My Rolex woes – Terrible service from RSC

[Chris_in_the_UK]

It is a little bit awkward organising insurance for expensive items and inconvenient if the watch has to go back several times.

Not really in the first instance, in the second instance - you may note my earlier comments regarding Rolex' reluctance to play ball with modified watches and the often hindrance that using high street dealers invokes?

[Tidybeard]

I'll admit to being disappointed with them too. I sent my 16760 GMT in for a service last year as it had started gaining a bit more time than I'm comfortable with. This watch is in fantastic condition. They outright refused to service it unless I had both the dial and hands replaced (as well as the full service) at a total cost of £1100 because there was "deterioration".

The AD and I looked for more than 10 minutes with a loupe and could just about make out a very small crack in the lume of one of the hour marker pips. RSC weren't having it though, it was their way or not at all and the AD arranged for it to be serviced by a trusted independent. The cost was about the same as the RSC service but the indy took pics and sent me a little report and I'm delighted with it now.

The same watch went back to the RSC about 8 years ago for a service and came back in three weeks perfect. The cost was about half what they are asking now, too. I think the people talking about scaling the business and the pressure on margins isn't far off. I've bought more than 10 new Rolex over the last ten years or so and the AD made it clear to RSC that I was a loyal customer with a collection that would need servicing in the future but this really rubbed me the wrong way and I haven't and won't be buying any more.

Still better than my experiences with JLC, but that story is documented elsewhere.

[lordloz]

Maybe Goldsmith's Saturday Girl brushed my bracelet?

Goldsmiths are often the weak link and may well be a factor in this..gone are the days when they were well trained enthusiasts...I'm as susceptible to some Saturday totty as the next man but they are useless ..I endlessly sent a TAG back to get the shoulders to line more flush with the head when it was in for service and they failed to do so at Duval as it was then and Goldsmiths response was well that's how it is...
as are Ernest Jones who when I enquired about battery change fees on a Tissot Moto GP the manageress had to be called over as the girl didn't know what I was on about..

she then looked it up in a booklet...I told her you have one in the window...

oh do we? & had to go back out and point from the window.....again I'm quite happy to ogle totty in smart outfits but realistically I just want someone who has some
Interest beyond what will be in their pay packet each month and while not TZ levels at least some idea and enthusiasm over the stock they sell.....

[GrandS]

Rolex should simply have refused to work on the watch because it was modified. That would have saved them and the OP a great deal of time, trouble and money.

Regarding the nonsense about the "free" bracelet finishing, well, for heavens sake, engage your brain. If the price of a service is X and it includes a, b, c and d, then d is NOT free.

How is it that a company like Rolex still seems to live in the stone age where messages need to be sent by horse courier? Why do they seem to be completely at a loss as to how to communicate with their customers. If there is an issue with a watch they are servicing they should ASK the customer how to proceed instead of simply guessing.

The state the watch came back in is totally unacceptable and it should be sent back. If I was offered that watch for sale I would take one look at it and kindly tell the seller that I am not interested in pieces with a wonky dial and a weird looking bracelet.

[Tom-P]

I can't believe how badly their service QC has deteriorated in a very short space of time.

(I'm a bit disorientated by this thread - not the OP's specific issue, cos sh1t happens - but the feeling that in general Rolex service has deteriorated; I thought the consensus was that things had improved...)

[Tony-GB]

You never actually own a Rolex. You merely look after it until they overcharge you for the next service.

I fell out with Rolex some time ago about servicing issues on the last Yacht-Master I owned. The arrogance of the company with your property that you paid for with your money is incredible. Shame, they make cracking watches.

[Longblackcoat]

You never actually own a Rolex. You merely look after it until they overcharge you for the next service.

I fell out with Rolex some time ago about servicing issues on the last Yacht-Master I owned. The arrogance of the company with your property that you paid for with your money is incredible. Shame, they make cracking watches.

Easy enough to resolve; I simply don't use Rolex for service after my own, personally experienced, poor experience. Any competent indy can service these watches, often faster and better than Rolex, sometimes cheaper.

[R0bertb00th]

I feel for you as every time I've gone to St James they have been great luckily I work round the corner so like others have said I feel that as you are through goldsmiths one will just blame the other I hope you get it sorted

[walkerwek1958]

Fair point, but they left the factory like that. Brushing from polished is different to re-brushing I'm sure.

