WatchUSeek Watch Forums banner

DEFECTIVE Omega Seamaster 300M Quartz

11K views 89 replies 35 participants last post by  MARVEL 
#1 ·
How professional are Omega S-A.

Read this before you buy a Omega.

After the horrifing experience with the Customer Service of the AD and
Omega S-A's Customer help desk. And all the torment I've gone through, I
feel all the hype surrounding the seamaster is a real Hogwash.

It is really a very unhappy experience to have got a lemon
(Ref No. 21230416101001) (Watch No. 90630423) from "OMEGA".

Absolutely horrifying, To say the least, an expensive malfunctioning piece
from such a reputed brand manufacturer, A Seamaster malfunctioning
barely half an hour from the said purchase.

The said watch was purchased from a Omega certified retailer, all was
good untill they sold me the watch, and after that its like "Do I know you"
type of reaction on their faces....

After adjusting the time on the said watch when I screwed back the
crown I was literally horrified to find the hour hand rotating along with the
screw-in crowns rotation.

Omega being a 150 year old company should have a class leading after
sales customer support, and these so called heritage driven company
should cater to its customers in such a way the rest of the competitive
field should make them a bench mark in rather simple situations that
involve customer satisfaction.

Literally a shock and I was horrified at the rather "go to the dogs" kind of
attitude from Omega after sales service. Its nearly two months since a
formal complaint now and nothing has been resolved. After neumerous
emails to Omega's head office in Switzerland, the whole issue is giong
nowhere.
 
See less See more
#2 · (Edited)
How professional are Omega S-A.

Read this before you buy a Omega.

After the horrifing experience with the Customer Service of the AD and
Omega S-A's Customer help desk. And all the torment I've gone through, I
feel all the hype surrounding the seamaster is a real Hogwash.

It is really a very unhappy experience to have got a lemon
(Ref No. 21230416101001) (Watch No. 90630423) from "OMEGA".

Absolutely horrifying, To say the least, an expensive malfunctioning piece
from such a reputed brand manufacturer, A Seamaster malfunctioning
barely half an hour from the said purchase.

The said watch was purchased from a Omega certified retailer, all was
good untill they sold me the watch, and after that its like "Do I know you"
type of reaction on their faces....

After adjusting the time on the said watch when I screwed back the
crown I was literally horrified to find the hour hand rotating along with the
screw-in crowns rotation.

Omega being a 150 year old company should have a class leading after
sales customer support, and these so called heritage driven company
should cater to its customers in such a way the rest of the competitive
field should make them a bench mark in rather simple situations that
involve customer satisfaction.

Literally a shock and I was horrified at the rather "go to the dogs" kind of
attitude from Omega after sales service. Its nearly two months since a
formal complaint now and nothing has been resolved. After neumerous
emails to Omega's head office in Switzerland, the whole issue is giong
nowhere.
I am trying to understand what happened you your quartz SMP. On my SMP quartz, unscrew the crown, first click out adjusts the hour hand only, pull to second click to stop second hand and to adjust time.

What happened that was horrifying? Sorry your retailer showed a lack of concern, you can always send your watch to Nesbits here in the states, and if you have an original receipt your warranty will take care of your service.

Glen
 
#3 ·
Hi, Sorry to hear about the problem, i think we would like to understand more about the problem and why it could not be corrected quickly for you. The problem is actually kinda minor, an adjustment or possibly a new stem. Surely the AD could have corrected the problem??
 
#4 ·
How professional are Omega S-A.

After adjusting the time on the said watch when I screwed back the
crown I was literally horrified to find the hour hand rotating along with the
screw-in crowns rotation.

Literally a shock and I was horrified at the rather "go to the dogs" kind of
attitude from Omega after sales service. Its nearly two months since a
formal complaint now and nothing has been resolved. After neumerous
emails to Omega's head office in Switzerland, the whole issue is giong
nowhere.
Not to sound patronising but are you absolutely certain you pushed the crown down before attempting to screw it in?

