RSC - Dallas - Not Servicing New Watch

[Bizcut1]

I will say that this makes me think twice about buying another newer grey market Rolex.

[Roger1079]

Originally Posted by clb521

I don't think he sounds entitled for do I feel entitled (as the OP) asking Rolex to honor the warranty. I think their policies and rules a dumb when it comes to WHY they don't want to honor a warranty. Filling out a card or purchasing thru a grey market dealer does not in ANYWAY effect the mechanics of the watch or if it should be fixed under warranty if there is a defect.



Yes, its written in their policy. I think the policy is dumb.



If anyone noticed, the grey market dealer I purchased it thru said HE would honor the warranty himself and take care of any repair and shipping costs.



Its good to know HE will honor it even if Rolex won't. I think THAT fact is sad on Rolex's part.

You’re correct that regardless of where you buy it the mechanics are the same and your watch obviously has a defect. Not even the best companies produce perfect products and a certain number of produced products will fail or have defects. That still does not change the fact that Rolex has rules when it comes to purchasing their products. Requiring consumers to purchase through authorized retailers to keep the warranty is not specific to Rolex nor is it unusual. Should Rolex stand behind their new product? Yes. Are they obligated to? No. Does it suck they won’t honor the warranty despite the breach? Yes.

If the policy was hidden or not well known I would be speaking against them with no questions asked, however it took me about 30 seconds to find their warranty policy on their website. The reason many manufacturers do this is they set strict policies on AD’s to assure the consumer gets exactly what they think they are getting. No matter how honest or trusted a gray dealer is, Rolex has no control over the product the buyer is getting. These policies are as much to protect the consumer as they are to protect the manufacturer.

Regardless of the politics at play, I’m glad the gray dealer is standing behind the product they sold you.


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[Albatross]

Originally Posted by Roger1079

No offense but you sound very entitled. Rolex (and plenty of other brands across many industries) sets rules for their warranty and they are very specific about what invalidates the factory warranty. The OP broke both rules. Rolex is not obligated to fix anything and the fact that they are very clear about what kills the warranty and they still honor it for some owners in similar situations make them a GREAT company.

As far as your comment about GM, they also have tons of things that invalidated a factory warranty as do ALL other automotive manufacturers. If you breach their terms they may honor the warranty but it is 100% at their discretion. Anyone who wants to guarantee they have the factory warranty in place must buy from an AD. It really isn’t that complicated.


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Hi Roger,

Not sure that I'm "entitled" . I really don't think that requesting warranty service on a product that is under a warranty period makes someone "entitled". These guys are using loopholes like "your card is not filled out correctly" in order to deny valid and legitimate concerns that should be routinely handled under a manufacturer's warranty. If that makes me "entitled" to have that expectation then you have you opinion and I have mine and I respect your opinion and your right to express it here. We will just have to agree to disagree. I don't consider it entitlement at all. When product manufacturers issue a warranty, consumers expect that it will be honored. Not scrutinized for loop holes. "Oh...your zip code isn't on he warranty card therefore we can't service your watch". That is NOT what customer service is all about. Corporations, in my opinion, should go out of their way to service their customers. They shouldn't be looking for an excuse to not provide service. And, that's where I feel that Rolex is in this case. They are looking for any reason to not service a watch under warranty, when companies that are actually focused on customer service will look for ways to actually exceed customer expectations and provide service even when maybe, according to the "letter of the law" they don't need to. That's the difference between a decent company and a stellar company. Rolex is a luxury brand. They should be striving to be a stellar company in ALL areas, including product quality, reliability, design, engineering and maintenance. According to this situation as posted by the OP, they have fallen flat on the promise of the maintenance piece of this package. And, the whole point of me previous post is that, with the admiration that I hold for this brand, to see them fall short in the important area of ongoing maintenance and warranty coverage is very disappointing given my personal respect for this company and it's products.

Not really sure how that opinion makes me "entitled". But feel free to think what you want of me. I actually don't give a shit what you think of me. I don't know you so I don't care. But you are entitled to your opinion and I will always respect that.

