The Watch Hospital (UK) are closed without notice

[Taki]

Hi all,
The Watch Hospital's 19 repair shops in the UK have suddenly shut without notice. The website is down, and my Omega Speedmaster watch is with them for service. They closed 9 days ago, no message on the shutter. They are an Authorised Omega Service Centre (or they have a workshop that is).

I have not receive an update from them regarding my watch which has been with them for almost 7 months. It was supposed to be ready a few weeks ago, but unfortunately it was not ready the last time I called and I was promised to get it back last week. I called many times and no one answered the phone, I went to their shop just to discover that they are permanently closed. The company The Watch Hospital LTD is still active in the Company House register. Many people are complaining about this lack of communication from the company. You can see this in their Trust Pilot review.

Has anyone experienced such problem before?

Edited: Mar 19, 2023

 

[Duracuir1]

I sincerely hope you get your watch back. I am not familiar with your system in the UK. In Canada I would check with the office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy and register as a creditor if they did in fact “go under”.

 

[McKnife]

That's horrible. I do hope you get your watch back!

 

[kkt]

What a nightmare! I would send a registered letter with return receipt when it is signed for, requesting the watch back and pointing out that it is your property not that of the watch repair chain.

Another approach might be through Omega. If they're an authorized service center they must be in touch to order parts and pay bills pretty regularly.

 

[gbesq]

My guess is that you have a lot of company given that they had 19 repair shops. The lack of communication from the shop before they closed is troubling. The question is whether they closed voluntarily and chose not to communicate with their customers or were closed involuntarily (by the government, for example, for failure to pay delinquent taxes). The latter can happen very quickly, so it's possible that they were shut down by the authorities and lost access to their customer records, databases, phone, email, etc. Whatever the reason, I hope that you are able to get your watch back.

 

[DrmexicoII]

That's awful and I do hope you get your watch back. I'm not an expert in these matters but is it worth contacting the citizen's advice bureau to work out what the correct process is? It's your property so it should be returned to you (it's not an asset of the business) but it might be complicated if the business is being liquidated or sold. I'd definitely try and get some advice either free via CAB or pay for a specialist solicitor.

 

[Omegafanman]

Sounds like they might have gone under. Some form of interim management or insolvency agent will be appointed. It looks like Lloyds bank had a charge against the firm so they might be involved.
I would send a polite recorded delivery letter to a couple of the directors asking for an update via phone / email and asking how to have your property returned. I would also speak to Lloyds bank in case they can shed any light on it.
Your property should be identified as such / there will be a lot in for repair one imagines. If any client items go missing that is theft so it becomes a police matter. Hopefully it will not come to that. Of course there might be another explanation but to see all branches shut, the website offline and a spate of directors resigning since December does point towards a bankruptcy - but it does not follow private property will be lost (just delayed while auditors step in hopefully)......

 

[watchyouwant]

If you know the Names of the Guys, you spoke to/dealt with like signature under your delivery repair paper, track them down locally. See where they live and knock at doors to see the status.... Good luck ,!

 

[Engee]

 

[RevZMan123]

Yes, the trustpilot reviews with people showing up and finding the doors closed are certainly expanding ... here is a way to find the people in charge but not sure how helpful it is:

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/03945574/officers

 

[Archer]

Reminds be a bit of this one...

Please let this be a bad dream, Watchmaster.com burglary? | WatchUSeek Watch Forums

Watchmaster was robbed of millions in watches, many of which were on consignment. They subsequently filed for insolvency, and it's unclear what compensation the people who sent them their watches to sell will get, if any...

 

[Omegafanman]

Archer

Reminds be a bit of this one...

Please let this be a bad dream, Watchmaster.com burglary? | WatchUSeek Watch Forums

Watchmaster was robbed of millions in watches, many of which were on consignment. They subsequently filed for insolvency, and it's unclear what compensation the people who sent them their watches to sell will get, if any...

In those circumstances a professional company should have insurance - even if they cease trading the insurance would still be in place at the time of the raid. It is good to check the insurance status before you send a watch in for sure. Fingers crossed this turns out better.

