Chrono 24 Trusted Checkout Possible Scammer Olivier Dintrich

[Diver8]

I have been a member here for a while, mostly lurking and not posting. I am quite active and known on the Canadian Watch forum. But I thought I would tell my story here in hopes of saving someone else a simular loss.

The short of the story is... I had listed on CHrono24 a BVLGARI Automatic Octo. It was complete with all boxes and Papers and an undated and unnamed Warranty Page in the Booklet.

I get a reasonable low offer from some one named Olivier Dintrich in Switzerland. I have had the watch for a while so I decide to sell it. This is now April 6th of 2018. Because of Customs delays(he does not want to pay duties?) it gets delivered April 16th, 2018.

He right away requests mediation and claims no Papers were included with the watch. We send a video of us packaging the watch with all the paperwork including the certificate of origin with the serial number printed on it. The mediation is then withdrawn.

Then 3 days later on April 19th he claims mediation again and wants $250 because the original AD did not date or stamp the Warranty page in the booklet. I refuse and ask for the watch to be returned if he is not 100% satisfied. He then proceeds to threaten to leave us 1 star feedback if we do not comply with his request.

I am not one to be held at ransom, and tell him the same. He then leaves the 1 star rating with less than complimentary comments. Lucky for me, I have documented everything and the comments and 1 star rating is removed by Chrono24.

He is instructed to return the watch via Fed Ex and attempts to send it DHL. In the end he sends it back via Swiss Post uninsured and with a broken quartz solotempo with a cheap aftermarket band. The box besides missing the original watch is missing the serial numbered certificate of origin from BVLGARI. There is no indication that the box has been opened enroute by customs or anyone else. I have of course made a video of myself opening the box and send it off to Chrono24, I am assured that all will be rectified.

I will skip all the Drama in between. But on Aug 1st, here is the exact email sent to me by Chrono24:

"Dear Chrono24 dealer,

Thank you for your message.

After reviewing the case and checking the data we have no reason to think that the buyer might have tried to scam. As the return is the risk of the dealer, we unfortunately will have to refund the buyer for this watch.

Usually the insurance has to pay for the loss, we hope that you have a kind of insurance for cases like this.

Do you have any questions? We’d be glad to help.

Kind regards,
Anastasia Bjaoui

Chrono24 Support"

I am mortified that returns are at the risk of the Dealer/Seller. I am basically told that in a case of a Buyer returning even an empty box. If the buyer claimed that they sent the watch back, they would get a full refund and the Seller would not be compensated.

Needless to say I am pissed, thank you to Rolexforum for letting me vent a little bit here. Hopefully this will prevent someone else from the same loss in the future. Needless to say I do not accept Trusted Checkout any longer.

[darstadlydarcey]

Thank you for this. I have occasionally considered using Chrono 24 (as a buyer rather than a seller in the main) but find this sort of experience very off putting. Shall stick to AD's and dealers I know.

[edweather]

Very sorry for the nonsense you experienced. The karma chicken will certainly pay a visit. Thanks for sharing it.

[MinMay]

Wow..thanks for sharing. I won't sell a watch on chrono24.

You should warned about the buyer with his name and email address on all watch forum.

[77T]

You should escalate this case at Chrono24 methinks. Insuring an RMA shipping label is all that Chrono24 should expect. They can not demand that you stand for a theft by deception. When the buyer returned a watch different than the one you sold, he has initiated a fraud.

The wording of the Chrono24 email suggested a less than fair interpretation of the return policy - that’s what I would hammer home.

Your experience shows that nobody should accept Chrono24 checkout for anything of significant value.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[GLADIATOR]

Originally Posted by 77T

You should escalate this case at Chrono24 methinks. Insuring an RMA shipping label is all that Chrono24 should expect. They can not demand that you stand for a theft by deception. When the buyer returned a watch different than the one you sold, he has initiated a fraud.

