I've had a Tumi over the shoulder bag for a few years now and a few hundred thousand miles later I'm looking for a companion for it. I've had a look round and with BAA seeing sense (more UK originating travel in the near future) I think a 22" rollaboard is just the ticket.
http://www.tumi.com/products/index.cfm?modelid=100334&sourceId=TUMFROOG&CAWELAID=128933914

Just a few miles form where I live is a Nordstrom and a luggage store next door, both stocking Tumi. Both at MSRP. Up in Leesburg (a good 3hrs away) I've got an outlet.

I've taken a quick breeze around the internet and quite a few sites I've been to just point back to the Tumi site.

Anyone else been in a similar situation with purchasing Tumi?
Have you succeeded in getting stores to battle it out on price or are Tumi pretty protective of their price?
As for the outlet I'm almost risking a trip up there on the back of them having the piece in stock. Aren't Tumi outlets seconds anyway?

Thanks for your help :)
Fraser

P.S. Great idea for a forum! Didn't realise this was here until I did a search.

The only Tumi items I own are kind of a set I bought at the Cabazon outlet Tumi store near Palm Springs. I purchased a wallet, tiny zip-top purselet for lipsticks, a documents case, and a shopping/tote bag. They were on clearance, so a really good deal at about 70% off the retail price.

You could phone the outlet and ask what they currently have that's on clearance. If I had to drive 3 hours and really wanted Tumi items, I would phone once a week! Always walk around luggage or handbag outlet stores very slowly, twice, and pick up items you think you might even be slightly interested in. Carry them around til you make up your mind. This is especially a necesssary tactic at Coach outlet shops.

I'm sure there are plenty of Tumi mavens here who can tell you exactly what times of year are "right" for clearance shopping. I doubt there's much room for negotiating in a regular store, but it never hurts to ask.

had a Tumi over the shoulder bag for a few years now and a few hundred thousand miles later I'm looking for a companion for it. I've had a look round and with BAA seeing sense (more UK originating travel in the near future) I think a 22" rollaboard is just the ticket.
[url]http://www.tumi.com/products/index.cfm?modelid=100334&sourceId=TUMFROOG&CAWELAID=128933914

Many people here reported that their 22" Tumi had to be checked in at LHR. I would double check on that, perhaps 20" International carry on is the way to go. I am looking into it for UK originating travel, however the 14lbs (out of 22lbs limit) might also be a problem so I am assessing other solutions.

Anyone else been in a similar situation with purchasing Tumi?
Have you succeeded in getting stores to battle it out on price or are Tumi pretty protective of their price?

I live about an hour away from a Tumi outlet store in Kittery, ME. I also been to the Woodbury Common Store near NYC. First of all, the Kittery store always has a better selection that the NYC store. And a better discount.

They never wanted to discuss - give away their discount over the phone, but 25% off for the popular stuff, 40% for less popular stuff, and 70% is last item clerence (though mostly accessories and funky stuff).

But one thing I noticed is that usually the lines of luggage that are on a discount are not their flagship products (i.e. Gen 4 line) but rather the more stylish T3 and Ducati lines. Also, usually the funky colors get the markdown.

So the outlet store is a hit or a miss. I do remember one time seeing the Gen 4 carryon, but only the 20 inch version (most people want the 22"). There is tons of Tumi sales on eBay, though through regular retailers (Yahoo Shopping, Froogle) I never found any major discounts online.

Hope this helps.

I got mine from Ebags so I would not have to pay sales tax or shipping plus I got a bunch of AA miles I can use on BA.

I got a 10% "floor model" discount" from Macy's on my lovely new Tumi which was already a closeout price. :cool:

Thanks for the info people.^ I was concerned about the limited stock at the outlet and the fact I'd be driving 100miles+ to save only a few bucks after gas and time.

Didn't realise that Macy's carried Tumi. Also Kibison when I went to ebags I was redirected to Tumi's own site. Maybe that's a new thing...

Many people here reported that their 22" Tumi had to be checked in at LHR. I would double check on that, perhaps 20" International carry on is the way to go.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I did double check on the BAA website and it seemed the Tumi 22" was at limit in one direction but have some room in the others.

Do you happen to have a link to those posts? I tried Google but it brought up old 2006 information.

I get a discount through my MBA program. 30% off on anything from the current Tumi.com ordered through the school :cool:

I get a discount through my MBA program. 30% off on anything from the current Tumi.com ordered through the school :cool:

Nice ^ Was it to see if any students would take advantage and set up their own ebay store? ;)

Ebags changed but Tumi is now a merchant on Aadvantage Shopping. 5 miles per dollar spent.

