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Monday, August 15, 2011

Look What Qatar Airways Did to My New Rimowa




I was devastated when my brand new Rimowa luggage arrived in Vienna with a giant dimple. I strongly discourage you from getting one. It is so not worth it!

68 comments:

  1. Yes i got my purple rimowa bnew i noticed the stitches from the leather were tearing apart. Samsonite are better!

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    1. Hey I had the same problem with my first purple rimowa. I brought it to greenbelt 5 with the warranty card to have the stitches fixed. To my surprise a day after, Germany headquarter told them to replace my unit with a brand new one. If under pa ng 5 year warranty your suitcase, bring it to a rimowa shop with the warranty card.

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  2. Thats why i bought the smaller hand carry. So the person handling it would only be me.

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  3. tsk tsk tsk...too bad..that luggage cost $600 USD up..cheapest na un ha..sayang!

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  4. ouch. that hurts!! Guess you can fix it just like they do it for car dents. hehe

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  5. That is sooo sad! Did you try to complain?

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  6. Gee. Was planning to buy one as a gift to my mom pa naman. Not worth it kung di matibay. :(

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  7. where are you staying in Vienna? Try not to miss the following: Schonbrunn Palace, Imperial Palace, St. Stephen Cathedral(Stephenplatz Metro Station), Belvedere Palace Don't go shopping in Kartnerstrasse(citycenter) but try Mariahilfer Strasse instead(about 10mins by train from Stephenplatz Metro.

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  8. It's not the luggage. Same thing happened to our hard-case luggage (samsonite). The problem is the handlers at the airport. The only way is to complain with the airline or hopefully you have travel insurance. But even then, there's a limit to how much you'll be reimbursed.

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  9. FP, I read somewhere na they have a service for getting the dents out of the suitcase in Germany. Baka pwede mo pafix doon. Google mo.

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  10. i've had my purple salsa air for a while now but i wasn't really sure it was tough enough to go on very long trips. but when i saw your earlier post about going to europe with your gold rimowa, i thought that maybe it was ok.

    yun pala, di talaga ok! what a waste! thanks for posting this one fp! and yes samsonite does the job much better!

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  11. Dear Anonymous 4:16,
    I am staying in Hotel Am Pakring. =) I have most of the places you mentioned when I was in Vienna years ago with my mom. Thank you for the tips though. Mwah!

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  12. Wala bang priority first ang Qatar? If seated in first class or business class some airlines gives special treatment to their luggages.

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  13. Kagagawan siguro yan ng mga bini- B.I. mo! hahaha!

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  14. that's Sad. pa dent mo nalang sa Tayler Achi! =)

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  15. Aray! Ang mahal pa naman ng Rimowa

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  16. Ouch! Sayang ang bag. Tsk tsk tsk! Now I understand why lots of people cover their luggage with lots of plastic. Whatever you call that, I guess it prevents damage such this.

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  17. you should go to qatar airways office if they have one at the airport after u have landed and have ur luggage checked. Usu they will repair our luckily replaced it since it's their responsibility to take of the luggages. My friend's luggage was repaired by thai airways (since we took thai airways going to bangkok) when her lugagge was broken.

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  18. FP, baka may warranty nman... pero yes probably it wasn't handled well sa airport and/or di talaga matibay yung luggage.
    Don't let it ruin your trip, FP... kakainggit! I wish I could tour Europe like you did. Hanggang HK pa lang ako e.
    Baka puedeng magpa-contest ka na rin ng Trip To Europe. hehehe God Bless po the rest of your trip, FP! <3

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  19. Good thing you posted this, at Php25,000.00, Rimowa is all form and a total disappointment. Samsonite is way sturdier.

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  20. I agree, Samsonite is better. Also, tumi.

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  21. Yikes! Sorry to hear about your luggage :( How did that happen? Airline mishandling? - E.S.

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  22. Hi Michael,

    I suggest you buy Tumi instead of Rimowa. One of the best luggage I've ever had.

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  23. Dear Anonymous 1:27,
    I also have a Tumi that I bought 7 years ago. I still love it up to now.

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  24. Guys, I used to work at Dubai Airport. And the handling of luggage at the back left a lot to be desired. If you only knew how they threw, push, kick and toss your luggage without a care...kesehodang Vuitton pa yan...kung nakakarga na sa bagun yan at umabot na sa likod, inaapak-apakan na lang yan. Pag nawasak, idedeklara lang yan lost. Kung mag-i-insist ang pasahero, tsaka lang yan hahanapin at pagtag-pi-tagpiin. Grabe.

