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Hermès Accused of Vetting Birkin Buyers and Policing Resales

Fresh coverage highlights an invitation system that filters buyers through profile checks alongside resale surveillance.

Overview

  • Recent reports build on a Glitz investigation alleging that access to Birkin and Kelly quota bags is controlled through opaque, invitation-only discretion rather than on-the-spot sales.
  • News18 describes bags not being displayed in stores, leather appointments in Paris often secured by lottery, and final decisions left to store managers.
  • Sales associates reportedly review home address prestige, shopping history across categories, in‑store conduct, and public social‑media profiles before a buyer is considered.
  • Monitoring is said to continue after purchases, with scans of resale platforms, potential blacklisting of suspected resellers, staff penalties, and photo archiving of exotic-leather bags.
  • Multiple outlets, including Deccan Chronicle and Newsweek, have echoed the Glitz claims and noted prices starting around $10,000, while no detailed official response from Hermès appears in the coverage.