Ebay buying

[Carterman32]

Can anyone on here describe their experience buying on eBay? Prices there tend to be a couple grand cheaper and they send watches out for authenticity. My understanding is that you're also protected by Ebay's guarantees. Is there a downside of buying there and just bringing it to a Rolex AD and having it certified for authenticity?

[VonSomething]

Not even AD's can authenticate a Rolex watch without sending it to a RLC for a complete check/teardown.

Would I trust "Ebays authentication service" ? no :-)

[CKizzy]

Not worth any 'perceived' savings!

[SydR]

Ebay is all about the advertisement that sellers post.

I have recently bought and sold 8 watches on eBay, none hugely expensive, but all at a profit, simply because people can’t spend a few moments setting out a decent advert for the peice they are selling.

At the higher end of the eBay market there are too many fakes to be worth the effort.

[pk552502]

I think you can save money by going directly to a seller instead of going through ebay. Sellers have to pay ebay fees and pay pal fees, so you're likely to get a better deal if you reach out to them directly and pay by wire. There is slightly more risk that way, but you have to perform due diligence on the seller to mitigate the risk.

If you wish to buy through ebay from a private person and not an established seller, then you have to use your judgment, look at feedback, how long they've been there, what types of products do they normally sell, etc. I think it's fairly easy to spot a scam. If I was to buy from a private party, I would only look for auctions with multiple bids. More people willing to buy a watch may indicate less chance of a fraud.

FWIW, I did buy a rolex 15505 from a private party on ebay for about $1,300 a few years ago. Since it wasn't a big investment, I wasn't too worried. That was before the authentication service.

Also, when I received the watch, it was smaller than I expected at 34mm. It was early in my collecting and I didn't have much experience. It was a valuable lesson to know all the facts about a watch before purchasing. I ended up selling it on craigslist a couple years later.

[Carterman32]

Originally Posted by VonSomething

Not even AD's can authenticate a Rolex watch without sending it to a RLC for a complete check/teardown.

Would I trust "Ebays authentication service" ? no :-)

If this is the case, how can you trust even a "trusted seller" on here? Presumably, they have gotten a watch secondhand, and if the only way to authenticate is to send it to an RLC, which I assume they don't do, then why are they any better than anyone else?

[214270Explorer]

Don't expect an AD to open a watch to verify. I would think they would not want to get involved with that sort of thing.

[Haveapair]

What's the difference between buying watches on Ebay and the forum? Nothing. Only buy from a seller with with many great reviews on each.

And the AD's don;t certify, but most will give you an insurance appraisal for $100 if you are worried about anything you buy on either site.

[Carterman32]

Originally Posted by 214270Explorer

Don't expect an AD to open a watch to verify. I would think they would not want to get involved with that sort of thing.

So who do you bring it to if you want to authenticate?

[tike71]

Originally Posted by Carterman32

So who do you bring it to if you want to authenticate?

No business out there wants perform nor take on additional liabilities of authenticating watches for 3rd parties. There's nothing in it for them.

[Carterman32]

Originally Posted by tike71

No business out there wants perform nor take on additional liabilities of authenticating watches for 3rd parties. There's nothing in it for them.

I don't think that's entirely true. What happens when they need to appraise it? Don't they need to make sure it's real?

[zaydans]

I purchased a breitling blackbird recently on eBay and was satisfied with the experience. That being said the value is nowhere close to a Rolex so I consider it low risk. Also breitling me aren’t as heavily faked as a Rolex so again low risk. For Rolex I don’t think I’d go that route and to be honest I don’t think I’ve seen eBay watches being that much cheaper because sellers have to pay higher fees so they price accordingly.

[GGGMT]

Originally Posted by Carterman32

So who do you bring it to if you want to authenticate?

Hilarious! Buy from a legit seller; they’ll authenticate it for you. DavidSW. Thanh. HQM. Bobs. Or good luck with eBay and ‘saving’ a could grand


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[jurob]

I bought an omega from eBay and everything went smoothly. Looking at sellers history on eBay and communication with the seller are important.

[Carterman32]

Originally Posted by GGGMT

Hilarious! Buy from a legit seller; they’ll authenticate it for you. DavidSW. Thanh. HQM. Bobs. Or good luck with eBay and ‘saving’ a could grand


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And what do the trusted sellers do to authenticate that an eBay authenticator can't? Or that I can't do myself by taking to a Rolex dealer and having it checked out.

Do these trusted sellers take the watch apart to ensure it isn't frankensteined?

[LeDandy]

I’ve had tremendous success buying on eBay. Buy from sellers with a return privilege, pay by PayPal, have my watchmaker examine the watch and I’m all set. Most watches require a servicing but that is expected as my watches are vintage. A very safe way to buy.

[CJS57]

Only buy vintage watches that are not faked especially gold. Plus train yourself to spot fakes from every angle. I got a 1500 OP gold shell on Ebay that I like. Also several Rolex gold plated bracelets. If you do not know exactly what you are looking at then don't do it.

[GGGMT]

Originally Posted by Carterman32

And what do the trusted sellers do to authenticate that an eBay authenticator can't? Or that I can't do myself by taking to a Rolex dealer and having it checked out.

Do these trusted sellers take the watch apart to ensure it isn't frankensteined?

Yes thats what trusted sellers do.

ADs will not authenticate — at least not for a fee. why would they Insert themselves into a silly eBay transaction? Use their staff and resources to only incur risk to help a rando member of the public? Funny!


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[214270Explorer]

Originally Posted by Carterman32

So who do you bring it to if you want to authenticate?

To directly answer your question:

You do what smart buyers do.

You take it to an authorized independent Rolex repair technician who can evaluate it properly.

