[Alex21]

Originally Posted by bearxj86

Gentlemen. Here are some thoughts since this has escalated quite a bit.

Alex21 - In the time I've been selling watches on the forums as a collector, I remember my own genuine shock when I met a reseller for the first time in person and he louped my watch and pointed out a dent. Bear in mind this was on a $50k Patek. A second time after shipping another reseller using a loupe pointed out a very small chip on a crystal. In general among watch collectors and resellers, doing a loupe inspection is routine before selling/buying since these type of imperfections are not easily visible to the naked or untrained eye.. I don't think it is fair to call something mint if you haven't done this inspection.

What I am trying to say is, on these forums, when we say something is mint, we mean there are no dings or chips since these types of imperfection require money to fix (hairline scratches can be fixed easily but not dings). I learned that through this the hard way. In both cases I had to pony up some cash - this is very normal as dings are expected to be disclosed and these have a material impact on a reseller's margins. Bear in mind that their margins can be just a few hundred bucks and $200 here eats into their margins. They are running a business and have mouths/overhead to cover.

1) Whether the defect was noticed or not, the seller should try to accommodate the buyer here. In this case since buyer lucked out on shipping cost (he did lose time)- sending it back doesn't make sense especially since he paid the shipping cost even if it was him time. I don't think buyer wants to get out of the deal but feels that the defect should have been called out. You said you sold him a mint watch, he didn't get a mint watch. The crown was in bad shape.

2) However, seller did offer a refund (did seller agree to pay for shipping back?). If seller offered a full refund and shipping back then I think that is normally reasonable. If the seller did not offer a refund of shipping (both ways), then I think seller is at fault. However, offering a complete refund when you know a resale deal is already in progress is a bit of an aggressive negotiation tactic - I know that offering a refund is always on the table but is it really in good faith to do so knowing that buyer already has a customer in progress?

3) Buyer should not have rushed but you know sometimes these things happen when there is a decent price. $7900 for a used sub date is a pretty decent price but not for one that requires $200 in repairs, I won't say anyone got a great price to be honest - seems fair to me.

4) Have not dealt with international shipping but returning a watch and risking customs duties and loss especially when the money was wired is a bit tough.

Thanks for your comment. Very valuable info. Makes sense. I just wished you talked about the possibility that buyer (or else around him) could have damage accidentally the crown and blame me for that. Just a slim possibility but okay. I'm learning more from you than these guys from Singapore.