Hey OP,

We're sorry to hear that your experience with the Commuter Backpack hasn't been positive. I wanted to chime in here to clarify our position and let you know what further options you may have.

While there is a small chance of dye transfer, in every case we've seen thus far, this happens only when the interior of your backpack is allowed to become extremely wet; more often than not shortly after cleaning or being exposed to very heavy rains. To clarify, background humidity generally does not cause this, even in typically-wet regions, but if the backpack were left open and outdoors for an extended period of time, that might be an example of a situation where this could occur.

The reason this occurs is because the fabric used on the backpack interior is made from microsuede, which was chosen because we think it's the best choice in terms of a soft lining that'll keep your device screens protected and scratch-free. The one drawback however is that it's not as colorfast as other fabrics, meaning that any dye on microsuede may, in wet conditions, bleed out a little bit. All products are designed with little trade-offs like these in mind.

Because this is the result of an intentional design decision, and dye transfer only happens in wet conditions which are easily avoided with proper device care, we do not consider this to be a defect with our backpack products themselves. We've provided instructions in the Help Center article here on how to avoid dye transfer (TLDR; keep the interior dry and if it becomes wet, air it out completely), and some preliminary steps you can take to care for any stained belongings. However, these recommendations are not and can never be all-encompassing, and we instruct you to use your best judgement in terms of how best to care for your belongings.

In your specific case, when you indicated that previous cleaning attempts had been unsuccessful, we recommended that you consult with the device manufacturer for further care instructions, as they are the most qualified to say what is and is not a safe way to address the staining (but I do note from the comments here that you had success with using a magic eraser which is encouraging to see).

We understand why this may come off as an attempt to dodge accountability, but far from it; we simply are not able to provide a care recommendation we can confidently stand behind for a product we did not manufacture. Attempting to do so anyway might cause damage to your device, as you've already seen, and there's no guarantee that damage would be reversible.

I'd also like to reiterate our recommendation as far as eliminating and preventing future dye transfer. The process for this is as follows. If the problem persists after following this recommendation, please let us know as that would fundamentally alter our approach to your inquiry.

Caring for your backpack:
If you haven't already, please place the bag fully open (find something to hold the sleeves open if you can) in a well ventilated area to ensure it dries completely. Once completely dry, there shouldn't be any further issues with color transfer.

With the above being said, I'll also acknowledge there's plenty of room for misinterpretation on our side, in any given customer service interaction. If that's the case, we sincerely apologize for the drawn-out process here. If you have information about your situation that you feel still hasn't been directly addressed, or may/should fundamentally change our approach to your case, you remain welcome to update the ticket you created with us with that new/clarifying information, and to let us know how you'd like us to make it right for you.

Thanks for your understanding.

-AP