Burlington Coat Factory

By Miriam Raftery

January 10, 2025 (La Mesa) – When a luggage wheel split open just three weeks after I purchased the large suitcase for $68, I tried to return it to Burlington in La Mesa. After waiting nearly an hour in line (since they have no customer service desk for returns),  Burlington’s employee refused to refund my money for the suitcase. She stated that this was because “you traveled with it.”

The whole point of a suitcase, obviously, is to travel! So apparently if you use their product for itrs intended product, you're out of luck if it breaks. I bought the the luggage specifically for a holiday trip, because it has wheels that rotate in all directions. I have a permanent shoulder injury, and it’s easier to pull a suitcase alongside instead of dragging a bag behind me, as I'd done with my older luggage. Even worse, I wound up having to carry this heavy bag filled with winter clothes, boots and a coat. 

The bag seemed fine after taking it off the luggage return at the airport, but as soon as we got outside and wheeled it into the parking lot, the wheel suddenly split in two, forcing me to carry the extra-large suitcase. This cost me a trip to my chiropractor upon returning home, to relieve the shoulder pain caused by Burlington’s shoddy product.

Burlington looked for any excuse to refuse to refund the money.  They claimed the bag was ”dirty” because of a few hairs where my cat sat on it, which easily brushed off. They claimed it was scarred up because of a small scuff mark, typical of any checked baggage. It’s not like they could resell the merchandise with a broken wheel.

I asked for a manager, prompting another long wait.  The manager also refused to issue a refund. I then asked her to provide me with contact info for the manufacturer.  The only name on the bag is “On-Tour.”  Burlington’s manager refused to provide any manufacturer’s information, and I could not find the manufacturer on the website. So no chance of getting a refund or even a replacement wheel, apparently.

The Burlington manager in La Mesa gave me a bogus national number for their customer service, but when I dialed it, the number was disconnected.

I then called my credit card company, which issued a temporary credit while I file a format dispute over the $68 that I paid for a suitcase that is now absolutely useless.

I did a Google Search and found a site for pissed-off customers that claims Burlington has only a 2.0 rating out of 5 possible, with a majority of customers voicing dissatisfaction. On Yelp, Burlington rates  a dismal 2.5.

I will not be shopping at Burlington for anything in the future and suggest that anyone who values quality or customer service take their business elsewhere.