If You Send Your Bag to Hermès For Service and They Think It’s Fake, They Keep It and Destroy It

An FYI, a weird French law, and a cautionary tale from one of our forum members

I said goodbye on Friday, but I’m back from the dead for one more post that I just couldn’t leave without writing. (Hey, it’s almost Halloween, after all!) It involves a bunch of the most things about this weird industry: the cult of Hermès, the wild secondary designer bag market, Europe’s cultural attitude toward their luxury brands, and “authenticity” as a concept. It’s also a cautionary tale about all of these things, and about how one of our PurseForum members may now be out thousands of dollars.

The Hermès Spa

First, some context. Hermès bags are meant to last a lifetime with proper maintenance, which can mean periodically getting a bag cleaned or mended. The brand has a program for this called Hermès Spa, where customers can bring their bags back to their local boutique to have them shipped back to Paris, where the after-sales department has a workshop in which the brand’s artisans repair and refurbish used bags and then ship them back to their owners. Hermès will not repair bags that show evidence they’ve been worked on by people outside the company, so Hermès Spa is very popular with brand devotees—having a bag serviced elsewhere means it can’t be repaired by the brand in the future if it needs to be.

Another thing Hermès has is a thriving secondary market. Because the brand’s bags wear well, are mostly classics, and are generally pretty hard to get your hands on, they retain their value better than other brands, and their value is the highest of any major luxury leather house. As you might imagine, there are also a lot of fake bags floating around the internet, and because of the high interest in used Hermès and the high financial risk of buying one of the brand’s bags from a third party, there is an entire economy of resellers and authenticators devoted to weeding out even the best fake bags. That system goes all the way up to major auction houses and the authenticators they contract with; those authenticators can also be hired by buyers to evaluate a potential purchase before it’s made, and they can be hired by resellers to certify their bags before they’re listed for sale. Hermès won’t authenticate bags on request, so this mini economy of secondary market workers has sprung up to mitigate as much financial risk as possible for all involved.

As you can imagine, this doesn’t always work out!

Which brings us to one of our tPF members, SupaUltra_J, who started a thread on the forum at the beginning of October to get advice on a problem she was having with the Hermès Spa. You can read the thread in full, but the gist is as follows: SUJ recently bought a rare Hermès Kelly Sellier Mou from a very reputable Hermès reseller she does not name in the thread, but whom she’s done business with as both a buyer and seller in the past. Before buying the bag, she sent photos to a tPF member who goes by bababebi, who’s an independent Hermès authenticator, considered the gold-standard in third party authentication worldwide. She’s been authenticating professionally online since 2011, and in that time, she’s given a verdict on over 12,000 bags and worked with some of the world’s biggest auction houses. Bababebi is also a longtime Hermès client who owns scores of the brand’s bags herself, including two versions of the rare Kelly Sellier Mou in question. If anyone would know whether or not it was authentic, it’s her.

After inspecting photos of the potential purchase, bababebi deemed the bag authentic and SUJ bought, received, a carried it without worry. The Kelly Sellier Mou was only made from 2005 to 2007 and had been used my a previous owner, so SUJ decided to then send it off to Hermès Spa for a little detail work and rejuvenation. Shortly after the bag arrived in Paris, SUJ received a letter from Hermès: Her bag had been deemed inauthentic, and it would not be returned to her. She could appeal, but if the brand rejected the appeal, her bag would be destroyed. She would receive nothing in return.

Because of tough European laws designed to protect the continent’s luxury brands, it’s not only perfectly legal for a brand to confiscate a client’s bag if they deem it fake, but it’s required. Sending the bag back to her would be considered exporting counterfeit goods, and even if she traveled to Paris, she would be in violation of French law by taking possession of the fake bag. Hermès has the last word, even though our members have come forward with documented cases in which Hermès has been mistaken about a bag’s authenticity in the past. In most of those, thankfully, the decision was eventually reversed and the bag was serviced and returned.

Naturally, SUJ has appealed this decision, and while the first round of appeals did not go her way, she’s waiting on an affidavit from Hermès that may shed more light on the situation. Luxury brands generally don’t tell clients why they believe a bag to be inauthentic, though, because that would aid counterfeit manufacturers in making their bags even harder for shoppers to detect.

