# Balenciaga - poor customer service and poor quality product - need advice



## SpecialK

Hi All

So up until the last few months the only designer bags I ever loved and bought has been Balenciaga. I have been a collector since 2005. Well recently, 2 of my newer bags have either fallen apart or had hardware fall right off after very little use. The one i am most concerned and dissapointed with is my Blackout city which I just love! I bought it in Fall 2017 through ******. Despite how much I love it I have used it maybe a dozen times at best. Recently I noticed that one of the little metal hardware “caps” that cover the magnet that keep the handles closed had come right off! I noticed too late so have no idea where it could have fallen off and cannot find it. Now I have an exposed magnet that has become detached so the bag no longer closes properly. A second “cap” has fallen off but I found it in time to put it back on.

The other bag that has fallen apart is my silver edge hip. In addition to bad fraying around the stitching (which seems to happen with many of the bags) the little screw or rivet that holds the piece of leather that holds the strap in place, no longer screws into it’s hardware, perhaps, the threads are worn down? (sorry im horrible at explaining) This means the strap no longer stays in place. Ive attached pics so you can see. Ive attached pics to show what i mean.

Anyways.....I’m shocked that Balenciaga provides no support to fix these things?! They said because i am in Canada they cant ship me a replacement part for the Blackout city. Then they referred me to some of the worst leather repair shops I know here in Toronto. Its not even a leather issue, its a hardware issue!! The blackout city is still usable but I want my missing piece of hardware. The metal edge hip is now unsusable. Any advice on how to deal with this? They will not answer any of my emails anymore. I thought all other designers will offer repairs no matter where or when a bag was purchased as long as its authentic?? Very dissapointed in Balenciaga.


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## SpecialK

One more pic of the blackout....see the diff between where the two handles are attached 

And the hip hardware


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## muchstuff

Because you're in Canada? They sell the bloody bags in Canada, why on earth can't they help with a replacement piece? (I'm Canadian too so a bit of outrage here). I'd be disappointed too. Perhaps they're not helpful because you didn't purchase directly from the boutique? 
I would imagine that a decent cobbler could help with the rivet problem on the Hip. Have you tried talking to Erica at HG Bags re: the black out? Maybe she could help? And if it was me I'd try calling Balenciaga rather than emailing. Let us know how things progress!


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## SpecialK

muchstuff said:


> Because you're in Canada? They sell the bloody bags in Canada, why on earth can't they help with a replacement piece? (I'm Canadian too so a bit of outrage here). I'd be disappointed too. Perhaps they're not helpful because you didn't purchase directly from the boutique?
> I would imagine that a decent cobbler could help with the rivet problem on the Hip. Have you tried talking to Erica at HG Bags re: the black out? Maybe she could help? And if it was me I'd try calling Balenciaga rather than emailing. Let us know how things progress!



Thats exactly what i said to them.......why bother selling bags in or to canada if you aren’t even willing to offer support or repair service?? They didnt actually even ask me where I bought the bags, not what store, or what country, they just said that because “I’m in canada” they couldn’t help. In the mean time this is what is on their website, a bit contradictory not just to what they said to me but the two paragraphs contradict each other!


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## muchstuff

SpecialK said:


> Thats exactly what i said to them.......why bother selling bags in or to canada if you aren’t even willing to offer support or repair service?? They didnt actually even ask me where I bought the bags, not what store, or what country, they just said that because “I’m in canada” they couldn’t help. In the mean time this is what is on their website, a bit contradictory not just to what they said to me but the two paragraphs contradict each other!


It does seem contradictory...


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## peacebabe

I think in short, what they are trying to say is, repair is provided as long as it's purchased from Balenciaga directly or from authorized retailers. In that case, as a consumer, we need to know who are those authorized retailer & if they are listed?

Now, is HG bags their authorized retailer? If it's, you will have no issue when you show purchased proof. If it's not, you will need to ask HG bags for help.

As for the Hip, i agree with Much that it should be able to screw it back.


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## SpecialK

peacebabe said:


> I think in short, what they are trying to say is, repair is provided as long as it's purchased from Balenciaga directly or from authorized retailers. In that case, as a consumer, we need to know who are those authorized retailer & if they are listed?
> .