Like Glen said, first click of the stem and you are adjusting the hour hand. If the stem is still out that far when you attempt to screw it back down the hour hand may move.

I don't understand the so-called horror. I do understand the dissapointment though given this is a brand new watch.
But if you showed them the fault literally after you bought it I do not understand why they didn't exhange it there and then. I am yet to meet the jeweller who does not offer 28/30 days return/exchange policy on unworn items. You should have pushed harder or read their literature and got a swap. Scream until you see the manager etc. You mentioned this was a certified AD so again I just don't get why they wouldn't swap it for you, if it IS faulty.

Obviously we've passed this point so why has the matter not been 'resolved' and its 'going nowhere'? You've got a manufacturer warranty so send it in under warranty. What other conclusion are you hoping for apart from a fixed watch?
 
#5 ·
Sorry to hear you had a bad experience. <|

One thing worth noting though is that when you buy from a retailer, even an AD, you have no idea how long that piece has been sitting in that display cabinet. No idea how many people have handled it. No idea if it has been dropped, possessed by an evil spirit, or put into a sandwich before you tried it on. I don't think you can automatically assume that the piece left the factory with the problems it currently has, although, of course, it is possible that it did.
 
#10 · (Edited)
I am sorry to hear that you have had problems with you new watch, if you are based in the UK you could use the Sale of Goods Act 1979 to get your money back in particular Section 14

Section 14(2) Provides for the quality of the goods. They have to be Satisfactory Quality That is the goods were as fit for their common purpose as it can be reasonable to expect. Any defects have to be brought to your attention before the sale.

Section 14(3) Fitness for all the purposes for which goods of this kind are commonly supplied. Where the goods have a self evident purpose which has been made known or the purpose for which they are being bought is made known to the seller through implication.

Under UK Law if an item is faulty in the first 6 months of ownership it is declared to have been faulty at manufacture.

If that does not work get Trading Standards involved :-!

 
#11 ·
i don't entirely agree with this. the brand has responsibility for appointing it's ADs. so, some responsibility has to fall on the brand even if it is primarily the AD that's at fault. also, where the AD is clearly failing to deliver the brand should step in to rectify this problem. that doesn't appear to be happening here.
 
#12 ·
you need to file a legal claim. it seems to me they're playing for time. timing is very important in claims of this nature. you could end up getting no redress whatsoever otherwise. sadly, blowing off steam isn't going to solve your problem. if you were in the UK you could file a claim with the small claims court for items under £5000.
 
#13 ·
The small claims court is the option of last resort and could take months, the best option is to get trading standards involved if they refuse to take the watch back when you state that it breached the implied terms of sale under the Sale of Goods Act.

Exhaust all options before going to court that way you will be seen as fair and reasonable
 
#14 · (Edited)
Hi there everyone,

Thank you all for showing such concern to me and the issue surrounding
the seamaster,

Ok, now let me clear some doubts you seem to have,
- When I said

"After adjusting the time on the said watch when I "screwed
back the crown" I was literally horrified to find the hour hand
rotating along with the screw-in crowns rotation".

I mean, on a seamaster you have to screw back the crown after
adjusting the time or date isnt it, the hour hand was rotating even after
the two stop downs and while tightening the crown back into air tight
position. To me the horror was after owning 24 perfectly working master
pieces from renowned manufacturers like IWC, Breguet, Rolex, Tag Heuer,
finding malfunctioning piece of engineering from such a reputed
manufacturer was rather horrifying, just imagine if you had recommended
the very same piece to someone and if he had to undergo all this.....

Its almost over two months since the first formal complaint to Omega S-A.

Some of you have even mentioned submiting the watch to the service center
Tell me frankly, you pay ridiculous amounts for the watch to see it on your
wrist rather than the operating table of the service center. When I pay
the full amount to the AD, I definately would expect a perfectly normal
working product. Period. Be it a watch or a automobile.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Let me apologize in advance if I'm wrong about my next few comments. It's just my nature to be suspicious. I read your 2 posts several times, and something just doesn't pass the smell test. This would not be the first time, in the midst of the many Omega bashing threads that are currently active, that someone with their own agenda posts something like this.

