TAG Heuer service experiences

[Mspeedster]

From a theft perspective, "After Sales" is a little less obvious. @Podunk21 - the added cost of insurance when mailing is worth it if you're worried about theft or loss.

 

[Aquagraph]

Podunk21

Total newbie here, so if I am posting this in the wrong place, please let me know (but it is Tag Heuer service related).

I got a Tag Heuer (4000 series) from my parents as a birthday gift about 25 years ago (so while it’s not one of their higher end models, it has always been special to me). It has worked really well over the years but this past month it completely stopped working. So, naturally, I began looking into how I could get it fixed ….

However, I must be doing it wrong as I can’t seem to figure out how to get it repaired. For example, I am in the US (Texas) and from what I can see online, there are no authorized drop off locations / service centers in the US. (However I am convinced that that can’t be right so I’m probably doing it wrong.)

While I would prefer to drop it off somewhere, I figured I had to mail it in (as I can’t find a drop off place). However, when I registered an account on the Tag Heuer website, it asked for my watch’s serial and reference number. I know what both of those are due to the fact that they are engraved on the back of my watch casing. However, no matter what I type into their website, it keeps telling me that those numbers cannot be found. I figured that it’s because the watch is older than the website, so I began looking for another way to submit a service request.

It took me a while to find it but there is apparently a way to upload a photo of my watch to their website (as part of my account and service request). However, every time I try to upload a photo, I get an error message saying that the photo can’t be uploaded. I have tried taking different


PS - Not only has the watch stopper working; but the bezel has always been incredibly hard to turn (making it unusable); also, the crown has always turned / wound counter clockwise (and I swear that everything I have read about it says it should turn clock wise, but I haven’t looked that up in a while). I would love for them to fix these things, while also fixing any of the cosmetic issues it has (to make it look newer; if possible). But I am afraid to ask them to do too much … as while I would love for it to work again, I don’t want to pay 2x as much to fix it (compared to what it originally cost).

Actually my 4000 bezel is quite difficult to turn. Mainly cos there is nothing much to grip onto.

 

[dtf]

Mspeedster

From a theft perspective, "After Sales" is a little less obvious. @Podunk21 - the added cost of insurance when mailing is worth it if you're worried about theft or loss.

A few of my watches are worth significantly more to me than the insurance value.

 

[Mspeedster]

dtf

A few of my watches are worth significantly more to me than the insurance value.

If you're the one doing the mailing, you can always insure it for whatever you feel the value is to you, right?

 

[Podunk21]

Experience so far ...

(1) Sent the watch via FedEx and it arrived at the Tag Heuer location in New Jersey without any issues (I sent it to the "LVMH After Sales" address as I didn't want to use the "LVMH Watch & Jewelry" address ... so both clearly work).

(2) It was dropped off according to FedEx on April 29 or 30, 2024 (I don't remember what the date of the mail confirmation was) ... however, it was not scanned into Tag Heuer's system until today (5/2/2024). That isn't a negative, but just FYI ... it takes a day or two after being dropped off before Tag Heuer will get to your watch and start the process.

That is it so far.

NOTE 1: FedEd wouldn't let me insure my watch so I was a little nervous about shipping it (and afraid of losing it) ... but it arrived, so I guess it doesn't matter.

NOTE 2: When filling out the service request form on Tag's website, I asked for them to just do a diagnosis (as my "service type") and let me know what needed to be done and how much it would cost. However, when I called the service center, the person I spoke with acted like it was mandatory that I select a certain level of service ... that being "Complete Service" or "Partial Maintenance Service." However, seeing that I have no idea what is wrong with the watch, or how to fix it myself, I selected the "diagnosis" option. It will be interesting to see if this really matters at all.

 

[imagwai]

Podunk21

NOTE 1: FedEd wouldn't let me insure my watch so I was a little nervous about shipping it (and afraid of losing it) ... but it arrived, so I guess it doesn't matter.

A lot of carriers exclude watches and jewellery from their insurance (even though some are happy to take your money anyway). For this reason, I usually insure any watches I send with a third party insurer - I use https://www.secursus.com/ Can't tell you if they're any good really as I've thankfully never had to claim, but watch out for their terms and conditions which state you need to package the watch in a rigid box, take photos and don't give away the contents with any of the labelling.

 

[Podunk21]

imagwai

A lot of carriers exclude watches and jewellery from their insurance (even though some are happy to take your money anyway). For this reason, I usually insure any watches I send with a third party insurer - I use https://www.secursus.com/ Can't tell you if they're any good really as I've thankfully never had to claim, but watch out for their terms and conditions which state you need to package the watch in a rigid box, take photos and don't give away the contents with any of the labelling.

This is why I was concerned about the address that TAG Heuer had given me (and am glad I went with the alternate address).