Can you get the VAT back on your purchase if you can show proof of a UK address? Worth considering as well if the store offers this.

I got a 10% "floor model" discount" from Macy's on my lovely new Tumi which was already a closeout price. :cool:

Macy's will let you use some of their coupons on Tumi. I got 20% off last year.

Thanks for the info people.^ I was concerned about the limited stock at the outlet and the fact I'd be driving 100miles+ to save only a few bucks after gas and time.

Didn't realise that Macy's carried Tumi. Also Kibison when I went to ebags I was redirected to Tumi's own site. Maybe that's a new thing...



Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I did double check on the BAA website and it seemed the Tumi 22" was at limit in one direction but have some room in the others.



I am Tumi feen. I own 7 pieces of Tumi luggage. That includes the cherry red 22 expandable one that I just got for my wife.

Outlet vs retailers.

I agree with the post that the outlet does not carry all of the nice G4 line. If you find it you will be lucky. But the biggest problem is that outlet Tumi bags do not carry the warranty nor are they available for the tracer program. Most bags at the outlet will have a black marker through the tracer number. I just called Woodbury and they just reiterated that policy to me.

I have purchased my bags at only two different places. Ebay or Nordstroms. I bought the bags on ebay because they were the discountinued G3 line - my wife wanted the cherry red and the fact that most G4 expandables are using the expansion mechanism(was told by service department that they are having lots of problems with this) instead of the zipper. G3s with the zipper were lighter. So ebay and I got some great deals. I bought G4s at Nordstroms because on top of the Tumi warranty there is the Nordstrom customer satisfaction. Here is a thread (http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=450626&highlight=ebay+tumi&page=2) I started a while ago.


Traveling in Europe with 22 vs 20

I don't travel that much to europe but from what I have heard European planes are tighter in the carry on restrictions. Also the overhead is smaller in comparison to US planes. My 22 inch will sometimes have trouble fitting in the overhead. I have to be careful to tuck the Tumi tag under the handle. The G3s where worse because the rounded handle would bulge and it would cause trouble. I always make sure I close the hatch on the overhead otherwise FAs sometimes only try once and then want to gate check. That is in F on the airbuses. The boeings seems to be better. I would suggest going with the 20" international traveler. Added benefit is that it will have the zipper expansion.

I'll second Macy's. I used to get it "tax free" at AMS, but Macy's often has some amazing sales. Try and get friendly with a sales clerk and ask them to call when it's on sale. 2 years ago was when we made our last major Tumi purchase, and got a whole set of the G4 stuff for almost 40% off. Tumi is usually excluded from their coupons, but every now and then you'll get a good coupon and it'll go through.

Traveling in Europe with 22 vs 20
<snip>
I would suggest going with the 20" international traveler. Added benefit is that it will have the zipper expansion.

Thanks for the info ^ I've decided I'm going to go for the 20" if anything. I'm going back to Nordstrom tomorrow (it is the nearest) and have a look at the 20" which I didn't last time around.

Scott, thanks for the Macy's tip. My MIL is a coupon fiend so I might have to prize her Macy's one off her^

...As for the outlet I'm almost risking a trip up there on the back of them having the piece in stock. Aren't Tumi outlets seconds anyway? If there's a particular item you're looking for, call the store you're thinking of shopping and ask if they have that particular item in stock (and if they have many of the item).

Not all items sold at Tumi outlets are "seconds." The outlet store I like sells not many seconds, but rather almost all first-run items. They do carry quite a bit of last season's or discontinued items, and current lines.
...Many people here reported that their 22" Tumi had to be checked in at LHR. I would double check on that, perhaps 20" International carry on is the way to go... Just as an fyi, the 22" rollaboard is 22" for the bag compartment alone and doesn't take the wheel extention into consideration.
...So the outlet store is a hit or a miss. I do remember one time seeing the Gen 4 carryon, but only the 20 inch version (most people want the 22")... Since the inventory at the Tumi outlet stores is hit or miss, it helps to go into the store with not only a good idea of what one wants, but what features one is willing to compromise (if necessary) in order to get the outlet store pricing. An example of what I found at my favorite Tumi outlet when I was looking for a Gen4 or Gen3 rollaboard is they had the expandable Gen4 rollaboard line (with suiter), but only in the brown color. They had non-expandable/non-suiter Gen4 rollaboards in black. They also had expandable Gen3 rollaboards (with suiters) in black.
...I agree with the post that the outlet does not carry all of the nice G4 line. If you find it you will be lucky. But the biggest problem is that outlet Tumi bags do not carry the warranty nor are they available for the tracer program. Most bags at the outlet will have a black marker through the tracer number. I just called Woodbury and they just reiterated that policy to me...
This varies and IMO shouldn't be made as a blanket statement (not just above, but similar statements have also been made in other threads). Items can be purchased at outlet stores with a full warranty. I have two pieces purchased at an outlet store and I've talked with not only the outlet store in question, but also Tumi's customer service, about this. I was assured the warranty would be honored (if needed) as the items purchased were not considered "seconds" or otherwise in a condition that would void the warranty (such as the item being sold with a noted defect). It's definitely something to be cautious of, though.

