You’re excited. You just got your new handbag. You spend days, nights, hours, maybe even months picking out the perfect one. And for those of you who are like me, saving up part of my salary each month just for that one perfect designer bag. Then one day, you’re sporting it down the street and KAPUTT! Something breaks! Your first reaction, “WHAT THE HECK!”

Now, what do you do? First find out what the warranty policy from the manufacturer. If you bought it from a department store, it’s highly unlikely that they can do anything for you. Either way you’ll have to contact the manufacturer. Check to see if there is a registration and a warranty card that already came with you bag when you first bought it. It will give you the appropriate contact information and what their policy covers.

Most handbags range from one year to five years and luggages range from five years to life time warranty. Most of the time the manufacturer won’t cover normal wear and tear, but they will cover a defect that has clearly nothing to do with you.

Steps to Make Sure Your Bag Gets Fixed:

1.       Look for and keep warranty cards

          - Read it and store it in a safe place- don’t just toss it in the trash!

2.       Register your Handbag.

         - If you bag didn’t come with a registration card, it’s okay-you can simply go to the manufacturers website and most of them will have a place for you to register you bag. This will help if you ever need to send your bag back for repair because they will already have it on record.

3.       Find the appropriate contact numbers

         - CALL someone before you send anything back. By calling, you can check to make sure what the return procedures are to get your bag repaired. You might also need a case number and an address. This ensures that you can track you bag.

4.       Take pictures of your bag

          - You want photos of you bag and the part that was damaged. It serves as proof just in case anything happens, lost, or is confused later on.

5.       Follow up

         - Make sure to follow up on your bag and keep records. Make sure you insure and place a tracking number on your bag when you ship it back. When you talk to a representative, ask them for a ballpark time of when you bag will be finished and returned. This way if it’s months and you haven’t heard from them, it’s time to give them and call and check up on them.

** Watch out for hidden fees. Some companies like COACH charge $20 for shipping and handling for EACH item submitted for repair. Applicable state taxes apply as well. If you’re unsure ASK!**