Damaged luggage travelling with SQ - poor compensation

[ozdude]

Hi there, recently I flew SQ to Hong Kong from Singapore, and my Samsonite hard case latch type was irreparably damaged on the way to Hong Kong. It's a small case but I usually check it in as it ends up weighing around 12-14 kgs. I bought is July 2007, and I bought the latch type as I don't trust zips, and the hard case makes it quite durable.

The damage done to the case is due to an impact, it's been dropped from a substantial height, refer image below. It's not a fatigue (wear and tear) crack. I reported this at Hong Kong, and Singapore on return. The report made in Singapore has been finished and they have come back to me with a figure of SGD240 (based on a depreciated figure of SGD390 over 4 years). I find this unacceptable. What is more galling is they totally screwed up their calc, I told them that the bag was bought in July 2007, so the compensation will end up going down as their calc is based on 4 years.



They told me I need to submit a claim to Singapore airlines insurance, as I want the full amount. I bought the bag as it is durable, and safe. Zips are not that reliable in tough environments and they can be broken into easily, they are the weakest point of the bag. I expected this bag to last more than 6 years at 2 trips per year.

If the bag was destroyed due to normal baggage handling I would probably have to accept it as normal wear and tear, but this damage was avoidable and is completely due to the poor handling. I do not believe that the compensation is fair.

I have asked for the baggage handling policy on compensation and their research for the luggage price so I can contest it. What I'm really annoyed about is that this type of hard case latch bag is not made anymore.

What are people's experiences with this? My plan is to submit my claim for higher compensation once I receive the report. If that is not sufficient then I will contact the travel insurer (although their Ts and Cs rule out baggage handling by airports). Then if that doesn't work I'm marching my bag down to ION on Orchard and will wait till I speak with a person of authority at the SQ office.

[9V-JKL]

Are u attempting to claim $390?

[Desert Traveller]

LH were pretty good when one of my bags got irrepairably damaged. They offered an inferior replacement which I declined and then offered a like for like replacment which I took. Not sure how SQ normally handle this, but you might have a better chance of getting a replacement rather than cash.

[ozdude]

Are u attempting to claim $390?

I will attempt to claim something that is fair and reasonable, not a discounted figure on the original cost. They mis-handled the bag and destroyed a hard case, it's not wear and tear.

I would expect a sum to equal the equivalent that is currently in the market place, or the price of the original case that I paid.

I don't see why I should be penalised for something that is not my fault, especially when I paid extra for a case which built to last. The fact that it is damaged due to impact shows how poorly their staff handled my bag.

[Kyo]

I wish you all the best but I fear many will not see eye to eye with you. Personally, I think your case has been used, it looks like it has been used, you've had it since 2007 and were it up to me, I'd not even offer $200 (plucking a figure out of thin air).

I think SQ can at most offer to replace you something like for like if you're not happy with that.

For my own personal luggage, being rather specialised/no longer produced and has a limited lifetime warranty, I would take it up with both the manufacturer and with the airline, should it be damaged to the extent yours was. Having said that, it's not run-of-the-mill, so I might have more of a case to argue with...

I wish you all the best arguing in Ion as well. When are you going, by the way? I'm sure that would be most entertaining for the staff there also...

[ozdude]

I wish you all the best but I fear many will not see eye to eye with you. Personally, I think your case has been used, it looks like it has been used, you've had it since 2007 and were it up to me, I'd not even offer $200 (plucking a figure out of thin air).

Of course my case has been used, of course it looks used, all personal property is by definition used. Casing on your laptop will look used after a few years but the structural integrity will not change with normal expected use. The case would not just spontaneously fracture due to normal use.

However I bought the case for the reason that it is robust. And it is robust. It's been poorly handled. I've had it since 2007, but only used it 15 times. Based on many trip reports here there are many people who travel 15 times in one year, I would class your 1 year old luggage older than my 6 year old luggage based on trips. My case has been used but my usage has not contributed to it's destruction. ie it is not fatigue failure.

This is a not a fatigue crack. Structural engineers will be familiar with this. It is not a crack due to use or repeated loading and unloading. It is an impact fracture caused by a large external force, there is no point going to Samsonite as the case would not have been designed for that and that is what they will tell me.

As I said, if it was a fracture due to wear and tear then I would reluctantly agree. But this is not, it is a hardcase which is designed for tough manual handling, the crack that is there is evidence of poor handling and a substantial drop, that the case (or any case) was not designed for.

Just because it looks like it's worth less than 200 bucks to you does not mean that the case can not perform it's job. It looks dirty, but it is (was) structurally fine, which was the reason I bought it, you don't buy a hardcase to look good walking in a fashion parade 6 years later. I now have to buy a new case, if I buy one of the same build quality then I will need to spend more than the proposed compensation.

[ozdude]

being rather specialised/no longer produced and has a limited lifetime warranty, I would take it up with both the manufacturer and with the airline, should it be damaged to the extent yours was. Having said that, it's not run-of-the-mill, so I might have more of a case to argue with

I would be interested to know what manufacturer would entertain claims of damage due to impact loads that most likely would not have been designed for. Perhaps that is a product worth parting cash for in the event that a baggage handler ruins future cases.

[ozdude]

I wish you all the best arguing in Ion as well. When are you going, by the way? I'm sure that would be most entertaining for the staff there also...

I'll be going in a few weeks time depending on the outcome. Feel free to come along, you may enjoy learning about engineering.

[ozdude]

One last comment.

If I transport my 10 year old car, and the transporter crashes it in transit (irreparably damages it driving onto the ship, or container), ie does something to it outside of what it was designed for, and then offered a price that was depreciated from the 10 year old price as compensation. Is that fair? Would that compensation be enough to replace what was destroyed, would that allow me to buy an equivalent vehicle in today's cost? Probably not.

[Kyo]

Good luck in Ion, do record the encounter if you can...

[9V-JKL]

I would expect a sum to equal the equivalent that is currently in the market place

What do you estimate that value to be?

[ozdude]

Good luck in Ion, do record the encounter if you can...

I'll be wearing a gopro camera.

What do you estimate that value to be?

No idea, it's not rocket science though. When I receive the official paperwork from the SATS with the first offer then I'll check with Samsonite what the current equivalent is for my counter claim.

[yauee]

Just to share my 2 months ago experiece.

KIX-SIN (I) Class

Samsonite Skywheeler 2 encounter similar fate. Crack irreparable. Notice when collecting from the belt. Report immediately. Next working day SATS appointed agent collected the damaged luggage. 3 days later inform it had been repaired. When deceiving the luggage it was a NEW samsonite tideline (Model not available in Singapore).

[metcalve]

I am surprised you had problems dealing with the Damaged luggage folks. My encounters with them have been most pleasant, and damaged bags are either fixed or washed (even when it is not the fault of the airline but some other inconsiderate passenger who thought that checking in glass bottles of cordial in a soft case was perfectly acceptable) by the next day. There was once when they couldn't fix a huge dent on my hardcase that they replaced it the next day too...

[jhm]

phaleesy can correct me if I'm wrong but I think she's had suitcase damaged twice - the first time the airline (I can't remember which) arranged for the damage (a ripped off handle) to be fixed and the other time the airline (BA) replaced it with the same model.