So, I wanted to share something I went through recently with my old Bottega Veneta bag. It’s one of those woven ones, had it for ages, really love how soft the leather is, surprisingly tough too most of the time.
Anyway, I noticed a few weeks back that one of the leather strips near the handle was starting to come loose. Not completely off, but enough to bother me, you know? Looked kinda sloppy. I remembered vaguely when I bought it, something about quality or repairs, but honestly, who keeps track of that stuff?
Then I heard about this new thing they have, a Certificate of Craft. Sounded fancy. Apparently, it’s like a lifetime warranty thing they give out with new bags now. Mine didn’t come with anything like a golden card, pretty sure it was bought before they started that.
Heading to the Store
Figured I had nothing to lose, so I took the bag into their store. Didn’t have any certificate, just the bag and a bit of hope. I walked in, found someone to help, and showed them the problem.
The salesperson was nice enough. Looked it over pretty carefully. I mentioned I’d heard about their repair service, maybe this ‘Certificate’ thing. They explained that the certificate is mostly for newer purchases and covers manufacturing defects, not really wear and tear from using it all the time. Which, okay, fair enough, mine was definitely from use.
The Repair Process Itself
But, they didn’t just turn me away. They said they could send it to their workshop to see what could be done. No promises on it being free because it wasn’t a clear ‘defect’ and I didn’t have that certificate card.
- Filled out a form with my details.
- They took the bag, gave me a receipt.
- Told me it would take several weeks, maybe even a couple of months, depending on the workshop’s load.
Honestly, I just hoped they could fix it without costing an arm and a leg. I left it there and kinda put it out of my mind.
Getting it Back
Took about six weeks, then I got the call. Bag was ready. Went back to the store, feeling a bit nervous about the potential bill.
Good news, they’d managed to fix the loose strip! Tucked it back in securely, looked almost like new again in that spot. The salesperson explained that since it was a relatively minor fix and a sign of their craftsmanship, they did it as a courtesy this time. No charge!
Was pretty relieved and quite impressed, actually. Even without that official ‘Certificate of Craft’, they stood behind the product, at least for this issue. Made me feel better about the brand, knowing they care about the long life of their stuff, even if it’s not always guaranteed free forever.
So yeah, that was my experience. If you’ve got an issue, probably worth just taking it in and asking nicely. You never know.
