Woman sues over wine spilled on 30K handbag

[HarryPotterFan]

This is why people say things like, “Eat the rich”

A $30,000 handbag. A disastrous wine spill. And now, a country club is suing its own waiter.

A waiter spilled wine on a woman’s $30,000 purse. She and her husband are suing the establishment, a country club in NJ that has a $65,000 initiation fee and $19,000 in annual dues. Insurance wouldn’t cover the purse because they wouldn’t believe someone would pay that much for a purse (something this woman is calling discrimination against the rich). The country club is now suing the employee who spilled the wine to get out of the lawsuit/try and make her feel bad and drop the suit. 

[Khan]

Ah, the great Garden State. That purse cost more than my car and the owner didn't specifically insure it?  Boo hoo.

[Blahblah]

If you have an uninsured $30,000 handbag, maybe don’t take it to places where food and drink are being served? Take it to the theatre, or to the opera, or to your bridge club where you can show it off to your friends (isn’t that the point of a stupidly expensive accessory?)

[catlady]

But—but—privilege!!!! Of course she can take it to a restaurant and expect an underpaid* waiter to reimburse her for damage when in all likelihood she and several other privileged people were making his shift hell**.  

* presumably 

** also presumably, I don’t know anything about country club members and their general behavior 

[Xan]

On other articles, it says that the woman was upset that the country club is including the waiter in the suit. She only intended to go after the club (and its deep pockets).

In my opinion, the judge should throw out this case, if it gets to court at all.  If you can afford a stupid $30,000 handbag, you can afford to replace it.  (Myself, I'd use that money to buy a car but that requires common sense that Ms. 30k Handbag doesn't appear to possess.)

Edited November 13, 2019 by Xan

[unsafetydancer]

Not sure how much $30,000 is in sterling but if I had it I would probably just pay off my student loan and put a deposit on a house. It pisses me off that there are idiots who can afford a handbag that costs more than the contents of my house while there are people in my hometown who cannot afford to feed their kids.

Shame on these stupid people.

[smittykins]

According to Google, $30,000=£23,295.1.

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&channel=ipod_bm&sxsrf=ACYBGNS4AYr_F601_DX1_Kxr47uZHsPz1g%3A1574008846687&source=hp&ei=DnjRXeGRJ-Sb5wLTorDQCA&q=%2430+000+to+pounds&oq=&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.35i362i39l9.0.0..2102...0.0..0.112.112.0j1......0......gws-wiz.....9.Z20gY1e8WE8

[turquoise]

$30,000 for a handbag...and people are dying because they can't afford insulin. 

What a fucked up world we live in.

[unsafetydancer]

The thing is, after you go past a certain price it's not that the item is increasing in quality. There's probably not much difference between a $30,000 handbag and a $1000 one, other than how much "street cred" it gets you with the sort of people who are impressed by that thing. You're literally just paying a crazy amount of money for the ability to say you spent a crazy amount of money on something pointless. It's so infuriating that there are people like this.

[cindyluvs24]

Wouldn't be surprised if she takes the check and decides not to replace the bag.  My wonderful Garden State has a lot of folks who are very good at appearing wealthy but in reality, live from one deal to the next.  Not that they don't make a nice living, but they also spend it as fast as it comes in and leverage themselves to the hilt. 

I'm betting that the club will drop its suit against the employee.  I doubt they want him talking in a deposition about the club and their hiring and operating practices.  Even the lowly see and hear a lot.  Unless they can prove that he acted with gross negligence or malice, or is an independent contractor, they're out of luck.  The club has insurance for this sort of thing.  

Edited November 29, 2019 by cindyluvs24

[Ozlsn]

On 11/19/2019 at 7:27 AM, unsafetydancer said:

The thing is, after you go past a certain price it's not that the item is increasing in quality. There's probably not much difference between a $30,000 handbag and a $1000 one

Materials and labour costs-wise there is very little difference between a $30K handbag and a $300 one - other than gullibility.

[Coco]

It's so similar to the 7 years older one that's worth half the price. You'd have to be really eagle-eyeing each other's bags (and shoes and belts and jewels) to even judge the relative worth. But I guess that's what they do ? 

And how the waiter kept just pouring the wine and it got on her, the hubby and the bag. Can only guess how irritating something must've been to bring out that in the waiter. 

https://youtu.be/i2-ntNE3b2c

[Exchange Atheist]

The Kelly clutch in question is even smaller than the bag in the picture posted by @Coco. 
 

