Class Action Lawsuit Claims Hermès Only Sells Birkin Bags to ‘Worthy’ Customers

A new class action lawsuit in California accuses Hermès of violating antitrust law by only selling its iconic luxury Birkin handbag to customers with a sufficient purchase history of other items.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Francisco on Tuesday, claims sale associates are pushing customers to buy Hermès’s ancillary products — merchandise publicly available for purchase, such as scarves, jewelry, shoes, home goods — to gain an opportunity to buy the exclusive item.

“Typically, only those consumers who are deemed worthy of purchasing a Birkin handbag will be shown a Birkin handbag (in a private room). The chosen consumer will be given the opportunity to purchase the specific Birkin handbag which they are shown,” the lawsuit says, adding that customers cannot then order a different Birkin handbag that might better suit their style preferences.

Read the source article at The Hill