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Renting Designer Purses: Bag, Borrow Or Bust? (http://www.channelcincinnati.com/news/4482790/detail.html)

Purses Arrive Quickly, In Good Condition

For those looking for a status symbol or a fashion fix, a Web site offers pricey purses to rent, News 5's Susanne Horgan reported.

The service is like Netflix for handbags. Customers pay a monthly fee to rent handbags and return them.

News 5 started looking into the company months ago to determine if the company would help customers tighten their purse strings or leave them holding the bag.

They're seen in fashion magazines and on the arms of celebrities.

Women may not be able to afford the price tags on their own, but some still would like to augment their handbag arsenal.

"My mom used to buy me a lot of (purses) when I was younger, so I just like them still," said Amie Schwartz.

Schwartz was looking for a way to accessorize with designers, so before the holidays, she tried the purse rental Web site Bag, Borrow or Steal.

Customers first choose their membership -- the level determines how high-end the handbag is. The trendsetter membership is $19.95, the princess membership is $49.95 and the diva membership costs $99.95.

Members pay the monthly fee and they get one bag at a time. The membership continues for as long as members want. They can also upgrade and borrow two bags at once.

Schwartz chose a Prada bag and was told it was on the way -- only to later find out it's out of stock.

The process continued as Schwartz ordered a bag only to be told later that it was unavailable. In total, she tried six times in two months to finally get a purse sent.

"I was invited to a lot of holiday parties and I was going out a lot and I didn't have anything new to bring," Schwartz said.

The company said too much demand around the holiday causes the purse problems because there weren't enough handbags to go around.

A few months later, News 5 tried the Web site again with a diva membership. A Lulu Guiness Limited Edition bag was ordered. The bag retails for nearly $1,000 and two days later, the bag arrived.

The bag is in decent shape, but not perfect because there was some dirt on the side, Horgan reported.

Later, a pink Dooney and Burke was ordered and it arrived two days later in perfect condition. It didn't appear to have ever been used, Horgan reported. It was still wrapped in plastic and tissue.

A Coach bag was also ordered. It arrived quickly, but there a few scuff marks on the suede.

"Most of my collection is Gucci or Prada," said Sonia Sonecha, of Anderson Township.

Sonecha said she only has one vice.

"My favorite ... is a great nighttime-anytime kind of bag," she said.

She loves the stylish staples and exclusive brands, but the Web site doesn't offer the designers she covets.

"They don't seem to carry the high-end (purses) like Louis (Vuitton), Gucci or Prada," she said.

Although her favorites were absent, she found a bag she liked and was willing to try out. The bag came a few days later.

In addition to being cute, the bag was in very good condition, Sonecha said.

"I think the fees are a little expensive, but I think it delivers what it said it would," she said.

The company claimed the purse problems were due to holiday demand and media attention. More recently, News 5 discovered the bags arrived efficiently and in generally good condition.

Customers are also offered a discounted price if they choose to buy a bag they've borrowed.

I'm not sure why people can't just use a plastic Wal-Mart bag. It's serves the same purpose, doesn't it?

Woman buy pretty things, men buy for utility. Then there are things like HDTV which is pretty and for utility.

Boys, toys, and checkbooks FTW!

Can I rent one of those for $20 a month?