Would you spend an extra $700 for the new Bottega Veneta Certificate of Craft?

[Pkac]

Would the new lifetime Certificate of Craft that Bottega Veneta is offering be worth spending an extra $700 (or 1000
SGD) to you?
I have spent the last few weeks attempting to get a non-padded Cassette in Travertine. (Sorry for those who are sick of this story!!) I’ve unfortunately received two flawed bags from other authorised stockists of BV. (I was determined to get the bag for less than retail as I believe since the price increase last May the price is too high).
Sadly my attempts at securing it for less were not successful and now I feel really backed into a corner by the price increase that’s happening this Monday.
I’m not into the idea of waiting for a preloved, purely because where I live (Singapore) I’m unlikely to get a preloved at a significantly better price, and I’m quite keen to own and use the bag now.
So I have a choice of either keeping the bag from Vitkac I received that has a very wrinkled strap, OR giving in and spending 1000 SGD more from the boutique (which I’m trying to justify with this new lifetime warranty).
What would you do?!

 

[V0N1B2]

H-E-double L - to the no no.
Listen, I’m going to be brutally honest:
How long are you keeping this bag for?
Are you passing it down to your daughter?
Do you see yourself wearing this bag in 15 years?
Do you really think this bag is a classic, timeless piece that will still be in style in 2035, like a Birkin, Chanel Flap, or LV Speedy 30?
If you’re thinking of resale in a couple of years, you can expect to recoup about 30% of what you paid - certificate of craft or not.
If #newbottega is anywhere as well made as the Bottega Veneta of 10-15-20 years ago, chances are, you’ll never need to send the bag for repair.
However, if the new bags they’re churning out are total crap, then yeah, spend the extra $700.

 

[jellyv]

Oh wow, the extended warranty scam/grift. Are they making their bags to the standards their customers expect, or not? What's to say BV will itself be around in 15, 20, xx years? It's an 'insurance policy" with the only guarantee being that they make out like bandits up front, and down the road--who the heck knows.

 

[880]

Would the new lifetime Certificate of Craft that Bottega Veneta is offering be worth spending an extra $700 (or 1000
SGD) to you?
I have spent the last few weeks attempting to get a non-padded Cassette in Travertine. (Sorry for those who are sick of this story!!) I’ve unfortunately received two flawed bags from other authorised stockists of BV. (I was determined to get the bag for less than retail as I believe since the price increase last May the price is too high).
Sadly my attempts at securing it for less were not successful and now I feel really backed into a corner by the price increase that’s happening this Monday.
I’m not into the idea of waiting for a preloved, purely because where I live (Singapore) I’m unlikely to get a preloved at a significantly better price, and I’m quite keen to own and use the bag now.
So I have a choice of either keeping the bag from Vitkac I received that has a very wrinkled strap, OR giving in and spending 1000 SGD more from the boutique (which I’m trying to justify with this new lifetime warranty).
What would you do?!

Hey, I responded on another thread. I agree 100% with @V0N1B2 above

You seemed so unhappy with the wrinkled strap, so much so thst I say return it.

you did mention thst the first bag you returned was better. AAny chance of getting thst one back?

finally, only you can decide if this bag is worth retail price to you. For me, I prefer buying BV at a discount bc it doesn’t hold its value. Years ago I saw a karung lambskin BV bag at Saks for 4K plus. I loved it but there was no way I was going to spend that for BV bc I knew I wanted to save up for H (A forever bag) In 2020, I picked the BV up on fashionphile for maybe 300 usd.

 

[Evergreen602]

I don't envy your decision, but I agree with the comments above. I've said it before, but BV is only worth buying new (aka paying full retail price) if you really love the bag, plan to use it often, and plan to keep it for many years. I look at it from a cost per wear perspective. I have no expectation of my BV holding any kind of monetary value.

On the flip side, I think Travertine is a seasonal color. It's popular, so we may see it for a couple more seasons. You also seem to prefer an absolutely pristine bag. Buying new in the boutique allows you to inspect the bag closely before committing to it. The Cassette will increase in price by $400 USD, and I would not be surprised if it goes above $3500 USD this time next year.

So, if it was me, I would ask myself if I plan to wear this bag often and keep it for many years. If the answer is yes, then I would buy in the boutique before the price increase takes effect. Then I would wear the hell out of my bag and enjoy it!

