Tag: chanel

An Atlanta woman went inside a Chanel store to purchase a mini-bag. However, the sales associate surprised her when she talked her out of it. The associate argued that the mini was too small to fit anything inside, despite being cute. Instead, the Chanel employee pointed her in an entirely different direction, which led her to purchase a bag with a different look and feel.

TikToker @thebargainholic was surprised by the associate’s candidness, posting her encounter in-store to TikTok afterward. Since then, the video has garnered over 728,000 viewers, with many chiming in to share their thoughts on the associate’s sales tactics. 

Commenters thought the honesty was a commendable aspect of @thebargainholic’s overall shopping experience, but some mentioned that her intentions may have been to sell a more expensive bag. Still, is that such a bad thing when making a high-end purchase? 

Is it honesty or upselling?

In @thebargainholic’s video, the sales associate said, “ Super cute, but you’re not really getting anything in that,” indicating that the bag ultimately wasn’t worth purchasing in comparison to some of Chanel’s larger products. 

@thebargainholic said, “Thank you so much for your honesty,” cutting the clip, and presumably continuing the conversation with her camera off. Later, the Chanel buyer appeared happy with her purchases, posting two separate TikToks showing off the bags she ended up with. But it left many wondering, was it honesty or was it upselling?

For many, the truth incentivizes shoppers to continue shopping, as it creates a rapport between a sales associate and a customer. “My [Louis Vuitton sales associate] did the same thing when I wanted the Nano Speedy and advised me to get the Speedy 20. She was 100% right and I’ve been shopping with her for 3 years now. Honesty builds loyalty,” said one commenter.  

However, others mentioned that it was clearly a sales tactic. “I work in sales and at least you call it honesty, [because] I call it upselling.”

When upselling, a sales associate will commonly offer an “upgrade” or better product that has more value. In doing so, they may get a better commission or larger margins when a customer intends to make a purchase. 

In this case, @thebargainholic wanted a smaller bag and ended up with one that’s most likely more expensive. While it may fit her lifestyle better, it was technically upselling, as the store associate most likely sold a higher margin product. 

@thebargainholic I really appreciate it in luxury retail when a sales associate is honest with you about the bags instead of just trying to make a sale. @ChanelOfficial #foryou #chanel #chanelbag #honesty #shopping ♬ original sound – TheBargainholic?️?

What bag did @thebargainholic end up getting?

Ultimately, @thebargainholic didn’t end up purchasing the “clutch on chain” micro-bag she was looking at in her video. Instead, she went with a slightly larger, brown leather bag and a black vanity bag. Both of the bags were ultimately larger than the mini she was looking at, although it’s difficult to ascertain exactly what price they were listed at in-store. 

Ultimately, it seemed like a better decision for the shopper, as it was her first Chanel purchase. Commenters recommended getting “minis” after making bigger leather goods purchases in a collection. 

And, as many viewers echoed, Chanel Minis genuinely don’t hold as many products. As one commenter described, “She’s right ! Minis are cute, [but] personally, they can do nothing for me! I leave the house with half my bathroom.” 

Even if the tactic seems to point her toward a more expensive product, it seems @thebargainholic appreciated the Chanel sales associate’s commentary, which pointed her toward a bag she might love even more than the Chanel mini she originally had her eye on. 

The Mary Sue reached out to @thebargainholic and Chanel via email for comment.

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Rachel Thomas

Rachel Joy Thomas is a music journalist, freelance writer, and hopeful author who resides in Los Angeles, CA. You can email her at [email protected].

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.

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Braden Bjella

Braden Bjella is a culture writer. His work can be found in the Daily Dot, Mixmag, Electronic Beats, Schon! magazine, and more.