Luxury brand Hermes sued in US for Birkin bag bias [Video]

The French luxury design brand Hermes is being accused of illegal “tying.” Two customers from California claimed that in order to be eligible to buy the brand’s coveted Birkin bags, they had to purchase supplementary items from other categories, including clothing, scarves and housewares.

According to the report by Business of Fashion (BoF), the plaintiffs’ counsel claimed that Hermes violates US antitrust laws.

The law characterises certain activities of bundling items or connecting them with additional purchases as a violation of market power.

“The tying product, the Birkin Handbags, is separate and distinct from the tied products, the ancillary products required to be purchased by consumers,” the complaint read.

Tina Cavalleri, one of the plaintiffs, claimed, in the complaint, to have spent several thousand dollars at Hermes, as per Business Insider.

She alleged that when she enquired in September 2022 about purchasing another Birkin bag, she “was told speciality bags are going to ‘clients who …