[Seibei]

Originally Posted by clb521

If anything, let this be a warning to new owners or newbie looking to buy grey vs AD. I knew the risk when I bought it this could happen. Hopefully the problem goes away but it is nice to know the person I bought it from will honor a warranty even though Rolex won't.

He is probably legally obliged to honor it.

[mikkolopez]

Originally Posted by Roger1079

As someone else mentioned, it isn’t like Rolex hides their policy on warranty. They are very clear in the above screenshot form the FAQ on their website that the watch must be purchased form an AD and the warranty card must be filled out in full at the time of purchase from the AD.

That Rolex may choose to honor the warranty on a gray purchased watch is at their discretion and anyone who did get warranty work on such a watch should consider themselves lucky as Rolex absolutely doesn’t have to honor it.

People shopping for a SS Rolex in today’s market either have the option to wait for however long it takes for an AD to have the watch available at MSRP or pay a premium on top of MSRP from a gray dealer and take the risk of not having a potentially expensive warranty repair covered. Whether the risk is worth the reward is up to the consumer. Any gray dealer telling a potential client that the watch they are buying has a valid warranty is a liar plain and simple.



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This ^

Since Rolex has this upfront then we as buyers can choose to accept it or buy something else. Rolex is not forcing us to buy their watches.

Rolex will still service the watch just not for free. That’s their prerogative.

If I were to buy outside a Rolex AD, I always factor in a full service as a discount to the price of the seller in cases where you need to service the watch or it being refused FREE service.
If the seller don’t agree, then I walk away. We have choices.

RSC Manila has a black and white policy in FREE warranty service. And it states the above as conditions.

Buy AD or Grey it is your choice and the consequences with it.


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[Robtayham]

OP, did you buy from a grey seller or did you buy from a secondhand seller?

[173rdabn]

Wind the damn thing up! You can't hurt it. Sounds like it's not completely wound and runs down in short order.

[clb521]

Originally Posted by Robtayham

OP, did you buy from a grey seller or did you buy from a secondhand seller?

It was from a grey market re-seller not private party. I believe he has a full time business of buying and selling watches.

I am also pretty sure sure he could have a policy that he sells watches in 'as is' condition and could tell me tough luck but the fact is that he didnt say that.

I am not sure if all grey market re-sellers would do the same. I also don't think its required that these sellers honor any warranty outside of Rolexes warranty.

[Bizcut1]

Originally Posted by Albatross

Corporations, in my opinion, should go out of their way to service their customers. They shouldn't be looking for an excuse to not provide service. And, that's where I feel that Rolex is in this case. They are looking for any reason to not service a watch under warranty, when companies that are actually focused on customer service will look for ways to actually exceed customer expectations and provide service even when maybe, according to the "letter of the law" they don't need to. .

Man, I couldn't agree more. And we all know brands that do the right thing by their customers, always. Think Nordstrom. Think Whole Foods. Ikea...

The intersection of superb customer service and not giving a shit is where the phrase - "I'm a customer for life" is coined.

Ben

[clb521]

Originally Posted by 173rdabn

Wind the damn thing up! You can't hurt it. Sounds like it's not completely wound and runs down in short order.

I did and I will. The original point of me posting this was to warn people especially potential new buyers who want a watch but of course cant get it cause no one has it and they want to buy from grey market.

I think the watch is fine but just in case I know who I can send it to for service.

