Change in 60 Month Warranty Policy?

Discuss Christopher Ward watches
User avatar
FloridaPhil
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 2483
Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2016 5:48 pm
CW-watches: 5
Location: Sarasota, Florida, USA

Re: Change in 60 Month Warranty Policy?

Post by FloridaPhil »

Kip: Seems to me that CW is just being more specific regarding the warranty coverage and that they no longer wish to be taken advantage of due to lack of care/maintenance. If a part is defective it will still be replaced foc. If it has failed due to lack of proper maintenance, you pay.
With respect, that is probably the craziest comment I've read in a long time.

NOBODY is 'taking advantage' of a warranty if that was the warranty offered at the time of purchase. Does Omega require a watch to be serviced
before the warranty term has expired in order for it to be covered? No, no they don't.

The attempted spin going on here is unbelievable. CW HAS changed the terms of their warranty: it's now 60:60* which is actually 60:48. They need to just be honest about it. By having the watch serviced, at your cost, all you are doing is adding another year - something that is a general industry standard following service and is included in the cost.

Perhaps, CW needs to add an extended warranty option at the time of purchase that includes a service of the watch but then it would need to, in my mind, be a 72 or 84 month warranty period to offer the owner value.
WatchChat on Facebook
The friendliest watch group on Facebook chatting about our watch passion and whatever else happens to come up.
User avatar
nbg
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 13151
Joined: Sun Nov 24, 2013 6:43 pm
CW-watches: 14
Location: UK

Re: Change in 60 Month Warranty Policy?

Post by nbg »

sproughton wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2019 1:59 pm Christopher Ward announces lifetime* guarantee

*If you pay for it to be serviced every 12 months
Beat me to it! :D :clap: :clap: :lol:

“Smoke and mirrors” from the very company that supposedly doesn’t like the “smoke and mirrors” about how certain aspects of the rest of the industry operates. :problem:

Neil
Other watch forums of interest:
TZ-UK
User avatar
golfjunky
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 6842
Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2010 7:32 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Change in 60 Month Warranty Policy?

Post by golfjunky »


The attempted spin going on here is unbelievable.
:thumbup: :lol: :thumbup: :lol: :thumbup: :lol:
im sure some of the people in here are on the CW payroll.
Current collection = Omega Seamaster 2225.80.00, Omega Speedmaster 'Moonphase' 3576.50.00, Breitling Aerospace Evo, Vintage Azur, Vintage Seiko Sprtsman, Grand Seiko SBGX059, Omega SMP NTTD 210.92.42.20.01.001, Casioak Milkyway, Casioak Tiffany Sky.
User avatar
mvlow
Senior Guru
Senior Guru
Posts: 742
Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2017 7:29 pm
CW-watches: 2
Location: Oregon

Re: Change in 60 Month Warranty Policy?

Post by mvlow »

Lavaine wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2019 1:14 am
Robotaz wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2019 1:03 am Is it 36 or 48? LOL
True. The new warranty is incredibly vague. If I develop a fault at month 47, but haven't had a service, is it covered or not? And in checking the service history, do they check if I've had the watch serviced independently? Someone used the analogy of car maintenance (which I don't think is accurate but let's go with it for a minute). I don't have to have my car serviced at the dealer for the warranty to remain valid, I only have to be able to provide proof (receipts) that maintenance was done. Does the same apply with my CW?
From the new manual. It specifically states "but if it develops a movement fault within 5 years, and has been serviced by us at the recommended interval (within a maximum of 4 years from date of despatch), we will repair it for free under warranty." Bold and underline of the "by us" added by me.

So according to their own wording you can't have it independently serviced in order to maintain the warranty. Obviously this is not going to start being an issue for another four years as the MKIII was just released, but I would hope they would set up a system of authorized service facilities in other countries such as the USA, so we don't have to ship the watch back to the UK for a mandatory service. With their growth, that shouldn't be an issue.
Screen Shot 2019-06-10 at 7.09.27 AM.png
Malcolm


CW C60 Vintage Hamilton Khaki Field Sinn 104 CW C65 Vintage GMT Monta Oceanking Elliot Brown Holton
User avatar
TheBeatles
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 2603
Joined: Thu Sep 22, 2016 8:36 am
CW-watches: 6
Location: England

Re: Change in 60 Month Warranty Policy?