The wording of the Chrono24 email suggested a less than fair interpretation of the return policy - that’s what I would hammer home.

Your experience shows that nobody should accept Chrono24 checkout for anything of significant value.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

What he says.
A

[Diver8]

Originally Posted by 77T

You should escalate this case at Chrono24 methinks.

Much of the Drama I edited out to make the post shorter. I did escalate it as far as I could go.

[Gtecko]

so no second level escalation ?? you are out of pocket ? that is crazy....

[rolehex]

From this, I would not ever sell on Chrono24. Thanks for sharing.

[joli160]

Originally Posted by rolehex

From this, I would not ever sell on Chrono24. Thanks for sharing.

Nor buy

[Diver8]

Originally Posted by Gtecko

so no second level escalation ?? you are out of pocket ? that is crazy....

Yes, second level escalation has been exhausted.

[tommy91]

Originally Posted by joli160

Nor buy

I have bought 13 high end watches through chrono 24. It is safe as long as you know what to look for and how to properly check a company out. I know people who have been scammed by selling on chrono 24 but they really didnt take the necessary precautions. Would i recommend to someone new to buying watches? No probably not. You need to first check reviews and google maps satellite the shop. Them start communicating by email asking for photos of the watch at a certain time amd date. If they are not willing to do this i dont take it further. If they send i am very good at telling fakes or problems from pictures alone. If i am happy with the photos i then need to call them and request to speak to the person i have been communicating with via email. I then get a feel for them on the phone also asking other questions on other watches they have to test there knowledge. Cause lets be honest if there serious they know everything about every model. If then i am satisfied i will paypal or trusted checkout for first time order. When watch arrives i inspect infront of delivery driver and if everything looks ok on the surface i will sign. Then i take it to my jewler to get second opinion. These steps i feel will make it very hard for most people not to get scammed while buying.

[Lime]

sorry to hear about this. What a completely predictable response from a customer service agent that does not have rationale. I wouldn't drop this.

[Chitowngmt]

What a bummer. Did your homeowners insurance or other kick in and cover?

[Diver8]

Originally Posted by Chitowngmt

What a bummer. Did your homeowners insurance or other kick in and cover?

Not at all. I have full proof that the Watch was delivered. That is where any insurance coverage I had ended.

I have also been pressuring Chrono24 and the Swiss buyer to provide a Police report from Switzerland including the serial number and to have the watch declared as stolen. I did the same in June here in Canada and the Watch is listed both with our city Police and the RCMP on their Stolen goods data base.

I do have an update(Aug 15th), the buyer is now offering to split the difference. To pay 50% of the agreed price. Chrono24 is telling me it is 50% or nothing.

Why would the buyer do this? I think I already know the answer.

[joli160]

Originally Posted by tommy91

I have bought 13 high end watches through chrono 24. It is safe as long as you know what to look for and how to properly check a company out. I know people who have been scammed by selling on chrono 24 but they really didnt take the necessary precautions. Would i recommend to someone new to buying watches? No probably not. You need to first check reviews and google maps satellite the shop. Them start communicating by email asking for photos of the watch at a certain time amd date. If they are not willing to do this i dont take it further. If they send i am very good at telling fakes or problems from pictures alone. If i am happy with the photos i then need to call them and request to speak to the person i have been communicating with via email. I then get a feel for them on the phone also asking other questions on other watches they have to test there knowledge. Cause lets be honest if there serious they know everything about every model. If then i am satisfied i will paypal or trusted checkout for first time order. When watch arrives i inspect infront of delivery driver and if everything looks ok on the surface i will sign. Then i take it to my jewler to get second opinion. These steps i feel will make it very hard for most people not to get scammed while buying.

Due diligence is always key, but still if anything goes wrong even through their escrow Chrono offers no recourse. Hiding behind privacy legislation as there was a thread about. Term trusted seller is simply misleading, It's a shady club imho. Perhaps they have grown too fast