Discounts on Luxury Purchases - E.g. Chanel?

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  pyro love bird on 26/04/2016 - 19:25

  +2

  Hey there,

  I've not worked with the handbags sector, but I've been in luxury jewelry sales, the markups are CRAZY, with that said though, with Chanel and Gucci Jewelry you tend to get 10% off as standard, you can however get 15% off if there's a sale, but in the MCD price they'll generally have it at 10% off. Like I said though, I'm not sure about the markups of fashion and bags, so I can't say. But basically if you walk in, ask about an item, act like you've got the money to dish out, don't be shocked about if they drop a bit in price, and test the waters a bit. You should be alright. My go to with luxury items is to get a minimum of 10% off, and aim for something like 20% off.

  • 

    mangoss on 26/04/2016 - 19:41

    Thanks Pyro :) I think my biggest concern is feeling intimidated in such a snobby store and asking for a discount and being declined! It would be pretty embarrassing. It's worth a shot though when 10% is $500!

    Do customers often initiate the "best price"question; or are sales reps trained to suggest a better price if it looks like the customer is about to leave?

    It would be interesting to find out if Chanel, Louis Vuitton ever have sales - they never seem to be advertised anywhere.

    Thanks for the advice :) much appreciated.

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 27/04/2016 - 00:53

      +1

      Can't speak for Chanel but I know there's no such thing as LV on sale ever - if you see it discounted it's either second hand or fake. There are so many fakes for this type of thing you're better off getting it directly from an official retail store for peace of mind.

      Nothing to be intimidated about - the service at these places is normally first rate, different planet to Myer and DJs. It is very normal to tell the staff to give you say several of the same thing so you can pick the best one (look at the detail on the stitching and for any small imperfections with the leather. I don't think you'd get any movement on price though unless there was an advertised sale (eg Gucci / Prada on Boxing Day sales).

      Unfortunately there aren't really any high end luxury outlets here - I was in Japan earlier this year and went to the Kobe Sanda Premium Outlets and looked at Gucci and Prada, the discounts were largely 50% and higher.

      Coach is really high quality and there is an outlet at the DFO in Homebush but it isn't quite in the same category as the other brands mentioned above.

    • 

      pyro love bird on 27/04/2016 - 17:23

      +1

      The thing is though, you've got to remember, they're sales people, there to make a sale and it's most likely base rate + commission, so they'll wanna make you that sale.

      And what is the price. It is the amount that someone has decided to charge an item. They never have big sales to retain the 'brand reputation'. It maximises their sales and means that people like yourself feel exactly that, embarrassed if you're turned down. You shouldn't be embarrassed, don't let them make you feel like that. I understand the snobiness, I've walked Into places who've judge me and said things like 'you wouldn't be able to afford things here' etc. Those people are bad salespeople and will lose a sale before I even have a chance to look at anything. Don't act like they're above you or its above your means.

      You have every right to be there and have the finances to spend in that store, so don't let them belittle you!

      • 

        bluedufflecoat on 28/04/2016 - 11:48

        +1

        my husband's grandfather was very wealthy…

        he walked into a Mercedes shop, and the salesman was a bit apprehensive about him being able to afford it (thinking he couldn't qualify for a loan)… Granddad called his accountant, accountant said - he can afford it. He's going to pay in cash. LOL. :D

      • 

        pyro love bird on 28/04/2016 - 15:08

        +1

        @bluedufflecoat: we'vee done the same. Bought a Merc in cash and the whole time they were judging like we couldn't afford it.

      • 

        Nutrino on 29/04/2016 - 08:51

        +2

        @pyro love bird:
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ3bfiz22Hw

      • 

        pyro love bird on 30/04/2016 - 01:41

        +1

        @Nutrino: haha that's exactly how we felt. They guy was so astounded and completely turned around his attitude, I even remember him talking to a colleague saying we were a waste of time and weren't gonna buy

      • 

        jace88 on 20/01/2017 - 10:39

        I don't think it's a case of them belittling the customer in some of these stores but rather, they simply don't negotiate on price out of policy to help retain value of their brand.

