Treatment in Hermes Stores
- Thread starter Fendi84NJ
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Yes, agree! Ana read through the board. There is Hermes gold here and I wouldn't have my B without it. Good luck!
As others have said, no, your SA was not talking about influencing the supply chain. Based on what you reported, when your SA said he might be able to "do something for you" if you "came around more times" what he was clumsily saying was, "Buy more items from me and it makes it more likely I'll sell you a Birkin." Other customers have reported SAs who say this much more explicitly, as in "You must spend X thousand with me to get a Birkin." Your SA was trying to be indirect, but he ended up being merely confusing. Increasingly it appears that this is generally Hermes' policy: a customer must be seen to embrace the brand, not just be in pursuit of a Birkin, in order to be offered a Birkin. Sigh.
If you don't want to participate in this dance, a reseller is your best option--but get the bag authenticated before you buy!
If you don't want to participate in this dance, a reseller is your best option--but get the bag authenticated before you buy!
I don't believe she is asking about a special order or podium order bag - just a regular Birkin and how to obtain one. And yes, the process can depend on how much you spend in the store, what you buy, and how frequently.
There are many threads on this, Ana. It would be worth your time to review, to look at the store specific threads as well.
Good luck - hope you are able to obtain your bag soon.
Thanks to everyone, first of all want to apologice for my regular english (is not my mother language) so, may be i did not explain correctly at the begining.
When i said about talking to artisans, is my tought.....i am completely new and the links that you have writen will help me for sure.
What i wanted to know is that i dont understand how SA (seller for me sorry) decide to who sell the bags or to who not, so, as i understand, if i become a regular client and buy thousands...then the probability to score the bag increase...what type of policy is this? Is what the SA (Oscar) insinuated to me, and i am very disapointed at this policy of the brand....but, imagine is the way they do in all places and not only in Madrid.
Then, why do SA talks about 2 years to buy it?, because there are so many people waiting....then i understand if i go and buy thousands at once and ask for the bag i will have it? and what happens with all that people waiting that SA is talking about? what happens with waiting 2 years?
Anyway, if that is the way to do it, then i will become a regular client of my SA, and lets see how long it takes me to get my bag.....i am not interested in resellers, dont trust at all.
To put it simply, the more you spend, you move up faster on the wait list. The rest of the people on the waitlist will simply move down. It's like a school exam ranking. Those who score higher will be at the top of the list.
Hence, top spenders (people who spend a lot of money) will get their Bs faster.
The time taken to make a Birkin is constant. It's the people on the "how much you have spent at Hermes" list that changes...
Hence, top spenders (people who spend a lot of money) will get their Bs faster.
The time taken to make a Birkin is constant. It's the people on the "how much you have spent at Hermes" list that changes...
If you are willing to rack up thousands and be their loyal customer by buying lots lots of items, just make sure that everything is of what you want. Please do not go and buy a really really expensive item that you don't want or use (example, a diamond H watch or something like that) just so you can "bump" the "waiting list". Please don't.
Or may I suggest, if you are willing to spend that extra money on a B, why not book a flight to Paris and try your luck at FSH? It would not be very very far from Madrid.
Do read the "Paris Trip for Hermes bags". It will help you a lot.
I wish my situation was that simple. DHL requested that H fills out the footwear detail worksheet (needed for any footwear being imported into the US) for customs classification. H sent back a blank form. Then I tried personally calling FSH (where I bought the shoes), H corporate in NY, Madison NY store, my husband even got redirected to Slovakia, and still H won't fill it out. Only 1 H person actually knew what I was talking about and told me she can't vouch for my purchase because she doesn't know me, but she was at least willing to answer questions about the form. We're working on a tight timeline because my delivery will be sent back to Paris if the form isn't submitted in time. Then it's up to H whether they want to try delivering it again...
Wow I am shocked!
I am not in the US but my items get sent to me once I receive the customs estimate from the courier and I complete payment. In the UK and in Asia, from bags to homeware.
stephc, I'm so sorry. That whole series of events is completely ridiculous. I didn't mean to suggest that my situation was identical to yours, just that Hermes does have a general rep for not being helpful in these situations--but yours takes the cake. Wishing you good luck with this!
