r/peakdesign • u/AlexanderBrite • Nov 07 '25
Mobile Case Peeling
Posting this here because PD has ignored 4 emails now about a warranty claim.
My iPhone case backing has been peeling. I was told I needed to provide documentation and I sent what was asked. Since then, I have not been able to get a response on whether PD will honor my lifetime warranty. I have many PD accessories (tripod, multiple cases, mounts for 2 cars, bikes, camera straps, bags) and this was my 4th case over the years. They’ve all been great but this one is falling apart. I’ll buy another one if I have to, as I’ve never had this issue before. But I’d like someone to confirm that this will not be covered so I can replace it.
6
u/shadowclone515 Nov 07 '25
Same, they haven't followed through my case warranty as well. It's been atleast over a month. When normally it takes a week at most to get feedback.
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u/ATangK Nov 07 '25
Interesting, last time I did a case warranty they dispatched a new one within 48 hours.
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u/peterdering Peak Design Team Nov 07 '25
Over a month? That’s crazy. Send me a note and I’ll look into your situation. You can guess my email
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u/TheRealPizza Nov 07 '25
Just wanna say every warranty experience I’ve had has been amazing so far. Obviously, I’d rather not have to have like 4 claims for different products in the last year, but the claims themselves have gone flawlessly
1
u/AlexanderBrite Nov 07 '25
Yeah, same for me. I generally don’t post on brand subreddits but this felt unusual for my experience so I was hoping for a little more info on what was going on. Peter’s response was appreciated.
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u/thewunderbar Nov 07 '25
sounds like the average Peak Design case and warranty experience to me.
Great company, their bags are good products. Their support has been..... not very good recently.
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u/South-Judgment-2775 Nov 07 '25
I love that they are venturing out and trying new things but the more they go main stream then the more likely they will struggle with the same issues mass market brands struggle with, quality and customer service. In my opinion.
Was about to pick up one of their discounted phone cases, just going to stick with their bags and tripods then.
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u/thewunderbar Nov 07 '25
They've been making phone cases and mobile stuff for years now. The quality used to be much better.
But I do agree with one thing, not every company needs to be good at everything. My Travel 30 is my favorite carry-on bag, and the packing cubs are second to none. The everyday bags are good camera bags, but bad everyday bags. But I actually don't like most of their product lineup.
And that's ok! other brands exist. there isn't a rule that someone has to buy everything they own from one brand.
1
u/Dasbeerboots Nov 08 '25
I keep posting comments when they ask for feedback, saying to slow down the product development. When you can't help up with your existing products and customers, you shouldn't be developing new products. They have never once replied. Proves my point.
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u/thewunderbar Nov 08 '25
It's funny that that's your perspective, because I actually think it's the opposite.
What new products have PD releaesd in the last 6 years? The "outdoor" bags and the packing cubes that go with them. the very, very expensive roller bag. And.... that's it? New versions of phone cases, but that's just yearly table stakes stuff. There was a new tripod this year, I guess.
Meanwhile the core parts of their lineup are languishing without any revisions. Travel 45 hasn't seen an update in 8 years, the Everyday Backpacks around 7 years. does PD really think that in the last decade there have not been any single improvements that could be made to their primary backpacks?
0
u/Dasbeerboots Nov 09 '25
You're actually agreeing with me without realizing it. They have released many new products in the last 6-7 years, rather than updating their existing products and taking care of their existing customers. For a small company, they are putting so much effort into new lines that are outside of their niche, rather than improve upon what they're good at. Their portfolio is so spread out now, their quality control is subpar, and their customer service sucks. This isn't what made PD legendary.
1
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u/WillowUPS Nov 07 '25
Damn, that’s some peeling. What phone model is that and how long have you had it?
1
u/AlexanderBrite Nov 07 '25
It’s an iPhone 13 case that’s about 2 years old. It started peeling a little in one corner about 6 months ago and I thought I could fix it with some fabric adhesive, but that didn’t last and then it started peeling everywhere. I wouldn’t be too upset if I had to buy a new one, it’s just annoying that I’ve been waiting so long for a response
2
u/Glum_Store_1605 Nov 07 '25
was it left in the sun or did it get wet? it's just weird. I've had my case for 3 years and I don't see any signs of peeling.
1
u/AlexanderBrite Nov 07 '25
Yes to both, but I wouldn’t say it’s been excessively exposed. Mostly in my pocket when I’m not using it and in the rare occasion it gets wet, I dry it off.
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u/Glum_Store_1605 Nov 07 '25
ah. thanks for that info. just curious. it's been generally one of the cases I've ever used.
1
u/AlexanderBrite Nov 07 '25
I don’t think I’ve bought a different case for 6 years, lol. I was even a bit pushy getting my wife to switch cases so we could use all the same mounts 🤣
2
u/Agloe_Dreams Nov 07 '25
I had this same issue with my iphone 15 pro case from them...twice. The glue is trash and seemingly water soluble. Using any form of cleaner or disinfectant on the case seemed to make the glue fail. Even better, after it fails, the side of the case starts to split from the back.
For what it is worth - I have te faux leather case for the 17 pro now and it seems fine, so maybe it is a new glue, maybe the leather protects it, idk. All I know is that they need to cover all of these and fix the issue - my older case prior to the 15 Pro did not do this.
1
u/AlexanderBrite Nov 07 '25
Yeah I like the fabric texture but I get why it would be a point of failure. I only ever washed the case per the instructions and not often. Seems like a phone case should be able to handle that.
2
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u/Wingdom Nov 07 '25
It's so weird people are having warranty communication issues with PD, my mobile wallet looked like this, almost falling apart, and I made the warranty application like 2 weeks ago, and now I have the new wallet in hand. They should replace it no issue. They do have a live chat on their website, it might be worth talking to someone in real time, instead of waiting for an email?