Post by TheBeatles »

golfjunky wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2019 2:43 pm
The attempted spin going on here is unbelievable
However, it must be nice to have such blind faith in a brand.

The closest for me would be to Jack Daniels, having been to the Distillery a few times. And to Newcastle United, but Mike Ashley sure can test that faith.

Those are off topic remarks not meant to spark discussion. Merely an example of how your heart can rule you head.
Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night. Be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels, Frank Sinatra

All You Need Is Love, The Beatles

Too much of anything is bad. But too much of good whiskey is barely enough, Mark Twain
Mikkei4
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 3587
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2017 7:20 pm
CW-watches: 0

Re: Change in 60 Month Warranty Policy?

Post by Mikkei4 »

There's too many bits of other posts that I want to refer to in this to do quotes in the usual fashion so I've just copied and pasted.

"Kip - The Warranty is still 5 years! They have simply added the specifics of a service requirement to it. This is the same as the service recommendation they have had posted for years".
No, they have now made the service within 3-4 years a REQUIREMENT for the 5 year warranty - it is not the same as the previous RECOMMENDATION.

"Kip - I am entitled to the warranty, as advertised, when I bought my watch. That cannot change."
So my 4 year 3 month old Trident that has not been serviced is still covered by the 5 year warranty because a service was not a REQUIREMENT at the time of purchase?

"Kip - Seems to me that CW is just being more specific regarding the warranty coverage and that they no longer wish to be taken advantage of due to lack of care/maintenance."
What date is the more specific basis of warranty coverage effective from? When did the wording of the contract change? Seems to me that CW are the only people taking advantage as all of a sudden the basis of the 60/60 has changed while they still advertise it without being specific.

"Kip - What if……CW double their 60/60 program to 60/120 with the same caveats (3-4 year service). Would that make those who feel a service is unfairly required under the 5 year warranty feel better?"
If CW are confident of the quality of their servicing of watches then reduce the warranty period officially but renew the warranty to another lengthy period when the watch is serviced. So a service is REQUIRED before 48 months but when serviced you'll get another 36 months of warranty (dated from the time that you receive the watch back from servicing!).

"Kip - my car carries a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty, yet I am required to bring it in for required maintenance every 7500 miles. I pay for those…..does that translate to a 6 month warranty?"
No, when purchasing a car you are already aware/made aware at the time of purchase that a full service as specified by the manufacturers is a REQUIREMENT for the 3/5/7 year warranty to continue. This was not what CW did originally with the 60/60 warranty.

"TheBeatles - The majority probably only see the 60 month warranty and don’t realise the implications."
Absolutely spot on and that's due to the way that CW have advertised, lived off of and built the business with the headline 60/60 promise that is now not a 60/60 but is still being advertised as such.

"what-time-is-it - They should no longer quote 60 months warranty without the disclaimer that the owner must have the watch serviced at some point in the first 4 years"
Agree - the recent formatted emails sent to shaw and albionprs about delays in servicing stated wanting to be totally honest. To continue advertising 60/60 without being up-front with the servicing requirement is not being totally honest.

Enough for now from me.
Curious

Re: Change in 60 Month Warranty Policy?

Post by Curious »

Mikkei4 wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2019 5:22 pm There's too many bits of other posts that I want to refer to in this to do quotes in the usual fashion so I've just copied and pasted.

"Kip - The Warranty is still 5 years! They have simply added the specifics of a service requirement to it. This is the same as the service recommendation they have had posted for years".
No, they have now made the service within 3-4 years a REQUIREMENT for the 5 year warranty - it is not the same as the previous RECOMMENDATION.

"Kip - I am entitled to the warranty, as advertised, when I bought my watch. That cannot change."
So my 4 year 3 month old Trident that has not been serviced is still covered by the 5 year warranty because a service was not a REQUIREMENT at the time of purchase?

"Kip - Seems to me that CW is just being more specific regarding the warranty coverage and that they no longer wish to be taken advantage of due to lack of care/maintenance."
What date is the more specific basis of warranty coverage effective from? When did the wording of the contract change? Seems to me that CW are the only people taking advantage as all of a sudden the basis of the 60/60 has changed while they still advertise it without being specific.

