TSA cut our ZIPPER PULL RING, not our lock!

[Alesia]

so, I went downstairs and took a closer look at the suitcase and took a picture......

DW is convinced the ring was cut....... here is a picture for your review....

The ring was not cut. There is simply no way that you could do that with a pair of bolt cutters. That's exactly the kind of damage that happens when the lock gets snagged on something.

The good news is that it should be a pretty easy repair.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Also...

A quick call to the Security Department of the Greater Orlando Aiviation Authority asking them to preserve video wouldn't hurt. Be prepared to give them a one to to hour window of time, and airline so they can pull the off the DVR the correct sequence/camera from the secure baggage makeup and inspection area. While TSA may control the space where the inspection occurred, the airport authority is the landlord and is responsible for the security infrastructure. Typically, those DVR's record for 3 to 4 weeks before they are recorded over. You didn't hear this from me.

Good info and I have no idea where I heard it.

 

[CPT Tripss]

so, I went downstairs and took a closer look at the suitcase and took a picture......

DW is convinced the ring was cut....... here is a picture for your review....

Seems to me that if the break were caused by the lock getting snagged up in the luggage handling machinery there would a lot more damage - twisted pulls, tears on the zipper, other damage to weaker parts of the bag, etc.

Just one nice neat "snip" of the ring looks like a purposeful move . . . could it be that the bolt cutter wasn't handy but a wire cutter (aka diagonal cutter) was nearby and the person wielding it knew that it wouldn't cut the lock?

 

[Lewisc]

Seems to me that if the break were caused by the lock getting snagged up in the luggage handling machinery there would a lot more damage - twisted pulls, tears on the zipper, other damage to weaker parts of the bag, etc.

Just one nice neat "snip" of the ring looks like a purposeful move . . . could it be that the bolt cutter wasn't handy but a wire cutter (aka diagonal cutter) was nearby and the person wielding it knew that it wouldn't cut the lock?

Before I carefully looked at the picture, actually before the OP posted the picture, I assume a rushed TSA employee accidenty cut the pull instead of the lock. Based on the picture I no longer think so. Why would a TSA employee even have a wire cutter available. I could accept a rushed (lazy if you prefer) TSA employee would cut a lock rather then spend the time to find whatever "master key" works for whatever brand of lock is on the suitcase. That makes some sense. Wrong for a TSA employee to take that shortcut but at least it makes some sense.

I don't use zip ties or TSA locks. I've lost zipper pulls made far better then the zipper pull on the OPs bag.

We want cheap luggage. Light luggage. Probably not made as well as the old 20lb Samsonite bags.

Airlines are using machinery to sort and move luggage. Many bags don't hold up. Look at the description I posted of what Airtran considers normal wear and tear.

 

[ssawka]

It would not surprise me at all if it was cut. I think we had it happen to us before and we didn't even lock the bag. There as a very clean cut on one of the zipper pulls. Shrugged it off because there was still a zipper pull that worked and we could still fully zip the bag.

 

[chartle]

Why would a TSA employee even have a wire cutter available.

I would say standard tool kits for back room screeners is a master key and a set of small bolt cutters for the small locks and a set of wire cutters for zip ties.

Still think it snagged and broke. That spot is probably the weakest point in the structure even less than fabric. Its two small pieces of cast pot metal and kind of brittle.

Again if cut, the ends would be a shaped differently.

 

[Tinkerbell58]

The same thing happened to my luggage. I flew Spirit on my last trip in November and when I got home, I noticed the zipper was broken. My luggage is 10 years old and decided to replace it instead of repairing it. I bought lightweight luggage this time because Spirit has now changed the luggage weight limit from 50 lbs. to 40 lbs. I don't need anymore fees!

 

[dlhvac]

TSA needs to be prosecuted

 

[NotUrsula]

I vote snapped.

If it were cut, I'm thinking that the cut edge of the loop would have to be away from the side of the loop that the lock was on. Imagine that the lock is still in place there, and tell me how they got the cutters into that spot -- how would you fit a pliers in there between the hasp and the ring? It appears as though you would be cutting against the inside the U of the hasp, which would certainly not be the natural thing to try to do when you need cutting leverage in a tight space.

 

[duffy]

TSA needs to be prosecuted

 

[Lewisc]

According to a Travelpro employee, posting on flyertalk, the zipper pulls on Travelpro bags are designed to break off when stressed by baggage handling equipment. This is preferable to the zipper pull remaining intact and the zipper being pulled off the suitcase.

Travelpro supplies replacement zipper pulls for their bags. I don't know what kind of warranty JCP offers for their brand of suitcases.

One of my COSTCO bags came with a few extra zipper pulls.

 

[Brian Noble]

This may have been mentioned already but:

If you had a "we opened and searched your bag" notice, then send a letter with a picture to TSA. Either way, also send a letter with a picture to the airline. I would not expect either to do anything about it---this looks more like wear and tear than intentional damage to me---but you'll feel better, and will have done what you can do.

 

[a1tinkfans]

To me it looked like it got caught and damaged.
Curious what TSA tells you.
We always lock our luggage with TSA approved locks. It has been opened and checked just once in all our years and they left a note and relocked it..no biggie...
I just feel more secure that someone is not putting something IN it, more than someone rummaging thru our items

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

The airlines will give you credit for new bag just put in claim.

Absolutely untrue! Very minor damage such as this would be considered normal wear and tear and no airline would give you a new bag.

TSA needs to be prosecuted

I assume that you are joking.

 

[dudspizza]

DW has not heard back from MCO's TSA, so I am going to assume that they are going to blow her off...... I did contact a luggage repair facility and they said $10-15 would fix it...... not worth the hassles of dealing with TSA for that amount of money.....

duds