Over the weekend I went and took advantage of the credit we had on hold at our local luggage store. The leather laptop bag I purchased late last year had broken for the second time and due to it not being a cheap item refused another replacement bag. We all know what the outcome would be and that it would fail again within weeks so there was no point.
I was offered cash or credit and chose credit because I would just spend the cash and have nothing to show for it. The credit worked out well as the modern suitcase does not seem to last very long due to the treatment they receive in the deep dark depths of the airport where luggage handlers do not seem to care.
When I was in France in 2015 I bought a Samsonite Samsung suit case which was not cheap and have used it on 3 trips and even that has a crack in it. These were advertised as a hard shell suitcase that would last and on our previous trip to the UK there was a tell tale white mark where the dark blue plastic had been crushed and had discolored and was now white. This suit case came with a 5 year warranty and that has long gone even though it has only been used 3 times so it lasted travelling through 6 airports. I will not be tempted again buying an expensive suitcase and the three I purchased over the weekend also have a 3 year warrantee. The cabin bags are safe as they travel with you in the plane, but the white one in the picture I do not give much hope of seeing 3 years.
This was better than the Chinese suitcases my daughter bought for the family trip last year with those Fong Kong brands lasting half a trip and were broken between Johannesburg and London. One was missing it's handle and another split in half with the zip no longer in contact with the suitcase. When she purchased them I did warn her that we would be buying more suit cases in Europe and that is what we had to do.
Most things we purchase today are not designed to last and I suppose that is what keeps these companies in business knowing what is purchased this year will need replacing in 3 years time. Brands you would normally associate with quality are a scam and they are no better than the Fong Kong specials as they all come out the same factory.
My wife bought an expensive handbag a few years ago and put it in her cupboard for safe keeping still in it's original wrapping. fast forward a few years when she took it out to use and the bag had perished. This was a well known global brand and an original piece and definitely no fake. Obviously there was disappointment and anger which would be a normal reaction and now she steers well clear of the over priced branded items.