Do you remember the COACH handbag I got as “new baby” gift from Hubby late last year?
A couple of months ago, I took the handbag out of its dust bag where it was lovingly stored in my wardrobe and started using it as an everyday bag.
ALI SIGNATURE LARGE HOBO HANDBAG – MAHOGANY
I love the way the cross-body falls and the short and long straps are quite versatile. And yup, the cervo leather is as soft as it looks 
When I was examining the handbag at the COACH outlet, the salesperson mentioned that the common problem most clients face is with the zipper.
Me?
I find that the hook for the short strap unhooks itself frequently and hangs loose in quite an unsightly manner.
Today, I wanted to use the short strap to sling it like a shoulder bag and found a frayed strap!
HANGING BY A THREAD
If you look at the photo below, you can see the frayed thread barely holding the edges of the strap together. And this is a designer bag, which has a history dating as far back as 1941???
Needless to say, I am shocked (or gobsmacked!) to see such shoddy handiwork on such an expensive designer bag.
I own a few Guy Laroche leather handbags that do not cost more than RM400 each and a Burberry pouch costing about RM300.
I’ve also used my friend’s ultra-stylish Prada and sleek, classic Ralph Lauren handbags and have not been too gentle with them during my younger days. I was such a tomboy that I didn’t have a handbag and she just couldn’t stand it 
Yet, none of these bags have frayed threads – in fact, they are all still in great condition despite being used for years and have actually aged gracefully.
I am truly shocked at the poor quality of this COACH handbag I had so excitedly picked out for myself. If you read my old post, I think you can understand my joy especially as I’d waited nearly 4 years to enjoy this gift…
Anyway, I wrote to COACH who replied me quite promptly with the instruction that I
a) send the handbag in to their Florida address for an evaluation and
b) will be charged a US$20 shipping and handling fee.
Now, the COACH guarantee states that:
It is our (their) policy to stand behind our (their) goods against manufacturing defects for the natural life of our merchandise, excluding normal wear.
As my handbag is still quite new, the frayed strap is definitely not due to regular wear and tear.I also don’t think it makes sense to send the handbag all the way to Florida.
The consumer service team at COACH has kindly waived the US$20 shipping and handling fee and tells me that I can send the bag in to the KLIA outlet for evaluation and repair, which would take between 4-6 weeks.
The customer service at COACH proves to be as good as a laptop warranty but the hassle of shipping the handbag all the way down to KL, waiting for its repair and then getting it back again…
Now, I’ve got to bug my cousin to see if he’s going down to KL again anytime soon. I don’t think the poor guy is enthusiastic about ferrying a ladies’ handbag to a COACH outlet if it’s not his wife’s handbag! I may even get him in trouble too i.e. his wife may say:
“How come I don’t have a COACH handbag???”
Then again, I’d tell her not to bother -_-
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Oooo, hubby is thinking of getting me a coach on his business trip to US too, well! I like this model too but I think I should give up the thought now! Do the review before buying!
thanks for your advice on my bumgenius post! U know I already say sayorana to CD and stick back to traditional ones! no more headache! I found that the baby’s butt/ private part stinks after wearing that for only two hours! So I won’t risk buying any other brand!
Coach is overpriced for made in china product. But then again I own 2 of their products and so far so good. Why don’t you courier the bag down? It will take awhile to repair I believe.
Leeyen – Ya, I find this problem such a pain esp when it affects my everyday bag!
etceteramommy – I’m still thinking about whether it’s worth the time and trouble of sending them the bag. Plus, I need to pay for the courier (and insurance) down to KL and wait for 4-6 weeks while they stitch up the bag! What a nightmare…
I know in SG there are shops that specializes in polishing, stitching, branded shoes/bags. I think there’s one in Bangsar but Im not too sure abt Penang. Actually if you don’t need accessories replacementlike button, strap, etc you can send the bag elsewhere. They also sub contract the job to others I’m sure. Imagine the poor bag get thrown here and there during the process of transporting, aiyor, ‘xim tia’ (heartache).
hv to send all the way bag to florida and being charged? not fair!
If you don’t mind there’s a shop that my MIL used to send her bags for repairs (hers all LVs lar) and only cost like RM20-RM40… I can roughly tell you where it is.
Luckily my Coach is still ok despite me being so chor-lor.
Recently my friend bought me a Coach bag in the US. I love the design, but sigh … I prefer it in a different colour. I’ve not even ripped off the tag nor much less used the bag! But since no one I know is going to fly back to the US soon, do you think the Coach boutiques here will exchange for me? Same design, just a different colour.
Yalah..no need to send to KL one la..Pg also got people who can do the repairs. I know my friend does it all the time and she said very cheap and workmanship is good.
Etceteramommy – Actually, I don’t care about the handbag being bumped here and there since I do that already LOL Just irritated with the bag being away and I need to use my “old” bag again…
Angeleyes & Shooi – Please, please pass me your contacts. The only one I know is somewhere near Komtar, which also sells vintage handbags.
Ellie – Why don’t you try your luck and write to the COACH people? I think they entertain exchanges within a certain period of time. The US is great for returns and exchanges
Aiyo, that’s really a bummer. I lost faith in Coach after seeing the bag I bought for RM1,400 sold here for $550. Authenticlah but these people get the stock from US directly. So Xim Tia. Now, only target the bags that don’t have sales and discounts so that I won’t feel like I got ripped off.
P/S Re Angeleyes’ comment – Wah LV also have to repair ah?
Immomsdaughter – Hey, I’m in the same boat too! I was sooooo mad when I found out about it. Sian, right?
I don’t have coach, but I lose a blog iblogaholic.info so sad.
Sherry – Forget about getting a Coach bag. How can you lose a blog? Forget to renew the domain name, ah? No worries, blogs are quite easy to build!
I own the Ali Hobo in black fabric with signature Cs. Its a year old and no loose or frayed stitches. But the zipper is a real pain I have to hold it straight to zip it up. But other than that I love it. I stopped buying Coach bags after they slapped a Made in China tag on it! I bought the Ali Hobo and didnt have any such tag in it. They’ve gone downhill.
Evan – I don’t mind the zipper since it’s a soft, unstructured bag. I only saw the “Made in China” tag when I examined it recently.
Definitely a very, very overpriced item especially when I find out that I could have bought the handbag online for 20-30% off retail prices. It’s the first and last COACH handbag for me.
Recently, I saw a gorgeous handbag in beautiful brown leather by an Italian designer with a rather long name (I forget which one!). It was beautiful and I just loved the leather.
The friendly salesman told me it’s on sale at 40% off but I quickly returned the handbag when he told me it’s ON SALE at RM2,900!!!
He laughed when I said, “People would actually buy such an expensive handbag?”
That’s equivalent to 3 months’ salary for some people!