Dropped off a Tag Heuer for new battery. Never got a call that it was ready so when I called to find out the status, they say it needs more than a battery, it needs a "tune up" for $220. Based on their positive reviews, I said okay to the repair. That was a few weeks ago. I called them today to see if it was ready (I never got a call from them telling me it was done) and the woman who answered the phone says, "No one called you? I guess we couldn't reach you, but it is ready."
I went to pick the watch up and the tall blond woman hands me the watch, which shows the time at 12:00, but it was 2:25 pm. Very weird that a watch that is supposedly fixed has the wrong time. Against my better judgement, I ask that they set the right time and I pay the $220. I leave and I notice at 3 pm that the watch still says 2:25 pm. So it is obviously not working. I call them and someone named Sam tells me to come back, they will fix it. So I drive all the way back and during the drive, I decide that I really don't trust this place, that I want my $220 back and I will go someplace else to fix the watch.
When I get there, I go up to the blond woman behind the counter who I paid earlier and tell her the watch is not fixed and I want my money back. She says okay and hands me the $220. She seems flustered but says she is sorry. As I am headed toward the door, another worker in the store, calls out to me, "I am the manager and I need to see what is going on" and turns to the woman to tell her that I was not supposed to get my money back. He asks to see the watch and I hand it to him (my second mistake, the first being that I even went to this place at all). I tell him I don't want to leave my watch there and he says, "I have to see the work ticket" and heads over to the woman. I ask him for my watch back as I just want to leave and he says "No, you can't have it back." I was so shocked that he wouldn't give me back my property. So I said calmly, "May I please have my watch back? I don't want to leave it here. I want to go someplace else to get it fixed." I realized that they had sent my watch out to be fixed and had likely paid a fee, and this guy was not going to suck up that fee, he said to me, "If you want your watch back, give me the $220." So I get to pay $220 for a my broken watch. What a great deal...
I ask again for my watch back - and then this guy GOES COMPLETELY NUTS - bat (expletive) crazy - screaming at the top of his lungs that he is the manager and "You have to respect me" and "Do what is righteous" (huh?) I wish I had my phone on recording this wacko, it was so over-the-top nuts. The employees all stood there, mouths agape. It was clear that they were shocked and even maybe afraid of this nut. I said, "If you don't give my watch back, I am calling the police." He shrieked back, "Go ahead, call the police, call the police". So I called 911 & the officer arrived less than 5 minutes later (THANK YOU, OFFICER FRAME of Redondo Beach Police). I went outside with the officer to explain the situation - I was pretty shaken up by this time as I live a very normal life & am not used to crazy people screaming at me - and while I am talking to the officer, crazy manager guy pokes his head out of the store door, holds out the watch and yells, "Is this your watch?" He knows its mine. Then he hands the watch to the officer and says, "Here's the watch but don't give it back to her." I mean, just coo coo for cocoa puffs crazy, right??
I show the officer my receipt for watch, tell him I got my money back, & I just want my broken watch so I can leave. The officer went inside to talk to the nutcase and about 10 minutes later, the officers come out, hand me my watch and say, "Here is the manager's card, he realized it was their error, an "internal issue", and they want you to come back another time to make it right for you." I told the officers that my father taught me to stay away from trouble and I would never set foot in this establishment again. I thanked the officers and left. Unbelievable.