I have a purse. I liked the purse well enough -- it let me schlep around my stuff plus my daughter's stuff -- until the day the strap snapped. Since I only got five months' use out of the purse, I thought it only fair to post a review on Amazon (where I bought the purse) to warn others.
According to Amazon, this review does not meet their guidelines:
2 out of 5 stars
Does not stand up to the rigors of everyday use, September 10, 2013
This review is from: HOBO Joyce VI Hobo (Apparel)
I purchased this bag on March 29.
It was glorious -- soft, buttery leather, the convenient smartphone
slot in the front, the set-in pockets inside (one zipped!) which were
perfect for corralling keys and other small items, the seemingly
bottomless capacity. It was a dreamy everyday bag for a working parent.
Five
months TO THE DAY, the shoulder strap came away from the bag. I saw
that it had been attached with only one thin row of stitching and some
glue. I can forgive the fact that the stitching on the shoulder strap
itself was fraying and I had to trim off the trailing ends. But to be
left with a bag and a loose, flapping strap? Janky.
Granted, this
is not a pure luxury good. The price makes it evident that this is a
mass-market purse and I do expect some skimping on workmanship because
it's so obviously mass produced. But for the shoulder strap? The one
thing a person's going to grab again and again as they reach for their
purse or carry it around? That mofo needs to be locked down tighter than
a supermax prison.
I'm disappointed because I have a HOBO wallet
that's held up well to everyday use, and this bag seemed to have it all
-- good looks and the ability to schelp my stuff and my toddler's
without looking excessively mommy-ish. But now I have to pay a cobbler
to repair and reinforce the shoulder strap. I won't be buying HOBO
again.
What, pray tell, disqualified this review? Amazon helpfully tells me:
- Written reviews must be at least 20 words long. The ideal length is 75 to 500 words. [Mine clocks in at less than 400 words.]
- Your review should focus
on specific features of the product and your experience with it.
[Done.]
- We do not allow profane or obscene content. This applies to adult products too. [I had thought I kept it PG.]
- Advertisements, promotional material or repeated posts that make the same point excessively are considered spam. [Didn't do any of that.]
- Please do not include URLs external to Amazon or personally identifiable content in your review. [Didn't do that either.]
I am super-curious to find out if the word "mofo" is what disqualified me. Otherwise, I can think of no other reason Amazon would not publish this review.
In the meantime, I have learned two related lessons. First, don't buy a handbag from anyplace other than the vendor; this way, you can get decent customer service if it breaks. Second, don't buy a bag from HOBO. I expect a purse to last longer than 150 days.
[EDIT, 5:05:11 p.m. PDT -- I took out "mofo" and the review went live. Mofo! Now we know. Now, off to get the purse fixed. I really do like the bag and hope to make it work.]
Have you had a similar experience with writing reviews at Amazon? How about with HOBO purses? Tell me on Twitter at lschmeiser.