 

[Pkac]

H-E-double L - to the no no.
Listen, I’m going to be brutally honest:
How long are you keeping this bag for?
Are you passing it down to your daughter?
Do you see yourself wearing this bag in 15 years?
Do you really think this bag is a classic, timeless piece that will still be in style in 2035, like a Birkin, Chanel Flap, or LV Speedy 30?
If you’re thinking of resale in a couple of years, you can expect to recoup about 30% of what you paid - certificate of craft or not.
If #newbottega is anywhere as well made as the Bottega Veneta of 10-15-20 years ago, chances are, you’ll never need to send the bag for repair.
However, if the new bags they’re churning out are total crap, then yeah, spend the extra $700.

Haha, I actually appreciate the brutal honesty!!
For me personally, I always buy bags that just resonate with me and my wardrobe, I don’t worry so much about trends (so even if a bag I love and buy happens to be trendy, I’ll continue to wear it once that trend has passed). I do have a small selection of classic LV and Chanel that I will hold onto for a very long time, but I definitely wouldn’t be buying this particular BV bag with resale in mind.
That said, if I did get it I’d be wanting to wear it as a bit of a daily bag, which is why I thought the lifetime certificate of craft could come in handy. There’s something about this exact colour and style - I can see myself wearing it for a long time and I liked the idea of being able to get it refreshed for free…
What I’m struggling with is just what I see as the outrageous cost to begin with. Part of me is telling me I really love it so just buy it and enjoy it. And the other part is saying NO - it’s too much for what it is.

 

[Pkac]

Hey, I responded on another thread. I agree 100% with @V0N1B2 above

You seemed so unhappy with the wrinkled strap, so much so thst I say return it.

you did mention thst the first bag you returned was better. AAny chance of getting thst one back?

finally, only you can decide if this bag is worth retail price to you. For me, I prefer buying BV at a discount bc it doesn’t hold its value. Years ago I saw a karung lambskin BV bag at Saks for 4K plus. I loved it but there was no way I was going to spend that for BV bc I knew I wanted to save up for H (A forever bag) In 2020, I picked the BV up on fashionphile for maybe 300 usd.

Thanks for your response. I’ve actually just taped up the box of the Cassette with the wrinkled strap. I had another look this morning and knew in my stomach that I wouldn’t be happy with it, so that decision is made and it’s being returned.
Now I’m trying to decide whether or not to run to the boutique and buy the bag before the price increase on Monday, or essentially just miss out and hope it won’t haunt me!
And funny you should say that about the first bag - I *did* email the Italist and ask if there would be any way possible to buy it back at a further discount. They were lovely, but said they only want to sell brand new bags.
I probably missed out on the opportunity to request a further discount when it was in my possession, to be honest. I don’t think it had fully hit me then that I’d end up being faced with buying the bag at a premium from the boutique to beat the increase, or missing out. I don’t see this bag being at a palatable secondhand price for a long time!! (Wish I lived in the U.S.!!)
But amazing what happened with you and obtaining your bag, that’s so great.

 

[Pkac]

I don't envy your decision, but I agree with the comments above. I've said it before, but BV is only worth buying new (aka paying full retail price) if you really love the bag, plan to use it often, and plan to keep it for many years. I look at it from a cost per wear perspective. I have no expectation of my BV holding any kind of monetary value.

On the flip side, I think Travertine is a seasonal color. It's popular, so we may see it for a couple more seasons. You also seem to prefer an absolutely pristine bag. Buying new in the boutique allows you to inspect the bag closely before committing to it. The Cassette will increase in price by $400 USD, and I would not be surprised if it goes above $3500 USD this time next year.

So, if it was me, I would ask myself if I plan to wear this bag often and keep it for many years. If the answer is yes, then I would buy in the boutique before the price increase takes effect. Then I would wear the hell out of my bag and enjoy it!

The funny thing is I’m actually not overly fussy with bags, to me 2500 SGD is just too much to pay to receive a supposedly new bag with multiple flaws, but arghhhhhh that said if I could take back the initial bag I rejected I would!! I could live with that as the flaws were all small and not too noticeable.
Whereas the strap on the second one actually really affects how it looks on, it just doesn’t sit nicely.
Absolutely kicking myself, hindsight, hey??