 in Orange. SA K would keep an eye open. At that moment no follow up I tried texting no response. So I went back to boutique 3 months later and found a different SA who was a fresh breath of air helped me order some house wear and asked me about my wishlist. And I explained that I was working with SA Q and stated that I would like to change SA and would you be willing to be my main SA . New SA stated sure . She was able to produce the Herbag in the right color and size . I explained I would like to have Birkin in 30 with gold hardware neutral colors . Main SA put information into iPhone. Months later I went back and purchased more items I’m at 5k pre spend and no bag . Last year I went back to purchase some beach sandals and asked her to place and order of green oasis she didn’t even bother to check just stated it was sold out . I told SA to keep an eye out if one pops up . So later that day I called customer service and was told Madison store had my pair and I was able to call the store to purchase by them sending me a link . Main SA would only call to offer things that would only make SA monthly goals . I felt that she taking advantage of me and I pause my shopping with SA for Dec 2022. I was very disappointed that I didn’t get a B30 . I saw other people getting bags and was just what is wrong with me ?? This journey has put me through mental breakdown. I told myself I would reach back out through text to see if main Sa can find my Chypre sandals she stated she would put an order. A week later . So a week later I stop by into boutique just to browse around to see if new things were available and I asked about the cypher sands and SA told me oh I can place an order , but last week SA told me the order was placed! SA completely lie to me but I told myself again that I’m done ! Going into 11/2023 I drop by the boutique because I wanted a gold ring , scarf, mules , RTW and a couple of books. Pre spend now 13k I asked again about my b30 and she shook her head and stated stock is low and no bags available etc ….. you know bs lies ! So I saw the manager and explained this whole situation that I been waiting patiently and not been offered my wishlist bag manager check my profile and walk to the back where my main SA was and had a talk with SA . I noticed her demeanor has changed and stated I need yo update your wishlist what are you interested in and we will start working on your bag .



This is SA even offered me a pegasus that I’ve been wanting for two years now that I’ve paid for . So today SA calls and offers me a B30 in Vert Amade with silver hardware something I did not request on my wishlist! I politely declined the bag and explained per whishlist the only hardware is gold , provided colors and size . Now SA stated it doesn’t work like that you only get one choice to pick and maybe something would come next year ! I’m so emotionally drained and have tried to keep a positive outlook but I feel devastated any helpful advice would be appreciated ! sorry for being long winded

Sadly, I think your expectations are misaligned with reality. These days $13k prespend over a year and a half, with various SAs, just isn’t “good enough” to trigger a B30 in a classic color. It sounds like you are on their radar now though so I do think with another $5k-10k prespend (and a kind and relaxed attitude…) you would be offered something closer to your choice within the next six months. However, I do encourage you to be more flexible with your bag specs if possible. And if not possible then you need to be more understanding that the bags come in as they come in and if you are waiting for a popular bag, there are probably a dozen others waiting for that same bag. Some will have been waiting longer and with higher spends and will therfore get the offer first. It’s not personal.

 

[gogingercat]

Honestly, Madison is hard for chypres and certain bags. there is no guarantee of a bag, and many clients spend 2X or 3X per visit. My Madison SA has told me that it doesn’t work like that either. It’s not like you submit a wish list and after a certain amount, you are guaranteed the bag On your list. Unless your SA Is in the leather department, SAs can only offer what they are authorized to offer. If they have not been authorized to offer anyone a [insert bag of your choice] you won’t get it. I would not take it personally Bc it’s not personal. It’s how H corporate chooses to allocate bags. It is not up to the SA.

ETA: re the shoe situation, my SA had tried to get chypres for me for months (during which time I received several B25 and B30 offers). What apparently happens is when orans and chypres come in, the shoe dept SAs grab them for their regular clients bf they even make it to the sales floor.

ETA: it is not considered easier to obtain a lottery leather appt in Paris.

Do all US boutiques have SAs that are assigned to specific departments, or is it just H Madison? Thank you.