I brought up their policy as an afterthought here. In my initial contact with them, their actual response to me did not even reference their policy, nor they did ask me where or when i purchased the bag.....literally no questions at all. They knew I was in canada based on the form i had to fill out to email them. I am sorry but I think if they are selling $3000 bags there should be a certain minimum level of customer service to go with this, perhaps I am just ignorant or naive in thinking this. This was their exact response.






*Customer Service*
*












Dear Katerina,

Thank you for contacting Balenciaga. We are truly sorry that this has occurred.

As you are located in Canada we are unable to assist with providing a replacement piece but, we do have 2 locations that we direct our customers to visit. They are able to assist our customers with any issues and sometimes they even contact our repairs team in New Jersey who assist them with any queries.*

*Love your Leather (Toronto)*
*Carinthia Shoe Repair (Montreal)*
*If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to reply and we would be happy to assist you further.

Sincerely,
Corinne
Balenciaga Customer Service*


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## peacebabe

Well, give some benefits of doubt. It may be that particular CS is new or just pure lazy. 

If i were you, i will continue with the request with proof of purchase to get things done (off course, provided HG is an authorized dealer and i think we are all keen to know too)

I had very good experience which is opposite of yours. I bought a bag from an outlet in UK. After slightly more than a month & back to my own country, i noticed some flaws to the bag. I did use the bag like 3 times but if those flaws appeared just after 3 uses & about 1 month, than it's clearly quality issue. I contact my local Balenciaga boutique and wanted a 1 to 1 exchange. But they can't do that locally as the purchase is done in UK.

Anyway, to make things short, it was a long process. I gotten help from the group locally, in HK, in UK, as well as the HQ. Email corresponding showed that as i was CC in. Though they don't have the exact same bag for exchange (as it was sold out), i was able to exchange for another brand new bag, with the difference in price refunded to me as well !! Not only that. I pay no shipping fee nor tax because the local boutique helped shipped back the faulty bag & the new bag was shipped to the local boutique for me to collect.

I'm really grateful for the whole team involved. 



SpecialK said:


> I brought up their policy as an afterthought here. In my initial contact with them, their actual response to me did not even reference their policy, nor they did ask me where or when i purchased the bag.....literally no questions at all. They knew I was in canada based on the form i had to fill out to email them. I am sorry but I think if they are selling $3000 bags there should be a certain minimum level of customer service to go with this, perhaps I am just ignorant or naive in thinking this. This was their exact response.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Customer Service*
> *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dear Katerina,
> 
> Thank you for contacting Balenciaga. We are truly sorry that this has occurred.
> 
> As you are located in Canada we are unable to assist with providing a replacement piece but, we do have 2 locations that we direct our customers to visit. They are able to assist our customers with any issues and sometimes they even contact our repairs team in New Jersey who assist them with any queries.*
> 
> *Love your Leather (Toronto)*
> *Carinthia Shoe Repair (Montreal)*
> *If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to reply and we would be happy to assist you further.
> 
> Sincerely,
> Corinne
> Balenciaga Customer Service*


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## luxuryluvrr

SpecialK said:


> One more pic of the blackout....see the diff between where the two handles are attached
> Dear Katarina,
> 
> I have had the same issue some time last year. After reaching out to their Client Services with my proof of purchase, they basically relayed the same  information to me. They were extremely considerate to my issue and I understood why they weren't able to assist. I actually took their recommendations and went to a few of the repair shops just to see what they could do. The best one I have been to was Love Your Leather located in Toronto. They were familiar with the repair process for Balenciaga. They actually partnered with some of the artisans in Italy to make sure that the repairs were superb and up to Balenciaga's standards. They made my Blackout City AJ Bag look brand new. Prior to me taking my bag to Love Your Leather, the magnet clasp came off. They cleaned and repaired my item within 2 hours at FREE OF CHARGE since I purchased the product last year which falls under their 2 year warranty policy.


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## atlantis1982

I agree, part of buying premium goods is the "above-and-beyond" level of customer service from the company.  I know someone who works for BMW, and he says they are trained to be VERY accommodating to customers (even the rude, demanding ones) because they have purchased an expensive item and it's important to keep them as customers.  

