Maybe no more CWs for me...

Discuss Christopher Ward watches
andy71
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Maybe no more CWs for me...

Post by andy71 »

Just discovered my partner had purchased a C60 Apex for my 50th in the Black Friday sale. But seeing as I wouldn’t get it for 60 days, I would not be able to return it if I didn’t like it. CW were inflexible on the 60/60 or delaying shipping so it was cancelled, I doubt I would’ve returned it but CW service were being so arsey and rude about this I kind of agree with her.

Will be directing this purchase to another company now I think.
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Re: Maybe no more CWs for me...

Post by Paul Drawmer »

I can understand your frustration, but I don't think CW are being unreasonable.

Why should they sell you the watch at an offer price, and extend the 60/60?

Couldn't you open, inspect and decide? If you keep it, just put it away for a few months.
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Re: Maybe no more CWs for me...

Post by andy71 »

It was meant to be a surprise for the end of January, she only told me today.

The point is I'm not getting it as I would not have been able to return it had I not liked it... They wouldv'e only needed to delay shipping for a week or so, as 60/60 kicks in when you receive it.

That being said, the policy is fair enough, but I think she was more frustrated with the attitude of the agent in this case, so just told 'em to cancel it.

It was one of the more pricey CW watches so unless one comes in a NN sale in Jan, she will spend the money elsewhere.
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Re: Maybe no more CWs for me...

Post by H0rati0 »

Your wife buys you a surprise present and you want maybe to return it? In the case of expensive and possibly doubtful, surely better that you choose together.

But if you want a bargain, you have to take the offer, warts and all. From CW's perspective no problem to find a buyer for it.
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Re: Maybe no more CWs for me...

Post by Toph »

This sounds ridiculously entitled.
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Re: Maybe no more CWs for me...

Post by jkbarnes »

Paul Drawmer wrote: Mon Dec 14, 2020 8:28 am Couldn't you open, inspect and decide? If you keep it, just put it away for a few months.
Exactly what my buddy did with a 50th birthday C60 bought during the summer sale - opened and inspected to make sure everything was to his liking then put away until January.
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Re: Maybe no more CWs for me...

Post by what-time-is-it »

60 days to view and decide at home is generous and sometimes abused by others judging by some posts on this forum.
In my opinion you accept the terms when you buy, doesn't matter if it's for a significant birthday or not, sorry.
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Re: Maybe no more CWs for me...

Post by TheBeatles »

andy71 wrote: Mon Dec 14, 2020 8:45 am
but I think she was more frustrated with the attitude of the agent in this case, so just told 'em to cancel it.
I think the main crux of the matter here, is the attitude (real or imagined) of the CW agent in question.

If indeed Andy’s partner felt this, then I agree with her decision to cancel order.

I myself have walked out of a car showroom if I or my wife felt something was off with salesperson’s attitude. Various reasons could be responsible for this, too pushy, overly friendly, to name but a couple. Hard to put a finger on it, but if spending a lot of money, it has to be a comfortable vibe about the deal.

Obviously, Andy’s partner didn’t get this vibe so preferred to walk away. Nothing wrong at all with this.

Love to know what the replacement watch will be!
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Re: Maybe no more CWs for me...

Post by andy71 »

I was only party to this after the fact... As a result of not being overly friendly when she asked about the 60 day policy, she decided to cancel. Oh well plenty more watches in the sea. Ball Hydrocarbon NEDU maybe?
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Re: Maybe no more CWs for me...

Post by Macdaz »

I've had similar situations with both an AD and another direct to customer watch manufacturer. One was for my 50th Birthday present, another a Christmas present. Both had short term deals and offers on the watch I was interested in and both of them had returns policies which were too short to stretch as far as the celebratory event. (I have a thing, I hate to see a present before I'm actually given it. Many reasons, none of which are interesting enough to go into here!)

I mentioned this to both of them and each were happy to make a note on my customer record and extend the returns period so I could wait for the event before making a decision.

