I misplaced my bag wheel, and now I understand why it's wise to sell your phone without including a charger
Let me tell you why I started to appreciate the fact that all mobile phones are sold without a charger after a problem occurred in my bag, which showed me the importance of legislation regarding technology products.
Since December 28, 2024, the Unified Charger Regulation has come into force, which stipulates that the USB Type-C port is the only port that can be used by mobile phones, tablets, cameras, headphones, speakers, keyboards or portable video game consoles, among others (and in April 2026 it will also be for laptops).
What many people did not think about is that the decision also states that from the beginning of the year, it is recommended to remove chargers from mobile phone boxes to avoid generating electronic waste, to prevent situations where users already have a charger at home.
I have to admit that it always seemed like a bad decision to me despite the best intentions. I think it’s unfair to buy a product like a cell phone, which can cost over $1000, and then have to add another $20-$70 for a charger that you didn’t expect at first. But recently, my opinion has changed because of the travel bag.
Upon returning from a flight where the airline forced me to check my bag in even though it was cabin baggage, when I picked it up I was unpleasantly surprised to find that one of the four wheels was missing, not because it was broken, just because it was lost. The bag is only 3 years old and was otherwise perfect.
Although I had the option of claiming compensation from the airline and purchasing a new bag, due to a combination of laziness and committed consumer awareness, I decided to do something else: repair the bag myself.
After all, getting a suitcase wheel should be easy and cheap, don't you think? I thought what happened to me was common and fixable, but that was wrong.
The first thing I noticed is that if your bag is not from one of the three or four most famous brands (Samsonite, Roncato, American Tourister...), it will be impossible for you to find official replacement parts. My bag is Raykong, a Chinese brand that I bought on Amazon for a good price, and I did not find on their official website or on Amazon itself the wheels that my bag is supposed to have.
The decision to save money and avoid throwing away a perfectly usable bag backfired: I had no choice but to buy the wheels from AliExpress. A crucial replacement part had to be shipped all the way from Shenzhen, China, to my house. It wasn’t cheap: $15 for two wheels for a $40 bag.
Then it turned out that the wheels of the bag are not really universal. Although I was able to get it in, the wheel is now sticking out and wobbles a lot.
Bottom line: You'll probably have to buy a new bag anyway. After all this fuss, I couldn't really solve anything.
- Lesson: Support and legislation are key.
I learned several things from this situation with my bag. The first is that it is better to buy brands that are known and supported in your country, even if it means spending more money. In the end, it is worth it if something like me happens to you.
Second, legislation is the best tool we have to ensure that the products we buy under warranty can be repaired.
Since 2022, all mobile phones sold have a 3-year warranty, one year longer than before. The General Law for the Protection of Consumers and Users also requires brands to have spare parts for components for 10 years, compared to 5 years previously.
In the case of mobile phones, since using a single USB-C charging port is now mandatory, consumers have the convenience of not having to buy 3 different types of chargers. With a truly universal charger, you can’t go wrong with your choice of charger.
Another law coming into effect soon is the Right to Repair, another European law that will force brands to repair products at a reasonable price even after the warranty has expired, in order to avoid planned obsolescence. The decision has already come into effect, but brands have until July 31, 2026 to adapt.
Thanks to this, the same problems I had with the bag shouldn't happen with cell phones. The legislation is a potential blessing here for so many people that the inconvenience of not having a charger is a price I'm now more willing to pay than I was in the past.