4 years ago
The Google platform is certainly a good place for ...
The Google platform is certainly a good place for sharing reviews. The following is my ''unforgettable'' customer experience at Casio Service Centre Singapore. One Star rating is way too kind; I would have awarded it 0 Star if Google made it available.
I used to be a Casio G-Shock fan and also have a couple of other Casio products. The G-Shock in question here was purchased in May 2018, with warranty until May 2019. However, just months into it, it began experiencing technical issues, that is, the analogue hands went out of sync with the digital time display. I readjusted manually and managed to sync both the analogue and digital time. The same issue recurred 3 more times and I readjusted manually to sync. Then it refused to sync on the 4th time. Naturally I put it away since it has become unwearable. This is indeed disappointing as the watch is still very new. I don't remember even wearing it for 10 times! Since there is no immediate urgency when I have other watches to wear, it was stowed away. I intended to send it to Casio Service Centre when I have time, knowing that it is still within the one-year warranty period. Then one day, I guessed it's about 2 months later, when I retrieved the warranty card from the closet, I realised it has just expired by 1 month. Well, I had to rush to Casio Service Centre immediately, which I did, the next day.
While I communicated the technical issues to the service staff there, I was only met by one robotic reply - "'The warranty has expired. You will have to pay for the replacement of the Module (Circuit Board) which is faulty". I cannot believe it! I have explained that it was already faulty and unwearable before the warranty expired. Well yes, legally it has expired, no arguments on this. But is a watch supposed to break down at just about the time when warranty is due? He said it is difficult to predict as it is an electronic component. So doesn't it reflect on their product's unreliability in any case? Guess what? He still insisted the repair and replacement of the Module will still be chargeable at $60+, after a goodwill discount, from the usual $80+. I reiterated that it is only a month after warranty expiry and there is no reason customers are PENALISED for their product's UNRELIABILITY! But I could appreciate when he said he will seek his management's approval to reduce the replacement's costs or better still, waive it totally. Two days later, I was told by another service staff on the phone that they could only reduce the costs to $55. I mentioned my dissatisfaction again that they shouldn't penalise customers for their product's poor reliability. I didn't send in an old, battered watch, or a 2 or 3 year old watch! In fact, I was so frustrated that I contemplated to forgo repairs and simply discard it as this is a good lesson learnt by supporting the Casio brand! Then the next day, I received a call again, this time, it was a third different person telling me his management could only reduce to $30! Yes, $30 isn't big money but it is unacceptable for them to penalise customers for the lack of reliability. Their attempt to exploit was obvious enough when a watch just one month past its legal warranty was presented to them. After which, I didn't hear any updates until I suddenly received an sms informing my watch was repaired and ready for collection!
Upon collecting the watch yesterday, I was told they have waived the charges for Module replacement and emphasised to me "'THIS WILL BE A ONE-TIME OFF FREE REPLACEMENT". This statement made me boil again as it clearly indicates their sheer reluctance in providing reasonable service. They ought to be ashamed of their product's poor quality and poor reliability so much that they should be so eager to ''cover-up'' by providing good service, getting it repaired quickly without hassle instead of magnifying it! Surely not by exploiting customers at the slightest opportunity!
I was told the Module is warranted for the next 3 months. Does it mean it may break down then? Will I buy Casio again with this experience? Will you?