Treatment in Hermes Stores

[megt10]

I might add that I have always been treated well at every H boutique I have visited. I believe I am respectful and considerate of the boutique employees, and they have always reciprocated in kind.

I did have one awkward encounter via phone recently. I had called a boutique to enquire about a price adjustment for items I purchased via phone order in June. Since there was a decrease in July, and a policy of price adjustments offered on purchases made in June, I called to request an adjustment for refund or credit. It was not my usual boutique, so I have no personal history or relationships there, but I was told that I was the first person to ask for an adjustment, and that their regular customers do not care about things like adjustments or refunds. The associate I spoke with actually laughed as he told me their customers don't ask for such things. I was told they would have to call me back, because it was such an unusual request. I still have not heard back, and now I feel uncomfortable about contacting them again. it's not like it's a life changing amount, around $150.00, but it would have been nice to apply it to something else. However, now I'm not sure I want to face the awkwardness again of asking.

Can you take the item to your regular store. I did that and got a price adjustment on everything I ordered. I ordered it through H.com as well. Of course I used the extra money immediately in the boutique. win win situation for my SA.

 

[Monceau]

Can you take the item to your regular store. I did that and got a price adjustment on everything I ordered. I ordered it through H.com as well. Of course I used the extra money immediately in the boutique. win win situation for my SA.

Thanks, megt10, I will do just that! I have quite a few fall items left on my list, so it's always nice to have a credit.

 

[Luvbolide]

It's been a long time since I studied it, but my recollection of contract law is as Kathrin says; when a shop puts its wares out on display it is just an offer to sell; you then must agree the price and it is only when the seller has accepted payment from the buyer that the contract becomes binding between both parties. Until then, no-one is under any obligation. I don't think it's changed since then.

I think that the reverse is also true; if someone makes a PO/SO but then changes their minds, they are not forced to go through with the purchase. Correct me if I'm wrong; don't think I'll ever be lucky enough to be in that position!

I think that there is sometimes some misunderstanding in stores due to so many different languages being spoken and different global customs.

As an example of when it can work in our favour, many moons ago when some friends of ours got engaged, they chose a beautiful ring from a certain well known jewellers and paid the deposit as it needed to be adjusted to fit my friend's finger. A couple of days later, DF's fiancé got a call saying that they realised that the pricing had been wrong on the ring and instead of it being about £5k it should have been £15k! Much to-ing and fro-ing between jewellers and fiancé ensued, but as we'd all just been studying contract law, he stood his ground and had to point out that as the company had accepted part payment for the ring, that was their part of the contract and therefore the price was binding. Result!

I studied contracts years ago, but my recollection is the same as yours. And I also had an experience that was on "my side" - I responded to an ad placed by a car dealer in a local paper as my own car had died on my way home for Christmas. When I went in to buy the car advertised, they claimed that they had made a mistake on the price. Too bad - they placed the ad and offered to sell the vehicle at that price. So long as I purchased that vehicle (the VIN number was in the ad), I got the price in the ad.

Random musings, I guess...carry on....

 

[chicinthecity777]

I don't know how to define force,
As I could quote his words as
"Take your credit cards now and pay them"
"You have to pay them together today"
"If you don't pay them today, I promised you are finished in hermes, along with your friends"
"Now stop saying, I don't want to listen, pay them"
And he clapped on the table and shouted at me, I felt "been forced", but anyway like you said, he was never managed to force me to pay, I always got the choice to leave.

I am very sorry you were treated poorly, I really do. But at which point during this conversation you said "actually I don't want to buy those. It's my money and I am going to leave now!" And they called the security and held you down and took your credit card out against your will and "forced" you to swipe it? To me that constitute "force". You were free to leave at any point like you said yourself. Pressurised yes, but not forced.

I don't understand what you are trying to prove either. That there are rude SAs in a luxury store? Or SAs work to maximise their commission? There are rude SAs in many stores. It's not just a phenomenon in Hermes stores and all SAs work to maximise their commission.

I don't condone the unpleasant practice, far from it. But unfortunately c'est la vie. IMO, life is too short to get so hang up on a bag or 2.

 

[WilliamLion]

I am very sorry you were treated poorly, I really do. But at which point during this conversation you said "actually I don't want to buy those. It's my money and I am going to leave now!" And they called the security and held you down and took your credit card out against your will and "forced" you to swipe it? To me that constitute "force". You were free to leave at any point like you said yourself. Pressurised yes, but not forced.

I don't understand what you are trying to prove either. That there are rude SAs in a luxury store? Or SAs work to maximise their commission? There are rude SAs in many stores. It's not just a phenomenon in Hermes stores and all SAs work to maximise their commission.

I don't condone the unpleasant practice, far from it. But unfortunately c'est la vie. IMO, life is too short to get so hang up on a bag or 2.

Well said

 

[chicinthecity777]

One thing to add about a reserved bag being "yours". Unless you paid a deposit, it's not "yours" until you actually paid for it. Up to that point, the bag still belongs to the store and they can do whatever they want with it.

 

[lesyeux]

I am very sorry you were treated poorly, I really do. But at which point during this conversation you said "actually I don't want to buy those. It's my money and I am going to leave now!" And they called the security and held you down and took your credit card out against your will and "forced" you to swipe it? To me that constitute "force". You were free to leave at any point like you said yourself. Pressurised yes, but not forced.



