YBK
1
The Pain in Blancpain
After many years of wanting a Blancpain, I finally bought one from the Leman collection about a month ago. I immediately noticed that the watch wasn't keeping the right time. I ignored it at first, thinking that the watch needed time to "adjust" and get some reserve power going.
However, even after wearing the watch for a few days, the watch still wasn't keeping the right time.
Something was very wrong with the watch so I brought it to an official Blancpain service center. They looked at my watch and told me that it needed MAJOR repairs that would cost me a little over 500 USD and would take a whole MONTH to finish! I told them the watch was brand new (and purchased from an accredited retailer) and so they said, "Fine, your warranty will cover the costs".
Obvioulsy they have missed the point ENTIRELY. Should ANY watch need repairs if it was purchased BRAND NEW???!!! Especially considering the fact that Blancpain is supposedly one of the highest quality watches??!!
It has been completely disappointing and I am quite indignant when I recall that the manual that comes with the watch CONGRATULATES me for buying a Blancpain. Quite ironic considering that now that I finally buy a Blancpain it has been a complete let down - i would have been happier with a 200 USD watch that can actually tell time!
I sent the Blancpain customer service department an e-mail to complain about the watch and frankly have been just as disappointed with their response as I have been with the watch. Seems like they also think I should be happy with getting my BRAND NEW watch repaired free of charge since the warranty will cover it.
I bought the watch in Malaysia but live in the Philippines. There is NO Blancpain service center in the Philippines so they expect me not only to be happy with DAMAGED GOODS, but to be okay with having to FLY to a country with an official service center, leave the watch there for a month and fly back to the country to pick it up! It is not enough that I feel I have wasted money on a watch that doesn't work, I have to spend money to get it to a service center and spend more money to pick it up!
It is absolutely ridiculous that a watch, especially one as expensive and of supposedly the highest quality, doesn't work when it is purchased brand new. To add insult to injury, the makers of the supposedly high quality watch seem to think that their consumers should be happy with having to get their brand new watches fixed since the warranty will cover the costs anyway.
As happy as I was to finally purchase a Blancpain, it is now quite clear that I should have chosen a different brand.