You don't say where you are located, so maybe it's just a language thing. However, the verbage you use in your description:

I mean, on a seamaster you have to screw back the crown after
adjusting the time or date isnt it, the hour hand was rotating even after
the two stop downs and while tightening the crown back into air tight
position.
is just not consistent with a WIS who has owned and is experienced with the mechanics of:

after owning 24 perfectly working master
pieces from renowned manufacturers like IWC, Breguet, Rolex, Tag Heuer,
Additionally, it seems to me that someone who has indeed owned such a prestigious number of major brand watches would know the methods, means, and procedures for dealing with ADs, manufacturers, and/or service centers as surely you have sent some of these watches in for service by now:

Its almost over two months since the first formal complaint to Omega S-A. After the horrifing experience with the Customer Service of the AD and Omega S-A's Customer help desk. And all the torment I've gone through, I feel all the hype surrounding the seamaster is a real Hogwash.
Anyone who has owned numerous major brand watches (even the occasional lemon) should know this is how it is usually done and should not be suprised by this recommendation :

Some of you have even mentioned submiting the watch to the service center. Tell me frankly, you pay ridiculous amounts for the watch to see it on your wrist rather than the operating table of the service center.
Experienced WIS, especially those who have purchased 24 heavy hitters, do not routinely pay full price from an AD. They have learned how to negotiate discounts. Especially on an Omega, which are regularly discounted, even to the first time buyer.

When I pay the full amount to the AD, I definately would expect a perfectly normal
working product. Period.
Lastly, it is not unbelievable but rather unusual that someone who has owned such a collection of prestigious mechanical movement watches as you would be interested in a quartz movement. Now that is truly a case of apples and oranges. By itself, it is insignificant however when you consider the totality of the circumstances it raises an eyebrow or two.

So again, if I am totally off base then I apologize. I don't doubt that you have a bum Omega quartz seamaster. It's just that your appearance on this board, at this particular time (in the midst of a slew of Omega bashing threads) is a bit suspect particularly considering the rhetoric used in your post. - David

BTW, how about some pics of those 24 watches. They sound very droolworthy. :-!
 
#16 ·
Some of you have even mentioned submiting the watch to the service center
Tell me frankly, you pay ridiculous amounts for the watch to see it on your
wrist rather than the operating table of the service center. When I pay
the full amount to the AD, I definately would expect a perfectly normal
working product. Period. Be it a watch or a automobile.
You've received some great suggestions from many folks but appear to have summarily dismissed them all.

So sorry you are having such a bad time with your watch. It is an electromechanical device. Things happen. Just because you are angry with your retailer and have not received any satisfaction does not mean you should only throw up your hands and stomp off and refuse to do nothing more than to just complain.

If you uncategorically refuse to send the watch in for warranty service for what would be considered a simple repair and expect absolute perfection, then on some level you are responsible for your own disappointment. Perhaps some of this "horror" you experience might be coming from you.

Even the finest automobiles have problems the minute they leave the showroom - so can a watch.

Open your mind and show some flexibility in getting it fixed under warranty, otherwise, others' sympathy for you might dwindle. :think:

Glen
 
#18 ·
i think you need to be aware that this is possibly one of the best watch forums on the web. i know you posted on WTF also. you won't get any better advice than here. you really do need to take that advice otherwise your dissatisfaction will only continue. wishing you well.
 
#19 ·
Hey David,
There's absolutely no reason to apologise my friend, its in human nature to
be inquisitive. And let me clear some things here, the time constrains that
come along with being a businessman is maybe the reason for all my
grammaticals. And Based on the suggestions posted here I have started
being a little tough with the boutique and the company itself.
Actually it was a very close friend of mine who recommended that I pick
up the Omega, I for one have nothing against any company as such. I
pick up watches for their looks rather than their brand name.
This below is the latest mailer to them, You'll have to excuse me as I
would'nt like to reveal any names...

