TheSWIGroup.com swisswatchintl.com DEFECTIVE: Avoid Red Line watches and any of the other brands by TheSWIGroup.com or swisswatchintl.com Hollywood, Florida

The purpose of this and subsequent posts is to serve as a WARNING, based on my recent personal experience regarding an individual WATCH, the Red Line 50023-11 Boost Series Professional Chronograph Movement Black Dial 100M Men's Watch, and as a warning by deduction against purchasing ANY watches produced by the parent corporation that makes Red Line called TheSWIGroup, a Florida based corporation with a corporate Web site at www.theswigroup.com and at www.swisswatchintl.com SWI stands for Swiss Watch International. TheSWIGroup (www.theswigroup.com) makes the following brands of watches: Cabochon, Elini, Giordano, Jacques Lemans, Magico, Swiss Legend, SWI Limited Edition, Triumph Watches, and RED LINE (my brand). 


As of today, September 27, 2011, I now own a non-functioning Red Line 50023-11 Boost Series Professional Chronograph Movement Black Dial 100M Men's Watch (with regard to the specification on 'Luminosity' or what the actual watch specs call "LUMINOUS.") 


Specifically, the watch is under THESWIGROUP WARRANTY FOR 5 YEARS, WHICH IMPLIES THAT IT MUST PERFORM ACCORDING TO THE SPECS LAID OUT BY THE COMPANY THAT MAKES IT, INCLUDING THE FACT THAT IT SHOULD BE LUMINOUS AS DESCRIBED. 


THE LUMINOUS CHARACTERISTIC IS FALSE. 


THE ORIGINAL WATCH I GOT THROUGH A SALES CHANNEL THESWIGROUP USES CALLED CHRONOSHARK.COM (SEE BELOW) 


THE REPLACEMENT I GOT WAS THROUGH THESWIGROUP.COM (SEE BELOW) 


BOTH WERE INDEED LUMINOUS FOR A FEW HOURS AFTER CONSISTENT EXPOSURE TO EXTREMELY BRIGHT LIGHTS - AND FROM THAT DAY FORWARD BOTH WATCHES - THE ORIGINAL AND THE REPLACEMENT - BECAME LITERALLY INVISIBLE AT NIGHT. NO LUMINOUS CHARACTERISTIC WHATSOEVER. THIS IS A FACT AND NOT A MATTER OF OPINION OR OPEN FOR DISCUSSION. 


FOR WHATEVER REASON, THE CHEMICALS USED TO MAKE THE Red Line 50023-11 Boost Series Professional Chronograph Movement Black Dial 100M Men's Watch ARE A COMPLETE AND UTTER FAILURE. 


FAILURE TO PERFORM TO SPECIFICATIONS IS A VIOLATION OF THE COMPANY'S 5 YEAR WARRANTY, AND ALTHOUGH THEY DID REPLACE THE WATCH (WHICH I INITIALLY APPRECIATED), THEY REPLACED IT WITH A WATCH THAT ALSO HAD NO LUMINOUS CHARACTERISTICS AFTER ONE NIGHT. 



I don't accept a product that immediately shows flaws relative to published specifications. EVER. So I'm here to tell you why you should AVOID buying anything produced by TheSWIGroup.com 



THESWIGROUP.COM company is in GROSS VIOLATION OF ITS WARRANTY ON MY Red Line 50023-11 Boost Series Professional Chronograph Movement Black Dial 100M Men's Watch 

(THE FACT THAT THEY 'REPLACED' IT WITH YET ANOTHER NON-FUNCTIONING WATCH CHANGES NOTHING) 


The saga of my failure to attain a working watch through TheSWIGroup begins: 


1. I purchased the Red Line 50023-11 Boost Series Professional Chronograph Movement Black Dial 100M Men's Watch online through an online e-tailer called ChronoShark, which seems to sell a variety of watches, clothing, jewelry, and possibly more that I am forgetting. 



2. ChronoShark - or www.chronoshark.com describes itself as "The Watch Deal a Day Site" ChronoShark is itself just a 'division' or subset of the larger site called 'SharkStores' or www.sharkstores.com. I don't want to delve too deeply into WHO SharkStores is, because I can't. 


