Gunas Luxury Handbag Rant

32 Comments

1. I agree your situation sounds like a design flaw. But the more people who know about your experience, the better – save’s others from buying bad products and gives a bad reputation to the company.

   About 10+ yrs ago, I bought my first Coach bag ($350 USD, which was whopping expensive for me hoping it would last me a long time). It was a black leather tote with a shoulder chain interwoven with leather (or some product, I am not sure it was leather). The interwoven piece broke at about 8 months. I returned the bag to the Coach store of purchase (not even a department store!!) and was refused repair (or to ship back to Coach for evaluation for repair or replacement) by store employees (2) because they determined it was likely stressed from putting heavy items inside or possibly the part wouldn’t be available and sent on my way. Returning to store meant saving on S&H, I was keen on that and at the time Coach advertised this as a convenience at my local store. I didn’t call Coach directly as I didn’t know any better. I stewed. (I still stew) I continued to use a broken bag to demonstrate the poor quality and service of Coach. I have not bought a Coach bag since on principle. In my case, it’s a shame that lazy employees ruined a brand for a customer.

   1. I’m so sorry to hear about your experience with Coach. I still can’t get over how the OWNER of Gunas spoke to me 🙁

      I genuinely feel I owe it to you all to tell you about my experiences – good and bad – especially when it’s a brand that I’ve promoted on my blog for 2 years.

2. Not all brands are created equal – I like luxury brands though I like my hard earned money in my pocket too, so I rarely get them.

   1. Totally understand! I definitely think that Gunas does not live up to the luxury name no matter their claims.

3. Terrible customer service! I would think that bag should last a few years for that price. I will never buy a bag from them!

   1. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and support Dana!

4. Personally I won’t use leather, so this is really interesting to read and I’m grateful for you sharing this. The most I ever spent on a bag was about £130 (I nearly cried handing over my card!), it was by Matt & Natt. I’ve used it daily for nearly 3 years, and I have to be honest I’m rough on things, I really don’t look after them. It’s in the same condition I bought it in. Having seen your feedback on Gunas it’s made me appreciate my bag even more, and I’m now considering a second one just because!

   1. It sounds like Matt & Natt is amazing!

5. Their responses were so disappointing and unprofessional. I was so tempted by a couple of their bages. I’m glad I didn’t get around to buying yet. Great video!

   1. I’m so glad you didn’t waste your money like I did Rachel!

6. I have a soft spot for vintage Burberry. Most of the bags i buy are primarily pvc and the fact that I buy them 2nd hand is both the best bet for the environment and animal welfare. Vintage/used Burberry is still really expensive but I can’t ever imagine tearing or breaking of any kind. I have 3 bags and I also buy guess bags and they are definitely not leather, likely pvc as well. All have been perfect and been used regularly. I’d advocate for 2nd hand purchases of high end bags because the quality can’t be beat and it’s kinder to animals and the environment. EBay is great for this! I feel really bad for you because luxury bags are so expensive and we tend to bond with them too! 🙁

   1. A friend turned me on to the site The Real Real, to look at for second-hand bags.

7. Interesting about Coach warranty. I bought a few of them in the 80’s early 90’s and I still have them in use. And I only own a couple of handbags so yeah. They used to warranty them for life.

   I actually still own a Coach belt purchased in the 80’s. My backpack finally bit the dust about 10 yrs ago. The idea that any bag that isn’t a cheapie falls apart within a year is outrageous.

   1. I wonder why that changed!

8. When I buy a bag I don’t mind spending a lot of money ($250 a piece max). The bags I bought in the past are made of leather and classy, so I expect my bags to last a life time! That’s why I bought them and spend a lot of money in the first place. I own a small and a big cambridge satchel and one cheap and tiny handbag for when I’m going out. I think I got it at Primark? So when I would spend the same amount of money on a “superior quality” vegan leather bag, I’d hope for the same (but you know that’s impossible) or at least 5-10 years because it’s not made from leather.

   1. I’m just so mad that they claim their products are ‘made from superior vegan materials in comparison to other vegan brands’ when they’re not!

9. Before I make expensive purchases I do a lot of preliminary research to see other people’s experiences with the product. Definitely never buying from this company! >_>

   1. I looked up reviews on other blogs, Youtube, and on the Gunas website, all of which were positive. I wish I’d thought to check Yelp! That’s where I found a bunch of real reviews and complaints.

