Great Company with Great Products.
Written: Dec 18 '02 (Updated Dec 18 '02)
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Who or What is Dooney & Bourke?
Dooney & Bourke specializes in women’s handbags and accessories, men’s wallets, belts, shoes, and each year they seem to add more items to their already expansive selection.
I have ordered from Dooney & Bourke’s online store on three separate occasions and have been pleased with the order taking process and delivery times. The website is easy to navigate and includes photos of the items they offer, along with color samples, so I won’t go into the details of it all. They also feature a page of “Specials” which lists items that are on sale.
Women’s handbags/purses vary in price from about $150.00 to over $300.00. Yes, I’m serious. You have to pay for that little duck logo and serial tag. On the flipside, you really do get what you pay for. I challenge you to find a better made wallet, purse or handbag. (Even as I write this, I’m thinking, wait…hold on…I actually had a problem with a wallet I purchased from Dooney & Bourke in which I’ll reveal in more detail below. Stay tuned. Psst…I think my case was rare. I’ll be fair about it). The leather items are on the higher priced end as opposed to say, the Cabriolet Collection. What is Cabriolet, you ask? So cool…and I don’t think many people know this. It’s the same fabric/material used in automobile convertible tops. Imagine the durability! I even put that to the test, I have a convertible, (see my Camaro review) and I put my black Cabriolet Bucket Tote right next to the black convertible top….the same exact material. They weren’t kidding. The first purchase I made from Dooney & Bourke was in July 1997. I ordered a navy blue Medium Essex Bag from the All Weather Leather Collection. The price: $235.00. The purse was shipped via 2nd Day Air and arrived 2 days later, as promised. Dooney & Bourke’s website featured secure ordering and I used my credit card.
Most Dooney & Bourke items come with a guarantee card in which you include your name and address and mail back to them. Dooney & Bourke products have a 1 year guarantee against defects, (only if you sent your guarantee card in). If your item is damaged after the one year guarantee is up, you can mail it back to Dooney & Bourke and they will notify you via US Mail of the cost of the repair. If your bag or accessory is beyond repair or if repair costs exceed half of the current retail price, you will be eligible for a replacement. If you opt for this, you will be offered credit for half the current retail price of that item to apply toward a replacement item of equal or greater value. Yes, confusing to me, also. To make a long story short—if I send my $235.00 purse back in for a replacement, they’d knock $117.50 off the new item I’d like to receive. But, the chances that there is a defect from the company or that the item will tear, is slim. Dooney and Bourke has a great reputation.
My second order was in February 1999 and I ordered a navy credit card wallet for $110. Again, this was shipped via 2nd Day Express mail and arrived on time. Now, this is where my complaint comes in about Dooney & Bourke. I sent the guarantee card back to the company promptly. About 3 months of normal use with the wallet, the bill compartment area started to separate from the credit card area. I called Dooney & Bourke’s toll free number and explained to the representative my situation and asked if I could send the wallet back for repairs. She stated to me that they had no record of having received the guarantee card and she could not pull my order information. I never got the wallet repaired or replaced, even after having sent a letter to Dooney & Bourke’s Customer Service and emailing Mr. Peter Dooney, himself. I was appalled…$110.00 for a wallet that fell apart after 3 months of normal use. I think my case is rare, though. So rare that I later ordered another item from them. This year I purchased the black Cabriolet Small Bucket Bag from the site, ($195.00).
I have definitely gotten my money’s worth with the first purchase. The navy Essex Bag is still in great condition and I carried and abused it for over 4 years. The wallet is a different story and I’m still not over it, (lol). The new black Cabriolet Small Bucket is sure to last me many years, (I dislike that it attracts lint and such…I should have gotten all leather).
Don’t want to shell out the bucks for a bag? Go to the website, as listed below, and complete the questionnaire for your chance to win a new Dooney & Bourke bag!
(Okay, I need to close this…what’s my limit here? 100,000 words. Sorry for those who are still reading this. Skim read, that’s what I do. Smile).
Dooney & Bourke’s website and contact information follows:
http://www.dooney.com/flash/home/home.html
1 Regent Street
East Norwalk CT 06855
US
1-800-347-5000
Visit the site and sign up for the mailings…they have really nice catalogues that come about twice per year, (or twice for me anyway). Or, you can buy me, er, someone special a Gift Certificate.
Recommended:
Yes
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About the Author
Member: Lynn Howell
Location: Houston, TX USA
Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 7 members
About Me: It's only funny until someone gets hurt...then it's hilarious!
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