Private seller on Chrono24

[Huythebest]

I was wondering if anyone had any horror stories buying from a private seller on chrono24. I found a deal for a Cartier in good condition and double boxes etc. I know I should "buy the seller". but the listing does look legit. I was wondering if any one had any advice or horror Stories from buying from a private seller. is there anything I should do to vet it? Ie. do a FaceTime call, or have him prove his identity with social media accounts? I would pay through the escrow service, so I wouldn't release payment until it's received. Interested to know everyone's thoughts. Thanks

[Bstewart]

I think Chrono 24 is relatively safe and the escrow service should be enough safeguard for you. I wouldn't bother getting the guys social media, etc., seems excessive.

[Trailboss516]

You can ask, the worst thing they can say is no. You can get social media but it might be a fake/burner account anyway. I don't think you can contact instagram or linkedin and have them fork over any information, so I'm not sure if that would help any.

I think you just roll the dice and see what happens.

[riazah]

Just understand that private sellers on chrono do not have to accept returns.


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[knyshcollection]

Should be fine

[rmagoo57]

Originally Posted by Huythebest

I was wondering if anyone had any horror stories buying from a private seller on chrono24. I found a deal for a Cartier in good condition and double boxes etc. I know I should "buy the seller". but the listing does look legit. I was wondering if any one had any advice or horror Stories from buying from a private seller. is there anything I should do to vet it? Ie. do a FaceTime call, or have him prove his identity with social media accounts? I would pay through the escrow service, so I wouldn't release payment until it's received. Interested to know everyone's thoughts. Thanks

I had a good experience going with a private seller. Once you receive the watch you can inspect it thoroughly before approving the release of funds to the seller. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

[Chewbacca]

No riskier or safer than other on lines but the details are in the disclaimers.

I’d just ask yourself if losing the money negatively affects your life. If not, have at it. If it can, pay a bit more and buy brick and mortar so you have an address for the legal paperwork.

[rolehex]

I have used C24 multiple times as a buyer and a seller, if you use the escrow service you should be good.

[joli160]

I’d never deal with private persons.
Pay more and buy from a respectable dealer for piece of mind is so worth it

[LobsterHunter]

My understanding is that you have to pay sales tax for your locale which chrono24 adds to the sale price. At least this is what a chrono24 sales rep told me. And that’s even if you’re buying out of state and/or from a private individual. Obviously you can avoid that if you transact directly with the seller. So you need to figure in the sales tax into the whole deal, which depending how much might be a deal breaker. I’ve never done this, I’m just relaying what chrono24 told me, so if I’m wrong someone please weigh in.

[Mifune]

I always have a fear of purchasing stolen pieces off the secondary market... while escrow allows you to have some comfort about fraud, it doesn't protect you against theft.

[Huythebest]

thank you all for the comments, pulled the trigger. Will let you know how it goes.

[Trailboss516]

Nice, please do. The biggest concern I'd have is what recourse you would be afforded if you ever got the watch serviced/appraised/authenticated and it came back as either a) stolen or b) fake. Would it matter of 1 day or 1,000 days passed since your purchase? How interested do you think the original seller would be in entertaining your contact? They could claim you switched the movement, all sales are final, "f off", etc etc.

I feel like it would be slightly "safer" for you to deal with a brick & mortar store. But hey...that's just me.

[77T]

Originally Posted by Mifune

I always have a fear of purchasing stolen pieces off the secondary market... while escrow allows you to have some comfort about fraud, it doesn't protect you against theft.

Excellent point. It does happen - rarely of course, but it’s always a possibility. My own adventure with that potential came true last year. But not as a buyer.

Some lad in England bought my stolen Platona. The only thing that save his bacon was an honest, trusted dealer who stood by his own misfortune when he imported the Platona from a dirty US dealer. The dealer refunded the money.

Had the sale in England been between a private seller and this unfortunate lad, the situation would have been terrible for both of them.

I have done deals with private sellers. But I limit them to original owners who have a complete set, including their sales receipts. It is the only way to do a private deal IMHO.


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[asloper6001]

Originally Posted by 77T

Excellent point. It does happen - rarely of course, but it’s always a possibility. My own adventure with that potential came true last year. But not as a buyer.

Some lad in England bought my stolen Platona. The only thing that save his bacon was an honest, trusted dealer who stood by his own misfortune when he imported the Platona from a dirty US dealer. The dealer refunded the money.

Had the sale in England been between a private seller and this unfortunate lad, the situation would have been terrible for both of them.

I have done deals with private sellers. But I limit them to original owners with a complete set, including their sales receipts. It is the only way to do a private deal IMHO.


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Not bullet-proof of course, but this site will scan foreign and domestic databases for stolen watches for you at a price.

https://www.thewatchregister.com/

Of course you would need the full serial, but still, an awesome site to have.

[sski]

if it helps- i've bought twice from C24 private sellers; had great experiences on both purchases.

My main concern would be that a private seller isn't obligated to accept returns; what if you had issues with misrepresentation and/or a genuine vs potential replica or franken timepiece issue? who would then step in to fairly resolve those issues?