High End designer bags (Dior,Prada, LV etc) and outsourcing

[Aeroflotgirl]

It makes me so angry the way that the high end designer brands can outsource to cheaper areas (China, Turkey, Romania) and still charge their extortionate prices for poorer quality items. I am a member of The Purse Forum and it is a bugbear that since this has happened, the quality of designer handbags has declined.

I think that the companies rely on their cache of being a high end brand, however if you go into a Prada store noway would you want to pick up a handbag that has been made in anywhere but France or Italy.

@Aeroflotgirl I completely agree, Mulberry have quietly moved 70% of production to China and Vietnam, with the remainder being made in Turkey and occasionally in the U.K.

It's a shambles and is not on at all.

I know StylishMummy, I own quite a few preloved Authentic preloved Designer handbags, and I am shocked at the quality just after a few wears. The edges coming off my Miu Miu Matalasse handbag, the long bag strap of my Christian Dior Granville bag falling apart, and the stitching from the long strap of my Prada Bauletto bag coming apart. You may as well buy a decent bag for a fraction of the price from Debenhams or Marks and Spencer.

I am often on The Purse Forum discussion boards, and see many complaints about the quality of these high end bags, and the shoddy customer service.

I don’t really mind where the items are made as long as the craftsmanship and quality are not lowered.

I have found that the quality and craftsmanship of Mulberry has deteriorated to such an extent that I will not buy their products anymore. I cannot get behind PU lined bags at that price, and my experience with both their quality and craftsmanship is that both are just downright terrible.
Frankly, even their customer service has put me off wanting to buy from them.

I have moved on to other brands. Complaining will not make them change their minds and methods, only voting with our feet will.

RiskIt, I think its like that across the brands, going downhill in quality at the moment. They had better pull their finger out, if they want customer loyalty and not just rely on the brand name.

Prada PU quilted bags are just so tacky, who wants to pay ££££££ for Nylon.

Why buy them then? I bought high end handbags in the 00's when they were fairly priced and well-made. Sunglasses as well. (I have Chanel sunglasses from 2000 which are beautifully made and in a high-quality case - now they're plastic tat.)
I went to the Mulberry factory shop in Somerset recently, and comparing quality with my Mulberry from 2004, there's no comparison.
Better to buy niche, artisan or high quality high street. No way would I give £1500 - £2500 for the tat turned out now. I'd rather go away for the weekend.

I was a bit of a bag hag as a younger woman, but the last time I bought from Mulberry, which was before the take over, the quality was appalling compared to my older bags. I don't feel excited about buying them now as I used to, saving up was worth it and now you're paying so much for a name instead of quality and customer service. I've got a fair few good quality bags for different occasions so I've just stopped looking, which I never thought would happen! I'm gearing up to sell off a lot of them, but I won't be charging near what I paid, as I feel I was conned tbh. Plus carrying nappies around doesn't necessitate a fancy handbag, I use cotton totes most of the time now.

I don't buy them at full price, I pay a fraction of the price for pre loved high end bags, and over the years I have got to know various brands and how to authenticate before I buy. If I am unsure, I go use ThePurseForum to help authenticate.

@Aeroflotgirl where do you buy your preloved designer handbags for a fraction of the price? I'm aware of places like Vestiaire, but have found that the discount isn't that much - often around £250 off a £1500 bag which to me is worth it, may as well buy brand new, although not if the quality has gone down as you suggest! I don't know much about it, but was browsing in Selfridges yesterday. I looked at a dior bag and it definitely seemed to be amazing quality!

There are a lot of mention of the Purse Forum here

Oh thank you! I assumed that was simply a place for getting bags authenticated. Will google.

I look on e bay funnily enough, you can get Authentic bargains if you know what to look for. Yes I like ThePurseForum as it is dedicated to all things designer bags, which is what I love and they authenticate too. I have got (secondhand, but mint condition), £1,500 bags for around £150-200. They depreciate so much.

The most I paid was £500 for my Christian Dior Granville bag, which was 6 months old at the time and currently retailing on tge Christian Dior website for £2,00 from the bay. Totally Authentic, at the time I had my ISA which needed reinvesting so I thought I would treat myself for Christmas. Beautiful bag, but after a few months use, the connector of the long strap just went.

It’s awful isn’t it? I’m also a member of TPF, and was just reading a thread yesterday about Chanel’s recent price increase and people’s hopes this would start to be reflected in their quality control! I bought a Chloe Faye in January and had no issues with mine, however a thread in the Chloe forum has shown quite a few people having problems with the hardware on their Fayes, with Chloe not being much help. It’s a disgrace that bags in the region of £1000s are being churned out so shoddily.

It is daylight robbery, thelittlesquidge the brands rely on their cache, and their exclusivity. People are just going to get fed up paying £2,000 for a bag that falls apart after a few wears. I certainly coulden't afford to pay those prices, so I surf on e bay where if you know what you are looking for and how to spot fakes, in the brand you want to buy, you can pick up an Authentic bargain for a fraction of the price. If I was paying full price for an high end bag, I certainly would expect it to be of exceptional quality.

@Aeroflotgirl I think it’s excellent that TPF have some threads/sections for authentication on eBay etc. I haven’t myself ever bought bags from eBay but I’d have nothing against doing so, I might give it a go next time actually! It is absolute daylight robbery, it’s stressful enough making sure you weather protect a bag, keep it clean etc without having to worry about the quality it initially came in

Do thelittlesquidge, I picked up a Miu Miu deerskin handbag, that I saw retailing at £1,500 on Net a Porter, a few years later on e bay for £50 and was in reasonably good condition. It was definitely genuine, when you feel it the quality was fantastic, and it had all the genuine features. I purchased my LV passey epi handbag (looks a bit like the Hermes birkin bag), for £150 in fantastic condition.

@Aeroflotgirl You lucky thing! What fantastic finds, get you! The next on my list is a LV Pochette Metis or a Gucci Soho Disco bag, I can’t really bring myself to spend the money right now though might have a little peruse on eBay and see what I can find, or vestiarecollective since you can pay monthly

Totally agree. I have over 10 Mulberry bags and won’t touch the new stuff with a barge pole. Quality is dreadful and prices are extortionate.

Yes Little squirts, have a look, get familiar with the brand and what genuine features to look for. If unsure put it on TPFfor authentication before you bid.

If you want a Gucci Disco bag, type in google how to spot fake Gucci bags, and there are so many tutorials you get to know the brand their style, font and space of letters, serial numbers etc. I have done this for 12 years and have got stung with some fakes in the past when I first started out. I soon got my money back through Paypal.

@Aeroflotgirl I wonder if we know one another through TPF and some of the designer Facebook selling groups. I've been on TPF for years and advise on authenticity, mainly Chanel, LV and Mulberry but branching into Gucci and Prada.

I buy mostly via eBay and Facebook selling sites but always pay via PayPal goods and services for buyer protection.

The best bargains have been 85% off RRP, but things like the Chanel WOC and LV Neverfull retain their value so well that they can be a great investment. I've never seen such a shambles as mulberry in the last 3 years, crap hardware, sloppy inking and poor stitching quality. It shows how the name has become more important than the reputation

Stylish my username on TPF is Heffalump with a picture of my baby dd at the time in blue. I don't go on often, I usually go on the Christian Dior, Miu Miu or Prada boards. I have noticed that LV keep their value, and they are very well made. The others due to them outsourcing to Third World countries yet charging the earth, are poorer in quality.