Don’t you feel that getting a designer bag nowadays equals purchasing a ticket to space with Elon Musk – it’s insanely expensive and limited? Hardly did we get used to the new price tag of Chanel purses, the luxury brand struck another blow against the fashion society: in early October 2021, a new Chanel purchase limit was introduced.
Rumors about special terms of buying designer goods circulate almost all the time. However, it’s official this time. We, at Bagaholic, decided to find out the details.
Let’s see what is hidden behind this new Chanel policy!
New Chanel Bag Purchase Limit
What is exactly this new rule introduced by the brand’s management? Starting this month (October 2021), each client is allowed to buy only one handbag per year, whether it’s online or in a boutique. But leave panic aside and breathe out. The limit applies to certain items only: two handbags and small leather goods.
Which Chanel purses are subject to the new rules?
- Classic flap bag
- Coco Handle
These are the only silhouettes that have a strict one-per-year policy from now on. The second part of the rule applies to small leather goods – cardholders and wallets. Each client can buy no more than 2 of the same items per year.
But does it mean that you can go and buy 20 pieces of Chanel 19 or 20 different wallets? Oh, no! There’s also a limit to the annual amount of items.
It was introduced this spring (April 2021) and states: one customer can purchase 12 bags, 12 accessories, 12 small leather goods, and 40 cosmetics/fragrances total across the entire network in the US. Although it doesn’t seem like a heavy blow for the majority of people – buying one Chanel per year is already quite an occasion.
Apart from the new Chanel purchase limit, are there any other luxury fashion brands with similar rules? Surprisingly, purchase limits s are not a myth. Let’s look at the policy of the three iconic brands from France: Louis Vuitton, Hermes, and Dior.
Louis Vuitton Purchase Limit
Louis Vuitton is open about its limits. You can find the statement on the official website of the brand – open Terms of Purchase, Article 13.
For online purchases, it says no more than 3 leather goods (including small leather goods) and no more than 2 identical products per one transaction are allowed.
There are also certain time restrictions: within 4 consecutive weeks...
- one client cannot buy more than 6 leather goods (including small leather goods);
- buy in more than 3 different LV stores in the worldwide network;
- carry out more than 8 transactions.
The official explanation of Louis Vuitton is simple: the brand is willing to ensure equal possibilities for every customer. However, even this purchase product limit isn’t really helpful. Plenty of fashion lovers experience troubles with the availability of canvas products in boutiques and online. Find more about this phenomenon in our article - Why Is There Shortage of Louis Vuitton Canvas Items?
Hermes Purchase Limit
According to General Terms and Conditions of Sale issued by Hermes of Paris, Inc (or shortly, Hermes), the brand reserves the right to limit the number of products that can be purchased per customer. You can find this vague statement at the beginning of Article 3.2.
What does it mean in reality? Because as far as we know, celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Victoria Beckham, Jamie Chua, and Jeffree Star own Hermes bags collections that take at least 5 lifetimes to buy. It doesn’t feel like they are limited in anything, right?
As it turns out, the brand makes exceptions for VIP clients. While ordinary customers cannot get more than 2 bags of the same design per year.
Well, we have no hard feelings for Hermes because their price tag works as a perfect limit by itself! Check out How Much Do Hermes Bags Cost? From The Cheapest To The Most Expensive.
Dior Purchase Limit
In the best traditions of all French brands, the House of Dior also has strict terms of sale. However, a big relief for us all, as:
- The limit applies only to perfume.
- The terms are in place only in several countries (Australia, Croatia).
US customers can enjoy buying from Dior without any pressure or limitations. If you are looking for a stunning handbag made by this French luxury brand, be sure to choose your next beauty from our list of Top 10 Most Iconic Dior Bags That You’ll Never Regret Buying.
Why Do Luxury Brands Have Purchase Limit Policy?
First, they do it to retain the exclusivity of the brand. If almost every person on the planet owns dozens of Chanel purses, the fashion house will instantly lose its attractiveness and reputation. This is a pure marketing trick, which works perfectly at all times. No wonder that such an aura of belonging to something rare and unique makes people spend thousands of dollars on Chanel handbags, despite the constant price increases.
Second, it’s an everlasting battle of the brand with resellers. They used to sweep new models off the shelves immediately after release, leaving honest customers with nothing. As a result, the resale luxury market is full of overpriced Chanel purses. And yes, people keep buying from them anyway!
Resellers are a plague of the fashion society. They speculate on the most sacred for every fashion lover – the love for stylish accessories. Not only they earn money by offering Chanel products for a rip-off price, but they also prevent people from getting exclusive experience of buying a designer bag directly from the brand. Hopefully, with a new Chanel purchase limit, this issue will be gone.
You can compare the official prices of the most popular Chanel handbags with the offers we have found on the resale market in our article How Much Are Chanel Purses On the Resale Market? Retail vs Resale Prices.
In general, this limit may have a positive impact on the resale market. The number of dishonest resellers aiming for profit only will eventually decrease, giving more opportunity for ordinary clients to buy a brand-new Chanel purse.
Despite the new Chanel purchase limit, fashion lovers don’t feel sad or frustrated in any way. Some of them turn to the pre-loved market in order to hunt for vintage and discontinued models. It’s a great way to buy a designer bag without emptying your bank account. Besides, there are no limits there whatsoever! The only thing to keep in mind is always ordering a professional authentication before making a transaction.
If you need to authenticate a Louis Vuitton/Dior/Gucci item, please order one of the three types of authentication:
- good when you need a certificate for any reason,
Certificate of Authenticity $25
- good when you need a certificate for any reason, either to sell the bag with the peace of mind or to return a fake bag to the seller if you purchased a fake
- includes a permanent certificate on lvbagaholic.com
Certificate of Authenticity with a thorough explanation $50
- good when you need a certificate and you need to know why the bag is authentic/not authentic for any reason, either to sell the bag with the peace of mind or return a fake bag to the seller if you purchased a fake.
- includes a permanent certificate on lvbagaholic.com
- includes an explanation of why the item is fake (detailed pictures and comparisons with an authentic bag, more than 10 pics included)
PLEASE CHOOSE ONE OF THE OPTIONS BELOW