"Kip - What if……CW double their 60/60 program to 60/120 with the same caveats (3-4 year service). Would that make those who feel a service is unfairly required under the 5 year warranty feel better?"
If CW are confident of the quality of their servicing of watches then reduce the warranty period officially but renew the warranty to another lengthy period when the watch is serviced. So a service is REQUIRED before 48 months but when serviced you'll get another 36 months of warranty (dated from the time that you receive the watch back from servicing!).

"Kip - my car carries a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty, yet I am required to bring it in for required maintenance every 7500 miles. I pay for those…..does that translate to a 6 month warranty?"
No, when purchasing a car you are already aware/made aware at the time of purchase that a full service as specified by the manufacturers is a REQUIREMENT for the 3/5/7 year warranty to continue. This was not what CW did originally with the 60/60 warranty.

"TheBeatles - The majority probably only see the 60 month warranty and don’t realise the implications."
Absolutely spot on and that's due to the way that CW have advertised, lived off of and built the business with the headline 60/60 promise that is now not a 60/60 but is still being advertised as such.

"what-time-is-it - They should no longer quote 60 months warranty without the disclaimer that the owner must have the watch serviced at some point in the first 4 years"
Agree - the recent formatted emails sent to shaw and albionprs about delays in servicing stated wanting to be totally honest. To continue advertising 60/60 without being up-front with the servicing requirement is not being totally honest.

Enough for now from me.
Signed!
Lavaine
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 3918
Joined: Sun Oct 03, 2010 5:45 pm
CW-watches: 5
Location: Alberta, Canada (The Great White North, eh!)

Re: Change in 60 Month Warranty Policy?

Post by Lavaine »

Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2019 12:42 pm It goes back to the analogy of having your car serviced to maintain the warranty.

CW are merely doing the same.

Guy
If we're comparing apples to apples, you'll have to point out which manufacturer requires a complete engine teardown and rebuild during the warranty period in order to maintain the warranty.
2017 CW Forum "Darwin Award" winner.
User avatar
Bident
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 2426
Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2018 6:15 pm
CW-watches: 3
Location: SF Bay Area

Re: Change in 60 Month Warranty Policy?

Post by Bident »

My thoughts after ruminating and reading all the comments: My own consternation comes primarily from CW's failure to communicate this change succinctly (3-4 years as others have mentioned is prohibitively vague) in a deliberative manner. The change in the warranty policy relative to other policies remains competitive, but with respect to CW's original policy it is a change for the worse for customers. As as customer, I just want to be informed of important, relevant changes: how I or others feel about those changes will differ and we will each act accordingly. Therefore, I feel it was incumbent upon CW to have stated this change upfront along with the release of the C60 Mk3; to have confirmed it does not apply to past sales (if that is in fact correct); to have perhaps explained the reasons for the change which I would have appreciated; and of course, to have updated the website which I have found contains several factual and grammatical errors since I first discovered the brand (e.g., if you click on the C65 Trident Diver Khaki with Black leather strap, under the Technical section it will read Strap Colour: Camel, and has been such since the Khaki arrived...but I digress). I think customers more than anything else value transparency, and for a company that discloses it charges three times its cost to set selling prices (which I find commendable), not having this transparency regarding the warranty policy change is a disappointment. I am still a fan of the brand, and most likely always will be. But like my children, even though I love them they (and I) will continue to make mistakes. I hope we all learn from them.
Best regards,
John
Lavaine
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 3918
Joined: Sun Oct 03, 2010 5:45 pm
CW-watches: 5
Location: Alberta, Canada (The Great White North, eh!)

Re: Change in 60 Month Warranty Policy?

Post by Lavaine »

Kip wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2019 1:54 pm What if……CW double their 60/60 program to 60/120 with the same caveats (3-4 year service). Would that make those who feel a service is unfairly required under the 5 year warranty feel better?
No, because that isn't a 120 month warranty. It's a 36-48 month warranty (pick one CW) with the option to extend the warranty for up to 10 years via factory service. If marketed as such, it would be fine, but don't try and sell it as a 120 month (or 60 month) warranty when it isn't.

"A 48 month movement warranty, which will be extended to 96 months if you have the movement serviced by us prior to the end of the initial warranty period. If you service your watch with us again prior to 96 months, we will extend the warranty to 120 months."
2017 CW Forum "Darwin Award" winner.
Macdaz
Senior Guru
Senior Guru
Posts: 488
Joined: Tue May 26, 2015 9:58 pm
CW-watches: 14
Location: UK

Re: Change in 60 Month Warranty Policy?