The rarity of the bag also makes it very unlikely that such a high-quality fake was ever made

This story doesn’t have a neat little resolution, and it’s unlikely to have one in the future. On the forum, our members with Hermès expertise have unanimously sided with bababebi, the authenticator—there is nothing about the bag that gives even the slightest indication that it isn’t real. And because Hermès has been wrong before, readers have wondered if the bag’s age and rarity make its authenticity a weak spot in the institutional knowledge of the Hermès after-sales team. The Mou was only made for a few seasons over a decade ago, and it’s special because it’s slouchier than other Kelly Bags—it lacks an extra layer of internal leather that the regular model has, which normally helps give the Kelly its structured shape. (“Mou” literally means “soft” in French.) To an artisan who’s been with the brand for less than a decade, that could potentially make the bag look fake. Hermès has assured SUJ that the appeal inspection was done by a member of senior staff, though, and the Mou’s inherent peculiarities would certainly be clear to all parties by this point.

The rarity of the bag also makes it very unlikely (although not impossible) that such a high-quality fake was ever made. Few people know of the Mou outside hardcore Hermès lovers, and the vast majority of counterfeiters make their money by selling so-so fake bags at higher volumes, which usually target people who are new to a brand or type of bag and have no idea what to look for, or who might not know they need to watch out for fakes in the first place. Those people are generally looking for the most popular styles and colors, not a deep cut like this design. And although superfakes exist, they are usually made to mirror the most expensive exotic bags, because tricking someone into spending $25,000 provides the kinds of high margin and high shopper interest that making a near-identical fake would require in order to be worth the time and effort. After all, a big part of why Hermès bags cost as much as they do is that it takes a lot of time, skill, and fine materials in order to make one.

So that’s where we are now: It seems unlikely that the authenticator and the Hermès authenticator community are wrong, but it also seems unlikely that Hermès is wrong. SUJ, to her credit, is taking this all with a level of calm I’m not sure I could muster if a bag for which I paid thousands of dollars might get set on fire. The reseller who sourced the bag is also being cooperative and is in contact with the original owner, who they say is working on providing a paper trail that would prove the bag was purchased from Hermès. For the moment, though, the brand holds all the cards, and all anyone can do is sit and wait.

It’s easy to scold people for buying bags from resellers or for trusting authenticators, but because rarity goes hand in hand with luxury, the secondary market is a part of the bag business that is only going to grow as brands employ marketing tactics like “drop” sale structures and limited editions. Those practices make it difficult for shoppers to get what they want directly from the brand to give buying a sense of importance and immediacy—if you don’t grab what you want, it will be gone for good. The way the luxury industry is evolving incentivizes people to flip popular, valuable pieces, and old school luxury brands like Hermès generally don’t want to admit the phenomenon exists at all. That disconnect puts all buyers, authenticators and sellers working in good faith in exactly the bind SUJ has encountered, and I can’t imagine these brands can go much further without doing something to address these problems in some substantive way.

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cbl

ugh, what a headache. the more i know about hermes, the more i’m turned off by the brand.

kemilia

Wow, reading this after reading a thread on the Hermes forum last week of someone buying 3 little leather bag charms, finding out later that one of the wrapped boxes was empty, and going through a lot of back and forth (including getting her local Hermes shop involved) before Hermes broke down and sent her another one. Apparently, Hermes is NEVER wrong, or at least that’s what they tell themselves and expect others to believe.

Irene

I get the principal behind it.
However, it really sucks for the buyer who wants an Hermes bag and buys it pre loved from what they think is a reputable second hand site. They are still out thousands of dollars. Why not send it back to the buyer and give them a chance to return it and re coop their money? A lot of these second hand sites are 100%guaranteed or your money back. What better proof of counterfeit than certification from Hermes?
No way to treat your brand fans to be sure!

yoco mdw

“Hermès has the last word, even though our members have come forward with documented cases in which Hermès has been mistaken about a bag’s authenticity in the past. In most of those, thankfully, the decision was eventually reversed and the bag was serviced and returned.”