There is no identifying information about who or where they are as a corporation, or even if they are an individual entity. SharkStores, LLC is all you can find, or part of some larger holding company or parent corporation. It's disquieting when a Web site - like SharkStores.com or ChronoShark has NO identifying information about themselves. They DO have a means of contacting them that reveals nothing other than a Web form that will get sent to them for them to answer you via email. ChronoShark DOES have a toll free number on their sub-site, but then again they also claim that they have a 14 Day Money Back Guarantee - with all sorts of conditions of course. SharkStores is a sales channel for an extensive array of merchandise that goes way beyond the scope of my discussion. 


3. My order date with ChronoShark for the Red Line 50023-11 Boost Series Professional Chronograph Movement Black Dial 100M Men's Watch was August 28, 2011 (8/28/11). 

The watch was $79, with free shipping and $6.52 tax to NY, making it a grand total of $85.62 


4. The Red Line 50023-11 Boost Series Professional Chronograph Movement Black Dial 100M Men's Watch boasts the following specs as per the original ad on ChronoShark, which is still available online at: 


http://www.chronoshark.com/p-2142-red-line-50023-11-boost-series-professional-chronograph-movement-black-dial-100m-mens-watch-free-shipping.aspx 




DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS 


Model Brand New Red Line 50023-11 Boost Series Chronograph Men's Watch 

MSRP $625.00 

Case Material Brushed and Polished Solid Silvertone Stainless Steel Case andScrewdown Caseback 

Case Dimensions 44mm (1.73") in Diameter, 13mm (0.51") Thick 

Movement Precise Japanese Quartz Chronograph Movement 

Bezel Solid Silvertone Stainless Steel Coin Edge Bezel 

Crystal Scratch and Impact-Resistant Hardened Mineral Crystal 

Crown Red Silicone Accented Solid Stainless Steel Crown Embossed with the Red Line Logo Located at the 3:00 Hour Position, Chronograph Function Pushers 

Dial Jet Black Dial with Black & Luminous Hour, Minute and Central Chronograph Hands, Luminous Filled Gunmetal Arabic Numerals and Hour Markers, Side-by-Side Dashboard Design Chronograph SubdialsLocated Between the 4:00-8:00 Hour Positions, Red Line Insignia at 12:00 

Chronograph Sub-dials Measuring 24-Hours, 60-Seconds and 60-Minutes 

Luminous Luminous Hands, Arabic Numerals and Hour Markers 

Bracelet Brushed and Polished Solid Silvertone Stainless Steel Link Bracelet -20mm (0.79") Wide, 9-1/4" Length 

Clasp Type Solid Stainless Steel Dual Push-Button Fold-Over Safety Deployment Clasp Embossed with the Red Line Insignia 

Water Resistance 100 Meters (330 Feet - 10 ATM) 

Warranty 

5 Year Original Red Line Manufacturer's Warranty 

_________________________________________________ 

Please note in particular the specifications about the luminous characteristics of this Red Line 50023-11 Boost Series Professional Chronograph Movement Black Dial 100M Men's Watch. 


Please see the PICTURE FROM THE CHRONOSHARK WEB SITE OF THE WATCH AND IT'S "LUMINOUS' CHARACTERISTIC FEATURED PROMINENTLY. 


Here is a close-up SHOWING (ALLEGED) LUMINOUS CHARACTERISTICS: 
https://picasaweb.google.com/109424700628483350782/SpasticJudatheist?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCNDkq7jmyKHV6wE&feat=directlink 


(see link above for original ChronoShark ad with more photos, that also has a lengthy description of the watch) 




Back to the story: 


ChronoShark managed to deliver my Red Line 50023-11 Boost Series Professional Chronograph Movement Black Dial 100M Men's Watch via UPS on 8/25/11. 


My 19th anniversary was Sept 6, so I did not see the Red Line 50023-11 Boost Series Professional Chronograph Movement Black Dial 100M Men's Watch until Sept 6, 2011 when I opened it. 


ChronoShark was completely disinterested in dealing with my Red Line 50023-11 Boost Series Professional Chronograph Movement Black Dial 100M Men's Watch that I just purchased from them - so I immediately moved to plan B on Sept 7 (the DAY after I got it and knew there was a problem). 


Between September 7-Sept 26, 2011, a string of emails began about my Red Line 50023-11 Boost Series Professional Chronograph Movement Black Dial 100M Men's Watch that took place between myself and various people at theswigroup.com or swiss watch international really - www.swisswatchintl.com - a company I had to research at length just to find out who the management is to email them directly. 


