to expect a £50 bag to last more than a year.

[notanicebag]

As it is really. I have a gorgeous bag purchased from a well known depatment store. It is almost a year old but like most mums I haven't used it every day. One of the straps has split in an area and the filling is falling out.
I have been told that it will probably have to be sent off for examination to see if there is a fault or if its normal wear and tear.
Do you think this bag should be replaced or repaired?

Obviously it depends how much you use it, but I wouldn't expect a £50 bag to last more than a year, no.

I paid that for my last one and it was extremely tatty after about a year. Was all leather too.

I don't actually think £50 is that much to pay for a bag, and if that was what I'd spent, then I wouldn't be surprised at all if it started to fall apart after a year.

Repaired, not replaced you have had it too long it has to wear reasonably over the course of a year, and if you have had it that long to me says it's lived its life.

Er no. You've used it for a year? You've not alternated with other bags? All spring, summer and autumn?

£50 is not particularly expensive as handbags go so I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't last a year. I got through 3 leather bags in about 18 mths a couple of years back and I wasn't happy but it was normal wear and tear. I overfill them and end up ruining the handles. I reckon you are just going to have to put new handbag on your Christmas list.

I got an ugg handbag for last Xmas costing £125...within 5 months the seam starting coming away!
I wrote a lovely letter (!) explaining and they said to send the bag back but it would take 6 weeks to get replacement! I never did send it though!

Going against what others have said, £50 is a fairly substantial amount of money, and I would expect it to last more than a year (unless you've been carrying around bricks in it everyday!).

Most days of the week I don't even use a bag. I personally feel it could be a design fault. It has a big fake padlock thing attached to flap. I am sure opening and closing that could cause undue pressure on the bag but I am not sure I can be bothered to pursue it.

Thefurryone, it depends if the £50 is for the quality or for a 'name'.

Wow, you lot are hard on your handbags! Wouldn't pay more than £30-40 for a bag, and I still expect them to last 5 years or so.

I think bags have a hard life so I wouldn't expect a £50 to last much more than a year without going a bit tatty.

I do get pissed off with £50 cardigans that go shit after being washed a handful of times

That was supposed to be a fuckers emoticon

I'd expect a bag to last- as mine do- if it is one of several ( and so not in permanant use)and it is not left full or hanging. I'd also expect that if I paid £50 for a no-name leather bag it would last.

Unfortunately it's very easy to spend £50 or more on a low level 'designer' bag that cost about £1 to make and has bad stitching. Think most of the contents of Debenhams bag section. If I want to buy an expensive leather bag I'd spend more on one of the quality makers- not necessarily the big or uber fashionable names. My workhorse winter bag is sensible and lovely, cost around a lot but is still up for everyday use 4 years on.

It would appear I'm in the minority but actually I would expect a £50 bag to last more than a year. I have never had a bag costing that much but have had £15 and £30 bags which I used every day last a lot longer than a year.

Bobbling knitwear. Evil fuckers sell cashmere at low(er) prices and it looks awful after a few washes.

narkypuffin - even a £50 designer handbag should last longer than a year, unless of course it's fake!

I have to say I'm wondering what you lot all do with your handbags! I bought the one I'm using today 4 years ago I haven't used it every day but have used it very regularly in that time, it's huge so I carry a lot in it and whilst it doesn't look as good as it did on the day I bought it, it's still absolutely fine. It cost me £65.

More cash doesn't necessarily mean better quality or a longer life. I was craving a stupidly pricey purse a couple of years ago but knew that the finish on the leather would mean it would get marked and couldn't be cleaned. I bought a similar one for £5 from Sainsbury's and used it for about a year. It was too marked by then. The pricey one would have been just as marked if not more- softer leather.

I buy cheap secondhand bags for between £1 and £4and they last that long...

My 100 quid bag is losing the coating on its piping after less than a year which is a pisser because it'll be tricky to fix. I paid the money for the design, not robustness though, and I have used it every single day.