 

[BillC3]

Here's an update on my service experience: As of 12 April (the day after I paid the estimate), my watch has been in the "Parts Allocation" phase, waiting for parts to arrive from the mother ship. This morning, I received an email that the parts have arrived and the watch is now in the start of service phase. They anticipate the end of the repair should occur sometime during the first week of June. A full month seems a little long for a basic service with all parts on hand, but we'll see how it goes.

 

[flawless]

After giving the go ahead on the full service for my Autavia a couple of months ago, they emailed back to add on £160 to the cost (to replace the rotor). Was pretty annoyed considering they'd already quoted full service after they'd examined it. They also flat out denied it had ever been in the Manchester service center, until I sent them pictures of the 2019 service card at which point they were suddenly able to find it in their records.

Honestly, I'll be avoiding TAG's in-house movements in future. If this was a Cal. 16, I'd have fixed it myself four months ago for a tenth of the price.

 

[Jim Dollares]

flawless

avoiding TAG's in-house movements in future. If this was a Cal. 16, I'd have fixed it myself four months ago for a tenth of the price.

I think this is the painful conclusion many will come to in the future, as a result of the whole inside a house madness. Inside the house truly is a huge negative, forcing the customers to service only in one place and just pay whatever the brand decides you must pay.

 

[Jim Dollares]

I must admit though that the swiss are pretty smart in their questionnable tactics. Paying watch media to promote that inside house is far superior and better seems to pay off very well. These days any noob watch fan keeps echoing "I prefer an inhouse movement" because they read about it on hodinky or heard some random youtuber speak highly of it.

 

[Aquagraph]

It's funny isn't it.

Watch Industry - In House
Supermarket - Own Brand

 

[bpsmith]

Aquagraph

It's funny isn't it.

Watch Industry - In House
Supermarket - Own Brand

Excellent.

 

[BillC3]

So it's been a month since my last email from TH, and I decided to log into my account and see if there was any status update. I was pleasantly surprised to see the watch is now in the "Service Complete" state as of early yesterday morning.

However, as mentioned above, I haven't received any emails about reaching that status, and yes, I did check the spam filter. Nor do I see any indication of it being shipped back -- I'm now wondering if the same shipping department that took almost a week to recognize my watch arrived is going to take the same amount of time to get around to returning it.

 

[BillC3]

Maybe I should have complained a little sooner . Last night, I received an email that the watch is done, and it included a FedEx tracking number. Only problem now is FedEx still says the label was generated but hasn't been picked up. It was hard enough waiting for them to get around to working on it; now it's done and it's just taking its sweet time getting here and all I can do is wait.

 

[flawless]

So my Autavia is back. I feel like they did token replacements like the click spring to make it look like they did something, honestly. Running a little better than it was before, but the finishing isn't any better than when I sent it.

At least it has a rotor now. I actually asked for a quote to replace it with a TH20 rather than service & replace rotor, and it was a flat no.

 

[Podunk21]

Well, I guess I will post an update on my situation as well. I sent my watch to the Service Center in New Jersey. The service request was inputed on their website on April 24, 2024 (and I sent it in the next day). It was received by TH in New Jersey on or about May 2, 2024 and they updated the service website to say "Diagnostic in Process."

I haven't heard from them since May 2, 2024.

However, after reading the other comments here, I guess this is nothing to be alarmed about as others have said they have had at least a one-month wait (if not longer). So, at this point, it has been in the diagnostic phase for just about 5 weeks (since May 2 to June 7). Hopefully I will hear something soon (??).

 

[BillC3]

@Podunk21 -- not sure what's taking so long for your watch. Mine took 3 days to go from "watch received" to receiving a quote for the service. Have you checked your spam filter? Maybe you missed an email from TH with the quote and asking for payment? I got the distinct impression that they wouldn't start work until the quote was paid. You could always give them a call at 1-(866)-260-0460 and ask for a status update.

BTW, Fedex did pick up my watch yesterday afternoon, as is now indicated on their web site. Apparently they're just really slow in making that initial scan and getting it into their database. Delivery currently scheduled for Monday before 8pm.

 

[Heuerhound]

If they cannot replace even 1 part on the watch they won’t service it at all. If it hasn’t been serviced by them in 4 or 5 years they require a full service over partial service.

Source: I’ve called them a lot. And talked to them a lot. Mary-Ann and Sandy are the nicest CS reps though for real.

 

[BillC3]

And the watch has now been delivered!

It looks like they did a very nice job servicing the watch. It came in a zippered service case, with vinyl wrapping around the watch itself. They might have done a very light polish on it, even though I asked them not to, or maybe the case just cleaned up very nicely, but the watch looks brand-new.

Now I just need to put it away and wait for my wife's birthday (November).