I don’t understand how Hermes is unable to authenticate its own goods? If each bag is handmade as they claim and has a code/stamp to verify its authenticity, why have they mistakenly deemed some of their own bags counterfeit when they were not? If I’m paying x amount of dollars on the secondary market for one of their bags, the least Hermes could do is properly authenticate its own creation.

M Green

Hermès doesn’t give a crap about people who buy on the secondary market. To them, you’re not an Hermès client.

Sofia

I’m just wondering: SupaUltra_J sent photos to bababebi before purchasing the bag. Is she absolutely, positively sure that she received the bag that was in the photos?

Pikabo ICU

Sorry but this is flat wrong. If the bag is fake, it’s still the property of the owner. I would want that bag back with a statement from Hermes so I could use it as evidence in court, in an attempt to try to recover my money.

Marie

This is true in France. The laws against replicas are very strong. It is against the law to sell, buy or own a fake. The law says the replica must be destroyed, and it is true even if you do not know it is a fake and sincerely think you bought an original bag. 🙁

Jonsi Z

I would love to know the end result of the authentication process. please let us know!!!

May

Lol nice to see you rise from the dead and treat us to a great article.
This makes me hate Hermes more, particularly how they deny repairs if past work has been done by another independent service. Reminds me of Iphone’s insular ecosystem. I can’t quite believe the laws on counterfeit confiscation either, it’s bad enough that it might be fake. I feel for you SupaUltra_J.

deniseinm

I can understand Hermes position on this. Hermes is not in the business of authenticating bags that were not purchased at their stores, nor is it fair to ask that of them. I received a 32 Kelly bag as a gift and the bag was secondary, from Japan. My boyfriend tried to purchase one for me at the stores but was told there were none available with no timeline provided for when they would be available. I was skeptical about the authenticity because I could not understand someone holding a bag like this in their closet in the box all these years (mine is made in 1999 per the stamp) and then sell it. That is not why Hermes made these bags. I took it to my local Hermes boutique which has a “spa” to see about the somewhat musty odor from storage. I got it back 2 weeks later with $125 charged. It was comfirmed authentic but I really don’t blame Hermes for not wanting to be in the business of authenticating. And really, the makers of the bags are the only ones who can authenticate them – not some so-called expert. I know all the signs to look for too. I despise people who make fake bags. These are special not only because they are handmade – but handmade by one craftsman from start to finish. As I was informed when I got mine back, these bags are to enjoy, not to sit on a musty shelf.

ArtVanDeLay2011

“The reseller who sourced the bag is also being cooperative and is in
contact with the original owner, who they say is working on providing a
paper trail that would prove the bag was purchased from Hermès” The original owner will have a sales record with the Hermes date of sale, the SA information, and the total purchase price. It is incumbent on the original owner to provide authentication documentation to the “very reputable buyer and reseller.”

suziq

Now you sound like my home owners policy! After a recent leak from flat above me, they refused to pay for either my soaked Kelly or my Channels because I didn’t keep receipts. Then on my birkin for which I had receipt they paid as if it was a no name bag and not the VIP only Soo Black model. The value of the Soo Black makes it worth nearly as much as when Hermes offered to me and I bought it.

Eli

An Hermes craftsman spends 18+ hours on each bag from inception to completion and has access to all those trade secrets that are kept tight lipped. I’m sure Bababedi is very knowledgeable about Hermes, but I’m much more inclined to believe the craftsman that held the bag & deemed the bag inauthentic.

This article is doing a disservice to the brand by suggesting it is those artisans (not just 1, but 3!) Who made a mistake and not your user.

JH

As between who knows better if the bag in question is a fake, I tend to side with Hermès institutional knowledge here but I hope that they are wrong for SupaUltra_J’s sake. Does anyone know what happens if you send a bag to LV or Chanel or any other designer brand for repair and they deem it to be a counterfeit? European anti-counterfeit laws are very tough so I wonder what would happen if this had happened in the US meaning would they just have returned the bag and refused to do the repair.

suziq

I had big problem with Chanel in San Francisco refusing a repair on a style only sold in Europe. They finally agreed to replace the zipper and apparently this is done in LA workshop. Frankly, repair was so horrible including zipper not right fitting that my local shoe repair could have done a better job!! Plus lost 4 months of using my favorite bag. So I am not a fan of brand in house spas. And yes, Chanel demands receipt too.

