It would not have mattered where the bag was purchased, VB credits their merchants for taking the defective merchandise, so if you ever have that difficulty again, or know someone who is having a problem, tell them to go to the website and search for retailers in their area. Then just go to one of them and if it is indeed a defect, which the retailer will know what to look for, they can replace the purse on the spot or issue you a credit by calling VB.