No, it isn`t. No reason why the brushed finish couldn`t be treated in the same way as an original brushed finish.

Think about what's going on, it's a grained finish on steel....it isn`t rocket science.

How do you think watches are refinished to get the damage out?............the original finish (whether it's brushed or polished) is lost/removed in the process and has to be replaced. I do it all the time, there's no mystique about it.

Paul

[Guitarfan]

There's got to be more effort involved, especially around the clasp crown though? It's more fiddly, and a change from the original finish so harder for the person doing what they've done on every other watch they've ever worked on.

I believe the RSC folks are trained in specific repeatable tasks, like a production line. Deviations from that are bound to mess up the process!

[DB9yeti]

(I'm a bit disorientated by this thread - not the OP's specific issue, cos sh1t happens - but the feeling that in general Rolex service has deteriorated; I thought the consensus was that things had improved...)

I I were to post a thread later with how well my Day-Date has just been serviced at RSC (which is has been), it would be full of high fives, just like this one is. It's how forums work.

[markbannister]

I agree. As much as the OP has received a poor service, which needs putting right, it is rare that positive reviews are posted about but negative ones are much more frequently. Not just on this forum, car forums - and I'm sure other subjects too - are just the same.

[DB9yeti]

I agree. As much as the OP has received a poor service, which needs putting right

Indeed, but he won't let them. They're all incompetent, untrained, dishonest...

I don't even have to un-ignore GrandtrollS' post to know what's in there, must be manna from heaven for his tiny mind.

[KavKav]

Frankly, I can`t see why RSC had a problem with the refinishing. OK, it's non-standard but I fail to see why that should've been an issue. After all, who OWNS the watch! Rolex don`t, they made a nice profit selling it to the owner, it's now his property and he can do what the hell he likes with it. The deviation from standard finish was a minor issue and there's no reason for them to act like arrogant arseholes. They're a bunch of bloody prima donnas....can`t do this, have to do that, what a stupid crazy situation. They're only bloody watches when all's said and done.

As for the misalignment, that's piss-poor and inexcusable in my view. It's symptomatic of the problems that arise when more than one person works on the watch, no-one takes full responsibility and errors slip through.

One man working on his own, doing the full job, has nowhere to hide if it's wrong. No excuses, only one person to blame. A strong incentive to get it right first time every time.

As for the timekeeping issue, having paid £450 I think the owner's got every right to ask for it to be optimised. I agree, it makes sense to run it for a couple of weeks to be sure it's settled down, but +4 secs/day isn't brilliant. The watch could be adjusted to between zero and +2 with relatively little effort; if the owner asks for it to run 2 secs/day slower it's a simple case of adjusting the timing screws on the balance rim by a set amount.

Paul

This is the 'Post of the thread' for me, well said Paul!

If you pay the very high Rolex servicing charge you are entitled to expect to get the watch back with everything in order FIRST TIME!!!!! Yes, I know we do not live in a perfect world but that is not ANY excuse for shoddy Quality Assurance. I cannot help but think that 20 odd years ago, this watch would not have made it out of the Rolex QC department unless it was correct to 'as new' specification.

[PJ S]

Regarding the nonsense about the "free" bracelet finishing, well, for heavens sake, engage your brain. If the price of a service is X and it includes a, b, c and d, then d is NOT free.

Nope, that's not how it works – you're assuming there to be a causal effect which isn't implied or evidenced.

For example, if you take your car to the dealership for servicing, it's often policy to return it having been vacuumed and washed.
Without getting into the detailing side of it, many instruct the service dept not to wash it, and the price they pay is no different to that if they had let them.
The reason is fairly simple to comprehend – other aspects of the service subsidise the courtesy element of the complete service package.
Same goes for the complimentary tea/coffee and biscuits/tray bakes, while you wait.

So in the case of Rolex, they profit sufficiently from the servicing aspect, that the polishing stage is done as a courtesy.

[MrGrumpy]

This is the 'Post of the thread' for me, well said Paul!

If you pay the very high Rolex servicing charge you are entitled to expect to get the watch back with everything in order FIRST TIME!!!!! Yes, I know we do not live in a perfect world but that is not ANY excuse for shoddy Quality Assurance.