If they really never meant for the waiter to be hurt, suing was a phenomenally bad move. Sure, the club has extremely deep pockets, but they basically claim that the waiter ruined the bag on purpose. Maybe it’s my legal background, but to me it’s extremely obvious that the club, if liable, would go after the waiter in turn. 

I also don’t buy the story about insurance not paying out of ignorance. Hermès bags are known to be obscenely expensive. Either their insurance was already maxed out, or the husband paid a lot more than fair market value. Or maybe the bag is fake. 

t;dr: Eat the rich. They’re lying. 

[Coco]

7 hours ago, Exchange Atheist said:

The Kelly clutch in question is even smaller than the bag in the picture posted by @Coco. 
 

If they really never meant for the waiter to be hurt, suing was a phenomenally bad move. Sure, the club has extremely deep pockets, but they basically claim that the waiter ruined the bag on purpose. Maybe it’s my legal background, but to me it’s extremely obvious that the club, if liable, would go after the waiter in turn. 

I also don’t buy the story about insurance not paying out of ignorance. Hermès bags are known to be obscenely expensive. Either their insurance was already maxed out, or the husband paid a lot more than fair market value. Or maybe the bag is fake. 

t;dr: Eat the rich. They’re lying. 

I went to that site and up popped a $50 off first order on a 15k+ item. That's like saying .05 off for the average shopper. ?

I do think the super wealthy get into a completely different headspace.  Tiffany's everyday objects, for example. I think about these plates every time the Great Plate Debate comes up.

its interesting how the wealthy find comfort in doing completely simple things in great style. Like Ralph Lauren off roading with his fam in jeans, whitewashed barn board decor etc. All that stuff is pretty cheap to copy. People in NY paying an arm and a leg for living space tinier than a double wide, the royal family are weathered and heavy smokers just like the rancher a few farms over. Some of the wealthiest people are just financially secure rednecks. It's like guys y'all could enjoy the same things for much cheaper and still contribute higher taxes to lifting up the lower/middle classes esp putting millions into education and teachers' salaries.  

 

Edited November 30, 2019 by Coco

[cindyluvs24]

I wear a Timex.  It survived a trip through my washer and dryer.  I took the $10,000 I saved by not buying a Rolex and put it in my retirement fund.  The end.  (I sure hope Hermes bag lady's IRA is fully funded)

Edited December 5, 2019 by cindyluvs24

[nelliebelle1197]

On 11/30/2019 at 6:11 AM, Exchange Atheist said:

The Kelly clutch in question is even smaller than the bag in the picture posted by @Coco. 
 

If they really never meant for the waiter to be hurt, suing was a phenomenally bad move. Sure, the club has extremely deep pockets, but they basically claim that the waiter ruined the bag on purpose. Maybe it’s my legal background, but to me it’s extremely obvious that the club, if liable, would go after the waiter in turn. 

I also don’t buy the story about insurance not paying out of ignorance. Hermès bags are known to be obscenely expensive. Either their insurance was already maxed out, or the husband paid a lot more than fair market value. Or maybe the bag is fake. 

t;dr: Eat the rich. They’re lying. 

Um, I don't buy the story AT ALL. Hermès would not NEED to be insured. Hermès would fix the bag at its expense or replace it. That it how that works. It is either fake as hell or not quite legit in some other way.

[scoutsadie]

I hate Fox News, but this is the most recent article I could find:

https://www.foxnews.com/us/nj-country-club-claims-30g-wine-stained-hermes-bag-is-fake

Also, "Meanwhile, the club decided not to try and hold the slippery-fingered waiter liable for the flub — filing new court papers Tuesday that no longer target the server, according to [the couple's attorney]."

Edited December 25, 2019 by scoutsadie
Additional info

[Ozlsn]

On 12/1/2019 at 5:43 AM, Coco said:

Some of the wealthiest people are just financially secure rednecks. It's like guys y'all could enjoy the same things for much cheaper and still contribute higher taxes to lifting up the lower/middle classes esp putting millions into education and teachers' salaries.

But how would they know they were special then? 

On a side note I read an article some years ago on handbags in which a hairdresser claimed she bought a $1250 handbag as "an investment piece". Don't think that is going to work for her.