Watch Battery Replacement - Daylight Robbery!

[hotrock]

I got so sick of paying out for replacement watch batteries and having the watch hermetically resealed to ensure it was still water proof, I ended up buying a Citizen eco-drive, charges whilst wearing by sunlight, and should last for six months without sunlight, (quite handy for UK use, lol) not bad overall when you consider that I was paying out a small fortune for mine and the wifes watch every couple of years for batteries etc, the money I have saved buy not having to replace batteries etc justify the cost of the eco-drive in the long term.

[Norseman]

So I needed a Watch Battery replacement. I went to a certain stall in the precinct at Hillsborough (Timpson), to be told it would cost me £7.95 to replace the battery.

 

After taking my watch back from Timpson and saying that was expensive, I went out of the precinct to Parker's. I got the battery replaced for £3.99. How can Timpson charge nearly double to get a battery replaced in the watch. It's ridiculous!

 

My watch requires a specific battery in it (its a Swiss commando watch), PA Jewelry charge me £6.95 and its free parking yet if I go to H Samuel its £19.95 and costs me parking and I have to leave the watch with them to collect either later or on another day...just where is the logic in that? needless to say I go to PA every time

 

---------- Post added 22-06-2013 at 21:42 ----------

 

I got so sick of paying out for replacement watch batteries and having the watch hermetically resealed to ensure it was still water proof, I ended up buying a Citizen eco-drive, charges whilst wearing by sunlight, and should last for six months without sunlight, (quite handy for UK use, lol) not bad overall when you consider that I was paying out a small fortune for mine and the wifes watch every couple of years for batteries etc, the money I have saved buy not having to replace batteries etc justify the cost of the eco-drive in the long term.

 

Why do you have it hermetically sealed???

 

Are you going to dive below 50 metres on a regular basis because if not why are you paying for it to be done??? its illogical.....

 

I have a Swiss made commando watch, I can still swim in it, shower with it on without it being hermetically sealed, if I have it sealed it'll cost a fortune and it doesn't mean to say I'm going to cam up in army gear and do whatever a commando does!

 

If however you are a deep sea diver I can understand this otherwise you're paying through the nose for something you don't really need and wherever you take the watch can see you coming....

[Allen]

What annoys me most is the price jewellers charge for a service.

I have an expensive watch that my late wife bought for me.

When the battery needed changing I had it done in Meadowhall for a few quid.

Sadly, it only lasted six months and the watch stopped again.

Parkers in Hillsborough suggested it may need a service or could have been a bad battery.

I went for the battery exchange.

I then left Sheffield.

Six months later the watch stopped again, so found a jewellers here in Wales and asked about a service.

£70 pounds was the quote!

Needless to say this watch has sentimental value...but sits safely at home unworn, whilst I wear a £9-99 watch from Argos.

[sedith]

£14.95 to replace at Casio watch battery in Tiverton, the guy there told me, don't bother and to chuck the watch and buy another ... fair enough!!! That was Timpsons, can't fault them

Edited June 22, 2013 by sedith
addition

[locksmiths1]

Ask timsons how much they charge to change your locks if you want a real shock.

 

National company's take the **** because that can.

 

Keep it local

[Barke5522]

You've got to remember your paying someone for a service. You can pick up a lock for a door for a couple of quid but a locksmith will charge you 10 times that. 

 

Also they waterproof and garentee their work so if anything happens they replace it. 

[mickey finn]

As a watch fan I gradually bought all the tools necessary to get into watches and links and stuff, although it cost a few quid over the years for the tools I have saved loads by being able to replace batteries in any of the watches me and the other half have, and on the subject of battery quality, almost all the poundland batteries  I have used in watches have lasted years.

[Holiday1166]

At least Dick Turpin wore a mask 

[Colin Foster]

7 hours ago, Barke5522 said:

You've got to remember your paying someone for a service. You can pick up a lock for a door for a couple of quid but a locksmith will charge you 10 times that. 

 

Also they waterproof and garentee their work so if anything happens they replace it. 

I'm guessing the OP will have found out if his battery was any good after six years.

[Resident]

On 22/06/2013 at 10:46, Groose said:

So I needed a Watch Battery replacement. I went to a certain stall in the precinct at Hillsborough (Timpson), to be told it would cost me £7.95 to replace the battery.

 

After taking my watch back from Timpson and saying that was expensive, I went out of the precinct to Parker's. I got the battery replaced for £3.99. How can Timpson charge nearly double to get a battery replaced in the watch. It's ridiculous!

I refuse to go anywhere near Timpsons again. 

 

I had new doors and windows fitted on the house. They came with new fangled 'security' keys (flat blade with dimples). We got 2 cut sets and 2 blank sets with the package. The blanks were in a sealed packet with the name of the key company.

 

Took them down to Timpsons to get them cut as I'd seen them on there wall previously & they refused to cut them. The bloke behind the counter stated (and this is verbatim) "We're not insured to cut keys". That's right folks, a key cutter that isn't insured to cut keys.

 

But miraculously if I bought the blanks from them (@ £12.99 each + cutting @ £3.95) then they have insurance, so near £70.

I later found an independent key cutter who had the ability to cut them & got them all done for £12., no fuss. 

I did complain to Timpsons HQ & they apologised, stating that the particular security key we had should have been cut by their store as they're aware the manufacturer supplies blanks to customers & stores have been made aware of this prior to my visit, my reply to that was "so the store was trying to rob me for a larger revenue instead of following company policy". They replied with "It's being investigated as a matter of gross misconduct however I would not be informed of the outcome due to data protection".