Reply With QuoteAny decent company would take a return on this - maybe with a reduction so they could replace the caseback and resell
Last April I purchased the then forthcoming Jet-Set GMT 40mm, No 1 of 1000, and my grandson’s name to be engraved on the case-back. The scheduled delivery date was initially May/June 2022, but was delayed because of a shortage of parts.
The watch arrived on Monday (17th) and straight away upon opening the box there are some significant problems.
The bezel has a scratch at the crown position, also the bezel has a massive case overhang which makes it wear as a 45mm watch and far too big to be worn comfortably on a 17inch wrist.
I immediately conveyed my concerns by email to Ball & they responded promptly with this message
“The Hydrocarbon Aero GMT has a case of 42mm, which plus the large bezel could result in a slightly larger watch
I replied only to remind them that I had bought the Jet Set 40mm and not the Hydrocarbon Aero GMT 42mm
This afternoon I’ve had an email from a senior member of the after-sales team at Ball , they say that that will not authorise a return for refund / exchange under any circumstances, but may consider a replacement bezel and will get back to me next week
I must say that I’m pretty miffed about this, we all know what a 40mm watch should look like and how it should fit, but the bezel overhang on the Jet-Set is simply outrageous. If they would have shown a side profile illustration at the time of sale, I definitely wouldn’t have pulled the trigger
I attach some pics of Ball’s Jet-Set depiction time of purchase and comparison pic with my Ball Engineer III Marvelight 40mm and Exp II
I understand that as I paid by bank transfer I have absolutely zero comeback on this, apart from relying on Ball’s non-existent good graces. Now I also understand why they don’t accept card payment.
I’ve since learned that a distance buyer from outside Switzerland has next to zero consumer rights to return, so please let this be a lesson to others considering doing anything remotely similar as what damp squib this turned out to be
I just hope my grandson get used to wearing a helicopter-pad on his wrist, ... unless there's big George out there that wants a number 1 / 1000 engraved GMT lol
Forgive the disjointed rambling … I need a beer
Have a good weekend guys
[URL=https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/v737/stonty/Screen_Shot_2023-04-17_at_15.30.07.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=boun ds][/URL
Last edited by Chris B; 21st April 2023 at 18:28.
Any decent company would take a return on this - maybe with a reduction so they could replace the caseback and resell
Is it just me or does that sapphire crystal look marked / chipped around the cyclops, PS that is one hell of a overhang.
It certainly makes it look much larger than 40mm.
Sent from a technical device.
That overhand is ridiculous, I can understand why you're annoyed. I'm not sure why you'd buy a £2k+ Ball anyway to be completely honest, but in any event I'd be miffed if this 44mm watch is what showed up when ordering a 40mm.
Have you tried articulating your point really clearly to Ball with the help of the photos in this thread? e.g. "I purchased this watch as a gift for my grandson after careful considering of case size relative to his wrist. I was very disappointed when the mid-size 40mm watch I purchased per the listing turned out to measure at a very large 44mm per the attached photo. There was no reference to this in the listing and it really is very misleading to describe a watch that measures at 44mm as a 40mm, I assume this was an error in the listing. Please can you reconsider the option to return this on the basis of the size differing substantially to the listing information? Thank you."
And if the response is a no then I'd consider sharing your experience on their social media channels..
Last edited by M1011; 21st April 2023 at 19:11.
" and far too big to be worn comfortably on a 17inch wrist."
I think you're gonna need a bigger bracelet.
Am I reading this right, you bought one watch and they sent you another and because the caseback has been engraved they wont take it back?
I understand the no refunds on engraved watches I have seen that before but if they sent you the wrong watch surely its their fault not yours?
If its just a case of the watch has arrived and its too big then I can understand the position that Ball are taking.
So normally you would have the right to reject under UK consumer law due to the Consumer Rights Act... but...it's arguable the the engraving makes it bespoke and thus exempt from the right to return. They would have to repair I think but they would not have to accept the return.Originally Posted by Chris B
Thank you for your comments .
The mark on the sapphire was just a speck and wiped away with a micro-fibre, sadly the bezel marks are different matter.
I'd conveyed all the background / circumstances for the purchase and with many more detailed pics that I've shown here, but this hasn't cut any ice.
