Has anyone tried to repair their own luggage, and been successful? The YT videos make it seem simple…
One suitcase has a damaged telescoping handle. I’ve seen replacement handle kits available online, although I haven’t seen one for my specific brand. There’s nothing else wrong with the case.
The other suitcase is a hard shell with a couple of not-small cracks. I’ve seen YT videos using fiberglass repair kits. I wonder how well such a repair would hold up though.
I feel like is a do-able DIY, but am hoping someone else has tried before and can tell me whether it’s worth my time or whether I should try to find a repair shop.
If your repaired bag has visible fibreglass repairs no airline will accept liability for future damage to the bag or contents. Or they may only accept it for transport if you first sign a waiver.
Fair point. Unfortunately, we didn’t notice that either piece was damaged until we were home from the airport. Otherwise we’d have claimed with the airline in the first place.
if your suitcase got cracks maybe it’s because it’s too old. Seriously, it happened to mine after ~8 years. I wasn’t using it for some time then I made it crack myself by seating on it, however it was handling such use case with no sweat before. Suddenly the plastic became fragile.
Well there’s me being dumb. I thought you had to report at the airport or no chance. Too late now!
It is about 8 years old, but it’s used often. I think it was bad luck - packed fairly full and seemed to have fallen from a height based on the damage. I’ll try to post a picture later.
Mostly the same. As I said, the online videos make it look easy. Also, new luggage is expensive!
It was that way under the previous international convention (Warsaw Convention 1929) but changed when it was replaced by the Montreal Convention (MC99).
COOP Trophy stickers are offering discounts for Kappa luggage and other travel prerequisites.
Heavy duty duct tape should be fine for the hard shell - I am about to try it on my damaged bag. Future liability is not really an issue. I am an epoxy fan, but I think fiber glass will be too brittle and not look as good.
I wasn’t that impressed with the quality of these cases, particularly the wheels. The previous Kappa promos were good - in fact that’s where my cracked case came from however many years ago.
Now there’s an idea, along with what @bossybaby says. I could wrap the whole thing in duct tape! I’m not sure my husband would be impressed though. The fiberglass repair kits I saw, you tape the outside of the case and then put the patch on the inside. At most, there’s some ugly oozing. Supposedly.
Lufthansa once damaged my luggage and they refused to pay for the repair because my luggage was not new.
I had to pay about 150 € to have it repaired in Portugal. Broken wheels and torn zipper!
It might be DIY, but not the easy kind of DIY.
For €150, I could buy a rather nice, new case!