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  25. thats what we get from buying expensive luggage... maganda sa mata pero the quality? fail! ive been traveling a lot rin...i still have my benetton luggage..medyo old style but the quality is perfect! Rimowa is just a name...and catchy!

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  26. mas matibay ang samsonite.

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  27. O.A. mana kung karma yung nangyari, masasabi mong karma kung may matinding sakit na nangyari o minalas ang kabuhayan, luugage lang naman yan di naman yan karma, nagyayari talagang nasisira ang luggage or kaya nagkakapalit pa nga...

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  28. Thanks for sharing FP! I'm not a fan of hard luggage but was intrigued by Rimowa. Will stick na lang to samsonite for now.

    To anonymous 1:54 p.m. --> Everybody has their share of product/quality horror stories. Buti nga si FP shared his so we'd become more aware. Shame on you!

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  29. next time kasi don't get branded luggage. handbags ok lang..pero luggage? nevermind na lang... if you want the best quality? i go for samsonite

    tska hinde naman kasama sa top 10 ang rimowa na maganda luggage. siguro fp, nasilaw ka sa kagandahan ng bag.. before you buy kasi check if matibay siya... nakikita ko tuloy na impulsive buyer ka!

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  30. To Anonymous 1:54 PM - you're a meanie who probably can't afford a trip to EU or a Rimowa or a spiteful BI subject na nabukelya elya dito sa FP hehehe :)

    To FP: Now I'm scared of taking my Rimowa :( flying in September to FR via Etihad. Pano nalang yung ad nila na kinakagat ng shark pero buo pa din ang suitcase.

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  31. When I purchased my purple Salsa Air in Greenbelt, the SA made it clear that things like this can really happen. I guess minalas ka lang Fashion Pulis. I've been using mine 7times already and I got no probs with it. I must say it's the best luggage. Minalas naman ako sa Samsonite before. Its first flight was Manila to LA. Paglabas wala ng handle ang maleta. Kaya I got turned off sa Samsonite. Anyway, I suggest call Rimowa ASAP, they'll take care of that. Good thing it's not cracked or butas. That's the Polycarbonate working for you :)

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  32. FP, alam ko may warranty yan...
    -a.c.

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  33. In fairness FP? Dented but the color is still there. Kung ayunsin nila yan, di na kelangan mag retouch sa color.. Which might turn out not okay..
    -a.c.

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  34. Sir mike, it goes back, just have it heated by a blower in high power.

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  35. spell K-A-R-M-A
    August 15, 2011 1:54 PM

    _________________________

    You are so pathetic that you still need to prove us you can spell KARMA.Well, good job buddy!You are now level 2.Now grow up.

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  36. hey mike... go get the aluminum one.. even if it gets dented it adds character to the suitcase :D

    Fat Dy :D

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  37. My Samsonite Hardside got a beating last month, connecting flights galore, and i'm the type who just tosses things... but it still looks fairly new, barely a scratch or dent. I think it would be best to invest based on quality and craftsmanship instead of it being "in fashion" or for "social status"... same price rin naman kasi.

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  38. I just bought my Samsonite na Canvass. The salesperson advised me not to get the hardcase kasi nga daw may tendency na mayupi sya kapag check-in. But it goes back to it's original form naman daw but if medyo sensitive daw ako sa ganun better get the Canvass na lang plus hindi pa sya ganun ka-sensitve kapag masikip ang gamit!pwede sya ma-deform or magfollow sa shape ng compartment

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  39. maybe you can go to the store and show them your warranty card or something. when i bought mine, i asked the lady if something like this happens what would they do and if it's still possible to repair it and the lady said that they can push it from the inside.

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  40. diba this is the store in greenbelt wherein the salesman would even jump on top of the luggage to show that it's indestructible? well, this just proves how powerful effective marketing can be. as consumers we really have to be vigilant because there are loads of products out there that are really just making us pay for the brand. fp, mag echolac ka nalang! kahit di siya sosy brand, mine's still in great shape after 7 years. tsaka if ever madamage siya or whatever, it won't be as heartbreaking or traumatic! =)

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  41. nagpapaniwala ka kasi sa friend mo na katakot ang fez eh..

