Trouble with your Koobas?

[Alexenjie]

The one thing I find lacking about Kooba is that when you get a bag of theirs, there are no instructions as to how to care for it. There also is no mention on their web site about caring for the bags after purchase. They manufacture the bags and should know the types of leather they use and how best to protect it, in my opinion.

I had a problem the first time I used my Kooba Mia bag in Desert getting a stain on the bottom of the bag when some lip gloss leaked inside. It was totally my fault and I got the stain out of the interior but nothing would help the outside of the bag. I ended up with a couple of water spots on the bottom of the bag in my attempt to clean the stain.

The second time I used the bag I ended up with what looks like a small oil stain right under the flap. I was beginning to feel like the bag was cursed , naturally this was the first time I had ever spent more than $150 on a handbag.

I took the bag to a professional purse repair store and they told me that they couldn't help me and because the stains are out of sight, not to worry about it. Still it bugged me because the bag was brand new but no longer perfect.

I e-mailed Kooba twice asking for suggestions as to how to best protect my bags - I just have two Koobas the Mia and a Bourbon Jessie. Kooba never responded back to me.

I guess I got spoiled by Coach which gives very specific instructions both on their web site and when you buy a bag as to how to best care for it. Peggy

 

[juliel]

I still LOVE Kooba as a brand. Kooba is still one of my favorite designers and overall I love my purses and have had no problems for the most part.....the title of the thread was "Trouble with your Koobas?"....I was simply sharing my story, no need to go on defense mode...I fully understand that every brand has quirks....

Absolutely - it wasn't intended to be a bash thing (other than that I aired my frustrations) but really a curiosity as to whether other people had had better luck and could suggest a different way to go about it, or if this was indicative and I should think about buying from other brands.

I'm not trying to turn other people off from Koobas at all - but if I'd known all this ahead of time I might have made different purchasing decisions. Then again, honestly, I probably would have said, oh, it won't be me, and bought anyway. To a point. And, just trying to find out how common these issues were, based on me seeing someone with a Nina having the same trouble I had on my own bag. It's natural to think, OK, am I the only person, or is this a recurring issue.

The flip side of this is how every time Nordstroms (the anti-Kooba) comes up, there are sheer raves. It's a legitimate question, and it doesn't say "we should only by from Nordie's" but it would confirm for me that I would have a consistently good experience shopping there.

 

[juliel]

I had this very same issue - I emailed them asking what they would recommend that I buy that might help the bag. They said, "oh, if you didn't buy it from Kooba online we can't help you" and that was the end of the convo.

Ignoring my direct question and answering a question you made up makes me unhappy. I wasn't asking for them to fix it but what I might do, and they bailed on that.

 

[FebbysBigSis]

I have two Kooba's: Black Ginger & Cream Scarlett

Tho I have not had any issues w/ my Ginger, I have been recently noticing gradual discoloration in my Scarlett. In fact, I just took her out yesterday, and in the blaring sun, I noticed that it has become more "yellow" of late. At first, I thought I was just imagining things when I was looking at it at home, but over time I honestly believe that it, instead of the creamy color I first loved is now becoming a slight "cakey" yellowish hue. And now, I've realized that I can't take my once beautiful Scarlett out during the long summer days.

But at least I still have my Ginger... and yes, she is still doing fine!

 

[ladysalesrep195]

When you purchase an item of clothing, say a Hilfiger blouse, from Nordstrom's, you return it to the retailer for repair or return. It is the same with a bag, shoes, raincoat, whatever, you return it to the store of purchase.

I own 11 Koobas and have had no problem of any kind. Compared to the other designer brands I own, they are the best made bag of all.

Are there flukes in any brands, sure. Look at Balenciaga, the tassles split, some colors fade. Look at Gustto, terrible interior lining. Peek at a Chanel and you will see owners complain about this or that.

There is no perfect bag as there is no perfect person.

Perhaps perfection is only found in Heaven.

 

[Compass Rose]

Oh! Hmmmmm........I thought we WERE in Kooba Heaven!!!

 

[Tanja]

I'm not sure if mine is 'trouble' but my Sienna in desert patina'd a lot more quickly than I like, mostly on the shoulder straps. That is the last time I will get a light colored Kooba. I love the style but not a fast patina.

I have the same with my Sienna in desert. Even after just using her for a couple of times she developed a patina and on one side the leather darkened. I'll never buy a light Kooba again.

 

[juliel]

When you purchase an item of clothing, say a Hilfiger blouse, from Nordstrom's, you return it to the retailer for repair or return. It is the same with a bag, shoes, raincoat, whatever, you return it to the store of purchase.

I don't think this is a foregone conclusion. It's certainly not the way with things like electronics, which is the other thing I buy that I pay enough for to deal with if it breaks.

I may opt to return to the store if I am just sick of dealing with it and want my money back (and as long as I haven't thrown away or lost the receipt in the meantime) but if I want it repaired, the manufacturer is the natural party to have the right knowledge and materials. And, what about it breaking after the return period? It's completely understandable that Saks shouldn't be taking a bag back a year after sale because of a mfg defect - that should be part of Kooba's warranty. Saks can opt to deal with it as a customer service issue, and that's nice, but at the end of the day the ultimate control rests with the manufacturer. At least in the way I think.

 

[Rosenpetals]

Warranty on a handbag? Now that's a concept in a dream world. But in the real world, not likely any manufacturer would issue warranties. Too many variables in something that's worn daily.

But in this world, Ladysalesrep is right, you take a defective bag back to where you purchased it and they can deal with it. Enough complaints and they won't be buying more Kooba's (nor selling them) & that will get some attention from someone, don't you think?.

 

[Alexenjie]

I'll never buy a light Kooba again.

I agree with this - my Mia is desert is the last light Kooba bag I will purchase. My theory is that any stains or marks will not be as obvious on dark leather.

I have also purchased but not tried yet the spray protector that Mulberry recommends for use on their bags. It's called Collonil waterstop + UV Protection. I don't know if that would protect a Kooba bag from darkening from exposure to the sun. Peggy

 

[chloebalenciaga]

I know Thomas Wylde moved production to China to take advantage of cheap labor. Has Kooba moved its operations?

 

[juliel]

Whether or not there's an express warranty (such as you get on a computer, and which has a clock that runs from the day you purchase it), there's always an implied warranty of fitness on goods you purchase.

[FONT=arial, helvetica, swiss]n. an assumption at law that products are "merchantable," meaning they work and are useable as normally expected by consumers, unless there is a warning that they are sold "as is" or second-hand without any warranty.

It'd take some research into UCC for me to recall who is liable to the consumer, but there are warrantys on everything you purchase. It doesn't have to be an extra document that states it's guaranteed against defect for X number of days, although that's certainly one way it occurs. This is my weak area of law though.
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