Bad Experience with Esslinger

[PJA]

BUYER BEWARE! I would like to make you aware of Esslinger BAD BUSSINES PRACTICE.

As an amateur, I've used Esslinger for a short while and recommended them here until I've got Stung by their Bad and Wrong Way of Doing Business in my opinion. I've bought about 6 Miyota and a few other movements, tools and other items and after I've found one movement was bad and asked for a replacement, they refuse to either send me a replacement or refund my money (we are talking about $5 movement here, luckily not an expensive item), they claimed that more than 30 days have past and that this is their policy (this is the U.S. law for online sells), and it didn't help after I explained them that when I've bought so many movements it was because I wanted to save on shipments and more so, even though I have more watches that need movement replacements I just couldn't work on them all within 30 days nor suspected that any business who want to preserve a customer will stand behind a policy/law and refuse to give a client a replacement for a bad movement that they have sold me. Unfortunately for them, they have told me that they will not stand behind the bad product they have sold me, and this shows how arrogant and dumbs some companies can be. it is not the $5 but how rigid and callused people can be and not use their head when dealing with customers and not even try to preserve them.

I have a neighbor who collects these watches and has at least 30 of them in various shapes and sizes and they have either inexpensive Miyota or Morika Tokei PC21A  movements. Unfortunately many have battery damage due to the fact that she stores some of them and doesn't keep track of when the batteries need to be replaced nor realized that she needs to do so, or others have the oil just dried up. I will not buy the movements for these watches or others from Esslinger and they can enjoy my $5!

I hope it's not against the posting policy since I just want to make our members aware of the bad practice, the same way when I've recommended them when I've thought they were good. if it's against the policy please remove the post.

[Chopin]

Unfortunately rigid is a key word in the watch part industry. I feel like most entities selling watch parts are rigid from my experience... A bit sad that they can't realize that by being an honest, genuine and decent person you'll basically make more money.

[jdm]

Moved to watches & industry chat as that is the subject.

[Mark]

Wow you get 30 days? 

Cousins wont even give 1 day. They force you to waive your consumer rights when you make an order by stating that it’s a b2b sale rather than b2c.

i have vowed never to use them again on many occasions in the past but I still kept going back for one simple reason, their website and ordering process is extremely convenient and their shipping service very dependable.

one time, they provided a damaged mainspring - clearly visibly damaged as seen through the packaging, complained, refused to replace, ordered another as were on a tight time frame - the next one cAme through in just as bad condition. Ended up ordering from gleaves and got the job done. Zero customer support from cousins. Still ordered from them again.

you lost $5. How about $89 for an eta we ordered which was a non runner. Had to replace one of the 5 coils from one I had in stock to get it working. That was a foil packed movement. Zero help from cousins.

30 days? You are lucky to get that

[Mark]

By the way - this is not old, I remember many years ago when cousins had a sales counter in Romford. I went in with a huge order. Had everything laid out on the counter ready to pay including a calypso water resistance testing machine. About a grands  worth of invoice. Remembered I needed a  part for a watch I had in my possession but I had neglected to write it down. I just needed to borrow a case knife to take the back off and get the calibers number of the movement - they adamantly refused to let me borrow their case knife which was not new and just right there. On that occasion they lost my business for more than 10 years! 

[clockboy]

1 hour ago, Mark said:

By the way - this is not old, I remember many years ago when cousins had a sales counter in Romford. I went in with a huge order. Had everything laid out on the counter ready to pay including a calypso water resistance testing machine. About a grands  worth of invoice. Remembered I needed a  part for a watch I had in my possession but I had neglected to write it down. I just needed to borrow a case knife to take the back off and get the calibers number of the movement - they adamantly refused to let me borrow their case knife which was not new and just right there. On that occasion they lost my business for more than 10 years! 

The problem is there is not much choice any more and Cousins are always best on price. Gleeves only now sell if you have a registered business or on a no returns basis. However Walsh which is in Biggin Hill Kent is handy for me if in a hurry and they have a trade counter, but their prices are on the + side. 

[Chopin]

Some US stores have good prices but not only does it cost quite a bit to buy something from the EU, for example, due to taxes and shipping but also some require that you spend a minimum of 100$ or so...

Just out of curiosity are there any other stores out there other than cousinsUK that people use ?

Edited December 9, 2017 by Chopin

[MrRoundel]

I have bought from Esslinger on a couple of occasions, and have had no problems with them. I have also ordered from Cousins once or twice. What I've found about Cousins is that they either have the parts I need when others haven't, or their website is designed so I can find them at some point in this life. Since I'm in the US, shipping does cost me in time and treasure, but they have had what I needed. Heck, their branded sapphire crystals are way cheaper than what I can find here under any brand name.

