The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I appologise right up front if this is in the wrong section. It's my first post here, and all i can think is: I need help...

I took my Super Avenger (and my B2) to La Suisse in Vancouver (apparently because i like abuse) and they damaged the case back of the avenger by not using the proper Breitling tool to remove it. Obiviously i looked at it right away when picking it up and instantly noticed the gouges on the flats from the wrong tool. I thought it was going to toronto where the full repair centre is. When they called about the Avenger in a week I thought "Oh no... these guys did it in the store." Below you can read the whole story since i just typed the whole thing out for Breitling Canada. Anyway, when i saw the damage (which they were tring to minimize, which made me more mad) i instantly regressed to a million instances in my life where i was at some store watching my mother rail a clerk for some crappy product. Well good thing, cuz she could return anything and i was well equiped to rag on them. Anyway, this is in progress and i left the watch at the store, and Toronto has my B2. Does anyone know a contact email address at the manufacturer? Also, i asked B. Canada a couple questions at the end of my email. If you're so inclined to read all that, I'd love to hear the answers to those questions as well. I am posting here because i'm SURE i'll have to escalate this beyond Breit. Canada. I am pretty sure that group actually owns the La Swiss stores in Canada, and i'm pretty sure the store got their PFO spiel that they regurgitated on me from them. I'm crossing my fingers that i can get at least one person somewhere within the Breitling organization to care and help here. Thanks everyone who reads this extended blah blahing.
Here is my email to them:

Hello,

I’m not sure if there is anything your division can do to help here, but I have an issue with an authorized distributor with respect to a servicing of my Super Avenger.

I brought a B2 and the Super Avenger in for service a few weeks ago (the B2 went to Toronto for an overhaul), to LA SWISS – PACIFIC, PACIFIC CENTRE SOUTH, 701 WEST GEORGIA ST., V7Y 1K8 VANCOUVER.

The B2 remains out for service, and I am confident that because it was sent to Toronto for service at the authorized repair centre, that it will be handled properly.

The Super Avenger was apparently serviced at the store, which was a surprise to me. I verbally confirmed the watches were going to Toronto for service at drop off, but I guess I wasn’t explicit that this was my preference. Anyway, the Super Avenger date had stopped advancing, and I guess this is a repair that is done at the store or at the store’s discretion. Unfortunately, the store did not have the proper Breitling issued tool to remove the case back. A fact I confirmed while I was at the store to pick up the watch. I lieu of the proper tool, the technician made the stunning choice to try something else (rather than source the correct tool), and gouged the case-back facets in a few places. One of those places is one of the flats just below the serial number and I consider it cosmetically offensive. The store has acknowledged the mistake, and the negligence on the technician’s part, but has failed to offer an acceptable solution. Various offers include not paying for the servicing, a free cheap watch, and/or a rubber strap for the Avenger. None of these options are acceptable to me. I couldn’t care less about the money. This is a very simple repair, and many automatic watches carry that Valjoux movement. I could have had the repair done anywhere, but I took it to a Breitling authorized repair centre to avoid exactly this type of issue. I enquired about a replacement case-back, and have since been informed that this would be too expensive, and that the store is unwilling to take that level of responsibility. I am not interested in some kind of hack repair job where they do some polishing and tapping. I have zero confidence in that, and don’t believe I deserve to have a repaired watch.

From my end, I had great experiences with Breitling USA service in the past, and always received watches back in better condition (or at least as good as) than I submitted them. I am quite upset that the store is telling me it is too expensive to properly correct the problem. I know Breitling watches are expensive, I own 3 of them. That is why I take them to Breitling and not somewhere else. That is the risk the store takes when deviating from standard repair procedures on expensive items. In addition, if I choose to sell the watch (which I do with my watches from time to time), there is no way any buyer would believe the watch was serviced by Breitling because it’s obvious that it was opened without proper tools. Who would believe Breitling wouldn’t have the tools, and who would believe that Breitling would go ahead and improvise when the tool wasn’t handy? I would have waited 3 months, I don’t care.