        Buying a premium/luxury car (eg Mercedes) is a very different experience to buying a Chanel bag.

      • 

        SirFlibbled on 20/01/2017 - 10:52

        @bluedufflecoat: Similar thing happened to my Aunt when she went to buy a new Jag. She was so insulted by the sales person she walked across the road and bought a Subaru but not before mentioning to the salesperson she owned the large multistory apartment block down the road (all of it).

• 

  Settero on 26/04/2016 - 20:06

  +2

  dont some of these brands destroy excess stock to keep the items exclusive ?

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  2jzzzz on 26/04/2016 - 20:52

  You would have to repay the TRS when you came back, if you dont declare it, the fine is twice what you were refunded.

  • 

    KBZ on 27/04/2016 - 19:07

    Don't know why people are negging you.
    What you said is true and a good warning for OP to keep in mind if he wants to 'sneak' the item back in.
    I believe the allowable amount is $1000 per person so OP has $2000 to play around with and customs normally factor in a depreciation rate if it is 'worn'.
    Depending on how much OP wants to spend on the bag. ^___^

    • 

      2jzzzz on 27/04/2016 - 20:26

      No depreciation on luxury goods, watches, jewellery etc etc.

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  kasumi on 28/04/2016 - 14:58

  Sorry to burst your bubble, but Chanel Boutiques do not offer discounts at all. Seasonal items that are the ones that go on sale (July and boxing day sales) but classic bags won't be on sale at all.LV does not have ANY sales at all (even on seasonal items). Any places offering new bags at a discount are mostly fakes. LV has their on online store (which is the only online platform they sell on). Chanel has no online store at all - just a website.

  Chanel has wait lists for their classic bags, so it's not like they need customers, plus they raised their prices a lot over a few years to try and maintain it's exclusivity. Not exactly what you want to hear!

  Designer Jewellery from a jewellery store/watch stores, is the only place you can bargain (like a Chanel Watch at an authorised reseller may have room to wiggle, but if you purchase that same watch from the Boutique, then you will pay full price)

  Prada and Gucci are brands that you can buy that's on sale that you can also get from reputable overseas department stores (Harrods, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Net-a-Porter etc..)

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  michaelTito on 28/04/2016 - 20:29

  Reebonz.com.au

  Hit me up for discount code. Can be between 10-14%

  Bought multiple bags from them and never had any issues.

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  BargainShopaholic on 01/05/2016 - 01:33

  You could try Furla or Coach, they have outlet stores. While they're not as high brow as Chanel, they are still quite nice and considered designer =)

  You'll probably be able to snag a nice bag for under $700 as opposed to $3000 for a Chanel or LV bag =)

• 

  jace88 on 20/01/2017 - 10:38

  +1

  Best bet is to look for price differences overseas and try to get it that way. For Chanel at least, don't expect any sales but you might be able to take advantage of currency differences as well (and maybe a VAT/GST refund too if you bought it from say UK). There are some businesses which can help with this but best if you have a friend who can help.

  There are some websites which compare prices of specific models between markets and are updated regularly so you can see where the best option is.

  On a side note, if you're buying this to treat your Mum and she wouldn't know the difference or appreciate the difference between say a Furla, Coach, an LV or a Chanel, maybe save a little and just go for one of the less expensive but still very premium brands. The point of a Chanel/LV/Hermes/etc is it's an investment and may go up in value over time if it's well maintained… and if this is a one off purchase for you/her, it's probably not well suited to being an everyday use bag either.

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  jace88 on 19/02/2017 - 09:18

  +1

  Old thread but forgot to mention the site to compare prices between currencies is bragmybag.

  http://www.bragmybag.com/chanel-bags-prices/

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  Luckyuser on 20/02/2017 - 17:07

  Old thread deleting my comment lol