[Roger1079]

Originally Posted by Albatross

Hi Roger,



Not sure that I'm "entitled" . I really don't think that requesting warranty service on a product that is under a warranty period makes someone "entitled". These guys are using loopholes like "your card is not filled out correctly" in order to deny valid and legitimate concerns that should be routinely handled under a manufacturer's warranty. If that makes me "entitled" to have that expectation then you have you opinion and I have mine and I respect your opinion and your right to express it here. We will just have to agree to disagree. I don't consider it entitlement at all. When product manufacturers issue a warranty, consumers expect that it will be honored. Not scrutinized for loop holes. "Oh...your zip code isn't on he warranty card therefore we can't service your watch". That is NOT what customer service is all about. Corporations, in my opinion, should go out of their way to service their customers. They shouldn't be looking for an excuse to not provide service. And, that's where I feel that Rolex is in this case. They are looking for any reason to not service a watch under warranty, when companies that are actually focused on customer service will look for ways to actually exceed customer expectations and provide service even when maybe, according to the "letter of the law" they don't need to. That's the difference between a decent company and a stellar company. Rolex is a luxury brand. They should be striving to be a stellar company in ALL areas, including product quality, reliability, design, engineering and maintenance. According to this situation as posted by the OP, they have fallen flat on the promise of the maintenance piece of this package. And, the whole point of me previous post is that, with the admiration that I hold for this brand, to see them fall short in the important area of ongoing maintenance and warranty coverage is very disappointing given my personal respect for this company and it's products.



Not really sure how that opinion makes me "entitled". But feel free to think what you want of me. I actually don't give a shit what you think of me. I don't know you so I don't care. But you are entitled to your opinion and I will always respect that.

Expecting a manufacturer to stand behind their product is not entitled. Expecting a manufacturer to stand behind their product when they have rules for that service that the consumer willingly broke is absolutely entitled. They have a well documented rule that to honor the warranty the card must be filled out at the time of sale by the AD. Them denying a warranty claim based on a warranty card not being completed per their rules isn’t a loophole, it’s them sticking to their own policies. It sucks Rolex is choosing that route, however they have no way of knowing what happened to that watch after it left the AD and was resold. To be clear, I empathize with the OP as that sucks, however I cannot sympathize as it is no secret that buying from a gray dealer voids the factory warranty. It used to be that this trade off was to obtain a discount from MSRP and the only reason the policy stings so bad today is because buying a SS watch from a gray is at a steep markup over MSRP. That absolutely is a kick in the nuts as at least a few years ago the thought process was “Oh well, at least I got the watch at a discount to alleviate the service cost here”. Either way, with the gray dealer honoring what Rolex won’t will ultimately leave OP with a properly functioning watch.


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[pickettt]

Originally Posted by Seibei

Rolex wants you to purchase their watches a certain way. They are offering a 5 year warranty, but only if you purchase the watch the way they want. I don't see anything wrong with that.

I agree, and respect that. I've never bought gray, and don't have any plans to. I'm just saying, legally, they've left some "gray" area in the verbiage.

[Roger1079]

Originally Posted by pickettt

I agree, and respect that. I've never bought gray, and don't have any plans to. I'm just saying, legally, they've left some "gray" area in the verbiage.

“The guarantee is valid only if (1) the watch has been sold by an Official Rolex Retailer; (2) the guarantee card has been completed in full by the Official Rolex Retailer at the time of purchase;”

Ok, we all know what they mean by (1) but platings devils advocate here, I suppose that could be seen as a given since even gray watches came from an AD, but (2) cannot be misinterpreted as it is very specific and OP admitted to Rolex directly that the warranty card was not filled out to meet their requirements. They are legally well within their rights to not honor the warranty repair.



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[pickettt]

Originally Posted by Roger1079

“The guarantee is valid only if (1) the watch has been sold by an Official Rolex Retailer; (2) the guarantee card has been completed in full by the Official Rolex Retailer at the time of purchase;”

Ok, we all know what they mean by (1) but platings devils advocate here, I suppose that could be seen as a given since even gray watches came from an AD, but (2) cannot be misinterpreted as it is very specific and OP admitted to Rolex directly that the warranty card was not filled out to meet their requirements. They are legally well within their rights to not honor the warranty repair.



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Absolutely. Though I wonder if they actually cross reference the date (which theoretically may have been filled out at any time) with an AD's record of sale. AND, if they do, and it doesn't match...isn't that AD caught red handed?

Personally, I've had one warranty claim. I presented my card (which was filled out in it's entirety), and they took care of my problem...no questions asked. To me, the peace of mind is worth dealing with ADs.

