ComplaintsforHelen's Clock Company

• Initial Complaint

  10/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I took a Royal Mariner ships clock to this business on February 19, 2020. I still have the claim ticket. I needed it repaired. The clock was my grandfather's and father's. It is approximately 70 years old. Shortly after the clock was left with the owner, Covid hit and **************** went into lock down. As a ****** care worker I was involved in Covid response and was working 7 days a week through March of the following year. Given the pandemic I did not follow up with the clock shop other than several attempts to call the business to determine the status of the clock. The business phone for the clock shop either has a full in box when you call, or when it doesn't, your messages are not returned. I left messages when I was able to and to date have never recieved a call back. After Covid lockdowns were reversed and things improved - I began making trips out to the shop to try to have a conversation with the owner. Every time I would go I would either arrive when it was closed or arrive and find it closed during business hours. Finally on April 11, 2023 I called and the owner answered. When I enquired about my clock - giving him the claim ticket number- he said that he didn't know where the clock was. He said he had been ill and in the hospital. He told me he would look for it and call me. He didn't. I went out on October 13,2023 and his shop was open. When I enquired about the clock and showed him the claim ticket - he said it was at his house. He took my number and said he would look for it and call. He never called. I went by this afternoon October 27, 2023, and he was closed during his open business hours. I simply want my clock back.

  Business response

  11/20/2023

  I responded to the customer and he is satisfied.  

  Customer response

  11/21/2023

  Complaint: 20792620
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I recieved my first phone call back from this business directly due to my complaint with the BBB. He has never before been responsive.

   

  I recieved a phone call from the business owner on Monday November 20, 2023 at 12:45 p.m. the call lasted 5 minutes and 15 seconds.

  He stated that he was sorry about the clock. He said he simply can't find it. He stated he found the internal clock works for the clock but was not able to find the rest of it. He said this has not happened before. That he never has lost a clock and that he didn't do this kind of thing. This is patently - blatantly untrue. I have screen shots from ****** where others describe the same scenario. I have added them here. He offered to give me his own ships clock or another clock, or to pay me for the clock he lost. I thanked him for making this offer but told him I wouldn't know how to place a value on a clock that was my grandfather's and fathers...  I told him that I simply wanted my clock back. I said that I would prefer he make an effort to find it and return it. I said that if he was unable to do so- then we needed to discuss the options he presented.  I do not feel this is unreasonable.  I said I appreciate his contacting me and asked  he continue to look for the clock. I said  he needed to stay in contact with me. I said if he didn't find the clock by Christmas that we needed to discuss the other options to remedy this issue. 

   

  To simply respond to the BBB that I am satisfied is completely untrue and misrepresents our conversation. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

  Customer response

  11/29/2023

  I appreciate you assistance regarding my complaint.  I disagree with your assessment.  The owner of Helen's Clock Company calling me up and saying essentially, "Sorry I lost your clock and don't know where it is..." isn't good faith anything. At the very least BBB should give the company an "F" rating until they resolve the dispute. 

   

  I dispute ypur findings and believe BBB should do what it is supposed to do. 

• Initial Complaint

  02/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  My husband and I have used Helen's Clock Repair a few times and have always been happy. He may take a while to do the work, but we've not been disappointed. One of the clocks we dropped off approximately September 2022 is still at the business for repairs. I've tried calling many, many times and no one picks up. We've stopped by the place and no one is there. I know he said he'd be out in like October for hip surgery. But I think by now I should've already been able to reach him. Also another clock we picked up after repair isn't quite running on the right time, so we wanted him to have a second look.

  Business response

  03/14/2023

  I had hip surgery.  In the middle of my recovery I go shingles.  ***** had life threatening abdominal surgery and all these things happened at the same time.  I called my landlord and responded and posted a sign on the door.  I'm sorry.  I didn't have many complaints directly to me.  We tried but it didn't work.  I'm 83 years old and ***** is 80 years old and we are trying.  

  Customer response

  03/15/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