[polonus]

I have an answer:

We are in receipt of your email and apologize for your frustrations. I have included responses to you questions as follows:

1 - We are the TAG Heuer U.S. subsidiary responsible for all servicing of TAG Heuer timepieces. In order to have a vintage TAG Heuer timepiece serviced it is required to come to the N.J. facility for delivery to our Headquarters in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

- TAG's website has no info about that and TAG's twitter do not informs about it.

2 - As you have chosen Jared's as your liasion, all information pertaining to the service has been directed to them.. We provided Jared a copy of the necessary documents that require approval and signature in order to ship your timepiece to Switzerland. As the repair facility in Switzerland is closed for the final 2 weeks of December there was a slight delay in the analysis of your timepiece.

3. An estimate for the required service was forwarded to Jared on January 17th. I have asked a colleague to fax a additional copy directly to them again today.

- So they have the estimate for two weeks now, but they don't give a damn about their customers.

4- We provide all our customers with the option to deposit their timepiece with an authorized TAG Heuer retailer or to forward their timepiece directly to our facility in N.J. By depositing your timepiece with Jared you have chosen them to be your liaision for the servicing process and all information, documents and required approvals will be filtered through them to you.

-Neither their website, nor info via Twitter gives that information. I'd rather deal directly with them, since Jared totally ignores me.

Please contact Jared at your convenience later today. They will have all the information relating to the work to be performed and cost. Please note the standard time frame for vintage repairs may run between 4 - 6 months. Once we receive the approval document from Jared Switzerland will be notified promptly to begin servicing your timepiece.

- I did, They said, that they "just received"a fax from TAG. An estimate is about $850 for movement plus $150 for case, crystal and hands. Is not clear if that includes also a dial. And restoration itself will take another 4-6 months.

-

 

[WatchFred]

let us hope it will NOT include a dial, this would reduce the collector value tremendously, hope they are not replacing the hands ?

and the service costs are at least double what you'd pay to have it serviced by a highly competent independent.

I've never seen restauration work by TAG Heuer, but I've seen many Breitlings butchered by Breitling in Switzerland.

 

[polonus]

let us hope it will NOT include a dial, this would reduce the collector value tremendously, hope they are not replacing the hands ?

I don't care about "collector value". What is important to me, is "my values". I bought this watch because I loved how it looked. Now is worn out and doesn't look as sharp as 35 years ago and I missed that.

What would you rather have: Old car which is full of scratches, leaking oil, with dents, broken windshield and smoking exhaust, or car restored to "as new" condition? Why those restored ones cost more?

and the service costs are at least double what you'd pay to have it serviced by a highly competent independent.

This is good one. Vintage heuer serviced for 400 dollars? Why nobody offered mi service like that? And that watch needs more then just cleaning, it need also repair.

I've never seen restauration work by TAG Heuer, but I've seen many Breitlings butchered by Breitling in Switzerland.

I've seen many restored watches by their original factories and they always look good. Also service like that usually increase value of the piece, which is not always true when the repair/service is done by independent shop.

 

[WatchFred]

it is your watch, so do as you please. You spoke about market value in your OP.

but be so kind to believe me that you can get highly competent work by cal. 11/12 specialists for the amount I have mentioned, I happen to have quite a lot of experience with these watches . quite surprised by the tone of your response too, I must admit.

 

[polonus]

quite surprised by the tone of your response too, I must admit.

????

If I offended you in any way, I apologize. I didn't mean to. I am just frustrated with all that experience with TAG Heuer "service".

... but be so kind to believe me that you can get highly competent work by cal. 11/12 specialists for the amount I have mentioned, I happen to have quite a lot of experience with these watches

I will be so kind, however the only quote for service I've gotten from the independent serviceman was, and I quote: "My ballpark estimate without seeing this watch in person would be in the $450 to $900.00 range but that also is not a fixed number".

 

[WatchFred]

thank you. your watch. Your life. Sorry for trying to help.

 

[sempervivens]

I have an answer:

We are in receipt of your email and apologize for your frustrations. I have included responses to you questions as follows:

1 - We are the TAG Heuer U.S. subsidiary responsible for all servicing of TAG Heuer timepieces. In order to have a vintage TAG Heuer timepiece serviced it is required to come to the N.J. facility for delivery to our Headquarters in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

- TAG's website has no info about that and TAG's twitter do not informs about it.

2 - As you have chosen Jared's as your liasion, all information pertaining to the service has been directed to them.. We provided Jared a copy of the necessary documents that require approval and signature in order to ship your timepiece to Switzerland. As the repair facility in Switzerland is closed for the final 2 weeks of December there was a slight delay in the analysis of your timepiece.

3. An estimate for the required service was forwarded to Jared on January 17th. I have asked a colleague to fax a additional copy directly to them again today.

- So they have the estimate for two weeks now, but they don't give a damn about their customers.

4- We provide all our customers with the option to deposit their timepiece with an authorized TAG Heuer retailer or to forward their timepiece directly to our facility in N.J. By depositing your timepiece with Jared you have chosen them to be your liaision for the servicing process and all information, documents and required approvals will be filtered through them to you.

-Neither their website, nor info via Twitter gives that information. I'd rather deal directly with them, since Jared totally ignores me.

