Citizen Watches - Rip Off!

On Wed, 21 Jan 2004 20:06:42 +0000, ferret <ferret@cruelmail.com>
wrote:

>On Wed, 21 Jan 2004 18:51:36 -0000, "Keith Lawrence"
><false@nospam.com> wrote:
>
>>After nearly two weeks I got the word back from Citizen - 90 QUID TO
>>"SERVICE" AND CHANGE THE BATTERY!
>>
>>I've had the watch less time than I've had the Aladin, I've used it less,
>>it's already had one new battery. 90 quid "service" charge on a watch that
>>cost me around 250 (plus 50 quid last time for the battery) is taking the
>>p*ss IMHO.
>>
>>This is exactly how to go about loosing a customer - Citizen have just lost
>>one.
>
>Strange.
>
>You didn't by any chance go through a dealer to service your watch,
>did you?
>
>I've not ever seen service charges that high for mine.
>
>I've always taken my watch to Citizen directly, where they have
>serviced it for me in under an hour and it's cost a fraction of what
>you've been told.
>--
>ferret
>Best before: see end

Well Keith,

As I mailed you off list, there is a Citizen dealer in Chichester that
does them for £25.

And I'm very happy with my Hyper Aqualand, because it's the only watch
that ever lasted me for 8 years of diving, building sites, etc. Well
worth the money.

Pete S

"Sam Broad" <snb@enterprise.net> wrote in message
news:NvBPb.12740$xu6.6748@fe02.usenetserver.com




> I've compared data and both readings are very similar - the Vyper seems to
> be slightly more conservative on deco and no fly times - maybe just a newer
> algorithm as the Spyder was one of the first batch.
> Cheers,
> Sam

Nah...

The Vyper will give you a 5 min stop if you wipe it with a damp rag.

I will now call on Dig's to give testimony to why she was
doing a deco hang on the Imperial Eagle Dive in Malta 5 mins after her
computer cleared cos Robs kept sulking if it was made to get wet.

That week it seemed determined to keep him in the water as long as
possible.

DaveA



--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

<Pete S.> wrote ...

> As I mailed you off list, there is a Citizen dealer in Chichester that
> does them for £25.

> And I'm very happy with my Hyper Aqualand, because it's the only watch
> that ever lasted me for 8 years of diving, building sites, etc. Well
> worth the money.

Yes - sorry I didn't reply Pete but THANKS. When I get it back I'll persue
other routes.

They're great watches, when they are working, but 90 quid "servicing" every
couple of years or so is beyond a joke.

Keith L

David Walker <wbsdavenews@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:bumu1t$h32$1@wisteria.csv.warwick.ac.uk...
> > Students/customers will inevitably come up with "what time did
> > we go in" usually hours later, when your computer (Suunto etc) is
> > back in the shop. If it's an older Uwatec they would have to wait
> > even longer (need to download to find out time in).
>
> Well if you know they'll be filling in their logbooks and stuff then it'd
be
> sensible to take the computer to the pub don't you think? And if they're
> not then they probably don't want an accurate time anyway. Don't see the
> problem. :O\
>

Like I said, you've never worked pro have you?
Clients would if they could, break into your room at night and wake you up
to find out exactly what time they went in. You could as you say wear your
computer, but I'm not that much of a sad case that I walk around with my
Uwatec round my wrist. Much better to have a nice watch that has all the
data on it.

BTW mine is a Promaster Aqualand 2. If you see a working Instructor/DM
anywhere, chances are that this will be on his wrist.

>
> Ok, I may be thinking of something else, but isn't a Citizen exactly like
'a
> small watch type'. In fact, it is 'a small watch type'. So how come you
> can read that, but absolutely no other of the same size? If you can't
read
> it wouldn't that just suggest you need glasses anyway rather than a
problem
> with the computer?
>

You are thinking of something else. Citizen make watches, databank watches
and computer watches. A Databank (Promaster) and a seperate computer with
a large display is (IMO) the best arrangment.

> > Besides - Set the depth alarm and no danger of going over
> > Max PPO2. Set time duration alarm and no danger of
> > extending your planned bottom time.
>
> Ummm... like the Suunto's can. And I expect other makes of computer too.
>

Nope, many computers have ascent warnings only.

>
> If you're in the pool most people will wear just a waterproof watch,
doesn't
> need to be rated to 1000m to go to 3m max in a pool. In open water, most
> prefer a proper bigish computer to something small and fiddly.
>
Yep so then a promaster + computer will do exactly that.

