Q: I purchased a Travelpro Platinum 29-inch suitcase with a lifetime warranty in 1998. The bag handle broke and is inoperable.
My attempts to get it repaired have not succeeded because the parts are not available to make the repair. I think Travelpro should replace the bag with a new one because I paid for a bag with a lifetime warranty. What can I do?
— David Tashji, Westford, Mass.
A: You’re absolutely right to be frustrated. Travelpro stopped manufacturing replacement parts for your suitcase. It should have offered you a comparable replacement or a refund.
That’s what “lifetime warranty” means — not “lifetime warranty unless we decide to stop making parts.” Travelpro’s limited warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship for major components like wheels, zippers and handles
The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, the federal law that governs warranties, requires companies to honor their written warranties. Travelpro’s own warranty language specifically covers a retractable handle, which is exactly your situation. A company can’t simply abandon their warranty obligations because it’s inconvenient.
In fairness to Travelpro, the Rollaboard lasted 28 years, which is a long time for luggage. To put this into perspective, my luggage lasts about a year (but I live out of my suitcase). Typically, the wheels are the first thing to go. Modern handles are practically indestructible.
It looks like you talked to Travelpro’s AI chatbot when you were trying to get this resolved. I’ve found better results by keeping everything in writing and dealing with real human representatives. When you email a business, it also creates a paper trail, which is essential to resolving a problem.
You also could have escalated this to Travelpro’s executive team. I publish the names and contact information of company executives on my website, Elliott.org. The Travelpro contact page has the information you need to reach the decision makers.
I’ve owned Travelpro luggage before, and I’ve found the company to be responsive, so I was curious about what happened here. Could Travelpro really weasel out of a lifetime warranty obligation by saying it no longer manufactured the part? I didn’t see any fine print in its warranty that suggested it could do that. I think most reasonable customers would take “lifetime” to mean exactly that.
I contacted Travelpro, and a representative said the company needed more documentation from you about your broken handle. It also reviewed your case and agreed to send you a replacement suitcase. So apparently, “lifetime” really does mean lifetime.
Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.
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