A Tale of Two Watches

Discuss Christopher Ward watches
TP Fit
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A Tale of Two Watches

Post by TP Fit »

I want to start this thread with the utmost respect to all forum members, with an appreciation of what I have learned about the watch world from them. Like many, I am just sharing my experiences with CW. Unfortunately, my two watch experiences have been very negative :( and quite honestly very disappointed.

Tale one: "C60 300 Chrono"

* I bought my first CW watch, a C60 300 Chrono in mid December last year.
* Within 60 Days, on February 12th chronograph function malfunctioned (second hand set to the 58th second not the 60th).
* Sent a message immediately to CW through their automated message system on their website.
* No response for a week.
* Emailed with a follow up to my message. They responded 3 days later to find out that they had a system error and lost my message.
* Although I was within the 60 days, they recommended to have it serviced instead of a replacement.
* CW receives watch in early March. With multiple delays, I am still waiting for my watch and we are in June.
* With multiple delays I decided to request a replacement due to the delays. CW declined my request because I was beyond the 60 days. What they didn't realize or accept is that I contacted them before the 60 days was expired, when they recommended to service it. This was agreed upon when they stated 6 weeks to service. Mind you I started this process in Mid February. Here I am now first week of June. Lessoned learned I should have pushed for a replacement when I was within the 60 days but you would think that since I was within my 60 days originally that they would honor it after 8 weeks of delays.
* I sent an email about a week ago and no reply on the status but just a couple of days ago I get confirmation of the watch being sent with the shipping information. You would think I would have been notified first by CW service, not just getting a shipping/order confirmation.

Tale two: C65 Auto (nearly new)

* I ordered it this week, I figure I'd give CW another chance and get a watch while I'm waiting for the other.
* My birthday is tomorrow, a gift to myself. I chose expedited shipping to make it in time.
* Received today! Excited but had some reservations based on my last experience.
* Ironically I chose a quartz watch as my first because of the accuracy and dependability. Just my luck it didn't even last two months.
* As I participated in the forum I began to appreciate mechanical watches and here I am with the Auto. I feel i have matured as a new watch enthusiast and was very excited to enter into a new platform of watches.

***** What I opened and witnessed immediately upon setting my eyes on the beautiful dial. (see below)

Heartbroken, I just gasped with disappointment with the thought of spending nearly $1,200 dollars and have no functional watch from CW in 6 months. I have no words at this point, with the thought of having to deal with customer service and a return. Happy birthday to me...
IMG_5734.jpg
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Re: A Tale of Two Watches

Post by TP Fit »

Can someone give me a contact name and number in the CW service department that you feel has follow through and will rectify this as soon as possible?

At this point I paid $70 for shipping for my first watch, $30 for expedited shipping for my second and will have to spend another $70 to get this one back. $170 and no watch =(

Course of action:
Request a refund of $100 immediately before I ship 2nd watch.
Request a new watch be shipped immediately.
If not, I will return and request a full refund.

Being that my first two watches had issues I don't think this is unreasonable. What do you think? I was more than patient the first time and allowed them to give me quality service but they failed. I don't think I should wait another 3 months for a repaired watch again.

I appreciate your help in advance.
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Re: A Tale of Two Watches

Post by Mikkei4 »

That is a sad tale all the way through it.

The problem with the initial response from CW has been the subject of a few posts on here recently. Basically it is not fit for purpose - the automated Contact email form on the website does not work sufficiently well to initiate an acceptable response from CW.

The first "human" response from CW is poor - whoever it is doesn't seem to have the experience or empowerment to make a good customer service impression.

The turnaround of fixing faults is too long. Their response to you that they wouldn't replace after their delays put the watch outside 60 days is unacceptable.

The number of faults appears to be increasing in products that are increasing in price.

The fault on your C65 leaves me speechless.

I appreciate that it is much more difficult for USA and Canadian based customers to telephone CW UK direct but I would never have more than 1 email communication with CW. I would not wait 1 week for them to respond to an email - 2 working days is an acceptable and maximum compromise. If they can't answer within 2 working days then either they don't have enough staff or they are having too many problems.
I would escalate up their management structure each time I had to call them because each additional call would mean I wasn't satisfied with their response so far.