[Robtayham]

Originally Posted by Tools

True Grey Market import watches do not have valid warranties and Rolex has been denying them for years, it is their prerogative.

Originally Posted by clb521

It was from a grey market re-seller not private party. I believe he has a full time business of buying and selling watches.

I am also pretty sure sure he could have a policy that he sells watches in 'as is' condition and could tell me tough luck but the fact is that he didnt say that.

I am not sure if all grey market re-sellers would do the same. I also don't think its required that these sellers honor any warranty outside of Rolexes warranty.

I think you bought a watch that’s ineligible for the warranty. You would’ve been better served to buy from a second reseller.

[Bigblu10]

For those saying "loopholes" baloney. Rolex clearly states their warranty policy in black and white. Warranty card must be properly filled out and dated. If not they don't have to honor the warranty. No different than a posted speed limit sign on the highway. You can choose to drive 20 m.p.h. above it, but you may receive a speeding ticket. Follow the rules or suffer the consequences, simple. Buy a watch with a shady warranty card, be prepared to shell out $700 RSC service if the watch malfunctions.

[djyolky]

Originally Posted by Albatross

Hi Roger,



Not sure that I'm "entitled" . I really don't think that requesting warranty service on a product that is under a warranty period makes someone "entitled". These guys are using loopholes like "your card is not filled out correctly" in order to deny valid and legitimate concerns that should be routinely handled under a manufacturer's warranty. If that makes me "entitled" to have that expectation then you have you opinion and I have mine and I respect your opinion and your right to express it here. We will just have to agree to disagree. I don't consider it entitlement at all. When product manufacturers issue a warranty, consumers expect that it will be honored. Not scrutinized for loop holes. "Oh...your zip code isn't on he warranty card therefore we can't service your watch". That is NOT what customer service is all about. Corporations, in my opinion, should go out of their way to service their customers. They shouldn't be looking for an excuse to not provide service. And, that's where I feel that Rolex is in this case. They are looking for any reason to not service a watch under warranty, when companies that are actually focused on customer service will look for ways to actually exceed customer expectations and provide service even when maybe, according to the "letter of the law" they don't need to. That's the difference between a decent company and a stellar company. Rolex is a luxury brand. They should be striving to be a stellar company in ALL areas, including product quality, reliability, design, engineering and maintenance. According to this situation as posted by the OP, they have fallen flat on the promise of the maintenance piece of this package. And, the whole point of me previous post is that, with the admiration that I hold for this brand, to see them fall short in the important area of ongoing maintenance and warranty coverage is very disappointing given my personal respect for this company and it's products.



Not really sure how that opinion makes me "entitled". But feel free to think what you want of me. I actually don't give a shit what you think of me. I don't know you so I don't care. But you are entitled to your opinion and I will always respect that.

You sir are spot on! Rolex should strive to be the best in all areas of products AND service. Looking for ways to not perform work that is under warrantee is amateur hour and not befitting of any company that cares about their brand.

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[rtmelloy]

If a vehicle warranty is transferable no matter Ford or Ferrari, then a Rolex warranty (the king of watches) should be transferable. Sure there’s $100 watches, but when ur paying 10k or more for a watch that shit should be covered!


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[Roger1079]

Originally Posted by pickettt

Absolutely. Though I wonder if they actually cross reference the date (which theoretically may have been filled out at any time) with an AD's record of sale. AND, if they do, and it doesn't match...isn't that AD caught red handed?



Personally, I've had one warranty claim. I presented my card (which was filled out in it's entirety), and they took care of my problem...no questions asked. To me, the peace of mind is worth dealing with ADs.

I’ve owned 4 Rolexes dating back to when SS models except for the Daytona could be had from gray dealers for significantly under MSRP. As enticing as it was, I chose to pay MSRP plus sales tax for the peace of mind that I would never have to go through what the OP is going through. These watches are a in reach but are an expensive purchase (for me at least and for many others I’m sure) so that reassurance was well worth the extra cost.

