Birkin bags, long a status symbol for the wealthy, are so difficult to purchase that a pair of Californians just sued the company over its sales practices.
Forty years after Hermès introduced its iconic leather handbag, consumers still scheme about how to purchase enough luxury goods from the French retailer so a salesperson will sell them a Birkin — the commonly understood way to purchase the bag. The handmade accessory starts at $10,000 but can easily run into six figures, even on the resale market.
On Tuesday, two California residents sued Hermès in the Northern District of California, proposing a class-action lawsuit against the Paris luxury retailer. The complaint said Hermès unlawfully tied the purchase of Birkin bags to buying the company's other products.
The case highlights a long-standing practice among luxury retailers that requires long-term purchasing relationships for specialty items.
Hermès did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside normal business hours. The company has not yet filed a response to the complaint.
One of the plaintiffs, Tina Cavalleri, said in the complaint that she spent tens of thousands of dollars at Hermès. When she inquired about buying another Birkin bag in September 2022, she "was told specialty bags are going to 'clients who have been consistent in supporting our business,'" she said in the lawsuit. From that exchange, Cavalleri thought she needed to spend more money on non-Birkin products to buy another signature bag, the suit added.
The other plaintiff, Mark Glinoga, tried to buy a Birkin bag multiple times last year "but was told on each occasion he needed to purchase other items and accessories," the lawsuit said. He was not able to purchase the bag. Glinoga has previously joined other class-action lawsuits, suing Uber, T-Mobile, and Robinhood.
The plaintiffs' attorneys declined to answer emailed questions from BI about the case, including how many Birkin bags Cavalleri owned, how much she spent at the store, and about Glinoga's purchase history, if any, with Hermès.
Hermès is not the only luxury retailer that sells accessories based on long-term purchasing relationships. Buying Rolex watches, customized Porsche 911s, and other status symbols can take years of cultivation.
"People desire what they can't easily obtain," Nicole Pollard Bayme, the founder of the luxury styling firm Lalaluxe, told BI last month. "Crafting a playbook for marketing to the luxury consumer, Hermès sets the standard."