I've not had any recent experiences of buying a CW watch as the misplaced logo (I know, sorry but I will continue to say it) prevents me from liking anything enough to buy 1. However I did order a NN C60 bracelet earlier this year and despite a call to CS before I placed the order they still sent me the wrong bracelet, then sent an incorrect replacement bracelet after the first was returned so I escalated the problem up their structure. After 2 days of no response because Scott Callaway and his CS deputy were on holiday I booked a Showroom visit, took the offending 2nd bracelet and copies of the returns paperwork and the issue was fixed by them fitting a brand new correct bracelet to my C60 at no additional cost.

Proximity to the office building enabled me to do that but escalation of a problem, an assertive manner and telephone conversations rather than emails is the way to deal with them.

Re.your C65 problem - Once you have recovered and can be un-emotional telephone CW, request to speak to Scott Callaway, get him to call you back so you are not paying for the call and tell him what you have told and shown us this evening. I would be demanding immediate replacements (or refunds) for both watches, even if the C60 300 is on it's way back to you. If he is unwilling to do that then go to the owners so they are aware of the abysmal level of CS and product reliability provided to date.
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Re: A Tale of Two Watches

Post by Mikkei4 »

Scott Callaway
Customer Services Manager
1 Park Street
Maidenhead
Berkshire
SL6 1SL
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0)1628 763040
Scott.Callaway@christopherward.co.uk

or try chris.ward@christopherward.co.uk

I wouldn't bother talking to anybody lower in their structure than these 2 above.
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Re: A Tale of Two Watches

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

Phone number for CW is 0044 1628 763040 from USA.

Use the options to get through to 'Customer Service'.

Scott Callaway is the CS manager;- Scott.Callaway@christopherward.co.uk

or you could speak with Katie Howard who is also in the CS team and has been helpful in the past;- katie.howard@christopherward.co.uk

However, before you phone them I suggest you raise a Service and Repairs request which will log everything into their system.

Also to mention that, with CW's recently improved DHL system, they will arrange the return, at no cost to you, of the broken watch, which will be collected from you by DHL.

Hope this helps.

Guy

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In small proportions, we just beautie see:
And in short measures, life may perfect bee. - Ben Jonson (1572 – 1637)

Inscription on the Longitude Dial
Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 5NB, England
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Re: A Tale of Two Watches

Post by Mikkei4 »

Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 11:40 pm Phone number for CW is 0044 1628 763040 from USA.

Use the options to get through to 'Customer Service'.

Scott Callaway is the CS manager;- Scott.Callaway@christopherward.co.uk

or you could speak with Katie Howard who is also in the CS team and has been helpful in the past;- katie.howard@christopherward.co.uk

However, before you phone them I suggest you raise a Service and Repairs request which will log everything into their system.

Also to mention that, with CW's recently improved DHL system, they will arrange the return, at no cost to you, of the broken watch, which will be collected from you by DHL.

Hope this helps.

Guy

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Sorry to say this Guy but Katie was no help with my bracelet problem earlier this year - she didn't appear to understand what bracelet could or couldn't fit a C60 Trident and didn't answer the very specifically worded questions that I asked. So I told her that I needed face to face contact to get it understood and fixed with a correct bracelet, hence the showroom visit.
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Re: A Tale of Two Watches

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

Clearly our experiences differ.

Guy

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In small proportions, we just beautie see:
And in short measures, life may perfect bee. - Ben Jonson (1572 – 1637)

Inscription on the Longitude Dial
Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 5NB, England
what-time-is-it
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Re: A Tale of Two Watches

Post by what-time-is-it »

Sorry to hear another forum member with a problem, I feel your pain and disappointment. Happy birthday by the way!

I'm sorry to say, but CW can't cope. These isolated problems appear to be occurring more often and aren't one offs. Every interaction I've had with CW in 2019 had a problem of some kind.

You can have great design, amazing value, unbeatable service, approachable owners, but they appear to have focused too much on volume of sales and forgotten about quality, customer service, training, support and the fact that these are not cheap watches.

100% they are losing customers or repeat purchases. I don't care whether your bezel is almost as good as Rolex, get the basics right and then start saying how good you are! It's not as if CW are a massive enterprise with thousands of staff...and that's probably the root cause, not enough staff.