Exactly!

[Tony]

Nope, that's not how it works – you're assuming there to be a causal effect which isn't implied or evidenced.

For example, if you take your car to the dealership for servicing, it's often policy to return it having been vacuumed and washed.
Without getting into the detailing side of it, many instruct the service dept not to wash it, and the price they pay is no different to that if they had let them.
The reason is fairly simple to comprehend – other aspects of the service subsidise the courtesy element of the complete service package.
Same goes for the complimentary tea/coffee and biscuits/tray bakes, while you wait.

So in the case of Rolex, they profit sufficiently from the servicing aspect, that the polishing stage is done as a courtesy.

If the car dealership explicitly advertise that the price of the service includes vacuuming and washing, and tea and biscuits, they're legally obliged to provide these services.

The polishing of case and bracelet is explicitly promised by Rolex as part of a Full Service.

[PJ S]

I agree. As much as the OP has received a poor service, which needs putting right, it is rare that positive reviews are posted about but negative ones are much more frequently.

The old adage of "no news equals good news" is in effect, that's why there's little posted.
Positive outcomes are not filled with frustration, so there's hardly much you can write about how everything was tickety-boo.
That said, I did post one thread, about how Citizen done a great job on regulating the Signature Grand Classic, and I'm sure I mentioned it previously in a general comment, that Victorinox did the same, whilst it was with them to correct the hands misalignment.

[PJ S]

If the car dealership explicitly advertise that the price of the service includes vacuuming and washing, and tea and biscuits, they're legally obliged to provide these services.

The polishing of case and bracelet is explicitly promised by Rolex as part of a Full Service.

Not if they have a clause in their policy which limits the offer to only private owners or those wearing a suit – otherwise no legally binding contract exists.

The Rolex policy you're referring to is likely to be based on the general premise that the overwhelming majority of Rolex owners are ordinary folk who don't modify their watch(es) but just wear them as they how they bought them.
Rolex will undoubtedly have a clause in their policy, which permits them to reserve the right to apply "at their discretion", depending on the specific circumstances – a prime example is the comment above, where the member's watch wouldn't be serviced without changing the dial.
I don't agree it was appropriate action, but since it's Rolex who are having to stand over the watch for the next 2 years, and they can't be absolutely certain the lume isn't going to break off, then I get where they are coming from.

[senraw]

I've never had a bad experience from RSC.

My watches have always come back running superbly and looking like new.

[Wallasey Runner]

What's the vibes on rarer vintage Rolex watches going back for service, say a red Sub or a rare model Daytona. I did hear somewhere that Rolex are being a bit funny about them - a case of at the owners risk if anything horrible happens to a fragile dial or hands.

Any experiences or do such owners head for a trusted independent with a solid reputation for dealing with older watches ?

[Stegeorgy]

I've never had a bad experience from RSC.

My watches have always come back running superbly and looking like new.

Phew ....and then the sun comes out!

[senraw]

Can anyone think of an item that when modified, (By the owner or a third party) is still covered by the original manufacturers guarantee?

[Wilddyan]

This is the 'Post of the thread' for me, well said Paul!

If you pay the very high Rolex servicing charge you are entitled to expect to get the watch back with everything in order FIRST TIME!!!!! Yes, I know we do not live in a perfect world but that is not ANY excuse for shoddy Quality Assurance. I cannot help but think that 20 odd years ago, this watch would not have made it out of the Rolex QC department unless it was correct to 'as new' specification.

I tend to agree with this- even feel that they should have given you compensation in some form- discount/extra warranty etc... for not having it done 1st or at least a reason why, shouldn't have had to wait till 2nd time (if have read this right)

[RAJEN]

I tend to agree with this- even feel that they should have given you compensation in some form- discount/extra warranty etc... for not having it done 1st or at least a reason why, shouldn't have had to wait till 2nd time (if have read this right)

May be a new Rolex may not be out of place.
For refusing to refurbish an unauthorized ( for service purposes ) modification.
And may be offer to service all his watches ( even non-Rolex ) for free in future.
What nerve by Rolex.

[Wilddyan]

May be a new Rolex may not be out of place.
For refusing to refurbish an unauthorized ( for service purposes ) modification.
And may be offer to service all his watches ( even non-Rolex ) for free in future.
What nerve by Rolex.

