Walt-FL

Flew into CDG earlier this week and found that the seams of my 20" TUMI rollboard are coming apart badly. Bought the bag in `94 in Vegas at full retail, with a lifetime warranty. It is in overall decent condition. Has lots of miles, but I use it as a carryon, so it almost never sees a conveyor belt.

Yesterday in Berlin, the problem got worse, so I went to the TUMI store at KaDeWe, their main department store, and asked for a (at least temporary) repair under the lifetime warranty, because I'd like to make it home without having to buy another bag. They refused outright, saying that this was an old bag and TUMI now offers only 1 or 5 years warranty.
I protested, and they asked to see the original warranty text, assuming that I likely would not be able to produce. Few people travel around with pockets full of old luggage tags.

Question: does anybody have an old tag with the warranty text, and post/email/IM it? I am probably won't get it repaired because I am going to leave there on Saturday, but I'd love to walk into the store on Tuesday and slap it on the table and see what happens.

cordelli

From the FAQ's on their website from February in 1999 (from archive.org)

Note the part about them asking you contact them first, and they will tell you where to send it, so it's probably not unusual for the store not to have a clue what you were talking about.

1. WHAT IS THE TUMI PRODUCT GUARANTEE?

Since we design and build our products to provide you with many years of satisfaction, all TUMI products are fully guaranteed against defects in materials and workmanship.

In the unlikely event that a problem arises as a result of a defect in our materials or workmanship, we will promptly repair your bag (or replace it if we feel it cannot be repaired) at our expense. All we require is that you call us first, and then you will be responsible for sending your bag to the repair location that we indicate.

It is important to note that our guarantee is not an unconditional guarantee for the life of the product. TUMI is made from the finest materials available under our exacting standards. But, like any other product, it is not indestructible. Therefore, our guarantee does not cover product damage that may result from abuse of the product or airline mishandling. If an airline damages your luggage, you should immediately file a damage claim with the airline.

Also, as with any product, it should be expected that component parts - particularly leather, moving parts and wheels - will show wear with use over time, and may eventually need to be refurbished or replaced. This type of normal wear and tear is naturally not covered by our guarantee, but we will always be happy to provide you with prompt, high-quality repair service at a nominal cost.

If you have any questions or comments regarding your TUMI products, please send us an e-mail or call us at 1-800-322-TUMI. You will find that we apply the same standard of excellence to our customer service as we do to our products.

Walt-FL

Thanks, I appreciate your help. I'll try it tomorrow. If they still refuse I'm just going to use Duct Tape to fix it and then contact them in the USA next week.

Wayfahrer

Can you confirm that Tumi still offers a lifetime warranty regarding materials and workmanship? At least that was I told by the rep. However, the text on their home page does not confirm it.

Forgeahead

I recently had a zipper pull repaired by TUMI on a bag one year old. Lifetime seems like a stretch for luggage. I have an Eagle Creek bag, which was damaged on a flight. They say lifetime warranty too. The only one I would trust to honor a lifetime warranty no questions asked is LLBean.

puckstopper1

Having been in the medical device industry, every time I see lifetime warranty, I always ask the question..."Is the "lifetime" warranty for the lifetime of the owner or for the pre-determined useable lifetime of the product." I've encountered many instances where patients were extremely upset upon learning their "lifetime" warranty is only 5 years, due to the fact that "lifetime" does not mean lifetime of the owner; rather it represents the pre-determined useable lifetime of the product or good.

TravlnD

Definitely not. They used to have a solid no-nonsense lifetime warranty. Starting several years ago, they stopped honoring the lifetime warranty on previously sold product, making excuses about why something shouldn't be covered. They did this to me - and i kick myself to this day for not fighting it.

They also began only offering a 5 year warranty, with the first year "worry free" (all damage) and the next four for manufacturing defects only.

I still love Tumi and have lots of their stuff, but will never pay full price and would be the first to say that if you want a good warranty buy a different brand (Briggs & Riley, some Eagle Creek, etc.).