Dear Mr. ***** *******, ****** boutique,

I am fed up of waiting for a reply from Omega regarding resolving
the issue surrounding the defective Omega Seamaster
(Ref No. 21230416101001) (Watch No. 90630423) sold to me by
your boutique. I've been fair enough to have given you ample time
and all possible opportunities to correct yourself for selling me a
defective Omega Seamaster 300M. In spite of numerous mail's and
requests to Omega and to the Boutique I've found the said issue
heading nowhere and it has tested my patience to the limit and
hence this extreme step.

Let me refresh you memory by pointing out what went on between
the boutique and myself once again. I had purchased an Omega
Seamaster from you in the first week of march 2009 and barely half
an hour after taking delivery of the said watch I found it to be
Malfunctioning. After adjusting the time on the said watch when I
screwed back the crown I was literally horrified to find the hour hand
rotating along with the screw-in crowns rotation. I hadn't noticed
the malfunction when I took delivery of the watch. And I had
informed about the malfunctioning watch immediately to the sales
guy who had attended to me earlier by calling him up on his mobile
phone.

After accepting the faulty watch in the boutique's working hours the
next day Instead of issuing a new piece the boutique and Omega
have been testing my patience to its limit, its close to two months
now from the original date of purchase and nothing seems to be
moving forward. And as a mark of protest I've left the said defective
watch at the boutique itself.

I will not accept the malfunctioning watch as I have paid the rather
expensive amount, for a brand new perfectly working watch, I did
not buy the watch to leave it at the service center and nor do I want
to own a defective piece of s***.

So in accordance to the above, where its very much clear the
substandard watch you sold to me and amounting to failure to
deliver a proper working watch after receiving full payment, I've
here now decided to file a complaint against Omega and against
Ethos Boutique in the Court of law, the consumer court. And Iam
contemplating the feasibility of lodging a complaint in the
International consumer rights council against Omega-S.A.

I've already forwarded the said file to my legal advisors and
advocates, and to move on further I would like to request you to
give me the following details;
- Names and addresses of Omega top brass in the country,
- Names and addresses of Omega top brass International,
- Name and address of Omega marketing in the country,
- Name and address of Omega marketing International,
- Name and address of Omega Service Head in the country,
- Name and address of Omega Service Head International,
- And finally name of in charge and postal address of the Boutique.

I've already forwarded your name and mobile number to my legal
advisor, you'll be hearing from him shortly.

Since Iam a very busy businessman. It has really been a pain in the
neck taking out all the time, energy and effort I've wasted on you
and the time , energy and effort I've wasted to speak to and mail to
you and the useless people in Omega. I wouldn't want it all to go
down as fruitless. So, Furthermore I've asked my people to prepare
a rather stinking report on the above said issue and get in contact
with top dailies in the country and top dailies internationally.

Very kind regards,

Ok, Let me tell you this Iam rather possesive about my watch collection,
No one except a select few have had the oppertunity to have seen my
collection. For the sake of your inquisitive mind I'll tell you only the
names of the watches I have....

- IWC Grande Chrono
- Breguet Marine
- Breguet Type XX
- Rolex GMT Master II
- Rolex DateJust
- Rolex Submariner
- Omega Seamaster Titanium
- Cartier PASHA Chrono
- Cartier Roadster
- Cartier Santos 100
- Jeager Le-Coultre Duomet Chrono
- Tag Aquagraph
- Tag Aquaracer Chrono Autom
- Tag Aquaracer Quatrz BlackGold
- Tag Grand Carerra Automatique
- Tag Formula 1 AnaDigi
- Rado Ceramic Jubile Chrono XL
- Rado Ceramic AnaDigi
- Rado White Ceramic
- Ebel Tekton
- Breitling Chronomat
- Raymond Weil Chrono
- Tissot T touch Titanium
- Pierre Cardin Ceramic Limited
 
#23 ·
Ok, Let me tell you this Iam rather possesive about my watch collection, No one except a select few have had the oppertunity to have seen my collection.
So you don't even wear (in public, anyway) all of these fine watches? Seems a bit odd. Come to think of it, this whole thread seems a little off. Like David, I'm a bit skeptical here...

