Timpson: Don't let them near your watch!
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Naf
Posts: 3,160 Forumite
Caution: it's a biggie.
I'm currently awaiting a response to my complaint re: THE THIRD TIME IT HAS BEEN TO THEIR SERVICE CENTRE; and I never wanted it sent in the first place.
My watch battery died so I went looking around to get it replaced. Most of the jewellers I visited wanted to send it off, and charge me up to £50 for it. I knew there would be private places that'd do it faster, but before I could ask anyone I noticed Timpson's offer that you pay slightly more for one battery replacement and it's 'guaranteed for life' i.e. every time it runs out, you can get it replaced for free. The offer tempted me, against my better judgement (Timpson have always seemed a bit suspect and not quite fully professional to me) to go and have them replace my battery. The poster said 'while you wait' after all.
The young man poked and prodded around inside the back of my watch for longer than I would have thought necessary, then asked me to come back 10 minutes later to collect it. There were a couple of customers waiting so I assumed this was why and finished my other business up town. When I collected the watch, one of the buttons (the most vital one no less; the crown for setting, adjusting and resetting the watch) was loose. I politely pointed it out to the assistant and he insisted there was no way it could possibly have been anything he'd done. Well it wasn't that way when I brought it in, so I pushed a little (he became quite argumentative) and eventually arranged for the watch to be sent to their service centre, who would fix it if the problem could have been caused by his poking around, then they'd fix it free of charge; otherwise I'd have to arrange and pay for a repair myself.
Two weeks later I went back in to collect my repaired watch; the button was absolutely fine; I had a new pressure test certificate, all seemed great. The watch is rated to 30m; the manufacturer defines it as 'skin diving'; explained as anything without needing a wetsuit and scuba gear. I do nothing like this, hardly even swim, so bathing the kids and doing the dishes seems reasonable, yes? Think again. Just a few days later I woke up to discover the inside of the glass was steamed up. Into the other branch I went (not prepared to put up with another argument from the same assistant) and they sent it off again. After calling the service centre for me, they discovered there was a backlog of around 3 weeks, and they weren't prepared to give my watch any priority. Thoroughly annoyed at this, I followed up with an e-mail to their customer services who immediately bumped my watch up the list; and after some discussion I ensured that they would be checking it all over, particularly in light of the water leak, and guaranteeing it.
Around a week later (the 1st July) I collected my watch once again, all seemed well, I had no issues with it steaming up etc. Great!
NO!
10th August; my 26th birthday no less (and the watch's 8th), baking a cake I set the countdown timer function for 35 minutes. Good job I noticed the wall clock 40mins later as the watch hadn't made a sound. After making sure the cake was OK and onto the cooling rack (priorities, obviously) I tried again, setting for 1min and watching for the finish; no beep. I tried the alarm function, again for 1 min in the future; no beep. Stopwatch; start, stop, reset... no beeps! Livid, I traipsed back to the store; the moment the assistant took the back off, there was the ceramic speaker; obviously corroded even to my eyes.
So now they have it again; and once again I've emailed to follow it up. I sent the email over the weekend, so my minimum service expectation was at least a reply on Monday, some kind of acknowledgement; nope. I received, mid afternoon on Tuesday:
I responded that 'due course' meant nothing, asking if my email had actually been read yet.
"This afternoon"... well I'd received nothing when I replied at 7pm, and still nothing (obviously) now I'm writing this at 10.
My suggestion, just don't even set foot through their door, its not worth it. Doubt I'll even go back for a key cutting.
I'm currently awaiting a response to my complaint re: THE THIRD TIME IT HAS BEEN TO THEIR SERVICE CENTRE; and I never wanted it sent in the first place.
My watch battery died so I went looking around to get it replaced. Most of the jewellers I visited wanted to send it off, and charge me up to £50 for it. I knew there would be private places that'd do it faster, but before I could ask anyone I noticed Timpson's offer that you pay slightly more for one battery replacement and it's 'guaranteed for life' i.e. every time it runs out, you can get it replaced for free. The offer tempted me, against my better judgement (Timpson have always seemed a bit suspect and not quite fully professional to me) to go and have them replace my battery. The poster said 'while you wait' after all.
The young man poked and prodded around inside the back of my watch for longer than I would have thought necessary, then asked me to come back 10 minutes later to collect it. There were a couple of customers waiting so I assumed this was why and finished my other business up town. When I collected the watch, one of the buttons (the most vital one no less; the crown for setting, adjusting and resetting the watch) was loose. I politely pointed it out to the assistant and he insisted there was no way it could possibly have been anything he'd done. Well it wasn't that way when I brought it in, so I pushed a little (he became quite argumentative) and eventually arranged for the watch to be sent to their service centre, who would fix it if the problem could have been caused by his poking around, then they'd fix it free of charge; otherwise I'd have to arrange and pay for a repair myself.
Two weeks later I went back in to collect my repaired watch; the button was absolutely fine; I had a new pressure test certificate, all seemed great. The watch is rated to 30m; the manufacturer defines it as 'skin diving'; explained as anything without needing a wetsuit and scuba gear. I do nothing like this, hardly even swim, so bathing the kids and doing the dishes seems reasonable, yes? Think again. Just a few days later I woke up to discover the inside of the glass was steamed up. Into the other branch I went (not prepared to put up with another argument from the same assistant) and they sent it off again. After calling the service centre for me, they discovered there was a backlog of around 3 weeks, and they weren't prepared to give my watch any priority. Thoroughly annoyed at this, I followed up with an e-mail to their customer services who immediately bumped my watch up the list; and after some discussion I ensured that they would be checking it all over, particularly in light of the water leak, and guaranteeing it.