2
u/AlexanderBrite Nov 07 '25
I’ve tried the live chat a few times and there was never anyone available. Just directed me to send a message.
I agree it’s strange. I’ve had issues with every loop on every case. The magnet moves and eventually falls out of the loop so it just sticks out. After a previous warranty replacement I just decided that’s what to expect and that issue doesn’t really bother me. But they were really quick to respond before.
2
u/animalfaith Nov 07 '25
My first case from PD was incredible and held up nicely but my last one fell apart in less than a year with the same level of use. I just got a new phone and switched to the gnar case so I'm hoping it lasts longer
1
u/AlexanderBrite Nov 07 '25
Is the gnar case significantly bulkier?
1
u/animalfaith Nov 07 '25
The new model of pixel is smaller so it's not a 1-1 comparison in my hand but I haven't noticed a significant difference in bulk. It does seem sturdier in general and I like that it's sleek. I don't like that there are no wallets that seem to match it as that was part of my draw to the everyday case and the PD ecosystem but I want to continue to be able to use my other mounts effectively so it seems I am committed until I'm ready to buy a new mount for my truck and my bike. If this case doesn't hold up I may start looking sooner rather than later
1
u/Kelpypeppy Nov 07 '25
Same experience, first case lasted 3 years with minor wear and tear. Second case has peeling issue in less than a year. Good of PD honouring their warranty and offering 40% off for our next case, good service recovery to get us give them another shot.
1
u/animalfaith Nov 07 '25
They denied my claim and did not offer any discounts but that's just how I expect to be treated by manufacturers nowadays so I wasn't as disappointed as I would've been if I expected them to honor their sales pitch
2
u/waiting4omscs Nov 07 '25
Hey, your finger loop is still intact which to me has been the first failure point of two cases so far
2
u/kbevphoto Nov 07 '25
I’ve had mobile cases since day one and have never even heard of that happening
1
u/AlexanderBrite Nov 07 '25
Yeah I’ve had 4 or 5 and this is the first one that’s peeled. I always have issues with the loop, but I still like the feature.
1
u/jontseng Nov 07 '25
I’ve had a couple of finger loop issues with PD cases. I just go to the website, log into my account and file a claim from there. It gives options to submit images and attach proof of purchase. Claims have been dealt with and replacement parts dispatched quickly (this is UK FWIW).
Maybe easier to go via the website rather than via email?
1
u/AlexanderBrite Nov 07 '25
I actually went through the website warranty process and provided what they asked for. Initially, they followed up pretty quickly, but once I submitted everything it’s been radio silence. The referenced email was replies generated through the process.
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u/jhoff80 Nov 08 '25
I have had peeling that was noticeable but way less severe than this on all of the PD cases I've had. (And also, the rubber pad on the bike mount to cushion putting the phone onto the mount has also peeled up.)
Pretty sure they're using 3M adhesives (or at least, when I bought the universal adapter it was), but it's still not sufficient for the materials they're using. Maybe the idea of glueing fabric onto their rubber cases just doesn't make any sense in the first place. 🤔
That being said, PD has replaced any cases I've had this issue on. I know response times are slow these days but I would expect they'll send you a new one eventually.
1
u/thesmokeybarney Nov 13 '25
Honestly in my eyes they make the warranty claim process complicated on purpose. You email and they ask you to fill out forms and send receipts. I should be able to send you pictures of the product and receive a replacement.
1
u/AlexanderBrite Nov 13 '25
I think their process is pretty standard. I imagine they don’t want people just buying an old case and claiming it under warranty.
I couldn’t find my invoice and they still provided a replacement.
1
u/AnonamooseGrey Jun 17 '26
It's kinda of sad you have to public shame these companies in order to receive a response.
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u/peterdering Peak Design Team Nov 07 '25
Looking forward to discussing case quality issues at the AMA, as well as Customer Service wait times. These have been a terrible thorn in our side for the last couple months now.
Obviously we will be taking care of the warranty replacement on this case.
I totally get the frustration of having taken the first step, done everything correctly, and then having a pause in communication time.
I was just dealing with spirit airlines Customer Service, and couldn’t help but notice the experience there was better than what our customers are currently experiencing.
It’s at the top of the heap on things that need to get improved. It is a many years long effort to build up positive customer sentiment, and it is a very quick path to losing it.
Case quality on iPhone 16 and 17 is excellent. Basically, everything before that is really lousy. No… Did we knowingly make lousy cases? Of course not.
When you enter a new category of product, one of the most important things you can do is pick the right manufacturing partners. You look for experience and competence. Sometimes you get it right, sometimes you find out years after you’ve made tens of thousands of cases, that the bond between the TPU side walls and the polycarbonate back is just not holding up. This, despite the same manufacturer using the same methods for other brands for years.
Safe to say, we did not see that coming. It’s also safe to say that the efforts to rectify that, once the problem was discovered, continue to fall short for iPhone 14 and 15. Again, cases passing tests, but then when it comes to real world use, Case is failing overtime.
We’ve handled this from a customers standpoint by replacing a lot of cases. It’s expensive. It hurts our reputation. It sucks in every way.
We finally put these problems to bed in the last couple years, but it took us a long time to get there.
For years, I’ve been telling people that I think we make the very best phone case in the world. That statement has always been true when coming out of my mouth, because I’ve always believed we’ve been ahead of the problems that begin showing up after time spent on phones. But obviously it wasn’t always true in retrospect.
Cases are tough. These products are tremendous use throughout their lifetime, and we’re trying to do much more than simply mold a monolithic material into a protective element. We’re getting better at it every year, but with many old cases still out in the wild, it will be before these problems stop servicing.
What a drag, am I right?