 

[880]

Do all US boutiques have SAs that are assigned to specific departments, or is it just H Madison? Thank you.

BH is the only other US Maison. It has SAs for leather and other things. Not sure about smaller boutiques.

 

[acrowcounted]

Do all US boutiques have SAs that are assigned to specific departments, or is it just H Madison? Thank you.

No, only the flagships. It’s actually a pretty rare setup in the US. They often have specialties (like one SA mainly does the ordering for women’s RTW, and another for silks, etc) but you wouldnt really know it from daily interactions with them and it’s not the same as the setup at Madison.

 

[luxuryspy]

Honestly, Madison is hard for chypres and certain bags. there is no guarantee of a bag, and many clients spend 2X or 3X per visit. My Madison SA has told me that it doesn’t work like that either. It’s not like you submit a wish list and after a certain amount, you are guaranteed the bag On your list. Unless your SA Is in the leather department, SAs can only offer what they are authorized to offer. If they have not been authorized to offer anyone a [insert bag of your choice] you won’t get it. I would not take it personally Bc it’s not personal. It’s how H corporate chooses to allocate bags. It is not up to the SA.

ETA: re the shoe situation, my SA had tried to get chypres for me for months (during which time I received several B25 and B30 offers). What apparently happens is when orans and chypres come in, the shoe dept SAs grab them for their regular clients bf they even make it to the sales floor.

ETA: it is not considered easier to obtain a lottery leather appt in Paris.

Madison is not my home boutique . My home store is in Florida. I just want my dream bag and I’m not spending another penny. With tears in my eyes typing this . I will wait or fly to paris in March. I’m not the type of person who will just accept anything I’m not desperate. I think once I get this bag be done with this SA and start looking for a new SA or just have FSH as my primary store for K/B

 

[880]

Madison is not my home boutique . My home store is in Florida. I just want my dream bag and I’m not spending another penny. With tears in my eyes typing this . I will wait or fly to paris in March. I’m not the type of person who will just accept anything I’m not desperate. I think once I get this bag be done with this SA and start looking for a new SA or just have FSH as my primary store for K/B

I don’t think it is worth tears. It’s simply that there are too many clients who outspend you by quite a bit and who have waited longer. And there is simply not enough merchandise. Since there are fewer bags and increased demand, there is a lot of pressure on SAs to reserve those bags that they are allocated for their top clients. It is also not easy to have FSH as a primary store or source for bags. In fact, after hundreds of lottery tries, many members have stated that it is easier to obtain a bag at home. You might want to check out the Paris thread so you can judge for yourself. I personally shop local boutique, FSH, and well priced reseller. I wish you the best of luck

 

[luxuryspy]

I don’t think it is worth tears. It’s simply that there are too many clients who outspend you and who have waited longer and not enough merchandise. Since there are fewer bags and increased demands, there is a lot of pressure on SAs to reserve those bags for their top clients. It is also not easy to have FSH as a primary store or source for bags. You might want to check out the Paris thread. I wish you the best of luck

Thank you!

 

[acrowcounted]

Madison is not my home boutique . My home store is in Florida. I just want my dream bag and I’m not spending another penny. With tears in my eyes typing this . I will wait or fly to paris in March. I’m not the type of person who will just accept anything I’m not desperate. I think once I get this bag be done with this SA and start looking for a new SA or just have FSH as my primary store for K/B

You’re probably going to have to spend in Paris as well unless you get super super lucky with the lottery and then doubly lucky with an SA there who wants to get you a bag and also has available exactly what you are looking for that day. Paris is almost as difficult as any other store these days.

