Claiming for Damaged Baggage - Advice Please

On a return flight from the US on Virgin (a route I fly often) one of my
cases was damaged beyond repair.

The case is one of a set of 4, purchased for this trip as our old ones were
looking quite "tired".

Didn't notice the damage at the airport so didn't report to the bagage
desk - noticed it when unzipping at home.

The case (probably the heaviest of the 4 - but still a good 5 or 10kg under
the weight limit) had a tear in the fabric right next to where the zip ends
(where it vanishes under the fabric) and the last few inches of the zip were
damaged and scraped as if dragged on a concrete floor. It looks like it's
been dropped off a moving bagage cart/conveyor to be honest. The zip if
unusable and will not open beyond this point - it's lucky it didn't pop
open.

Any way - my question:

This case is one of 4, and cannot be replaced individually. The set was
purchased new for this trip (so I would expect to replace with new). It was
also purchased on sale for about £280 at roughly 1/2 price. It can no
longer be purchased for this price so will cost over £500 to replace the
entire set.

Where do I stand? I am filling in the form online for Virgin and will
contact my insurance company, but should I expect them to pay the full
(current) retail replacement value of the set? Or rather what are the
chances of this? It is impossible to replace this case at the price I paid
and impossible to replace without buying all 4! What is the best course to
take to get a result?

I have never claimed for bagage with any airline before - even when one case
was cracked as I put it down to just one of those things. But these were
brand new for this trip, and I am not happy to say the least.

Thanks in advance.

>>They are having Samosonite (their dealer) pick up the case (which is
>>Antler!) and see if they think it can be repaired (I will be pushing for
>>this NOT to be done). They said if it cannot be repaired then they will
>>replace.
>
> <snip>
>>
>>I did make it clear that I will NOT be accepting a Samsonite branded
>>replacement for an Antler branded damaged case and they said that
>>shouldn't
>>happen.
>
> I'd say that's a pretty reasonable outcome.

Yes, hopefully so.

I will not be happy with a repair on a new case though (I would be happy
with that on an old set but these were bought for this trip). An identical
replacement will however make me very happy - I am only so insistent on
identical as it's a matching set which is new.

I'll see how it goes.

Thanks to everyone who replied.

Got a call from Samsonite yesterday - they are the agents who deal with all
damaged bag claims for Virgin apparently.

They asked for a description of the damage, and without wanting to see it
for themselves offered a new replacement.

I asked for an identical Antler case to my own so as not to spoil a set, but
unfortunately they have just been replaced with new a newer range by Antler.

The guy I spoke to told me to go to the Antler website and choose one I
would be happy with that matched mine closest, which I did. Called them
back and they have ordered it for me and will call me when it's in stock.

Can't complain at all really. They have replaced with new, and apart from
being non-identical (which isn't their fault and at least I got a say over
what I got) everything is spot on.

In message <8u7k439aipspnqq67o4nqssh3e6pid5qee@>, at 22:02:53 on
Tue, 15 May 2007, DaveM <asma61@dsl.pipex.com> remarked:
>> if you decide to use hand-stitched antique Mongolian Yak
>>leather luggage (at £20,000 each)
>
>Sounds good. Can you recommend a retailer?

Libertys is the sort of place I'd look first.
--
Roland Perry

In message <464eee4d.323060218@news.>, at 12:33:01 on Sat,
19 May 2007, Neil Williams <wensleydale@pacersplace.org.uk> remarked:
>I have no problems with limiting their liability, so long as it is
>very clear what the liability is.

$20 a kilo, in the T&C, was mentioned a couple of days ago.
--
Roland Perry