Tumi review: Warranty failure 16

I agree. I have a Tumi bag that I bought a few years ago because because of the "lifetime" warranty. One of the zipper seams gave out and I sent it in for repair. They want to charge $110 to fix it! I know their current products are sold with limited warranties and I am going to fight to get this repaired under the warranty it was purchased with. I guess I made a good decision going with Briggs and Riley a few years ago.

I 100% agree with the comments posted. I purchased multiple Tumi products over a 12 year period. I recently took a 24" bag in for service and was told there would be a $20 charge for shipping and another $110 charge to repair the retract handle base, stationary handle top, replace screws, replace back panel, and replace 4 corner protectors. I was hit with another shipping charge...this time $15.

At the time I purchased every Tumi product I was told, "...Life Time Warranty...this is why you spend the money and buy Tumi". What a 'bait and switch'!

I paid the $110 today, but will NEVER purchase another Tumi product. Further, I will tell every executive I know and every person I meet traveling about Tumi.

DO NOT BUY TUMI...it is worthless!

S. Sidwell
Atlanta, GA

I have been using TUMI bags last 20 years currently I own 7 TUMI bags, recently I have send my Computer bag they did not honored the Lifetime repair guarantee. I will never use TUMI ever again, by the way they are not built in US antmore so quality suffers.

Have about 15 or so Tumi bags and one one them turned out to be very poor as the leather applications stain the bag and render it useless. Went to a Tumi store and they told me it is not a warranty issue. Emailed to Tumi US and did not get any reply. Send a reminder after 4 weeks and someone replied that they will solve the matter. Waited another 4 weeks with no reply. Send another kind reminder... It is just disgusting to learn that this corp does not care at all about their customers. Very, very different from the excellent service I encounter with Samsonite or Rimowa. Well, luckily there are enough other brands out there so I will just leave Tumi.

TUMI is not a high end brand as they would like to believe. Most such brands stand by their product. I too was surprised by the abrupt tone of their customer service on a warranty claim of frayed lining and zippers. Their offer of credit was less than the sale discount on their website!
Will never buy another TUMI!

Totally agree. My 5 year old garment bag was also purchased with a lifetime guarantee. During a recent trip, the bag came down the baggage claim with a broken handle and frame. After paying $25 to ship it to Tumi for lifetime warranty claim, they told me the warranty was retroactively changed to "5 year limited". Their offer was to give me 20% off a new bag. Sorry, Tumi. That's a no go. The retail
cost for a new one is $895. 20% off brings the price to $716. After some research, I see I can buy a similar bag from Briggs & Riley for $595 - and they have a true, no cost lifetime warranty.

I have a Tumi with what I thought was a lifetime guarantee. Their retail store charged me $25 to send it in for repair. When it arrived, they said they could not repair the retractable handle, that they did not make them that way anymore, and that it was not a defect but normal wear and tear. They offered to let me buy a new one, with no discount. I was very disappointed and would not recommend purchasing Tumi. I was pretty shocked that they would not even fix it for a price, but shipped it back to me in disrepair.

rerturned a bag to corte madera store
paid $25.00
never got any notice after 2 weeks
called and was told i have to pay
$175 for a new zipper pull, broken sliding handle and a broken plastic piece that is on the bottom of bag
was told Tumi does not offer lifetime warranty
was told by Felicia that a "supervisor" will look at the bag and get back to me.
not holding my breath
guess they lost a customer for life and someone who will share his story with all his travel buddies.
I travel about 200k miles a year. so i have lots of travel buddies

Agree with you all. I have bought Tumi luggage since 1993 for extensive business travel and own 12 (count, 'em TWELVE) of their Alpha ballistic nylon suitcase and business bags and not including various purses, totes, cosmetics bags, wallets, business card cases, key fobs and so on. I probably own a total of at least 30 or more Tumi products in which I have invested thousands of dollars over the years. One of the reasons why I paid all that money was for their historically fabulous return/repair - no questions asked - policy. I have had several bags repaired over the years but none replaced. Nevertheless, I have not had to pay for the repairs until now nor have I had to provide my receipt and go through a 3rd degree in their evaluation process as to whether the it was "damaged" or not. If you're returning it, it must be damaged - right?

This week I returned an iPad cover for which I paid about $55 a year ago. I paid $5 to mail it to Tumi. Then I got asked for the receipt from the online purchase, which I provided to them. Finally, I get a call from customer service telling me it's damaged (yeah, right?) they cannot repair it and ALL they can offer me is 50% of its purchase price towards another one. What? I am incensed...these bags have degenerated in quality and product support. I have escalated my complaint and awaiting a response.

Now, as for my 4 Briggs and Riley bags - I have found they have a timely, fabulous repair warranty for which I have paid $0 and for whose luggage (albeit a lesser quality but for half the price) is acceptable. Also, their bags are much lighter in weight and are much more giving for the more restricted checked and carry-on baggage restrictions in present day travel.