Post by Macdaz »

I think there are a couple of points here. I made the car analogy a while back and it still stands. In fact so does any warranty with conditions. When you buy a car you have to do xyz to maintain the warranty. You know what it is up front and you have two choices. It can say what it wants, it can say 'to maintain the warranty you have to post a video of yourself singing hits of the seventies once a month on you tube'. If this is the condition when you buy the product and you expect to maintain the warranty, that is what you have to do.

That is what is happening now. If you buy a CW watch now, and those are the warranty conditions, that is your contract and you have two choices.

A lot of the angst is understandably around changing the rules, once you have made the purchase. I also mentioned this before but it may have got buried in the post. CW CANNOT change the conditions of the warranty on the on a purchase that has already been made. If you purchased and the old conditions are in the paperwork THAT is your contract and anything else is a breach. They cannot pose the new conditions (and I hope they wouldn't try) and they cannot insist on you singing hits of the seventies.
SMP|Victorinox Groundforce|Mako/XL|Steinhart OVM|Smiths Everest|C60 Trident 600|C8 Pilot Mk2|Vostok 1965|C8 Flyer Mk1|Seiko Monster|C7 Rapide|Steinhart Aviation|C65 GMT|C9 AMGTLE|C60 Bronze|C8 Al Deere|C65 SC|C63 GMT|C65 Chrono|C63 Auto|C65 Dune|2023 FLE
User avatar
richtel
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 1794
Joined: Tue Sep 29, 2015 9:10 pm
CW-watches: 8
Location: Cotswolds

Re: Change in 60 Month Warranty Policy?

Post by richtel »

^^ All true. But leaving announcing the conditions of the warranty until you've paid for the watch and have time to read through the manual- or worse suggesting something different on the website- strikes me as either underhand or sloppy business.
Rich

"The bad news is that time flies. The good news is that you're the pilot."
Macdaz
Senior Guru
Senior Guru
Posts: 488
Joined: Tue May 26, 2015 9:58 pm
CW-watches: 14
Location: UK

Re: Change in 60 Month Warranty Policy?

Post by Macdaz »

richtel wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2019 6:28 pm ^^ All true. But leaving announcing the conditions of the warranty until you've paid for the watch and have time to read through the manual- or worse suggesting something different on the website- strikes me as either underhand or sloppy business.
Agreed. And a bit risky from a business point of view as if the website suggests something different a case could be made that it was reasonable for the buyer to take the terms from the website to be the contract they were entering in too.

The law is taking an increasingly dim view of T's & C's being buried or unclear.
SMP|Victorinox Groundforce|Mako/XL|Steinhart OVM|Smiths Everest|C60 Trident 600|C8 Pilot Mk2|Vostok 1965|C8 Flyer Mk1|Seiko Monster|C7 Rapide|Steinhart Aviation|C65 GMT|C9 AMGTLE|C60 Bronze|C8 Al Deere|C65 SC|C63 GMT|C65 Chrono|C63 Auto|C65 Dune|2023 FLE
User avatar
H0rati0
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 2314
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2018 7:49 am
CW-watches: 4
Location: Alpenvorland

Re: Change in 60 Month Warranty Policy?

Post by H0rati0 »

Download the warranty page from the website and keep it. That's what you agreed to when you paid up and initiated your contract.

The subsequent arrival of the manual cannot retrospectively change your contract, though of course ultimately that could be tested in court if CW wanted to go all the way. Somehow I'd doubt that.

Charging for a service (presumably warranted for some period which I cannot find on CW's website) to keep current a warranty already paid for? Nope.
"There is no beginning to enlightenment and no end to training" - Dogen Zenji (1200-1253)
User avatar
neilj568
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 1384
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2015 12:08 pm
CW-watches: 2
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland

Re: Change in 60 Month Warranty Policy?

Post by neilj568 »

I can't be bothered to read all the posts so if it has been mentioned already then apologies but I just checked the booklet for my C60 COSC that I bought in July 2018 and the 3/4 years service is mentioned in the booklet....so not new...!!!!

My other boxes are in the loft so not going to check them but if anyone has earlier examples may be good to check
_________________________________________
Wrist Size 210mm/8.2"
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post