Around a week later (the 1st July) I collected my watch once again, all seemed well, I had no issues with it steaming up etc. Great!
NO!
10th August; my 26th birthday no less (and the watch's 8th), baking a cake I set the countdown timer function for 35 minutes. Good job I noticed the wall clock 40mins later as the watch hadn't made a sound. After making sure the cake was OK and onto the cooling rack (priorities, obviously) I tried again, setting for 1min and watching for the finish; no beep. I tried the alarm function, again for 1 min in the future; no beep. Stopwatch; start, stop, reset... no beeps! Livid, I traipsed back to the store; the moment the assistant took the back off, there was the ceramic speaker; obviously corroded even to my eyes.
So now they have it again; and once again I've emailed to follow it up. I sent the email over the weekend, so my minimum service expectation was at least a reply on Monday, some kind of acknowledgement; nope. I received, mid afternoon on Tuesday:
Timpson wrote:Thank you for your email
We will be back to you in due course
Customer Care Team
I responded that 'due course' meant nothing, asking if my email had actually been read yet.
Timpson wrote:Dear Mr Young
I am looking into your complaint at the moment and will come back to you this afternoon.
Regards
"This afternoon"... well I'd received nothing when I replied at 7pm, and still nothing (obviously) now I'm writing this at 10.
My suggestion, just don't even set foot through their door, its not worth it. Doubt I'll even go back for a key cutting.
Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.
- Mark Twain
Arguing with idiots is like playing chess with a pigeon: no matter how good you are at chess, its just going to knock over the pieces and strut around like its victorious.
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Comments
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They've always appeared over-priced to me. Ours is currently boarded up after being thoroughly trashed and looted last week.0
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I am a little wary of them for fixing watches, it isn't as if they do the level or kind of business that warrants a jeweler or watchmaker on each site! And I don't take my shoes to the watchmender for resoling!
If you ever get the watch back in one piece and working, have a hunt around the backstreets of where you live, you may well find an independent watch/clockmender who can sort you out on site - in Bath there are at least 2 places I can think of right off the top of my head, and we're a 1-Timson-city!0 -
I am a little wary of them for fixing watches, it isn't as if they do the level or kind of business that warrants a jeweler or watchmaker on each site! And I don't take my shoes to the watchmender for resoling!
If you ever get the watch back in one piece and working, have a hunt around the backstreets of where you live, you may well find an independent watch/clockmender who can sort you out on site - in Bath there are at least 2 places I can think of right off the top of my head, and we're a 1-Timson-city!
I've always had pretty much the same opinion of them; it was entirely against my better judgement to go there, but I figured it was only changing the battery. Ha! Right.
I've been told of two independents since; but currently I'm not paying to repair their screw up if I can help it. If anything else is wrong with it, it goes straight back to manufacturer for full service, and I charge Timpson for it.Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.- Mark TwainArguing with idiots is like playing chess with a pigeon: no matter how good you are at chess, its just going to knock over the pieces and strut around like its victorious.0 -
Like others, it was so cheap that I couldn't resist getting my battery changed. Whatever they did, the second and stopwatch hands now no longer reset to zero, but I can live with that.
Mind you, I did it in the full knowledge that my 200m rated "diving" watch would no longer be considered waterproof, but that wasn't important to me. I wouldn't use them for a quality or waterproof watch.0 -
Like others, it was so cheap that I couldn't resist getting my battery changed. Whatever they did, the second and stopwatch hands now no longer reset to zero, but I can live with that.
Mind you, I did it in the full knowledge that my 200m rated "diving" watch would no longer be considered waterproof, but that wasn't important to me. I wouldn't use them for a quality or waterproof watch.
Your watch should have a way of resetting the second and stop watch hands to zero - check the watch manual."You were only supposed to blow the bl**dy doors off!!"0 -
maninthestreet wrote: »check the watch manual.
The manual's long since gone. Whenever I press the buttons to reset, the hands go to the 34 second mark. That's probably where they were when the original battery was removed. I can live with it, and it did only cost about £7 for the battery after all.0 -
I am a little wary of them for fixing watches, it isn't as if they do the level or kind of business that warrants a jeweler or watchmaker on each site! And I don't take my shoes to the watchmender for resoling!
I think that sums up so many places in this day and age - truly Jack of all trades and master of none !!!0 -
Well, this is a turn up. I received a call today from a manager in the Customer Service dept. Very apologetic (naturally); has arranged for my watch to be bumped up and should be done by the weekend; will be delivered direct to me, I don't have to collect from branch and they've offered me a watch up to £100 from https://www.lingraywatches.co.uk.
They're claiming the watch is getting too old to source new parts, so aren't prepared to guarantee their work. Its a shame nothing on the site particularly takes my fancy... but its free after all :-p
Maybe I'll just get whichever I can get most for on eBay...Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.- Mark TwainArguing with idiots is like playing chess with a pigeon: no matter how good you are at chess, its just going to knock over the pieces and strut around like its victorious.0 -
just out of curiosity, what kind of watch do you have at the moment? (I used to work in a jewellers and did the odd battery change myself on a variety of watches).0
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An Accurist world time chronograph. Without the watch here I can't tell you the specific model.Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.- Mark TwainArguing with idiots is like playing chess with a pigeon: no matter how good you are at chess, its just going to knock over the pieces and strut around like its victorious.0
This discussion has been closed.
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