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Dave Carroll’s story: United breaks guitars

8th July
2009
written by scott

According to this video, United Airlines broke Dave Carroll’s $3,500 guitar and refused to accept responsibility and fix it. Many of us have stories of how airlines react to broken luggage (I know I do!!). But Dave’s response–writing a song and making a video, is unique!

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Consumer, Videos

7 Comments

  1. Duncan Moon
    08/07/2009

    Amazing. CNN reports that United has called Carroll and said they now want to make good. I bet they do, with about 170,000 hits on YouTube (even before CNN broadcast the story), they are running scared. I’m told it only took about 50,000 hits to get their attention. We’re in a new age folks.

  2. Kristian Erickson
    08/07/2009

    What a great response to a tough situation. Failing to fix that guitar just cost United about a million dollars, I’d say.

  3. Vera Crews
    09/07/2009

    This is one of the reasons to take out travel insurance . .. I always do, and have had such success with claims that now I sell it (Travelguard).

  4. M. Brewster
    09/07/2009

    Travel insurance is all well and good, but shouldn’t absolve United of their clear liability in this case. Why should travelers pay for something that is clearly not their fault and why should we accept liability of things over which we have no control (how luggage is handled)?

  5. CLyde Pearce
    09/07/2009

    A great response to bad behavior. I carry a fiddle with me on virtually every flight, and fly out of town every week of the year, but I have never checked it and (so far) have never had it challenged by the airlines. Of course, a fiddle is much smaller than a guitar. But with TSA and airlines rules forcing musicians into tighter and tighter situations they should at the very least take responsibility for damage to the instrument when it is placed in their trust to fly with them. This video will be a keeper for me.

  6. David Julian
    09/07/2009

    Before you get on board you ask to speak to the Captain. The pilot is in charge of the ship and if you tell him your situation (you have a very expensive guitar), he can order the crew to accomodate you. Just ask him if you can store your large ukelele in the vertical closet or if you can strap it into any available seat.

  7. S.P.
    10/07/2009

    It seems, avoiding the responsibilities is a very feature of the United Airlines (see: M. Kerjman v United Airlines http://mkwrk2.livejournal.com/).

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