A Conversation on Gillio Policies 

I do wish I had seen this before I got my Gillio and now I am praying they will do right by me. I opened mine and within 3 uses of the gold 30mm rings the top 3 all gapped- and horribly so! I know how to handle rings, open them correctly, etc. I’m devastated- because, for me in Canada that $300 USD price was over $450! For a piece of leather with metal rings. Granted, the leather is Devine (but had some small bits- premium gold deal) but these are the rings! So I requested they replace them with silver rings that would not gap. I have since learned that the gold rings gap. No other company has this price point (in my world). I have Chic Sparrow and other string and folio’s but this was my first brand new “investment “ ring planner. Thank you for making this video!

Poll, Like this comment if: I have had an unsatisfactory buying experience from Gillio.

I have owned high end planners (Gillio and VDS) and lower end. With Gillio I can honestly say I have never encountered a problem but several people I know have. The fights to try and correct the problems are ridiculous! Especially when you have companies like Foxy Fix that are so quick to rectify a problem. I have quit buying and sold all my Gillio’s for a few reason., their customer service and the fact nothing is every in stock. I would rather order a VDS to my specifications for the price. Petra is always so kind and a dream to work with. But Gillio does has some colors that are gorgeous!

Thanks for posting this. I just have one gillio and the anguish and anxiety I went through to get it (waiting for restock announcements, low inventory... blah blah blah) was just not the kind of experience I want when spending so much money. Thanks to this I’ll focus on BSTs if I ever get another gillio again.

If I could like your video a million times, I certainly would! Thank you so much for bringing this up 💜

I totally agree with everything you have said. I waited 2 years to be in a financial situation to have the amount of spare money needed to buy my first Gillio. I waited seven months for the planner to restock which seems a very long waiting time and no other company i know of has these amount of waiting times. I then paid to have the first quality. When it arrived i was disappointed, it had a small spot stain on the zip material, a small scratch next to the rings and a darker scuff on the strap. In all honestly it felt like a returned planner from the good deals section. I have decided to keep it and hope as it ages it all blends together but i will never buy new again from Gillio at this price point the planner should be perfect.

I have ordered from Gillio a lot over the years.. I have many planners that I love from them (one I received today that I adore and one I received last week that is being returned). I expect based on a previous horrible personal experience to get the raw end of the deal.. I have received a few orders over the years that I considered planners that shouldn't have passed first quality control that I kept because the hassle of returning. I had such a bad experience with a return once that I was so upset I cried off an on for days and was so frustrated and taken advantage of I swore I wouldn't order again (spoiler alert.. I did). I hate trying to snag planners at 6am before they sell out... I've missed some and been lucky some and feel terrible when it doesn't work out (not only for me but for all the others).. hyping up product so much when they know they will not have enough inventory sucks..I understand "growing pains" and sometimes missing things that get out that shouldn't... what I don't like is the lack of quality customer service and the bad policies they hide behind. You said it right.. gillio first policies for sure!

Thank you for making this video! I had to send back a planner with visible not natural variations, lack of consistency of the type of leather with previous batches in the same style (cr0c black mat very dry and rubbery, different than my other cr0c black mat planners) and visible waves occurred in the manufacturing process that bothered me. I was not refunded the shipping and I saw they re-listed it as PGD. I love natural, organic variations (occurred during the life of the animal), although they are a sign of low pricing leather. (I saw another informative video about leather quality). As long as the variations occur during the manufacturing process, those should not be considered “natural”.

After several purchases from Gillio and one less than great I will choose my next product from VDS. In my opinion VDS has the best customer service. Great video!

I have never purchased a Gillio because they seemed overpriced. Granted I have never actually touched one and that may contribute to my feelings of value. However, even if I did want to purchase from them, these types of policies and customer service completely turns me off. Ethics and customer service mean a lot for me as a consumer.

