I recently ordered a Seiko GMT MOD Root Beer watch from Culture Circle during their promotional offer on Seiko watches, paying approximately ₹24,000 for the product.
The experience has been highly disappointing for several reasons:
Excessive Delay:
The delivery took more than a month, with the delay attributed to the watch being “imported.”
Misleading Product / Counterfeit Concerns:
When I finally received the watch, it became evident that it was not an authentic Seiko timepiece. There was no warranty card or instruction manual in the package, which immediately raised red flags.
Unhelpful Customer Support:
The customer support experience was frustrating. Initial contact is handled entirely by a bot, with no real human intervention at the outset, which makes resolving genuine issues very difficult.
Questionable “5-Step Quality Check”:
The advertised “5-step quality check” appears meaningless in practice. When I raised my concerns, I received the following response from Culture Circle Support:
"Hello Uthappa,
We apologize for the delay in our response and for the inconvenience caused.
Regarding the functionality of the watch, kindly share a complete unboxing video clearly highlighting the issue with the dial, so our team can review the concern and assist you further.
We would also like to clarify that the product purchased is a MOD watch. This means the watch contains a genuine mechanical movement, while the dial, case, bracelet, and other external components are aftermarket parts. The watch is hand-assembled in India and designed to resemble certain well-known styles.
Please note that this is not an official retail-branded timepiece, and therefore it does not come with a brand warranty.
We assure you that there was no intention to mislead, and we remain committed to maintaining transparency in our communication.
Warm Regards,
Culture Circle Support"
At no point during the purchase process was it made sufficiently clear that this was a modified (MOD) watch with aftermarket parts, assembled to resemble popular designs, and not an official Seiko retail product with a brand warranty. This is, in my view, misleading.
Additional Financial Loss:
Due to functional issues with the watch, I had to take it to a TATA service center and ended up paying close to ₹7,000 for repairs (the watch is still with the service center as of now).
Conclusion:
Based on my experience, I strongly advise potential customers to exercise extreme caution when purchasing from Culture Circle. In my personal opinion, the products are misrepresented and effectively counterfeit, and the post-purchase support is inadequate.
Thanks and Regards,
Uthappa M. P.
