Extract from the Archives rejected with no info and no refund

Csfulham · Oct 18, 2019

I recently requested an extract from the archives for a recent Speedy acquisition and after some weeks I had the response that my watch didn't match their archive record and they wouldn't refund me or give me any more information. It seems I may have picked up a franken watch at auction :-(

I've had a back and forth over email, but it takes about a week and half to get a response and they're blunt to the point of rudeness. Not the level of customer service I'd expect from such a high end brand. I provided the watch information in good faith, but they don't seem to care.

Has anyone else experienced this, and did you have similar concerns about Omega customer service, and how did it get resolved?

Needless to say, I'm very disappointed, and feel that I've been ripped off by Omega for the archive rejection.

harrymai86 · Oct 18, 2019

I think they state quite clear that there will be no refund, it is the risk you have to take if it doesnt match their archive records. For the level of customer service, i sent them an email to make a minor change to my address and they responsed immediately and finally they sent me 2 copies of EOA 🙄🙄

Passover · Oct 18, 2019

Pictues please (of the watch) 😀

asrnj77 · Oct 18, 2019

Csfulham
I recently requested an extract from the archives for a recent Speedy acquisition and after some weeks I had the response that my watch didn't match their archive record and they wouldn't refund me or give me any more information. It seems I may have picked up a franken watch at auction :-(

But the serial number from many Speedys come from the case. How can your case be a franken?
The movement serial should match so if they didn’t that would be the first issue. I’m just curious how a serial number from the case could belong to any other watch other than a speedmaster. If you only provided the serial number off a movement are they implying that your 1861 or 861 movement came from another watch? I’m just worried that franken is closer to fake if they can’t identify any records for it.

Vicke · Oct 18, 2019

asrnj77
But the serial number from many Speedys come from the case. How can your case be a franken?

Vintage Speedmaster does not have the serial on the case, only on the movement. Matching serials for case/movement didn't start until late -90s.

https://omegaforums.net/threads/when-did-omega-start-putting-serial-numbers-on-lugs.21250/

Passover · Oct 18, 2019

If no pictures at least a reference number please...

percymon · Oct 18, 2019

The terms and conditions clearly show when refunds will not, and will, be given..

Orders are subject to acceptance by us and availability of the ordered products and services.

2.4.Incomplete or inaccurate information provided by you in connection with your order, such as photographs of your watch and serial number, will result in a cancellation of your order without a refund.

2.5.Subject to an analysis of the information you have submitted in connection with your order, we refuse your order without a refund in the following (non-exhaustive) situations:

2.5.1.Wrong watch movement number and/or watch case number;

2.5.2.Incomplete watch movement number and/or watch case number;

2.5.3.Watch movement number doesn’t match with watch case- or reference-number;

2.5.4. The description of the timepiece doesn’t match with our archives;

2.5.5. The pictures of the timepiece don’t match with our archives;

2.5.6. The timepiece has received substantial changes outside our workshops; or

2.5.7. The timepiece is registered as “stolen” or unauthentic in our archives.

2.6.We may choose to refuse and refund your order in the following situations:

2.6.1.when we are missing the archival information necessary to produce an Extract for your watch; or

2.6.2.if the watch is less than ten years old.

2.7.We will confirm acceptance of your offer to purchase by sending you an order confirmation (invoice) by email and this will constitute a binding contract between you and us.

2.8.The contract will relate only to those products and services whose dispatch we have confirmed in the order confirmation. We will not be obliged to supply any other products or services, which may have been part of your order until the dispatch of such products or services has been confirmed in a separate order confirmation.

Have you actually been charged anything yet ? Don't assume no refund if they havent actually taken a payment to start with.