This all boils down to that I rarely use my Tumi suitcases anymore, due to their weight an hence they get less damage. When I use one of their products daily, like an iPad cover I bought a year ago, it seems that the products are now of less quality and lesser quality customer support. I can say that my laptop case has held up pretty well for 10 years.

Nevertheless and frankly, along with my Briggs Bags and their warranty, I would also like to recommend my Osprey rolling duffel backpacks which take a lot of abuse in overseas and domestic travel and have held up well (and have a great warranty policy too). The rolling wheels on these bags are especially dandy on cobblestones and rough terrain.

Tumi...you have some explaining to do.

I bought a huge Tumi bag in approx. 1989, with a lifetime warranty. Each and every time I have I have used the bag, I have needed to bring the bag in for repairs after. At first, it was 100% covered. Then, I was forced to pay a "shipping charge, " generally about $25. This time, I was told that the bag was "damaged and is not covered by the warranty. They seem to have only one record of me bringing the bag in for repairs in the past, and don't have the record from the last time, when it was repaired for a missing wheel and a torn handle, the same exact thing as this time. I asked them to email me a copy of the warranty that existed at the time that I purchased the bag. They emailed me the following warranty, which they claim came into effect in 1999, approx. 10 years after I purchased the bag. I pointed this out and asked for the previous warranty and they said the 1999 warrant was the one that governs my warranty claims. She didn't seem to understand that my 1989 bag came long before their 1999 warranty. Here is what they sent me, which was titled "Tumi Warranty-Gen 3." If anyone has the previous warranty, please post it here. Here is Gen 3:

“Our guarantee is as functional and straightforward as our products. Since we design and build our products to provide you with many years of satisfactions, all Tumi products are guaranteed against defects in materials and workmanship.
In the unlikely event that a problem arises as a result of a defect in our materials or workmanship, we will promptly repair the item at our expense (or replace it if it cannot be repaired). All we require is that you call us first, and then send your bag to the repair location that we indicate.
It is important to note that our guarantee is not an unconditional guarantee for the life of the product. Tumi is made from the finest materials available under our exacting manufacturing standards. But, like any other product, it is not indestructible. Therefore, our guarantee does not cover product damage that may result from abuse or mishandling of the product. (If an airline or other carrier damages your luggage, you should immediately file a damage claim with the carrier.) We also do not cover incidental or consequential damages, such as loss or damage to the contents of the bag.
Also, as with any product, it should be expected that component parts – particularly leather, moving parts and wheels – will show wear with use over time, and eventually may need to be refurbished or replaced. This type of normal wear and tear is naturally not covered by our guarantee, but we will always be happy to provide you with prompt, high quality repair service at a nominal cost.”

Does anyone have a copy of the "Lifetime Warranty" that was in effect in from the 1980's through the mid-1990's. A new one came into effect in 1999. I'm looking for the warranty prior to that one.
Thanks!

I bought my TUMI carry on and was told it had a "Lifetime Warranty". The seam has come apart plus the zipper broke so I sent it in for repair. They say it WAS NOT a "Lifetime Warranty" but a 5 year warranty? and that I have to pay for the repairs! THEY WILL NOT ONLY GET A FIGHT FROM ME BUT I WILL POST THE POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE/SHOTTY PRODUCT COMPLAINTS EVERYWHERE I CAN ONLINE IF THEY DON"T MAKE THIS RIGHT. Funny thing is I was about to buy additional Tumi luggage but that's not going to happen now.

I had the same problem, no warranty, I used it only once, expensive bag with no warranty and VERY POOR customer service

I agree with the comments posted above. I have a few Tumi products, one of which is an expensive cross-bag purse. After 2.5 years, the zipper broke. I was treated poorly in the store when I went to have it fixed or replaced. I had to pay $15 to send it in. Later, I was told I had to pay another $75 for the repairs. It has a 5 year warranty for defects or failure due to normal wear and tear. The message Tumi left for me said that the bag was found to have suffered from "wear" and that is why they will not repair it. A lifetime warranty might be a bit nebulous (though North Face stands up to their lifetime warranty), yet a 5 year warranty for wear and tear should cover a broken zipper. Buyers beware!

Bought a Tumi bag 20 years ago - very expensive - BECAUSE of the lifetime warranty which was represented unconditional at the time of purchase. Repairs: $226 or $80 credit toward purchase of new bag. Will NEVER buy a Tumi again.

Tumi was bought by Ssmsonite or another company and it was then that their quality as well warranty disappeared. They need to be hit with a class action for not honoring their warranty for items bought after they were sold. They have a legal obligation if they are going to keep the name to honor their warranty.