Anyway, I am writing Breitling Canada because I could not source a manufacturer email contact from the Breitling website. My only questions to Breitling Canada are: Do I have any options to have the watch restored to at least the condition it was in when I submitted it? (ie. New or replacement back that is in like new condition) Also: Is there any support available, or any formal dispute resolution process through the manufacturer? Is it possible for someone to forward a contact at the manufacturer if there are no options through Breitling Canada?

Thanks for any advice or help you might provide.

Sincerely

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Super Avenger
Chronomat Evolution
B2

First, welcome to the forum. Sad story and you have absolutely right to demand that your watches have proper care at Authorised repair center. In this case it wasn't like that. I'm hoping that Breitling Canada will solve your problem, but if not here's Breitling address in Switzerland...

Breitling SA
Schlachthausstrasse 2
Case postale 1132
CH 2540 Grenchen, Suisse

email: info@breitling.com

Fingers crossed and keep us updated.
Good luck.

Thanks for the reassurance. I couldn't find a corporate email address anywhere, so thanks for that too. I'll post a follow up as i work through this. I'm hoping this will be the one good customer service story i have to tell in my life. So far, so bad. ch.

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Super Avenger
Chronomat Evolution
B2

La Swiss is owned by Grigoros, who are the distributor for Canada, but I'm pretty sure that this isn't the sort of thing that they would condone.

I know a couple of people at Grigoros, I'll have a word and see if I can find who the right person to contact is.

Grigoros Canada (1989) Inc (La Swiss)
300 Borough Dr Suite 2, Scarborough, ON, Canada
Phone: (416) 296-0293
----------------------------------------------

Breitling SA
Schlachthausstrasse 2
Case postale 1132
CH 2540 Grenchen

Tel : (++41) 032 654 54 54
Fax : (++41) 032 654 54 00


Good luck

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Breitling Superocean Coral black rubber strap
Tissot T-Touch Titanium Polished
Sector ADV 1000

Welcome.

Sad to hear your story and even worse to hear the shop's actions and neglect to take their responsibility. I hope you get it sorted quickly, in my opinion a new caseback is the least the could do.

Another thing - is really Breitling located at the Slaughter House Street? That's not very promising.

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

Thanks everyone. It looks like they are finally taking me seriously. What a relief. I'll keep you all posted.

Dear Mr. blahblah,

As I have not seen your Super Avenger, it is, of course, difficult to comment. However, if one of La Swiss's employees damaged your watch, they will have to correct the mistake. If the back is gouged, they should and, indeed, will replace it. I will make arrangements with the manager at Pacific Ctr.
However, it will take some time, possibly 3 to 4 weeks, as we have to order the back from the factory; they are sold on an exchange basis only and therefore we do not carry them as part of our regular parts inventory.
Please, take your watch to La Swiss and instruct them to send the watch to my attention; I will look after the rest.

With kindest regards,


Xyyyyy Xyyyyyy,
Breitling Service

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Super Avenger
Chronomat Evolution
B2

I really hope this all works out for you. The regional Breitling head-offices (Breitling UK, Breitling USA, etc) all seem to have truly excellent customer service. I have personal experience of servicing at Breitling UK and they are simply fantastic.

I can't imagine that Breitling Canada will drop the ball on this one, so hopefully your watch will be sorted out and back on your wrist in no time. You are absolutely correct to hold out for a proper repair instead of those frankly insulting offers of a free service or a new strap.

Unfortunately, some AD's I have heard stories about and have also personally come across leave a bit to be desired some of the time. I'm not saying all are the same as there are some very fine and very knowledgeable AD's out there, but there are a few about that simply don't live up to the high expectations that customers, and indeed Breitling themselves, would expect.

At the end of the day we are all paying premium prices for a premium product, so I definitely feel that we are all entitled to premium service. (In fact I'd just settle for plain old good service!)