I know it can be emotionally difficult starting out but I would recommend taking some time off to cool down a bit and then maybe looking at it more rationally. It’s truly not personal you just unfortunately haven’t met the unspoken “requirements“ for getting the bag you want yet, but I do believe you are very close given that you just received an excellent offer. It would be silly, in my mind, to walk away over emotions at this point but I wish you good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[haute okole]

Hi Hermes lovers and this wonderful group! I would like to share my experience with Hermès. I started my journey last year back in April. I started off small and thought I found a SA that i clicked with . At that time I purchased Orans sandals and perfume. I explained at that time I wanted a Herbag 31 in Orange. SA K would keep an eye open. At that moment no follow up I tried texting no response. So I went back to boutique 3 months later and found a different SA who was a fresh breath of air helped me order some house wear and asked me about my wishlist. And I explained that I was working with SA Q and stated that I would like to change SA and would you be willing to be my main SA . New SA stated sure . She was able to produce the Herbag in the right color and size . I explained I would like to have Birkin in 30 with gold hardware neutral colors . Main SA put information into iPhone. Months later I went back and purchased more items I’m at 5k pre spend and no bag . Last year I went back to purchase some beach sandals and asked her to place and order of green oasis she didn’t even bother to check just stated it was sold out . I told SA to keep an eye out if one pops up . So later that day I called customer service and was told Madison store had my pair and I was able to call the store to purchase by them sending me a link . Main SA would only call to offer things that would only make SA monthly goals . I felt that she taking advantage of me and I pause my shopping with SA for Dec 2022. I was very disappointed that I didn’t get a B30 . I saw other people getting bags and was just what is wrong with me ?? This journey has put me through mental breakdown. I told myself I would reach back out through text to see if main Sa can find my Chypre sandals she stated she would put an order. A week later . So a week later I stop by into boutique just to browse around to see if new things were available and I asked about the cypher sands and SA told me oh I can place an order , but last week SA told me the order was placed! SA completely lie to me but I told myself again that I’m done ! Going into 11/2023 I drop by the boutique because I wanted a gold ring , scarf, mules , RTW and a couple of books. Pre spend now 13k I asked again about my b30 and she shook her head and stated stock is low and no bags available etc ….. you know bs lies ! So I saw the manager and explained this whole situation that I been waiting patiently and not been offered my wishlist bag manager check my profile and walk to the back where my main SA was and had a talk with SA . I noticed her demeanor has changed and stated I need yo update your wishlist what are you interested in and we will start working on your bag .



This is SA even offered me a pegasus that I’ve been wanting for two years now that I’ve paid for . So today SA calls and offers me a B30 in Vert Amade with silver hardware something I did not request on my wishlist! I politely declined the bag and explained per whishlist the only hardware is gold , provided colors and size . Now SA stated it doesn’t work like that you only get one choice to pick and maybe something would come next year ! I’m so emotionally drained and have tried to keep a positive outlook but I feel devastated any helpful advice would be appreciated ! sorry for being long winded

Consider resellers. Success requires a great collaboration between you, your SA and SM. Without a genuine fondness and mutual respect for each other, you will be absolutely frustrated at Hermes, no matter how much money you spend. Of course, there are exceptions for those who spend $100k+ a year for a decade or more. You would save money and get exactly what you want from reputable resellers. The second hand market has plummeted for B30s and you can get brand new authentic bags for less than what you would spend on prespend.

 

[Bdbunny]

