Tips for Buying Your First Designer Handbag in Europe

Buying your first designer handbag is a special experience, but what makes it even more memorable is purchasing it abroad! In January, I traveled to Italy with the intent to purchase the YSL Cassandra. The journey had its twists and turns, which I fully dive into in this earlier post. Looking back, however, I am grateful these unexpected challenges led me to the perfect bag.

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Like me, you may also be thinking of purchasing your first designer handbag in Europe. You can save a lot of money that way, and as a bonus, the purchase will be forever-attached to a special travel memory. That said, making a big purchase in a new place can feel daunting. So in this guide, I share all of the tips I followed to make this journey as smooth as possible for you.

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How Much I Saved Buying my First Designer Handbag in Europe

Luxury goods are almost always cheaper to purchase in their country of origin, and bags are no exception. On top of that, you receive a pretty enticing VAT (value-added tax) refund as a foreigner, which amounts to quite a bit in savings!

Case in point: As of May 2023, my YSL Cassandra costs $3,200 in the US + sales tax (est. $284). Meanwhile, I purchased this bag in Italy for €2,550 with a $319 VAT refund. Running my calculations, I saved just over $1,000 (~30% off) buying my bag abroad! These savings do not include the handsome credit card perks I racked up along the way (read on).

Tips (Before Traveling): Buying Your First Designer Handbag

Get a credit card with no foreign fees. Before going on my trip, I made sure to enroll with a credit card program that charged 0% foreign transaction fees, and had nice rewards benefits. By the recommendation of my friends, I landed on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card (sharing my referral link). Their customer service is excellent, and you can request rushed service if your trip is coming up soon. I bought my bag on this card, and quickly racked up enough points to qualify for their intro bonus offer (60,000 points).

If you use my Referral Link, you can receive 60,000 points after your spend $4,000 in your first 3 months. Keep an eye out as sometimes this bonus increases throughout the year.

Stick to the script! You won’t be able to return your international purchase in the US. So rather than going to Europe to ‘discover’ the style you might like, I suggest going in with a few serious contenders in mind to prevent any regrettable purchases. Limit your options based on what suits your lifestyle and budget. I also did research by:

• Trying out styles in a local department store. It gives you a good basis for which styles pique your interest. This step saved me so much time in Europe. Plus, knowing the names of a few bags signaled to the associate that I was a serious buyer and it was reflected in the level of service I received!
• Watching YouTube videos. If you don’t have convenient access to a store, watch YouTube video reviews (or blog posts) about people who already own the bag.
• Checking foreign prices. You can get a sneak peek of how much you could save on your bag by changing your location on the brand’s website!

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Pack smart, and make sure you have enough suitcase space. Keeping the bag’s original packaging (including the tissue paper) is really important. They help your bag to maintain their shape and quality over time, and increase your resale value, should you decide to part with it in the future.

Also, it is not advisable to put your bag in a checked luggage. So with these two points in mind, make sure to create space for your purchase when you return. I brought MZ Wallace Large Deluxe tote to Italy empty, and nested my YSL handbag inside of it on the way back. Their Large Deluxe size fits a lot, and qualifies as a personal item.

During Your Trip: Tip #1 Start Shopping Early

Congratulations! You’ve arrived safely to your destination, and are one step closer to securing your bag. Based on my experience, I recommend to start shopping earlier on in the trip. For example, I learned that my bag was out of stock, and had to be shipped to the last leg of my trip. Due to the scarcity of luxury goods, this situation can be quite common, and if I had run into this situation later in my trip, I would not have received it in time!

Shopping early gives you more room to weigh your options, especially when a particular color, style, or size is not immediately available.

Store selections also vary a lot from city to city.

I visited the YSL store in Rome, Florence, and Milan and they were all quite different. So in other words, if you see the style you like at your first location, you are better off buying it then, as it is not guaranteed to be available at the next one. Your store associate might be willing to share the inventory details at another store. However, you are taking a bet that it will still be there when you arrive.

Inspect the bag before you purchase, and request adjustments if needed.

I arrived back home, so excited by my new purchase. But there was one little detail I overlooked: the crossbody strap was attached backwards on one end, and not set to my preferable length. Unfortunately, the notch is super hard to maneuver, or I would have fixed it myself. So I paid a trip to the NYC store to get it fixed.

However, I can imagine what a headache it would be if you live in an area that does not have convenient access to a store. Don’t let a small hiccup like this happen to you! With such a high-end purchase, speak up on the adjustments you need. Don’t be afraid to request a new bag if the one you received has a minor blemish, dent, or imperfection. It is your first designer handbag, and it should feel special!

Claiming Your VAT Refund

I found this step to be the most intimidating, since it has been some time before I’ve gone through the VAT refund process. Luckily, technology has made the process a lot smoother than I remembered 6-years ago!

• At the Store: Clarify with the associate what the process is for claiming your refund. My SA was very reliable. She completed the forms for me, and emailed them to me within 48-hours of my purchase. Her form included a receipt for Global Blue (refund processor) to scan, and the amount I should be refunded.
• Bring Your Passport to the Store (or at least a photo of it). The associate needs your passport number to complete the tax free form.
• At the Airport. I allocated extra time for the VAT process to be safe. However, Rome’s Fiumicino Airport was easy and quick to navigate. I arrived at the Global Blue Kiosk, scanned the barcode on my tax free receipt along with my passport, and my transaction popped up right away.

The best part of the kiosk is once I went through all of the approval steps, I printed a verification receipt that served as my customs stamp. I did not need to wait in any additional (or confusing) lines!

Note: I have not been in enough European airports to confirm the process is always this expedient. But I was grateful I got my refund back within 2-weeks! Also Global Blue does take a small service fee from your refund amount.

Celebrate your first luxury bag purchase!

After all the hard work is done, you are home with your first designer handbag! I hope you feel proud of the journey it took to get there. I remembered the feeling of unboxing mine for the first time in the US. Embrace the exciting moment, and every opportunity thereafter to wear it out because you deserve it!