Suunto appalling customer service !

[leon-1]

I am probably in for a pasting here, but I have a watch that cost me over £300 pounds, to get the battery changed and have the wrist strap replaced will cost the better part of £100.

I have an air rifle that cost over £500 (without scope, sights, bipod, scopemounts magazines or anything else), it appears to be under power, to have it serviced will also cost £95 pounds before shipping.

Once upon a time you used to able to get boots that you could have the sole replaced when they wore out, now they are few and far between and a set of boots I have had for less than a year have to go in the bin and I have to buy a new set, that's another £130 down the drain.

I run a business, I deal with manufacturers, importers and manufacturers as part of that, some are the most ignorant people that I have ever come across, they are invariably based in the UK. If you have a problem with a help desk or an importer take it directly to the parent company, in most cases they are very helpful.

I buy things from Finland on occasion and it doesn't seem to matter who you deal with the shipping always seems to be expensive so this is not isolated to Suunto.

My local horologists quoted me the better part of £60 for a pressure test on a watch, so personally I don't see Suunto's costs as extortionately expensive with the servicing of the watch included.

Fixing and replacing goods under warranty on the other hand is a customer right.

We buy things all the time that require servicing, we are aware of that, the cost of servicing we hardly ever ask about, that's our own fault.

 

[tajbarton]

I bought my 1st Suunto X6hr in March 2005.
I had to send it for repair on 25th June 2010 as I noticed condensation in it and then found a screw had come out of the back plate. The watch worked fine when you pressed on the back pushing the battery in but they declared it irreparable, and charged me 30 odd euro to return the broken unit.
Reluctantly I took their word for this and bought the replacement watch from them on 18th August 2010 for around 260 euro.
You can imagine my disappointment when I noticed part of the bezel had fallen out. I had to send the watch back for repair on 30th December 2011. 16 months after buying it.
Again they have told me the watch is not repairable and I need to buy a new one.
I feel that to pay 266€ for a watch to last 16 months is not acceptable.
I have also had various problems with your returns system as the courier will not collect from where I live. I have now had to pay to post the watch to a relative in the UK and then pay you 8€ each way for pick up and return as I do not have the time to travel the 3hrs round trip to the courier.
It just adds insult to injury
Having spoken to customer service there would appear that they can do no more than sell me another replacment watch with limited warrenty and apologise for the inconvenience.
I wish I had found this thread before buying my original watch from them as I would be over 500 euros better of and a lot less stressed. I feel completely conned by Suunto and a mug for daring to belive their marketing.

 

[tajbarton]

Suuntos's customer service 'Suunto listens' now there's something to make you laugh.

 

[tajbarton]

Sorry for just jumping on this tread. Needed to vent my frustration about Suunto somewhere. I have tried posting on their FB page and also Twitter as go nowhere on the phone so will up date if Suunto do listen. Thanks for the advise and hope for a good result for us all.

 

[Nonsuch]

I have stopped using my Suunto Vector. It fogs up inside on a wet hill-walk or canoe trip. The compass is also rather unreliable even if regularly re-calibrated. I now use a Japanese automatic dive watch (Orient Mako) for canoeing, and a CWC G10 with a strap compass for woods stuff. You can get both these watches for the price of a Suunto.

 

[Tiley]

I used to have a Vector many years ago now. I binned it for any number of reasons, mostly about the accuracy of the altimeter; I duly returned, with tail between my legs, to my incredibly reliable Thommen. The Vector also seemed quite battery hungry; so, I returned, with tail between my legs, to my lovely automatic watch. The Vector compass was pretty much useless for actual navigating; I returned, with tail between my legs, to my accurate and easy-to-use compass. Surprisingly, given all the flack popping off around here, it's a Suunto.

It's always sad to hear about bad customer service, a thing that, with a little thought and effort, can work so well for a manufacturer or distributor. I hope that Suunto sit up and take notice. Their compasses are, after all, very good indeed.

 

[dwardo]

Pro-trek PRG50 has not let me down once in the past 6 years. Change the battery my self which is simple. Its been bashed about something wrotten and has never leaked. All of the functions work perfectly, compass, baro, alti.

 

[mountainm]

I'd wear my Tag more but it costs £150 to change the bleedin' battery - so currently its resigned to the drawer until I can justify the cost - which is never.

 

[Nonsuch]

I'd wear my Tag more but it costs £150 to change the bleedin' battery - so currently its resigned to the drawer until I can justify the cost - which is never.

Did you try just taking it to a local guy? My wife was once quoted £200 to change the battery on her Cartier: "It will have to go back to Cartier for a service, special tool required to get the back off, etc". Service? - there are about five moving parts inside! We took it to a local guy. £2.50.

 

[mountainm]

Did you try just taking it to a local guy? My wife was once quoted £200 to change the battery on her Cartier: "It will have to go back to Cartier for a service, special tool required to get the back off, etc". Service? - there are about five moving parts inside! We took it to a local guy. £2.50.

I did think about it - unfortunately that invalidates the lifetime warranty.

 

[nitrambur]

I did think about it - unfortunately that invalidates the lifetime warranty.

A lifetime sat in a drawer?

 

[Nonsuch]

Does it really have a lifetime warranty? Rolexes only have two years and I thought Tag was the same, maybe three

 

[mountainm]

Does it really have a lifetime warranty? Rolexes only have two years and I thought Tag was the same, maybe three

Yes the cost includes a service, this essentially is what you're paying for. Once the youngest is out of nursery then it'll come back out of the drawer.

 

[gobfish1]

iv used suunto dive computers for a maybe 20 years ,, always had good service from them .. even replaced a broken 370 quid unit that was 4 years old . only cost to me was £60 so im happy with my lot and sunnto ,,

 

[tajbarton]

Having posted poor reviews everywhere I could think including suuntos fb page and via twitter I have been very suprised to recieve a new service replacement watch from them free of charge. I have not even had to pay postage. This is the sort of service that should recieve glowing reviews all over the internet if only it happened without all the fuss. Good luck to everyone else.

 

[Tony]

good to see that things worked well for you
We've been reviewing a couple of watches and are very impressed with them so far, although of course that doe not reflect on the customer service.
I'll try to find out exactly what's involved in watch repairs etc.

 

[Firelite]

For what its worth, I'm throwing my lot in with the Pro-Trek supporters. I've had mine about six years. Its worn every day in post-fire scenes, and the compass is used on every scene I go to. I dive in it, I climb in it. The face is clear and easy to read and it has barometer and altimeter too. It still has its second battery in. When/if it dies I would defo get another. No relation etc...

By the way, good luck to those guys/gals in the process of trying to sort their probs out. Hope Suunto come good for you.