As annoying as this is, if Bal went above and beyond to make this "right" they'd probably have a loyal customer.  As it stands, I can't blame you for never buying one again.  What a shame.


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## SpecialK

If I had a local boutique I would most definitely go in there. In Canada Balenciaga is only sold through Holt Renfrew. i was suppose to be in NYC this weekend and would have gone into a boutique there but unfortunately my trip was cancelled 

At the end of the day I have an overall poor tolerance for bad customer service, but when it involves high end purchases it is that much more infuriating. I guess good (or even adequate) customer service was not included in the price 





peacebabe said:


> Well, give some benefits of doubt. It may be that particular CS is new or just pure lazy.
> 
> If i were you, i will continue with the request with proof of purchase to get things done (off course, provided HG is an authorized dealer and i think we are all keen to know too)
> 
> I had very good experience which is opposite of yours. I bought a bag from an outlet in UK. After slightly more than a month & back to my own country, i noticed some flaws to the bag. I did use the bag like 3 times but if those flaws appeared just after 3 uses & about 1 month, than it's clearly quality issue. I contact my local Balenciaga boutique and wanted a 1 to 1 exchange. But they can't do that locally as the purchase is done in UK.
> 
> Anyway, to make things short, it was a long process. I gotten help from the group locally, in HK, in UK, as well as the HQ. Email corresponding showed that as i was CC in. Though they don't have the exact same bag for exchange (as it was sold out), i was able to exchange for another brand new bag, with the difference in price refunded to me as well !! Not only that. I pay no shipping fee nor tax because the local boutique helped shipped back the faulty bag & the new bag was shipped to the local boutique for me to collect.
> 
> I'm really grateful for the whole team involved.


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## muchstuff

SpecialK said:


> If I had a local boutique I would most definitely go in there. In Canada Balenciaga is only sold through Holt Renfrew. i was suppose to be in NYC this weekend and would have gone into a boutique there but unfortunately my trip was cancelled
> 
> At the end of the day I have an overall poor tolerance for bad customer service, but when it involves high end purchases it is that much more infuriating. I guess good (or even adequate) customer service was not included in the price


If you get over to the west coast Bal is sold through Nordstrom in Vancouver as well.


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## peacebabe

I do feel you as i do have poor tolerance for bad customer service too . I noticed you didn't really mention about HG Bags. Did you approach them for help? Because they are the one you made the purchase with. Im sure they should be able to help in one way or another?



SpecialK said:


> If I had a local boutique I would most definitely go in there. In Canada Balenciaga is only sold through Holt Renfrew. i was suppose to be in NYC this weekend and would have gone into a boutique there but unfortunately my trip was cancelled
> 
> At the end of the day I have an overall poor tolerance for bad customer service, but when it involves high end purchases it is that much more infuriating. I guess good (or even adequate) customer service was not included in the price


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## CeeJay

I would definitely contact Erika; she's a wonderful person and a great seller and truly cares about her customers.  That being said, have you tried posting this publicly on Balenciaga's FB or IG pages?  Sometimes "embarrassing" them makes them act accordingly!  I don't get their attitude .. and while the bags are not as expensive as Chanel, Hermes .. they are by no means cheap either and as such, they should absolutely 100% SUPPORT their product by offering to repair their brand!


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## Ytjhia

Hi there, Im having issue with my city bag too. The stitching came off without any reason! Bought this bag from erica as well. I always rotate my balenciaga bags and i dont wear this bag for more than 10 times in 3 years. Im based in Sydney australia and there’s no Bal boutique here. Contacted customer service and they requested me to provide proof of purchase.... i have asked Erica, and she said her receipt is commercial invoice.....no idea what to do now. Should i mention to Balenciaga that i bought this from ******? Please help anyone!!


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## muchstuff

Ytjhia said:


> Hi there, Im having issue with my city bag too. The stitching came off without any reason! Bought this bag from erica as well. I always rotate my balenciaga bags and i dont wear this bag for more than 10 times in 3 years. Im based in Sydney australia and there’s no Bal boutique here. Contacted customer service and they requested me to provide proof of purchase.... i have asked Erica, and she said her receipt is commercial invoice.....no idea what to do now. Should i mention to Balenciaga that i bought this from ******? Please help anyone!!


