The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Here is a transcript of my encounter almost two weeks ago (from memory...) Its drawn out just as long and tedious as it was when it actually happened...I want you guys to feel my pain

Me: Hi. I have this Navitimer and its running very slow.
AD1: Ah, how slow?
Me: About 10 seconds slow per day.
AD1: And how do you know that, your cell phone?
Me: No, my atomic clock.
AD1: So you want it to be better than that?
Me: Yes.
AD1: How much better?
Me: Within the COSC limits: -4 to +6.
AD1: The is a mechanical watch, they cant run that accurate.
Me: Of course they can, thats why I paid for a COSC certified watch--to guarantee that it runs -4 to +6 per day.
AD1: (chuckle) no, no thats just an estimate. -10 is still acceptable.
Me: No, anything more than -4 is unacceptable.
AD1: no, you see...4 and 6 make 10, so yours is running just fine.
Me: No, -4 and +6 makes +2, but thats irrelevant. Im more than -4 right now, im -10.
AD2: (from about 10 feet away) no, no...its a circle. It goes in a circle, so -4 all the way around to +6. That equals 10 ( WTF? )

At this point is getting mad and about to tell these two to go F themselves, but I stick with it.

AD1: So what do you want me to do?
Me: I want it sent in to be adjusted. Its under warranty and id just like to send it in. Last time I had a problem and I just paid the shipping and had it sent away.
AD1: And you want to do that again?
Me: Yes.
AD1: Ooooooookaaaaaaayyy.....(in a "im treating you like youre an idiot right to your face" sort of way)
AD1 says to AD3: Please fill out this work order for this gentleman.

So AD3 comes over with a little work order form that they send to BUSA with the watch. It has my info and an area where they describe the problem. AD3 appears to be new or just unfamiliar with anything)

AD3: So what do you want them to do?
Me: Whatever it takes to get the watch within COSC limits.
AD3: And whats that?
Me: -4 to +6.
AD3: (with a bit of laughter...) Hold on, you just tell me exactly what to write here so that they know how accurate youre asking them to make it. -4 to +6, right? (more sarcastic chuckling)
Me: Yes.
AD3: Youre gonna have to pay $50 for the shipping.
Me: Last time I was charged 25.
AD3: Well, its gonna be 50.
Me: Im pretty sure its supposed to be 25.
AD3: Well, dont worry about it, we'll deal with it when it comes back.
Me: But I dont want to come back and just have you continue to tell me its $50. Id rather us figure this out before it gets sent out.
AD3: Yeah, dont worry about it. Its just gonna be $50.
Me: Im not gonna pay 50....

Anyway finally got it sent out and still dont know what im gonna be paying when I go back. Im sure the stupidness will continue when (if) I get the call to go pick it up. Im a really friendly and reasonable person and this was without question my worst AD experience ever. The sad thing is that last time I dealt with them I was helped by a nice lady who I think was the owner and she was great. Its too bad the three stooges had to leave me so annoyed that ill probably never deal with the store again. We have too many ADs around here to have to put up with such nonsense. Of course, being an addict, I still went over to the Breitling case and tried on some stuff and chatted with the other salesman for a while before I left

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-RJ

I would send a letter with the above to the manager of the AD and copy BUSA.

I know most sales people are not WIS but they should at least have a basic knowledge of the products they are selling.

Can't imagine BUSA will be happy how their brand is being represented.

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For more information on identifying Breitling replicas, please visit my web site
http://f4buz.com/watches/breitling/fakes/fakes.html

Its crazy that they can sell these watches and have absolutely no knowledge of them, I sold a rolex gmt a while back and the chap I sold to took to an AD who could not verify its authenticity

he claimed he wasnt qualified to open the case to match the numbers to the paperwork, if he knew anything about the watch he would know that the numbers are under the bracelet (on that age anyway) at 6 oclock.

I nearly lost a sale becausethese guys are so untrained - if my staff did not know about the business we are in I wouldn't be in business. Its time these guys got the facts before treating customers like this.

