Originally Posted by
PuddleHopper
I got 5 Rimowa pieces in Germany last month. As someone said, a long layover can be a great savings opportunity, as my total cost was close to $2,500 less than the US.
However, there are several things to keep in mind here: the stock is absurdly unpredictable. I got incredibly lucky as they just had a delivery that morning and bags were in stock.
The sales lady told me that literally any other day in the past several months they would have sent me home with one, maybe two bags at the most. They have lines of people waiting.
Second, they have a limit of bags per person. I was there with my wife, so we got two bags each, and even that was a Manager's exception as they sell one bag per person per day.
But wait, there's more! German Customs like to inspect your bags to stamp your VAT forms. I screwed that up because I checked bags in (thanks, unhelpful airline employee), so no VAT refund for me.
Last but not least, it is impossible to contact the Rimowa store in Germany ahead of time so you are shooting in the dark here. I emailed them ahead and called over 100 times - zero response.
Yeah, good luck!
The facts shared in your post are consistent with my experience of buying Rimowa lately, in the post LVMH era! Everything from "the stock is absurdly unpredictable" to "in the past several months they would have sent me home with one, maybe two bags at the most. They have lines of people waiting", to "a limit of bags per person"!
This is very interesting despite the absurdly high prices! And someone on this thread thought that Rimowa is not selling well! LOL
Some pieces are harder to find than others, like the Original Cabin Plus 49L in black, so if you find it in a store, do NOT hesitate if you want it! I did hesitate in Bangkok and when I returned that same day wanting to buy it, it was gone! That's why I ended up buying it at my home store in Beverly Hills since I had built a relationship with them, and they put a case aside for me - I paid more money but that's because I did not want to deal with the hassle and disappointment of missing out again. Say what you say about LVMH, but they know how to sell and make money, and remember, there is no sales price or discount to be had with Rimowa in the post-LVMH era.