I bought my first Gillio in May and it was the honey matte croco as yellow is my favorite color. I was so excited when I received the box and I was filming a unboxing video. At first I was really happy-unbox the package and got the planner out of the dust bag. And then I found that 1)there were MANY TINY BLACK DOTS ALL OVER THE PLANNER. from outside to inside. 2)I asked for gold ring and they gave me silver 3)I also ordered additional rings and it was not in the package. Instead they gave me ruler that I did not order. I was so angry and immediately stopped recording and sent them emails asking about the black dots. But Steve kept saying that it was normal. I accepted the answer at first because I didn’t wanna go out under the COVID to return the planner and I really loved the color. And then last month, I saw a honey matte croco in Good Deal and it’s flaw is “BLACK DOTS ALL OVER THE BINDER”. I felt like being cheated and so angry. So now I decided to go for preloved. Unless they restock something that I really want. P.S. I don’t like how they restock either

LOL "the hunger games of ordering again" love that, that's totally what it's like

I’ve have had two bad experiences with them. One was on a brown croco Compagna. The zipper broke after a couple of days of actual wear and I was told to send it back. I was not given the chance to choose to have it repaired, but rather was given a credit. At the time, the brown croco was out of stock, so I waited. By the time it was back in stock (several months later) the prices had increased and I could no longer buy it for the same price. My second bad experience was with an Epoca Olive Compagna. There were some discolorations on the leather and patches of blue were starting to show up on this unused planner. At first, I was told they were natural variations of the leather. When I did not accept that as an answer, they told me they consulted the tanner and he believed the variations were due to the way the planner was stored. I store all my Gillio in their original bags and boxes, in a dry place. None of my other Gillios which were stored in the same place in the same fashion had any color variations. In the end, I sold it in Ebay at a heavily discounted price with full disclosure (I even included in my description of the item what Gillio had said)

100% agree with your video. I have owned a lot of Gillios, a LOT, and I much prefer BST to buying direct from Gillio. I have ordered 7 gillios directly from Gillio and 4 of them have had issues. I love their planner leathers and when you get a “good” one, they’re amazing. But their policies are terrible for all the reasons you stated as I’ve lost out on shipping to return two (I chose to sell the others at a loss because the loss was less than the $50 it takes to ship back).

100% agreed. I left the group after a member had had her planner with the post in Belgium for a month and Mella was frankly quite rude in her replies to that customer. Unacceptable. The photos and packaging issues are also well-known, and I am aware comments in the group get deleted and shut down. So not a group I wanted to be part of after a while. Overpriced or not, they are marketed as a luxury brand but the customer service is lacking and not up to par. The website is also not one that I would expect to see for a luxury brand, it looks like something out of the early 00's. I got my first Gillio this June, second-hand, and I will only ever buy second-hand, as I only have about 5 on my wish list and I am very patient :)

I have had many many Gillios over the years, but have only purchased directly from them a couple of times. The last time I did, my planner came with a defective popper (FQ). Obviously you cannot tell the quality of a popper from a picture. I spent my $60 to ship it back and crossed my fingers that my issue would be deemed acceptable enough to get a shipping refund. And it was....but I got shop credit. For a planner that had been out of stock 2 years, and sold out during the release. FOR A POPPER. Sigh. And as a textile artist myself, I know enough about leather to know that a lot of the "natural variation" claims they've responded to consumers with were either dye issues, or scuff/wear damage to the leather during production. I heard that their planners are now made off site, and that they are instructed to efficiently use hide when they lay out and cut...as opposed to using the best parts and either discard flaws, are use those specifically for PGD or GD. And I am also someone who loves natural variation and "real life" in their leather, but poor construction/tanning mistakes and mishandling are not either of those things. I will only by second hand now. And TBH, I would rather spend my money with Van Der Speck and get exactly what I want, with exactly the leather and pocket configuration I want, and knowing they handle each planner in house with TLC (when they get a Janet Undyed order, the minute they start processing, they keep the pieces wrapped up in brown paper to prevent stains, scratches, or tanning from the lights, how thoughtful is that?!).

I really appreciate your candid discussion about this. I'm new to this and have seen how beautiful the Gillio products are, but I have to say as someone who spends a lot of time in Italy - the prices are ridiculous. There are leather shops everywhere in the towns I've been in Tuscany and I can't think of one - even Maledetti Toscana - that is so expensive. I could probably have a lovely planner cover custom made there for much less. That said, I do realize that not many are going to actually go to Italy to buy their planners. It feels as though this is a status symbol I'll give a pass on - especially after hearing your comments.

Too rich for my blood and not worth the price tag for any planner! Thanks for making this even easier for me 😊

I actually am turned off in my planning in a cover that is that much money. I love inexpensive covers. Thanks for this. I enjoyed seeing this and props to you for informing the community.

