Ebay offered me SquareTrade 3-year coverage for a vintage watch I put in my cart. For $25: Coverage for product breakdowns and malfunctions 100% Parts and labor, no deductibles.

So in three years, if my 60-year-old watch needs a service it's covered? Good deal.

Does anybody have experience filing a claim with SquareTrade for a vintage watch?

 

No experience. What are the terms with respect to the watch repair shops? Square trade sends it to the guy at the mall down the street? i personally would value such a warranty about the same as that offered by a grey market dealer like Jomashop (i.e., don't let them let anybody touch your treasured vintage watch!)

 

If it seems too good to be true, chances are it isn’t true.

 

That's what I was wondering...if they have their own watch repair shop? Here's all I have found so far specific to watches: This Protection Plan provides coverage for parts and labor costs to repair the Watch where the problem is the result of a failure caused by defects in workmanship and/or materials, including those resulting from normal wear and tear such as: watch band, case, clasp, crown, cracked crystal, inner movement and stem. For watch band failure, We may elect to replace either segments of the band, the complete band, or the watch, at Our discretion. You will be reimbursed for SquareTrade-authorized repairs to or replacement of the Watch, at Our discretion, when required due to a problem which is not covered under any other warranty, service plan or insurance.

I used SquareTrade when I bought my espresso machine. The thing broke after a year, I filed a claim and SquareTrade said to find a Gaggia Authorized repair shop and take it there. I sent them the receipt and got a check back. But again, I don't know if they would ask me to ship the watch to their guy

 

For $25 it might be worth a shot.

 

Yeah, I had the same thought and got it. I'll report back if I ever have to file a claim. Still interested to hear if any has any experience with them and watches.

 

Sorta sounds like the Cartier “lifetime” warranty of many years ago, when I worked for a Cartier dealer. We had sold a Cartier Must tank to a customer, and after several years, something happened that required warranty service. They sent back an estimate for a new crystal (nothing much wrong with the original), complete technical revision, crown (nothing much wrong with the original), including new mainspring. The mainspring was quoted as no charge, but the rest of the “warranty” repair was a chunk of change! Not stated in the warranty was that only the mainspring was covered by the “lifetime warranty”!

 

Updating the thread...

So, I went ahead and purchased the warranty, $25 for a $120 vintage watch. After a couple of months, the watch started acting wonky, stopping, not keep time.

I filed a claim, it was approved. I was instructed to take the watch to the watchmaker of my choice, and submit the receipt by uploading to the ST site once repair was completed. I took it to my guy, who did a full service, and then uploaded the receipt as instructed.

Here is were I hit a small snag after I submitted the repair receipt...SquareTrade requires that the receipt be electronically generated (printed), not handwritten. My guy only has a receipt pad. I created an invoice in Word and I uploaded it to their site, along with the original receipt and note explaining that my guy is an old man, etc.

On Saturday, I received my reimbursement check.

This worked well. If you decide to use Square Trade, here are some important things to know about the submitted invoice requirements (this was not clear up-front): you will need an itemized repair invoice which is computerized with (1) watchmaker/store name, (2) Store physical address, (3) Store phone number and (4) An email address for the store.

 

Hmmm ...

so, let me get this right ... spend £100 on a knackered Omega that is described as NOS ... buy the Square Trade insurance cover ... complain the watch doesn't work ... send to Simon for service ... send Simon's £500 invoice to ST .... PROFIT!

 

Negative. "You are covered up to the maximum value you paid for the item."

 

So, spend over £500 and you can still get a complete service for free?

 

Affirmative. (If the watch needs a repair, of course). Also, this is in the US-- not sure overseas.

 

Sounds like a brilliant deal re. basically free service!
I guess the majority of the stuff they sell is new or else they will be losing money fast!