Warranty and Repairs

We proudly offer a lifetime guarantee on manufacturer defects for your Arkel product, whether you purchased the bag directly from us or through a local bike shop.

This guarantee covers: the workmanship, stitching, and pieces such as the aluminum hooks, rails, nuts and screws, and inner stiffening backplate. In other words, in the unlikely event that your product has an inherent defect, you can count on us to repair it.
Shipping: Shipping fees are at the customer's expense whenever we send a part or a new bag that is under the warranty.
Please note we do not accept warranty requests for any of the following:
  • - Normal wear and tear, including zipper malfunctions.
  • - Products that have been handled against their intended use, involved in accidents, or defaced.
  • - Products purchased from non-authorized dealers.
  • - User-created damages like rips, tears, burns, or holes.
  • - Bags or products discounted for final sale.
  • - Products with sewn-in labels that are cut or removed.
  • - Lost, stolen, or discarded product.

Real Life Examples

Your dog mistakens your bag for a snack

Because this is damage caused by an accident, the warranty does not cover it.

Verdict: this is eligible for repair at a reasonable cost.

You receive your order and a stitch appears to be unravelling

This is an inherent defect, therefore you can contact us for a repair or replacement at no extra cost.

Verdict: this is covered by our warranty.

Your grandpa's pannier has a hole in it

In this situation, the hole was either caused by wear & tear or by a bike accident. Unfortunately, this is not covered by the warranty.

Verdict: this is eligible for repair at a reasonable cost.

You go to the grocery and the handle rip off the bag

In this case, the ripped stitching is covered by the warranty, therefore the bag is eligible for repair or replacement at no extra cost.

Verdict: this is covered by our warranty.

Repairs

As much as you can trust our bags and panniers, please keep in mind that even the most well-maintained product is not made to last forever. Indeed, we give you our word that our products will last you a reasonable amount of years if used appropriately.

Cost:

If the repair is not under warranty, we can repair it at a reasonable price.

All shipping charges (inbound and outbound) are at the customer’s expense.

We will provide a cost estimate and lead time based on the received pictures and description.

The cost estimate could be modified upon the reception of the products.

Customers must approve cost estimates before any work is performed by our staff.

If the repair is under warranty, please keep in mind that the inbound shipping fee is at the customer’s expense, while the outbound shipping fee is covered by Arkel.

*Note that shipping costs on International requests (Outside of Canada and the USA) are at the customer's expense. 

Time frame: repairs may take several weeks due to limited staff. Please keep in mind that winter, spring, and summer seasons are quite busy at the shop, and if possible, we ask you to ideally plan repairs during the fall. Expect between 4 and 6 weeks.

If it cannot be repaired to our high standards, we may offer you a new bag or a credit toward a new purchase.

Local Repairs Philosophy

We encourage you to do repairs locally.

Shipping products back and forth is costly, takes more time, and emits more gas emissions. Finding a local cobbler or seamstress to repair your product helps the local economy and the environment.

If the repair is under the warranty, we will gladly refund the cost indicated on the receipt, but this must be approved beforehand. We can also send the necessary matching material for the reparation at no extra cost, shipping included in that specific case.

If the repair is not under warranty and you live in the USA or Canada, our customer service team is happy to send you pieces of fabric or other needed components to repair and lengthen the life of your gear. While the shipping charge is at the customer’s expense, we will gladly provide the items free of charge under reasonable circumstances.

Have a look at our Replacement parts' page.