Tumi Warranty - First claim ever and denied
 

Beware of Tumi's so called lifetime warranty. I've had my Alpha 2 carry-on roller board for ~2 years. The absolutely worst part of the design is the add-a-bag strip that was shipped with the suitcase. For one the strap is too long and allows the attached bag to scrape on the ground at usable angles, secondly it comes off easily. The biggest issue I have is that the darn thing broken at the plastic clip that supports the second bag. I raised a warranty claim and I just heard back, after 2 weeks and 2 follow-up emails, that it is not covered as it is an 'accessory'. Yes, it might be an accessory you can buy, but it is also a part of the original purchase. To say that I am underwhelmed by their response would be an understatement. For a $645 bag, with a lifetime warranty I expect that something supplied as part of the purchase would be covered, no if's or buts.

Can anyone suggest a contact or contacts at Tumi I can escalate this to and any thoughts on how to get a new one from Tumi, without shelling out for another one?

TIA

- Tim

Unfortunately, Tumi discontinued its lifetime warranty service in 2004.

The company shifted from lifetime warranty to a five-year warranty.

Tumi has been owned by Samsonite International for two years now, expect the level of service to continue to drop. Samsonite owns over 11 different luggage brands.

When management changes, so does a company's spirit and culture.

When Charlie Clifford left the company, that is when any fair expectation of the original brand's ideology should have left with him.

Only option left is to walk in, with a receipt of the purchased item, and go to a flagship retail store (not authorized dealer).

Small Claims Court is your option. A violation of warranty law? Tumi is in big trouble.

(Note to OP - are you sure you are covered by the warranty?)

That's not relevant, as OP owns the bag for 2 years apparently. So it should be still within the 5-year warranty as you claim.

Tumi's five year warranty currently breaks down, as follows:

"First Year of Ownership: Worry Free
With limited exceptions, if your TUMI product is damaged during the first twelve (12) months you own it– including damage caused by normal wear and tear, airline handling, or other transit damage–TUMI will cover all repair expenses, including shipping costs to and from our repair facility. If we determine that the product is damaged beyond repair, we will replace it. If we determine that a replacement product is not available, we will provide you with a product of comparable value. Damages not covered are damage resulting from abuse, cosmetic damage (such as scratched leather or stained fabrics), and incidental or consequential damages, such as damage to or loss of the contents of a bag, loss of use, loss of time, or similar expenses.

Years Two through Five on travel bags, business cases, cross body bags, totes, backpacks and handbags and second year for wallets, accessories and outerwear: You are covered for manufacturing defects and normal wear and tear.

Your only responsibility is to ship your item to us for repair, postage paid, or take it to a TUMI store or authorized TUMI dealer, who will be happy to process the repair. In some cases there may be a nominal processing fee. Many repairs can actually be handled in the TUMI store, free of charge. If your item does need to be sent to our facility, we will repair it quickly and ship it back at no additional cost to you. In those cases where our warranty does not apply, your local service center will provide you with an estimate of any repair and return shipping costs that may be incurred."

Did you register the bag on their website?

Did you provide a copy of the receipt?

Calling their customer service line has yielded more favorable responses when I've had my warranty claims processed.

Just remember, even though you bought the bag two years ago, the bag never came with a "lifetime warranty" when you purchased it.

Yes, lifetime warranty went out the window over a decade ago. I've had a suitcase for about 15 years which I send for a tune-up and wheel change every three years or so. I pay for it every time after five years were up.

First off, as noted, Tumi does not have a lifetime warranty. Presumably Tumi is denying your claim because accessories are only covered for the first two years and you are out of the warranty period.

Are you sure the add-a-bag strap was actually part of the original package? The reason I ask is that I bought an Alpha 2 International Expandable a few years ago as a gift and an add-a-bag strap was definitely not included - but the dealer offered a promo that included an add-a-bag strap and the "Accent" set of alternate-color bag tag and zipper pulls and monogram plate along with some other goodies. I can understand that these would be considered accessories and thus not included in the five-year warranty.

Thank you all for your replies. I was incorrect in thinking that Tumi had a LT warranty. I am still within the 2 years and was still denied a warranty claim on an 'accessory'. Lesson leaned. My next bag will be a B&R...

Tumi quality has gone downhill big time in my experience. No wonder they cut back on the warranty too.

Tumi is now an example of paying for a brand way more than for quality durability.

Not a warranty case, but I had a rather bad experience with the TUMI repair service.

One zipper at my Alpha 2 checked bag "slid out" on one side on my outbound (~2 week trip; airline damage case). Went to the TUMI store today to get it fixed, TUMI needs at least 4-6 weeks to repair a zipper... No way to do it in store, or expedite the service. At least they offered a loaner suitcase, but that one was already torn on a side, about 2/3 the size of my suitcase, and they wouldn't ship the repaired suitcase back to the US. Basically only useful if your suitcase breaks on the return home and you have a new trip upcoming that you need it for, but not useful while travel.

TUMI is definitely not worth the premium (anymore). I had much better experience with Rimowa. The suitcase gets dinged regularly, but dropping it off and getting it fixed has never taken more than one week (and that's for 6+ instances). Fastest turn-around was 48 hours from pick-up at the hotel to drop-off at the hotel (this was before LVMH bought them though, so they service might have gone down too).

I have 4 Tumi bags but have been slowly migrating over to Indie companies like Nomatic and Tortuga..as well as investing in some Travel pro. I might even try a Toughbags one of these days. Other than my warranty claims and repairs, i doubt i ever spluge on a large Tumi item again in light of their reduced warranty situation.

I think the warranty on the Travelpro Platinum and Magna lines is much better now.

https://travelpro.com/pages/other-warranties

That is the lesson I learned and could not be happier.