There are several videos circulating on the Internet about how suitcases are “treated” by airport staff. They show employees throwing luggage onto the belt that transports them to the plane, or throwing them off the belt onto the cars that take luggage to the airport hall. I thought these were random cases and that something like this wouldn’t happen to me.
Unfortunately, my luggage was also destroyed. I mean, I don’t know if my suitcase was also thrown around like in these videos, the fact is that when I took it off the belt at the Poznań airport, I immediately saw that my luggage had “gone through hard times”. I want to tell you about it because maybe my experience will help someone. At that moment, I didn’t really know what to do and the matter turned out to be very easy to deal with and had a happy ending.
As I mentioned, I picked up my suitcase, which turned out to have nasty cracks on both sides. I was afraid that its contents would spill out onto the ground in a moment. Right next to the belt for suitcases, I noticed a small office where you can file a complaint. I thought, “What’s the harm, I’ll try.” The nice lady weighed my suitcase first, perhaps to make sure I hadn’t exceeded the permitted weight. Then she asked for my ticket and took down my details. She wanted to know where I lived permanently and where I would be staying in Poznań. She said she confirmed the damage. She gave me a phone number to call and report the damage, also giving me the damage report number that she was issuing to me. She said it was important for me to do it as soon as possible, because I was only going to be in Poland for a few days and it was important to sort it out before I returned to the Netherlands. I found it hard to believe that it was possible.
I will only add that there was a man in front of me at the exchange office reporting similar damage, and while I was talking, a large queue had already formed behind me. It seems that such situations at the airport are commonplace.
I followed the advice of the lady from the complaints office and the very next day… I started calling. It was only the 9th time that I managed to get through (I’m not exaggerating). It was hard to stay calm, but I managed. The conversation itself was a bit strange, because the person I was talking to didn’t want to listen to me, just reciting a formula. After the conversation, I realized that I didn’t really have to say anything. The person I was talking to was called by people who had a similar problem to mine, so what the lady recited on the phone was enough for me. I learned that I had to send photos of the damaged suitcase and its dimensions to the provided email address. They would assess the damage and let me know whether the suitcase could be repaired or replaced. I knew that it couldn’t be repaired, but I decided to wait for their reaction. I took photos on my phone and sent them to the provided address. That same day, I received a link to a specific suitcase in a travel bag store in response. Along with the link, I also received a question asking if it suited me and a request to choose the color. I chose it and two days later the courier knocked on the door with a package. That’s the end of the story of my damaged suitcase.
Even though I returned home a few weeks ago, I still can’t believe how easily, efficiently and clearly everything was taken care of. I knew what, where and how. I would always wish for such help and service in crisis situations.
Please remember that if your suitcase is damaged during your trip, you should report it immediately. Don’t put it off until later, because it will be much more difficult to prove that your property was damaged during your trip.
What’s important? We absolutely have to keep all the documents. The ticket and the protocol issued at the airport. Then just a little patience and the problem will be solved.