Lost luggage - rant & insurance claim advice

[WobblyLondoner]

Am preparing to put in a claim for one of our suitcases, missing without trace somewhere in Spain. It requires a line by line account of the contents, ideally with purchase details and receipts, original cost and present day value allowing for wear and tear.

I have started a list but any advice from people who've gone through this before very welcome. Feeling particularly stumped by the wear and tear part - eg replacing underwear or an old hat! I just want replacements but would imagine the present day value of those items that are lost is next to zero (allowing for wear and tear of underwear and all!). Any guidance too on receipts - am going to struggle to find most of them.

It's so frustrating as one of the airline people we spoke with said he could see a bag that met the description logged on the system as being at our transfer airport but I have never managed to speak with anyone as savvy as him since. And the online Vueling support is just utter crap. It really distresses me that somewhere our case is out there, with our phone number written in big letters down the side, but we will not see it again.

I've one more week until it will have been missing for 21 days.

Any advice welcome, though appreciate this is more of a rant.

I would just put in a claim for the replacement value of the items in the suitcase. This is reasonable as this is what the loss of the items will cost you. You should not have any problems unless the total amount exceeds c Euro 1600 which is the maximum normal entitlement for a lost suitcase. Obviously, if you packed your diamond tiara worth 1000s it will be more difficult.

I’d wait another week before doing anything. Bags rarely go missing permanently, they get delayed. If you can log on to world tracer and add more contents then do this regularly. The system normally only searches for matches with the first 5 items listed. Make those five unusual items, everyone lists the same common items so it’s harder to reunited on hand bags with their owners if the tags have fallen off.

I believe you will only need to fill in that on items for which there is a market for them second hand eg a used apple 11 iphone or a LV bag. I'd leave the other items blank for this.

This sounds like the best advice.

I'd have a good think about whether there was anything specific that you have receipts for or are actually worth anything, but if if was general second hand clothes, which if they've been worn more than a couple of times and are not premium brand will have a second hand value of almost nothing, but that's not the loss here. The loss is what they'd cost you to replace them so you continue to have holiday clothes etc.

So make a list of the contents and what would cost to replace with like for like and tell them that is your claim.

If you bought anything new for the holiday and have receipts or bank/credit card statement mention that. Don't forget about the case itself and things like phone chargers and toiletries/make up.

Likely there will be a reduction for wear and tear but you shouldn't face the whole cost of replacing your stuff that might be still useful to you because they lost it.
And appeal if you don't like their first offer.

But good luck in the dots being joined up and this case that it sounds like they have being returned to you. If it has your number, you can describe the case and some of the more distinctive items inside then why can't they just send it to you?

Thank you is everyone.

On this suggestion, I have logged on every few days with the reference number I've been given and it simply says 'search underway'. Yesterday, after a lot of searching around I found the web page described above but, infuriatingly, when I put in the relevant reference number, the date the bag went missing and my husband's name (it was his bag) it just said 'incorrect data' without any clue as to which bit was incorrect. I tried my name and different spellings of my husband's but with no success. No sign anywhere as to how I might be able to speak to anyone.

Anyway, our phone number is written down the suitcase in indelible marker pen and that information is in the system so I'm not sure adding more details about the (very boring!) contents of the case will help.

I am still really hoping we get the bag back - far less hassle.

And a huge lesson from this - share out your packing between multiple cases! My poor DP was having to borrow DS undies for the first few days!