If you’ve ever had your luggage show up on a carousel looking like it’s been through a war zone, you’re not alone. But that’s OK, your bag came with a warranty, right? Not necessarily. The fact is, not all luggage warranties are created equal.

Like anything else, you have to read the fine print before making a purchase.

Eagle Creek, for example, says that all its gear is “guaranteed for life.”

That means they’ll cover manufacture or material defects.

But anything that’s deemed as excessive wear and tear or an accident voids that guarantee.

Samsonite’s warranty has a list of exclusions a mile long, including transporting “unusual items,” neglect, extreme temperatures…and my favorite, transport damage.

As in, any damage caused by your airline.

Briggs & Riley, though, has pretty comprehensive coverage for all of its collections.

It’s a lifetime warranty that even covers damage caused by the airline.

For more on this topic, try our Luggage & Packing section.

See which bags are strong enough to withstand a mauling by an elephant (and probably your average baggage handler) with Testing Top Luggage on The Early Show: The Trunk Test.

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