Do you run their customer service or something? Very defensive response for some reason- I am a Rolex fan too, but customer service is customer service. And when you spend the kind of money Rolex ask for, not only for their products but also for their service then it should be exemplary. And replacement bracelet or not, sending back after 6 weeks untouched with no explanation as to why and then making OP pay £455 in good faith- that is crap service by anyones standard.

[RAJEN]

Re:
Do you run their customer service or something?

No. Just zero tolerance for responses/comments driven by ignorance, misinformation, bitterness or envy.
Which this post abounds in.
Whatever sympathy I had for OP for the misaligned dial has already evaporated due to exaggerated responses.

[JeremyO]

I've never had a bad experience from RSC.

My watches have always come back running superbly and looking like new.

I too have never had a bad experience from Rolex.

At last service I asked RSC not to polish the watch head last service but to refinish the bracelet and they did exactly what I asked.

[thenikjones]

Re:
Do you run their customer service or something?

No. Just zero tolerance for responses/comments driven by ignorance, misinformation, bitterness or envy.
Which this post abounds in.
Whatever sympathy I had for OP for the misaligned dial has already evaporated due to exaggerated responses.

That said you do seem to be of the "no worries if it is faulty, return for another attempt and stop whining" school of thought. This is not acceptable. If you are in business and charge a premium, it is expected by the customer that what you get is perfect first time, each time. Otherwise, what are they paying for? I speak as the QC manager of a company making a premium product for which we charge a bomb.

[RAJEN]

That said you do seem to be of the "no worries if it is faulty, return for another attempt and stop whining" school of thought. This is not acceptable. If you are in business and charge a premium, it is expected by the customer that what you get is perfect first time, each time. Otherwise, what are they paying for? I speak as the QC manager of a company making a premium product for which we charge a bomb.

Not saying it is right about the dial and time keeping but this would seem to be an exception rather than the rule.
The responses (90%) of them seem out of proportion and prompted by exactly what I said.
And re the bracelet, I can't agree with OP's stance at all.

[GrandS]

Re:
No. Just zero tolerance for responses/comments driven by ignorance, misinformation, bitterness or envy.
Which this post abounds in.

At least you got that right.

[RAJEN]

At least you got that right.

Nice try,buddy.
Not talking about some Japanese tat here. Move on 😄

[Griswold]

May be a new Rolex may not be out of place.
For refusing to refurbish an unauthorized ( for service purposes ) modification.
And may be offer to service all his watches ( even non-Rolex ) for free in future.
What nerve by Rolex.

But, if I understand the OP correctly, Rolex didn't refuse to refurbish an unauthorized ( for service purposes ) modification. They undertook the refurbishment and made a hash of it. They also appeared to have made a hash of the servicing, TWICE! Totally unacceptable in my book and not what I would have expected from Rolex.

[RAJEN]

But, if I understand the OP correctly, Rolex didn't refuse to refurbish an unauthorized ( for service purposes ) modification. They undertook the refurbishment and made a hash of it. They also appeared to have made a hash of the servicing, TWICE! Totally unacceptable in my book and not what I would have expected from Rolex.

Quote from OP


Six weeks later I return to Goldsmiths to collect my watch. I notice that the bracelet hasn’t been touched, and there seemed to be no indication from neither Rolex nor Goldsmiths as to why this might be the case. Off the watch goes back to the RSC with my .......

For the rest refer to the original post

[Daddelvirks]

Life must be a bliss when you are not attached to material things..................

Dddel.

[GrandS]

Life must be a bliss when you are not attached to material things..................

Dddel.

But that would be so boring... imagine not caring if your date window is out of whack.

[robert75]

A frustrating experience, I'm sure, but from what you've said, you've at least partly brought it on yourself.

Firstly, the bracelet. If you choose to modify your watch, it's at your own risk, and Rolex reserves the right not to work on it. If they agreed to re-brush the bracelet for you, which is against their normal policy, you can hardly complain that it's not done the way you like it.

Secondly, the date wheel issue. It shouldn't have been misaligned, but no QC is perfect, and perhaps not every customer would notice the difference. You sent it back, rightly, and if you're still not happy with it you should send it back again. If you refuse to do that out of pique, you can hardly blame Rolex for not fixing something you haven't asked them to.

