Luggage auction
There are currently no suitcase auctions taking place
You can find bargains in the SALE
A bargain hunter’s paradise
Everyday life at the airport: suitcases, rucksacks, travel bags and trolleys spin round and round on deserted baggage carousels. No one is looking for them, no one misses them. Every year, around 200,000 suitcases and bags are lost in global air traffic on Lufthansa alone; approximately 8,000 items of luggage are neither reported missing nor collected by their owners. Worldwide, more than 1.3 million items of luggage never resurface. Cheap goods or designer suitcases, designer bags or briefcases – there’s a bit of everything. Every single piece of luggage is a big surprise package with contents of varying value. Anything not collected after three months goes under the hammer. Suitcase auctions are held at regular intervals across the country and are growing in popularity. This is where adventurers, bargain hunters and bargain-seekers meet, hoping to acquire a suitcase full of riches for very little money. It’s a real gamble, as the suitcases are generally auctioned off unopened. So you’re buying the proverbial pig in a poke – and it’s not uncommon for the suitcase, trolley or travel bag to be the only valuable item in the lot you’ve bought. However, you can sometimes get a good suitcase – brand new and unused – for even less money at Koffer24.
Lost & Found
Luggage losses on the rise
According to surveys, lost luggage ranks second only to flight delays as one of the most unpleasant aspects of travelling. And although 98 per cent of the 2.25 billion items of luggage handled worldwide each year do make their way onto the carousels in airport baggage claim areas and thus into the hands of passengers, the loss of suitcases, trolleys, travel bags and rucksacks is a daily occurrence at airports. The “Baggage Report 2008” by Sita, an IT company that operates the fully automated baggage tracking system WorldTracer, cites 42.2 million pieces of misdirected luggage worldwide in 2007. Still, more than 40 million items of luggage were delivered within 48 hours. However, around 1.3 million items remained missing or could no longer be returned to their rightful owners. In Europe alone, the figure has risen by a good 21 per cent in just three years. Whilst the rate was 13.7 items per thousand in 2004, the figure rose to 16.6 per thousand in 2007. And although the loss of suitcases and travel bags is not only very frustrating for those affected, but also costs airlines and airports a great deal of time and money, the figures are generally expected to rise further. Sita’s ‘Baggage Report 2008’ predicts that by 2011 there will be more than 50 million misdirected suitcases, travel bags and rucksacks. The reasons cited include rising passenger numbers, constant cost pressures, ever-shorter turnaround times and stricter security regulations.
How can you protect yourself against lost luggage?
Statistics on misdirected luggage are hard to come by. Hardly any airport or airline publishes these figures. On the one hand, because airlines and airports often disagree about who is actually to blame in the end, and on the other, because nobody wants to be seen as an unreliable baggage handler. However, thanks to the IT company Sita, which operates the fully automated baggage tracking system WorldTracer, we know that around half of all baggage mishandling occurs during transfers, i.e. when suitcases are being moved from one aircraft to another. To avoid losing your suitcase, it is therefore highly recommended to book non-stop flights where possible, or to choose reliable airlines or transfer airports – at Frankfurt Rhein-Main, two to four suitcases per thousand are lost, whilst at London Heathrow the figure is 60 to 70 per thousand –. According to the AEA – Association of European Airlines – Turkish Airlines, Aerosvit and Air Malta are the airlines that lose the fewest suitcases and travel bags. They misdirect up to seven times fewer items of luggage than those at the bottom of the statistics. Of course, even this does not guarantee you will not lose a suitcase. But if you mark your suitcase with an address label or a luggage tag and also write your address inside the suitcase, there is at least a realistic chance of getting your luggage back very quickly.
Lost luggage
Every year, more than 42 million people worldwide wait in vain for their luggage at airport carousels. After anxious minutes, it eventually becomes clear: the suitcase, travel bag, trolley or rucksack isn’t coming. “What to do?” is then the question. Consumer protection organisations and motoring associations recommend reporting the loss immediately. You should fill in the so-called Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at the airport’s lost-and-found or baggage claim desk. Under the Montreal Convention of 28 June 2004, which governs passengers’ claims regarding delays and lost luggage on international flights, airlines must compensate for the loss or damage caused by the delay of passengers or their luggage. In the event of loss, damage or misplacement of luggage, the customer may claim compensation from the airline. However, claims must be made in writing to the airline within seven days of lost or damaged luggage and within 21 days of the arrival of delayed luggage. Naturally, only the actual costs incurred will be reimbursed, such as the cost of necessary clothing, an extra toothbrush and toiletries. The amount reimbursed naturally also depends on the circumstances of the journey and the actual contents of the suitcase. Important: Keep receipts for the new bikini or business suit, and if the suitcase does eventually arrive, check that everything is still there and whether the suitcase has any damage. The airline is liable for the loss, damage or delay of luggage up to a maximum of 1,000 so-called Special Drawing Rights per passenger. This value is also set out in the Montreal Convention, is recalculated daily and thus amounts to between €1,100 and €1,200. If the contents of your suitcase are of greater value, we can only advise you to declare this at Check.IN, as the airline will then be liable for the actual amount lost. However, if you have booked a package holiday with a tour operator, the tour operator – and not the airline – is responsible. For each day without luggage, you can then claim a reduction of approximately 20 per cent of the daily rate from the tour operator.
Tips for the Luggage Auction
If you don’t want to miss out on experiencing the unique atmosphere of a suitcase auction for yourself and hearing the hammer come down, you should allow plenty of time. Because once the auctioneer gets started, you’ll have very little time to make a decision. You should be sure that you really want the suitcase you’re bidding on and haven’t simply been swept up in the ‘bidding fever’. To ensure that it is the bidder and not the auctioneer who gets the bargain in the end, you should arrive around two hours before the auction begins to inspect the items, identify any defects and decide what you actually want. It can’t hurt to find out in advance about the actual market value of the suitcases, travel bags or trolleys. After all, nobody knows what’s inside, not even the auctioneer, so bidding on a suitcase becomes a gamble. By the way: contrary to popular belief, the suitcases are, of course, opened by airlines and customs before the auction to remove any dangerous, prohibited or perishable items. Cash is also removed and deposited into an account. So, real riches are usually not to be found in the luggage, but the remaining contents can certainly be valuable. You should also familiarise yourself with the auction terms and conditions, which are usually displayed at the auction venue, and the amount of the auctioneer’s commission, which is charged on top. Payment is always made on the spot and in cash. Important before you start: set your personal maximum bid, as many bidders drive the price up very quickly and, in the end, you may find yourself caught up in the ‘bidding fever’. It is important to keep a cool head, as complaints and returns are usually not possible due to the auctioneer’s own liability and warranty terms.
How does a luggage auction work?
Anyone wishing to take part in an auction must register and is then usually given a numbered paddle, which they must hold aloft to bid. The auctioneer calls out the items to be auctioned one by one, describes them and states the reserve price. Anyone wishing to bid must now hold up their number or raise their hand. The bid must be clearly visible to the auctioneer. When no further bids are made, the auctioneer closes the auction with the call: going once, going twice, going three times. The highest bidder wins the lot and must pay immediately in cash.
Airport lost property offices
