Hermes - Complaint + boycott

[Fuuma]

Originally Posted by SoCal2NYC

I quote the link, not the OP.

If the OP were smart he would have spoken to the manager and got a store credit. He shouldn't expect his money back.

He wanted to exchange the tie for another tie, no? This **** should work. To be honest I know that if I went to any Hermès store I'd get the other tie no problem. Maybe the OP handled this a little bit too briskly?

 

[Cravate_Noire]

Only in owner-owned businesses I had a better experience with the customer than in Hermes Stores.
Actually I think that's one of the few high end brands where the employees neither look envious at rich looking clients or suspicous and arrogant at wohoo-it's-sale-I-may-enter-once clients (or "what, you never go on sale?" clients at LV).

 

[ville_e]

Originally Posted by Jumbie

I kind did it at Costco once "by mistake".

I bought some chicken salad there about a week before. Got home and it was bad so I threw it out and chalked it up as a loss. When I went back, I was returning something I'd bought and mentioned that I should have kept the chicken salad if I'd known I'd be back so soon after. They guy didn't even blink and offered me a refund. I was like "but I don't even have it..." and he said it was no problem.

So not really the same thing as I had the receipt but I didn't even have the product with me. For all they know I could have eaten it. That is CS above and beyond the call of duty and, as I said before, while Hermes is under no obligation I think they're kind of "shooting themselves in the foot" over an unused product. You guys may not think it matters right now cause, hey, it's just one guy. But I've seen many people turn against companies because of poor CS experiences and just the opposite for good ones e.g. I know a lot of people think AT&T's plans are overpriced but my sister loves them and says she's not leaving the company because she's had nothing but good experiences with their CS.

One dissatisfied customer = at least 12.. The word spreads and then before you know it large newspapers are writing articles on them and their bad customer service like in the link I posted above.

It is the duty of these companies to hire professional sales staff who know how to deal with their customers. This kind of behaviour is unacceptable by all measures.

As they can clearly see the tie is from them they can register the barcode and let me exchange it. This is a simple procedure for them. The receipt = exchange policy is there for a reason but this is to prove the tie is from them. Sales people should however understand why this law is there. As I can prove it is from them etc. then you really don't need that policy.

 

[ville_e]

Originally Posted by StephenStyle

It's not a cheap point at all - I'm being honest! I'm talking about clothes stores here. If the salesman remembered you then it's a possibility I suppose but if I just walked into selfridges with for example a pair of Armani jeans that I wanted to exchange because they were too small but I didn't have a receipt - I'd have no hope in hell!

If the jeans would have a selfridges tag hanging on them it's a whole different thing. This is my case as I had a Hermes tag with a barcode on the tie.

If I would of bought a Hermes tie to the store with no tags, no box, nothing then perhaps it would of been a different story but even then good sales people would let me exchange it if they can see it is not used and their tie. Customer service should be emphasized in companies. Probably the most important factor for any business in addition to their products, services offered.

 

[MalfordOfLondon]

Originally Posted by ville_e

If the jeans would have a selfridges tag hanging on them it's a whole different thing. This is my case as I had a Hermes tag with a barcode on the tie.

If I would of bought a Hermes tie to the store with no tags, no box, nothing then perhaps it would of been a different story but even then good sales people would let me exchange it if they can see it is not used and their tie. Customer service should be emphasized in companies. Probably the most important factor for any business in addition to their products, services offered.

Understood *but* - imagine the shopkeeper took the tie back and later it was found it was actually a fake tie and box (I've seen plenty in Thailand!) with the store's tag on. The salesman probably wouldn't want to take the responsibility of doing a no-receipt exchange.

 

[Sanguis Mortuum]

While I think it's perfectly reasonable for the OP to expect to exchange the tie for another one, I also think it's perfectly reasonable for Hermes to refuse to do this without being presented with the receipt.

 

[Kuro]

Originally Posted by ville_e

thanks leather man.. I appreciate it. Hopefully someone can help me find their corporate e-mail so I can speak to them. Perhaps their exchange policies vary from shop to shop.