I honestly can't believe how high-handed they're being, part of the last email stated ""Regarding the scratched bezel, it seems highly unlikely the watch would
pass the rigorous QC like this"" .. Jeez, they certainly love themselves don't they?
Well it did pass QC, and if I were being hyper-critical the cyclops is slightly off too.
Realistically, I'll let them replace the bezel & then sell it for whatever it reaches, I haven't had the cash in my account for almost a year so anything it makes will be a bonus.
Maybe an older Tudor Hydronaut or similar would be a better option for the grandson and have it engraved locally
The Ball engraving isn't impressive to be honest.
Thanks again fellas
OP, I'd push harder for the refund if it was me, see if you can find an escalation path or post on their twitter or something. Got to get past that first email gate keeper. Not saying have a rant, just point out the obvious poor service/experience. It's really poor that they make you wait so long past the due date for the watch, botch it and then imply you're at fault. Not to mention it's ludicrous to sell that huge watch as a 40mm.
Neither scenario.
He bought a 40mm watch. That watch has shown up, but it has a massive bezel overhang that wasn't described that makes the 'real' size 44mm (even though the case technically is 40mm I imagine). Plus the bezel was marked.
The 42mm watch mentioned was just a Customer Service email error.
I've just spoken to a friend who is on good terms with a UK Ball AD, the kind chap has taken pity on me and is going to try and find another contact at Ball Switzerland for me get in touch with to bypass the gatekeeper, but he says not to raise too much hope of a different outcome as Ball are notoriously difficult about these type of things, even with their UK ADs.
You live you learn
Best regards
Ah Ok I understand now, I think the engraved case back will cause issues in that case as from what I have seen most watch companies wont take an engraved watch back so they will probably just replace/repair the damaged part.
I seem to recall there is a Steinhart watch that has a similar problem, the bezel overhangs quite a bit making the watch quite hard to wear.
I think Ball are demonstrating a total lack of customer service here. However - and no offence to the OP - I wouldn’t buy a watch at that price without having seen one in the metal first (or at least done more research and read multiple reviews), I wouldn’t tolerate that kind of delay and I certainly wouldn’t make a direct bank transfer with no recompense. I’d also have got it engraved locally once satisfied with the watch, thus avoiding a situation where it’s become more difficult to return. In spite of all that, a decent company would put it right. I’d splash it all over social media and see what happens.
Maybe he has wrist and thigh mixed up.
lol, 7 inch wrist
I wouldn't be happy with that tbh it looks huge for a 40mm
- - - Updated - - -
Is there any reason you went for one of these in the first place ?
IF you buy a watch without trying it on and handling it you’re always taking a risk that it won’t wear as you imagine it will. Watch sizes are usually based on case dimensions, the bezel isn’t part of the case so I’m not surprised that the bezel dimension is larger. If you’d tried the watch on before buying this would've been obvious.
With hindsight, some bezel overhang is visible on the website photos, but Ball should have made it more obvious. Good luck getting a refund, or at least the damage rectified (so you then have the option to sell on if you still want to go down that route). At least George is still popular in the UK (top 5 recently).
In regards to "try it on" - Ball seem to have deliberately developed a business model to avoid this - all the new watches attract "discounts"* if you pre-order and most of these you will never see in a store. People have then waited a long time to actually get a watch - I think they wait until they have enough cash to make the watches.
I wouldn't buy one new for that reason and also far too many QC horror stories like this thread when they do get them.
* No I don't believe it's a real discount either.
Sorry for the trouble you're having. Sounds like you're already resigned to the likely worst possible outcome which is unfortunately realistic here, though I hope you get some luck through your contact.
If nothing else, you've made the issue obvious for us here. I could see myself getting a Ball if they have something innovative and engineering-focused enough (what can I say, I'm a sucker for marketing) but this cursory thread will make me extremely cautious - maybe even deter me entirely.
So I would still buy a Ball but only second-hand and where I get to see it.
Agreed - or at the very least, from a reputable online UK seller who has a workable returns policy.
Would any company accept a return on an engraved item?
On a positive note - George will love it, I'm sure. Plenty of people wear watches that size, especially younger folk! It'll certainly be striking and very rare - and a unique present.
OP, I don’t mean to be a contrarian but surely you knew that buying a watch unseen and having it engraved was a risky move.
