Seiko Servicing

[Vonduos]

Hi All,

Got a question on the current quality of Seiko Service Center in Thong Sia.
Need to send my watch for servicing. (Loud noise when rotating the watch).

Got a very bad experience from them the last time.

Back about 7 years back, my wife bought a Seiko Actura for me but she didn't realize the sec hand is off the alignment by 1 mil sec. After a week of purchase, I brought it back to the service center to get it fixed.

In less than 1/2 hr, they completed the "alignment" and off i go.
A week later, while admiring my new toy, I realized that they didn't really fix my watch. What they did was they bent the middle of the sec hand so that it appear pointing directly on 12am.

Got so angry, went back and demanded explanation. In the end, they had to change the whole internal mechanism in order to get it fixed up for me.

What do you all think? Worth going back or should i go some where else to get it serviced?

[taxico]

no choice; unless you want to send your watch to japan, you have to go to them.

some years back i brought a JDM seiko flightmaster to them for a full service. their staff threw my newly serviced watch on the counter after finding it. my wife was the person collecting it and, although she's not a WIS, she knows it not the right way to treat watches.

she (tried to) complain, but nobody cared.

my father also had some experience with them. they fixed his 6R15B watch for $5 - the date window frame fell off. before that, the same watch sped up after hitting it against a truck (15 mins/hour), and they regulated it FOC within 20 minutes as it was within warranty period.

i'm not sure if it's a good thing or bad thing, because like my dad said... if he was still wearing his rolex, no such thing would have happened.

[kqxrlovesSpeedmasters]

Not just their servicing, their counter/sales staff on the 1st Level of Thong Sia are terribly rude. I ordered a Grand Seiko for my gf for her birthday from Chino once and I brought her to Thong Sia to get the bracelet sized.

When I approached a young lady for help in resizing the bracelet she gave me like a dirty stare and said wheres your warranty card?! I mean I have never needed to produce a warranty card to resize bracelets for any of my Swiss watches. Is this standard practice for Seiko?

Then maybe because of the incredulous look on my face, she very angrily said "Gimme your watch I CHARGE YOU FOR FREE!" and proceeded to resize the bracelet. Me and my gf were damn confused la, what is "Charge us for free?" If its free then why is there a charge, if theres a charge then how can it be free?? We then sat in stony silence while she resized the bracelet during which she keep exclaiming "I CHARGE YOU FOR FREE" at least 5 times.

I would love to whack a GS for myself but the thought of having to go to THong sia for service and servicing just scares me off honestly.

[alex168lim]

That was indeed rude and you should not have sat in "stony silence". This only begets and encourage more rude behaviour.

That being said, I am not suggesting that you shout at her or be rude. Just ask firmly what she meant and perhaps reminding her that she is serving a customer and need not be rude. It always work for me each time.....I never tolerate rude sales/service behaviour.

Well, this incident should not stop you from getting a GS.....I have yet to seen any other timepiece in the same price range close to what ths GS offers in term of quality and build.

[Vonduos]

Not when i think of sending my Seiko for servicing. The thought of them fixing up and creating more unknown problem along the way chills.
My $800 plus Seiko i am thinking twice, if it is a GS, i would definately not go to them.

[feilong108]

i agree that the staff there are abit standoffish in attitude esp when i ask about the servicing of my JDM Seiko MM300....they told me it be better if i ship to Japan myself...

ARGH....

[kqxrlovesSpeedmasters]

If its a JDM Model and not purchased from them they will ask you to ship yrself right? Thats precisely my fear if say I bring in a GS from Seiya or Chino....

[triton]

why not consider getting through one of the local shops? Maybe have to pay slightly more compared to Seiya or Chino, but if anything wrong, the shop will be able to assist you. i went to one of the shops and made an inquiry, they say anything wrong, bring it back to them and they handle from there.

that is why i prefer to buy it from local shops if there is, if the difference is less than 250. this is because, if there is any issues with the watch, i just send it back to shop and they have to handle it for me. also JDM models are meant for japan domestic market only as its name implies. so this is the risk buyers have to take when buying such models.

as seiko has reliable movements, we cannot discount the fact that such watches needs to be serviced from time to time. as such, it is better to purchase from local shops if there is, alternatively, check around if there is any reliable watch technician you trust who can service the watch you want, if you have this contact, then can consider buying from seiya or chino. else, go through local shops.

If its a JDM Model and not purchased from them they will ask you to ship yrself right? Thats precisely my fear if say I bring in a GS from Seiya or Chino....

[Chunster69]

I recall they don't cover all seiko bought in SIN. I have a seiko pruchased from a shop in SIN and there was an issue with the crown within warranty/ I brought it to TS and they say it is actually a overseas warranty and refuse to accept it.

I ended up bringing it back to the shop I bought from and got it fixed hassle free....wonder why they dun have worldwide warranty like Rolex...

[taxico]

i no longer send watches for servicing to thong sia because of some of their staff's attitude and company policies.

if it's slow beat, i leave it or just regulate it. the cheap ones are not always worth servicing.

if it's fast/high beat, i send it to an alternate watchmaker or to japan through higuchi.

for all other problems, i prefer to send it back to japan because i know they will do me right.

[feilong108]

For me...if my MM300 have to be serviced or overhaul..i suppose i will be heading to Japan.....and can holiday there too...provided the lead time is not over 2 months...hehehehehe.....

[chiu_peow]

Envy, you the man. Can fly all the way there just to service a watch.

For me...if my MM300 have to be serviced or overhaul..i suppose i will be heading to Japan.....and can holiday there too...provided the lead time is not over 2 months...hehehehehe.....

[Vonduos]

Ｈｉ　Ａｌｌ，　Ａｎｙ　ｉｄｅａ　ｈｏｗ　ｌｏｎｇ　ｉｔ　ｔａｋｅｓ　ｔｏ　ｓｅｒｖｉｃｅ　ａ　ｗａ ｔｃｈ　ｉｎ　Ｊａｐａｎ？
Ｉmay be flying to Chicago via Japan so can transit there for free while waiting for the watch to be serviced.
I really dont feel comfortable passing it to Thiong Sia after my bad experience with them.

Thanks

[kah]

Same case for me, send my Diver watch for service and found out the back cover wasnt close properly and water seep through. Went back and they told me i should have check 1st after i collected my watch !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its our fault to send it for servicing there.

[Noriki]

Same case for me, send my Diver watch for service and found out the back cover wasnt close properly and water seep through. Went back and they told me i should have check 1st after i collected my watch !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its our fault to send it for servicing there.

No QC.... WTF