Hopefully this serves as good information for folks down the road when deciding how to purchase as gray dealers specify “as is” for a reason and although the gray dealer OP purchased from is going to make it right, I’d be surprised if that is the case for everyone.

[dane75]

Originally Posted by Roger1079

No offense but you sound very entitled. Rolex (and plenty of other brands across many industries) sets rules for their warranty and they are very specific about what invalidates the factory warranty. The OP broke both rules. Rolex is not obligated to fix anything and the fact that they are very clear about what kills the warranty and they still honor it for some owners in similar situations make them a GREAT company.

As far as your comment about GM, they also have tons of things that invalidated a factory warranty as do ALL other automotive manufacturers. If you breach their terms they may honor the warranty but it is 100% at their discretion. Anyone who wants to guarantee they have the factory warranty in place must buy from an AD. It really isn’t that complicated.


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I respectfully disagree with you. The truth of the matter is that, where Rolex knows the watch is all original and was built by them, then your point of acquisition really shouldn't matter and hurting a customer because a seller boffs the warranty card completion also shouldn't matter. Can Rolex create arbitrary rules to prevent buyers obtaining watches from the gray market? Yes, and they clearly have. Is it right (or defensible) to do so where there are no questions re: authenticity and lack of post-production (or non-authorized) modifications? No, not in my opinion. There's a difference between whether you can make arbitrary rules and whether you should. If you make a quality product, stand by it; don't micromanage every aspect that has nothing to do with the product's function or alleged reliability.

[Bluside]

Originally Posted by clb521

OK to be clear, I had given the watch about 10 turns the night before when going to bed. When I picked it up in the morning it was still running. I gave it another 5 before putting it on. about 15 min later it stopped. I gave it a shake and it stopped 2 more times within an hour.

Also it had stopped before earlier this week and last week when I thought it had enough power reserve.

I am going to keep an eye on it and see if the problem persists. I think it was just a little low on power.

On another note, has anyone noticed differences in effort it take when winding the crown? I have noticed the sometimes the crown winds very easily and other times it take more effort to turn the crown. I always thought that might be an indicator of how much tension is on the main spring.

In the end, I think it was a fluke but I was curious what RSC would say if I asked them about a warranty service.

From what you are saying, you ae not winding it enough.

[JoseR]

Though I got my AK from a grey full set signed with my name the grey also gave me a 5 year warrantee. I think if the Rolex is authentic and you have the card weather from an AD or grey they should cover any defects in the first 5 years like noted by Rolex. It is a ROLEX, so back it up...

[blada4life]

What if we lose the card? Makes very little sense.


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[Sunny Arizona]

I’d do 40-50 turns

Originally Posted by clb521

So I have a 116610LN Sub which has been randomly stopping when I know it has a power reserve. It takes a slight to moderate shake of the watch for it to start running again. I made a call to RSC in Dallas and inquired about sending it in for service under warranty. The watch was bought thru the grey market here on the forum about a year ago in 2018. The warranty card only has the year it was purchased and not the date and it also has no name on it.

The 1st two times I called they told me the warranty follows the watch and not the person so it should be fine in honoring the warranty. I called my local AD and they said they would ship it free of charge both ways. When I got there and showed them the warranty card and they called RSC, they were told they wouldn't service the watch under warranty.

I immediately called and asked after I left and spoke to someone who said it shouldn't be a problem to have it serviced but asked to see a picture of the card and they would confirm.

I also called the grey dealer I bought the watch from and he said he had never heard of a problem getting warranty work done on partially completed warranty cards.

Today they responded and said the warranty is void for BOTH being sold on the grey market AND having an incomplete filled out card.

I know this is the risk we take when buying from grey vs from an AD. I have heard different stories here on the forum about this but I thought I would let you know what I was told.

I am hoping my problem is just a fluke and the watch just didnt have enough power reserve even though I had given it a partial wind (5-10 turns) and within an hour it stopped until I shook it alittle. Right now I'm watching it closer and hoping it doesnt keep happening.

