Watch33 reviews

Awful company.

- Failed to process my initial payment and yet didn't notify me
- They took 8 weeks to deliver my watch instead of the claimed 2-3 weeks
- I had to chase every step of the way for status updates
- To compensate for the delay they refunded the delivery cost (just £16!)
- They only mentioned you had to pay VAT in their terms and conditions, yet they claim "no hidden charges"!
- Very difficult to get hold of on the phone

STAY WELL AWAY!

Ordered a watch 13 May, money taken from my account immediately. Delivery promised in 1-2 weeks. Heard nothing so emailed after 2 weeks. Email response promising delivery the following week. Now, 3 weeks later, no watch and not responding to emails nor answering the telephone.
Avoid like the plague!!!

My experience is that you cannot rely on these people to keep to the statements made on their web site. I ordered a Movado watch from them on 30 April 2010. Their web site home page and the item page both clearly promise UK shipping and No Hidden Costs. After chasing, it eventually arrived on 26 May 2010. Without my knowledge or consent watch33 decided to ship the watch from the USA. As a result I received a demand from FedEx for VAT and a Clearance Charge. Despite the current Terms & Conditions clearly stating that all goods will be dispatched from the UK and that "Tax Charges - All prices on watch33.com are final. There are no hidden cost on our site." watch33 have so far refused to pay the VAT and Clearance charge. They say that their Terms & Conditions used to be diferent to the ones i've printed off. Even if it was just the main pages that were misleading I would never deal with them again. Any possible saving is not worth this risk.

Delays in shipping, had to be reminded several times before shipped my order even though took money from my account. and uses bad business practice is not upfront about vat / duty / fedex admin charges on the order confirmation , it should have done so if it claims to be a fair and upfront company. Also I suggest that buyers do not accept fedex charges as FEdex should have referred to buyer for authority before clearing goods at customs - in reality if all customers were contacted then it is likely that fedex would not have been able to deliver, the stuff would have been sent back to the seller and the customer would be entitled to a full refund.

Using this website was an absolute waste of time and money. I ordered a watch 3 weeks ago and was told it would be dispatched that day and delievered in two working days. I have still not recieved it! I have been told more than six times that it will be dispatched that day but as yet it has still not been dispatched. I have been speaking to Jenny who seams helpful enough but it is all talk. After every conversation I am promised an e-mail or call back but it is always me making contact. Once I have recieved by watch or money back I will not use this company and would advise others of the same!

I honestly have not come across a worse website than this - I will never ever be using this website again.

At first glance it looks really good value for money but then weeks later you get a fairly large bill through the post from FedEx and you realise that it has been shipped from abroad. It does say this in the smallprint but it is not clear whilst ordering.

So I ordered my watch and I was told it was garunteed to arrive in less than 3 weeks. 3 weeks come and go and so I email, I get told it will be here in a few days. Four emails later and five weeks after I have ordered, the watch finally started on its way from America.

I would not have minded if I was told that the watch was going to be late, it is the fact that they kept fobbing me off assuring me me it was going to be here in a couple of days. As it happens it came far too late for the birthday of the person it was intended for.

In all fairness after I received the FedEx bill I wrote and complained about the very poor service and the charge, and they gave me a small amount of money towards the FedEx bill. However, I do not think that this makes up for the service I received. I will not be using this website again.

Stay away from this site!

easy to use site ,good choice, fast delivery excellent price

Ok; for some of you that will read the following reviews afteer this one will probably draw a negative conclusion based on the reviews alone.
People; Watch33.com are a legitimate business and they offer hard to find watches at a good price. They are able to do this by acting as on behalf of the customer and importing timepieces from the states.
My first and last piece of advice is READ THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS!!
It is quite clear and if you are looking for a hard to find timepiece at a good price I highly reccomend these guys. I ordered a non UK spec stainless steel Citizen eco-zilla and it arrived at my home address in nine days (that includes a weekend too!) with all of the correct paperwork and marques.
The fedex service is highly efficient and if you have any questions then just email watch33.com and they will reply!

Best of luck to these guys, they provided a good service and an excellent timepiece to a happy customer!

