Reply With QuoteTo assume makes an ass out of you, me and probably the lume.
I enquired about a watch that had a very clean looking tritium dial. The plots were very white and I couldn't tell from the photos whether the hands were tritium too, so I asked the question...
Reply:Wow!The dial is a tritium dial so I would assume the hands are too. Do you have any further queries or are you interested in this watch?
Last edited by Optimum; 15th January 2016 at 16:24.
To assume makes an ass out of you, me and probably the lume.
Agreed.
The Watchfinder school of customer service. ;-)
Wonderful service, what was your reply ?
Post a review on Trustpilot via the Customer Service link on their site.
http://watchfinder.co.uk/info/Customer-Care
I posted a scathing review on a different dealer a while back when I received less than satisfactory phone manner from a junior employee. The man in charge got back to me so quickly to make amends and I got an excellent goodwill gesture from them in the end, and said junior employee received "retraining".
Last edited by groyn; 15th January 2016 at 22:43.
I didn't bother. Strangely all interest in the watch has dissipated...Originally Posted by -Ally-
You sound like a hoot. Scathing and willing to ruin someone's business due to a 'less than satisfactory' manner of a junior employee. It's a shame the Internet has given people power.
What would you suggest his review consisted of? 'Someone was very slightly disinterested towards me via email. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!'?
Chronext is good, I got an BNIB SD4K from them and the service was great. All done over the Internet/email, I think they do previously owned too. Just pick your time with the exchange rate to Euro, as their prices seem to track this. Stick in Tube100 and get an additional £100 off (when I did it I got £118 off). I have heard if you get them on the phone and say you'll pick up at their London store they might give a better discount as they don't have to post to you (included in my price). (I'm not affiliated or linked to this firm apart from my purchase, think I saw a recommend for them on this site, and used them - did a trust pilot review too with the details).
I think it's good that the Internet gives us power as you put it. Customer is king they used to say. Now it seems that many sellers feel the customer is dog dirt and should be pressured into buying any old tat and paying thru the nose for it, then they expect to talk to you like they just trod in you. I very much enjoy it when this happens in person I have a rather short temper and a large mouth. When buying over the internet if I'm treated badly I don't care what damage I do the business, it's their job to satisfy a customer in the first place then they wouldn't have to worry!
They offered me £1300-1500 for a watch they sell for £2850. Thought car dealers were bad
It’s all about perception and one mans opinion of satisfaction is different to another.
If I was a retailer and you popped me an email, letting me know your personality as above, I wouldn’t sell you diddly squat.
I think most "normal" people know the difference between good and bad service and there are others who don't.
I don't think there are many "normal" people on this forum.
Your attitude burnsey on what YOU think is acceptable is quite odd in my opinion.
And as for you being a retailer, I don't think you'd last very long.
Lovely.
indeed?
I have been a highly successful retailer most of my adult life.
What still bemuses me, is how other members don’t understand the internet is not real life, nor are many of the personas displayed.
Separate the two and you’ll sleep easier.
Last year I posted a scathing review online, but only as a last resort following appalling customer service and where the business in question flat refused to deal with a legitimate complaint at all, let alone in an acceptable way (if interested, look at the Tripadvisor reviews for Admiral House Hotel in the Isle of Man).
The Internet is a double edged sword when it comes to customer satisfaction. I experienced shockingly bad service backed up with personal insults and no apology, and I think it reasonable to use a review site to describe the experience factually. It certainly wasn't about money- I've given bigger tips for genuinely good service than the amount of money in question.
What I don't like is the ease with which any Joe can come along and post up a bad review on the slightest pretext either for malicious sport or to try to extort some kind of sweetener from the maligned business. Gutter-level morals either way.
Yes, receiving an offhand reply to a casual enquiry might not be what you'd hope for but at that stage you're not actually a "customer" so I for one would not think a bad review appropriate. Move on and buy elsewhere.
Just for the record, I have no intention of leaving a review based upon one offhand e-mail. I've actually had excellent service from them in the past when buying a brand new piece. I just found it an interesting indication of how much actual knowledge the sales guy had. I would expect that if I had emailed Mike Wood or Dom Hackett they would have known exactly what I was driving at. I would happily use WF again for a modern piece but I may steer clear for older purchases.