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  42. That also happened to me but on a European airline. Was so miffed; my Rimowa was also brand new. But when I brought it to Greenbelt for repairs, they fixed it quickly (for free). It looked good as new. But I can imagine how you feel. Can't complain about Rimowa's after-sales service, though. On another trip, I think I inadvertently changed the code to the lock of my luggage when I left Manila, ergo I couldn't open it when I arrived at my destination. I called the dealer in that country (I called Greenbelt to ask for the number) and in 30 minutes, they sent over someone to my hotel to reset it (again, for free). Re Samsonite: Never again! I had a 4-wheeler when I left for a 10-day Germany-Austria trip; by the time I was bound for Manila, I was left with only two wheels! When I inquired with the local Samsonite here re wheel replacement, I was told it would take a month! No thanks!

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  43. Ang hubby ko 4x a year nagta-travel, transcontinental with 3x connecting flights, so imagine the handling his luggage has to go through. The only luggage that remained intact although worn out in the last 11 years is the Samsonite oyster shell. It had seen too many places that it was plastered with stickers half removed. I forced the hubby to retire it and get a new North Face soft luggage. So far, okay naman.

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  44. OK peeps, luggage was made to protect the CONTENTS, it was not meant as a show-off, it is NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY of the airlines if it was damaged/dented , that is part of NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR, as to how they handle the buggage ??? we dont know, we were not there, I am VERY SURPRISED how people ( who seems to travel a lot ) can even mention about insurance. IT IS ONLY applicable if the luggage is lost, at the very extreme situation , maybe you get reimbursed for damaged luggage. PEOPLE-, you should all know by now, if you are the type of person who gets annoyed /heartbroken by such incidents, then dont buy expensive luggage, I hope FP will not complain to the airline, he has no right to complain because he is not CORRECT

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  45. Ttavel with style. Travel with rimowa but be sure its matte black ciz its more studier than salsa line. Salsa maganda pang hand carry or for cabin.

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  46. FP, you can still fix the dent, just push the inner part para maayos ulit yung dent :)

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  47. aray ko im planning pa naman to buy one soon ang mahal pa naman,so cancel nalang.

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  48. "spell K-A-R-M-A
    August 15, 2011 1:54 PM"
    ---
    my pagka syonga tong si anon 1:54 tehee, bitter much? isa ka ba sa na BI at naapektuhan ng todo ang life?ehehe.

    thanx for sharing the experience mike,im planning pa naman to buy before i go home end of this month kasi nainggit ako ky chuvaness hahaha, pero iba yung nagustuhan ko yung tig 8000 rmb yung walang zip, kaso nawalan nako ng gana,buti pa yung samsonite ko, almost 2 decades na ok pa rin ang quality.

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  49. rimowa should be able to pop that dent back in place

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  50. i've been seeing FP's tweets on asking people to boycott rimowa. huwag naman sana ganoon.

    first of all, i don't think it was technically rimowa's fault that the luggage was dented (it's the airline's baggage handlers).

    second, rimowa's "shark bite" sales pitch as I understand is that kahit na kagatin pa ng shark eh di mabubutas. Kita naman sa ads nila na-dent naman ng ngipin ng shark yun maleta PERO hindi nabutas. safe pa rin ang gamit mo sa loob.

    nevertheless, i understand FP's disappointment because he paid top dollar for it. But give rimowa a chance to "repair" your luggage muna. Malay mo, maayos naman kahit papaano.

    i recently got a rimowa salsa air...naka-isang flight pa lang. i'm worried but nabili ko na eh...cross my fingers na lang. the salesperson in hk who sold the rimowa to me said i should always keep a copy of the receipt so that if i have to file an insurance claim (or complain to the airline), i have proof of how much i got the luggage for.

    re: samsonite. i have negative experiences with them. everytime i come home from a trip, sigurado merong sira. either yun wheels, or yun zipper or yun panghila. naka-ilang pa-repair na ako either sa mr. quickie or sa samsonite dealer dito. :-(

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  51. We are Rimowa users for a long time already. We just to share we are using the matte black. We travel every other month not only within asia but as well as transcontinental.. We travel a lot for domestic flight almost every week but up to now, no dents nor damage to our rimowas. We also experience using the Salsa line but this is not really advisable as checked in luggage. Expect that dents are inevitable.

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  52. hi sir... student mo ako frm dlsu... anyway... that happened to me dito sa PAL domestic flight... they just replaced my luggage with the very same brand and color and took my damaged one... tingin ko... you can file for a complaint and have them give you a new one...

