VikingBags

Bottom line.
Bags are decent all things considered... Company is inept, and indifferent to the point of insolent.
Ordered on 3/31, bags arrived on 4/4 missing keys. Called customer support several times to explore my options: return bags, have keys made and my favorite "We will send you a new set of locks with keys and you can drill out the locks on the bags and replace them yourself".
Locksmith quoted me approximately $60 to re-key. Didn't want to stick the company with that charge and in retrospect given my experience with customer service I believe that would have been a whole new nightmare.
Finally got customer service to send return label on 4/6, I shipped on back 4/7. UPS says package delivered to company on 4/11.
4/13 shipping label "created". 4/17 no change in status. 4/18 company assured me bags were shipped priority and would arrive 4/19. Called company 4/20 for update on shipping and was told bags would arrive 4/21.
Magically bags arrived complete on 4/21.
In every one of my dozen plus calls to customer support, they had taken no action unless I prompted them to do so. They had an excuse and someone else to blame in every instance.
At one point I considered upgrading to a larger set and asked if they would consider an additional discount given the poor way they handled this return. The response was "Why would we give you a discount? We are only human, people make mistakes..."
O. K. but people that take pride in themselves and their products take responsibility for and make an effort to fix their mistakes. And the discount I was hoping for was far less than the $60 it would have cost had I just gone to a locksmith.
Anyway, if you buy a product from this company and your bags arrive complete and intact, take them and run lest you fall victim to this quagmire of mediocrity.
By the way, the company is 300 miles from where I live although, the parent company Crorama is a Pakistan import company and they don't appear to take any more pride in their quality of service than Viking Bags.
Ultimately, it's mind over matter... they don't mind and you don't matter.
I have gotten half a dozen emails write a review... I will be surprised if this sees the light of day but at least I got to vent and I will steer as much business away from this company as I can...
Of course, bikers don't talk much about their gear do they?

Dealing with Viking is a nightmare. I spent years looking for quick detach hard bags for my FXR4... years. I finally settled on the idea that I'd have to use easy brackets... So I looked on the VB site and they offered nothing. I emailed them, they said they had nothing for FXRs. I saw photos on their site with FXRs, so I chatted online (via their site) on 2 different occasions with 2 different reps that actually confirmed with their supervisors that they have bags for FXrs, they told me any bags that fit "superglides" would fit FXRs. They informed me the bags would fit with easy brackets. I ordered them in March of 2020. After I ordered them, all of my free time ended. I'm an RN and Covid was a game changer for my free time for over a year. I finally got the bags installed about 10 days ago because I finally have a bit of free time now that covid is more contained. They are of decent quality. Problem is... you don't need shock cutouts when using easy brackets. So not only are they goofy looking from the front, a lot of space is not available d/t the cutouts. I emailed VB... they basically responded that the original email sent said they don't have bags for FXRs and that they would never recommend "after market" attachment accessories. Well, they sell the easy brackets on their own site. That's the first lie. Second, I chatted via IM on their site at least twice and they informed me what bags would fit the FXR with easy brackets AFTER speaking with supervisors, twice. If Viking treats frontline workers during a pandemic this way, I can't imagine how poorly they treat everyone else. This company does not deserve your hard earned money. They just don't care what happens after they get their hands on your money. They didn't even offer me a discount to buy new bags. Nothing. I am now looking for hard bags from a different company.

I have never had to go so far as reporting a company to the Better Business Bureau before, but I felt I had to with Viking Bags. Their website was misleading and their customer service representative clearly did not care about the issue. They had an opportunity to grab a lifetime customer by simply owning their mistake and going a little extra to make up for it. They missed the opportunity. It's also important to note that I've found multiple reviews with this same issue. It is not isolated.
The Following is the complaint I filed:

"YOUR COMPLAINT:

I purchased a motorcycle saddlebag from VikingBags.com. The website clearly advertised the product as lockable, with a chart that listed features, and under the "Key Lockable" column, states: "yes." On the page advertising the product, there is a demonstration video where a salesperson names the model in question, and is then observed inserting a key into a built-in locking mechanism and unlocking the saddlebag. The Product arrived with no built-in locking mechanism but instead an anchor for a non-included padlock, which would be unsightly and can be damaging to the product. When I contacted VikingBags, they denied that their advertising was at fault because it was lockable by padlock. The employee refused to allow me to speak with his supervisor, and he kept saying "this is rarely an issue." Once is too often for misleading advertising. I was offered an exchange for the correct item, however when I informed him that I live an hour away from the nearest UPS drop-off and would also need a new odd-sized shipping box because their repeatedly-used shipping box was too damaged to reuse, taking a day or more of my time, the employee offered no recourse or business compensation for my time/inconvenience and gas money at all. When I said that I had bought the bag specifically for a trip the next day, he said I could use the incorrect bags for my trip, but would have to purchase both sets if I didn't return them in new condition. Considering their misleading advertising forced me into that position, having to pay for both sets of bags is ridiculous. I repeatedly stated this and the employee offered no recourse. When I asked if I could have confirmation that the problem with the advertising would be addressed, the employee repeatedly refused. The fact that he told me that this has happened in the past indicates to me that they have no intention of addressing the problem.

YOUR DESIRED RESOLUTION:

Viking Bags should clearly state on all applicable products whether it is lockable via a built-in locking mechanism or lockable via a padlock, which is not included. Viking Bags should not include advertising videos showing a person unlocking a built-in mechanism if the advertised product has no such mechanism. Viking Bags should also offer some form of reasonable business compensation for customers' lost time/money/gross disruption when Viking Bags are at fault in an issue."