deirdre

My Tumi travels in the back of the bus with me fwiw.

am1996

Just to provide an update, we've now taken a couple of trips with both pieces of our new TravelPro Platinum 6 luggage and it's been through some abuse by the airlines. I am pleased to report that it handled all the abuse like a champ and continues to looks great. I am quite pleased with the luggage and the value.

slipslyden

Purchased a Travel Pro Crew 8 22" Expandable in black end of August 2011. I am a Million Miler with Delta and log quite a few miles internationally. Started a 3 week European trip just last night from ATL to CDG and when I boarded the threshold from the Jetway to a 777 the handle broke! I found this thread by searching to see if this is a known issue with this product

I have had this happen before with other "lesser bags" and it's not fun, especially at he beginning of a long foreign business trip. It sheared off cleanly, internally, on one side - right where the black handle mates with the telescopic arm.

Fortunately, I had my back up small roll of reinforced glass fiber tape and was able to patch it on the flight so it was still usable in Paris. I did not risk using the attachment hook for my laptop bag, but that is a minor hassle versus not having a functioning telescopic handle.

I called Travel Pro Customer service a couple of hours ago. The rep was very pleasant, and said handles and wheels are not normally warranty items, but since this is such a new bag she would send an entire replacement handle and telescopic arm assembly to my US Address. She also said the handles do not "normally fail." I was offered the option of a $35 "international" shipment option. Problem is she said these handles are on back order and won't be available at the earliest for two weeks. Here are my concerns:

1) This was a brand new bag. I am a mechanical engineer and a well designed/assembled should not have failed. 2) If the handles are so reliable why are they on back order? 3) Two week for a back order in general for a critical part? - are they selling that many that they cannot stock parts or again, has there been a rash of failures? Also what was odd is that I offered to send the defective handle back in the box they sent my replacement, but there appears to be no process to accommodate this. How would Travel Pro know if they have an issue in their design, or manufacturing or assembly (especially if outsourced)

To compound the situation, I just bought my girlfriend the same bag for Christmas in spruce, extolling it's virtues as one of the better carry on bags. Needless to say, my credibility took a hit when it comes to travel gear recommendations!

Now this bag is exceptional for packing for a long trip. Many useful features. Since August, it is very doable to pack for a two to three week trips for both summer and winter. I really like this bag, but a breaking handle on a new bag is a deal killer.

deirdre

I sincerely doubt warranty service is enough to deplete parts stock. It's more probable that the unpleasantness with the tsunami last march and the flooding, etc. more recently have caused supply chain problems for a number of companies and they're just currently short on stock. Smaller companies have had to defer some parts manufacture because the reduced number of factories led to higher short-term costs, thus, less expensive to defer.

JackLCY

there is no comparison here for travelpro - yes compare Tumi and B&R but not alongside travelpro. I'd compare the other 2 to Victorinox. Tumi wins anyway.

quan98

Tumi certainly has a lot of smart designs that are quite dear! Aesthetically, Tumi also leads the pack.

simba8

Tumi does look good, but lately I have noticed an uptick in poor reviews with a number of their products that have been released in the last 18 months....
especially the Alpha Line.

ben1979

Are both Tumi and B&R, at least some of their product line, made by Savannah Luggage Works.

FWIW I love my B&R. Awesome warranty, built well, not flashy.

CApreppie

You have to wonder about the quality of Tumi luggage as they seem to be trying very very hard to turn themselves into a upscale lifestyle brand.

Braindrain

Just went into my local specialty luggage store and took a good, long look at the new B&R baseline spinner luggage. The shell on this thing weak. Even weaker than the normal baseline luggage. Talking with the salesperson, she was also saying she wasn't impressed with this "new" product and far preferred the regular baseline B&R.

Alongside the Travelpro Plat line, I think Tumi & B&R are good comparisons.

am1996

Why? Travelpro's Platinum line carries the same warranty as B&R and Victorinox.

As for Tumi, a company that won't stand behind its product with a solid warranty would be a rather suspect choice, wouldn't you say? While Tumi makes a good product, its warranty coverage leaves a lot to be desired.

h15t0r1an

I bought into B&R luggage from 3 or 4 years ago in a big way. I have about 15 of their various pieces, of all sizes.

In that time I've called on their lifetime warranty twice. Each time the bag was taken care of without quibble. The strap on the first bag, a large tote, broke. Even though I explained this was when it fell off my motorbike ! (long story!) the whole bag was replaced with a similar model, as the exact model that I had broken was no longer in production. Last month I needed a replacement strap on one of my smaller bags. this was replaced immediately without question even though I also said I was not sure how the damage had happened and the bag was at least three years old (and had seen quite a bit of use, whilst still looking new). Again the strap that arrived was a slightly newer model since the original was by now no longer the strap for that bag.

B&R have bought my loualty. Like a few other posters here, around the time that Tumi stopped their lifetime guarantee, I also got the impression that their build quality became a little less reliable. A pity, Meanwhile B&R has got my business and will keep me a customer.

simba8

I've spent some time looking at some Tumis but never bit the bullet...did you have a negative experience with them?

simba8

Any chance you have any of their briefscases or backpacks?

ilsie

I got the Tumi McNair leather brief in October, and in 3 months (January) the strap buckle started detaching itself from the bag.

I returned it to the store for repair two weeks ago and their repair center still hasn't logged it. When I asked where it is or when I'd get it back, they basically told me to f off, in so many words.

Good looking- yep.
Durable- nope.
"World class service"- nope.

I doubt I will ever buy another Tumi again.

Also, if you're wondering why I only have one post, not a shill or a troll. I just started a sales job in October after 13 years behind a desk, which is the big reason I got the Tumi in the first place. Came here to see if I could find some kind of executive customer service contact or email address.