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DOA Watch - Shipped Back to China

ACL-REP

You're Saying I Can Sell?
18/5/19
60
17
8
Seattle, WA
Hello, I purchased an Omega PO Chrono from JTime and it arrived looking great but DOA. Li was great about getting back to me right away and said to ship it back to him so he could get it fixed.

Here's my question, I shipped it via USPS 1st Class International, it's been 5 weeks and it still hasn't arrived there. I've read horror stories about the local Chinese post offices.

Have any of you shipped a watch back to China via USPS 1st Class Int and if so, how long did it take to get there? (or did it ever get there?)

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

ACL



PO Chrono
 

JOP

Renowned Member
30/1/17
692
177
43
Hello, I purchased an Omega PO Chrono from JTime and it arrived looking great but DOA. Li was great about getting back to me right away and said to ship it back to him so he could get it fixed.

Here's my question, I shipped it via USPS 1st Class International, it's been 5 weeks and it still hasn't arrived there. I've read horror stories about the local Chinese post offices.

Have any of you shipped a watch back to China via USPS 1st Class Int and if so, how long did it take to get there? (or did it ever get there?)

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

ACL



PO Chrono

It's a beautiful watch, i really don't know why you send it back... Did you ask your watch smith about?
Usually it's minor issues concerning heavy oiling, dropped balance spring etc.

Do you know that almost any kind of watch need to be checked from a watch smith, specially when we order it from a warehouse in an other country?

Wish you the best of luck with it.
 

Rickjames111

Active Member
5/9/17
433
179
43
St Louis, Mo
The common advice on this forum is if a watch arrives with issues, to try and work something out with the TD and get it serviced/fixed locally it possible, or at least in your country. Not only do you exponentially reduce customs risks, your turnaround time is usually reduced as well.

Good Luck!
 
Last edited:

ACL-REP

You're Saying I Can Sell?
18/5/19
60
17
8
Seattle, WA
It's a beautiful watch, i really don't know why you send it back... Did you ask your watch smith about?
Usually it's minor issues concerning heavy oiling, dropped balance spring etc.

Do you know that almost any kind of watch need to be checked from a watch smith, specially when we order it from a warehouse in an other country?

Wish you the best of luck with it.

Thanks for the reply.

I contacted Vac and he told me that he could probably get it going for $265. After just paying $400 I thought another $265 sounded like a lot since I just received it but now . . .
 

ACL-REP

You're Saying I Can Sell?
18/5/19
60
17
8
Seattle, WA
The common advice on this forum is if a watch arrives with issues, to try and work something out with the TD and get it serviced/fixed locally it possible, or at least in your country. Not only do you exponentially reduce customs risks, your turnaround time is usually reduced as well.

Good Luck!

I wish I had thought of asking for my TD to help pay for the repair, although he probably would have said to send it back so he could get it sorted out.

Now I have no Idea if it's still sitting in a pile somewhere or still bouncing around China or???
 

Rickjames111

Active Member
5/9/17
433
179
43
St Louis, Mo
I wish I had thought of asking for my TD to help pay for the repair, although he probably would have said to send it back so he could get it sorted out.

Now I have no Idea if it's still sitting in a pile somewhere or still bouncing around China or???

You would be surprised. Many will help from what I have heard, even if it is providing a decent discount towards the purchase of another watch.
 

Art Tic

Time Machine Collector
26/2/17
948
237
43
California
A few years ago, I shipped DOA items back to China via priority mail. Both packages disappeared after arriving on China soil, and I was SOL.
I hope you have better luck than me.
 

ACL-REP

You're Saying I Can Sell?
18/5/19
60
17
8
Seattle, WA
A few years ago, I shipped DOA items back to China via priority mail. Both packages disappeared after arriving on China soil, and I was SOL.
I hope you have better luck than me.

Wow, that's a bummer. Not looking good for me... :sad:
 

ACL-REP

You're Saying I Can Sell?
18/5/19
60
17
8
Seattle, WA
My question still stands...

Have any of you ever shipped a watch back to China from the US via USPS First Class? (5 weeks is getting pretty long and I wonder if it just got tossed in some heap when it arrived in China)

Thanks,

ACL
 

efajri

Put Some Respect On My Name
17/10/16
3,679
940
113
Midwest CONUS
No. But the issue will be with Chinese customs and the local mail carrier. It will get to China within 2 days from the US, but it may stay at customs longer than 5 days.


Sent from my iPhone using RWI
 

Germintrude

Horology Curious
22/5/19
7
1
3
No. But the issue will be with Chinese customs and the local mail carrier. It will get to China within 2 days from the US, but it may stay at customs longer than 5 days.