IIRC some of the stores are franchises (e.g. St. Barth, Richards in Greenwich, CT, and a few of the stores in Europe), so that may have something to do with it. In my experience H is pretty liberal about returns/exchanges.

 

[goodenough]

Originally Posted by StephenStyle

I don't know of any stores where you can go and exchange something without a receipt so I don't think Hermes is to blame.

Nike accepts returns without receipts all the time. They aren't "luxury" like Hermès though. If I remember correctly, Barneys look up your name if you don't have receipt to see if you did indeed buy it. Stores like Hermès should have databases.

 

[ville_e]

Originally Posted by goodenough

Nike accepts returns without receipts all the time. They aren't "luxury" like Hermès though. If I remember correctly, Barneys look up your name if you don't have receipt to see if you did indeed buy it. Stores like Hermès should have databases.

exactly.. the customer is always right. The companies should take measures to offer the best customer service.

Nike products are far cheaper than Hermes so this is even more reason for Hermes to step up their CS. If you buy an expensive product from Hermes you expect to receive good service. Otherwise they don't deserve the title "luxury retailer."

 

[ysc]

You don't need a receipt to return things in the UK, just any proof of purchase which can include credit card bills etc. It can even include the companies sale record, but the thing is the person the shop has an obligation to is the buyer of the good, not whoever it was given to.
I don't know how it is in the US but I should think that again the obligation is to the person who bought the good, not the person who received it.

Have you tried talking to the person who gave you the tie? maybe they can take it back to the shop they originally bought it from, might be a bit awkward but I don't see how else you are going to get it changed unless someone at Hermes decides to do it to be nice.

 

[A Guy from Shanghai]

Originally Posted by Leather man

You're all being too hard on Ville_e.

HIs complaint is perfectly reasonable and I think you all know it. His main "beef" is that he has had no response from Hermes and was dealt with poorly in the store.

It may well be true that no receipt = no exchange but Hermes would be the first company I've heard of that is that much of a pain **********! I could understand it if he wanted a cash refund however.

All companies should deal with customers graciously and remember they do not have a right to our money and business.

My advice is to go back to the store and ask them who you can write to in order to complain.

+1

Originally Posted by StephenStyle

I don't know of any stores where you can go and exchange something without a receipt so I don't think Hermes is to blame.

Even discount stores like Marshalls, TJ Maxx do exchange/store credit for THEIR merchandises without receipt. Said that, Hermes can have its own policy. But no response to customer's email = mediocre/poor customer service.

 

[danz24]

Originally Posted by lee_44106

Hermes is under no obligation to deal with a small-timer like yourself.

No receipt = no return.

Hermes could not care less if you boycott the place anyway. By the way, what have you purchased there in the past? Probably too cheap to afford anything there anyway.

wow what kind of an arrogant person would post this? Thats a low blow. People nowadays..

 

[ChicagoRon]

Ville_e said there are barcodes from the store. Am I correct to believe that means they were actually SCANNED? If so, I can think of NO other store that would not give store credit for a period of 30-60 days. Since this was an xmas gift and the attempted exchange happened over a month ago, that would fall within 60 days, but possibly not 30. Did they cite timing as an issue? I will give Hermes the fact that they are a very seasonal business.

 

[HORNS]

Originally Posted by danz24

wow what kind of an arrogant person would post this? Thats a low blow. People nowadays..

You never have read any of lee_44106's other posts?

Whenever I read accounts of experiences like this, I always think that there is something critical missing. If 10 individuals were to go into Hermes under the same circumstances laid down by the OP, there would be many different outcomes.

 

[Xiaogou]

Originally Posted by StephenStyle

I don't know of any stores where you can go and exchange something without a receipt so I don't think Hermes is to blame.

Brooks Brothers
Neiman Marcus
Nordstrom
Saks

All places that I have at one time or another exchanged something NWT for another size or color.