VERA BRADLEY

Our Story

Vera Bradley® quilted cotton handbags, luggage and accessories combine smart product configurations with distinctive fabric designs.  Guided by our founders, Patricia Miller and Barbara Bradley Baekgaard, Vera Bradley Designs, Inc. has earned a strong reputation and unique position in the market.

The Vera Bradley story is a testimony to the American dream.  While waiting in Atlanta for a flight, Patricia and Barbara noticed a definite lack of luggage styled for women.  The longtime friends wasted no time in addressing this need and within weeks created Vera Bradley-named after Barbara's mother-to market and manufacture their cleverly designed products.  The demand for Vera Bradley's distinctive products has grown ever since, and are now nationally and internationally recognized.  True to its roots, Vera Bradley continues to remain committed to excellent quality, distinctive products and dependable customer service.

Protecting Intellectual Property

Vera Bradley takes great pride in the quality and workmanship of its products and wants to ensure that consumers can purchase with confidence when they see the Vera Bradley brand.  To maintain its image, build its goodwill, and meet the expectations of consumers, Vera Bradley must protect its intellectual property.

While online auction sites provide a new web-based forum to buy and sell secondary market products, the only sure way to obtain new, genuine Vera Bradley products is to purchase them through Vera Bradley authorized retailers or on the Internet at www.verabradley.com.  Unfortunately, the fact that a product is described on an online auction site as a Vera Bradley product does not guarantee that the product is, in fact, a genuine Vera Bradley product.  Although it may not always be clear, if you see an online auction offering Vera Bradley products and make a purchase, you are not buying from Vera Bradley.  Rather, at best you are buying secondary market products from someone who is not affiliated with, sponsored, or approved by Vera Bradley—and you could be purchasing counterfeit products.  Vera Bradley does not guarantee the authenticity or quality of products sold by someone other than an authorized Vera Bradley retailer, and products sold on the secondary market may be stolen, counterfeit, modified, damaged, or otherwise of poor quality.

Vera Bradley regularly reviews online auction sites.  If Vera Bradley observes an auction that infringes Vera Bradley's intellectual property, Vera Bradley will refer the auction for termination.  Vera Bradley will also consider any other appropriate legal remedies to protect its intellectual property.  If you find an online auction that you suspect infringes Vera Bradley's intellectual property, you should contact Vera Bradley at customercare@verabradley.com.

Auctions that infringe Vera Bradley's trademarks and copyrights, or include false advertising or other elements of unfair competition, are subject to termination.  For example, the use of Vera Bradley's stylized Vera Bradley trademark is not necessary to accurately identify a Vera Bradley product and its use can be infringing.  Likewise, the use of Vera Bradley's trademark and copyright protected fabric designs in modified or altered products is infringing.  Auctions that use Vera Bradley's product photographs, images, advertising copy, or other advertising and promotional material are also infringing and subject to termination.  Finally, secondary market sellers should exercise caution when representing that a secondary market product is "new" as consumers can be misled if the overall impression left by the online auction implies a source, sponsorship, association or affiliation with Vera Bradley.  If Vera Bradley was not the source of a product, then a secondary market seller may not promote the product using Vera Bradley's trademarks.

In taking these steps, Vera Bradley's intent is to protect the expectations of consumers and the fabric designs, names and other trademarks that distinctly identify Vera Bradley.  Vera Bradley encourages those making or selling products to compete fairly and with their own intellectual property.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q:        Why was an auction suspended?

A:         Vera Bradley protects itself and its intellectual property against infringing use and unfair competition.  Vera Bradley representatives monitoring online auction sites routinely refer infringing auctions for termination.

Q:        Can a seller auction Vera Bradley products that are currently available through Vera Bradley authorized retailers?

A:         It is legal to re-sell Vera Bradley product in its unmodified and unaltered form as long as the seller does not imply an affiliation, approval, sponsorship or association with Vera Bradley.  However, Vera Bradley does not verify the authenticity or quality of such products, provides no warranties of any kind, and does not accept them for return or exchange. 

Q:        What types of Vera Bradley products can be sold in an on-line auction, and what is the legal way to advertise the products?

A:         It is legal to re-sell unmodified and unaltered Vera Bradley product if the secondary market seller is accurate and truthful in describing the nature and condition of the product.  Further, secondary market sellers may represent what they are offering for sale by taking a picture of the product and posting that picture with the on-line auction.  However, secondary market sellers may not use or reproduce Vera Bradley's catalogs, promotional materials, product packaging or product tags, digitized images or marketing copy.

Q:        Can a seller use the Vera Bradley catalog, web images or photographs owned by Vera Bradley to enhance an auction listing?

A:         No.  The images in Vera Bradley's catalogs, promotional materials, product packaging, tags and marketing are Vera Bradley's intellectual property and protected under state and federal laws.  Vera Bradley has the exclusive right to reproduce such materials, and any use of these materials is infringing.

Q:        What about auction sales of Vera Bradley products obtained at the annual Outlet Sale?

A:         A large number of products sold at the annual Vera Bradley Factory Outlet Sale are returned items from retail stores, or products that contain manufacturing imperfections and are not eligible for sale at retail.  Vera Bradley attempts to identify these products by slitting the inside tags and intends such products for personal use only.  Because a secondary market seller is required by law to accurately describe a product offered for resale, if the product was purchased at the Outlet Sale that fact should be disclosed along with an accurate description of the condition of the product.