If one buys a luxury good, they understandably desire a luxury experience. However, that’s not always what they get.
Shoppers have reported a host of negative experiences purchasing high-end goods. From items that arrive in lackluster packaging to mistreatment at the stores themselves, luxury customers say that many upper-echelon shopping experiences leave them wanting more.
Now, another user has recounted their experience with a luxury label. This time, the brand is Chanel. According to TikTok user Debbie (@detectivedelulu), a recent trip to their New York store ended in frustration. What did they mess up?
A Chanel Ring Resize Goes Wrong
In a video with over 927,000 views, Debbie recalls going to a Chanel store to get a Coco Crush ring resized. She says she received the ring as a gift.
After waiting for 30 minutes, she was allowed to enter the store. She was greeted by a man named Gregory, of whom she is very complimentary.
“I told him off right off the bat. ‘Listen, this ring too big. I have all the receipts. Can I exchange it for a smaller size?’ He was like, ‘Oh, let me see what I can do for you.’ Blah, blah. He goes to the back, comes back, and says, ‘Yes,’” the TikToker starts.
Following this, Debbie tried on several sizes. While doing this, she discovered she liked a different color of the ring more and asked if she could exchange it. Gregory assured her that she could.
From here, the good news continued. Debbie was told that her new ring was actually cheaper, so she had a $50 credit she could spend at the store. Debbie selected the compact mirror.
Things Take A Turn For The Worse
While everything seemed to be going OK, Debbie soon learned that the exchange wasn’t as straightforward as she thought.
First, she was informed that, even though she could exchange the rings, she would have to pay New York taxes on the new ring. This essentially dissolved her $50 credit. While Debbie says she didn’t mind paying the taxes, she says she wished she had been informed of this before getting excited about the potentially free mirror.
Second, Debbie said she wanted to pay with cash. The cashier said they could only accept the money if they used a money counter—even though Debbie simply paid with “two $100 bills and two twenties” for a total of “four paper bills.”
“Right next to her is another sales representative counting cash with his hands,” she states. “I’m not talking, like, $10 bills. It was, like, a stack of 20s. Hundreds.”
All of this extra time spent meant that Debbie missed an appointment she had previously planned. Seeing that the time was lost, she decided to get another Chanel ring cleaned.
Can Chanel Even Clean A Ring?
Initially, Debbie’s proposed ring cleaning seemed to go off without a hitch. While the ring was three years old, she was told it was covered by the brand’s cleaning warranty. Debbie says that she was informed the cleaning would take between 30 minutes and an hour; the TikToker responded that she would simply wait for the cleaning to finish in-store.
However, soon afterwards, a woman came and “kneel[ed] in front” of Debbie.
“She tells me, ‘Oh, um, for you to get this polished, because of the material, whatever it is, we have to send it out, and that may take up to weeks for you to get it back,’” the TikToker recalls.
Knowing of horror stories in which items were not returned for months or years, Debbie requested her ring back, at which point she was told that the ring was currently being given an “ultrasound.” This was probably a misstatement; the worker was likely referring to the concept of ultrasonic cleaning.
Overall, Debbie marks herself as disappointed with the experience, noting that one of the “gifts” that came with the ring was simply promotional material.
Bad Experiences At Chanel Stores
On Reddit, users recalled their own negative experiences at Chanel stores.
“Was given a damaged and scratched bag to open for Christmas,” said a user. “Went back to return it and was told I was the one who damaged it and they wouldn’t exchange it.”
“I was in a boutique this summer and the SA was discussing fashion when she commented on ‘plus size ladies like us,’” recounted another. “I’m a size 10.”
“Completely ignored at the Chanel in Vegas,” noted a third. “left without buying anything.”
@detectivedelulu Chanel, don’t call your advertisement cards a gift. #chanel #cococrush #vent #relateable #fyp ♬ original sound – Debbie
In the comments section of Debbie’s video, users noted the poor service of the Chanel store.
“Girl even Pandora offers free cleaning and on the spot no hassle,” said a user.
“Next time get a Cartier ring,” advised another. “I got in Paris and they even give you a small cleaning kit!”
“It’s insane to me that luxury companies have worse customer service than Kohls,” noted a third.
The Mary Sue reached out to Chanel via website contact form and Debbie via TikTok DM and comment.
Need a Gift?
Three picks from the shopping experts at Gee Thanks!
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Braden Bjella
Source link