Abysmal VSF product (intentionally?) passed their QC - caveat emptor! and what would you do?

[pedalpower]

I ordered an Omega Ceramic Planet Ocean made by VSF from a well established TD. I received the QC pics below by email and approved them without comment.

I received the watch and was horrified to see the below defects on the dial. It looks like someone at the factory tried to clean up a mess and scratched a good portion of the dial. I'm not able to see the defects on the QC pics nor in indoor lighting conditions, but they are easily visible in direct sunlight. The pictures don't do them justice. VSF obviously allowed this watch to be sold as new without any warning and the defects escaped the TD's trained eye.

I have sent the pictures to the TD and he wants me to send the watch back - not to him, but to the New Kowloon watch centre in Guangzhou via registered mail. Having mailed watches back to China before, I'm not at all excited about the prospect of the cost and most importantly the uncertainty of mailing it into that black hole.

What would you do?

What would you expect the TD to do?

This defect must of course be disclosed if selling the watch. Anyone in CONUS interested at ~$300 including both steel and rubber straps?

 

[sunnydale]

Ask for a new dial.

 

[mari115]

Why do they want the watch back? To replace the dial? Then they just need the dial, ask a local watchsmith to remove the dial for you, send them just the dial and ask for a new one, i can't really believe that while doing QC no one saw the scratches.

 

[YellowFin]

I'd also request them to send a new dial and get it replaced by my local watchsmith. Which TD did you get this from?

 

[Zanboor2]

I'd also request them to send a new dial and get it replaced by my local watchsmith. Which TD did you get this from?

I'm Looking to purchase this very watch so would be interested in the TD as well.

 

[Roadster]

I too have looked at this particular watch as a potential purchase and would be interested in your TD. Please PM if you don't care to publicly post. Thanks.

 

[pedalpower]

I agree that dial replacement is probably the best way to go and I had already requested a replacement dial from the TD but I have not received confirmation from him yet.

Would you agree that I should expect the replacement dial to be provided at no charge? Unfortunately, given the way this process works, there doesn't seem to be any way to be compensated for my out of pocket labor cost to change the dial stateside, effectively raising the cost of the new watch.

I contacted a few TDs that I've bought from before about this watch and a few others. All of them said the VSF PO was available and they would have no problem getting it, so I expect you can order it through any TD. I'd prefer to wait until the TD resolves my dial situation satisfactorily before identifying him publicly.

Why do they want the watch back? To replace the dial? Then they just need the dial, ask a local watchsmith to remove the dial for you, send them just the dial and ask for a new one, i can't really believe that while doing QC no one saw the scratches.

Yeah, I can't believe it either, especially at the factory where they likely performed the operation. My point is that VSF must have known it was messed up and chose to sell it anyway without disclosing it. One of the goals of this post is to advise future buyers of VSF products to be more diligent. The TD missing it is easier to imagine as the flaws are most noticeable only in direct sunlight and it's not in the TD's interest to send me a watch that I'm not going to be satisfied with.