What your Shipping Case Warranty is Really Worth?

The only honest answer is; It depends. The large case companies such as Pelican, SKB, Parker, and UK all offer “Lifetime” warranties on their products.  However, like most warranties, there are some significant details in the fine print.

An example of this is that none of the manufacturers’ warranties cover the contents of the case. The term not only applies to your personal items that may have been damaged, but also to any interior foam work you have in the case. In many instances, the value of what gets broken or destroyed on the inside of the case far exceeds the value of the case itself. The good news here is that if your case got broken in commercial shipping or airline travel, you may be able to recover value of your personal contents from the shipper or airline. You will have a difficult time getting money back for your custom case interior, but it can been done, especially if you have purchase receipts.

Another not-so-minor detail is that you must send the broken case back to the manufacturer, at your cost, to qualify for a replacement case. Since all of the companies listed above are in California, this could be a significant cost if you are on the East Coast and have a large case. You will only receive back an empty case, or one with a foam kit in it (depending on what you bought in the first place). If you have a custom case interior, you will lose the value of that unless it is built as an insert that can be removed without tearing the cushioning material.

Many times it can take several weeks to get your replacement case, this can be a major hassle if you travel extensively with your case. If you purchased your case through a distributor, they can assist you in getting things moving faster. Do not hesitate to ask.

On the positive side, most of the modern case designs have user replaceable components. The most common warranty issues with cases are broken latches and broken wheels. On most case styles, these are fixable with common household tools. Once again, the person you bought the case from should be able to supply these items to you under the warranty, without having to send the case back.

Your case is actually a long term investment. It should give you years of service and will most likely “ugly” out before it wears out. To protect your investment, buy your case from a local dealer who also has repair and custom interior capabilities. The case companies do not want you to send your case back any more than you do. They rely on the local dealers to service cases and get customers back on the road quickly.

Read more about case repair options on the South-Pak site

Why buy a new shipping or hard travel case when you can save big money refurbishing your old one?

Modern shipping cases are built to last for decades. Your case will show the normal dings and dents from its life on the road but, with proper care, will retain its functionality. Custom case interiors, however, wear out, “ugly” out, and become obsolete within only a few years. In actuality, many people that decide to purchase a brand new case really only need a refurbishment and a new interior. Given the hard economic times, a case rehab may just be the ticket!

Better yet, most of the common hardware problems with cases, such as broken wheels and latches are easily fixed, and most times under the manufacturers warranty. The major case manufacturers offer lifetime warranties on their cases which includes the case hardware. They can provide your with free parts, and you can either replace them yourself, or bring them to a qualified case fabricator who can install them for you. What you most likely will not want to do is send the whole case back for a simple hardware repair. Most warranties do not cover your shipping cost in sending the case back. if you have to send a large case across the country, this can be a significant cost.

In every geographic region, there are companies who not only sell cases, but also specialize in custom case foam interiors. The better providers utilize CAD design, and can work directly with you to build an interior exactly for your needs. If you are replacing a “Pluck Foam” interior, or an interior made from packaging grade foams, you will be pleasantly surprised at the quality and longevity of your new custom interior. This route is much less expensive than buying a new case, and the custom interior will last much longer than your old do-it-yourself interior.

With respect to the case exterior,  custom fabricators tend to be very good at removing label residues, repairing indentations, and fixing other cosmetic issues with the hard case shell. If your case is old and does not have modern latches, handles or locking loops, your fabricator can sometimes retrofit the modern hardware onto the existing case. This will increase the lifespan, durability and even the appearance of the case. Of course, Manufacturers always suggest you to only use OEM parts for replacements. While this is generally a good idea, sometimes it does pay to look at other options as well. There is a lot of quality after market hardware that will fit a variety of cases.

A case is not like a car, an old case is worth very little in terms of sale or trade-in value.  Before you toss it in the trash or dump it on E-Bay, take another look. Unless it is falling apart,  too ugly, or too big or small for your current needs, you can probably save a lot of money with refurbishment.

Nice to be recognized!

South-Pak Inc Receives 2009 Best of Business Award

Flikr Photos Online

Uploaded a good selection of Flikr photos of our work, check them out here http://www.flickr.com/photos/customcases/