hikouki

Who is the easiest to deal with in terms of repair or service, Tumi or Rimowa? Which has better quality aluminum luggage for check in?

I recently bought a Tumi 19 degree aluminum, and I'm thinking of buying a second aluminum luggage. I have always wanted a Rimowa trunk, but ended up getting that Tumi because of an online discount. A big factor as to whether I will buy another Tumi or get my dream Rimowa is the after-sales service. I live in an area that is three hours away from the nearest Tumi store (Portland), whereas the nearest Rimowa store is all the way in Vancouver, Canada (or further away in San Francisco).

When I visited the store in Portland, the staff were extremely friendly, and I was very much impressed. The lady there said that if I ever needed a luggage repaired, I could always drop it off and they can usually send it back to me by mail for free (I forgot to ask if this is only for a particular period of time that the luggage is under warranty). I thought perhaps Rimowa has the same scheme (or better? Like I could just mail it to them?), but then again, the nearest Rimowa store is just too far away.

I used to hear about Rimowa luggages being given special treatment on check in at certain airlines (special handling) - I don't know if this still exists or if they also do this for the Tumi aluminum. I mostly fly Delta, btw.

I know scuff marks and scratches are normal and they add character to the luggage, but I've seen some photos here on the message boards of their aluminum luggages getting holes or large dents leading to clasp damage. I hope I never get those, but I have had my fair share of damaged luggage (both ballistic nylon and hard side plastic). Right now, it seems I am leaning more towards buying another Tumi, just because they have more stores where I can drop off my luggage for repair. Or am I missing something with Rimowa that might tip me over to them?