Experience with sending watch back to dealer in china for repair/replacement

[dmax17]

Hello everyone,
First timer here.

I bought a "NOOB" SkyDweller from Chazingtime in September 2023. The watch has been having issues right from the start, and stopped working a couple of days ago. Chazingtime asked me to send it back to China for "repair/replacement". I am in NYC, US so the return shipping is not trivial.
My question is, has anyone sent back reps to TD for repair/replacement? (especially Chazingtime). What was the experience like? Was it worth it?

 

[g00n]

RWI Recommendation: DO NOT RETURN YOUR WATCH TO CHINA - A caution to the wind

Members, while this has been said for years, it begs to be refreshed. RWI fully recommends that you DO NOT SEND YOUR WATCHES BACK TO A TD. If your watch is broken, the wrong watch, or anything, I suggest the following: If it is broken, we have a whole section of trusted Watchmakers section...

forum.replica-watch.info

 

[mrsullivan]

 

[Zeta7]

yeah definitely what they said

 

[GE206032880]

Last spring I received a VSF Omega - Arrived "Dead on Arrival" from Chazingtime
- They asked me to do the same send it back - but the good people on this forum advised, smartly, against it.
You can
A. Use a watch smith from this forum to send the watch to and have it serviced here in the states. There are actually some in NYC - a full service may run about 300 but you will get it back .
B. A better solution that I found was to have Alice from Chazingtime to sell me just the movement for $100. When i received it - my local watch guy did a simple switch out and all is well.

Chazingtime was a little reluctant at first - but they did send it and my local watch guy switched it out in less than 5 minutes and I was out the door.

 

[Maximillian]

Hello everyone,
First timer here.

I bought a "NOOB" SkyDweller from Chazingtime in September 2023. The watch has been having issues right from the start, and stopped working a couple of days ago. Chazingtime asked me to send it back to China for "repair/replacement". I am in NYC, US so the return shipping is not trivial.
My question is, has anyone sent back reps to TD for repair/replacement? (especially Chazingtime). What was the experience like? Was it worth it?

I wouldn't do it if I were you, especially the Christmas postal chaos is about to start.

I used to get a watchmaker to make it right, given the fact that I really love that rep. Otherwise don't bother. But that's just me, of course you can make up your own mind.

 

[GE206032880]

having them send/sell me just the movement was the fastest and ultimately the cheapest way out of a bad situation.

Good luck

 

[GingerBubba]

I've done it a few times (not with Chazingtime) when I was new to the game and didn't know a local fixer. It took forever to get the watch back, like 6 - 9 months and with basically no info during that time, but all good in the end.

 

[Karbon74]

Hello everyone,
First timer here.

I bought a "NOOB" SkyDweller from Chazingtime in September 2023. The watch has been having issues right from the start, and stopped working a couple of days ago. Chazingtime asked me to send it back to China for "repair/replacement". I am in NYC, US so the return shipping is not trivial.
My question is, has anyone sent back reps to TD for repair/replacement? (especially Chazingtime). What was the experience like? Was it worth it?

don't.
Buy a movement (or ask CZT to give you a discount on a movement) and have it installed locally.

if you do, it might or might now work out...BUT it will take months and you need to be mentally prepared to write off the watch as lost.

 

[GingerBubba]

Out of interest, out of all the people above who said DONT SEND YOUR WATCH BACK, how many have in fact sent a watch back? Are you talkifrom experience or just repeating the mantra?

 

[Karbon74]

Out of interest, out of all the people above who said DONT SEND YOUR WATCH BACK, how many have in fact sent a watch back? Are you talkifrom experience or just repeating the mantra?

I have sent back an AliExpress watch, San Martin... not even a rep. that was before I learned how to swap a movement
lost in limbo.

AliX dispute gave me 50% after weeks of tedious messaging through ali auto-translate. I took it to get over it.

 

[Temple]

Not to go against the mantra, but I’ve sent 1 watch back to China in my time and had no issues getting it there and then getting it back again. I think it took 3 weeks to get there and it ultimately ended in a straight replacement so took around 2 weeks to get a new one back in hand.

