If all they were doing was a battery change, I would be asking if you got the right watch back.....
My mother treated herself to a watch a few years ago. An H. Stern sapphire faced thing that she bought on holiday.
It's just had its second battery change which was done by H. Stern at a cost of £95.
It hasn't returned the same way it left. They posted it back to her with a blue back with gold writing and the strap bars changed to a gold colour. Previously there was a plain blue back and silver coloured bars. My mum didn't like the change so sent is back. It has been returned now with a silver back with blue screws and the silver coloured strap bars again.
It also has a chip on the watch face near 9pm.
The watch maker, and I used the term loosely, who did this was a bit of a butcher. The screws are all abysmal.
The watch looks terrible now. The silver back ruins the look of it and they will not do a blue back without gold strap bars. The indices are silver, so any gold on the watch looks stupid.
They didn't ask before they did any work. I've no idea why they replaced either the back or the strap bars anyway.
Here are some pictures.
From the side with the silver back and chip visible:
Chip on the front:
Screw on the back
Screw on the strap bar
So, am I being unreasonable to be asking for these issues to be fixed? If they can't be fixed as they no longer have the stock (which I think is the case) what should I ask for in terms of recompense?
If all they were doing was a battery change, I would be asking if you got the right watch back.....
Cheers..
Jase
Seems likely they mangled the case back doing the battery change, and replaced it with whatever they had available.
Now they've damaged the crystal too, I'd be arguing for a replacement watch. You might not get it, but it'd be the starting point of my negotiation.
Bloody heck!
The term butcher indeed applies.
Since the watch is effectively ruļned, I would want the value of a replacement watch back I guess.
Daddel.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
For 95 quid I would expect to come back looking better than when you bought it... not butchered!
At the least the watch should be returned to the condition in which it was presented for a battery change.
Any scratches or change in condition should be rectified at the cost of the jeweller.
I'd be gutted if someone had done that to my watch - especially if it was just in for a battery change. Why were they messing with the strap in the first place?
What a mess.... I would expect a replacement watch.
You may have to threaten them with legal action to get it. Then do it if they don't provide a replacement, it's easy enough.
Absolute vandals, if they can't return it to a presentable condition you should push for an equivelant replacement from their current range. What sort of money are these new?
"I looked with pity not untinged with scorn upon these trivial-minded passers-by"
Thats terrible - really poor service.
Why change strap bars for a battery change?
Last edited by markrlondon; 27th November 2013 at 08:30.
Does the watch have any serial numbers you could check against the original papers?