My New Watch

The silver lining of this recession is the fact that certain luxury goods have dropped in price dramatically. I don't have anywhere to put a jacuzzi but when I saw a great deal on Amazon for a watch I would have never otherwise been able to afford, I pounced.

It's from Stuhrling and normally goes for $345. I got it in the mail recently and it is even nicer in person. I am in love with it. It's sophisticated and feminine. It's nice enough to wear in a corporate setting (for when I land that dream job) but not too fancy to wear with denim. Since it's self winding I won't ever have to figure out how to replace a watch battery either and that's a bit of a relief.

So here's what happened with Amazon. I bought it and during the time it took to ship the price went down by $18 or so. Although I loved the watch, I was disappointed that I lost out by not waiting two days to place my order. I did some quick online research (read: Googling) and determined that Amazon used to have a policy that refunded any price changes within thirty days of purchase but stopped doing it last year.

So I did something that I had never done before: I e-mailed Amazon. I explained the situation in a polite way and requested that the difference be refunded. I was pleasantly surprised by the response (which was very speedy by the way):

Hello from Amazon.com.

Thanks for contacting us about the recent price change on "Stuhrling Original Women's Cupid Automatic Watch Set #109SET". I recognize you have a choice of retailers and appreciate that you prefer to order from us. Unfortunately, we do not have a post-order price guarantee.

I've reviewed your order and see that the price change was significant and you just received this item from us.

Under the circumstances, I'll make a one-time exception for you and issue a refund for the price difference in the amount of $18.85(including tax). You should see the refund in the next 2-3 business days.

Please understand that I'm issuing this refund because of the exceptional circumstances, and I'm doing this for you against our standard policy.

WHY DON'T YOU HAVE A PRICE GUARANTEE?
While we don't always beat the best available price on every product, we do offer deep discounts on many thousands of items. From time to time, prices on some items will change due to special offers from suppliers and manufacturers or our inventory and sales volumes. When we can offer a lower price for new purchases we will, but we cannot extend these discounts to completed orders.

Thanks for shopping at Amazon.com. We look forward to your next visit.

There are lots of sites out there where people voice their displeasure about how they are treated by retailers. Satisfied customers are never as vocal as ones that are unhappy. That's just the way life works, but a motto I have adopted is to be the change you wish to see in the universe. Amazon did a great job and they deserve a shout out. I can now enjoy my new watch without feeling even a twinge of regret.