Watch It!

Awful. I went in with two watches that needed the backs put back on, after i had changed the batteries. I was friendly, telling the story of what happened. The clerk had no interest in what i was saying, and jumped in with «yeah that will be $ 7.00 for each watch». I said «isnt that the cost to change both batteries?» Yes, that’s what we charge” he said flatly. It wasn’t just the money, it was his attitude. No interest in me, the antique watch, no sympathy or offers to help out, given most of the work was already done. Zero customer care. Just a closed, cold attitude. I walked out, and went to Europa Watchmakers and Jewellers. There I was greeted with a friendly, understanding smile. He quoted me a price much lower than at Watch It, and then offered to do two for the price of one. Plus, their stock and selection of watches is far superior. Therefore, my advice to to not bother with Watch It. Go to Europa

I had an unbelievably bad service experience at Watch It! in the West Edmonton Mall. I would rate it a zero star experience if I could.
Eleven days after I bought a watch there, I tried to return it because it was broken from the time that they sold it to me. That it was, in fact, broken came to my attention on the sixth day after I purchased the watch in question. On that sixth day after purchase, I took it out of its box and I noted that the time was wrong on the watch. I thought that was odd because the young gentleman who had sold the watch to me set the time on it when I bought it, and then packed it up for me to take home.
When then I tried to set the watch to the correct time, it seemed to me that the crown had never been depressed from the time of purchase. Presuming that the young man who had sold me the watch simply forgot or failed to push in the crown, I set the watch to the correct time and then tried to push in the crown. To make a long story short, the crown would not go into the watch. The watch that this store sold to me was broken. I could be charitable and call it defective, but, no, I will not be so charitable. It was broken. End of story.
Certain that my money would be refunded to me because I had been sold broken merchandise, I went to the store and sought return of my cash. The clerk refused, stating that he could only offer an exchange or a credit note. Now, if that is their policy for unbroken, first quality merchandise fit for its intended purpose, then I have no problem with it in respect of such merchandise. Seeing, however, as they sold me a product that was wholly unsuitable for its intended purpose — the watch that I selected and that was sold to me was incapable of keeping time — they are not in a position to hold fast with slavish devotion to this policy. To do so in the circumstances is not only unreasonable and extraordinarily poor customer service, it is also an arguable violation of provincial law.
Having sold me one bum watch and there being no other watches that I either wanted or should have been expected to accept in substitution for same, I am entitled to a refund of my money. Except that is exactly what the clerk refused to do repeatedly over a 40 – 45 minute period. Needless to say, I became agitated in short order, long before the 40 – 45 minutes was up and I left the store. The salesman in question became very condescending, very quickly, telling me to read the return policy.
Having explained to him that the watch they sold to me was BROKEN, I may have asked him if he was retarded when he told me to read the return policy a second time. It was not my finest hour, but I could not believe that the guy was refusing me a refund when his shop sold me a broken watch. I cannot recall with total accuracy right now if I did ask him that.
When he stepped back and started muttering that I was a «small man with a big …» [mouth, attitude, gut, whatever — I did not hear what he said and I was disinclined to listen to his nonsense from that point on], I stopped dealing with the salesman for the most part. I called my bank right away and set about disputing the charge without delay.
One customer intervened on behalf of the salesman, visibly upset that I was angry with how I was being treated. Loudly, she maintained that he was just doing his job. Well, no, madam, he was not. His job at that point in time was to give me back my money because his watch shop had sold me a broken watch that I was returning in a timely fashion, in unworn condition, complete with its box, its papers, and the receipt in respect of same.
Anyway, this is now in the hands of my bank. It is completely ridiculous that it came to this point. Not only am I disinclined to purchase a watch of the particular brand in question ever again, I have also been left with an extremely unfavourable impression of the Watch It! chain and I do not think that I would be in a rush to encourage anyone to do business with them. All of this because a guy would not return my money when his store had sold me broken merchandise. What a crazy mess!
_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​
On 27 April 2012, this review was edited to add as follows:
I chatted with the store manager today. Our conversation confirmed that the watch was, indeed, inoperable when it left the store. Either the clerk who sold me the watch, or another store employee, or perhaps a patron caused some kind of little plastic doo-​hickey that holds the crown out of the watch case while it is on display to break off inside the case and that was what was preventing the watch from working. Provided that the watch actually works, provided that no-​one vindictive did anything to damage the watch since I left it there last night, and provided that the repair job did nothing to invalidate the manufacturer’s warranty, then I might be prepared to accept the watch.
This is not a case of buyer’s remorse. It is about the law and about good customer service.

I have had issues with Watch It! in the past. I don’t like their customer service.
I had to replace a watch strap for my boyfriend’s watch (which he got at Watch It!) and they kept giving me the run around.
Every time I would go in, they told me that they would order me a new strap but when I would come back every 2 weeks, they hadn’t bothered to do it!
These guys have nice watches but it’s not worth the hassle in my opinion.