Hi Hermes lovers and this wonderful group! I would like to share my experience with Hermès. I started my journey last year back in April. I started off small and thought I found a SA that i clicked with . At that time I purchased Orans sandals and perfume. I explained at that time I wanted a Herbag 31 in Orange. SA K would keep an eye open. At that moment no follow up I tried texting no response. So I went back to boutique 3 months later and found a different SA who was a fresh breath of air helped me order some house wear and asked me about my wishlist. And I explained that I was working with SA Q and stated that I would like to change SA and would you be willing to be my main SA . New SA stated sure . She was able to produce the Herbag in the right color and size . I explained I would like to have Birkin in 30 with gold hardware neutral colors . Main SA put information into iPhone. Months later I went back and purchased more items I’m at 5k pre spend and no bag . Last year I went back to purchase some beach sandals and asked her to place and order of green oasis she didn’t even bother to check just stated it was sold out . I told SA to keep an eye out if one pops up . So later that day I called customer service and was told Madison store had my pair and I was able to call the store to purchase by them sending me a link . Main SA would only call to offer things that would only make SA monthly goals . I felt that she taking advantage of me and I pause my shopping with SA for Dec 2022. I was very disappointed that I didn’t get a B30 . I saw other people getting bags and was just what is wrong with me ?? This journey has put me through mental breakdown. I told myself I would reach back out through text to see if main Sa can find my Chypre sandals she stated she would put an order. A week later . So a week later I stop by into boutique just to browse around to see if new things were available and I asked about the cypher sands and SA told me oh I can place an order , but last week SA told me the order was placed! SA completely lie to me but I told myself again that I’m done ! Going into 11/2023 I drop by the boutique because I wanted a gold ring , scarf, mules , RTW and a couple of books. Pre spend now 13k I asked again about my b30 and she shook her head and stated stock is low and no bags available etc ….. you know bs lies ! So I saw the manager and explained this whole situation that I been waiting patiently and not been offered my wishlist bag manager check my profile and walk to the back where my main SA was and had a talk with SA . I noticed her demeanor has changed and stated I need yo update your wishlist what are you interested in and we will start working on your bag .



This is SA even offered me a pegasus that I’ve been wanting for two years now that I’ve paid for . So today SA calls and offers me a B30 in Vert Amade with silver hardware something I did not request on my wishlist! I politely declined the bag and explained per whishlist the only hardware is gold , provided colors and size . Now SA stated it doesn’t work like that you only get one choice to pick and maybe something would come next year ! I’m so emotionally drained and have tried to keep a positive outlook but I feel devastated any helpful advice would be appreciated ! sorry for being long winded

Wow I am actually impressed you were offered a B30 in a desirable color with basically a 1:1 spend! (Does the $13k include your Herbag? Bags usually don’t count in prespend so maybe you did even better.)

I think you should listen to @880 and @acrowcounted ’s advice. It’s not personal and it sounds like your expectations were not aligned with the current environment. Most people say it takes at least 3x before being offered a QB. You were offered one at 1:1, which to me sounds like the store is trying to make you happy! They didn’t offer you GHW because they didn’t have it, not because they were trying to toy with you, but maybe next bag that comes in will have GHW. My first quota bag had none of the specs I wanted, except it was gold. I wanted sellier, got retourne, I wanted GHW, got PHW, I wanted 25, got 28. I actually disliked that bag for a long time! (But now I love it!)
But I agree with @acrowcounted that you are close.

Although it does sound like this is stressing you out a lot, so you may want to consider @haute okole ‘s advice and step away. For now at least! Good luck! Hope the next GHW Birkin is yours!

 

[lala_retro]

I saw other people getting bags and was just what is wrong with me ?? This journey has put me through mental breakdown.

Madison is not my home boutique . My home store is in Florida. I just want my dream bag and I’m not spending another penny. With tears in my eyes typing this . I will wait or fly to paris in March. I’m not the type of person who will just accept anything I’m not desperate. I think once I get this bag be done with this SA and start looking for a new SA or just have FSH as my primary store for K/B

I think perhaps it would be beneficial to take some time away from H shopping, because this process does seem somewhat stressful, and frankly a little unhealthy for you. I can totally understand your level of frustration at the long waiting period before a QB offer (we've all been there), then being offered a combo you don't like, but as others have stated, 13k prespend over 2yrs for a neutral B30 is by no means large, especially not in a competitive store like Madison (or Florida, if that's where your main SA is). Your choice of hardware makes it even harder (GHW being more popular in the US). You stated that you expected your SA to offer you your wishlist B30 at 5k prespend, while in the history of H that has certainly happened, in the current landscape it is unrealistic.

With H I think it's important to do some background research so you can set realistic expectations for your spec and locale. For your upcoming trip to Paris, it would probably be helpful to get some info from the Paris shopping thread so you know what to expect. It would be incredibly unfortunate for the emotional rollercoaster centered on a bag to ruin a lovely vacation.