That said, expecting 100% of the watches you buy to be 100% perfect all of the time is unrealistic. However, Omega should honor its warranty and either fix or replace your watch, and if that isn't happening, I agree there is a problem here. But as you still haven't answered Glen's question:

So...one more time. Are you for some reason uncategorically not having your watch serviced under its warranty as Omega has stated?
...it is a bit unclear to me what you're asking for Omega to do. If the answer to Glen's question is no, then perhaps you could tell us: (a) whether Omega has refused to replace/repair the watch under warranty; and (b) if so, why?
 
#20 ·
Hey glen,

I thank you for the concern you've shown. To be honest to you I have
been takin things very lightly untill now, but it has changed considerably
now. I'll let you see for yourself why I felt so horrified and so cornered.
This here is a quote from the customer help desk Omega S-A.

From their last mailer I could understand Omega was trying to wash away
its hands from the fact that it had to replace the defective piece, Omega
was trying to point its finger at me accusing me of "Mishandling" the
watch by stating.....

"As stated in our warranty clauses (see our operating instructions booklet)
during the warranty period and by presenting the valid warranty certificate,
you will have the right to have any defect repaired free of charge."

After reading the mailer I felt so humiliated, How dare Omega questions
the integrity of its customer....!!! I felt so horrified, so humiliated and so
helpless at that moment....

And only after that I started looking for help on these forums to get
around this situation without getting involved in any legal tussle. But it
seems there's no choice left out for me, I guess.

I dunno, but I have been very possesive about my watch collection and
would not accept anything less than perfect. And you wont believe me if I
tell you all the watches in my collection will show you the exact time
accurate to the second.
 
#21 ·
From their last mailer I could understand Omega was trying to wash away
its hands from the fact that it had to replace the defective piece, Omega
was trying to point its finger at me accusing me of "Mishandling" the
watch by stating.....

"As stated in our warranty clauses (see our operating instructions booklet)
during the warranty period and by presenting the valid warranty certificate,
you will have the right to have any defect repaired free of charge."

After reading the mailer I felt so humiliated, How dare Omega questions
the integrity of its customer....!!!
-It may be down to poor language skills (English is my third language), but I really can't see Omega questioning your integrity based on the excerpt of your E-mail exchange quoted above. They simply state (Quite matter-of-factly) that during the warranty period, any defect will be repaired free of charge. They are not claiming that you caused that defect; they merely state that they will fix it.

I dunno, but I have been very possesive about my watch collection and
would not accept anything less than perfect. And you wont believe me if I
tell you all the watches in my collection will show you the exact time
accurate to the second.
-If you have two dozen mechanical watches which all keep perfect time day in and day out, you are right - I don't believe you... :) (That would be a unique collection indeed...)
 
#24 · (Edited)
seems to me that this warantee repair arguement can be used to duck any problem with a watch. it's impossible to prove that the watch was defective before it left the AD. equally it's impossible to prove it wasn't too. i don't think this sounds particularly legal. it seems reasonable to me to believe the watch was supplied defective in this case (in other words, i don't believe it's reasonable to assume you broke it in the timescale you describe or in the manner it's broken either).

but if that's their game then if you want a replacement or a refund you've got a fight on your hands. one you should win but companies play the odds. it's worth them loosing the odd fight for those they never have to fight because the other party bottles it.
 
#25 · (Edited)
Talking about sending the watch in for repair under warranty (copy of receipt/cards, etc) and actually sending it in are two different things.

It does not appear any action has been taken to actually send the watch in under warranty, so talk is talk = drama, drama.

I want to help, but action is what counts now.

I'll probably stop commenting until the watch has been sent in under warranty as the manufacturer suggests...;-)

Glen
 
#26 ·
i wouldn't accept a warantee repair under these circumstances. it would be a replacement or a full refund. under the circumstances described, as a matter or principle it think i'd demand the latter, even if i bought the exact same watch elsewhere. i don't understand why so many people here believe a warantee repair should apply to a brand new watch that proves defective as soon as it leaves the AD? very strange! certainly UK legislation would be on the side of the customer on this one.
 