Lori

I really feel for the buyer. And I wonder what Hermes thinks they found as they unraveled that bag. Maybe if they made it a little more possible for the average luxury buyer (an oxymoron if there ever was one) to purchase their high end bags, the secondary market would not be booming quite as much as it is. I follow a group on FB and it is shocking the amount of new(er) H bags, or once/twice used H bags, that you can purchase for close to retail, tax free. It’s actually quite easy to score a B or a K any day of the week that is pretty much new. And Bababebi is the authenticator of choice. I will keep following this story as it’s one of the most interesting purse issues I have ever read about.

Sac à main

Would you mind sharing which FB group you like? Thank you!

Lori

(HER) Reetzy Community & Marketplace

Antonia

Wow, this is awful! But on a happier note, I have to say I enjoyed another nicely written story by the amazing Amanda. Are you sure you want to leave the PF? I hope you come back every now and then just to say hi! 🙂

Sac à main

That picture is perfect for the Halloween season. We miss you Amanda!

Yoshi1296

I’m so glad you guys made an article about that. I’ve been following the thread since the OP posted and I’m so heartbroken. It is a lot of money lost.

Greg Richards

Wow this sucks there is nothing worse than possibly being conned. Can the bag owner make a claim against the reseller if the bag is deemed inauthentic? I realise this is less than ideal. The counterfeiters must be getting amazingly good if it is getting this hard to authenticate bags. What is a possible solution could Hermes and other designers put a unique ultraviolet light stamp on a bag for example?

Personally I wouldn’t even want the bag back if I knew it was fake.

Pikabo ICU

I would, I definitely want the bag back to use as evidence in a civil suit!

multipolarity

Quelle horreur! I’m just shocked…How is it possible that there’s neither recourse to recover the thousands of dollars spent nor a resolution to return the bag to the reseller?!

On a more constructive note, would it be possible for the Federal Trade Commission, Better Business Bureau, of France’s Bureau de Notation et d’Excellence des Sociétés to step in?

Hadeer Soliman

Hermes doesn’t have a record for each artesian’s work? l am just thinking that the craftsman code is on the bag, they can simply go back to records and check if this craftsman ever made this bag (in this color, size and material) ?? just saying!

Bryan Lepe

Omg. What a nightmare. I’d be crying myself to sleep every night. I have a tattoo that says “Trust No One” on my hand. I hope they resolve this without a bag having to be turned into ashes :l

Sparky

Mean, cruel, and unjust on so many levels. I feel so bad for this woman.

Abigale Reinhorn

10 grand floppy bag to hold stuffy-nose tissue. smfh.

LadyShay

Hermes is terrible I don’t know why people support them. It’s such a celebrity brand

Jerri R

Not just any celebrity, Kardashians. Yuck

indiewifey

what a sad tangent of perceived need that involves high funds investment.
when anyone seeks a deal I’d say one must be able to afford the risk and/or loss: loss of funds and/or loss of item by confiscation or inauthenticity findings.
Seem there’d be a market for authenticity insurance! Is there such a thing? The gamers on wall street ought to create a business model for this lol!
Especially documents can be faked right? so I don’t even see much worth in after the fact document procurement – I’d bet there’s a black market for those!
How can anyone win in this other than strictest source-to-buyer sales? Full circle then, back to Hermes as sole source for new goods. They ought to conduct their own buy back/resale market, keep it internalized….
Sad is the perceived need that exceeds affordability – that is its own set of ills, despite resale being an honorable market as re-use is the simplest form of re-cycling

kathrin9674

Just out of curiosity. Did both agree on you writing an article? Bababebi and the bag owner?

Marie

Is there any update? I really hope it is all resolved now and that the bag has not been destroyed! Thank you to let us know.

Jenjen Jen

Just out of curiosity, do they return the bag to you if they refuse to service the bag because it’s been serviced by other people ?

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