>
> ... as do all computer's I've seen, and I don't need to know its 7am and
> time to get up when i'm underwater with my computer, my normal watch will
> tell me that.
>

Sorry most computers tell the dive time, but not THE time. In many cases you
have to download. If I have to get another batch of students in the water in
2hrs
and I am still at 6m doing mask clearing, I need to schedule my
diving/training to
suit. I can set the time alarm and when it beeps have 5 minutes to wrap up
and
get out of there.

> I only see the small computer-watch type things as useful if you for
> whatever reason only want to have one watch and don't want a separate
> computer, but I don't see why you would - if you take so much other dive
kit
> with you, is a computer so much extra to carry? I know someone with a
> Suunto Mosquito and someone else with a Suunto Stinger, both can use them
> fine underwater most of the time although often have to look more
carefully
> / closely than people with other computers, and i've never once seen them
> wearing them except when we've been diving.
>

Well there you go Dave. My response was about seperate watches and
computers. You assumed/decieded, that meant computer watches.
It didnt!

TerryH

David Walker wrote

>> ... as do all computer's I've seen, and I don't need to know its 7am
>> and time to get up when i'm underwater with my computer, my normal
>> watch will tell me that.

In my experience, it's not all that uncommon to have a DM say "be back
aboard at 5:00." Hard to do without a watch.

Lee

In article <400eca38$0$4096$5a6aecb4@news.aaisp.net.uk>, false@nospam.com
(Keith Lawrence) wrote:

> This is exactly how to go about loosing a customer - Citizen have just
> lost
> one.

Sent my several year old one in and said i was in a hurry, they changed
the bezel and put new glass front in.......F.O.C.
And got it back to me inside 10 days of me sending it.

Speak as you find though i guess.

DaveM

T> Clients would if they could, break into your room at night and wake you
T> up to find out exactly what time they went in.

Terry I am gutted. You have burst my bubble!

I expected you would have the time down logged to the millisecond and
converted to GMT the moment your clients were back on the boat.

That's the trouble these days people just don't live up to your expectations


TFIC
Regards
MattS

"Keith Lawrence" <false@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:400eca38$0$4096$5a6aecb4@news.aaisp.net.uk...
> After nearly two weeks I got the word back from Citizen - 90 QUID TO
> "SERVICE" AND CHANGE THE BATTERY!
>
> I've had the watch less time than I've had the Aladin, I've used it less,
> it's already had one new battery. 90 quid "service" charge on a watch that
> cost me around 250 (plus 50 quid last time for the battery) is taking the
> p*ss IMHO.
I had the old Aqualand which I bought 12 years ago through the trade for
about
120 quid in the years I had it it cost me nearly 300 for batteries and
service.
The last time I took it in they quoted me 80 quid for a battery, service and
pressure
test when I told them to keep it they said I had to pay 25 quid for the
quote !!
They weren't amused with my answer. My daughter has just given me her
hyper aqualand which she's had for 7 years she had it serviced.(for the
first time)
had new batteries put in and had it pressure tested for 20 quid in the Far
East
How can there be such a huge price differential, the parts and batteries are
so small
it can only cost a couple pence to frieght them in quantity. Are the inport
duties on these
goods that high ? Or is the labour charged in our respective countries
excessive ?
> This is exactly how to go about loosing a customer - Citizen have just
lost
> one.
I love the watches but I won't buy another, purely because of the servicing
costs.
> Keith L
> (keithl@ukrecscuba.org.uk)
>
>

If all you wanted was a time piece then yes I would wear a Casio, but I like
to have redundancy and rely on my Citizen as a backup.


"Jason" <jason.usenet.nospam@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
newsan.2004.01.21.20.21.32.810730@ntlworld.com.. .
> On Wed, 21 Jan 2004 19:21:59 +0000, Keith S. wrote:
>
> > want a dive computer, buy a dive computer. If you want a watch you
> > can take diving, buy a cheapo Casio. Or if you can extort £4.4m
>
> That's exactly what I want, but I don't really want a digital. Not sure
> it's worth sending mine off now. They're about 140 new and mine's actually
> stopped. Plus the strap is knackered and the bezel looks terrible.
>
> Looking on the web, I found some Swiss watches which are pressure rated
> higher than you can actually get underwater on this planet.
>
> Jason
>
> --
> See http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/ to view UK dive spaces or add your own.
>

matts <matts@nospam.org> wrote in message
news:m1WPb.18378$tQ6.829348@wards.force9.net...
> T> Clients would if they could, break into your room at night and wake you
> T> up to find out exactly what time they went in.
>
> Terry I am gutted. You have burst my bubble!
>
> I expected you would have the time down logged to the millisecond and
> converted to GMT the moment your clients were back on the boat.
>
> That's the trouble these days people just don't live up to your
expectations
>
>

I'm not that bad, but can lay bets that I'll get asked
"what time did we go in" etc. At least once every diving day.

TerryH