#28 · (Edited)
i wouldn't accept a warantee repair under these circumstances. it would be a replacement or a full refund. under the circumstances described, as a matter or principle it think i'd demand the latter, even if i bought the exact same watch elsewhere. i don't understand why so many people here believe a warantee repair should apply to a brand new watch that proves defective as soon as it leaves the AD? very strange! certainly UK legislation would be on the side of the customer on this one.
Very strange, is right. The fix should be quite simple, really.

As someone who's bought and sold way too many watches, now learning to work on them, I'd have picked a tried and true retailer, for sure. It almost seems like we don't have enough facts.

Apparently no demands are/were being met by that extremely lousy retailer, so now it's come down to two things, right?

1. manufacturer warranty repair/replacement after it is sent out

2. or even better...one can always let lawyers do the repair/replacement! ;-)

Hope it works out

Glen
 
#27 ·
It sounds like a faulty crown - a five minute £20 repair. It all sounds very very odd. Frankly, if I had spent the price of a house on high end watches I would have found a dealer who I liked and trusted - and, spending that sort of money, a dealer who would babysit for me if I asked nicely. I agree with DMB: odd, very odd.
 
#29 ·
Well, that certainly is a very direct letter to Omega. I hope it works for you. Insofar as your collection .... it's very impressive. Enjoy them, they will most certainly outlive you. It would be a shame to go boots up without enjoying them to the fullest. - David
 
#32 ·
The OP is a very busy businessman but has the time to post on two separate forums, has a high end mechanical watch collection but won't show anyone the collection via pictures AND didn't pay by CC so he could tell the AD to take the malfunctioning low-end quartz Omega watch and stuff it?

I call Bu** Sh** o|
 
#36 ·
3 forums ... I saw this on Chronocentric too. I'm waiting with baited breath to see if Omega sends a super official apology letter rather than suffer stern action from his legal advisors. Just because you are a big watch company doesn't mean you can question a customer's integrity. Those bastards must pay. :roll:
 
#33 ·
Hello aabz1,

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Please don't take this the wrong way, but are you absolutely positive this boutique is an official authorized Omega dealer? Because if not, this may be why Omega is reluctant to help you.

If you purchased most of your watches from this same boutique, they should be bending over backwards to keep you happy.
 
#34 · (Edited)
Dear All those who have taken time to read this post,

Iam really honoured to have such friends who have concern for
someone whom they've never met. Iam taking time out to write this post
personally. After going through the entire thread I notice the fact that
although most postings are helpful, majority are a useless waste of
time.

Iam rather surprised at the fact that instead of posting something that's
useful there are people questioning authenticity of the issue itself,
is this the epitome of sarcasm ?

I had asked my people to write about the said issue in these dedicated forums
to get additional ideas. Just to bypass the rather elongated proceduers of
filing a legal complaint. But I also have to admit this was anything but,
just another waste of time.

There are certain points which to my surprise have been totally missed
here by my people. So I can understand the annoyance owing to the
nature of the incomplete info. But that dosent mean people question
the authenticity of the issue itself.

The AD had called up immediately after recieving the mailer from my legal
advisors threatening stern action against both the AD and Omega itself,
offering a replacement. But after questioning my integrity Omega cannot
patchup so easily, I have also demanded a written apology from Omega
and the AD.

Thanking you all once again for your kind concern,
 
#35 ·
(...)But after questioning my integrity Omega cannot
patchup so easily, I have also demanded a written apology from Omega
and the AD.
-Leaving the rest of your post alone, I think you are quite mistaken in claiming that Omega questioned your integrity - based on the excerpt of your correspondence with Omega (Prepared by 'your people', but still with semantics quite similar to what you're writing using your own, valuable time right now), there simply is not anything which (to my eye, at least) questions your integrity.

Anyway, it is just another lesson for anyone - buy the seller, not the watch - even when brand new. Stick with an AD you (Or people you trust) are happy with.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top