In regards to buying movements in what seems like a crapshoot, I wouldn't be surprised if the movement makers make it very difficult to return defective items to them for credit, exchange, etc. And, it seems to me that there's a bit of a shelf-life issue with quartz movements, where they look brand new but have aged beyond being instantly run. 
 

[PJA]

4 hours ago, Mark said:

By the way - this is not old, I remember many years ago when cousins had a sales counter in Romford. I went in with a huge order. Had everything laid out on the counter ready to pay including a calypso water resistance testing machine. About a grands  worth of invoice. Remembered I needed a  part for a watch I had in my possession but I had neglected to write it down. I just needed to borrow a case knife to take the back off and get the calibers number of the movement - they adamantly refused to let me borrow their case knife which was not new and just right there. On that occasion they lost my business for more than 10 years! 

They are giving 30 days are not because of the goodness of their heart, but because the law forces them to do so and as far as I know in the U.S. they can't ask you to wave your right but they can extend it on the other hand though. It is really unfortunate that in this industry as I learn now, most if not all are SO BAD and as it seems they compete about how not to cater to the unfortunate captivated client (us of course), in a way we should be thankful to eBay, Amazon, Aliexpress and other Chinese manufacturers (at least in the watch repair industry)  and others who somewhat break this monopoly off, and make it a bit easier. About not buying from Esslinger or Cousins and such, I would love to stop buying altogether but as we know the market today we don't have the luxury of stop buying for too long, but as I've said I'll try as much as possible not to give these Bad Merchants my hard earned money, as I've done in the pst with Hell-Al (El-Al) Airlines and paid $100 more and flew with other airlines, but in the unfortunate case tht I'll have to buy an item that only Esslinger have it then I'll buy it. In any case, I think it is important for us as a group to continue and inform each other about the good and the bad merchants amongst other things.

[Ishima]

It's a rough deal, but having ordered things off of cousin's every week for the last 5 years, I kind of almost have a position of "well that's the risk you take with watch material suppliers."

I recently ordered some dauphine hand for a watch that I was eager to get done ASAP, they turned up loose in a small bag, not in a tube. The hour hand was bent down at the middle by a full right angle, unsalvagable, and surely they would have noticed that during packing. But it's a pretty rare thing, I can only think of one other example off the top of my head: a faulty ETA 955-something some years ago, the vast majority of my orders have been faultless so I just huff "typical" (even though it's literally atypical) re order and move on. Though it's my employers account so the money isn't coming out of my pocket.

And truthfully I see the perspective from both sides. 

Edited December 9, 2017 by Ishima

[PJA]

1 hour ago, MrRoundel said:

I have bought from Esslinger on a couple of occasions, and have had no problems with them.

 

Well, this was my experience too, but be careful and make sure to check each and every item before the 30 days return law/policy, because otherwise, this is when the problem with Esslinger starts!

[MrRoundel]

Thanks, PJA. I WILL remember that. Cheers. And I have run into this before with a car parts supplier. I was past a 30 day period when I realized that they had sent me the wrong thing. I got nowhere as well. It is undeniably frustrating.

[ecodec]

On 12/9/2017 at 11:42 AM, jdm said:

Moved to watches & industry chat as that is the subject.

The watch industry are doing their level best to monpolise the industry. If they can turn good business down then they are making too much money. If you lose business then it goes to the opposition and you will not last long.  The Chinese will have 90% of the Swiss Watch business very soon.   I understand that Chinese companies are manufacturing components for parts of the Mechanical Swiss Watch industry at this time. One Swiss Company uses 50% Chinese made components in their movements I am told. Comments please. I know nothing about Cousins. In conclusion, my grandson showed me a Mont Blanc watch that is a computer. It outdates everything and that is the way it will go. Watch this space.

% of it very soon. 

[dieale2]

1 hour ago, ecodec said:

The watch industry are doing their level best to monpolise the industry. If they can turn good business down then they are making too much money. If you lose business then it goes to the opposition and you will not last long.  The Chinese will have 90% of the Swiss Watch business very soon.   I understand that Chinese companies are manufacturing components for parts of the Mechanical Swiss Watch industry at this time. One Swiss Company uses 50% Chinese made components in their movements I am told. Comments please. I know nothing about Cousins. In conclusion, my grandson showed me a Mont Blanc watch that is a computer. It outdates everything and that is the way it will go. Watch this space.
% of it very soon. 

Imo, the Swiss is already losing the lower end of the market. If you look at export numbers for the lowest price items, it decreases every year. To make up for that, the Swiss relies more on the higher end market. With the name premium of the "Swiss Made", I don't think they are going to lose that end of the market anytime soon.

Although, one problem with relying on one part of the market is risk. When the Chinese start to crack down bribery, it literally set off a crisis in the Swiss watch industry. This year they had better sales after the Chinese campaign on corrupt winds down.