What would you do - keep or return?
- Thread starter Summerfriend
- Start date
TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others
All of this feedback has been so, so helpful. Thank you so much, and keep it coming if you have an opinion!
This is what makes it so hard - I am SO IN LOVE with this bag in every single other way! If I can get rid of the smell, it will be absolutely perfect.
I asked my sister, who's not really into bags at all, what I should do. Her answer was: "I really don't like hassle, so I'd probably keep it and devote the rest of my life to getting the smell out." LOL. I love that she considers going to the post office to ship a bag MORE of a hassle than de-smoking an expensive vintage handbag, with all the attendant emotional upheaval. Gotta love her.
I've made mistakes in the past - and so now I won't consider keeping a bag I'm lukewarm aboutI'd therefore vote for sending it back.
This is what makes it so hard - I am SO IN LOVE with this bag in every single other way! If I can get rid of the smell, it will be absolutely perfect.
I asked my sister, who's not really into bags at all, what I should do. Her answer was: "I really don't like hassle, so I'd probably keep it and devote the rest of my life to getting the smell out." LOL. I love that she considers going to the post office to ship a bag MORE of a hassle than de-smoking an expensive vintage handbag, with all the attendant emotional upheaval. Gotta love her.
Hmm ... so maybe think about it a different way: What if you have trouble getting the smell out and it never completely disappears, and THEN you see another one for sale, same condition, same price, without the smell. Would you regret not returning it then? Just playing Devil's advocate!
I kind of feel like Medallion totes are a bit like vintage Hermes Kelly bags -- it's not easy to find the perfect one at the perfect price and in good condition, but they do exist, as long as you're willing to keep hunting.
E
Evia
Thing is, there's no guarantee the smoke smell can be shifted. I think you need to consider whether you can live with the bag, and be happy to carry it, in its current state rather than the condition you'd like it to be.
I'm really sensitive to strong smells, I bought a bag that reeked of perfume which I should've returned. I didn't (heaven knows why!) and ended up selling at a loss as I had to describe it accurately. Since you bought it at a good price could you recoup your money if you decided to sell it as is? That might be something else to think about in making your decision.
Thank goodness for you guys. Talking it through and hearing your opinions is really helping me.
I'm leaving town tomorrow morning, so I asked the seller if I could wait to ship it back until I return. The seller isn't thrilled, but agreed. In the meantime, while I'm gone, I'm going to seal the bag in a plastic bag with an open box of baking soda both inside the purse itself and inside the plastic bag. This way, at least a) I have an extra week to think about it, and b) I'll be able so see when I get home whether the situation is improving with the baking soda. I think if it's still really bothersome when I get back, I'll definitely ship it right off, but I suppose it's worth giving it a week to see how responsive the smell is to home remedies!
I'm leaving town tomorrow morning, so I asked the seller if I could wait to ship it back until I return. The seller isn't thrilled, but agreed. In the meantime, while I'm gone, I'm going to seal the bag in a plastic bag with an open box of baking soda both inside the purse itself and inside the plastic bag. This way, at least a) I have an extra week to think about it, and b) I'll be able so see when I get home whether the situation is improving with the baking soda. I think if it's still really bothersome when I get back, I'll definitely ship it right off, but I suppose it's worth giving it a week to see how responsive the smell is to home remedies!
The seller is being nice about this & since he s giving you the time, try the baking soda, coffee beans
or a dryer sheet. I recently bought a bag that also had a strong odor. I used a dryer sheet & it worked
for me.
Good luck & if this works,enjoy your bag
I would try baking soda and ground coffee as well (I have had good success with coffee). In case the smell does not go away I would sell it. If you got it at a fair price you should be able to recoup the money I would think.
But I would not send it back - too much of a hassle...
But I would not send it back - too much of a hassle...
A wee bit of an update! I just returned from out of town, and . . . you guys, I think I'm going to keep this baby. 
The whole time I was on vacation, I kept the bag stuffed with Lush bath bombs (plus an open box of baking soda). It was a risk, because I definitely ADDED some scent to the bag that may make the seller less inclined to accept a return . . . but thank goodness, it seems to have worked??? The odor, I'd say, is 98% neutralized . . . which is enough for me to be more than happy using her. Not to mention that I'm so happy with her condition, and so DON'T feel like hunting for, and taking another chance on, a replacement! Now the bag smells like bath bombs . . . which is kind of awesome, LOL. If I stick my face all the way inside, I can still pick up a little staleness, but honestly, I don't know if I'd notice it if I just opened the bag today.
THANK YOU all for chiming in and offering suggestions and support!
The whole time I was on vacation, I kept the bag stuffed with Lush bath bombs (plus an open box of baking soda). It was a risk, because I definitely ADDED some scent to the bag that may make the seller less inclined to accept a return . . . but thank goodness, it seems to have worked??? The odor, I'd say, is 98% neutralized . . . which is enough for me to be more than happy using her. Not to mention that I'm so happy with her condition, and so DON'T feel like hunting for, and taking another chance on, a replacement! Now the bag smells like bath bombs . . . which is kind of awesome, LOL. If I stick my face all the way inside, I can still pick up a little staleness, but honestly, I don't know if I'd notice it if I just opened the bag today.
THANK YOU all for chiming in and offering suggestions and support!
Totally a hassle, right??? Also, the idea of being without the bag, and then trying to find another one that I like as much, just didn't make me happy. Even with this "issue" this particular bag still felt like MY BAG, which, although intangible, is important.
A wee bit of an update! I just returned from out of town, and . . . you guys, I think I'm going to keep this baby.
The whole time I was on vacation, I kept the bag stuffed with Lush bath bombs (plus an open box of baking soda). It was a risk, because I definitely ADDED some scent to the bag that may make the seller less inclined to accept a return . . . but thank goodness, it seems to have worked??? The odor, I'd say, is 98% neutralized . . . which is enough for me to be more than happy using her. Not to mention that I'm so happy with her condition, and so DON'T feel like hunting for, and taking another chance on, a replacement! Now the bag smells like bath bombs . . . which is kind of awesome, LOL. If I stick my face all the way inside, I can still pick up a little staleness, but honestly, I don't know if I'd notice it if I just opened the bag today.
THANK YOU all for chiming in and offering suggestions and support!
Enjoy your bag!!
Great! I'm sure the remaining 2% will be gone in no time and you will save time and enjoy your lovely bag!A wee bit of an update! I just returned from out of town, and . . . you guys, I think I'm going to keep this baby.
The whole time I was on vacation, I kept the bag stuffed with Lush bath bombs (plus an open box of baking soda). It was a risk, because I definitely ADDED some scent to the bag that may make the seller less inclined to accept a return . . . but thank goodness, it seems to have worked??? The odor, I'd say, is 98% neutralized . . . which is enough for me to be more than happy using her. Not to mention that I'm so happy with her condition, and so DON'T feel like hunting for, and taking another chance on, a replacement! Now the bag smells like bath bombs . . . which is kind of awesome, LOL. If I stick my face all the way inside, I can still pick up a little staleness, but honestly, I don't know if I'd notice it if I just opened the bag today.
THANK YOU all for chiming in and offering suggestions and support!
If you're ok with the smell of the outside of the bag but the inside still smells a bit, I'd suggest getting Zero Odor spray from Bed Bath and Beyond. I recently bought a Boy bag from EBay and it had a very slight odor. I didn't spray it in the bag l, but sprayed it on a towel and wiped it around the interior. It took out the odor and didn't leave any scent behind. You might have to do it more than once if the odor persists. Good luck!