How do I get my watch back?

Guff666

I am fortunate to own a fairly expensive watch and it is time it had a full service and clean.
Some research revealed Luxury Watch Repairs in Hatton Garden. They have good reviews, so I contacted them and they sent me a pouch to send the watch. Their stated service level was that I would receive an estimate within 5-7 days.

I sent the watch off at the beginning of June. Since then, I've been chasing them for updates.

I finally lost patience and asked them to return the watch. An estimate finally arrived on 12th July - after I had asked them to return the watch. I have zero confidence that they will perform the work in anything like a reasonable amount of time and I want my watch back.

They are now agreeing to return the watch but want to charge me £21.60 for postage and insurance. Given that the cause of the breakdown in relationship is solely down to them, I am loath to pay them and I need to know my rights in this area.

eskbanker

Could you go and collect it in person?  If not, then a modest charge for safely sending it back to you doesn't seem inappropriate, unless they gave some written commitment that they'd do so FOC?

Edit:

How much do you charge for Estimates?

Our diagnostics and estimate process is entirely free of charge (unless explicitly stated otherwise).

Should you not wish to proceed with the Estimate, you may simply collect the watch from any of our locations, for no charge whatsoever.

Alternatively, we can return the watch via secure, special delivery for £21.60.

https://luxurywatchrepairs.com/faqs/

Grumpy_chap

Guff666 said:

I am fortunate to own a fairly expensive watch and it is time it had a full service and clean.
Some research revealed Luxury Watch Repairs in Hatton Garden. They have good reviews, so I contacted them and they sent me a pouch to send the watch. Their stated service level was that I would receive an estimate within 5-7 days.

I sent the watch off at the beginning of June. Since then, I've been chasing them for updates.

I finally lost patience and asked them to return the watch. An estimate finally arrived on 12th July - after I had asked them to return the watch. I have zero confidence that they will perform the work in anything like a reasonable amount of time and I want my watch back.

They are now agreeing to return the watch but want to charge me £21.60 for postage and insurance. Given that the cause of the breakdown in relationship is solely down to them, I am loath to pay them and I need to know my rights in this area.

Is the "fairly expensive watch" worth more than £21.60?
Is the cost to travel and collect in person more than £21.60?

Get the watch back and then arrange for a local and trusted jeweller to do the service.

FWIW - I would travel to collect the watch in person.

screech_78

My husband owns a very expensive watch (much to my dismay) and he would never send it away in the post. 

I’d pay the fee and get it back. Argue about your rights afterwards if you need to but surely you'd rather have it back safely. As others have said, go and collect if you can. 

TELLIT01

Is it a battle worth starting?  I understand the annoyance with the situation but I'd personally pay the 20 quid to get my watch bag and put it down to experience.  If they are on Trustpilot or similar leave an accurate review there.

vacheron

If you have lost confidence in them, and they have your watch, and they have acknowledged that they have your watch, and are willing to return it. Pay the money and lift a huge weight of uncertainty off your shoulders.

£21.60 would barely cover a royal mail special delivery postage cost with just £2,500 worth of insurance cover, which a failry expensive watch would most likely exceed. So that price seems fair. When I have shipped expensive watches in the past I have regularly had quotes exceeding £100.

PHK

I have to say that a month is not a particularly long time for the repair of a quality timepiece (or any other repair that needs a skilled craftsman). 

Pollycat

PHK said:

I have to say that a month is not a particularly long time for the repair of a quality timepiece (or any other repair that needs a skilled craftsman). 

That time period wasn't for the service/clean.
It was just for the estimate...it took almost 6 weeks.
Even though they said the estimate would take 5-7 days. 

I'd pay the money to get the watch back.

Undervalued

PHK said:

I have to say that a month is not a particularly long time for the repair of a quality timepiece (or any other repair that needs a skilled craftsman). 

A friend of mine had a watch repaired by post and the whole process took several months, quite a bit longer than was indicated. Perfectly satisfactory job though!

Arunmor

I had my flieger watch repaired recently under warranty (had to back to Germany) and that took about 7 weeks.

PHK

Pollycat said:

PHK said:

I have to say that a month is not a particularly long time for the repair of a quality timepiece (or any other repair that needs a skilled craftsman). 

That time period wasn't for the service/clean.
It was just for the estimate...it took almost 6 weeks.
Even though they said the estimate would take 5-7 days. 

I'd pay the money to get the watch back.

I appreciate that, but to produce the estimate requires the repairer or horologist to inspect the timepiece. I think their fault was quoting 5 to 7 days.