On the second time using my luggage a giant crack appeared in a hard sided suitcase. I tried contacting Hartmann and never received even an acknowledgement of the issue. I am completely unsatisfied with the quality of the product and the lack of responsiveness. I will not be purchasing anything from Hartmann again (and I usually love their products) and I will be telling all of my friends about this disappointing issue. User's recommendation: DO NOT BUY.