Csfulham · Oct 18, 2019

Yeah it's a vintage so no ref number on the case. I don't have pictures here (I'm at work, watch is at home) but the serial number is in the 32,xxx,xxx. It was sold to me as a 69ST straight writing. I suspect they swapped the caseback and it's possibly a 76ST instance or something. Plastic brake.
To make things more complicated the dial is a service dial from the 1980s, unstepped, short "S". The bezel is original, large TACHY font etc.
:-(

Dan S · Oct 18, 2019

Csfulham
Yeah it's a vintage so no ref number on the case. I don't have pictures here (I'm at work, watch is at home) but the serial number is in the 32,xxx,xxx. It was sold to me as a 69ST straight writing. I suspect they swapped the caseback and it's possibly a 76ST instance or something. Plastic brake.
To make things more complicated the dial is a service dial from the 1980s, unstepped, short "S". The bezel is original, large TACHY font etc.
:-(

145.022-69 or 145.022-76 are still the same reference. The EoA doesn't include the suffix. So if you gave them the movement serial and the 145.022 reference, it should still have been ok. Unless the movement is not from a Speedmaster at all.

I guess the lesson here is that one should only give the movement serial number when requesting an Extract, don't provide a reference number.

Martin_F · Oct 18, 2019

Did you send them pictures as well, or just the serial number?

BlackTalon · Oct 18, 2019

Realistically, they had to put the time in to do the search. The time not spent is the time needed to generate the extract, and to mail the hardcopy. A zero refund is a bit extreme in my opinion though. It would be nice if they kicked back 25% for not having to do the extract.

watchyouwant · Oct 18, 2019

What is the problem? You enter a contract and the contract details are clearly stated. They do their work . The result is not matching your details = No Refund. Try that with Rolex. You are not worthy an Answer..... kind regards. Achim

Larry S · Oct 18, 2019

You solicit and agree to pay for the research work. The work is done. You don’t like the result so you want a refund? It does not work that way.

kov · Oct 18, 2019

Csfulham
Needless to say, I'm very disappointed, and feel that I've been ripped off by the guy who sold me that watch.

FIFY 😀

GMTspeedmaster · Oct 18, 2019

im sorry for the results..

MSNWatch · Oct 18, 2019

For resale you are better off not getting a specific answer so that way there is the possibility that their archives are incomplete rather than your watch being a franken.

simonsays · Oct 18, 2019

I do think that the change to the terms and conditions are less than generous. Regardless of someone going to check the archives, getting no result is not a service worth paying for. If you ask a book store to see if they have something in the back, I don't expect to be charged to find out they don't.

I imagine it does not take long too do the research, and I think it is quite a money maker by my modest standards. Twenty mins looking at micro fiche for 120chf?

I think it reflects very badly on Omega and will disappoint many customers.

kov · Oct 18, 2019

simonsays
I imagine it does not take long too do the research

I can encourage you to make a trip to our beautiful Switzerland, book an appointment at the Archives and ask them to show you what kind of work do they have to go through for some watches in order to fetch the information from old books.

That's a kind of an old-school multi-table SQL query they run manually and sometimes it takes much more than twenty minutes to provide with a satisfying outcome.

The average salary in Switzerland doesn't help to get the process cheaper. Wait, they could outsource the whole thing to Pakistan (!) 😀

MSNWatch · Oct 18, 2019

kov
I can encourage you to make a trip to our beautiful Switzerland, book an appointment at the Archives and ask them to show you what kind of work do they have to go through for some watches in order to fetch the information from old books.

That's a kind of an old-school multi-table SQL query they run manually and sometimes it takes much more than twenty minutes to provide with a satisfying outcome.

The average salary in Switzerland doesn't help to get the process cheaper. Wait, they could outsource the whole thing to Pakistan (!) 😀

Or hire the OF forum team to digitize all of this.

kov · Oct 18, 2019

MSNWatch
Or hire the OF forum team to digitize all of this.

There's for sure a business case 👍

Extract from the Archives rejected with no info and no refund

Csfulham

harrymai86

Passover

asrnj77

Vicke

Passover

percymon

Csfulham

Dan S

Martin_F

BlackTalon

watchyouwant

Larry S

kov

GMTspeedmaster

MSNWatch

simonsays

kov

MSNWatch

kov

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