It wasn’t from a TD here and I get why the staff here advise that you don’t. But ultimately it’s up to the buyer at the end of the day and the seller will normally say they won’t cover the cost if it gets lost/seized.

Just my two cents…

 

[Karbon74]

Not to go against the mantra, but I’ve sent 1 watch back to China in my time and had no issues getting it there and then getting it back again. I think it took 3 weeks to get there and it ultimately ended in a straight replacement so took around 2 weeks to get a new one back in hand.

It wasn’t from a TD here and I get why the staff here advise that you don’t. But ultimately it’s up to the buyer at the end of the day and the seller will normally say they won’t cover the cost if it gets lost/seized.

Just my two cents…

100% agree.

I feel it's a bit of a gamble, and one I will no longer take personally. Everyone has his own risk threshold.

 

[GingerBubba]

So far then, two people have sent four watches back (me three times and Temple once) all without issue (though my timescales were significantly longer). One person has sent an AliExpress watch back and it was lost. Doesn't sound so bad after all.

 

[GE206032880]

So far then, two people have sent four watches back (me three times and Temple once) all without issue (though my timescales were significantly longer). One person has sent an AliExpress watch back and it was lost. Doesn't sound so bad after all.

FYI -
Funny, I recently bought from a non TD ( BTW great customer service and all watches are FedEx from China - so I get Top factory watches in 1 week - and for a whole lot less)
- and when my recent purchase of a JLC small second function didn't work - I thought I would take a chance and offer to send back....... the NON TD said DONT - the risk of confiscation is too high. And that was from a guy who I really don't believe would send me a new one if it was confiscated or lost. ( we settled on a discount on my next purchase - which incidentally they did followed thu on.

Just my two cents

 

[dmax17]

don't.
Buy a movement (or ask CZT to give you a discount on a movement) and have it installed locally.

if you do, it might or might now work out...BUT it will take months and you need to be mentally prepared to write off the watch as lost.

Any suggestions for a local watch fixer for reps? I am in the Manhattan / Northern New Jersey area.

 

[CutePinkKitty]

Any suggestions for a local watch fixer for reps? I am in the Manhattan / Northern New Jersey area.

I'd try the diamond district and ask around.

If i'm not mistaken there's a guy in the forum's list that does watches who is in NYC as well.

 

[pompompurin]

I live in Hong Kong so shipping to mainland China is closer (and probably more reliable than other places around the world).

I also do not recommend sending reps back to mainland China, especially if the issue can be easily resolved (e.g., a broken 2824-2 / 2836-2 /3135 clone.. just simply find a local watchmaker to swap the movement or fix it these movements are well known and spare parts for these movements are plentiful).

However, in rare situations where you are held hostage for your watch because the broken watch part is an unique and proprietary part that only the replica factory can supply, then you might have to take risk and ship the watch back to mainland China. But before doing that, see if the TD is willing to source and ship that unique and proprietary part to you so that you can also find a local watchmaker to install it.

 

[g00n]

Out of interest, out of all the people above who said DONT SEND YOUR WATCH BACK, how many have in fact sent a watch back? Are you talkifrom experience or just repeating the mantra?

I have no experience of sending a watch back and I don’t ever intend to either. I also never said “DONT SEND YOUR WATCH BACK”. I provided a link to a post which may or may not help OP decide what to do…..

 

[dmax17]

I live in Hong Kong so shipping to mainland China is closer (and probably more reliable than other places around the world).

I also do not recommend sending reps back to mainland China, especially if the issue can be easily resolved (e.g., a broken 2824-2 / 2836-2 /3135 clone.. just simply find a local watchmaker to swap the movement or fix it these movements are well known and spare parts for these movements are plentiful).

However, in rare situations where you are held hostage for your watch because the broken watch part is an unique and proprietary part that only the replica factory can supply, then you might have to take risk and ship the watch back to mainland China. But before doing that, see if the TD is willing to source and ship that unique and proprietary part to you so that you can also find a local watchmaker to install it.

I should’ve mentioned that the TD specifically asked me to return the watch for “repair / replacement” .. it’s Alice from Chazingtime