Rant over.
Current collection incl Citizen, G-Shock, Rolex, Seiko, Sinn & Tag.

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Re: A Tale of Two Watches

Post by mvlow »

Whenever I have telephoned CW with a question, I have called the USA customer service number 1-877-226-8224 at a time in the USA that is also normal business hours in the UK, such as 6am west coast time, which is 2pm UK time. When I explain my problem to the USA customer service they offer to transfer me to the UK office. I have never seen a charge on my phone bill for an international call when I do it this way. I have also had great success emailing Scott Callaway directly.
Malcolm


CW C60 Vintage Hamilton Khaki Field Sinn 104 CW C65 Vintage GMT Monta Oceanking Elliot Brown Holton
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Re: A Tale of Two Watches

Post by TP Fit »

Thank you everyone for your response to help out and also share your pain and/or experiences with CW support. Although, it doesn't make me feel better about CW, the forum does generally make me feel better. Good people = good attitudes. So, I will fight the fight and try to get this rectified. The last thing I will do Guy is document everything to them, they have the informations I have, no disrespect but I don't want to add insult to injury. I agree, it will make the process easier, but as many have stated, its the people that need to make the difference and that is what I will demand. Good service from human contact not a process that is obviously broken. Thanks again to all.

As a newbie in the watch world with immediate bad experience I am hoping to find some recourse here to continue with this hobby but not sure what direction post Christopher Ward...just thinking out loud. Have a great Friday everyone!

Ted (TP Fit)
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Re: A Tale of Two Watches

Post by TP Fit »

My course of action will be as follows:

* Cut and paste my original post with my plan of action sent to the above mentioned customer service manager and copy Chris Ward himself.
* Follow up with a phone call to the customer service manager.
* Request a new C65 auto shipped immediately (expedited).
* Request a tracking number/update on my first watch which was not included in the return order notice (wow, basics are neglected).
* Pray it all gets taken care of in one business day - haha wow you would think i wouldn't be this optimistic. Well, I'm pretty sure if they don't I am done with CW.

Ted
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Re: A Tale of Two Watches

Post by johnnysharp2 »

Whilst I am sure the majority of watch purchases from CW are satisfactory and the watches wonderful you do kinda get the feeling there are several issues they need to solve. Customer Service simply has to be better.
Probably an over the top comment but It is almost becoming more safe buying a watch from a forum member that is used and well cared for.

Hope you get this resolved, given your location it must be extremely frustrating and you probably feel a bit lost and helpless - that's not that pleasant at all I am sure.

Happy Birthday also, it was mine on the 5th. I chose a Steinhart as I did not have one, also got a CW C11 MSL on it's way to me from eBay.
Sometimes mint second hand is the way to go!
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A Tale of Two Watches

Post by McDaWisel »

I also feel like there must be 1000s of people reading the forums, but most only few compelled to post when something goes wrong...

It’s the only place you can vent and get an understanding “we’ve been there response”.

I guess that a good thing, I feel like that’s one of the things forums excel at! But it can leave the impression that a higher percentage of things go wrong than they actually do.
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Re: A Tale of Two Watches

Post by Mikkei4 »

Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 11:52 pm Clearly our experiences differ.

Guy

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and that difference is part of the present problem.There isn't a company out there that has zero problems with their products. But if a company's response to the problems differ from 1 customer to the next then there is something wrong with their processes and/or the staff involved.

Maybe I caught Katie at a busy time or simply the wrong time as she had been off a few days.
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Re: A Tale of Two Watches

Post by johnnysharp2 »

McDaWisel wrote: Fri Jun 07, 2019 8:26 am I also feel like there must be 1000s of people reading the forums, but most only few compelled to post when something goes wrong...

It’s the only place you can vent and get an understanding “we’ve been there response”.

I guess that a good thing, I feel like that’s one of the things forums excel at! But it can leave the impression that a higher percentage of things go wrong than they actually do.
I think we are all full of praise for what are really great watches, often at reasonable prices with many sales and bargains to be had over the years.
However, if there are problems it's only fair people vent their frustration. Especially for these issues when you are 1000 of miles away and feeling nothing is being done.
Johnny
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