Wow indeed.
I described a verbatim account of the conversation in my review and rated them one star, citing poor customer service. I don't think I ruined their business. In fact, it identified a weak link in their business, which they rectified. The first contact, in this case by phone, is really important and the employee was made aware of that in his retraining. When the issue was resolved, I took down my review and confirmed with them that I had done so. A generous goodwill offer was made, but I did not post my review for that. As it turned out, for other reasons, the deal did not work out, but it was all amicable.
I hadn't appreciated from your original post that it was an email. As we know, nuances picked up in direct conversation are not always apparent in an email.
Reading their reply again with a more open mind, I wonder if no offence was actually intended and it was a genuine question if you were interested (to come in and see it?)
"The dial is a tritium dial so I would assume the hands are too. Do you have any further queries or are you interested in this watch?"
What if he meant: Do you have any further queries - pause - are you interested in this watch?
This.
First time I read it the comments seemed a bit rude - basically are you a serious buyer or a time waster. Reading it again, it does seem like the latter interpretation might apply.
This is a case I think where a phone call might have been more productive than email. I usually ask them to call me with the watch and papers etc. in front of them to answer questions if I am serious.
Which model was it ? I'd imagine it was a sports model but I hardly think they have made a cardinal sin in the way they dealt with your enquiry . The internet is faceless and it's easier to be a tyre kicker than ever before with companies selling things. I imagine they get their fair share of idiots asking all manner of dumb questions .
If your buying a decent watch it's always best to try before you buy particularly when you would need to confirm the most important issue of whether the hands were actually real Tritium or not !
Well, I am in the middle of a dispute over a watch, in which I feel disturbed by their behaviour. So much so that I have had to take legal advice. I don't know how this will end, and other people seem content enough with Watchfinder. Me....I wouldn't touch them again with a bargepole.
My advice would be to check everything they say, insist on seeing all paperwork before handing over any money, if buying a nearly new watch check serial numbers to see when it was actually made.....assume that they might take every possible advantage of the many pages of small-print. Just be carefull. John Lewis or Marks and Spencer they are not.
Unduly harsh? I don't think so, judging from my experiences so far. But, as I said, some people clearly take a different view. And of course comments on the internet have to be approached with caution, but I have found dealing with this company to be highly problematic. Perhaps I'm just unlucky.....
Last edited by paskinner; 16th January 2016 at 18:53.
Of course it's real life. It exists and therefore it is part and parcel of real life. It's a form of communication, like telephones, letters, and so on. All these things are real and are part of real life. Real world laws apply to the Internet.
Such personae may be 'Internet personae' but they are no less real and no less part of the real world. A person is still wholly responsible in real life for what they say and do on the Internet (because it is real life).
Quite possibly, but you'd be deluded.
Pretending that the Internet is not part of real life (for what seem to be entirely arbitrary reasons) is wrong at a factual level, wrong at a practical level, wrong at a legal level, and wrong at a psychological level.
Sure, things can be different when communicating via the Internet because any technical environment that facilitates communication brings with it its own differences. Every form of communication in a little bit different (e.g. letter differs from email, phone differs from face to face, and so on). But they are all real life.
Mark, your logic knows no boundaries.
Youve no idea whatsoever in respect of the context of my post. It's in response to that posted by a long term stalker of mine. Please, please try to join the dots.
Seriously, one day someone will read one of your forensically presented posts and jump off a bridge.
If you have some secret context of your own then that's fine, of course, but it doesn't make what I said any less true or any of this any less part of real life.
Darwin Awards are available for such real world actions.
I'm in the same boat. Unhappy about something they sold me and about their behaviour.
Not sure I'll be taking it trough the legal adversary route tho.
I think there is a matter of luck involved in any sale, especially when it involves high ticket items.
What annoys me is that the onus of research is on the buyer, they take no responsibility whatsoever.
I think I would still sell and buy something "relatively" new from them, but definitely not vintage.
I wouldn't buy from them.
I've sold to them and they give fair prices, the cash takes 5 days to clear each time.
They turned over £36 million last year, if that means anything.