CW has a good return policy already, but that does not mean they can't flex it if they so choose, but if they do it's as a favour. Equally one can't expect this to be offered. As mentioned above, sales are often about the relationships and anything beyond the legal contractual terms and conditions of a sale are likely to be a product of that relationship.
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Re: Maybe no more CWs for me...

Post by andy71 »

Toph wrote: Mon Dec 14, 2020 11:48 am This sounds ridiculously entitled.
Not really. This was about after sales care.

Initial sales were great, very friendly, checked my past orders for sizing etc. But once they had the sale, that all went away. This guy practically encouraged her to cancel. Obviously that watch was flying off the shelf, but a more polite response explaining that they couldn't change the policy would've been fine. As a result they may have lost a customer for future purchases.
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Re: Maybe no more CWs for me...

Post by inss »

TheBeatles wrote: Mon Dec 14, 2020 1:47 pm
andy71 wrote: Mon Dec 14, 2020 8:45 am
but I think she was more frustrated with the attitude of the agent in this case, so just told 'em to cancel it.
I think the main crux of the matter here, is the attitude (real or imagined) of the CW agent in question.

If indeed Andy’s partner felt this, then I agree with her decision to cancel order.

I myself have walked out of a car showroom if I or my wife felt something was off with salesperson’s attitude. Various reasons could be responsible for this, too pushy, overly friendly, to name but a couple. Hard to put a finger on it, but if spending a lot of money, it has to be a comfortable vibe about the deal.

Obviously, Andy’s partner didn’t get this vibe so preferred to walk away. Nothing wrong at all with this.

Love to know what the replacement watch will be!
This tends to be my view on such matters as well. The customer experience is critical for me especially in matters of a sentimental gift. You wouldn’t want a negative experience to be what you think of every time you look at the gift.
I don’t fault the lack of flexibility with the 60/60 though - a more than generous policy I think.
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Re: Maybe no more CWs for me...

Post by jkbarnes »

TheBeatles wrote: Mon Dec 14, 2020 1:47 pm ...Hard to put a finger on it, but if spending a lot of money, it has to be a comfortable vibe about the deal.

Obviously, Andy’s partner didn’t get this vibe so preferred to walk away. Nothing wrong at all with this.

Love to know what the replacement watch will be!
That’s a good point to make. I walked away from a potential house purchase for more or less the same reasons.

But that’s also different from walking away from CW because they wouldn’t modify the warranty/sales terms to the buyer’s liking. If the original intent of the post is about the former, I’m in full agreement. If it’s the latter, well CW has done nothing wrong here.

EDITED TO ADD: My brother was in sales for years and used the say the problem with being in sales is that you’re only ever as good as your last sale. Seems the same applies here too. If the last (potential) sale has left a bad taste, then CW’s past with this customer becomes irrelevant - they lost a customer because of that last sale.
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Re: Maybe no more CWs for me...

Post by exHowfener »

I don't think that this would have bothered me personally, but everyone entitled to their own view with regard to this. CW make some great watches and it seems a shame to deprive yourself of the pleasure they would bring you over one incident. But I get it - I can't remember the exact wording, but I remember reading that one of the smaller Irish railway companies had a sign (for employees( along the lines of "it takes a lifetime to build a relationship with a customer, and one event to lose it". Sadly it seems that as many companies grow, that relationship can sometimes be lost.
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Re: Maybe no more CWs for me...

Post by Mikkei4 »

andy71 wrote: Mon Dec 14, 2020 2:51 pm
Toph wrote: Mon Dec 14, 2020 11:48 am This sounds ridiculously entitled.
Not really. This was about after sales care.

Initial sales were great, very friendly, checked my past orders for sizing etc. But once they had the sale, that all went away. This guy practically encouraged her to cancel. Obviously that watch was flying off the shelf, but a more polite response explaining that they couldn't change the policy would've been fine. As a result they may have lost a customer for future purchases.
Can I ask why it's just "Maybe" no more CWs and only that they MAY have lost a customer for future purchases.
If the after sales service was so poor that the 2 of you were upset so much that you gave up the watch surely you definitely won't want to deal with CW ever again?