I flew in USA and was carrying my business samples in checked Bag but the bag was delivered to me completely empty. all my business samples were stolen from my bag. So my whole trip was a waste and hence I could not do any business and also lost my company's 3-4 months of sale. as those samples were prototypes to present to our clients and book orders. it involved 2-3 months of hard work and desiging.
i made complaint to United but they are just offering me their standard compensation as per the weight which is around US$ 400.00 however my total loss in terms of business loss is over US$ 1 million.
I do realize Airlines limited liability.But I thought my case was different. Its not a case of delay or lost of bag. its a case of "theft of contents of checked baggage". That means somebody broke open my bag and stole all the contents.
I did not think it mattered who did this job Airline stafff or Screeners. I had given my bag to the Airline and its their responsibility to take care.
2006-07-13 18:54:54 · 11 answers · asked by trojan 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
First thing.. you are travelling internationally.
there is a whole different set of rules that applies.. it doesn't matter if the loss occurs within your own country. If your destianation is international then the Warsaw convention probably applies.
If you examine your ticket, (or boarding pass, or documentation given to you when you checked your luggage) you will see, in microprint, your right to recovery under this convention.
UNLESS you have prior declared the value of your luggage and insured it for that amount, you are essentially limited to the amounts of that coverage.
NOTE: Since you have implied that you are not a US Citizen, and that your flight did not originate in the US.. and may not have been on a US airline... you may have rights under your home country's laws.. I cannot speculate on that. For a loss of this type.. you need to contact a lawyer (barrister/soliciter/advocate, etc) in your country.
2006-07-13 21:11:27 · answer #1 · answered by Phil R 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Technically, you probably have no recourse. They limited their liability, and this usually covers any loss or damage, even intentional theft by employees (check your agreement). Checking your bags constitutes acceptance of this limitation. Since your case is a little different, you could try suing, and hope the airline settles rather than risk the publicity. If the media got the idea that USA's employees were capriciously stealing things out of travelers' bags, that would be very bad indeed. If you plan to take this route, you should definitely consult with an attorney.
2006-07-13 19:10:10 · answer #2 · answered by Rondo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Next time you might video tape your presentation and all of the samples, which would allow you to at least explain the situation to the prospective clients and give them something to look at and might be enough to get them on board or at least get you time to work something else out esap. If you have already been paid as it states in your question, there is nothing you can do. If you have not been paid nor signed or accepted any offer, you can hire an attorney an pursue this matter.
2006-07-13 19:09:26 · answer #3 · answered by shot gun annie 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You will be hard pressed to recover $1M worth of losses. I (and most sane people) would have kept this item as a carry on item. A $1M sale...were you flying business class or first class? Did you declare the value of your luggage when you checked in at the airport? I don't put my $1K video camera through baggage check, why would you trust so much to people you did not know and would never meet?
2006-07-13 19:01:21 · answer #4 · answered by bigtony615 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No chance of suing, if the contents of the bag was so valuable to you and your company you should have insured the contents.
As for US$1 million loss, this is speculative amount based on an assumption.
2006-07-13 22:20:53 · answer #5 · answered by stefjeff 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
maybe so, but it's your responsibility to make sure you have contingency plans
any one who stakes a 1 million dollar deal with out back up much less leaves it to common airline handling is a fool and shows you have little business acumen. they are not responsible for your business dealings no more than you are responsible for keeping there airline profitable.
some people will just not take responsibility for their own actions be it out of sheer nativity or in your case , fools logic
2006-07-13 19:56:05 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I find it hard to believe you got that much since there is a cap on what the airlines will pay per luggage and it's no where even close to $400......
2006-07-13 19:00:53 · answer #7 · answered by Jill H 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lesson learned the hard way I'm afraid.
Next time ship them stateside using DHL, FEDEX or UPS....you can insure those shipments, unlike checked baggage.
Good luck fighting the airlines; you won't get anywhere.
2006-07-13 19:01:54 · answer #8 · answered by loaferpost 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You most definitely need an attorney.
You also need some way to prove what you had in your luggage. Start gathering any documentation and witness you can gather and get in touch with an attorney quickly.
2006-07-13 19:00:15 · answer #9 · answered by Don K 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nope, the airlines has lost my luggage but I have never gotten any golf balls.
2016-03-27 04:40:38 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