guller

I've been singing the praises of B&R for a while now since their bags seemed to be great. I purchased 4 large roller duffles, all from different lines. I have been using all of them for about 3 years or so now on weekly work trips.

After the last trip, my Transcend's zipper broke and was no longer functional. The bag also developed a few holes which I had been dealing with, since nothing was able to fall out. The non-functional zipper was really what caused the warranty claim though. I could deal with all of the other small things (missing zipper pulls, small holes, pull handle wouldn't lock in all positions, etc.).

Sent the bag in 2+ weeks ago. This morning I received a call saying that my bag was not repairable. They offered two options. They would send me the closest matching bag from their stock of used bags (sales models, demo bags, etc.). The closest matching bag was much smaller on every dimension and would not fit my needs. They no longer make a large roller duffle in the Transcend line.

The second option was that I could get 50% off a new bag of my choice, but I would need to go through them only, and would have to pay full sticker (less 50%).

I explained that neither option was acceptable since I could find the bag that I need for sale at more than 50% off of full sticker and the size that they were offering as a used bag replacement would not fit my equipment.

She said I could also wait to see if anything else comes in. I settled on waiting to see if one of her sales crew comes back with a roller duffle Transcend bag that matches mine. Even though I explained to her that since they no longer sell the bag the likelihood of people carrying around obsolete models was slim at best. She said she would check back with me monthly to see if anything comes in.

Needless to say I was hoping for a much better warranty experience. The lady on the phone stated that their warranty was great at least three times. Not really feeling the greatness over here. I'm probably going to scrap it, take the small free bag, and buy another brand. Buyer beware!

azepine00

out of curiosity what did you expect from B&R in such case of irreparable damage and what kind of warranty replacement do you expect for another bag of different brand you plan to buy?

guller

Well, B&R have large roller duffles in other lines (like the baseline) that would work for me. Unfortunately they don't have demo/sales model bags in that line, even though it's a current sales piece. Pretty convenient I think.

dburns

It may be too late, but I noticed there are a ton of repair centers on the B&R site: http://www.briggs-riley.com/contact/...-repair-center

Perhaps they could ship your broken bag back and you can see if you have better luck with a local shop to fix the zipper?

Just a thought...

-db

Shak51

I think the options they gave you were awful. I really don't understand why you would have to accept a used bag as compensation either. Maybe you should remind them of their warranty pledge.

Shak

At Briggs & Riley we believe our customers are family. When you're family, you do what's right. It’s been our philosophy since day one. And in typical family fashion, we believe in looking out for one another. That’s why we’re the only luggage company to offer a lifetime repair guarantee on all our bags - simple as that. If your Briggs & Riley bag is ever broken or damaged, even if it was caused by an airline, we will repair it free of charge. You see, to us, the phrase “lifetime guarantee” is more than just a marketing strategy. It’s a sign of our integrity.

rehken

Good luck with that, I needed repairs 7 times on 2 B&R bags, 0 of the 7 times was the local repair place able to repair them. I spent more money on shipping than I did on the bags originally, then I gave up on them, because they wouldn't swap out what obviously were lemons in their line.

I agree the options they gave you were awful, sounds very similar to my experience.

mapleg

Only B and R claim I had to make, I brought it to the local place. Not sure if they handled it or not...but if not, I would assume they would ship it somewhere for repair, not me, and certainly not on my dime.

azepine00

While costco has an unconditional return policy on most items it never occurred to be to bring back an item after several years of use...
I kinda assume the same with "lifetime" warranty - reasonable repairs as needed but once it falls apart after extensive use just get a new one... 50% off sounds ok considering flexibility..
ymmv of course

N1120A

Red Oxx will fix or replace a bag, no questions asked. And by replace, they replace with a new bag, not some used bag they have sitting around.

Skywalker505

Exactly right. And, I believe Goruck will do the same.

GoRavens

Pelican is amazing as well. Tried to buy a replacement latch after I broke one. I was very frustrated when I couldn't find them online anywhere.

So I finally emailed them asking if I could buy a new latch. They wouldn't sell me one... They would only send me a whole set of four at no charge. Their policy seems to be "you break it, we back it".

I'll sing their praises forever. They make a great product too BTW.

guller

Update:

So it took 2 months, but B&R came up with a large BRX roller duffel as a replacement. Not quite as big as the one I had but will at least fit most of my stuff.

Can't say I'm completely happy with the experience as their warranty pledge would have led me to believe, but I guess marketers are going to market.

travelin gal

We bought several pieces and have one bag with huge, deep scratch that both the store and Briggs & Riley refused to even begin to help with. The guarantee was totally oversold and as such I feel i also totally overspent and should have considered other options. No more B & R bags for me as I can buy at a fraction of the cost for non-guarantee luggage with fabric and structure that is just a good and durable, just a good looking.

chipmaster

Sorry it is pretty clear that cosmetics aren't covered, coming here to a forum as 1st time poster won't likely change the rave that most of us have for the bag.

After heavy usage and dragging them thru airports and streets, I'm bullish you'll come to appreciate to spend cheap is to spend twice, safe travels.

From their website: https://www.briggs-riley.com/lifetime-guaranteediscover what our simple as thatŪ guarantee covers below

Our warranty covers the repair of all functional aspects of your Briggs & Riley bag for the life of your bag.

Our warranty does not cover cosmetic wear or cleaning, damage of contents, or the replacement of lost or stolen bags and/ or its contents.

If your bag or its contents are damaged by an airline and you wish to hold them responsible, we suggest that you claim with the carrier before leaving the airport.
If you choose not to do this and instead wish for us to repair your bag, we will be happy to do so at no charge.

Due to the nature of certain types of repairs and normal wear and tear, it is not always possible to return your bag to its original condition. Due to discontinuation of a particular part of color identical replacement parts may not be available. Briggs & Riley will repair or replace a damaged parts with the closest matching part or component in the closest matching color.

You are responsible for the cost of shipping your bag to us, however, we will return the favor and ship your bag back to you free of charge.

You also have the option to take the repair in to your own hands. Take advantage of our self-repair kits."

travelin gal

(corrected text in this response)
hence the part of my quip that states: "The guarantee was totally oversold..." i lay equal blame on the store that, as i said, oversold the luggage guarantee. perhaps retailers of this line need better coaching/tracking?
the cut the suitcase has i have never had on even cheaper pieces i have owned over the years, which undermines the claims of the fabric's durability. and this piece has only a few miles on it, so to speak.
so i stand by my issue and am happy we can share our experiences as it helps balance out the market, most likely for the better, and i am glad to hear you as consumer (or employee) can attest to the product's qualities, cuz it is good for me too, being that i own several pieces, and given the cost, will hang on to them as long as possible
1) guarantee was/is oversold - blame can be % at different levels
2) fabric not as durable as claimed