Samsonite suitcase: disastrous after-sales service

In October 2019, I purchased a Samsonite suitcase. Since I was traveling a lot at the time, I was looking for a sturdy, reliable suitcase with a long warranty in case of problems.

I really liked this suitcase, especially the quality of its wheels, which were much better than those of my previous travel companions.

Gradually, I noticed the zipper starting to wear out until early 2025, when it became really problematic.

I don’t know much about it, but in my mind, it must be a very common problem that should be fixable.

I contacted Samsonite’s customer service hoping the repair would be covered by the warranty (in principle, 10 years, but with many fine print clauses…).

In case it wasn’t covered, I imagined they would offer me a quote for the repair.

The Samsonite support site (Support and Go) isn’t exactly user-friendly, but I managed to create my request.

The next day, I received a UPS shipping label to send my suitcase. I packed it as best I could and scheduled a pickup on the UPS website, and they came to my home to collect it.

So far, everything was perfect, no complaints!

My suitcase headed to Samsonite’s workshops in Germany.

Less than two weeks later, I received a UPS tracking link for a package addressed to me. I hadn’t heard from Samsonite, but I put two and two together.

A box the size of my suitcase was delivered to me—no doubt: it was from Samsonite!

I was pleasantly surprised by the turnaround time and excited as I opened the box: was the repair good quality? Did they send me a new suitcase?

What a letdown! I found my suitcase with its zipper problem, with no sign of any repair attempt.

Assuming it was a mistake, I contacted support again, and they replied:

The diagnosis carried out on site revealed that the damage observed is unfortunately not covered by our warranty. Indeed, general wear and tear was noted, which is normal after many years of use and handling.

That’s ridiculous! Not only is a travel suitcase meant to… travel! Which inevitably leads to some wear. When you pay Samsonite prices, you expect it to last longer than a standard suitcase and to be repairable in case of problems.

But on top of that, there was no need for a round trip between France and Germany to tell me that. The photos they asked for should have been enough.

I tried to plead my case, but I understood they wouldn’t offer anything more, and even a paid repair wasn’t possible.

In desperation, I took my suitcase to a cobbler, who said he would see what he could do.

Three days later, the cobbler called and told me he had managed to repair my suitcase and I could come pick it up. I asked how much I owed him:

Nothing at all, I just tightened the slider with a pair of pliers; it took me two minutes!

When I picked up my suitcase, the cobbler explained that this is very common. As you force the zipper (to close an overstuffed suitcase), the slider loosens. A quick squeeze with pliers and it’s good as new.

I’ll let you imagine what I think of Samsonite’s after-sales service after this experience…