Panerai service center TX sent my watch to wrong address!

[SubKing]

awhile ago I sent my panerai 347 in for service to PASC TX. Having only used them once before on a BRAND NEW pam of mine that was losing time back in 2006. My First experience with PASC in 2006 was not a good one. They received my brand new watch for a minor adjustment for the timing. I had heard horror stories about PASC TX damaging customer watches so I was told to take detailed pictures of my watch before I send it in to them incase they damage it during service. I get my watch back MONTHS later and not only was the inside of the crystal scratched, but so was the dial and the caseback was scratched up beyond belief.. Keep in mind the watch was brand spanking new before I sent it to them.

After months of fighting with panerai offices in NY, I finally got them to agree to replacing the entire watch with a brand new one, no serial new everything. They said I was the first person they had to replace an entire watch to. If they didn't, it would have taken them 8 mo to a year to complete the printing of the new case back and to collect all the parts from panerai HQ in Swiss.. I just got the watch and already had it in service for months, I wasn't going to wait that long to fix their mistakes. I could not find all the old pictures but here is a quick before and after of just the caseback of the my watch
BEFORE

AFTER

You can only imagine what the rest looked like...

Anyways, fast forward 8 years to today 2014. I never serviced a watch at PASC since then. Things have gotten worse at the service center in TX.. my PAM 347, rotor on the movment was not powering the watch and the power reserve indicator would not move. This would cost me $$ to have my own watch maker do the work so since the watch was still under warranty, I sent it in to PASC TX. I took few pictures of the watch on top of a dated piece of paper to show there is 0 damage to the watch. I then shipped it off, I wished for the best but prepared for the worst.

after 5 to 6 weeks, I get an email saying the service has been completed.. I then called them a couple days later to see if they had a tracking number for me. another 2 days after that they provided me with a UPS tracking number after calling them yet again.. finally I go to track it. Shows its out for delivery in GA and I live in MI. To make a long story short, these idiots sent my watch to the wrong address.. It was impossible to get ahold of a supervisor, but after 2 days, I did, his name is IAN. He promised me he would stay on top of this and make things right...

Ian said he would try to get the watch back from UPS and will contact me asap the second it comes through their door.

flash forward from last week to today.

Ian" the customer service supervisor has broken every promise he has made to me, He has also not fallowed up with me once. I have had to contact him and stay on top of this situation because I never hear anything.

Asa which is Ian's supervisor is supposed to be keeping an eye on all of this as well.. She is also next to impossible to get a hold of, She never even touched base with me Monday like she said she would. Left a message on her cell, her work, still waiting for returned phone call.

Ian promised he would get my watch back from UPS this Monday.. Come Monday, I did not heard anything from Ian, not even an email. I contact him and ask, where is my watch? he said he never got it and is supposed to now get it today. (thanks for the update............)

Ian assured me the day he get's my watch back from UPS if it arrives morning to mid day, he will have it checked quickly by a watch maker to make sure it is OK and free of damage, then send it right back out that same day he gets it overnight air to me.

Panerai service center received my watch back at 10AM this morning from UPS and Ian did not collect the watch until I emailed him at 2pm today letting him know it had arrived there and what's the status. He then tells me he is not going to get to it till tomorrow to ship out.

If I never even contacted Ian, I Bet he never would have even collected the watch.

This is what Ian said in part of the Email which I think is SUCH BS..
"I apologize I have received your Panerai time piece. I would say its highly ironic that it was brought to me right after I received your email sir."
Yeah, Ironic... or you mean you didn't get off your butt to go and check for it all day.. just let it sit there for 4 hours at the front desk.

I am not the only person that feels this way or has experience more than one problem with your TX service center. I HAVE USED PASC TWICE ONLY AND BOTH TIMES PROBLEMS!! Am I Unlucky? Or is there a trend here???

You have lost me as a customer. I will no longer be purchasing any more panerai watches. What good is a watch, when you cannot get it serviced or get proper service?

The worst part is, No one is doing anything to make up for all this mess. No one is even expediting this for me or staying on top of it. More Like I am having to baby sit and stay on top of everyone else... Tell Me that's fair?

Horror story after horror story about PASC can be read at paneristi and now there is one more to add to the list.

END OF RANT

[Cru Jones]

Sorry that you are so upset.

