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“Appalling customer service”

Written on: 15/12/2011 by Altern11 (1 review written)

As someone who has known,relied on and always promoted Samsonite as the preferred luggage brand for over 25 years;however my latest (and what will certainly be my last) experience has shattered my belief in samsonite for good.

I bought a beautiful tan leather business case in Dallas for 153 USD and used it once as hand luggage on my flight back to the Uk. On arrival I opened a previously unopened compartment and noticed some loose stitching. I called Samsonite and was advised ab initio to return it to the store of purchase. After making it clear I had no intentions of making a trip to Dallas to return a bag, the Samsonite rep made it clear the onus was on me to get the bag to a Samsonite dealer, their repair centre or pay a £12 charge to get the bag picked up.

I find it appaling that the burden to return defective goods to the maufacturer is on the customer. I then took the bag to Alba luggage (whose customer service was top notch) on Marylebone road and they agreed to send it in to Samsonite.

Alba luggage sent the case to Samsonite on the 9th of November and Samsonite have only just sent a credit note for the bag on the 14th of December.

Left to me I would rather have my money back and nothing to do with Samsonite but seems I have no say in the matter and I am tied to buying another of their products.

I am aware companies make mistakes and a defective product can slip through their quality process and get into the customers hands but where Samsonite dissapoints is how they have handled the matter and I am left feeling that it is my fault for buying a defective product.

After 25 years, no more Samsonite for me and I will be spreading the word - steer clear! The strength of a company is not how it acts when you are paying for goods or a service but how it treats you when you have a complaint and on this note Samsonite have failed.