Well when i went on to Watch33 and brought an armarni watch that was £40.00 cheaper than the one i like in selfridges i was over the moon! so i pIaced my order already checking on the bottom of the page that it was a UK registered company etc as i have been hit by customs before when buying from overseas so i knew what the procedure was already and didnt want to experience this again! the order was placed and the money was taken from my account straight away, 1 week went by no emails to say the watch had been dispatched and no watch! so i email watch33 who came bac to me straight away, and told me the watch was now in stock and was due to be shipped (so why take my money if the watch wasnt in stock in the first place!!) then another week passed no watch and no email!. so i sent a further 3 emails and the same lady replied apologising and said that the watch was defo going out tonight and fed ex would email me to confirm this, 3 days later after starting to think i wasnt going to see this watch i had a phone call from fedex telling me that they had tried to deliver a parcel from america but no one was in. I thought america? i havent brought anything from there, or so i thought! i mean how ace is this you buy from a UK registered UK VAT registed company and the watch is delivered from the USA!!!??? then to add to my great week the Fedex invoice dropped through my door! i argued with watch33 and they never responsed (no suprise there!) and Fedex explained that i was liable regardles for the £40.00 tax charge!! i mean what a load of $#*!e Watch33 are, its all right having terms and conditions but where are they when placing your order? does it show you these?, does it direct you to these or even tell you that you agree to them!? NO is the answer! I defo will not be using watch33 again and will make sure other people learn from my experience! Dont get stung by watch33 you might aswell buy from the uk by the time you add all the charges to the price let me tell ya!!

I wish I have done my homework and searched the Net for reviews of Watch33.com site before committing to the purchase from them. Well, hope other people will be smarter and take a lesson from my experience with this company.

If you decide to buy something from this guys, please do read their terms and conditions very carefully. First of all, they are NOT an authorised dealer/retailer of any of the watch brands they are selling. Therefore, if you buy from them, you will NOT benefit from a manufacturer's warranty, but will have to rely on Watch33's own guarantee, which will last for only as long as this company is in business, which I suspect is not going to be very long...

Second, the price you are paying to Watch33 is NOT the final price of your purchase. Expect a separate bill for the UK VAT (currently @17.5% of the item's customs value) plus a small documentation charge (c. £10), which will arrive from a carrier few days after you had received your watch. By Watch33 terms and conditions, you are an official importer of the item they sell and therefore you, not them, are liable for customs clearance of your purchase. Interestingly and frustratingly, you would have to pay this charge even if your purchase is faulty and you return it back to Watch33.

And here is my story. I placed my order for the Citizen watch with Watch33.com on February 11. According to the website, the item was in stock. My credit card was charged on the same day. On February 26, after 3 phone calls to the seller, the watch had arrived missing a birthday for which it was a gift. In addition, the watch turned out to be faulty and I had to send it to Watch33, to their address in Newcastle.
Initially, they refused to acknowledge the defect. Then, few days later I received a phone call from them informing me that the problem had been fixed and I can get my watch back. By that time, my intention was to cancel the purchase and ask for a refund, which I did. In response I was told that since there was nothing wrong with watch, the company would charge me a re-stocking fee of £40.
On the same day a bill for £36 from FedEx had arrived. Having spoken to FedEx, I realised that I would have to pay VAT and admin fees regardless of the fact that I had sent the watch back, unless Watch33 gets in touch with FedEx and confirms whereabouts of the watch.
I called Watch33 asking them if they would help me to deal with this matter. The answer was NO because "you agreed to our terms and conditions when placing your order". Then I pointed out that all I needed was a proof that they sent the watch back to the US, but I was told that it wasn't their intention to do that and that they would re-sell the watch in the UK.
At this point I realised that it would be simply too expensive to pay the FedEx fee and the restocking fee just to cancel the trade and I asked Watch33 to send the watch back to me if indeed it was in an working order now as they claimed. This was less than 24 hours after I requested a refund. Guess what happened then? – I was told that the watch had already been sent back to the US (but I still cannot have a proof of that) and that the refund was issued to me a day before. Needless to say that there is not a sign of a refund on my credit card as of now (24 hours later).
While I am pretty sure that eventually I will get at least a portion of my money back, I will have ended up without a watch and without £76. Watch33, on the other hand, has already made £40 profit from this trade and has a watch that had been custom cleared for them by myself... Quite profitable business, don't you think?

I ordered a Tag tag heuer watch on the 7th January, as at the 3rd March I have not received delivery. I have had replies from Jenny at watch 33 saying the watch will be despatched in the next days but has never happened, the snow has also been used as a delay. I have now asked for a final delivery date or an immediate refund but reading the above reviews I can tell I am going to have to chase for this. My only advice at the moment is to stay away from this site

I suggest you look elsewhere to purchase a watch.

Watch showing as 'in stock' on the website and also confirmed by calling them and asking directly. Two weeks later no watch.

