Watch Repair Company Gone Dark

wdw2003

Six weeks ago, I sent in a £1,000 watch for repair to a company I'd previously used with no problem, with a one week turnaround.  They've now been ignoring requests for updates and on a review site and their FB page, many others are in the same boat.  It looks like they've done a runner, as their stall in a shopping centre has been closed for weeks.

I have an email from them acknowledging receipt, but no money has yet changed hands, so no CC company involved.  I've contacted Citizen's Advice as a first step to involving Trading Standards, but have zero expectations from them.   Is there anything I can do to salvage something from this?

Manxman_in_exile

You entrusted the repair of a 1k watch to somebody on a shopping centre "stall"?  Am I misreading that?

Aylesbury_Duck

Manxman_in_exile said:

You entrusted the repair of a 1k watch to somebody on a shopping centre "stall"?  Am I misreading that?

Steady on, they have a facebook page as well.

OP, do you have any other information about them from their email receipt?  Company name, address for example?  Without that, you might approach the shopping centre management to see if they have any contact details.  You really need an address so that if it comes to it, you can take small claims action.

wdw2003

To me, they were an online mail-in repair company which had good reviews when I first used them a few years ago with no problems.  It seems they also have a stall in a shopping centre.  The company is Ross Watch Repairs in Tunbridge Wells and until the beginning of September they seemed to have traded successfully for years.  Now it's all gone horribly wrong for quite a number of people, as you'd see on their FB page and other reviews.

Flight3287462

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11347073

That took me 30 seconds.

wdw2003

Thanks Hunyani.  So should I raise a small claims action against him at that address, or maybe just write to him first asking for my watch back?  I've never been in this situation before, so am unsure what to do next.

davidmcn

wdw2003 said:

Thanks Hunyani.  So should I raise a small claims action against him at that address, or maybe just write to him first asking for my watch back?  I've never been in this situation before, so am unsure what to do next.

Your claim is against the limited company, not him.

Aylesbury_Duck

wdw2003 said:

Thanks Hunyani.  So should I raise a small claims action against him at that address, or maybe just write to him first asking for my watch back?  I've never been in this situation before, so am unsure what to do next.

I'd try the personable route before "going legal".  He may have had a major change in personal circumstances (illness, bereavement, etc) and it will eventually get sorted.  If you don't get a reasonable response, then it's a letter before action to the business.

Flight3287462

It looks as if the company maybe about to fold and if you go all legal you will probably just join the list of creditors.  Start digging around and see if you can contact him personally.

Keep_pedalling

Hunyani_Flight_825 said:

It looks as if the company maybe about to fold and if you go all legal you will probably just join the list of creditors.  Start digging around and see if you can contact him personally.

The OP is not a creditor, the company have his / her watch in their possession, it still belongs to the OP and is not a company asset to be disposed of to pay creditors.