I guess the flip side is that for the first time, they gave you a new watch instead of cobbling things together, which is pretty tremendous. The second time, there was a mistake with the address (bad, but mistakes happen), and then some dude was pretty nonchalant with taking care of you, which isn't very nice.

I would be disappointed, too, but, not being I'm your shoes, it doesn't seem THAT bad.....

(Just playing devil's advocate here ---you're the customer, so of course you're right).

[thsiao]

Holy cow that is scary... but definitely a good practice to take many good date photos of your watch before sending it in for service. Somehow these people don't seem to care about the watches as much as we do, which is a shame.

I am always worried about sending a watch for repair... seems like the chances of them screwing something else up while fixing a problem or doing the service are pretty high. Not to mention damaging/scratching the watch in the process just because they were not careful enough. Completely unacceptable. I would be just as upset as you are... there must be a way to escalate this kind of unprofessionalism and incompetency.

[subtona]

Wow!

very disappointing to here the lack of common courtesy as you describe, very disappointing!

[toph]

Truly shocking!
The only warranty service I have had to use was with with a brand called Alpina, owned by Frederic Constant.

Anyway the watch was retail $5000, I bought grey market ( about 40% off) from the USA, they do not retail in Australia. So I had an issue with the movement and I called the acting service centre in Australia. They told me to come in. I did, the watch maker came out and due to it being an in house Alpina movement and not a generic parent company one, he could not fix it. So it was sent to Switzerland with the promise that the whole movement would be rebuilt or replaced if needs be. 5 weeks later it was back in my wrist without an issue.

[Urosfan]

I would be infuriated , I agree I would prb never buy a panerai again , but It would hard to resist though

[dsturner83]

I had the same issue with Panerai service. Upon completion of my "intervention", the sent my watch to the E. side rather then the W. side (same building number). I complained to Ian and he gave me a free alligator strap. Waiting the extra 2-3 days was worth it.

On a separate note, I did receive an estimate on a watch I just recently sent in. They said on the estimate that there was a scratch on the crystal. I spent the better part of my morning looking for it and still can't find the scratch.

[dsturner83]

I had the same issue with Panerai service. Upon completion of my "intervention", the sent my watch to the E. side rather then the W. side (same building number). I complained to Ian and he gave me a free alligator strap. Waiting the extra 2-3 days was worth it.

On a separate note, I did receive an estimate on a watch I just recently sent in. They said on the estimate that there was a scratch on the crystal. I spent the better part of my morning looking for it and still can't find the scratch.

[mborkow]

Originally Posted by dsturner83

On a separate note, I did receive an estimate on a watch I just recently sent in. They said on the estimate that there was a scratch on the crystal. I spent the better part of my morning looking for it and still can't find the scratch.

For both my PAMs, the record of "damage" to my watch at in-take was bordering hyperbole.

[htc8p]

that is stupid, unprofessional. panerai has to pay for this

[MP5]

I have liquidated all my Pams, won't be going back through them for anything, might buy a base radiomir used and inspected by me and my watchmaker but they won't see any money, ever.

[htc8p]

op movements unitas valjoux are easy to repair no need psc

[Hairdude1]

I am speechless, I only have a 372 and now am questioning if at all sending it to PASC to have it serviced

[SubKing]

Originally Posted by htc8p

op movements unitas valjoux are easy to repair no need psc

When it's under warranty, why would I pay for someone else to fix it outside of panerai? If my watch is still under warranty, I should be able to use said warranty.

[Wesley Crusher]

Originally Posted by SubKing

When it's under warranty, why would I pay for someone else to fix it outside of panerai?

To avoid exactly what happened to you?

[SubKing]

Originally Posted by Wesley Crusher

To avoid exactly what happened to you?

and pay $800 bucks for a new rotor plus time and labor for an outside watchmaker? no thanks.. If I cannot use the warranty, then what good is the watch?

Obviously now that I know panerai service has not changed, but only gotten worse, I will not be purchasing one again. they will pay for anything that happened to my watch, it's just the frustration and lack of service as well is carelessness and irresponsibility in their process.

set the money aside, If my watch is defective, why wouldn't I expect panerai to fix it under warranty purely for principle?

[JohnBaker3]

Is the PASC in Texas the only one in the USA? If not, can you send it to any other one available?

Just asking (I'm a Rolex guy).