Well, you must have proof you purchased from Erica, correct? And she has proof she purchased from Balenciaga? The bigger issue is that it sounds like you've had the bag for three years. If its just a minor stitching issue have you considered having it repaired elsewhere?


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## A1aGypsy

HG isn’t going to fall within an authorized dealer. They mean HR and Nordstrom type places not the secondary market.

And it’s a shame to hear that you haven’t had good experiences with Love Your Leather, I’ve had great experiences there and it sounds to me like the CS is subtly telling you to go to them because they can source parts from the states.


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## muchstuff

A1aGypsy said:


> HG isn’t going to fall within an authorized dealer. They mean HR and Nordstrom type places not the secondary market.
> 
> And it’s a shame to hear that you haven’t had good experiences with Love Your Leather, I’ve had great experiences there and it sounds to me like the CS is subtly telling you to go to them because they can source parts from the states.


Is HG Bags considered secondary if they're selling new bags?


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## A1aGypsy

Yes because it is a secondary purchase. I suppose if she had the receipt she could try to take it back for you (if it is one of the bags that she purchased in store) but I suspect she uses a series of purchases herself. I’m sure someone else has had this issue around here before...

ETA: the OP here:  https://forum.purseblog.com/threads...my-bag-because-i-bought-it-at-hg-bags.755685/


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## muchstuff

A1aGypsy said:


> Yes because it is a secondary purchase. I suppose if she had the receipt she could try to take it back for you (if it is one of the bags that she purchased in store) but I suspect she uses a series of purchases herself. I’m sure someone else has had this issue around here before...
> 
> ETA: the OP here:  https://forum.purseblog.com/threads...my-bag-because-i-bought-it-at-hg-bags.755685/


Good info to know, thanks!


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## viewwing

I’m sorry everyone for what you’re going through. However I’d like to say that it is in my opinion that bags from Erica seem to be defective. Many I got had some small minor flaws. I’m guessing that’s why they’re cheaper. And probably how she got them. Seems to be the same for places like tjmaxx that gets random pieces now and then.


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## ilec

viewwing said:


> I’m sorry everyone for what you’re going through. However I’d like to say that it is in my opinion that bags from Erica seem to be defective. Many I got had some small minor flaws. I’m guessing that’s why they’re cheaper. And probably how she got them. Seems to be the same for places like tjmaxx that gets random pieces now and then.



I agree with u. I got a defective bag with a big mark on it as well. We don't even know where she even sources the bags from, it could be fake, defective, second hand and I had to pay for return shipping from overseas which wasted my money for nothing. Buyer beware!


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## 18ox

Hi all, sorry to jump in this thread but I didn’t know where else to go. I recently purchased the Balenciaga Nano from Luisaviaroma and I noticed that the cut of the leather at the bottom of the bag (on both sides) is not straight (photo below).




I have another Balenciaga bag bought from balenciaga.com and though the cut of that bag also doesn’t look perfect, it still looks straighter than this one. 

Is this normal? :s


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## ksuromax

18ox said:


> Hi all, sorry to jump in this thread but I didn’t know where else to go. I recently purchased the Balenciaga Nano from Luisaviaroma and I noticed that the cut of the leather at the bottom of the bag (on both sides) is not straight (photo below).
> 
> View attachment 4705207
> 
> 
> I have another Balenciaga bag bought from balenciaga.com and though the cut of that bag also doesn’t look perfect, it still looks straighter than this one.
> 
> Is this normal? :s


Balenciaga bags are made for a good part manually, i would give a little room for imperfection, as long as authenticity is not a question.
I have at hands 2 bags (others are in the dustbags) and the reg City has some hardly noticeable unevenness, too, but it does not bug me at all.
If you don't feel comfortable, can you exchange it for another one?


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## cerulean blue

18ox said:


> Hi all, sorry to jump in this thread but I didn’t know where else to go. I recently purchased the Balenciaga Nano from Luisaviaroma and I noticed that the cut of the leather at the bottom of the bag (on both sides) is not straight (photo below).
> 
> View attachment 4705207
> 
> 
> I have another Balenciaga bag bought from balenciaga.com and though the cut of that bag also doesn’t look perfect, it still looks straighter than this one.
> 
> Is this normal? :s


I would exchange it imo. I also would communicate with Luisaviaroma about this defect and request them inspect the cut of their other bag(s) to ensure it isn't crooked and uneven when they dispatch the replacement.