Thirdly, the timekeeping. It's not unusual for a watch to change its timekeeping a bit when serviced (after all, the whole thing has been taken apart and cleaned and re-lubricated). It's also not uncommon for timekeeping to vary a bit while a new or serviced watch beds in over a few weeks. Given that, there's no point your complaining to Rolex or asking them to regulate it, at least for a month or so. You point out yourself that it is inconsistent at the moment, so what would be the point of trying to regulate it until it shows a consistent rate?

So if you deconstruct this 'terrible' service experience, it basically comes down to a minutely misaligned date wheel, which I dare say Rolex would offer to fix, except that you've already made up your mind you'll never deal with them again. Well, that's up to you, but don't complain that it's all Rolex's fault.

Pretty much sums it up, an unfortunate incident that could be easily resolved.

[thenikjones]

Not saying it is right about the dial and time keeping but this would seem to be an exception rather than the rule.
The responses (90%) of them seem out of proportion and prompted by exactly what I said.
And re the bracelet, I can't agree with OP's stance at all.

Hmm, think I confused you with bitfield. My apologies.

[GrandS]

Pretty much sums it up, an unfortunate incident that could be easily resolved.

With you there. Would it have killed Rolex to contact their customer regarding the issues instead of just taking his money and not doing the job they were clearly being asked to do? Maybe they decided that their customer was not a very important person and they would just do what they felt like doing.

[stooo]

With you there. Would it have killed Rolex to contact their customer regarding the issues instead of just taking his money and not doing the job they were clearly being asked to do? Maybe they decided that their customer was not a very important person and they would just do what they felt like doing.

Don't be so absurd.

Let's assume for a second you can get a phone signal in an underground layer built out of pure rainbow energy in Narnia and the worker unicorn manages to press those tiny buttons, everyone knows unicorns cannot speak English.

[NigeG]

With you there. Would it have killed Rolex to contact their customer regarding the issues instead of just taking his money and not doing the job they were clearly being asked to do? Maybe they decided that their customer was not a very important person and they would just do what they felt like doing.

Always assuming that they didn't communicate this to Goldsmiths. Who subsequently didn't pass this on to the OP. Just to play devils advocate :)

[jukeboxs]

Don't be so absurd.

Let's assume for a second you can get a phone signal in an underground layer built out of pure rainbow energy in Narnia and the worker unicorn manages to press those tiny buttons, everyone knows unicorns cannot speak English.

Just about spluttered my Limoncello over my Macbook. Nicely put, Sir!

[Griswold]

Quote from OP


Six weeks later I return to Goldsmiths to collect my watch. I notice that the bracelet hasn’t been touched, and there seemed to be no indication from neither Rolex nor Goldsmiths as to why this might be the case. Off the watch goes back to the RSC with my .......

For the rest refer to the original post

Perhaps you should read the WHOLE THREAD and not just the part that suits your argument. Rolex did indeed atempt, rather badly it seems, to refurbished the bracelet to the customers requirements. They appear to have made somewhat of a Pigs Ear of it based on the photographs supplied. They also appear to have screwed up what is a basic service, TWICE!

Defend the indefensible all you like, but unless the OP is being economical with the truth, and the photographs suggest otherwise, then Rolex failed - big time.

[RobDad]

I'm actually relieved to read this thread. I had some real issues with RSC last year. I live near St James so always take watches there directly. To cut a long story short it took them 3 attempts to rectify a crown issue on a 16610lv. This wasn't an imaginary issue, it would just stick when unscrewed, not allowing you to change the time or date (unless you gave it a dozen attempts before it would finally pop out). I'd had it since new and was not wearing it that much tbh. The white coated assistant took the money for the service, set the watch etc - and when I got home I was amazed to find that the crown stem was actually bent or similar as when you wound the watch the action of the crown would stiffen and loosen through each turn. How their highly skilled watchmaker missed that I have no idea!!?? In the end it took 2 more visits (all at no extra charge of course) before they fixed it, which was really irritating. I was already thinking of selling the watch but knew it would be a one way street as I find the new prices (I paid £3010 for the LV brand new not long ago!) And the new square lugs not to my taste. Every now and then I'd read threads about RSC and think I'd just been really unlucky but it appears I'm not the only one!
There are a few on this forum who will pronounce an individual as 'envious' or 'bitter' as soon as there is any criticism of Rolex or its products. I just found their service and quality control sadly lacking, and it was always the after sales service and assumed quality product which had attracted me to Rolex as opposed to Omega/Panerai etc in the first place. It appears they've hiked the prices of their product and can't be bothered to fix then properly when they go wrong, which is why I don't regret my decision to sell my old Sub (once I was 100% sure it was issue free I might add)
The 'free polishing at service' thing mentioned in this thread might seem odd, but it is how it works and was explained to me various times over the years with different watches. 'We will polish/refinish the watch and bracelet as part if the service which will be £x, if you don't want it polished the service is still £x. Are you sure you don't want it refinished? No - ok the cost is £x' - and I had the conversation over about 15 years at least 5 times!