Thanks.

[SubKing]

NY used to do service I am pretty sure but I think since they made few changes a couple years ago, it all goes to TX now unfortunately

[Travelller]

Originally Posted by SubKing

awhile ago I sent my panerai 347 in for service to PASC TX. ... AFTER


----------

... finally I go to track it. Shows its out for delivery in GA and I live in MI. To make a long story short, these idiots sent my watch to the wrong address... You have lost me as a customer. I will no longer be purchasing any more panerai watches...

Originally Posted by MP5

I have liquidated all my Pams, won't be going back through them for anything, might buy a base radiomir used and inspected by me and my watchmaker but they won't see any money, ever.

Originally Posted by SubKing

When it's under warranty, why would I pay for someone else to fix it outside of panerai?

Wow... this is the kind of post ones loves to come across when one has recently shipped off their PAM to the regional Service Center... like I did...

I'm very sorry to hear your terrible experience (experiences, plural ...!?!) I'm very OCD, so much so that my 18mth 233 which I've worn at least 3x weekly since could be listed tomorrow as near-mint. I cannot imagine what I'd think / say / do if my PAM was returned in the same condition as your 347... "going postal" might not be too far off the mark...

Considering your PAM(s) were not working properly *and* they were under warranty, sending them in wasn't really a choice you had. Therefore you will be amazed to hear I sent a (new2me) 6497-based 8yr-old PAM in for service...

*tells himself* "take a slow, deep breath, calm down..." *sighs*

I did so because I assumed it would be the best service possible for my PAM, despite the obvious cost-factor of having them service it. that and I wanted the final assurance the watch was the real deal, something that even a very good third-party watch service could not guarantee... .

Here's the thing though; you guys States-side always use the term PASC and we here in the EU use RSC; our regional service center is actually Richemont's and not Panerai exclusively. Frankly-speaking, I'd just assume have my PAM serviced at Panerai's own HQ in CH and not the more generalized RSC, with the assumption of more "Panerai-experienced" service. The fact that you guys are having such a problem coming from a dedicated service center seems to quash that theory all together...

It's also what made me quote the other comments above; If I had trouble with RSC I would then have to write off Panerai, JLC, ALS, VC, ... ! That would really rule out some very desirable watch brands... :|

Actually, it would probably back me into the Rolex corner... there are worse outcomes, but I just hate the idea to rule out the entire rich history of a watch like Panerai because of some poorly-run, little to no QA service center ... .



So anyway, let us know if your 347 comes back in perfect condition the second time around!

[SubKing]

Originally Posted by Travelller

Wow... this is the kind of post ones loves to come across when one has recently shipped off their PAM to the regional Service Center... like I did...

I'm very sorry to hear your terrible experience (experiences, plural ...!?!) I'm very OCD, so much so that my 18mth 233 which I've worn at least 3x weekly since could be listed tomorrow as near-mint. I cannot imagine what I'd think / say / do if my PAM was returned in the same condition as your 347... "going postal" might not be too far off the mark...

Considering your PAM(s) were not working properly *and* they were under warranty, sending them in wasn't really a choice you had. Therefore you will be amazed to hear I sent a (new2me) 6497-based 8yr-old PAM in for service...

*tells himself* "take a slow, deep breath, calm down..." *sighs*

I did so because I assumed it would be the best service possible for my PAM, despite the obvious cost-factor of having them service it. that and I wanted the final assurance the watch was the real deal, something that even a very good third-party watch service could not guarantee... .

Here's the thing though; you guys States-side always use the term PASC and we here in the EU use RSC; our regional service center is actually Richemont's and not Panerai exclusively. Frankly-speaking, I'd just assume have my PAM serviced at Panerai's own HQ in CH and not the more generalized RSC, with the assumption of more "Panerai-experienced" service. The fact that you guys are having such a problem coming from a dedicated service center seems to quash that theory all together...

It's also what made me quote the other comments above; If I had trouble with RSC I would then have to write off Panerai, JLC, ALS, VC, ... ! That would really rule out some very desirable watch brands... :|

Actually, it would probably back me into the Rolex corner... there are worse outcomes, but I just hate the idea to rule out the entire rich history of a watch like Panerai because of some poorly-run, little to no QA service center ... .