While a small imperfection is reasonable, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect exceptional craftsmanship and quality control, which from your photo is not. This is an expensive brand and an expensive bag.


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## ekhan

I have had the same issue with my Balenciaga blackout magnet and don’t know what to do. The outside of the magnet has fallen off. Anyone know if they have the same issue and the matter was resolved? I would appreciate any helpful advice. The bag was bought from real real.


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## muchstuff

ekhan said:


> I have had the same issue with my Balenciaga blackout magnet and don’t know what to do. The outside of the magnet has fallen off. Anyone know if they have the same issue and the matter was resolved? I would appreciate any helpful advice. The bag was bought from real real.


If you just purchased it you could speak to TRR but otherwise I would try your closest Bal SA.


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## ekhan

muchstuff said:


> If you just purchased it you could speak to TRR but otherwise I would try your closest Bal SA.


I tried they’re only willing to give insite credit so now I am stuck with either the defective bag or large sum of money in real real. ‍♀️ I am trying to contact repair shops in New York. I checked the Balenciaga website and they said I have to provide proof of purchase from their boutiques or authorised retailers. I don’t think real real is going to be one. I am still going to try the Balenciaga boutique and see. Thanks


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## muchstuff

ekhan said:


> I tried they’re only willing to give insite credit so now I am stuck with either the defective bag or large sum of money in real real. ‍♀ I am trying to contact repair shops in New York. I checked the Balenciaga website and they said I have to provide proof of purchase from their boutiques or authorised retailers. I don’t think real real is going to be one. I am still going to try the Balenciaga boutique and see. Thanks


Did you receive it from TRR with the magnet out of place? And if so, was it mentioned in the listing?


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## ekhan

muchstuff said:


> Did you receive it from TRR with the magnet out of place? And if so, was it mentioned in the listing?


the magnet was missing when I received it from TRR and it was not mentioned. I was out of country at that time of delivery. Once I reached America and opened the bag And saw it, I immediately contactedTRR along with proof ( ticket stubs) that I was out of town hence could not check prior. 
They apologised for the misleading information and offered to give me store credit since it was out of the return window.
So now I am stuck with 1000 dollars in site credit at the real real, if I return bag. What a mess this is. I feel vestiare has a much better quality check system than real real. I am so done with this bag which I had wanted for a long time.


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## muchstuff

ekhan said:


> the magnet was missing when I received it from TRR and it was not mentioned. I was out of country at that time of delivery. Once I reached America and opened the bag And saw it, I immediately contactedTRR along with proof ( ticket stubs) that I was out of town hence could not check prior.
> They apologised for the misleading information and offered to give me store credit since it was out of the return window.
> So now I am stuck with 1000 dollars in site credit at the real real, if I return bag. What a mess this is. I feel vestiare has a much better quality check system than real real. I am so done with this bag which I had wanted for a long time.


That really sucks. I had the small blackout and actually found the magnets to be a PITA. If you removed the other one would it be a cosmetic issue on the outside of the bag?


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## ekhan

muchstuff said:


> That really sucks. I had the small blackout and actually found the magnets to be a PITA. If you removed the other one would it be a cosmetic issue on the outside of the bag?


It would just look off and since the outer cap is missing it has derailed it’s magnetic field so the worse part is it repels the other magnet ! 
thank you for listening to my vent though. And am sorry to hear about your Balenciaga issues as well. 
I will probably try a Balenciaga store to see if it can be repaired otherwise will return it.


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## muchstuff

ekhan said:


> It would just look off and since the outer cap is missing it has derailed it’s magnetic field so the worse part is it repels the other magnet !
> thank you for listening to my vent though. And am sorry to hear about your Balenciaga issues as well.
> I will probably try a Balenciaga store to see if it can be repaired otherwise will return it.


I hope it works out for you. You could always hang on to your credit until another one pops up on TRR? They’re not rare.


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