Jeweller wants to keep my warranty card for 6 months?

I'm very annoyed. I was one of the first to place a deposit on one of the new Basel releases and have been excited for it ever since. On Thursday at around 4:30, I finally got a call to say that the watch had arrived in but as I had a wedding to shoot next day, followed by Goodwood, there was no chance of me getting there.

So yesterday, the jeweller emailed me. They're not the largest of chains but they do have quite a few stores and are well known. Here's what they messaged me with:

"We were recently pleased to advise that your order for the Rolex Seadweller had arrived at the showroom, we write to enquire when it will be convenient for you to complete the purchase and collect this much sought after watch ? If for any reason it is not possible for you to collect within the next 14 days we would release the watch to the next person awaiting their order and your name would be put onto the next one arriving in the showroom.

The company policy regarding this model is that all guarantees are kept at the showroom for a period of six months I trust this will be acceptable to you."

How would that ever be acceptable?! They haven't told me about it in any way, shape or form before yesterday, and I've had my deposit down for four months. I know it would be simple to walk away but I want the watch, so they've of course got me over a barrel. I think it's very unfair.

If they'd have stated this before I placed the deposit, as I believe they should, I would have placed my deposit elsewhere and bought the watch how I want to buy it. I'm spending thousands of pounds at the end of the day and don't see how they can just make up a new rule I wasn't told about.

My main concern with this 6 months thing is that the card is irreplaceable. I don't care what safe they keep it in, it's not in my possession if they do this. If anything happens to it, it's their fault and they can't simply call Rolex and get a new one; it doesn't work like that.

So I'm very annoyed about this and wanted to seek the advice of TZ as to how to proceed. I haven't named the jeweller yet as I want to speak to them first but this will be my first dealing with them, and could very well be the last at this rate.

Triple wtf


Presumably its to avoid resale

I don't know what their problem is

If it's not explained at point of sale they cannot enforce it. Pay for the watch take it. Then ask for it if they won't give it you contact Rolex and explain they are not giving it you. Rolex I guess will not be happy


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Let's be realistic. If you turn it down the next person in the list will snap it up. And if you don't intend to flip it what does it matter? You can get it in 6 months.

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I suspect they hold all the cards (pun intended).

You're not a regular customer and if you demand the warranty card they'll just move the watch on to the next on the list. I guess it depends on how much you want the watch. Personally I would tell them that these terms were not made clear when placing the deposit and that you expect everything that comes with the watch. But I expect they would then refuse to sell it.

Is it their rule or have Rolex "advised them" to do this..

By the way I didnt know your a wedding photographer, me too - mental this time of year isnt it! at least when I'm editing I can flick over to TZ for some chill time..

Think this has been discussed at length before such as here http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...+warranty+card if that's any help.

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Originally Posted by woodacre1983

If it's not explained at point of sale they cannot enforce it. Pay for the watch take it. Then ask for it if they won't give it you contact Rolex and explain they are not giving it you. Rolex I guess will not be happy


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This is exactly what I would do!!!!

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Originally Posted by Robsmck

Let's be realistic. If you turn it down the next person in the list will snap it up. And if you don't intend to flip it what does it matter? You can get it in 6 months.

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I feel I am being realistic and I've made my point in the thread why I'm unhappy about the card staying with them.

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Originally Posted by murkeywaters

Is it their rule or have Rolex "advised them" to do this..

By the way I didnt know your a wedding photographer, me too - mental this time of year isnt it! at least when I'm editing I can flick over to TZ for some chill time..

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I'm just getting in to them so hopefully I can say the same thing over the next year or two:-)

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Originally Posted by woodacre1983

If it's not explained at point of sale they cannot enforce it. Pay for the watch take it. Then ask for it if they won't give it you contact Rolex and explain they are not giving it you. Rolex I guess will not be happy


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I've just spoken to Rolex and although they were friendly, they suggested it's simply something I have to take up with the dealer themselves. The stated they can understand why the dealers are doing this but it's not something they enforce or suggest.

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Originally Posted by deepreddave

Think this has been discussed at length before such as here http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...+warranty+card if that's any help.

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Sorry I should have looked at that thread. Saw the email and headed straight to "new thread" :-)

Ive not had this with a couple of watches i have bought this year other than the stickers mullarkey , i have another on order so that will be interesting as that is a deep blue and fairly rare ish

I think this could still be enforced, even if it weren't explained the point of sale. Afaik all companies can refuse to sell to you full stop, particularly if they consider you to be a reseller or competitor. It might be more complicated because you paid a deposit but presumably this would be mitigated by their terms and conditions, so they could still just turn round and tell you that you're not getting at all and hand your deposit back.

It is of course, practically speaking, totally out of order however either way.