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  53. I'm a frequent traveler myself and owner of three pieces of Rimowa luggage (I'm a convert from Samsonite which has awful to nonexistent after sales service in Manila). Though I can understand FP's disappointment (coz I've had one Rimowa dented just like FP's and it got fixed), but it's true what someone said above: it's technically not the airline's fault that FP's Rimowa got dented. I always ask the airline to attach a "Fragile" sticker on my luggage, though that's still no guarantee (besides I think those stickers & adhesive residue make my suitcase ugly hehe). Instead of the typical Fragile sticker, some airlines attach a tag they call "Limited Release," and you have to counter-sign it, releasing the airline of any responsibility should any damage befall your luggage. (They suggest this to you once they see you're carrying a hard case, which is prone to dents.) So IMHO, FP should rethink complaining to the airline to save himself the embarrassment. (FP, if you read the fine print at the back of your airline ticket, it says they only claim responsibility for LOST luggage, and will pay only a certain amount.) And it's true re shark-bite marketing thing of Rimowa: It doesn't say it won't dent; in fact they tell you it does. Thing is it will bounce back to it's shape and, well, even a shark bite can't bore a hole into it. :)

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  54. mike, there's a warranty for that, you can bring it to the place where you bought it, then kung ayaw nilang ayusin o palitan then saka nalang gumawa ng action vs rimowa, for the meantime cancel muna plan ko pagbili ng rimowa,waiting what will be their reaction after asking for a replacement,baka sakin din mangyari tas wala naman pala silbi ang kanilang warranty.

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  55. Globalization...
    Original Rimowa, but made in China maybe?

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  56. FP, call rimowa greenbelt, they will gladly help you. Blower lang yata ang katapat, the bigger the dent, the easier to bounce back...my limbo 77 had dent when i arrived hk via PAL, i was so sad, it was the first time i used it. To think may cover pa sya, pati cover may punit...and...hindi pa mabigat ang laman...sadly that's how these porters handle all the luggages...anyway, i will bring my limbo for repair in greenbelt, i hope maayos, otherwise...it will add to the bag's character...i used kipling before rimowa, i must say, kipling is really worth buying...

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  57. don't worry, go to a rimowa shop and they will fix it by heat.

    i faced the same problem.

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  58. Haay super super disappointed with my Rimowa and the sales people. My Rimowa crackedon the corner , I dont know if it was because of the mishandling of PAL or substandard qualit y of the luggage, its not even a year old!!! They ( RIMOWA) claim durability ( ngeek super "F" failing marks for them) complained and ask them if what I got was a LEMON or was it PALS fault? Well guess what they just pointed a finger right away to the airline, they said they cant do anything! Bet you if Kris Aquino complained to them, they would have changed the luggage right there and then!!! so told all my friends not to buy that brand...stick to the better old reliable ones like TUMI, Samsonite, and others

    SO am trying to go to PAL to attend to this complain.... since RIMOWA is washing their hands from this problem!!!

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  59. The difference between Rimowa and Samsonite is that a dent on a Rimowa case is something that can be easily fixed yourself or by a close by Rimowa store. You can push this dent right back out! It's because Rimowa uses 100% polycarbonate (best quality of plastic). If that was Samsonite it probably would have cracked or permanently deformed (good luck getting amazing service with Samsonite). Plus, your case is the Salsa Air, a newer addition and is still under Rimowa warranty so if the bag ever did crack or stitching ever loosend they would replace or fix it!!

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  60. thanks for this photo.

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  61. May I know where is Rimowa's service center?

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  62. My BF's Blue Rimowa Limbo (9 mo old) got cracked also after a PAL flight. We just brought the luggage back to GB5 Rimowa store (where we bought it) and told the SA we want it fixed or replaced. After 1 week we got a replacement. So I must say, the bag is worth it especially if you're traveling a lot.

    Germans take pride in their engineering & craftsmanship. Take advantage of that when claiming your warranty.

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  63. I'm a frequent traveler traveling 6-8 times a year across global destinations, but in all my years traveling never have I seen an airline so irresponsible and careless towards their passengers luggage like Qatar Airways are! I had purchased a brand new Delsey suitcase the day before traveling and even didn't have time to take off the suitcase tags.

    When it arrived to my destination it looked like an abused suitcase! They had dented the whole metal arm to a 45 degree (don't even know why they would leave the arm open in the first place) not to mention the color going from a bright purple suitcase to a brownish grey one (due to all the dirt and stains).

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  64. Should have gone for the aluminium..looks cool when bashed around by the low lifes in the baggage handling areas !

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