To me this practice is bullshit. Taking deposits then welching on the deal is a terrible way to treat customers.
I just had a call from my AD saying there are significant supply issues with the new Snoopy, so deposits have to be returned. He said it's unlikely there will be many of these, and the AD has not received a single Snoopy to date... Ah well! Congrats to those who have been able to source one.
To me this practice is bullshit. Taking deposits then welching on the deal is a terrible way to treat customers.
Quite a few have reported having their deposits returned, only from AD’s. OB’s will not be returning deposits but I imagine all AD’s will have to. This must have all but destroyed the relationship between Omega and the big chains. The AD’s are innocent parties in this but what an absolutely enormous screw up by Omega. How not to market 101.
What's the cause of supply issues? An error with the numbers promised to ADs or some issue with parts?
Omega isn’t saying. There is no doubt that production has been hit by Covid shut downs and probably that ship blocking the canal. Also no doubt that they underestimated demand. Omega told OB’s to stop taking orders soon after the window opened and now say that it will take three years just to fill that backlog. I assume that means three years before they even consider allocating any stock to AD’s? They are being very cagey about the whole thing.
The people worst hit, and for whom I have genuine sympathy, are loyal Omega collectors who have spent 6 figure on Omega product at their AD but who can’t get a watch from their AD because no supply and can’t get one if they travel to another state/country to an OB because the OB will not acknowledge their purchasing history. I’d be livid.
Yeah, that sucks. I know Omega has two types of 'boutique'...one or two are owned by Omega (Bond Street and Regent Street) wheras others are franchises owned by ADs like Ernest Jones and Goldsmiths. I bet priority goes to the Omega owned boutiques.
Indeed. There are quite a few Beaverbrooks Omega boutiques in particular with nicely appointed stores with their own entrances etc. Omega has told them that the corporate Boutiques will get priority but have not explained exactly what that means.
An interesting twist is that, as you likely know, Omega has decided to make the allocations at HQ in Switzerland based on purchasing history, cutting the corporate Boutiques out of the loop and reversing a previous position on the matter. However, it would not be lawful for the non-corporate boutiques to send a customer purchase history to Omega in Switzerland for that purpose. So who makes the allocations in the 2nd class boutiques? I assume it is down to the discretion of the staff there but it could be a moot point anyway if the 60th anniversary piece is released before they get any watches 🤔
Isn’t it time to just stick watches in shop windows and sell on a first come first served basis? like the olden days?? (I know there were supposed waiting lists back then but with the exception of the steel daytona everything was in the window at some point). All this waiting lists and ‘limited editions’ is becoming a bit of a farce imho. Time this silly bubble burst.
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I wonder how much of the supply issue is actually of Omega's making?
Satori - you seem to know an awful lot of inside info on this topic!
Rolex do this with every professional steel model in their portfolio and everyone on here accepts it. Omega do it with one model and everyone is up in arms. Hmmm
Not quite. Rolex ADs don't routinely take deposits.
It isn't just a supply issue, it's an expectation issue. If you gave a deposit on day one you were expecting a watch, promised a watch even(!), and now after months and months you're having that deposit returned.
Some people may have rejected offers of other watches to keep their funds free for the Omega and will now have neither. Quite the piss take.
I was informed the same on Friday.
I was the first on the list at a Rolex/Omega independant and didn't need to pay a deposit as i am a regular customer but was contacted and said they had not had a single Snoopy and had just been informed they were not getting any this year.
Sorry, so Rolex don't artificially manipulate supply to ensure there are unusually long waiting lists for their popular models thus creating hype and demand for mass produced and not limited products, creating a frustrated and largely disillusioned customer base.....sorry I must pop in and buy a Daytona tomorrow then.
Yes I have this watch and fully understand the process to get one. That wasn't really my point. Point is that Omega have taken a page out of the Rolex sales and marketing playbook for this model and they are entitled to do so if they so desire. It's accepted practice for Rolex and some other manufacturers so why shouldn't Omega do it as well!