Hello, i have just signed up to give my opinion and answer to Ana1972. Dear Ana, it will take you long time to buy your first Birkin in Madrid, and i know what i am talking about. I am regular client of the store, have been buying for a long time, and like i tell you, you will need to buy thousands and thousands to get the ok of the SA. Every time i go to the store, i find many asians clients, and when i say many i mean that it seems that we are in Pekin and not in Madrid, and this asian clients are always carying big bags full of items. I recomend you to travel to Paris to buy your Birkin, it will be much faster than becoming a good client in Madrid. I only asked for a Kelly last February, regular one in black, not talking about special order, and my SA (Fernando) told me that i had to wait for one more year........incredible, so, i decided to go to Paris and i bought it in my first trip. Conclusion, i will never go back to my local store, may be they only want to sell to Asians?
Your right and your wrong! It all depends on the location, there is a lot more at work then just spending the most and you getting a Birkin. The logistics are more complex than that. Yes, there are some stores that flat out say "by X and you get a B" .Usually it's the larger boutiques. Since the larger boutiques are the boutiques people mostly go to.
Now having said that, you must remember those bigger boutiques need to cater to there already established clients, thus making it very very difficult to get Bs from larger Boutiques. Even though Birkins are the most popular bags in the world, Hermès likes a client that purchases in other areas and not just Birkins. Some SAs use that to there advantage though.
Buying Bs from smaller boutiques will always be quicker then buying Bs from a larger store for NEW Birikn purchasers only. Still some SAs in smaller boutiques might directly/indirectly ask you to buy something else but usually that's not the case.
Lastly, what a lot of people don't realize, which you sort of stated in your post, is that the demand is far far greater than the supply, thus making getting a Birkin even more difficult to get.
Hermès also has to consider out of those people who buy Bs, how many of those people are re-sellers. So, there is multiple reasons why, getting Bs is a difficult process. To say that the more money you spend the quicker you get a B isn't really true. The spending power from a true Hermès shopper at a larger boutique is far greater than you probably realize and if they were on the list for a B, K, or a C chances are you won't be able to kick that type of customer down from the list.
Having said all that though, whether you believe me or not, it is very possible to walk in an get a B. However, usually in smaller boutiques. Although, I did have a friend walked in and purchase a B in NYC though but I'm sure that's rare.
I have herd that is much more difficult to get Bs from other markets such as Asia and Europe.
Hi...I am new to Hermes and just started my purchase history this year.
I'm not sure if this is the right forum to get feedback on this concern. I'm sort of intimidated to ask for a birkin bag since I've read so much about purchase history and mine is limited. I don't want an SA to think I am only into Hermes to get a birkin. I actually am pleased with other things as shoes, belts and scarves
And when asking for a bag, there is a point made by SAs about the difficulty for Kelly and Birkins. Different SAs make a point about the unavailability of these bags. For example, Specially if I want an SLG or bag in a certain color range and hardware, I may not get it. Or maybe wait times for years.
I haven't had any negative customer experiences (very good to date) with Hermes.
I'm not sure if the SA is implying that I should lower my expectations.
I'm not sure if this is the right forum to get feedback on this concern. I'm sort of intimidated to ask for a birkin bag since I've read so much about purchase history and mine is limited. I don't want an SA to think I am only into Hermes to get a birkin. I actually am pleased with other things as shoes, belts and scarves
And when asking for a bag, there is a point made by SAs about the difficulty for Kelly and Birkins. Different SAs make a point about the unavailability of these bags. For example, Specially if I want an SLG or bag in a certain color range and hardware, I may not get it. Or maybe wait times for years.
I haven't had any negative customer experiences (very good to date) with Hermes.
I'm not sure if the SA is implying that I should lower my expectations.
Is this the South Coast store? A nice SA there told me the same thing, and from that point, I went the reseller route.