[RAJEN]

I'm actually relieved to read this thread. I had some real issues with RSC last year. I live near St James so always take watches there directly. To cut a long story short it took them 3 attempts to rectify a crown issue on a 16610lv. This wasn't an imaginary issue, it would just stick when unscrewed, not allowing you to change the time or date (unless you gave it a dozen attempts before it would finally pop out). I'd had it since new and was not wearing it that much tbh. The white coated assistant took the money for the service, set the watch etc - and when I got home I was amazed to find that the crown stem was actually bent or similar as when you wound the watch the action of the crown would stiffen and loosen through each turn. How their highly skilled watchmaker missed that I have no idea!!?? In the end it took 2 more visits (all at no extra charge of course) before they fixed it, which was really irritating. I was already thinking of selling the watch but knew it would be a one way street as I find the new prices (I paid £3010 for the LV brand new not long ago!) And the new square lugs not to my taste. Every now and then I'd read threads about RSC and think I'd just been really unlucky but it appears I'm not the only one!
There are a few on this forum who will pronounce an individual as 'envious' or 'bitter' as soon as there is any criticism of Rolex or its products. I just found their service and quality control sadly lacking, and it was always the after sales service and assumed quality product which had attracted me to Rolex as opposed to Omega/Panerai etc in the first place. It appears they've hiked the prices of their product and can't be bothered to fix then properly when they go wrong, which is why I don't regret my decision to sell my old Sub (once I was 100% sure it was issue free I might add)
The 'free polishing at service' thing mentioned in this thread might seem odd, but it is how it works and was explained to me various times over the years with different watches. 'We will polish/refinish the watch and bracelet as part if the service which will be £x, if you don't want it polished the service is still £x. Are you sure you don't want it refinished? No - ok the cost is £x' - and I had the conversation over about 15 years at least 5 times!

Déjà Poo all over again.

[Ohta]

Déjà Poo all over again.

[SUP]
You, Sir, along with the notorious GrandS, are the most disingenuous and miserable fanboi pair on this forum.

Trolls, both of you.

[DB9yeti]

[SUP]
You, Sir, along with the notorious GrandS, are the most disingenuous and miserable fanboi pair on this forum.

Trolls, both of you.

Disingenuous? You seem to have outed the 'trolls' by being a member a month and making seven posts. Either you're yet another arsey newbie or a dual forum ID. Which is it?

Either way, you're half right; GrandtrollS is a miserable waste of time.

[seikopath]

Life must be a bliss when you are not attached to material things..................

Dddel.

So they tell me ...

[marksh]

I've no axe to grind in this and I agree with Paul regards a lot of things ,but Rolex are very keen and particular when it comes to things coming in for Service or parts that are non standard .

I've had plenty of excellent service from Rolex and also had the odd issue , just my humble opinion is that the OP needs to ask to speak to and indeed write to the Service Manager regards how he feels he's been treated as well as the work not being up to the standard that he expects normally associated with the Rolex brand and I'm sure this will have a happy or definitely better ending .

Sometimes best to go direct to the main man as I indeed did when I had an issue with a watch , yes it was annoying and yes it should never have left the QC Department but it was sorted as well as a little sweetener .

Let us know but don't be put off by asking to speak to the Service Manager , although OP I bet if you did say that the bracelet was refinished by a RSC Trained and recognised Indy watchmaker that didn't go down too well ?

[RobDad]

Well I expected a stupid response from a stupid member, and that's what I got!!