Buying a Louis Vuitton bag for the first time, what was I thinking?
Louis Vuitton ONTHEGO GM box
Are you here because you are planning to buy your first Louis Vuitton bag? Or you may be just curious about how these designer/luxury stores work. Regardless of what led you here, I am telling my story of visiting Louis Vuitton stores and the experience of buying my first LV bag.
Before collecting bags, I was into houseplants during the pandemic, and I have been a photographer for ages. I bought many plants, but I rarely spend too much on a single plant. So I do understand that saying too much may be a little subjective. However, I did spend a similar amount of money on cameras. Once I started to collect bags, I learned to appreciate the design of bags, the craftsmanship involved, and the history behind the brands. I had acquired quite a large amount of bags in the last six months, but buying a Louis Vuitton bag was my first time. Do I think it is worth the price tag I paid? I may need more time to give you a conclusion, but now, let's talk about how that happened.
Many of my friends have owned a Louis Vuitton Neverfull tote bag, and I swear I see at least one every time I am out. Not that I am unfamiliar with some of their bags, I just prefer a north-south tote rather than an east-west bag. Once I started to collect bags and really got into buying totes, I was curious if I could find an LV tote I like. That's probably the beginning of a bad idea because I did see one and fell in love with the Louis Vuitton ONTHEGO in Monogram Empreinte leather. But, could I afford the bag? Yes, if I wanted it, but it wasn't economically sound because I rarely go out. Why would I pay an almost $4000 tote to let it sit in my closet?
Although I didn't plan to buy it right away, I wanted to see the bag in person, to understand and examine if it was worth that price tag. So when I traveled to San Diego and Dallas, I tried to get in when I happened to walk by their stores at the mall. Both times I was rejected. I was told they were either fully booked, or I had to wait for 1-2 hours long. Part of me was wondering if I couldn't get in because I didn't dress the part. When I looked inside the store, it seemed pretty empty, and I was pretty sure more employees were standing around than some browsing customers. When I travel, I like to dress comfortably. T-shirts, jeans, and sneakers are typical when I am on a trip. A month later, when I was hanging out with my friend, she suggested we go to the LV store to look at a few things she was interested in. At first, we were told their appointments for the day were all booked out. Then, while we were about to walk away, somebody saw us and came out to ask us back. I turned around and looked at my friend, wondering if that had to do with the Cartier bracelet on her wrist and the LV bag she was carrying. We were then welcomed into the store, and we did have a great time there. The SA that helped us also gave us his card so that it would be easier to make an appointment by contacting him.
Through some conversation with my family, my family decided to buy me my first Louis Vuitton bag. I am genuinely grateful that my family has been very supportive regarding me becoming a bag collecting hoarder. However, I was a little shocked to realize I would purchase my first Louis Vuitton bag earlier than planned. Initially, I did want to take some time to process my decision because too many times I made an impulse buy. But then I saw "A Heated Mess (she is also on YouTube)" on Instagram, mentioning an LV price increase. So even though ONTHEGO wasn't on the price increase lineup this time, I decided maybe that's the sign that I should simply go ahead! Yes, as a bag lover, I admit I make excuses like that to buy more bags!
When I checked the bag online, I did see it was in stock. Since I had visited the store in Austin before, I thought it was only right that I bought it from the SA that helped me the other day. I texted and called him but didn't get any responses. After a day, I decided to try to contact the store to make an appointment. Unfortunately, the number I called wasn't to the store directly, and it was a call center who knows where. After staying on the phone for more than 15 minutes, someone finally answered the phone, and she told me I could schedule an appointment online from their website. I did try that route, and the website stated they didn't have any availability. I couldn't believe it could be that challenging to want to spend my money.
I felt like there was nothing more I could do. So I ordered online and chose to pick it up at the store. I decided not to have them ship directly to me because I learned that it is essential to check the bag before bringing it home. I have heard the quality of their bags is sometimes questionable. After I sent in my order through their website, the ONTHEGO arrived at the store within a week. When I last talked to the host managing scheduling, she told me I had to make an appointment to collect my order. Now, the question is, how do I make an appointment while neither the website or phone call works?
Out of options, I decided to go to the store directly and see what would happen next. The host asked if I planned to browse or was only picking up my bag. I told her it depended on how busy they were because I certainly didn't want to wait for hours to pick up what I had paid. She said she could have someone to help me with my order right away, but I would have to wait for an hour if I planned to browse. At that point, I had enough frustration that I only wanted to pick up and go!
She assigned an SA to help me. The SA asked if I wanted to look at the bag, and I said yes. She opened the box and took the ONTHEGO out of the dust bag, and I instantly noticed something was off. One side of the tote looked warped and slightly distorted. In addition, I also noticed the seam on top of the tote seemed to have split open! I tried to stay calm and asked her if that was normal. She was very accomodating and went back to bring out another one to see if I would like that one better. She didn't argue or try to convince me those imperfections were OK, which I appreciated. The replacement ONTHEGO GM she brought out was the one I ended up taking home. I would be so annoyed if I didn't check and then bring back the tote that looked problematic! If you are buying a Louis Vuitton bag for the first time, please make sure you do your research, and check closely before bringing your bag home! You don't want to regret paying that amount of money for a bag that upsets you!
That's all for my story on buying a Louis Vuitton bag for the first time. Their phone number is useless for scheduling an appointment, their website is impossible, and their scheduling hosts are often politely rude. If your friends know someone working at the store, it would be the easiest way to get an appointment. The last thing I can't stress enough is to check your purchase! I saw the problem with my own eyes, and I have included it in my video as well. They do have quality issues! You may say I was coincidentally unlucky, but then you can't be sure it won't happen to you! I would love to hear your stories on making an LV purchase for the first time, please don't hesitate to share your stories in the comment!
