Fossil's Repair Center Gave Me A New Watch Band I Never Wanted

Ben sent his Fossil watch away for a replacement crystal, assuming that it would come back in more or less the same condition. It didn’t. Fossil’s repair center proactively went ahead and put a replacement band on it. Normally this would qualify them for “Above and Beyond” status, but Ben is a dude with a large wrist, and the new band was smaller and rendered the watch unwearable for him.

I sent my Fossil watch in for a new crystal while I was in Dallas several weeks ago. I live in West Texas and we have no local Fossil stores. I got the watch back today, and to my surprise it had also received a new case and new band, for free.

Under normal circumstances I would be totally OK with this. BUT the case is a slightly different design than what I had, I am not in love with the new case, I liked the design I had just fine, but I can live with it. The problem is the new band. When I purchased the watch over a year ago, the Fossil store I purchased it at had to put in 3 extra links to make it fit. Needless to day they did not put the extra links I had in my old band in the new one. Therefore, the watch is unwearable since it is WAY too tight.

I contact Metro Service Center, Fossil’s repair arm, and they apologized, and will send me 4 new links for the new band that I never asked for or wanted. But I will have to pay to have them put them in since we do not have a Fossil store where I live.

So the question is, do I deduct that cost from my invoice total, or just suck it up and be happy that I got a semi-new watch?

We asked Ben what his warranty does cover, and he pointed out that it covers mechanical parts, but not cosmetic things like a band that still holds the watch on just fine. He had owned the watch for eleven years before sending it off for repairs.

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