They respond to emails regarding an update on when it is likely to be delivered but will never directly say when, other than the generic '5-7 days, unless it's not in stock when it can take up to 21 days'. Do bare in mind that I called to ask if it was in stock and ready to be delivered - the answer was 'yes'. So why is it taking so long ?

I've asked for an immediate refund but not had any response and my bank account is certainly not looking any healthier.

Worth noting that there are other review websites with remarks about watch33.com. One of them is quite amusing - one author has left many positive reviews although claiming each one was their 'first purchase from this company'; how many 'first purchases' can one have ?! This just goes to reinforce my suspicions about the reliability of the positive reviews that have been left.

In my opinion I would NOT PURCHASE FROM THIS STORE. Which is a shame really. I really like the watch but would now rather just have my money back !

Regards,
Nick

Update - Thursday 18th Feb

I sent yet another email asking for a refund, Jenny from Watch33.com replied, apologised for the delay and said she will process the refund straight away.

I have started looking elsewhere for a watch (from a shop, not online !). Next time I will use my Barclaycard which provides some reassurance with online purchases.

Regards,
Nick

Update - Monday 22nd Feb

Still no refund. I think this is clear proof of why you should avoid internet shopping.

Update - Tuesday 23rd Feb

I can now see that the refund has come through. That was a stressful experience and one that I hope I never have to go through again ! When passing over large amounts of money online - read reviews first !! I didn't and ended up with my confidence in online purchases quite rightfully damaged.

Regards,
Nick

I purchased a watch from watch33 on the 2nd of Feb and received my watch on the 5th of Feb. The watch was spot on and so was the customer support. I would recomend watch33 to everyone who wants to buy a watch.

Steve

Email to Wattch33.com - Yet to get a reply !!

***REFUND PLEASE***

Dear Jenny

Without seeming unkind, you seem like a bunch of Charlatans ! I have not had a response to my email or any acknowledgement to my request of a refund. If I'd of known your customer relations was this dire I would of avoided you like the plague. The reality of your flashy website is no reflection on your delivery and to your relief the countless negative reviews about watch33 are only read by people like me - after you've taken my cash !

The purchase of an expensive watch is not a frequent occurrence. On this basis I doubt you give a care for your customer as the likelihood of returning won't be for some years. Smart work but surely you must get bored.

If you've bothered to read this far please will you confirm when I will have my money returned.


Corrina





02/02/2010 17:02
To
"WATCH33.com" <sales@watch33.com>
cc

Subject
Fw: CK01**********




Dear Jenny

The delay in despatch and lack of feasible explanation has made me doubt the reputability of watch33.com. Consequently, after a little on-line dirt digging I have decided I do not want to trade with watch33 and promptly ask for my money back.

I will refrain from posting anything myself on site jabber or the like as long as you guarantee an immediate refund.

Please acknowledge this email and advise when I will have all money refunded.


Regards

Corrina

UPDATE: 04.02.10

I feel really bad for having a rant and being abusive. A girl from Watch 33 called Jenny contated me explaining she was really up against it. She did promise a refund and said it'll show in my account 1-2 days.
I feel like a bit of a bully now but I still stand by what I say and would advise you to be aware of all the facts before going there.
I have since ordered my watch from Lingray (yet to get it) but on the face of things they seem legitimate.

The watch i ordered was displayed as in stock. But was then charged £25.00 import duty. Personally i or anyone i know would deal with these people again

BUYER BEWARE! BUYER BEWARE! THIS SITE IS A SCAM!
DO NOT BUY FROM THIS SITE! THEY TOOK MY MONEY!

I ordered a Tag Heuer Grande Carrera (£3,565) on the 19th November 2009 as a gift for my partner. I DID NOT receive the product for which I placed the order, instead I recieved a blue and white "Baby-G" digital sports watch with an RRP of £59.99 leaving me over £3000 worse off!

At first I thought it was just a mistake due to demand coming up to Christmas, but when I called Watch33 and spoke to Matt i realised I had been conned. As you can imagine I felt violated by this as his response did not convince me that the matter would be resolved. Instead of offering to rectify the issue he accused me of "pulling a flanker" leavig me stranded with no savings left. When i thought the worst was over I recieved an invoice for import duty which was a further £479.98!! I now wish I approached a reputable dealer.

I have since sent a numer of e-mails asking for a full refund to which i was offered a "free" sample from their new range of sex toys. I was given a choice of a titanmen ass master or a turbo stroker masturbator kit for couples. I am totally outraged by this whole episode.