I have had my 22" leather Tumi for 23 years (G3?). Out of the few hundred flights that I have carried it on, only Lufthansa in Mia, and Air France in Berlin have made me check it.

I saw a 22" leather of whatever the new models are called for sale yesterday for $840 at the PTY airport. Anyone know if this is a good price

Tumi has two big sales in a year, one that starts a few days after Christmas and one that starts sometime in June. Sign up for the mailing list to be notified. They tend to have limited selection on the website, but if you go to a B&M Tumi store they have more styles on sale. Also check out Nordstroms, who puts all their stock at 35% off, regardless of how new it was. Or at least they did after last Christmas.

got mine at Nordstrom. think i paid full price. i didn't care. they have a GREAT policy for returns.

if something breaks on the bag, you drop it off and they give you a loaner Tumi bag. A luggage store loaner usually is some cheap nasty day-glo bag.

if you don't live close to a Nordstrom to pick the bag up, they UPS it to your front door. free.

I've taken my Tumi bags in there in the past and have had them just GIVE me a replacement for free.

i'll never buy elsewhere. incredible service.

Also check out Nordstroms, who puts all their stock at 35% off, regardless of how new it was. Or at least they did after last Christmas.

I think I might have in advertently come across one of these today! :D

For some reason on the way home from work I decided I'd go and get the bag so went to Nordstrom. They had reorganised the whole Mens Furnishings Dept and most of the Tumi was gone. The chap asked me to pick the bag out of the Tumi book and called another store to see if they had one of the 20" bags there. He said it'd take a few days to get delivered but took down my details and credit card info.

I went to sign the receipt and noticed it was only $369. I asked the sales guy to check again to make sure he did the right bag and he showed me the screen. Regular Price $555. Promotional Price $369.

What a steal! :D^^^

I own a lot of Tumi. I've grabbed some great buys at the Leesburg outlet but the absolute best Tumi purchase I've made is at Macy's. My wife was going to buy me a large duffle for my birthday last year during a luggage sale. I think we got something like 30% off plus 20% off right off the bat. Then the salesman told us that we could open a joint Macys account (we each already have our own) and get an additional 20%-25% off for opening a new account. My lovely wife ended up getting me 3 new pieces with that deal. Of course, my discount was 100% (happy birthday!) :D

The Leesburg outlet has great prices every now and then but I've never been able to get them to tell me what's on hand by calling them. Last purchase there was a large garment roller at 50% off (about $450) with a 22" roller also at 50% off.

The spring Tumi sale has been going on for the last week.

I picked up a travel briefcase for $150 off last weekend.

Another round of Tumi arrived at TJ Maxx (at least in SoCal)

Nowhere near as extensive as last fall with only Tumi T-Tech but once again at >50% off.
Picked up style 5541 (http://www.tumi.com/tumi_collections/t_tech_urban_gear/category_search/expandable_computer_brief/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=92666) for $79.99 ^

Tumi at TJ Maxx on the east coast.
Never seen in in NY or So Fl.

Another round of Tumi arrived at TJ Maxx (at least in SoCal)

Nowhere near as extensive as last fall with only Tumi T-Tech but once again at >50% off.
Picked up style 5541 (http://www.tumi.com/tumi_collections/t_tech_urban_gear/category_search/expandable_computer_brief/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=92666) for $79.99 ^

Tumi at TJ Maxx on the east coast.
Never seen in in NY or So Fl.

I've seen some Tumi in TJ Maxx on 18th & 6th (or near there ...) in NYC around Thanksgiving for the past few years ... Not extensive, but some good pieces. I've bought briefcases, carry-ons and larger cases there every year ...

Good to know thanks!

I've seen some Tumi in TJ Maxx on 18th & 6th (or near there ...) in NYC around Thanksgiving for the past few years ... Not extensive, but some good pieces. I've bought briefcases, carry-ons and larger cases there every year ...

Does TJ Maxx (or any of its or similar Tumi 'outlets') sell online?

I have found lots of Tumi items at Marshalls in addition to TJ Maxx. The last time was when the G3 was discontinued, but only in the silver color.