 

[Archer]

Omegafanman

In those circumstances a professional company should have insurance - even if they cease trading the insurance would still be in place at the time of the raid. It is good to check the insurance status before you send a watch in for sure. Fingers crossed this turns out better.

They have insurance. The question becomes who gets paid, and how far down the people who sent their watches in are on the list of creditors.

 

[Omegafanman]

Archer

They have insurance. The question becomes who gets paid, and how far down the people who sent their watches in are on the list of creditors.

Time to take a hair cut, lawyer up and take a group action on that one..... make sure the insolvency agent is fully informed - not sure why a bank / business debt etc should be paid out ahead of Joe Public.... must be an opportunity to fight the man there :0)

 

[Archer]

Omegafanman

Time to take a hair cut, lawyer up and take a group action on that one..... make sure the insolvency agent is fully informed - not sure why a bank / business debt etc should be paid out ahead of Joe Public.... must be an opportunity to fight the man there :0)

I believe they call it capitalism...

 

[Omegafanman]

Archer

I believe they call it capitalism...

Agreed but insurance is normally pretty specific and they will want to make sure anything is a full and final settlement - will be interesting to see how that plays out. Also banks can be swayed by public sentiment ..

Pensioner victim of romance scam shock at £150,000 bank refund | The Independent

 

[Norfolk]

I had this happen once to me in Cambridge. I had a gold Speedmaster with a local company for Servicing, and the company closed its doors and declared insolvency. I believe it used to be the practice that a letter or notice should be posted on the door with details of who to contact if you are a creditor.

This was some years ago but the advice I got was that any insolvency Practioner could not dispose of items which have been submitted for repair or service as they still belong to the customer. The insolvency practitioner also had a duty to find those people who had submitted the items. I was able to prove with a receipt from the company that the watch was mine and I physically went to the office of the Practioner and received back my watch. To say I was relieved was an understatement.

I hope that this is still the case, and that there is a swift resolution to your problems.

 

[Omegafanman]

Norfolk

I had this happen once to me in Cambridge. I had a gold Speedmaster with a local company for Servicing, and the company closed its doors and declared insolvency. I believe it used to be the practice that a letter or notice should be posted on the door with details of who to contact if you are a creditor.

This was some years ago but the advice I got was that any insolvency Practioner could not dispose of items which have been submitted for repair or service as they still belong to the customer. The insolvency practitioner also had a duty to find those people who had submitted the items. I was able to prove with a receipt from the company that the watch was mine and I physically went to the office of the Practioner and received back my watch. To say I was relieved was an understatement.

I hope that this is still the case, and that there is a swift resolution to your problems.

Fingers crossed - I always consider that people are losing their jobs / maybe a lot more if an owner, so it is good to go easy until you have the full picture. They will be under pressure and not being paid so diplomacy is best (subject to more information of course)

 

[Archer]

Omegafanman

Agreed but insurance is normally pretty specific and they will want to make sure anything is a full and final settlement - will be interesting to see how that plays out. Also banks can be swayed by public sentiment ..

Pensioner victim of romance scam shock at £150,000 bank refund | The Independent

It will depend entirely on the laws in question in that specific jurisdiction. I fully expect the insurance company will pay, but it's what happens to that money that is in question.

As for public sentiment, sure, but the people selling their Day Dates, Daytonas, etc. aren't going to generate the same sympathy with the public as a pensioner.

 

[Omegafanman]

Archer

It will depend entirely on the laws in question in that specific jurisdiction. I fully expect the insurance company will pay, but it's what happens to that money that is in question.

As for public sentiment, sure, but the people selling their Day Dates, Daytonas, etc. aren't going to generate the same sympathy with the public as a pensioner.

Archer

It will depend entirely on the laws in question in that specific jurisdiction. I fully expect the insurance company will pay, but it's what happens to that money that is in question.

As for public sentiment, sure, but the people selling their Day Dates, Daytonas, etc. aren't going to generate the same sympathy with the public as a pensioner.

I am sure we can dig up some 'my fathers / uncles, mothers watch' stories ..... Never let the truth stop good PR.....