GREAT video!! Gillio once sent me a different planner than the one I ordered... I ordered a Slim Appunto and they sent a B6 , they said send it back, but they wouldn't pay the customs of $100.00 that I had to pay the mail man to get it ! I argued with them and spoke to Tom and he fixed everything...but it was almost a fight with that lady in customer service. They did rectify it and send me a good deal because they ran out of first choice. I got a slight reduction for "good deal" but I have to say the planner was perfect. Thanks for putting this informative video out !! REMEBER to speak OUT to GILLIO demand what you want and KEEP DOING IT until you get it RESOLVED !!!! Don't give up !!!! REMEMBER there is ALWAYS VANDERSPEK who would love your business and Petra is so lovely. xx

Poll, Like this comment if: I have only had great and satisfactory buying experiences from Gillio

This is a very informative video and I thank you for it. I have looked on their site and although the planners look nice I could not find what grade of leather they use. I am very big on full grain leather (vs the ubiquitous genuine leather) and durable nylon thread instead of cotton thread. This video definitely convinces me to stick to my full grain leather chic sparrow folios that are a fraction of the price.

I just placed my first order and now I'm a bit concerned tbh. I don't approve of this exploitation of customers just because right now they are a popular brand. I have a question tho, I've seen several people had quality problems after they received the planners (maybe scratched, maybe damaged in transit but with an intact box) - in these scenarios, can't PayPal do anything? I get that Gillio's insurance policy only covers refused packages, but the moment you prove to PayPal the box was intact or the quality is low, aren't you supposed to win the complaint? Did anyone that had issues actually used PayPal? Is it useful?

Thanks for the information. I don’t own one but would like to. This gives me lots to think about. It might be prudent for the company to get better shipping containers. Seems like there are lots damaged in shipping and sometimes this can happen when poor quality boxes are used.

I think it was Planner Mumsy that just did a Gillio unboxing this week and had issues with the color compared to pics. I feel like I’ve seen a lot of this lately. I haven’t bought a Gillio. I’m not a fan of the texture of their leather from what I’ve seen.

I have never bought from Gillio but I've heard this before and that is the main reason why I have never purchased. this is disappointing... For the amount of money and the niche/small market (as you mentioned, and compared to other less expensive planner options that have wayyy larger customer bases) , I would expect them to show up close pics and in different positions and different lighting -and just be totally transparent. I think customers deserve that for this price point. And this info makes me feel better that I haven't purchased yet. I am in sales and customer service, and this saying is so true (loosely stated😂 I can't remember the actual quote): "you can give 10 good experiences and receive no praise or feedback, but give one bad experience and 10 people will be told about it, and you may lose the customer."...it's just not good business to deal with customer issues in a way that makes the customer feel unheard and not valued. I don't buy from places where things like this happen to me, even if I was a loyal customer prior, because I would never conduct business this way. Side note: Have you ever bought from VanDerSpek? I've thought about ordering there as well but am not familiar with their processes and so if you have experience with them, I'd be so interested to hear what it was like! Thanks for sharing!!

Well first let me say thank you for this video. I was impressed you used it as a situation for change. I agree, I buy Gillios because generally speaking their planners are stunning. Unfortunately I have purchased 10 covers and out of those 10, I have had what I consider to be quality issues on 3 and the 4th issue was with shipping (which I have stated is not Gillios direct fault but their stingy shipping options ie:forcing customers to use bpost with pictures, does give them some fault). I have found customer service to be ALL over the place. One customer gets a new cover,one customer gets a discount and one customer is told to shove off it’s normal (all for the exact same issues). I want to trust them! I truly want to, I want to know when I spend $900 on an ostrich cover it won’t come to me with purple dye splotched on it. Fact is my trust is leaving and that’s because of my personal issues as well as hearing from countless others whom need a chance to vent about what happened. That leads me to the group....it’s broken. I am being very nice here. Fans shouldn’t be censored, nowhere else in industry is it allowed. You cannot say we want to hear from you, and we are done hearing from you in the same post. EVERYONE has a right to how they feel, you cannot tell them they are wrong or their feelings are wrong because you have poured yourself into a company for 7 years. That is not a valid argument for censorship. I don’t know today where I stand to be honest. I am dealing with issues on 2 brand new first quality items that should not be first quality. If I am the latter and told to shove off, then I am done for good. But if Gillio indeed works with me on my two issues I will consider it a step in earning my trust back. I want things to turn around for them because I love their products. I wouldn’t give them free advertising on my channel and my IG all the time if I didn’t. I just don’t love their strict Gillio first policies and their inconsistent customer service issues. As far as stocking issues go, it will happen. I really don’t know the answer on how to fix that except to say if you want an udyed....buy a Van Der Spek it is softer anyway😂 Popularity of colors will wax and wane and companies can’t guess this far in advance how popular something will be, it’s the downfall of supply vs demand, you can’t always win there. Thanks again for the video it is a good conversation to have and helpful for those thinking about taking the plunge and spending a butt ton of their hard earned money. Consider it wisely and with caution. At least until some changes occur.