Anyway, just thought I would let everyone know as a word of caution. I know similar stories have been told before.

[Robtayham]

Originally Posted by clb521

OK to be clear, I had given the watch about 10 turns the night before when going to bed. When I picked it up in the morning it was still running. I gave it another 5 before putting it on. about 15 min later it stopped. I gave it a shake and it stopped 2 more times within an hour.

Also it had stopped before earlier this week and last week when I thought it had enough power reserve.

I am going to keep an eye on it and see if the problem persists. I think it was just a little low on power.

On another note, has anyone noticed differences in effort it take when winding the crown? I have noticed the sometimes the crown winds very easily and other times it take more effort to turn the crown. I always thought that might be an indicator of how much tension is on the main spring.

In the end, I think it was a fluke but I was curious what RSC would say if I asked them about a warranty service.

Also, what’s with all the 10 winds and 5 winds?

I’ve had a DJ that has run for years without needing any winds.

Do TRF members do this? Is this a thing?

[Andad]

Rolex watches are only sold by Rolex AD's.

The guarantee card must me filled in completely by the AD at the point of sale as per Rolex's requirements.

This warranty card must be presented with the watch for warranty repairs and if the watch has not been previously worked on by a third party then the warranty is valid.

Any failure of he above would be caused by the AD selling Rolex watches with blank warranty cards.

[importstunna]

This may be a dumb question, but don't greys get their supply from ADs anyway? So theoretically shouldn't all grey sold watches come with warranty already activated as that's a part of the AD sales process?

What are some circumstances where greys get watches which aren't sold via ADs?

[JoseR]

Originally Posted by importstunna

This may be a dumb question, but don't greys get their supply from ADs anyway? So theoretically shouldn't all grey sold watches come with warranty already activated as that's a part of the AD sales process?

What are some circumstances where greys get watches which aren't sold via ADs?

Don't know about other greys but both the watches I got from two different greys came full set unworn. Like I said, don't know about other greys but the only two I dealt with came with everything but the stickers and protective bezel cover.. So, they are Rolex and Rolex should cover their product if legit...

[inadeje]

Originally Posted by Albatross

Hearing stuff like this literally pisses me off. I’m a Rolex fanboy. It’s all I own (well there’s one Tudor in there...that counts right?), but I have 5 watches and the rest are Rolex. I respect the workmanship, the quality, the history, the reliability, the strength...as I said, I’m a fan. But the fact is that, in spite of my admiration and the admiration of most who post here, these guys are ass holes. They are “too big for their britches” as my Dad used to say. Who are they to deny a warranty claim on a watch that’s 1 year old and has a 5 year warranty ? I don’t care if the “card” was filled out correctly or not. I wasn’t there when it was filled out, so that has nothing to do with me. If I own a watch that you built and you put a 5 year warranty on it and the serial number, which is easily checked by them, shows a manufacture date of one year ago, then they are obligated to service that timepiece under warranty. Don’t put me in the middle of your bullshit about whether my card is accurate or not. Don’t put me in the middle of your bullshit about whether I bought from an AD or I bought it on the street from a guy in an overcoat full
of watches. If it’s in the warranty period and it’s an authentic piece, then you...Rolex...as the builder are obliged to make it right. Period. End of story. If I buy a General Motors car with a 36,000 mile warranty off some guy who has owned it for a year and there is 12,000 miles on it, and the next day, the transmission stops working, I take it to a GM dealer service department and they fix it. For free. They know when it was built. They know is warrantied. They don’t give a shit if my “card is completed the right way” to their satisfaction. They just fix it. Because I’m a customer and I own a product that they made, and that product has a warranty. Again, I love Rolex watches, but the stupid games they play makes me often wonder why I am loyal to this brand and this company. Nobody else treats their customers this way. If my company tried to pull this kind of shit on our clients, by tomorrow, we would have no clients.


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Well said

[M45]

The warranty card being incompletely filled out means ADs are knowingly funneling watches to grey dealers.

It's not one of those "oops, I didn't realize they were going to flip the watch" scenarios.