Guys - I just purchased my first Tumi laptop bag:
Tumi Generation 4.4 FXT Ballistic Expandable Organizer Computer Brief

It is not offered on tumi.com anymore, because they have the new style. I got this for $260 from Orlando.

I was contemplating between this one and the new Victorinox Trevi
http://www.ebags.com/victorinox_swiss_army/architecture_153_2_0_trevi_expandable_laptop/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=109993

One major dif: tumi 5 yr warranty in US, Victorinox lifetime warranty.

Have you guys had any issues with warranty with Tumi? Do their bags made to last?

Lastly, anyone has a similar bag like this one? if so, are you happy with it?

thanks!

In case any of you reading this are thinking about getting Tumi and it is stocked at your local Macy's you might want to go there today or tomorrow. Today I popped in there and was given a 20% off vouchers that note '20% off or 10% off with the least exclusions of any event. It even includes all our best brands!'

Might be worth a look if you are considering it...

Wow, a nearby costco just received a shipment of Tumis - 5 different models from alpha collection (2 backpacks, 22" carryon, wheeled brief and wheeled duffel). Priced <50% of retail. I picked up tumi 26102 for $230 (costco item 296478 if you want to call and check).

Costco return policy + Tumi = ^

Wow, a nearby costco just received a shipment of Tumis - 5 different models from alpha collection (2 backpacks, 22" carryon, wheeled brief and wheeled duffel). Priced <50% of retail. I picked up tumi 26102 for $230 (costco item 296478 if you want to call and check).

Costco return policy + Tumi = ^

I have never seem Tumi's at Costcos. Not even decent Samsonite.

I have never seem Tumi's at Costcos. Not even decent Samsonite.

i think they started receiving them this week; call and check, another store had three models including a leather 20" (I think) carryon

Saw a duffel bag type Tumi at the Taichung Costco... haven't seen it here in Texas yet.

I can confirm that Costco is starting to carry TUMI, my local Costco (TUCSON AZ, GRANT COSTCO) had 3 styles in stock for about %45 off MSRP, one type of Leather backpack and two types of carry on's. I bought two of the Leather backpack (STYLE #92182D4), This style is not listed on TUMI website or any other site I've searched, I only found one on eBay at this link, (good pictures)


http://cgi.ebay.com.my/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170216715284&ssPageName=MERC_VIC_RCRX_Pr4_PcY_BIN_Stores_IT&refitem=170207438954&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&usedrule1=CrossSell_LogicX&refwidgettype=cross_promot_widget&_trksid=p284.m183&_trkparms=algo%3DCRX%26its%3DS%252BI%252BSS%26itu% 3DISS%252BUCI%252BSI%26otn%3D4

The Quality on this backpack is second to none in my opinion....
it does come with TRACER program and serial number...

I can confirm that Costco is starting to carry TUMI, my local Costco (TUCSON AZ, GRANT COSTCO) had 3 styles in for about %50 off MSRP, Leather backpack and two types of carry on. I bought two of the Leather backpack (STYLE #92182D4), This style is not listed on TUMI website or any other site I've searched, I only found one on eBay at this link, (good pictures)

http://cgi.ebay.com.my/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170216715284&indexURL=0&photoDisplayType=2#ebayphotohosting

The Quality on this backpack is second to none in my opinion....it does come with TRACER program and serial number...

I can confirm that Costco is starting to carry TUMI, my local Costco (TUCSON AZ, GRANT COSTCO) had 3 styles in for about %45 off MSRP, Leather backpack and two types of carry on. I bought two of the Leather backpack (STYLE 92182D4), This style is not listed on TUMI website or any other site I've searched, The Quality on this backpack is second to none in my opinion....it does come with TRACER program and serial number...

I only found one on eBay at this link, (good pictures)

http://cgi.ebay.com.my/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170216715284&indexURL=0&photoDisplayType=2#ebayphotohosting

Most of the discussion here seems to be around the USA- however this IS FT.. so I have always found by far the best deals at the Lane Crawford stores in Hong Kong- particularly the location in the IFC has very good prices, and if you are a Lane Crawford preferred customer you can get 10% further off- you can become a preferred customer by spending 10,000 HKD in one go- which makes it an even better deal. The warranty is also the international Tumi warranty, and like Nordstroms L C has very good service (although no USA locations).

I have also purchased Tumi at an outlet store, and it carried the full warranty. Never tried to negotiate a price. I agree that Nordstrom is great about just taking the bag and sending it out to be repaired. Have also taken it to the Tumi store and gotten very good service. Never an argument.