|
Rolex St. James's shoutout and Watchmaster cautionary tale
(This recently appeared on tz-uk forums)
I just want to send my thanks to Rolex St. James's and let you know how helpful they have been with a recent problem I encountered dealing with Watchmaster.
I recently purchased what was guaranteed by Watchmaster as being a 'Mint and totally original' 'still with stickers etc'. 2016 UK AD supplied with full B&P Rolex Sea Dweller 4000. Things went horribly wrong when what arrived from these 'trusted experts' turned out to be an Italian AD supplied watch (Oops!) fitted with what to me looked like dodgy Submariner ceramic bezel parts. Their much vaunted guarantee to customers states: "With your watch purchase at Watchmaster, you are always on the safe side. We guarantee that every watch purchased by Watchmaster has been reviewed and verified for authenticy. We only sell watches that are 100% original." (cut and paste from their website - spelling errors are theirs).
When I sent them pics showing the watch sent to me with a 'Submariner' style bezel they suggested somewhat lamely that I had mistakenly been sent a watch with a Rolex SubC bezel and that this was purely a mix up at their watchmaker's desk while preparing a batch of watches. They insisted the bezel was genuine Rolex parts and this was just a 'minor and unexplainable error' their end. Not believing what they were telling me, I dropped my watch off at Rolex St. James's and they quickly confirmed that the bezel and ring were in fact fake and not Rolex manufactured SubC parts at all. This escalated to a row with Watchmaster about sending me a dodgy watch.
I won't bore you all with the blow by blow details, the catalogue of infantile Porkies and the idiotic wriggling and posturing that the CEO of Watchmaster attempted over the course of many days of arguments and countless emails. I refused to send my watch back to them to 'rectify' the matter (give them my watch as well as my money? Given their form so far? No thanks! Let Rolex St. James's put the watch right was my decision, even if I have to pay, and this didn't sit well at all with the Germans). They stubbornly refused to order the required original parts through Rolex UK, refused to order the parts from Rolex Germany and send them to Rolex St. James's and just doggedly insisted the watch be sent back to them to be corrected and they would do me the immense favour of giving me a watch winder for my trouble. Not likely, as I had quickly lost any trust or confidence in them. More fake parts or worse....would I ever see my watch again? They seemed rather too keen to get the watch back, could offer no logical reason why they would not order and send the correct parts over etc. Their CEO kept on saying 'because I don't have to do what you ask' when asked why he wouldn't sort this out by just ordering and sending the right parts over. The obvious, simplest and cheapest solution. Instead, they seemed determined to push me into accepting a refund (many people would have given in at that point, but not me). Cynical types might well wonder if they were hoping to get it back and then just re-list the watch at the new post Baselworld levels (£1-2k more than I had paid). Why else would they go to such lengths to annoy a customer? Baffling, I just don't know.
Anyway, after protracted arguments with the gentleman I came to think of as Herr Ledenhosen (the by now Jackboots well dug-in Watchmaster CEO), I was getting nowhere and running out of patience - so I lawyered up. I briefed a large and well know law firm in Berlin and bingo! .... (soiled Lederhosen at Watchmaster HQ hopefully?) .... Guess what, they suddenly 'found' my bezel and bezel ring! Maybe just a co-incidence? You decide.
You would think that would be the end of it - send the parts over and be rid of me! But no....still they refused to send the bezel and ring to Rolex St. James's and eventually, after repeatedly pointing out that what they were doing was illegal, (not acting on my instructions and unlawfully holding the original bezel which was fully paid for and legally my property) they finally caved in and sent the correct bezel and ring to Rolex St. James's (at the very last minute, just minutes before my instigation of formal legal proceedings). Watchmaster/their CEO had in writing incriminated themselves to such an extent that a quick review of the correspondence by someone with a brain (maybe their lawyer, once they saw I was serious about suing them?) saw a rapid about-face and climbdown. They had clearly admitted in various emails etc. to supplying me a watch with fake parts and furthermore they had refused to follow my instruction to send me my legal property. Pretty damning!
If these clowns had just handled the matter with some common sense there would have been no problem! A simple and immediate: "Sorry Sir, we don't know how this has happened. Of course we will immediately order the required bezel from Rolex and send to you for Rolex St. James's to fit to your watch. We will pay for any charges and please accept our apologies" would have kept me happy. Instead they tried to bluster and pull the wool over my eyes and I decided I wouldn't take any of their ****.
Rolex St. James's were unbelievably helpful in this sorry saga. They took time to examine my watch in minute detail and they wrote emails confirming the fake parts etc. Their involvement meant Watchmaster could not duck the issue. Not only did Rolex St. James's help me but they also did so completely free of charge. They removed the 'incorrect' (Watchmaster's euphemism for 'fake') bezel parts and verified and fitted the new bezel parts free of charge. They simply refused any payment. True gentlemen, and I am really grateful for their assistance.
Anyway, it all got sorted out in the end. Whew! Harder than it ever should have been, but no harm done other than a lot of stress and aggro. Lesson learned though: I won't deal with Watchmaster ever again.
|