I have to be honest that the only way I was able to get myself on the waiting list for the SD43 was to offer the AD that they could keep my warranty card for a year. That's because I know I won't get rid of it so it made no odds to me whatsoever. However having enforced on you rather than requested is very different.


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I understand why they are doing it, to stop immediate resale, what I don't understand is why they think this affects them or Rolex adversely.
It needs someone with deep pockets to challenge the AD post sale to give up their property.

I've found in any consumer disputes that the quickest way to resolve stuff is a smart suit, nice tie, polished shoes and a small sign that says "I'm an unhappy customer - ask me why" and then just stand outside. The longest I've ever had to use it was about two hours.

I don't think I'd care to be honest if I intended to keep the watch.
6 months in their safe or 6 months in mine.

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Originally Posted by Alansmithee

I've found in any consumer disputes that the quickest way to resolve stuff is a smart suit, nice tie, polished shoes and a small sign that says "I'm an unhappy customer - ask me why" and then just stand outside. The longest I've ever had to use it was about two hours.

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I used that same ruse when I was having some difficulty with the ex wife.
Unfortunately she just locked me out of the house and I had to live in the pavement for six weeks.

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Originally Posted by Alansmithee

I've found in any consumer disputes that the quickest way to resolve stuff is a smart suit, nice tie, polished shoes and a small sign that says "I'm an unhappy customer - ask me why" and then just stand outside. The longest I've ever had to use it was about two hours.

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And of course you have already got what you want and. Bought the watch. If they are a higher end store I bet less that an hour before you would have it resolved in your favour


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Originally Posted by seikopath

I used that same ruse when I was having some difficulty with the ex wife.
Unfortunately she just locked me out of the house and I had to live in the pavement for six weeks.

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Hah!

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Originally Posted by verv

I don't think I'd care to be honest if I intended to keep the watch.
6 months in their safe or 6 months in mine.

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I just feel sorry for all the poor saps who forget about the card and might need it later. Dealer is being a dick and for no real reason.

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Originally Posted by seikopath

I used that same ruse when I was having some difficulty with the ex wife.
Unfortunately she just locked me out of the house and I had to live in the pavement for six weeks.

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:highly_amused:

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Originally Posted by verv

I don't think I'd care to be honest if I intended to keep the watch.
6 months in their safe or 6 months in mine.

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Agreed.

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Originally Posted by Alansmithee

I've found in any consumer disputes that the quickest way to resolve stuff is a smart suit, nice tie, polished shoes and a small sign that says "I'm an unhappy customer - ask me why" and then just stand outside. The longest I've ever had to use it was about two hours.

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Haha yeah any TZers fancy joining me for the world's most first-world small non-violent protest? :-D

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Originally Posted by verv

I don't think I'd care to be honest if I intended to keep the watch.
6 months in their safe or 6 months in mine.

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I care. They didn't mention it before I have them an awful lot of money to reserve a watch, worth a very large amount of money. I understand why they're doing it, I'm not daft, however they should have made a point of me knowing this beforehand, rather than now.

Maybe it's a test. If you shrug and show indifference they wink and say, "Just our little joke, sir. We wouldn't dream of denying a genuine Rolex lover his full set. We just have to weed out those scummy profiteers. Here is your paperwork, in a scented envelope."

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"common policy" is a lot of rubbish let them fill out the warranty card in your name and then inform them that you will be requiring the warranty card under the consumer rights act.

As soon as you have paid for them, all parts of the watch and its acoutrements are yours.
They have no legal basis whatsoever to be able to withold your goods for a period of minutes, let alone months.
When you go and collect it, insist on taking them with you. And keep insisting until they give them to you.
Regardless of any late notification of policy or whatever, they are your property.
What you do with your watch, once you have paid for it, it up to you, and you alone.
Wear it, store it, sell it.
It is up to you.
Insist. I would.
Go up the chain of command, use twitter, facebook, whatever.
This ridiculous practice has to end, and we all need to stand against it.

Dave

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Originally Posted by Alansmithee

I've found in any consumer disputes that the quickest way to resolve stuff is a smart suit, nice tie, polished shoes and a small sign that says "I'm an unhappy customer - ask me why" and then just stand outside. The longest I've ever had to use it was about two hours.

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This. Buy it so that they can't refuse to sell it to you, then make a fuss

OP need not respond, but I have a particular North West based dealer in mind.

Was it a term agreed before you paid your deposit? They have already confirmed that your order has arrived, so if your deposit has been paid before they tried unilaterally to impose any retrospective qualifying agreement then I believe you can expect to collect the watch in all its parts. They cannot even put you off by pushing you down the waiting list, if they have already confirmed your order has arrived.