10. I’m so sad to hear about your experience with Gunas! Your experience went from bad to worse! I can’t believe their response to your feedback. I’ve not tried their bags but I do have some other “luxury” vegan bags. So far, I’ve not had the same issue. I also rotate my usage and so far my Angela Roi bag has been going strong for a year and a half and I’ve had a Mat & Nat bag since last Summer. Considering how much your bag cost and your rotation schedule, a 15-month lifespan is disappointing.

    Thank you so much for featuring my blog post exploring leather alternatives. Since writing that post, I have continued exploring leather alternatives and I’ve come across some interesting views regarding vegan “leather” bags I think you might find interesting.

    Most vegan leather is made from plastic. While vegan leather wins hands down when it comes to animal welfare, its environmental impact is rather murky. There have been concerns over the last few years about PVC due to its main component being vinyl (chlorine) and the fact it requires a lot of resources such as water, raw materials, and energy to produce. This means our vegan handbags have large carbon footprints. Apparently, Polyurethane isn’t much better and also creates carbon emissions and chemical waste.

    I hate to be “Debbie Downer” but your experience is of particular interest to me and I feel that sharing information like is this is important. Currently, I’m trying to look at bags differently by considering their entire lifecycle. I completely disagree with the use of animal skins for anything! However, when you consider “how long a plastic product will last and what will happen when it’s time to dispose of it…” It seems a lot of vegan bags have improved since their first creation but they still have a way to go when compared to other materials. I hope you can find a replacement soon that lasts much longer!

    1. I loved your blog post and I adore your Instagram! I recently read an article that made me rethink vegan leather and try to research the environmental impact ( https://craftsmanship.net/eco-fashions-animal-rights-delusion/ ). I am very much against buying fast fashion and having something end up in a landfill in a year or two and would rather buy something that will last 10+ years like real leather (or longer!), if it’s from an animal that was already going to be eaten (such as a cow, even though I do not eat cow myself). The entire lifecycle is very important to consider, where the material is coming from and the environmental impact.

11. Same thing happened with my Sol & Selene…I ended up repairing it myself! Very disappointing customer service.

    1. I’m so sorry to hear it!

12. What is even worse than the 90 day warranty is the policy they only accept a defect return invite one product per order. So you order two handbags and you have the dumb luck to find a defect or issue with both, they’ll only replace one of them?? You have to make a separate order and pay separate shipping for each one for them to be covered should there be an issue? (Which, clearly, there could be.) Wow.

    And yes, I’m not a fan of faux anything for a premium price. I’ve had ad Dooney and Bourke bags that are from the 90’s and they are still perfect. My Coach and Fendi bags are also vintage. High end bags, when rotated, last for YEARS. MANY.

    1. You’re so right Corinne! I wish I’d just stuck to 1 bag and wore it religiously to see when it wore out rather than being stupid and buying every time they had a sale. You know how well I treat my stuff, you’ve been in my closet, so it’s not like I’m hard on things.

13. I also rotate bags. My Coach bags are 5-10 years old and look brand new. They aren’t CF and are more expensive than this brand, but I expect to get 5 years out of a bag when it’s rotated with 4-6 other bags.

    1. I’ve heard nothing but glowing reviews over Coach’s warranty, their bag construction and their exceptional customer service. Gunas should take a lesson from them.

14. Absolutely disturbing customer service. I believe a luxury bag should hold up at LEAST two years with regular use!

    1. Thank you Stephanie! I’m glad to know that my expectations were not unrealistic.

15. I have some leather handbags from good companies, particularly one called Perlina, which I bought in the past and mostly use as accent colored bags for special occasions. But over two years ago, I got 2 matching handbag and tote sets in different colors for daily wear summer–and spring and fall– that are vegan. And I alternate the two seasonally. Because I am lazy, I do use a handbag pretty constantly. In fact, I usually bring in a black leather handbag for the winter months, and I am so lazy about changing handbags, I have not done it yet. (Though this reminds me to.) These bags and totes are in perfect condition two years later. (Knock on wood.) I think each set cost under $100. In what you recount, it’s not just the poor design and craftsmanship. It’s the poor customer service.

    1. They sound like really nice sets! I usually like to have colorful handbags since I wear a lot of black. And you’re right, it’s not just what I think is the poor design or defect, but it’s also the bad customer service.

16. This happened to me, too! I purchased a Cottontail bag in June, and one of the snap buttons started to loosen 3 months later, and fell off last month.

    1. OMG, I’m so sorry to hear that! A lot of people are saying they’re having the same issue with buttons / snaps and Gunas bags. That really sounds like a design flaw in my opinion.

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