Review of my experience with Nik

[Princewilliam]

I’ll start off by saying this review is neither positive or negative at this stage. I’m hoping the issues I’m having can be resolved with Nik but at this stage all communication has stopped.

Long story but ill try summarise the dealings I have had with Nik the best I can.

March 22 - I sent Nik an email enquiring about having a watch plated, various emails were exchanged with questions from myself. I’m then given an order number and some instructions.

21 April 22 - I sent my 126613LN vsf submariner watch case and bracelet to Nik for gold plating. I made a mistake and sent the watch via Australia post, this transfers to Italia post once it enters Italy, a big mistake on my part but I’ve never had an issue before. I’ve been a member here for a long time and concluded many successful sales and built various frankens using modders on this forum, all done using Australia post. UK, USA, Singapore, Netherlands etc etc

I checked the tracking a few weeks later and the watch appears to be stuck in transit.

11 May 22 -emailed Nik informing him my watch was stuck in transit- no response.

I opened a investigation with Australia post and after a few weeks they find it’s with Italian customs. The tracking updates to reflect this.

28 June 22 -I emailed Nik for assistance as I don't speak Italian and every time I emailed Italian customs they sent a generic reply telling me to call them - no response from Nik

16th of Aug 22 - emailed Nik again- no response.
-Regrettably I ended up commenting on a few of Niks threads out of frustration of the lack of communication. This got his attention and things went a bit sour. PM’s were exchanged and Nik said he had not received a single email from me, but later in PM's he mentions that he only seen emails that my watch was stuck in transit and later with Italian customs, he says he didn’t reply as it’s out of his hands in as many words. I apologised for venting and asked if we could get back on track, he agreed. I posted a reply in the thread I commented on apologising.

August 22 - a friend puts me in touch with someone that can speak Italian and eventually after many phone calls during the middle of the night and multiple emails providing my personal tax file number and other details to Italian customs, my watch is released and delivered to Nik in the first week of September 22, 4 months after posting it.

19 Oct 22 - I sent Nik a PM on RWI asking for an update - no response

13 Nov 22 - I sent Nik a PM on RWI asking for an update. Nik replies that my watch should be ready and will let me know on Tuesday (15 Nov)

23 Nov 22- Nik sent me a PM saying my watch is ready.

26 Nov 22 - I sent Nik a PM asking for payment instructions and some pictures of the work - no response.

2 Jan 23 - I sent Nik a PM again asking for payment details. Nik responded the next day telling me his shop has been broken in to and he will check to see if I was affected.

30 Jan 23 - I sent Nik a PM asking for another update. He responded on 3 Feb 23 saying my watch case is safe but my bracelet has been stolen and that he will order me a new bracelet.

3 Feb 23 - I sent Nik a PM asking how he can order me a bracelet as the dealers have told me it cant be purchased. No response

25 Feb 23 - I sent Nik a PM asking for an update - No response

17 March 23- I sent Nik a PM asking for an update - No response

25 March 23 - I sent Nik an email asking if we can get finally get this sorted as it’s been nearly a year since sending the watch. No response.

I am trying to keep my opinions on the matter to myself and post only the facts I have. I would really like to come to an amicable outcome on this matter.

I have opened a help desk ticket with mods and have been advised to give Nik a week to respond to messages and if he doesn’t then I should post these details in his review section. The week has now passed hence this post.

At this stage I’m unsure what the solution is. It’s been nearly 2 months since I’ve spoken to Nik. As far as I’m aware the watch bezel and crown have already been plated, although I haven’t seen this for myself, so if I was to have this posted back to me any bracelet I source myself won’t match the case. I am open to suggestions.

I appreciate Nik has been through an ordeal with the break in to his shop and understand he’s probably had a lot to deal with. But he appears to be regularly posting on here and completing work for other customers so I can’t see why he wouldn’t have time to reply to me.

I’m optimistic about coming to some kind of resolution, thanks

 

[tripdog]

May not be obvious to everyone, but the first contact was March 2022, not 2023.

 

[asusundevils1971]

May not be obvious to everyone, but the date the watch was shipped to Italy, 22nd March is 2022, not 2023, so a full year.