And speaking of DHL delivery... Sometimes I'm not at home, and my family members sign the papers for me, but they will never open my parcel to examine it. And even if they did, they just don't know what to examine specifically. How am I supposed to deal with that???? Really, their service makes me feel so bad 😔 because you want to treat yourself with something expensive, you may even save up for this, and then you get something different. The stuff is too pricy to risk. I'm personally planning to chose another company or buy preloved.

Thanks for the video. I have been watching the Gillio lives for months waiting for something I want to come back in stock. During that time I have sensed the tone you describe and it leaves me unsure if I do want to buy. While Mella and Ben seem delightful, the company tone is very much “suck it up.” I also sense that they would not address issues or make any changes if not for a few loud and angry customers. This puts customers in a terrible position… Either stay quiet or get the wrath of a very militant fan base. As you implied, there are certain expectations when one sells a product as luxury. What I would accept in a $20 planner is not what I would accept in a $300, $500 or $600 planner. Telling me spots, unwrapped corners, and dye variations are natural is unacceptable. I’m also growing weary of online purchases of leather goods in general… I have seen popular leather makers (small businesses) tell you they can’t honor wishes so in essence you just get what you get and no returns. If these items where in a store, I could pick out the smooth or pebbly texture without having to rely on poor pictures, limited website information and the kindness of employees boxing my items. Unfortunately most of the “good”stuff is online and we have decide if we want it the stuff enough to lose money in reselling or in the case of Gillio, shipping fees. If you can’t tell, this is a sore spot. I just purchased a leather cover from another maker and I hate it and I don’t think I’ll be able to find a person to buy it without taking a huge hit. Deeply frustrated.

Thanks for this video!! You’ve got me thinking. I have a product based business where the average price for one item is around $1100 and hearing this and comparing some of my policies to the ones you dislike Gillio having are very similar. I’ve never offered pre-shipment photos- whenever I’ve ordered from Louis Vuitton, Gucci or Channel without going in to the store it’s never been an option so I always thought of offering the pre-shipment photos as too much. I’ve seen that Gillio offers them but have never requested them- I kind of like the surprise.. lol. Listening to you now it may be something I consider adding- but I do know it will slow the shipping process down a lot- something I’ll have to weigh out. When it comes to Good Deals and Premium Good deals, i have a funny story....I love TN’s and was a big Chic Sparrow fan. When I got into rings and switched over to Gillio I thought it would be similar to CS where the ones with marking and irregularities would cost MORE- lol. I got excited that they were discounted and normally buy from there in the hopes of getting something noticeable. I do agree with you about the irregularities in dye and how that doesn’t seem like a natural marking. Maybe similar to you, I tried to justify it and think of applying foundation to my face- if I have a scratch, or bump or bite the foundation won’t take there the same as it does the rest of my face... again- maybe just trying to justify. You’ve also got me thinking about my shipping policies- I insure all packages I send out for the price of the item and a little more in hopes that if something is wrong with the packaging the customer will refuse it. After it’s accepted we’re both left uncovered and while I do want to keep my customers happy I’ve got to make sure I’m able to pay my employees and the cost of those raw materials and man hours put into the first item are already gone- if I refund it I’m out of double the cost and if I replace it I’ve got to hope I still have those materials and then still out of the cost twice because I can’t do anything with the damaged item. Now you’ve got me thinking about what I could that would be a happy middle ground for both. If you don’t mind- suggestions? In an ideal world- how would you have Gillio (plus me because I’ll be stealing these suggestions for myself) handle these issues?? ☺️

Did you happen to see the live broadcast from Gillio today? They mentioned improving quality control. Very interesting.