So anyway, let us know if your 347 comes back in perfect condition the second time around!

actually, it is not "little" it is the full blown richemont service center that handles ALL repairs for ALL their brands for everyone in the USofA. Cartier, panerai, JLC, piaget etc..

Also to note further, if you do a simple search on paneristi.com which is the authority on panerai, you will read horror story after horror story about richemont TX... This has been going on for years..

Richemont has these CQ problems because they repair too many different brands all under the same roof.. Second, they use unqualified people that are not watch makers to do the refinishing on their time pieces that come in for service.. Third, the watch passes through too many different hands during the repair process. The watchmakers only touch the movement.

But at a company like say Audemars Piguet, your watch is worked on by 1 person who is a real watchmaker who is responsible for your watch.

I urge you to search paneristi for more stories.. One person just got his pam back with a chunk taken outta the side of his case the size of a penny.

[MP5]

I have to see that, pm me the link?

[Bigbadbns]

I was a fan of Panerai but after my experiences with their service center in Texas, never again. I bought a BNIB PAM 411 and the dial has many dust particles. Sending it into get it service didn't do any good. The watch came back with same particles but now with an uneven gap between the bezel and case. Also there were now smudges under the crystal like a suction cup. What kind of QA do they have there I wonder...

When I contacted Ian, he made it sound like I was lying to him. After showing him pictures, he said they would expedite my service and bring up to a more experienced watch maker. Guess what, it came back with dust particles again!! How could this happened twice?

Third time contacting them, nothing but attitude given to me. By then I was done. Never again I will buy another panerai no matter how much of temptation I have. Sold that 441 and everything that has Panerai on it.

[Travelller]

Originally Posted by SubKing

actually, it is not "little" it is the full blown richemont service center that handles ALL repairs for ALL their brands for everyone in the USofA. Cartier, panerai, JLC, piaget etc...

In that case I wish everyone would stop referring to it as PASC... . No, I'm not going to go search for the horror stories - what part of "my PAM is at the service center now" did you not get...


I don't know why there should be any difference, but nonetheless, I'm going to hope that the Northern Europe Service Center has a better track record than that of the U.S. .... *fingers crossed*

[mborkow]

I have noticed, at least anecdotally, that those of us who send in our watches via our AD do not seem to experience problems...

[SubKing]

you guy's won't believe this, but they finally got my watch back from UPS from the first incorrect mailing, Ian and ASA the director of Richemont promised me they would personally see to it that my watch was shipped out in perfect condition and to the correct address..

THEY SENT IT TO THE WRONG ADDRESS AGAIN! been up since early this AM checking the tracking.. I felt something was off and I couldn't sleep.. I was on the phone with UPS for almost an hour sorting it out.. Richemont sent it using the wrong zip code. I of course provided UPS with my correct zip code and the watch it still on it's way... I am speechless.. They must be doing this on purpose because no one can truly be this stupid and incompetent...

here is a screen shot of the first ups tracking results when they shipped my watch to the wrong address last week.


here are the new tracking results from their second attempt to ship my watch back to me


you will see early in the AM is says "incorrect address etc" that was me on the phone telling them my correct address..

thanks to me my package is still on its way.. there has to be a way I can escalate this problem passed these incompetent ppl I been dealing with.. Sent my watch out to the wrong address not once but twice within a week...

[SubKing]

got the watch back finally thanks to my efforts and to UPS for sorting it out for me.

the watch has a gash in the case..
here is a before picture of the watch that I took the day I shipped it.


AFTER


Ian said their master watch maker looked at my watch through magnification to make sure the watch was perfect and had no damage.. I wonder what kind of magnification he was using.. it's not a surface scratch, it's a deep gash

[Amez]

This is scary. So what are Panerai owners in the US to do for service?

[SubKing]

if you don't want to pay out of pocket to have your own watch maker do the service, you have to send it in to panerai TX, let them repair your watch, let them also damage it, send it to the wrong address (in my case, twice), THEN, fight with them tooth and nail for a full case replacement like I'm doing now.. Then keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't happen again while they are swapping cases.

See, most watch makers cannot get panerai parts unless they are retailers of the brand. So that is another problem in itself. Not to mention voiding the warranty once someone who is not authorized, works on it.

[Travelller]

That's just insane... I'm speechless

[yOyOYoo]

Wow this is unbelievable.