If you spent $170 on an iPhone case today how long would you expect it to last? A year? Three years? Or the life of your new iPhone?

It’s frustrating when something expensive you’ve bought into falls apart. I guess I expected more from my Rimowa iPhone case. If I’d only paid ten bucks then sure a couple of years use and then trash I’d be fine with that but investing more, especially with a brand that markets their aluminium luggage as pretty much mission impossible indestructible when the back started peeling off my I phone 12 pro max case (I know, I know, but if it ain’t broke why fix it) it got me thinking how long a $150 phone case should endure.

I guess I am that little bit more pissed because I do happen to love it.

For anyone who hasn’t stumbled across the aspirational German suitcase luggage accessories brand Rimowa now owned by Louis Vuitton LVMH they also make IPhone cases.

LVMH (the parent company of Louis Vuitton bought an 80% controlling stake in the German luggage maker Rimowa for €640 million (about $716 million) in October 2016.

I bought (invested) in one for my iPhone 12 max pro iPhone top of the line the case at the time cost me around £75.

And it’s been great. I do love my Rimowa I phone iridescent case. For the first time I have not encountered one smashed screen in the whole life of my phone which I purchased outright and am still happily using. No reason to change.

Rimowa don’t keep older model iPhone cases in stock, they follow the Apple IPhone schedule so my case was discontinued in September 2021 to make way to the new IPhone 14 cases.

The current Rimowa iPhone case on offer is iPhone 18 at £145.

Here’s the problem, my Rimowa iPhone case has started to fall apart after a few years use. Some might say fair enough but for a brand that markets itself on selling suitcases that last longer than a lifetime I was a bit disappointed.

And when I went to try and replace my phone case the only place I could find one was in America on an independent market place that ships worldwide if you are outside the US Stock X, for $125 actually more than my original purchase price.

AI told me to contact Rimowa about a possible repair. It said the Rimowa I phone cases come with a 2 year guarantee.

A Rimowa phone case comes with a 2-year manufacturer's guarantee from the date of delivery or purchase.

Key Details of the Guarantee

* Duration: 2 years. Rimowa classifies phone cases under its non-wheel and accessory product line, which excludes the lifetime functional guarantee reserved for its wheeled suitcases.

* What is Covered: Material or manufacturing defects that affect the usability of the product.

* What is Excluded: Normal wear and tear, cosmetic damage (such as scratches, dents, or discoloration), misuse, or abuse

I completely understand my phone case is outside the guarantee period but I have contacted Rimowa with photos of the damage and the original box asking about the possibility of repair. The email contact@rimowa.com

I will update this when I hear back from Rimowa about the cost of repair.