Saying that there are some awesome ADs out there.

I would have had major problems not laughing in the store. And after that, demanding to speak to the store owner recapping the conversation.

Sadly with the shipping, I think if you can't prove by a receipt that it was $25 the last time, you'll end up with at least $50.

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Collection: http://s540.photobucket.com/albums/gg32 ... mview=grid

Disgraceful! I think you held it together pretty well! After the "It's a circle..." crap, I would have been laughing my head off. And this is the face of the AD? I feel sorry for the owner!

Hope your watch gets sorted.

I wouldn't trust that lot to sit on the toilet the right way around, let alone have anything do to with a highly intricate watch

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Hercules

That's pretty bad service. For me -10 seconds would be acceptable, and probably sounded acceptable to them but that doesn't excuse being rude to a customer. If you put stock in the COSC cert (which is certainly reasonable - we did pay for it) the AD should take the steps to get it within spec.

I spoke with my AD's most knowledgeable salesman prior to my purchase and he was pretty honest with me. He said I should expect as much as -15 seconds/day for even the best automatic watches including Breitling. -15 seconds/day is 99.98% accurate and we should note the movement was COSC certified before it was installed in the watch. A fully assembled watch could certainly be out of spec although the movement passed. The value of the COSC certification is two fold - #1 it assures the movement has the capability of running within -4 / +6 and #2 assures the movement will be precise even if out of the range.

Sounds like you have a watch running precisely -10 sec/day which is pretty good. If it was -14 seconds one day and -4 seconds a month later I would be a lot more concerned there was a problem with the movement.

The circle thing is 'special' very special

The PC crowd would say they need re-training, I know what I'm thinkinig

RJ,

Can you PM me the specific place you went to, I need to make a note to self never to wander in…. That was excruciating to read, you handled it better than I would have.

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Chronomat Evo (White, Arabics)
Avenger Seawolf (Black, Batons) INCOMING?

F THAT NOISE!

WE SHOULD HAVE A STICKY HERE, GOOD DEALERS AND BAD DEALERS, ONES WHO TREAT CUSTOMERS LIKE THEY SHOULD, ONES WHO DONT, THAT SIMPLE, PUT IT UP FOR ALL TO SEE.


GRANTED YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT FALSE ACCUSATIONS DONE BY COMPETITORS, BUT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WHAT

I don't fully agree with this I'm afraid. Yes the COSC certification is given based upon the movement alone (i.e. not cased up and without hands and dial, etc), BUT the simple fact that it has passed COSC testing means that it's capable of running to COSC specs. And if it's capable of running to COSC specs, then I damn well expect it to cased up or not! Whatever adjustment was performed to get it to run to COSC tolerance before the testing can (and in my opinion, should) be done again when the watch is finished. I think RJ is absolutely correct in asking for a regulation.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Wow - I'm sorry RJ... I couldn't keep myself from LOL! at those comments. Sav's comeback was good too. I know a little how you feel, had a gal at Tourneau who didn't know how the sub-dials (we were looking at a used M1) worked. I didn't let it bother me , just went on playing with the watch.

It just amazes me that at relatively high end watch/jewelry stores the sales staff can be so watch-ignorant. Oh well, hope your watch comes back running better - good luck!

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Chrono Jetstream
Montbrilliant 1903
Aerospace E79362

RJ, sorry you had to deal with that. I sometimes wonder how people like that even have jobs, especially in this job market. I am sure there are competent people looking for a job. If I were the owner fire those chums and get some normal people.

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Current collection: Breitling Superocean Heritage I 46, Rolex Submariner, Swatch X ****** Sistem51

I'd have walked out.

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“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.” - Albert Einstein

RJ that sucks. Dealing with stupid people is always fun. I think that BUSA should have some sort of basic knowledge course that they require AD's sales people to do. I mean think about it....if they were required to study the watches they sell it would really help with customer service and retention. Stories like this just turn off potential buyers from the brand and that is really good for no one.