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Omega are trying to turn themselves into a Rolex type model and this is just the start of things to come. It’s supply and demand, reduce supply and increase demand and the prices to go with it. What do you get? Happy customers and no discounts.
I posted previously that they are reducing dealer margins as well and soon they will start to reduce the number of dealers and so on. So if you want an Omega and it pops up at a good price, get on board as in two or three years it may not be so discounted as it maybe today.
Perhaps if they didn't spread their capacity so thin with a million and one SKU's, there'd be a steady supply stream... But then we'd moan about xyz not be readily available.
Last edited by Jon Kenney; 7th July 2021 at 06:11.
Interesting!
We all knew that this watch was going to be popular after the last one but I don’t think anyone would have expected it to be as popular as it has been. My OB claims they have a list of 400 and have only had 4 watches to date! I wonder how many have been produced to date and if they will ever fill the backlog.
They never asked or would accept deposits so any dealer who has that was their own decision even when they didn’t know if and when they would get stock. That is nothing to do with Omega. Also this is a new OB to me as recently moved close by and have only purchased one watch from them before I got the Snoopy, the 50th Anniversary Apollo 11th, but I have got to know the manager by popping in when passing and having chats about Omegas. So I am not sure how much say Omega HQ actually have or what the criteria is as I doubt I would match it.
I remember that when these were announced it was advised to order from an OB if possible as these would be the first to receive stock with ADs following later…has this changed? It doesn’t seem so but due to supply the time will be much longer than expected
Annoying and no doubt why WF are asking for 20k for one.
I can see the logic of the boutique policy though.
By giving primacy to the boutique, Omega is ensuring those loyal to their brand are at the front of the queue. Most people who have chosen to go through the AD will be buying from competing brands too (most probably Rolex) to have built their AD status up.
Can't blame Omega for that.
My ad told my same supply issues mainly around the caseback design the are actually having issues and they might not see any
I had a call from my AD yesterday. He basically told me what you’ve all read here. Mentioned Omega hinted at next year and promised me the watch when it eventually came in but my deposit would be refunded. Bit rubbish to be honest. Definitely a case of setting the wrong expectations from Omega. This chap had over 40 people to call and break the news. Not fun.
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i made an enquiry for one of these and was more or less told no chance
Has anyone who’s reserved one from OMEGA Boutique at the Trafford Centre been told this?
They have been very good with keeping in touch with the progress from the start but after seeing this I have been expecting a call or email about the bad news.
No news is good news I hope.
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I had a deposit down at the Omega boutique in Glasgow that was returned to me. I have a deposit at another jewellers who seems to think I may get one around September time.
Mappin and Webb had one (I know this for a fact) so it wasnt just OBs that got them
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One way of looking at it is that Omega is essentially giving you £10k for free if you can obtain one of these at RRP and if you feel so inclined.
Had a call last week from Omega Boutique here in KSA if I could send pictures of my watch collection to them. Apparently along the lines of we want to know if you are a collector?
I told them that they have all my purchase history over the past 10 years. I did send pictures of my limited editions.
A couple of days later he contacted me and said one is confirmed yours and will be available end of August.
Will wait and see but it’s promising and fingers crossed. I can understand why they are doing this due to the secondary market value.
And like buses, had a call from Bahrain OB to say the below is on its way and do I want it? Grrrrrr would be happy with either to be honest, but I’ve waited this long I may as well hold on for the Snoopy.
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Yeah, I rang my AD yesterday and confirmed that I had purchased no less than 40 LE’s from them in the past five years. He couldn’t have been more apologetic (once he’d realised the errors of his ways) and is having three Snoopy’s flown to the UK directly from Switzerland for me to collect tomorrow. Result!
Popped into the Omega boutique in Glasgow and they said they had heard an interesting rumour from a well placed customer who is a huge Omega fan…
There could be a few Snoopy watches coming into stores from now and over the next weeks to coincide with the moon landing anniversary which is today (July 20)
is omega slowly going the rolex route of restricting supply and creating hype and demand? i’ve heard certain ADs that were offering discounts are now withdrawing these discounts and certain models are getting slightly harder to source.