Personally if I ever have to send one of my watches to Breitling UK for services, I arrange it myself and send it fully insured. Sure, the easier option would be to take it into an AD and get them to send it for me, but it's stories like yours that put me off letting anyone other the main regional centres from handling my watches. (Heck, I even insist on changing my own straps after one idiot at an AD put stratches on the lugs!)

Well good luck with this one - I'm sure it'll be fine - and keep us all posted on developments.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

It's a relief that there appears to be a happy ending to the story. Good luck, and please keep us posted.

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Good to hear they're making progress! I hope the rest goes well too. My fingers are crossed.

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

Forums like this are so important in these situations. So thanks everyone for the support and comments. I'll definitely stick around and try to contribute since I obviously joined since I had an issue.

So I got the call from the AD today. BIIGGG change in attitude. They are now really sorry and apologetic. I almost feel bad telling you about the call because the store is making it right, but (in my opinion) only because Breitling Canada got involved. So they call and apologise etc. Then they tell me (by voice mail) that if I bring the SA back to the store they will immediately send it out to have the back replaced. Cool, except I had to call them and tell them that I never took the watch out of the store and that they still have it (I didn’t want to take it home when I saw the damage in case that represented some kind of 'acceptance' of something). So I was a little scared, because obviously I was worried that they lost it or something worse. Anyway, I called, they found it, they are sending it to Breitling Canada tomorrow. Which is good because another person called me from the store the previous day to tell me the B2 was ready for pickup and the overhaul was $550. I am cool with that price, and it was expected, but I would have choked going in there to cough up that money while they were killing me on the other issue.

Next update is at least 4 weeks away, but I will make sure I post a picture when I get her back. My feeling now is: I will definitely buy another Breitling, and probably won't drop this story on everyone that I talk to about watches, but Driver8 gives sage advice, which I will always follow. Pack it, insure it, and send it directly where you want it to go yourself. The middle man is just a risk not worth taking for me. Driver8's watchband / lug scratch story would have killed me. Why do I walk around protecting these things every time I wear them, and put them away every night so they would survive and earthquake just to have someone change a watchband with a slot screwdriver. I know they're not all like this, I'm just jaded. If I got the service I expected, I would probably not have joined a forum and posted my raving review. I see the importance of such things now. I'll do this in the future. Take it easy, and thanks again.

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Super Avenger
Chronomat Evolution
B2

got a call from LA Swiss in vancouver today... SA is in TO. they got the replacement watch-back from switzerland. AD informs me that a full overhaul had to be done, to replace the back... note that the back was damaged by the AD performing a light service... the message told me id be given a discount on the full overhaul... im losing it. they did all this because they admittedly damaged the watch-back... then did a $700 service without my authorization?!?! now i get a discout... yippee... markets close in 5 mins and im hauling my a$$ over there to find out how all this happend and how it could possibly be up to me to pay for it. unreal. what planet are they from?

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Super Avenger
Chronomat Evolution
B2

Man, that just sucks.

I was thinking of buying my next B from them, but now I don't know.

You only needed the case back replaced, right? Why does a service have to be done?

Let us know how it turns out.

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There are three kinds of people in this world; those that can count and those that can't.

1 - Aerospace blue dial
2 - ?

i guess it's procedure to do the overhaul... i don't know. what i really don't understand is why they would think i would consider paying for what i consider their cost of 'making it right' on a pristine 2 year old watch that they damaged... I'll let ya know for sure... I'm picturing the regular look i get in there where they tilt their heads like when i talk to a dog, and look interested but confused. They're thinkin "I know those words, but the sequence and tempo confuses me. I'll keep looking and nodding." fun fun fun...

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Super Avenger
Chronomat Evolution
B2

Story is going bad again. I'd tell them that I'm planing to ask Breitling S.A. is this a standard procedure when back is replaced. Stinks like LA Swiss rip off.