I have 7 gillios, 3 of which I bought second-hand. I personally, have had only good experiences. But then again my favorite Gillios are the giramondos and appuntos. In fact the most expensive Gillio I own is the B6 appunto I recently purchased as a premium good deal. So, there is a world of difference between my expectation of a giramondo and say a Mia Cara. I have no interest in ringed planners so I probably won’t ever buy anything beyond what I already own. However, I really appreciate you making this video. I feel like if you are placing an order for a luxury product you should pretty much get a near perfect product. Just because I haven’t had negative experience doesn’t invalidate what you’ve experienced. I have a certain TN company in which I was so turned off by the first experience that I’ll never purchase another, even second-hand. Anyway, great video as always. I’m definitely interested to hear others’ experiences.

You might think about that once you paid the planner:It is not their(Gillios) planner anymore.The responsibility/insurance for the travel is in the hands of the shipping company.It is the insurance of the shipping company,not Gillios insurance.This is what many people are getting wrong. Just my 2 cents to destroyed parcels ;-) To the photo-option:Ask Mulberry to receive pictures beforehand.....who offers that?It is a lot of extra work on Gillios end.....

I love their planners, but I hate their customer service 😫 I bought a pocket Mia Cara from them a few months ago, that was my 3rd planner from them. And it had scratches and spots, where I could tell for sure: those scratches weren't natural variations. I looked at those scratches and it felt like the planner had been damaged while being made, the people who have seen the planner agree with me, and I'm even not sure I'll be able to sell the planner easily because of those. But gillio insists those scratches are natural and everything is ok. Unfortunately, I can't buy from the buy-sell trade groups, and buying directly from Gillio is easier for me. But I'm afraid I won't do that again, because I'm not sure I'll get the planner I want. Or have in mind. So I have that bad taste as well... 😕 I hoped they would treat their clients better, but I see no changes....

This is so not related to your video, but I need to ask- what are you looking at off to your left? I kept thinking maybe you had notes? LOL! Not an important detail at all, but I'm so curious!

Wow! This company sounds horrible!🤢🤮

I hope viewers take the time to do their own research into Gillio and not solely rely on your video. I disagree that this video was uploaded before giving the company time to implement the changes they addressed this week. Now we have a video that is incredibly biased and only gives a snapshot in time. I think you mention watching Mella's video posted to the FB group (?) but failed to discuss what Gillio's explanation was - COVID causing non-CS employees to be doing CS work causing for major inconsistencies and issues. Mella called it what it was - a human fuckup - and they were working to rectify it and provide more uniformity. They fell on the sword and found the issue. If you want to discuss issues, it's only prudent to also explain that the Company has acknowledged the same and is in the process of fixing it *or* wait to see if the issues are fixed before posting. Also, Gillio didn't censor anything. If comments were shut off or posts taken down, it was by the original author of the post. Unlike the feeling of this video, Gillio has been quick to react to the concerns of its customer's, e.g., within weeks and even days we've seen them address it. Now is the time to see if change occurs. Just today, they announced a picture + DHL option. It's amazing we're even allowed the option for photos - you don't get that option when ordering even more expensive items from luxury brands. Lastly, another perspective: their lifetime warranty has proved to be very helpful to me in the past when I purchased BST and encountered an issue. They offered me a brand new planner cover. This was two years ago when I was NEW to Gillio and had only made one direct purchase. These policies are customer centric and meant to be positive. I understand you're irritated and downtrodden about Gillio, I hope I offered another perspective. I've owned countless Gillio planners and I personally haven't had CS issues or issues with what is PGD and GD. I literally can't count the number of Gillios I've owned. Although I'm not one of those with a bad taste in my mouth, I am careful where I spend my money and I am giving Gillio time to fix the variability in CS and quality control. If problems persist, then would be the appropriate time for a video. I personally feel they (it's literally 5 employees and family owned) deserve that time before I rush to any conclusions. They only just addressed it this past week. I hope others will do the same. If you have an issue with your Giramondo, reach out to them. If I listened correctly, you didn't give them an opportunity to fix it. Yet are quick to judge. I'm glad you had primarily positive experiences though. I appreciate the discourse and hope my comment is taken as it was intended - a friendly perspective from another gillionaire. :) Happy Planning! xo - Sierra

If a package is damaged that is carrier responsibility and for a product that expensive you shouldn’t accept it. I wouldn’t blame Gillio for that. They are making the best quality planners I have ever seen. If you buy good deals they are clearly not perfect and you accept that. Look at Filofax, Foxy Fix, not to mention others, none of them make what Gillio makes. They are by far the best planner manufacturers.