I don’t think Ball have covered themselves in glory with the way they’ve handled your grievance but it’s not unreasonable for them to state no returns on personalised items. Equally, the bezel overhang is ridiculous but if the case is 40mm, they're within their rights to say the watch is as advertised.
A more CS minded company would have just taken it on the chin but it ultimately comes out of their (corporate) pocket.
Perhaps if you simply said to them that the watch arrived damaged and you wanted to return it, you would have had a stronger case, uncomplicated by the other matters which are a matter of personal taste.
I take yours & all others points and must admit I'm feeling pretty dumb about the sorry saga now, but I'll take my
medicine and learn from it
My main concern was indeed the damage/marks on bezel and this was first on the list of grievances
Sadly, I've taken pics from every angle but the person I've been dealing with won't acknowledge that they are there.
Racking my brains, I've tried using all the Ball email addresses I can find online (sales/complaints/feedback etc) but all messages just get forwarded to the same obstinate person in the after-sales depart who just repeats the same lines about their stringent QC .
Hopefully the UK Ball AD will come up with the contact details of someone half-decent at Ball that I can approach.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend guys
Given that it was bought directly from Switzerland, I don't believe that UK consumer law would have applied, even without the personalisation.
I'm noting it would not make much of a difference if it was bought in the UK because of the personalisation.
Sorry to resurrect this one,
I hadn’t heard a thing since my last message to Ball but this has arrived this morning. Apparently, there’s an issue with the movement & all Jet Set models are being recalled for modification .
I’m off on Friday so will be able to compile a suitable response & attach all previous pics /messages to the email address that sent out the recall message
I doubt if it’ll cut any ice but it’s worth a shot I suppose.
I would ask for a refund as the watch is obviously not fit for purpose? And supply all the previous correspondence
Got to be worth a try?
The whole saga seems completely counter productive from Balls point of view
As we all know it takes ages to build a reputation but an instant to wreck it. One bit of bad publicity lasts a hell of a lot longer than good.
One could argue that it was intended for a special occasion that would fall in the period while it would be returned so would now be pointless
Any idea I ever had of buying a Ball watch has completely evaporated on reading this thread. What a useless shower!! They should be offering a refund to every owner imho, or at the very least offering an alternative watch model from their range of equivalent value to replace the broken one. It sounded like it couldn’t get any worse, then it did!
My god, what an absolute farce. I genuinely feel for you, the response by Ball has been appalling in regard to the damage you have reported.Sorry to resurrect this one,
I hadn’t heard a thing since my last message to Ball but this has arrived this morning. Apparently, there’s an issue with the movement & all Jet Set models are being recalled for modification .
I’m off on Friday so will be able to compile a suitable response & attach all previous pics /messages to the email address that sent out the recall message
I doubt if it’ll cut any ice but it’s worth a shot I suppose.
I hope you get some resolution. Maybe, as compensation for having to return the watch for the movement repair and bezel replacement they could throw in a standard case back??
Just a thought
Paul
Sent from my SM-S908B using Tapatalk
My sentiments exactly
This has put me right off.
TBH, I was never too convinced by Ball watches.
I prefer to wear mine on my wrist.
Yes, I was thinking of one of their watches. Not any more.
I prefer my OEM sundialThis has put me right off.
TBH, I was never too convinced by Ball watches.
I prefer to wear mine on my wrist.
(When I am laying on my back)
Took me a while...
And here we go with all the Ball Skin Diver jokes again.
Be sure to ask the rep how the issue with the hour hand got through all their "stringent QC checks"
Chortle.
Credit/ debit card claim back
I think it was bank transfer payment.
Sent from my Redmi Note 9S using TZ-UK mobile app
Ha this is a must!
I appreciate all your pertinent comments fellas, I’d included the "stringent QC checks" quip in my last email
to the obstinate guy, many thanks for that one.
I've had a response from the Ball department handing the re-call, it's not a refund , but better than I could have hoped for
24 hrs ago
What a fascinating about-face. Was it the same person as before?
Good outcome nonetheless I think.
I'd responded to the recall message and thankfully managed to bypass the gatekeeper
Did you pay via cc funded option? In which case do a charge back if you don't get what you want I think it covers worldwide purchasing
Payment was by bank transfer only, now I know why
Posting Permissions