I’m new on this forum. I wanted to know if anyone has had a problem with the large zippers on their Rick Steves bags? We purchased ours about 12 years ago. We love them! We don’t use them every day but around 5 years ago we started having an issue where the zipper started to split and they are only effective if they’re zipped and unzipped in one direction. This hasn’t been a problem until this past week when customs decided to check my husbands bag and didn’t know the key to opening and closing it. When we picked it up from baggage claim, it was enclosed in a plastic bag. I’m wondering if they can be repaired/replaced.
Posted by
Duluth 🛶
6323 posts
It would help to know which particular bag you are talking about, but generally zippers on luggage should be able to be replaced. If you are thinking that Rick Steves should replace or repair them, I doubt that will happen, especially since 12 years have gone by. The warranty does not cover normal wear and tear, and that's what a faulty zipper would be.
Every Rick Steves travel product comes with our guarantee that it will be free from material and manufacturing defects for the life of the product. If a defect appears, we will replace the product free of charge. This guarantee does not cover damage caused by an airline or other common carrier. Nor does it cover wear and tear to components and materials which may occur over time with use of the product.
That said, you could certainly get it repaired locally. I would suggest taking it to a local luggage repair shop to see what they can do. If you don't know of one, try Google for your location. If you can't find one, try a shoe repair shop.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thank you! I understand about normal wear and tear and we should have addressed it when it first became an issue.
Posted by
Morrison, CO, USA
891 posts
I had a problem with my RS travel carryon suitcase after about 5 years. I called them and asked if they could give me advice on where to get it repaired. They looked up my account to verify my purchase and told me they would send a new one. When I asked about where to return the old one they said "Don't"
I suggest you call them and ask for help.
Posted by
270 posts
Another vote for Rick Steves customer service. We bought the rolling backpacks (2). After a couple of years, the telescoping mechanism would get stuck (in a way that could not be fixed unless I was able to access the inside of the bag. I called RS and they said they'd send a new one at no cost. I managed to fix it myself with a screwdriver. I called them back and told them that they did not need to send a new one. But the next year, it happened again. I called again and they were extremely helpful. They sent a new bag and asked me to donate the old one. I was so pleased with them, that we've bought several other things since then. I'll be a loyal customer forever!