Please contact Jared at your convenience later today. They will have all the information relating to the work to be performed and cost. Please note the standard time frame for vintage repairs may run between 4 - 6 months. Once we receive the approval document from Jared Switzerland will be notified promptly to begin servicing your timepiece.

- I did, They said, that they "just received"a fax from TAG. An estimate is about $850 for movement plus $150 for case, crystal and hands. Is not clear if that includes also a dial. And restoration itself will take another 4-6 months.

-

Thank you for the updates. I think the quote by Tag Heuer is reasonable seeing it is done by the company itself: only twice as much as an independent, I think we agreed in the beginning of the thread that this would still be reasonable. It seems to have been the middle man who was not communicating. Good luck with the service and be sure to specify that you would like them to return all the parts that they replace and why not (if they have it) a production date based on the serial number.

 

[polonus]

I/m still waiting for my watch. Servicing and refurbishing is done, watch left Switzerland, but nobody knows where is it now. Maybe at the customs. However I know already how much will they charge me for it. Local jeweler, where I dropped it months ago says, that I'll have to pay 862 dollars and that includes bracelet, but not the new dial. If so, that will be rather good news. The first one in this story.

As soon as I get that watch back, I'll show you pictures and let you know all the details. However I've been told it could be another month. :-/

 

[polonus]

I just came back from my vacation, hoping that my watch will be waiting for me. Unfortunately it's not and Jared of Pineville, NC doesn't know anything about it. It is by far the worst experience of my life - and I grew up in communist Poland. But even there service and treating of customers was much better then by Jared/TAG Heuer in the USA.

 

[laikrodukas]

I am sorry but I think Your watch was stolen months ago

 

[Brisman]

I am sorry but I think Your watch was stolen months ago

Don't know why you would post this, it's not very helpful.

 

[Magura]

Well, let's see if you don't forget about all this mess, once you get your watch back looking all new and shiny?


Magura

 

[polonus]

I am sorry but I think Your watch was stolen months ago

Don't know why you would post this, it's not very helpful.

All that situation is so ridiculous is almost funny. They valued this watch at $3000.- accepting it, so if it is stolen, I'll buy another one. However it will not replace the sentimental value of it - that watch is a very special gift from my wife.

I can understand that they have very poor system and it has to take months for servicing vintage watch. Is their choice - they are loosing customers that way, but it is theirs problem, not mine. Nobody has to do this via TAG Heuer and next time I'll choose independent shop to do it. What I cannot understand is how they treat me as a customer. Lack of any communication, any information, any customer education or any explanation why it takes so long and when finally I'll get my watch back. They don't give a damn about me as their customer at all and I know I'll never ever do any business with TAG Heuer, or Jared of Pineville.

Well, let's see if you don't forget about all this mess, once you get your watch back looking all new and shiny?

Probably I will, if I'll be happy with job they did. Only time will tell. ;-)

 

[Brisman]

Probably I will, if I'll be happy with job they did. Only time will tell. ;-)

Nice Pun.

 

[laikrodukas]

If they sent the watch back, why do not You have a tracking number?
Do not You find this suspicious?

 

[Brisman]

If they sent the watch back, why do not You have a tracking number?
Do not You find this suspicious?

Why, at any time in the process described in this thread, would the OP require a tracking number?

 

[laikrodukas]

They sent the watch back and he does not know where it is now. Also he said nobody else does

 

[sempervivens]

Perhaps it has been delayed by customs.

 

[polonus]

If they sent the watch back, why do not You have a tracking number?
Do not You find this suspicious?

I'm not involved directly with that process. I dropped my watch at local TAG Heuer agent and I am supposed to pick up the refurbished watch when it returns from Switzerland. How and when this watch travels from NC to NJ and to Europe and back - from Switzerland to New Jersey and back to Charlotte - I don't know and they are not going to tell me.

Perhaps it has been delayed by customs.

Perhaps, however I use to move air freight and I know how customs works. Nobody holds a single timepiece at customs for weeks. If customs has any questions, they would resolve it in days, not weeks. Shipper and receiver also should know that it is customs delay. If so, they could and should inform me about it, but they either don't know or don't care.

I called Jared of Pineville again today. I've been told that someone is checking on status of my watch right now and he will call me right back. It was 2 hours ago and, of course, nobody called, because they don't give a damn.

/edit/ They called me an hour later and told me that US TAG Heuer Headquarters in New York received a box from Switzerland which probably contains my watch. However they don't know for sure and they will not find it out before Monday. Local representative at Jared of Pineville has no idea why. Probably because of 4th of July. I guess it is to difficult for them to resend it to North Carolina. If that box is mine - and that is a very big IF.

My wife thinks they lost it months ago and they are playing with me, hoping somebody will find it somewhere, sometime. I heard that prayer to saint Anthony helps... He often finds lost articles. Maybe they should try it? ;-)

 

[polonus]

I called TAG Heuer in NJ to confirm that they have that watch and they told me they do not. However I've been told that this watch it is in transit from Switzerland and in about a week it will arrive to New Jersey. God only knows why they need whole week. I just came from European vacation - it takes 8 hrs to fly back to NJ. When they receive it, they'll ship it to NC and I'll get it in about two weeks or so.

Or maybe not...