April 21 2022 the watch was sent.

 

[McDuck888]

Best of luck.

 

[tripdog]

April 21 2022 the watch was sent.

Oh, OK - it's only been 11 months then, not a full year.

Some people are just so impatient.

 

[tripdog]

@Nikz19

A reaction please.

 

[Nikz19]

Sure.
First off everyone knows how a pain in the ass is to deal with italian customs, reason why it’s in our confirmation email to NOT post via regular mail. This caused most of the delay. Then the robbery- right after that there was CNY where no one on that side of the globe was working. Add months on top of the cake.

A VS bracelet is currently hard to get by himself, my last communication with @Princewilliam was that I was in the process of trying and source another bracelet for him via my dealers (at my obvious expense) hence the reason why if I had no updates, I had none to give.

The ordeal we went through is well aware at this point, does he prefer a refund I’m happy to. Whatever works for me.

 

[McDuck888]

Darn it, for those emails or the odd PM you got no reply out of common courtesy just because there were no updates? What happened to simply writing 'no update' in reply to let someone know where they stand. You seem to have been extremely patient. I hope the ball gets picked up and you have a really lovely resolution soon.

 

[McDuck888]

I'm gutted to read that Nikz's shop was broken into. Man, that's absolutely horrendous.

 

[Nikz19]

Darn it, for those emails or the odd PM you got no reply out of common courtesy just because there were no updates? What happened to simply writing 'no update' in reply to let someone know where they stand. You seem to have been extremely patient. I hope the ball gets picked up and you have a really lovely resolution soon.

It’s hard to keep up with the “any updates” of everyone when you receive a ton of them. Normally updates come when any is available, I think it’s in both parties interest if as soon as there is any update I’ll be the first to provide. We do get paid at job done so sure as hell if any update is here the customer will know.
If a refund was asked, it would have been issued. After the robbery quite a few has been made (even though we didn’t even get insurance cash back yet) he’s no exception.


@Princewilliam sent a case and bracelet, he kept the movement with dial and hands at his place. If a preferred solution is a refund he can keep the parts he has as spare parts and I’ll pay the expense of a new, complete watch.

 

[McDuck888]

I think recently you made a decision to no longer do plating in twotone style Nikz. But would you consider plating a brand new watch for him in the style that you used to plate so his result is exactly what he had hoped to receive and more, or leave it stock colour ?

 

[McDuck888]

Actually, it's not my business. I don't know why I asked that query. Please excuse me. I must be overtired

 

[tripdog]

First off everyone knows how a pain in the ass is to deal with italian customs,

This caused most of the delay.

21st April - first week of September is 4 months. First week of September - now is 6 months.

does he prefer a refund I’m happy to. Whatever works for me.

I think you mean 'whatever works for him' - he's the customer.

You'll probably need to refer to his last email or 2, he may have already asked for a refund, or simply to have his property returned to him.

Hopefully this will be resolved in a mutually satisfactory manner by Friday of next week - 7 days from now.

 

[Nikz19]

21st April - first week of September is 4 months. First week of September - now is 6 months.

Yeah, without considering the closing holidays, the forced closure for moving and security reinforcement. Thing is workload builds up if a package delays, and the queue goes on. Whoever asked for a TT plating in that period could attest that the completion in the confirmation email was estimated in 90 days- which led to closing the two tone queue completely. We’re not accepting them anymore.

I think you mean 'whatever works for him' - he's the customer.

Obvious typing error. It’s whatever works for him, pleases him, he likes.

You'll probably need to refer to his last email or 2, he may have already asked for a refund, or simply to have his property returned to him.

I double checked just to be sure and no, a refund has not been asked or it would have been issued already, immediately, as to any other with stolen goods has.


Just waiting for the OP (which has already been contacted in PM) to proceed in any way he prefers.
Thanks for stepping in.

 

[Princewilliam]

An update

Nik has sent me the full amount by PayPal to purchase a new watch.

As far as I’m concerned this gesture is way beyond what I would have expected and I’m more than happy with the outcome.

Like I said I tried to keep my opinion out of things and not judge and only post my side of things, there are no hard feelings from me and I’m glad we could get things sorted.

Thank you @Nikz19