Avoid Little Switzerland / Swindlers

[EZ1966]

Warning about port shopping in Nassau at the Little Switzerland shop.  They have unethical business practices including deception and deceit and outright Fraud.  Misrepresented a watch I bought, and I questioned it and salesperson assured me it was Titanium and showed me the pricetag and insisted that it was marked Titanium and if it was just the clasp as I questioned, it would not have it indicated on the tag.  Well, I purchased it based on the declaration that it was Titanium, but the Manufacturer confirmed that the watch is not Titanium, just the clasp.  The corporate management doesn't care about the fraud, insisted it was a final sale because it was clearance, yet the store did not say it was clearance and had me sign the checklist, yet the checklist did not apply at the time I signed it, only found out later it was clearance.  The 2 extra year warranty doesnt exist, ok, but I paid for a product I did not receive due to fraudulent statements and they refuse to refund it.  The saleperson also sized the watch so poorly that the band was coming apart.  Took 3 salespeople 4 hours to fix it at a different store.  The only thing they did at corporate was lie to my wife, offer me a pitiful discount on buying another watch in aaddition, and then offering me a great discount on a watch that a reputable store down the street was selling for less without the hassle I went thru, plus a wild goosechase they had me go to get it fixed that cost me 60 extra to get to only to find another store filled with arrogant people who only would send it out, which I could have done without a 30 cab ride each way!  They should change the sign to little Swindlers... overpriced, unknowlegable, cheating thieves you need to avoid.  

[yoolykeme]

What watch did you get?

[TiiiSailor]

This is the exact reason I don't purchase much stuff when I travel.  I've been fortunate to have traveled extensively since I was seven years old.  The stuff I wanted back then were mostly trinkets that would be left alone two weeks after I got back home.  As I got older and watched adults purchase some nice things, to later find out they were ripped off, just as you were.  I've even seen a "reputable" merchant in Naples place a nice piece of jewelry in a beautiful box and wrap it up for a friend.  We both were watching him.  When we returned to our hotel and he opened the package to show his wife what he'd purchased for his mother, the cameo necklace wasn't in the box.  There was a cheap, gumball piece of jewelry in its place.  Next morning back at the store the owner said he could do nothing as my friend had left the store with the package and could have made the change himself.

 

Too many stores, but not all, that cater to tourists know: you won't be coming back, they won't be held liable for their swindle, and you won't be able to get the word out to enough tourists (even in todays social media).  

 

All we can do is spread the word as much as we can and hope enough tourists do read about them.

[ULCajunCruiser]

WOW, thanks for the information!   I'm sorry for your troubles

[Loucat]

I have had a different experience in the Little Switzerland shops in St. Thomas, Key West and St. Martin.

I friend and I purchased two on sale Movado watches in St. Thomas for great sale prices. They are the real thing and are beautiful.

I also have purchased from Little Switzerland in Key West and St Maarten and had good experiences. I wonder about the shop in Nassau and sorry you had this happen. No shop, either in ports or in the US are without issues. We need to research and be sure what we are buying is real and at a good price. Jewelry is risky as if the buyer is not a jeweler, you are taking the word of employees who may know little about what they sell. I purchased earrings in Belize at a shop recommended by the ship. They took the earrings in the back to "wrap them". They were sterling silver when purchased.

When I opened the box after leaving the port, they were junk.

[Host Sharon]

One solution when buying jewellery is not to let the shop wrap them. I always say I'll wear it. Having said that, the jewellery I have bought - mainly in Turkey - has been good value and genuine. It is always buyer beware though and I always keep receipts. I once turned up at a jewellers in Gibraltar a year later with my receipt and one earring where the back was working loose. They fixed for me on the spot.