Do all US boutiques have SAs that are assigned to specific departments, or is it just H Madison? Thank you.

I think only the bigger stores have department specific SAs. My home store is tiny (you can finish looking at everything in the store in under 10min), and SAs seem to just float w/ you to whichever section you want to browse.

 

[BirKineSS]

Wow I am actually impressed you were offered a B30 in a desirable color with basically a 1:1 spend! (Does the $13k include your Herbag? Bags usually don’t count in prespend so maybe you did even better.)

I think you should listen to @880 and @acrowcounted ’s advice. It’s not personal and it sounds like your expectations were not aligned with the current environment. Most people say it takes at least 3x before being offered a QB. You were offered one at 1:1, which to me sounds like the store is trying to make you happy! They didn’t offer you GHW because they didn’t have it, not because they were trying to toy with you, but maybe next bag that comes in will have GHW. My first quota bag had none of the specs I wanted, except it was gold. I wanted sellier, got retourne, I wanted GHW, got PHW, I wanted 25, got 28. I actually disliked that bag for a long time! (But now I love it!)
But I agree with @acrowcounted that you are close.

Although it does sound like this is stressing you out a lot, so you may want to consider @haute okole ‘s advice and step away. For now at least! Good luck! Hope the next GHW Birkin is yours!

I would have grab it quickly if its 1:1 and the colour is neutral enough for my style. Phw will give you young and relax vibe. Waiting for uncertainty isnt something that I can endure for more than a year, plus you still have to come to the store so your SA doesnt forget you among of his/her other clients who indeed/almost definitely spend way more than us and its end of the year before the 2nd Jan price increase of at least 10 percent! (I used to get my Bs/Ks on walk-in and no prespend back 20 years ago and it will never happen again on this current world) 🤭

 

[alpacas]

Hello ..I thought I would add my experience as a relative newbie as well

I spent around 17k (rtw, shoes, fine jewelry, scarves, 2 random plates) starting from March 2023 and was offered a bag in October 2023. We had not really talked bags and wishlists officially but they asked me during a visit what I would be interested in (Neutral color, GHW, K25 sellier) and I was offered a K28 gold togo with gold so not exact but I was happy enough after trying it on and accepted.. but I def spent above 1:1 and aggressively which wasn't intentional..

For context, I always shopped at random Hermes boutiques in NJ and NY throughout the years but ended up deciding to stick with my current SA at Madison this year. I have to say I don't know if I have this amazing relationship with my SA like some people seem to have but they are fun and nice to me and therefore, I like working with them!

Sometimes they do ask me if I would like to buy makeup or blankets and pillows which I don't and I will tell them no.. but other times they will convince me to buy some more expensive rtw or like a silk fourbi which I let myself buy because I like the product.

 

[Deleted 793791]

I want to add one thing: why do you assume that FSH would be any easier??? They have tons and tons of international visitors every day and you may not be even able to find an SA there. The Paris boutiques are extremely crowded. Do not assume that Paris boutiques are easier unless you speak French fluently and can act like locals. The lottery, by all means, is random. Even if you get the lottery, they can only offer what they have....

 

[BirKineSS]

I want to add one thing: why do you assume that FSH would be any easier??? They have tons and tons of international visitors every day and you may not be even able to find an SA there. The Paris boutiques are extremely crowded. Do not assume that Paris boutiques are easier unless you speak French fluently and can act like locals. The lottery, by all means, is random. Even if you get the lottery, they can only offer what they have....

I couldn’t bear the dissapointment again during holiday if I couldnt get it and coming home empty handed 😏 really a waste of time alot to just chase a H bag (been there done that during one of the Europe trips - couldn’t get anything at all from H not even the super not popular bag in a not popular colour let alone scoring B/K/C 😆-) in the end a happy ending coming home to a CALL from my sa 😅