My carryon bag was selected for ETD testing at DFW last week. The screener opened it, removed some items, wanded them and the bag, and then placed them back into the bag. Unfortunately, the screener repacked my bag such that the metal prong on a power cord was pointing right into the screen of my Treo 600. This was only in my bag to go through the WTMD - as the sign says to do. When I removed my phone after boarding the airplane, I noticed that the screen had cracked, and the half under the crack was permanently blue and unreadable. I had to purchase a new Treo 650 (the 600 isn't sold anymore) to the tune of $548. My question is not whether the TSA is liable - of course they are - it is whether they will own up to it when I submit my claim forms. Does anyone have experience with this?

No Sir/Ma'am.

They are not liable as you have the option to re-pack it yourself, but refused.

You should have stopped the repacking by the Officer and done it yourself.

Sorry, no refund in your future.

Where in his post did he say he 'refused' to re-pack the bag?

File the claim -- what do you have to lose? The fact is that your gadget was OK when you entered the checkpoint and damaged when you left it. And, it's all on videotape somewhere, although the TSA will refuse to release it, if they even admit it still exists.

If this option was available, I was unaware of it. I would have assumed that the TSA would make an effort to repack things mostly as they were.

Officers wear metal badges.

I would say file the claim, but set your expectations for repayment in the cellar.

The problem is, there is no tangible proof that they broke it. There are too many arguments (you could have dropped the bag, it could have happened prior to screening) that go against you. There is no way videotape could have caught this, either.

Looks like no soup for you.....

Sadly, the post above exemplifies the difficulties that some people (at least me) have with the entire agency.

Stopped the repacking? Some screeners allow pax to re-pack their stuff, but I've had screeners refuse. It's not their stuff, and too often, they act like they couldn't care less if their negligence causes damage. After all, it's not like they'll be liable if they break it.

It's one thing to screen stuff looking for non-existent bombs and weapons. it's quite another to treat other people's stuff so carelessly.

Don't like it? Then you don't fly! Great attitude.

The fact of the matter stands; if you did not like the way he/she was repacking, you could have said STOP I WILL DO IT. You did not. You could have complained right then and there, you did not.

There are many variables.


Metal shield or not, its the oath that counts. Granted there are some bad apples, but thats with EVERY job in the entire world.

Thanks.

Most people - myself included - are not aware of that option since there is signage near the inspection tables that specifically tell you NOT to touch your items when they are on the table.

Obviously, I did not notice the phone was broken until I got on the plane and saw how it had been packed, or else I would have complained right then and there. A phone is not a particularly fragile device - it takes some effort to break it. If it were an egg I would understand. When it's a phone - which is designed to stand up to some daily abuse - there was obviously not enough care being taken.

By the way, the TSA can talk all they like about how I could have repacked it myself, but the fact of the matter is, as FWAAA said, that whatever the TSA person says is what you're going to have to do, or else you don't fly. I don't have the time, energy, or patience to argue with them 4 times a week, so I dutifully remove my shoes, place all metal objects in my carry on, and remove my laptop from its bag. Regardless of what I COULD have been allowed to do myself, the TSA did it, and the TSA broke it, so the TSA should pay for it. Tell me why you think that's not correct?

Gotta love that "professionalism" that Comrades Daschle and Gephardt promised us!

File the claim! You have nothing to lose. There was a case where TSA paid for some expensive suits that got caught in a zipper at the CP. The owner didnt know it till he got to the destination and unpacked. Just dont expect the response to be timely.

In the private industry, the bad apples tend to get fired quickly in a professional setting. This doesn't seem to work in the government, especially with the TSA.

SDF_Traveler

What does it say when there's more accountability with an employee at say a Dairy Queen or a gas station than someone who is supposed to secure the skies?

File the claim. I have no idea how it will turn out for you. But, that being said, you are supposed to be asked by the screener at the end of the search if you would like to repack your bag yourself. Always. For exactly this reason. There is NO reason to not let you pack your bag after its cleared. If they refuse ask for a supervisor, if they say no, ask for a screening manager. Sorry about what happened.