Sent from my iPhone using RWI

I recently sent back a watch to a TD which was DOA. It took a month to get through China customs going China Post but it did arrive eventually. From first purchase to receiving a working watch took nearly 4 months.


Sent from the RWI App
 

tripdog

Super Moderator
Staff member
Global Moderator
Certified
9/7/12
22,474
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Thanks for the reply.

I contacted Vac and he told me that he could probably get it going for $265. After just paying $400 I thought another $265 sounded like a lot since I just received it but now . . .

Wow, he's really good - he knows how much it will cost (and so presumably what needs to be done) without looking at the watch.

It's most likely a loose screw caught in the balance wheel or a detached rotor etc - none of which would cost $265 to fix.
 

ACL-REP

You're Saying I Can Sell?
18/5/19
60
17
8
Seattle, WA
No. But the issue will be with Chinese customs and the local mail carrier. It will get to China within 2 days from the US, but it may stay at customs longer than 5 days.


Sent from my iPhone using RWI


Yep, I was worried that customs may just take it and open/trash it. I'll keep waiting...
 

ACL-REP

You're Saying I Can Sell?
18/5/19
60
17
8
Seattle, WA
I recently sent back a watch to a TD which was DOA. It took a month to get through China customs going China Post but it did arrive eventually. From first purchase to receiving a working watch took nearly 4 months.


Sent from the RWI App


Thanks for the reply, that gives me a little hope. But since I'm going on 6 weeks after sending, I'm more than a little worried because of all the horror stories I read about the Chinese postal service.
 

ACL-REP

You're Saying I Can Sell?
18/5/19
60
17
8
Seattle, WA
Wow, he's really good - he knows how much it will cost (and so presumably what needs to be done) without looking at the watch.

It's most likely a loose screw caught in the balance wheel or a detached rotor etc - none of which would cost $265 to fix.


After I described the problem he said he could fix the movement and do a "Spa" treatment for $265. Not sure what a spa is but maybe it's a clean and oil?
Either way, at this point I wish I had taken a chance with him because at least the watch would still be in the US.
 

Hans81

Active Member
23/2/15
327
170
43
After I described the problem he said he could fix the movement and do a "Spa" treatment for $265. Not sure what a spa is but maybe it's a clean and oil?
Either way, at this point I wish I had taken a chance with him because at least the watch would still be in the US.

Wow, 265usd sounds steep without even looking at it - maybe reach out to someone else.

Did sent back a watch to China from Europe, Germany, took 5 weeks but arrived safely. Registered letter.
 

ACL-REP

You're Saying I Can Sell?
18/5/19
60
17
8
Seattle, WA
ACL-REP The best choice for me have to have the watch repaired in USA via one of the watch smiths listed on RWI. DOA's or broken watches happen. I see it as the cost of buying reps.

At this point I tend to agree.

At the time it seemed nuts to pay $265 right after paying over $400 for the watch but as we all know, hindsight is 20/20. (plus, I had read a post by Vac where he said how hard the Chinese chronos are to repair and often get worse when people work on them so I figured I should at least start with a working watch)

Also, I received the watch so quickly that I thought it may not take long to send it to him. (plus he said he wanted me to send it back) It wasn't until the last few weeks that I started reading about the black hole that is the Chinese postal system and I'm feeling that since I didn't use a high cost service, I may be SOL. :wacko:

Anyway, good advice for the future I guess.

Thanks for the reply, I'll update if anything changes.
 
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ACL-REP

You're Saying I Can Sell?
18/5/19
60
17
8
Seattle, WA
Wow, 265usd sounds steep without even looking at it - maybe reach out to someone else.

Did sent back a watch to China from Europe, Germany, took 5 weeks but arrived safely. Registered letter.


I thought so too, although my guess is that he knows Chinese chronos and how complicated they are as well as being filled with substandard parts that may be compromised.
Glad to hear you had one arrive safely in 5 weeks, so maybe mine still has a chance??? :eek:

Thanks for your reply.

ACL
 

tkingjr

Watches & woodworking
Gold Patron
Certified
7/4/16
2,848
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Northeast USA and Shenzhen, China
ACL-REP Here is a link to a member that repairs Reps near you. I guess being on the east coast CA is near.
https://forum.replica-watch.info/fo...7339011-intro-california-watch-repair-and-mod

It took me a while to learn what not to do. I have ordered many watches over the last 3 years. Two have been seized by customs. DHL is frowned on because the seizure rate is high. My most recent shipment was seized using FedEx SurePost. My seizure rate is 2.5% so I am not doing bad.
 
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