Convinced that the new bag was a fake, Kim was deeply disappointed. After all, Saks Global, which owns Saks Fifth Avenue as well as luxury stores Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, is a respected entity, known for selling high-end brands including Prada, Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana. She contacted Saks’ customer service department, which asked her to return the product via post. But Kim wasn’t satisfied with the response. Her concern, she explained, was that she would have no physical evidence to prove her claim — and that she consequently wouldn’t receive a refund — if she wasn’t believed.
Ultimately, Kim took the bag to a Saks Fifth Avenue store in Beverly Hills and received a refund in gift card form, but the experience had left a sour taste in her mouth. “After the incident, I haven’t purchased anything online,” she told CNN, adding that in the future she would only shop for luxury goods in-person.
Saks confirmed to CNN that the incident had been resolved, but did not comment on whether the returned bag was counterfeit and what had happened to it.
“Return fraud has become a pervasive issue for retailers, and, as a result, we consistently evaluate our returns approach,” a global spokesperson for Saks said in an emailed statement. “As part of this, we’ve identified the need to take additional steps in our processes, including more time for careful product quality inspection and authentication, to ensure that customers receive high quality authentic merchandise in future orders.”
The spokesperson added: “Our fulfillment centers manage millions of shipments every year, but it is unacceptable for any customer to have this experience. Our top priority is ensuring our customers enjoy the luxury shopping experience for which Saks Fifth Avenue is known, and we continuously work to improve our processes.”
A global occurrence
Kim’s experience isn’t as unusual as you might think, with shoppers across the world reporting similar incidents. Tiffany Kim (no relation), a California-based dental hygienist, was also shocked to discover that a recent purchase — a top-handle bag, also by The Row — could potentially be counterfeit. She had bought it from Ssense, a Canadian online luxury retailer that stocks Bottega Veneta, Loewe and Auralee, among other fashionable labels.