Bought Rolex but received Empty Box--HELP

[helo008]

Hey all,

First timer on the forum here looking for some help and advice.

I recently purchased a Rolex GMT II from another TRF member on the classifieds section, and it was shipped overnight to me via UPS.

However, upon receiving the package this morning, I opened it up to find everything but the watch and "pillow" it comes on--the box, warranty card, booklets, extra link, and even a handwritten note from the seller thanking me for the transaction were all there. The white box in particular was a little dirtier than in the photos from the original listing, looks like someone's dirty handprints were on it. In other words, I opened the package to find an empty Rolex box.

The seller and I have since discussed the matter and he was as shocked as I was. We have filed police reports on both ends (we live in cities a few hours away from each other) and he is currently filing a claim with UPS. Luckily, the package was insured to the full value, but I'm worried the process will be messy given the package arrived but the watch was not inside.

My question is, what can I do at this point to recover my losses? Currently, I'm out the value of the watch (it was paid for via direct wire so the funds are with the seller), and while police reports were filed I'm skeptical the watch itself will be found.

Does anyone have advice for this situation or any experience with issues like this? Any help would really be appreciated. Thank you all in advance.