Blogging for Change

Lost Luggage: Will I ever find my stuff?

by Cathy Williams on
8/13/2009
in Personal Finance

Many travelers know that sinking feeling while standing at the luggage carousel. You keep watching for your suitcase- you will know it will appear in a second. It may look like 57 others coming around but travelers’ know their luggage. As time goes on, it is clear that your bag has not arrived at your destination.

Your next stop is the consumer service department of the hotel or airline. With today’s automated luggage tracking system, over 90% of bags are found and arrive at the place of your choosing within 12 hours. Another 8% are found and delivered to you within 72 hours. In those cases, you know that you will get back your suitcase filled with what you packed. Lost luggage is not limited to the airlines- bus travel, cruise ships and even hotels; your bag may take a trip of its own!

Then there are those times that you know your bag will not be coming home and that you will need to file a claim and wait, and wait. The airlines have lost luggage polices and your will need to follow their rules and timing. (You may even have additional lost luggage coverage from the credit card company- if you charged your travel on a credit card.) The immediate challenge is replacing clothing and the toiletries with your cash.

Sadly, a family friend recently had to find out the hard way the cost of luggage that will probably never find its way back. It has now been 25 long days with numerous calls, visits to airports and e mails to very helpful people. She will get some money back from the airlines, the credit card company and may even get some coverage from her home owners insurance. One struggle is that many times without receipts for the items- coverage is greatly reduced. And that is the challenge that Emily faced with her claim because very few of us have that level of detail of receipts for clothing purchase over time. I shopped with her and tracked the most basic of costs.

Here is a summary of her expenses:
Suitcase- medium grade, same size $280.
5 cosmetic bags, $40.00 (She could use zip lock bags but many of the bags were gifts over the years)
Travel size replacements for the most basic toiletries at a discount store, $38.00.
Curling iron, $47.
1 pr. shoes, $65.00 and flip flops, $9.
Underwear and PJ- $74.00.
3 pair dress slacks, $198.
4 shirts- (summer sale) $76.
Hoodie, $48.
Work out gear, $38.
Cosmetics $74.
2 paper back books $15.

A grand total of out of pocket of $ 1015.00!

Stay tuned for progress with her claim.

 

Cathy Williams is a former writer for MMI.

Recommended Articles

Man sitting in front of pile of bills, trying to understand his options.
Professional Budget Advice
Make the most of every dollar and start building toward your dreams! Budget counseling is FREE and available 24/7.
Learn More
Learn more
  • Better Business Bureau A+ rating Better Business Bureau
    MMI is proud to have achieved an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), a nonprofit organization focused on promoting and improving marketplace trust. The BBB investigates charges of fraud against both consumers and businesses, sets standards for truthfulness in advertising, and evaluates the trustworthiness of businesses and charities, providing a score from A+ (highest) to F (lowest).
  • Financial Counseling Association of America Financial Counseling Association of America
    MMI is a proud member of the Financial Counseling Association of America (FCAA), a national association representing financial counseling companies that provide consumer credit counseling, housing counseling, student loan counseling, bankruptcy counseling, debt management, and various financial education services.
  • Trustpilot Trustpilot
    MMI is rated as “Excellent” (4.9/5) by reviewers on Trustpilot, a global, online consumer review platform dedicated to openness and transparency. Since 2007, Trustpilot has received over 116 million customer reviews for nearly 500,000 different websites and businesses. See what others are saying about the work we do.
  • Department of Housing and Urban Development - Equal Housing Opportunity Department of Housing and Urban Development
    MMI is certified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide consumer housing counseling. The mission of HUD is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD provides support services directly and through approved, local agencies like MMI.
  • Council on Accreditation Council On Accreditation
    MMI is proudly accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA), an international, independent, nonprofit, human service accrediting organization. COA’s thorough, peer-reviewed accreditation process is designed to ensure that organizations like MMI are providing the highest standard of service and support for clients and employees alike.
  • National Foundation for Credit Counseling National Foundation for Credit Counseling
    MMI is a longstanding member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling® (NFCC®), the nation’s largest nonprofit financial counseling organization. Founded in 1951, the NFCC’s mission is to promote financially responsible behavior and help member organizations like MMI deliver the highest-quality financial education and counseling services.