I have taken further action with regard to this appalling matter by contacting the financial ombudsman and trading standards, i have been informed that it could be a lengthy process in taking legal action against watch33. Our Christmas has been ruined, as has my partners birthday. THANKS WATCH33 FOR YOUR OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER RAPPOR.

DR J.Ronald LFHOM

I ordered a Tag Heuer watch with this company and I received it yesterday morning. I was thoroughly delighted with it and saved myself quite a lot of money. Its exactly as it is shown on the website and I would have no qualms about ordering from this company again. Good service and also prompt replies to my queries. Thank you Watch33 again.

Teejay

Nice to see that most of you got your watches. I wonder how positive you will be in 1-2 months time when you get landed with a bill from Fedex for VAT and duty. Which YOU are responsible for, even tough you bought from a UK website in pounds. Because unless you were very diligent and read all of the small print, you may not realise that many of these watches are shipped from the US and you are responsible for the import duty. Luckily I only bought a £100 watch, but was landed with £24 worth of tax. Negating any saving I had made compared to other sites. According to Fedex I am liable and despite phone calls and emails to watch33 I have heard nothing back. There's a limit to how much time I will spend fighting for £24 that I will probably never get back, but i dread to think of the people buying £4-5k watches. Speaking to Fedex today they informed me that they have had several issues with this company along the same lines and I hope they will blacklist watch33 so other couriers won't pick them up either. Yes - it's in the small print, but should be made very clear as you're buying that you will be responsible for the tax. I hope you get your bargain - but do watch out for that Fedex bill. I wouldn't touch these ever again!!!

BE CAREFULL WITH THE SMALLPRINT! They said watch was in stock and would deliver 2-5 days. I received it after 2 weeks and TAXES CHARGES of almost 50 GBP. The are saying it can be a "small fraction" of the full price, but it can be quite a lot.

I bought a watch from them and they said delivery estimate is 7 working days. Up till this moment, which is more than two weeks, I have not received my watch and my e-mail to them was only replied a few times and it was lies upon lies that i got. for example: we have contacted the warehouse and It should ship today and you will recieve it in two days, (ii) it was due to a day holiday in the US etc. they are actually bad and I will advise people who brave to order from them to be prepare for the worst if it does happen. They need to implement Six Sigma into this company!

This is an update ....... The people behind watch33 are frauds. I have just gotten an invoice from fedex asking me to pay import duties which is very expensive and not a fraction of the price of the watch. So tell me, where is the savings watch33 promise its customers to get? Also, on their site, the watch i purchased is in stock in the UK so why should i be paying import duties when it should be the company paying that. After contacting fedex, I was told watch33 imported the watch on my behalf (the customer) and watch33 acted like a middleman. How fraudulent is that?

I ordered a watch from Watch33 and had great difficulty getting a response from them (no response to phone calls & emails) when my watch didn't arrive. Eventually watch did arrive but still no contact to apologise or explain the delay. I then wrote to the company and received a reply. Was very surprised to find that it was run by 2 very young men (22 & 24) with no support staff, and they had been in New York for a number of weeks & had neglected customer service.

One other point to be aware of - I assumed that stock was usually available in UK and if it had to be supplied from another country I would be advised. A few days after the watch arrived I received a Fedex invoice for import duty. Beware, the price quoted isn't necessarily the total price you will pay and you have no control over this.

Personally I would not buy from this company again. Good prices, good products, good web-site but very poor customer service and a lack of price transparency.

Could not have asked for a better experience. After reading the terms and conditions on the on line site i understood that the watches I was going to order was going to be authentic. I purchased the Tissot watch and had it authenticated by a reputable jeweler which said that the watch is 100% genuine got it £40 cheaper with the shipping and the VAT. Highly recommended

Very poor customer service and the reviews are scary.
Two and a half weeks later and the Rado has arrived. Fedex tracking is brilliant and it probably took so long because it came from the states - newark new york indianapolis were three of the stops.
Not sure if would use again and slightly worried about guarantee. The box is a bit battered and the model is probably discontinued.
But come Xmas day the wife will be delighted and I saved £600 sterling.
So if you want an expensive watch as cheap as you can get .. go for it.

Now I have received an Invoice from FedEx . I am not the importer so how am I liable? Surely this Invoice should go to watch33

I have just seen the small print. How stupid of me. In stock does not mean in the UK so the invoice from FedEx is £143 . I am sorry but this should have been said when placing the order and before taking payment.

My advice I am sorry to say is shop elsewhere. I am sorry too because these two guys are trying to make a business work but seem to forget that the customer matters and good service usually means they come back.