Travel Gadget--Bag Tracker

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

11 Apr 2006 05:34 AM

Did you know that more than three million bags are lost in transit every year? And that many more are left in hotels, taxis, and restaurants? It's the reason up-scale luggage manufacturer, Tumi, has created a program that helps reunite its customers with their lost Tumi bags.

I first heard about the complimentary program when I was looking to purchase a new suitcase. Tumi luggage is not cheap. Prices range from $185 for a backpack to more than $700 for the large suitcase with wheels that I was eyeing. The bags are well made and come with a decent warranty. But, the feature that interested me the most was the "Tumi Tracer." The company calls it "an exclusive, innovative and complimentary program that helps reunite people with their lost or stolen items." Apparently, since the program's inception in 1999, the Tumi Tracer has helped thousands of customers reclaim their luggage and business cases.

Here's how the program works. Tumi bags come with a 20-digit individual product bar code number printed on a special metal plate that is permanently affixed to whatever Tumi piece you purchase (e.g. business cases, carry-ons, full size suitcases, totes, etc.). After you purchase a Tumi product that number, along with your name, address and telephone number is registered in the company's database. If a lost or stolen "Tumi Tracer" item is found, the person who found it can call the company's toll-free hotline, which is also printed on the metal plate. Once the 20-digit number is reported, the company will match the number with the owner's information, notify the customer that the bag has been found and provide information on how the bag can be recovered.

Of course, the success of this program relies heavily on whether or not your bag is retrieved by someone who is honest. If someone purposely takes your bag, the chances that they will call the hotline are slim. What's more, even if you were to accidentally leave your bag somewhere, the person who finds it would have to be willing to take the initiative to call the hotline and read the 20-digit number to the customer representative for the tracing program to work. At its core, I think the tracer program is a good idea, but sadly, relying on the honesty others may be its greatest downfall.

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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