Independents

From its initial DOS release to hand-misalignment delivery.

Do you know if Ming has done anything to start addressing the problems?

Though it should not have happened in the first place.

I have heard of a number of reliability issues with their watches. What I feel is not quite right is that the customer is expected to pay for the freight back to MIng while the watch is still under warranty.

Originally a fee for shipping was asked, then it was waived after some posts on social media.

I should tell my watch collector friends that because they had to courier their watches back and pay for it when Ming refused to allow them to hand return the watch. The return address was 3kms away so using a courier which Ming had insisted on seemed over the top and inflexible of them,

there's a p.s.a. on the ming site saying to get in touch so they "can provide a return shipping waybill to have the watch sent to Switzerland". so ming's paying for transportation, and this sounds like the first time they're doing this.
side note: i got a ming earlier this year that needs a warranty fix, and i'd been delaying sending it because i wasn't happy to pay for courier charges for something not my fault. hmm....

but which should have been thought of about since the inception of the brand since the reputation of poor customer service tends to stick with a brand longer than most things.  I hope you get your watch repaired soon and to your satisfaction.

I just now had a look at the T&Cs webpage (last updated 13 Jan. 2021) and under "Section 5: Warranty, service and repairs" point #8 states "For warranty work, we will arrange for a prepaid return label at our cost." Unless I've totally misunderstood it, this can only refer to a label for the leg back to the repairer, right?
(Regarding my post about my earlier Ming in need of a fix under warranty, I should say that they never told me I would have to pay freight to return it to them. Thing is, that I would have to foot that tab is the distinct impression I got from the one with whom I corresponded, and I suppose it's on me that I concluded in error [though the 17.09 incident indicates otherwise] without clarifying with them -- or reading the T&Cs.)

that Ming will now pay for the freight back for its faulty watches. It may be a budget brand in general but there is no excuse for a poor quality product especially one that has won the GPHG! Not sure if 17.09 owners have to pay for the return freight of their faulty watches but I know 17.06 owners had to.

The T&Cs say clearly [to me] that Ming picks up return courier if under warranty.

Given what's in black and white, some in Team Ming might not have received the memo or simply forgot/misunderstood(?). Given the extra stress & pressures of the pandemicrisis, it could lead to erroneous execution and an overriding of established policies/customer service essentials.

[ In other industries I've seen this happen. For example, bankers insisting on practices in contravention of law. They only came around, begrudgingly, after I asked to call in the compliance office. ]

Incidentally, since Ming is an online brand and has zero ADs, it really should be basic that the brand absorb all freight costs during the warranty period, no?

I know a co owner of MIng is a member of this forum so hopefully, he has been following this thread. 

were updated on 8/5. So this could have been new after the recent fiasco.

On social media manners.

Shocking brands ask customers to pay for return shipping. My companies sell consumer goods ranging from ~$15 - $500 largely, and we ALWAYS pay return shipping if we made a mistake. Keep in mind our shipping as a percentage of revenue is much higher than something like a $$$ watch. Really rough experience for the customer IMO and you hurt your lifetime value/sales too much with that kind of stupid ask. I know it's been waived now...but still incredibly stupid ask on such an expensive item.

My goodness they ventured into asking the customer to foot the shipping bill. He already suffered from that misaligned hand.

I'm kidding! I saw the IG thread and it was a little crazy what happened. You handled it well even as Ming did not and I appreciated the follow up with watchmakers doing it right. I would add Charles Frodsham as a company that does service right.

Anyhoo, the Ming watch looks nice! When it's fixed it'll be great.

I really like the dial color.

Your's don't even have the lume hands issue, lol...

My IG account was disabled again on July 9th all of a sudden saying they need to review it for 30days.
It’s frustrating and seems like an algorithm working because it was disabled May 9th, resumed on June 9th but then disabled again???
Let’s see what happens on Aug 9th, 😅

Thanks for checking in, hope all is well.

It appears my account is still disabled or gone…fxxx IG and FB, years of photos, 700+ posts and 7000 followers…I’m done.