Foto © Horst Galuschka/Global Look Press
A Glitz investigation reveals that the complex sales system that has kept the brand exclusive for years is now alienating and irritating the affluent audience. Buying a bag has become a humiliating procedure, reminiscent of a competency test.
According to the publication, getting into the circle of worthy Birkin or Kelly bags is possible only by passing a strict selection process. A new client is treated as a “suspect”, studying his social networks, address and even details of his closet. If a customer sells a bag on their account, they are blacklisted by the brand. The presence of Audemars Piguet and Richard Mille watches adds prestige, while Rolex, according to some sellers, looks too flashy.
The main principle is that you have to “build a relationship” with the brand. To qualify for a limited edition model, one must spend years buying secondary goods: shoes, scarves, clothes. According to the publication’s estimates, the amount of such preliminary spending can reach 200,000 dollars.
Desperate, customers go to extremes: they try to placate sellers with homemade baked goods, offer bribes, tickets to a Beyoncé show or seats on a private jet. The race for status only emphasizes the absurdity of the situation.
Hermès has previously been the subject of antitrust proceedings, where it denied the existence of a “pre-purchase rule”. The case was closed in 2025, but the new investigation may again attract the attention of regulators.