I don't understand what you are trying to prove either. That there are rude SAs in a luxury store? Or SAs work to maximise their commission? There are rude SAs in many stores. It's not just a phenomenon in Hermes stores and all SAs work to maximise their commission.



I don't condone the unpleasant practice, far from it. But unfortunately c'est la vie. IMO, life is too short to get so hang up on a bag or 2.

I've said there was no bag involved, I am totally fine if you could stand this, as obviously we have different definitions about the ways you've been treated and different standard of the rights customers share.

I am sorry if I irritate you, and I suppose It would be better just keep my opinion to myself.

 

[chicinthecity777]

I've said there was no bag involved, I am totally fine if you could stand this, as obviously we have different definitions about the ways you've been treated and different standard of the rights customers share.

I am sorry if I irritate you, and I suppose It would be better just keep my opinion to myself.

Please can you show me at which point I said I could stand this?

 

[chicinthecity777]

I've said there was no bag involved, I am totally fine if you could stand this, as obviously we have different definitions about the ways you've been treated and different standard of the rights customers share.

I am sorry if I irritate you, and I suppose It would be better just keep my opinion to myself.

And I can assure you that if any SA treats me the way you described, I would not stay in there and just let them.

 

[chicinthecity777]

I've said there was no bag involved, I am totally fine if you could stand this, as obviously we have different definitions about the ways you've been treated and different standard of the rights customers share.

I am sorry if I irritate you, and I suppose It would be better just keep my opinion to myself.

I went back and read your previous post again and here is what was said "I was angry and disappointed for that they sold it after they promised me that the bag was for me, and it was just weird that the first day it was for me and asked me to purchase the second day, and when I went there the second day, it was suddenly not for me. " So I assume a bag was involved.

 

[chicinthecity777]

I just want to clarify my thoughts. I have great sympathy for those who are genuinely treated poorly by an Hermes SA or in fact by anybody else. They sure can share their stories here. But please don't start to accuse them being "illegal", "blackmail" or "force" because they are not. Those tactics are not unique to Hermes and can be very unpleasant. Walk away if you are not treated the way you wish to be treated and find an SA who you can work with.

 

[NeboHH]

I just want to clarify my thoughts. I have great sympathy for those who are genuinely treated poorly by an Hermes SA or in fact by anybody else. They sure can share their stories here. But please don't start to accuse them being "illegal", "blackmail" or "force" because they are not. Those tactics are not unique to Hermes and can be very unpleasant. Walk away if you are not treated the way you wish to be treated and find an SA who you can work with.

Well said as always [emoji106][emoji106] I would also add, and I've said this once before on this site, if you or anyone for that matter had been treated wrongly or in an abusive way, then you as a client/customer need to demand to speak to or get the information of someone that supersedes the store manager. I've read a lot of these posts and I'm stunned on how many people tell there stories on the PF and yet don't say anything to someone above the store director/manager. This is an extreme situation and extreme situations call for extreme measures.

 

[MSO13]

I've said there was no bag involved, I am totally fine if you could stand this, as obviously we have different definitions about the ways you've been treated and different standard of the rights customers share.

I am sorry if I irritate you, and I suppose It would be better just keep my opinion to myself.

You can and have expressed your opinion but you seem to be dragging this on and on because some people don't agree with your use of the words "force, blackmail, illegal". Everyone has expressed their sympathy for the way you were treated but I really do not understand what more there is to be gained by further discussion and I respectfully maintain, I would never spend my money with a company that treated me so poorly but I would also have to move on and put it behind me as some point. If Hermes has not resolved it with you, the Purse Forum is unlikely to get their attention.

 

[QuelleFromage]

This is the most ridiculous thing I've heard. First off, unless the manager tied you down and robbed your credit cards to make the purchase, it isn't "forced." I find it hard to believe that a Hermes SA let alone a SM raised their voice at a customer. If indeed he did that and told you that "will be finish in Hermes," you still have the power to REFUSE the purchase. The point is, you wanted a relationship with them so you stuck around and bought the goods even though you felt abused. I get it. I know how awkward and embarrassing it can feel to be called out at a luxury store. I was at Neiman Marcus Chanel and was at the cashier paying for a classic flap bag. I was debating on which CC to use to get the most reward points because I'm frugal. The SA got impatient and LOUDLY made a snide comment eluding to the fact that I was cheap. You know what I did? I left the bag with her and walk away without finishing the purchase. I don't know what annoys me more. The fact that you would let someone bully you into making a purchase or that fact that you are not taking any responsibility for your actions and blaming it on how Hermes "forced" you.

Actually, the poster says that she did after all refuse and purchased the two pieces in another shop.

 

[beekmanhill]

Interesting. In the U.S., we have protected class groups, such as race, religion, age, disability, etc. Federal law prohibits discrimination based on these protected classes, so a business cannot legally refuse to sell a product to someone based on their status within one of these protected class groups.
Not only is it bad business to tell a customer that you won't sell to them because of a personal trait, if that customer is in a protected class, it is illegal to refuse goods or services based on a desire to discriminate.

Clearly, one can easily say "we have none of that product available" and leave it at that, but in the U.S., a business cannot say "we refuse to sell that product to you because you are too old, or disabled, or the wrong race or religion."

In the recent case of the gay wedding cake/baker situation, if the baker had said "I don't have that cake," rather than "I won't make a wedding cake celebrating a gay marriage," would he have won the case? Fascinating. Wish I knew more about details of the law.