Go to theswigroup.com and you will find not even a CLUE as to who the actual human beings are that you need to contact to get anything done whatsoever - and as I explained at length above, even that ended in failure. 


On Sept 7 to Sept 9, over 23 email exchanges took place between myself and one representative of the company- who isn't even an executive - and who insisted - TO TOP IT ALL OFF - that THEY WERE DOING ME A COURTESY BY HAVING ME PAY FOR SHIPPING THIS Red Line 50023-11 Boost Series Professional Chronograph Movement Black Dial 100M Men's Watch BACK TO THEM SO THEY COULD "INSPECT" IT - INSPECT IS THE KEY WORD, AT MY EXPENSE, WITH NO PROMISE OF REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT. 


ON SEPTEMBER 10TH, AFTER CONSIDERABLE EFFORT AND DIGGING, I DID FIND THE MANAGEMENT OF THIS 'company', WHICH USES A DIFFERENT DOMAIN NAME: SWISSWATCHINTL.COM 


I wrote to several of the executives simultaneously - and told them that I was sick and tired of trying to get this issue resolved after 23 emails with the initial, repetitive representative who gave me the same line over and over that I mention above in bold. 


I mentioned again that given how unlikely it was that I would ever get this issue resolved to my satisfaction (a 1000% accurate prediction, with hindsight), I was going to PLAN B - which was to inform as much of the public as possible about my experience with the Red Line 50023-11 Boost Series Professional Chronograph Movement Black Dial 100M Men's Watch, and with theswigroup.com, all of it's product lines, and now, as I'd learned, with anything associated with SwissWatchIntl.com 


What ensued after that initial contact with the real executives on Sept 10th were several 'events.': 


1. I got an email from one of the executives saying that they'd take care of it and to: 

"Relax and avoid threatening people on emails" 


Seventeen MORE (17) emails, 20 days, and after an irrelevent replacement watch that performed no better than the original, I felt compelled to begin on blogger.com with my personal blog and branch out from there and tell my story. 


My only intention is to provide a cautionary tale - ending in the failure of theswigroup.com or swisswatchintl.com or whatever they want to call themselves - to deal with this matter in a timely and professional manner. Quality control is in reasonable question at theswigroup.com and all of its associated product lines. It's the only conclusion one can draw. If the watch they sent out as a replacement were CHECKED BEFORE THEY SENT IT OUT - FOR AN APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF TIME - AND I EXPLICITLY WARNED THEM THAT THEY NEED TO CHECK IT FOR MORE THAN ONE NIGHT (WHICH THEY OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T) - THEY WOULD HAVE FOUND THAT THE THE WATCH DID INDEED FAIL TO CONTINUE TO BE 'LUMINOUS' 


Hence, this entire company, by whatever name it chooses to be known (or not really) is in gross violation of the product warranty and there is nothing that I can do about it. 


I warned them that I would publicize what transpired with this Red Line 50023-11 Boost Series Professional Chronograph Movement Black Dial 100M Men's Watch that fails to meet its published specifications. 


For $87, they could have refunded my money and dealt with ChronoShark on their own time - or they could have let me choose another watch that they HAD TESTED CAREFULLY, or any number of other options. I can only deduce that they aren't interested enough in correcting this issue on a final basis - however that might happen - because they failed to respond to my warning that I would publicize the factual events (all of which I have documented in my gmail account). 


But at the end of the night on 9/27, 20 days and a TON of time and effort on my part to get the matter resolved - they chose to ignore my plea(s) and I am stuck with the watch the way it is. 


Now the public will know about Red Line 50023-11 Boost Series Professional Chronograph Movement Black Dial 100M Men's Watch and theswigroup.com and swisswatchintl.com and chronoshark.com 


This is just my personal opinion, but in this price class do yourself a favor and get a reputable brand like Croton, or Seiko, or Pulsar, or something with a longstanding reputation. 


Don't go through what I've suffered with this Red Line 50023-11 Boost Series Professional Chronograph Movement Black Dial 100M Men's Watch and these people at the parent company, theswigroup.com or swisswatchintl.com. 


The one exchange they did for me after I escalated my emails and said I'd go public with the nightmare has no credibility, since they might just as well have sent back the original - the replacement was an immediate failure. They should have known that - and not wasted even more weeks lollygagging around and stringing me along. I do appreciate the fact that they "appear" to have tried to replace the watch - but the effort was unsuccessful and I really can't be sure where the root of the problem lies (although I have ideas).