Alansmithee's suggestion is dramatic but could be very effective. The retailer can contact police and ask them to move you along, but this risks escalating a bad incident and attracting even worse publicity...

I wonder how Trading Standards would view this? It would certainly be worth making a call to the local office.

I am not a lawyer, but is the reason for retaining warranty cards anti-competitive?

H

Many products are sold without warranty cards. It is just evidence that a warranty exists, is it specified anywhere that one will be supplied?

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Originally Posted by sweets

As soon as you have paid for them, all parts of the watch and its acoutrements are yours.
They have no legal basis whatsoever to be able to withold your goods for a period of minutes, let alone months.
When you go and collect it, insist on taking them with you. And keep insisting until they give them to you.
Regardless of any late notification of policy or whatever, they are your property.
What you do with your watch, once you have paid for it, it up to you, and you alone.
Wear it, store it, sell it.
It is up to you.
Insist. I would.
Go up the chain of command, use twitter, facebook, whatever.
This ridiculous practice has to end, and we all need to stand against it.

Dave

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Thanks Dave, I agree with everything you've said; all very good options.

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Originally Posted by Scepticalist

This. Buy it so that they can't refuse to sell it to you, then make a fuss

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It looks like that's how it will have to go.

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Originally Posted by Haywood_Milton

OP need not respond, but I have a particular North West based dealer in mind.

Was it a term agreed before you paid your deposit? They have already confirmed that your order has arrived, so if your deposit has been paid before they tried unilaterally to impose any retrospective qualifying agreement then I believe you can expect to collect the watch in all its parts. They cannot even put you off by pushing you down the waiting list, if they have already confirmed your order has arrived.

Alansmithee's suggestion is dramatic but could be very effective. The retailer can contact police and ask them to move you along, but this risks escalating a bad incident and attracting even worse publicity...

I wonder how Trading Standards would view this? It would certainly be worth making a call to the local office.

I am not a lawyer, but is the reason for retaining warranty cards anti-competitive?

H

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Thanks Haywood. I've just sent a sharp email to head office. Rolex couldn't help as I've said but they managed to give me the wrong number of the jeweller in question to complain to. When I called the number, it just turned out to be their London store, however the Manager there was very polite and didn't suggest that his store would have done the same thing.

There was no term agreed before the deposit was paid. Nothing was mentioned. My friend was with me that day and he has no recollection of anything either. It's all just come about yesterday. I was expecting to have an argument over stickers, but definitely not a warranty card. Maybe they should just keep the watch as well for a few months to be on the safe side. It's really all unnecessary.

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Originally Posted by Kingstepper

Many products are sold without warranty cards. It is just evidence that a warranty exists, is it specified anywhere that one will be supplied?

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But this does come with a warranty card from the factory. Therefore it should reach myself, the consumer. It's irreplaceable should something happen to it, confirmed by Rolex this morning, and that's also not the point. I wouldn't buy a car without the V5, and I don't expect to buy a watch without the warranty card.

We all go on about Box and papers etc with our watches. This is no different IMO.

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Originally Posted by Alansmithee

I've found in any consumer disputes that the quickest way to resolve stuff is a smart suit, nice tie, polished shoes and a small sign that says "I'm an unhappy customer - ask me why" and then just stand outside. The longest I've ever had to use it was about two hours.

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Yes i have used that with a car dealer and within an hour i had the dealer principle begging me to come back into the showroom to resolve the matter.

It was after i told him i would be back every Saturday until it was.

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Originally Posted by Kingstepper

Many products are sold without warranty cards. It is just evidence that a warranty exists, is it specified anywhere that one will be supplied?

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Yup - this from the model booklet is what I would be showing Trading Standards :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...psn3fbmnwn.jpg

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Originally Posted by W44NNE

There was no term agreed before the deposit was paid. Nothing was mentioned. My friend was with me that day and he has no recollection of anything either. It's all just come about yesterday.

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I think the wording of their recent notice supports that completely, such that your account could not be contested. The retention of the warranty card was not part of your agreeement and it is a post-contractual change that they wish to make, in my view.

H

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Originally Posted by Haywood_Milton

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Yup - this from the model booklet is what I would be showing Trading Standards :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...psn3fbmnwn.jpg

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Fair enough!

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Originally Posted by Haywood_Milton

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Yup - this from the model booklet is what I would be showing Trading Standards :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...psn3fbmnwn.jpg

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I thought 5 year warranty was standard now not 2 years?

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Originally Posted by Kingstepper

Fair enough!

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Pedants might point out that that pertains to the card being completed, not to where the card is to kept upon completion.

You want the watch so complete the sale.
Once the card is filled in your name your options are in front of you, as they can't go back.
I would tell them with the watch on my wrist) that it is my policy to walk out with the complete package since you paid in full.
Alan's idea is excellent.