OR you send it to a Rolex Service Center for 'service' and they will get back to you with what it needs / what they find. If it is fake or frankened, they will notify you. You can always refuse any service and have the watch returned to you.

Any place you go is going to charge you.

Enough said about verifying a Rolex. Get it done professionally because no one here can verify anything without having it in their own hands.

OP, you really seem to be argumentative about the fact there is nothing in it worthwhile for an AD to get involved in someones else's ebay verification problem.

[Carterman32]

Originally Posted by GGGMT

Yes thats what trusted sellers do.

ADs will not authenticate — at least not for a fee. why would they Insert themselves into a silly eBay transaction? Use their staff and resources to only incur risk to help a rando member of the public? Funny!


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I have no problem paying a fee. My understanding is that most of the ADs are also jewelers. I'm going to have to get the watch insured anyway. I assume to do that they open the watch to assess that it's real for the insurance co?

[Carterman32]

Originally Posted by 214270Explorer

To directly answer your question:

You do what smart buyers do.

You take it to an authorized independent Rolex repair technician who can evaluate it properly.

OR you send it to a Rolex Service Center for 'service' and they will get back to you with what it needs / what they find. If it is fake or frankened, they will notify you. You can always refuse any service and have the watch returned to you.

Any place you go is going to charge you.

Enough said about verifying a Rolex. Get it done professionally because no one here can verify anything without having it in their own hands.

OP, you really seem to be argumentative about the fact there is nothing in it worthwhile for an AD to get involved in someones else's ebay verification problem.

If I get it insured and need to have it appraised, where is the best place to go if you're saying an AD won't open it?

That's a good tip re: going to service center, but I also need to get it appraised. Will a service center do that?

[214270Explorer]

Originally Posted by Carterman32

If I get it insured and need to have it appraised, where is the best place to go if you're saying an AD won't open it?

That's a good tip re: going to service center, but I also need to get it appraised. Will a service center do that?

Service centers do not appraise; they are just "service."

Explore an insurance company such as Jewelers Mutual. They are VERY popular and provide incredible coverage. Go online and type in 'Jewelers Mutual.' They have quite a good site that fully explains their coverage.

There are also many good independent jewelry appraisers to be found online. You will have to search for one or more in your physical location area. Ensure they are well known and well established.

You can also try to insure through your Homeowner's policy, if you have one, but those are usually not the greatest for coverage, which can be quite limited. Some people buy 'riders' from other companies; I know nothing about that. I am covered by JM.

Many seem to rave at several watch sites about Jewelers Mutual.

[Humble michael]

Originally Posted by LeDandy

I’ve had tremendous success buying on eBay. Buy from sellers with a return privilege, pay by PayPal, have my watchmaker examine the watch and I’m all set. Most watches require a servicing but that is expected as my watches are vintage. A very safe way to buy.

Yep Mr Ledandy, most important buy only w Cc and preferably pay pal after vetting as much as you can. james in San Antonio Tx

[GGGMT]

How’s the eBay Rolex buying going?


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[J_1964]

Always, Always, Always "Buy The Seller". If you have experience with the ebay seller, or actually know them, fine. Otherwise, Don't. If it's a reputable seller, they have a presence elsewhere (not only ebay). So, go to their website, or better yet their location.

Of Course, The Best Bet is To Buy Right Here On TRF!

[GGGMT]

Originally Posted by Carterman32

Can anyone on here describe their experience buying on eBay? Prices there tend to be a couple grand cheaper and they send watches out for authenticity. My understanding is that you're also protected by Ebay's guarantees. Is there a downside of buying there and just bringing it to a Rolex AD and having it certified for authenticity?

How’s the eBay buying going?


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[Xenophon]

I had a dreadful experience buying a Breitling SuperOcean on eBay. In short, the watch was damaged and had water ingress and was a write-off. Eventhough the seller described it as being in "good condition" it took me three months to get my money back from eBay and I had to get a service estimate from Breitling before they would do anything. Then the seller claimed that I sent him an empty box back which, thankfully, eBay didn't pursue. Anything over £500 is considered a high value item and takes a lot longer than normal items to investigate. I'll keep to the sub five hundred quid purchases. The seller is still on eBay without any sanction as far as I can tell.

[phillipchan23]

I think with the authentication service, its very good to buy from atm. Done many purchases there.

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[Boopie]

Originally Posted by Xenophon

I had a dreadful experience buying a Breitling SuperOcean on eBay. In short, the watch was damaged and had water ingress and was a write-off. Eventhough the seller described it as being in "good condition" it took me three months to get my money back from eBay and I had to get a service estimate from Breitling before they would do anything. Then the seller claimed that I sent him an empty box back which, thankfully, eBay didn't pursue. Anything over £500 is considered a high value item and takes a lot longer than normal items to investigate. I'll keep to the sub five hundred quid purchases. The seller is still on eBay without any sanction as far as I can tell.

What a nightmare!

[wesdaniel]

Originally Posted by Carterman32

Can anyone on here describe their experience buying on eBay? Prices there tend to be a couple grand cheaper and they send watches out for authenticity. My understanding is that you're also protected by Ebay's guarantees. Is there a downside of buying there and just bringing it to a Rolex AD and having it certified for authenticity?

As they say here, buy the seller.

There are dozens (if not hundreds) of great sellers on ebay. I've bought some great watches there at very good prices.

But, you have to buy from reputable dealers rather than one-off sellers. Pay attention to feedback. And, don't just look at feedback "ratings" - look at any negative feedback and see the reasons. Perform due diligence.

If you don't want to perform due diligence (regardless of the source), then go to an AD or boutique and buy new.