Watches... and the dismantling of the Fairness Doctrine...
"A fair exchange, that is. Always held to the notion of fair exchange in all my dealings. You give me, I give you. Fair. A balance."
If you've read any posts on this blog, I have written before about crooked business people. Honesty is not hard. Truth is not hard. Why do people have to lie? Why?
Let me go back ... way back...
Bryan retired from serving as the Planetarium Director at San Antonio College in 2009. At the time, I purchased a watch for his retirement… a beautiful Casio Oceanous watch. Very expensive… This guy has always worn a watch. He fell in love with this watch and never took it off. Until 2017… when it seemingly refused to connect with the time signal, and wouldn’t keep time. We took it to many local jewelers, but none could repair this watch.
I started looking online, and found Watch Repairs U.S.A. out of Chicago. I talked to them, and they promised they could handle this repair.
After calling them, I mailed it off in December of 2025. I paid the estimate by December 31, 2025. At that time, I received an estimated time of repair: 4-6 weeks. Generously, I didn’t start to worry until the end of March. I called a few times before the end of March, but always got the same answer: “it is with the repairman, I’ll call him and get back to you…” they never did.
I called the next week, and the next. Always with the same answer: “it is with the repairman, I’ll call him and get back to you…”
And then in April, we were told "the repairs were made and was being tested"... that "due to HIPPA laws, we couldn’t tell the truth: that the repairman had suffered a catastrophic family emergency months prior, and that we would try to get the watch to a different repairman to finish it." I answered with compassion for the repairman, sent my condolences, but please just send the watch back… no refund required, send the parts, send the watch… This went on all of April. I even started thinking about legal actions… because they wouldn’t send back what was mine.
In early May, after my first call - with the same “it’s being tested, I’ll call the repairman” answer… I asked to talk to the customer service manager. (Turns out, I had already talked to her when the normal person didn’t answer the phone a few weeks earlier as she was on vacation. At that time, this new person expressed her surprise that our simple repair -- a new capacitor -- was taking so long.) But I didn’t talk to her at this time - in May - because "she doesn't accept phone call complaints". So, I got her email address. I sent her my complaint, expressing my sincerely held belief that the repairman truly didn’t suffer any family issues, as it was hard to believe as the customer service person lied about my watch’s status through the months of Jan, Feb and March. That they were incredibly dishonest and that I simply wanted the watch back since I had already paid the return postage. That if I didn’t get the watch back, that I would start legal proceedings.
But the next call that came in was a call to tell me they were sending the watch back. I asked when I could expect it. They said first, for me to be on the lookout on a refund to my credit card. I said, that’s not necessary - just when can I get the watch back, “…7-10 working days”. That was early last week.
I received my 100.00 back last Friday. (Total amount paid, less postage) Today, I received the watch… in the same condition I sent it. At least they kept one promise - after threatened legal action...
Do not- DO NOT use Watch Repairs U.S.A. located in Illinois, the Chicago area.
Now we are on the hunt to get this watch repaired… any suggestions?
Buyer Beware.. always.
Comments