Woman finally gets coveted leather appointment at Hermès. Then she sees what she’s offered: ‘This was a test and you failed’

​A woman finally got a leather appointment with Hermès, one of the most prized full-grain leather retailers in the world. Yet when she arrived, she was only offered one item: A small, black leather case.

A (@arangelaaa) told her audience that she got a leather appointment with Hermès in Paris. But once she arrived, she only received one offer.

After she said no to the case, she told her audience that she received the “cold shoulder” from a Hermès sales representative. Another person purchased the case she didn't take. She clarified in her video's onscreen text that the representative didn't have anymore offers for her.

A, however, said she still has hope in her video, which has received more than 2.4 million views. She clarified that she's eyeing a “Craie Birkin.” She said she'll return in case she's offered it.

How does Hermès work?

Hermès sales representatives can only sell coveted items, such as hard-to-purchase Birkins, to individuals with an extensive purchase history with the company, according to NPR. So items such as the Craie Birkin are often out of reach to regular window shoppers.

Leather appointments, then, offer customers the ability to mingle with the sales representatives and make a solid first impression. After some time and with a strong purchasing history, a sales representative may offer a customer a Birkin, such as the Craie Birkin.

Many have criticized the company for making its bags so exclusive that they're impossible to purchase for some customers. For others, however, it only increases their fervor for the bag. On Reddit, the community r/TheHermesGame marvels over Hermès products and even strategizes to purchase select items such as Birkins.

One customer, who posted on the subreddit, said they have been to eight different leather appointments over the course of two years. They still had not purchased many unique products or a Birkin.

“I've managed to purchase [an] Evelyne, Picotin, and [a] Constance at these appointments, but I don't personally feel that it's [worthwhile] – especially for bags I can easily get at my home store and even online these days,” they said.

They said that despite attempts to build a relationship with Hermès' Paris sales associates, they found them “standoffish,” especially when asking for a contact.

Viewers criticize Hermès

Previously, The Mary Sue covered other customers' attempts to play the long game for a Birkin. That is, by securing appointments, maintaining a purchasing history, and over time, working one's way to getting a Birkin offer from a sales associate. Many commenters, however, stated that the cat-and-mouse chase with the retailer simply wasn't worth it.

In A's comments section, viewers generally agreed with that sentiment.

“It is a humiliation ritual,” one commenter said.

Another added, “The concept of a luxury brand needing to test you to see if you're worthy of buying their bags meanwhile, your bank account pretty much shows that you're worthy, is absolutely crazy.”

But others said that Hermès was “testing” her. They added that her not purchasing the product they offered might have given the sales representative the wrong signal.

“This was a test and you failed … that SA wanted to see if you truly knew what's up,” a viewer said.

“Explains the cold shoulder once I said no … literally got snatched up within 20 seconds of turning it down,” A replied.

We reached out to A via TikTok direct message and Hermès via contact form for comment.

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