Hermes facing lawsuit, accused of selling Birkin handbags only to big spenders

Luxury brand Hermes is accused of only selling its Birkin handbags to certain clientele in a new lawsuit.

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The lawsuit was filed against Hermes in San Francisco, according to The New York Times. It was filed by Tina Cavalleri and Mark Glinoga, who claim that the company only sold their Birkin handbags to customers who spent the most money.

The lawsuit argued that the retailer violated antitrust law. According to The Associated Press, they said it was violated by making customers spend money on other items in the store before having a chance to buy the infamous handbag.

The lawsuit claims that store employees choose customers who are able to get the Birkin bags. They are reportedly told to get customers to buy other items first so they can receive a 3% commission which is something they do not get for the Birkin bag, the AP reported.

“These sales associates are directed by Defendants to only offer Birkin handbags to consumers who have established a sufficient “purchase history” or “purchase profile” with Defendants or Defendants’ ancillary products such as shoes, scarves, belts, jewelry and home goods,” the lawsuit says, according to the AP.

The Birkin bag is made in France with special leather and can cost thousands of dollars, the AP reported. They can only be purchased in-store. Celebrities who have them include Kim Kardashian, Cardi B and Jennifer Lopez.

Some bags go for hundreds of thousands of dollars at auctions, according to the Times.

The bag was named after Jane Birkin, who was a French film star and singer. She was the one who came up with the idea and presented it to Hermes chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas, the Times reported. It was first introduced in 1984.

Another Hermes bag is called the Kelly after the late Princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly, the newspaper reported.

Hermes did not reply to the Times for comment.

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