Well after I think 4 or so months my Vera has started to show wear and tear. With my recent good experience with Choise Tea's (I emailed them to say I liked their tea and they sent me a free pack of all the flavors) I thought I would visit Vera's website and see if I could email them. I couldn't find a general contact email, so I clicked on the FAQ and found this information;

"Since Vera Bradley is a wholesale distributor, we are unable to handle consumer claims directly. We rely on our retailers to assess individual problems and relay them to us. We suggest that you return to the store where your purchase was made, so they can inspect your product issue. The store should be happy to help and to handle your claim appropriately." (I got mine in Ohio at an airport durring layover)

"Most of our loyal customers tell us that, with regular use, their products may show signs of wear after 6-8 months (longer with some pieces like luggage, which are used on an occasional basis). Normal wear is often apparent at stress points such as corners and handles. A reputable tailor or repair shop in your community should be able to make basic repairs to your handbags at a reasonable cost."

The second paragraph is very telling. So a $60 dollar bag on average holds up for about 6 months! How nice. I mean really who wants to walk around with a broken bag? My issue is on the top corner where the zipper comes in on the side, the zipper where it was sewn in underneath has a sharp edge on it and has started to poke through. I caught my finger on it this morning when it brushed by and I must say it hurt. I have the Villager in Chocolate. Very disapointing.

I still love my Vera, because it's so nice and light and easy to carry, but it's WAY overpriced if thats how long it lasts before wear and tear appears. Jansport makes a better product.