Luxury goods company sued over sales of its exclusive Birkin bags

Luxury brand Hermes has been sued in the United States over claims it unlawfully allowed only customers with "sufficient purchase history" with the company to buy its exclusive Birkin handbags.

In a lawsuit, two people from California claimed the famous French company was breaching anti-trust legislation by linking the sale of one item to the purchase of another, reports Reuters.

It was alleged Hermes sales staff were pushing customers to purchase shoes, scarves, jewellery and other products to gain an opportunity to buy a Birkin.

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The lawsuit described the Birkin handbags, long seen as a status symbol, an "icon of fashion".

People cannot buy a Birkin online from Hermes, and the leather bags, which can cost thousands of dollars each, are not displayed for sale in the company's stores, according to the lawsuit.

"Typically, only those consumers who are deemed worthy of purchasing a Birkin handbag will be shown a Birkin handbag (in a private room)," the complaint said.

Hermes sales staff do not earn commissions on Birkin bag sales and are told to use the handbags "as a way to coerce consumers to purchase ancillary products," according to the lawsuit.

The legal action sought class action status for thousands of US consumers who bought Hermes goods or were asked to buy them in order to purchase a Birkin.

Hermes and lawyers for the plaintiffs did not respond to requests for comment.

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