THE WATCH REPAIR SHOP AT PARK PLACE MALL ,Next To Macy's, Added charges, took 2 months, Did not fully repair, reused to fix, rude Tucson Arizona

First, I live 100 miles from this shop so it is not convenient to drop in to solve problems and I don't go to Tucson often so a special trip is required. I took 2 watches in to be cleaned, looked over and minor repairs. One, my everyday Citizen cronograph, had gotten the setting buttons gummed up with dirt & dust, so required a simple cleaning. The other, a Timex had a hour marker come loose and the shop said they glue them back on all the time. The estimate was 2 weeks and between $50 and $70 for both. I expalined my distance issue and desire to coordinate the pickup. I asked them to check them over and call me when they were finished or if they found any other problems.

4 weeks went by with no word so I called - they said the owner wasn't in and they couldn't tell me the status. I indicated we were coming up in a few days on other business and would like to get the watches and that they should have been fixed by then. I also asked for a return status call from the owner/watchmaker - that didn't happen.

A few days later I went into the shop looking for my goods. The person behind the counter spent quite a while looking for them to no avail - he couldn't find them or any record of them even with my claim ticket! He then told me they were waiting for parts and would call me when they were in. Needless to say i was very angry and demanded hearing from the owner.

It took a few days but I finally got word they 'found' my watches and the clerk made a 'mistake' however the total was a little higher than estimated (yeah, over $100-I'm not pleased), but at least I was happy to know I was going to get my watches back. I get them back and wear my Citizen and it seems to function OK although the buttons don't 'click' as smoothly as they used to, I can at least set the time when I travel to other time zones..

Then I start wearing the Seiko and noitice that the Hour hand doesn't align up to the markers like it should - at 12 noon, the hour hand is halfway between 11 and 12 (same type of offset at all other times). The last time I wore it prior to the repair, it did align so I don't know how it got out of alignment. This gets irritating, so on my next visit to Tucson, I take the watch in as usual to get the guy to align the hands. Of course he isn't there - he only comes in on Fridays to pick up new work (can't face the customers eh?).

The jerk behind the counter is rude and tries to insinuate that I must have done something to the watch. I remind him that they were to inspect and clean the watch and check its function and that that is what I paid extra for. He seems incredulous that I expect them to 'fix it again' for free! He wants me to leave it and 'they will get back with me with what they decide' to do about it. well no way am I ever leaving anything with them again.

I don't recommend you gime them 'the time of day' either.

Al in sierra vista
Ft. Huachuca, Arizona
U.S.A.