Can you give details or is it still ongoing?
It'll be ongoing if I decide to take it further.
Nothing too serious really but is the unhelpful attitude that is annoying me more than anything else.
Once is settled I might rant about it here :-)
Best of luck, you'll have it under control I'm sure.
Watchfinder
'The Ryanair of second hand watch dealers'
It might be said that Ryanair are cheaper than their competitors and that buyers know what they are getting...
I'm surprised by your comment, unless I misunderstood it.
You sell rolexes cheaper than other shops, surely you wouldn't equate price with customer service?
I'm not trying to start a fight but I've always found your posts very informative and agreeable, this one has taken me by surprise. Would you care to elaborate?
I was raising the question as to whether the analogy with Ryanair was sound...
Just something I overheard down the pub :)
Personally I wouldn't liken Ryanair to any other business, they are quite unique in their modus operandi.
All separate incidents where they were fined hundreds of thousands, and even millions at a time for poor customer service...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/tr...r-service.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24371633
http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articl...headline-fares
http://business-reporter.co.uk/2015/...ice-phoneline/
The inverse could be true of Watchfinder if the reports found in this discussion are to be believed.
I did no more than raise the question! People do seem to have mixed experiences with Watchfinder, but the very two attributes I associate with Ryanair are ones this thread may focus on.
FWIW, I've known and still know some good people there. It is a peculiar business.
H
I've only ever bought from Watchfinder when they've had good sales on so there prices have been reasonable.
Their customer service has always been something of a lottery so personally the Ryanair analogy is quite a good one.
At other times and for other people, Haywoods view is, to me, quite appropriate.
Didn't think for a second that you did anything other.
I'm somewhat in Watchfinder's pocket after selling to them, something I may do again. Both times I did they were politeness personified. The money arrived in my account 5 days after I hand delivered the watches to Burlington Arcade.
Once, before I sold them anything, I tried to buy a watch from them. It turned out be in poor condition when I went to view it. They didn't seem keen to disclose any meaningful details of its condition before I saw the watch. It was suggested I do this either through actually buying it online or viewing in person. I popped down to check it out and show I was keen to buy.
My curiosity is piqued by the sheer volume and scale of what they have created. I ask myself whether it's possible to meet every customer's needs.
Can they really stock and service this many watches to a high standard and make everyone happy? Am I being unreasonable to expect them to service every watch that's losing time, polish out un-polishable deep gouges from watches, describe a vintage Rolex in the manner a true connoseur would be familiar with?
We have seen several reports of poor service. Usually from someone who has purchased a watch sight unseen online, not been happy with the condition as described and subsequently sent it back. In some of these reported cases, the outcome has not been satisfactory for the buyer, in some of them it has.
Last edited by TimeOut; 17th January 2016 at 00:17.
I've sold two Rolexes to Watchfinder on different occasions (years apart) and got much better prices than I could have got on here and much better prices than the offers I received from some of the other well known dealers and pawnbrokers.
When I bought an Omega from them it was not as described so I returned it with minimal fuss. To be fair to them they are good at accepting returns.
I'd be interested in some more information about how these transactions escalate into legal disputes. Did they not accept a return and refund?
Absolutely this. The point has been proven in court many times now. Too many people on this forum seem to think they can throw insults and abuse about.
Can you show us when?
Plenty of examples out there of people taken to court and sentenced for comments made on the Internet, from the riots a few years ago onwards. I'm sure you can find these yourself if you search the Internet.
Thanks for the insight, you sure make a convincing argument.
Do a Google search for "Old Holborn" and "troll".
Thanks draughtsmann, I remember that story.
Subjecting 'victims' to a 'prolonged Twitter assault', and chatting about watches are two very different things.
Yes thanks Draftsmann. There are more examples out there for people who can be bothered to look for themselves.
Totally agree that chatting about watches is a very different thing.
It's the insults and obscenities that some members here bandy about and which spill over into watch talk that I commented on.
Sure, it's not always productive and tempers can run a mock. Trying to keep things on topic is always the most satisfying way to go (for me at least) but not always the easiest.
Not a stalker just someone who seems to disagree with you in most instances. Forgive me for this but you do spout some shite.
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