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Originally Posted by Arcam

I thought 5 year warranty was standard now not 2 years?

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Hmmm....that was a recent Sub booklet I pictured.....I will go and get one of my SD43s out now (perhaps one in stickers, with tags and warranty card....) and see what their booklet says.

Out of interest have you bought any hard to get watches off them before? If so have you sold them and would it be possible that they know this? Unlikely I know but just wonder if this is now shop policy or individual client policy?

From a neutral point of view I see both sides of this (it may well happen to me with the AD I use one day, who knows):

From their point of view they want to protect their business/brand/reputation/loyal clients - whether we feel they are doing that or alienating them, that's clearly their motive. I mean let's be frank, there are loads of people who just want to be able to buy at RRP and wear the 116500 for example and others are making a call to WF and making a quick 5k. I can see why AD's don't like that.

From our point of view - what on earth gives them the right to sell you something and not let you have all of it for a period of time? Is it even legal? Forget the profiteering concerns the AD may have with customers, there are loads of scenarios that might come up in 6 months when someone might HAVE to sell for genuine reasons (unemployment, illness etc).

My guess is you could pay for the watch, get it registered and then demand the card or ask for your money back (thus creating problems for them) and you will probably walk out with it. However you wouldn't walk out with any more watches from that AD in the future so you'd have to decide what's more important.

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Originally Posted by seikopath

Pedants might point out that that pertains to the card being completed, not to where the card is to kept upon completion.

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Other pedants might point to the phrase "comes with" and ask why as their SD43 leaves the store the warranty card isn't tagging along ?

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Originally Posted by Haywood_Milton

Hmmm....that was a recent Sub booklet I pictured.....I will go and get one of my SD43s out now (perhaps one in stickers, with tags and warranty card....) and see what their booklet says.

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"one of" :-D Thanks for the image though, I'll see how they respond to it.

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Originally Posted by Haywood_Milton

Hmmm....that was a recent Sub booklet I pictured.....I will go and get one of my SD43s out now (perhaps one in stickers, with tags and warranty card....) and see what their booklet says.

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Don't suppose you would sell me the SD43? I had my name down since March at my nearest AD in Manchester, apprently head office do all the allocations.

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Originally Posted by W44NNE

"one of" :-D Thanks for the image though, I'll see how they respond to it.

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[emoji1] [emoji106]

I bit [emoji1]

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Originally Posted by Haywood_Milton

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Yup - this from the model booklet is what I would be showing Trading Standards :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...psn3fbmnwn.jpg

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It's not explicit, but implied that the card should be supplied with the watch. We all know it should be, and that's the intent, but is it legally explicit in terms of the language used?

Nothing to lose by advising the dealer that if they insist on withholding the warranty card then you will report their 'not as per original sales contract' attitude to the local Trading Standards Dept. … the dealer would likely be unhappy about having to cope with additional aggravation from Trading Standards especially if other customers have made complaints.

dunk

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Originally Posted by Arcam

Don't suppose you would sell me the SD43? I had my name down since March at my nearest AD in Manchester, apprently head office do all the allocations.

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Yes but I'll have to hold on to the watch for 6 months so you don't resell it lol

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Originally Posted by Haywood_Milton

Other pedants might point to the phrase "comes with" and ask why as their SD43 leaves the store the warranty card isn't tagging along ?

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Frankly, I can't see why the store thinks they would benefit from keeping the cards anyway.
Just seems like a completely pointless exercise to me. It's not like any resale is going to eat into their profit. In actual fact, you could argue that it would increase demand for their stock.
And if Wayne did take up Alan's suggestion and stood outside the store explaining to passersby that he had just paid x for the watch, but the shop wants to keep the warranty cards for six months, I'm pretty sure I can guess what most peoples response would be!

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Originally Posted by Haywood_Milton

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Yup - this from the model booklet is what I would be showing Trading Standards :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...psn3fbmnwn.jpg

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I would gloss over the 2 year bit........

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Originally Posted by W44NNE

Yes but I'll have to hold on to the watch for 6 months so you don't resell it lol

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ROFL! That is a step too far, how about you keep the bracelet instead 😀

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Originally Posted by seikopath

Frankly, I can't see why the store thinks they would benefit from keeping the cards anyway.
Just seems like a completely pointless exercise to me. It's not like any resale is going to eat into their profit. In actual fact, you could argue that it would increase demand for their stock.
And if Wayne did take up Alan's suggestion and stood outside the store explaining to passersby that he had just paid x for the watch, but the shop wants to keep the warranty cards for six months, I'm pretty sure I can guess what most peoples response would be!

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I would be confident that the prospect of resale at a profit increases demand for the product.

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