trusted seller question

[mbalmz]

a quick non-specific, hypothetical question I’m curious about.

say I buy a BNIB watch from a trusted seller. watch looks to be in perfectly tip-top shape but after a day or two of use I discover there’s a minor functional issue with the movement that may or may not require a little service.

it doesn’t seem like a big issue that would, e.g. indicate any serious, unfixable problem, but obviously not ideal for a BNIB watch to have anything wrong with it whatsoever.

that being said, I really love the watch, I got a deal I’m happy with, and I don’t think it’s a watch the seller (or I) will be able to source a replacement for quickly.

so with all of that in mind, if I don’t really want to just return it for a refund and the watch is still under warranty, my thinking is I should go through the brand to get a warranty service if need be and there may not be much benefit to raising this w the seller.

does that sound right to people? any reason I’m not thinking of why I’d want to discuss w/seller first?

[joli160]

That’s really overthinking it

[NachoNeal]

Sounds right to me.

[Chadridv]

First off, if you're dealing with a reputable TRF seller they'll likely do whatever makes you happy (within reason). If the watch is in the same condition as when you bought it, they should happily accept a return, exchange or handle the repair. I think DSW offers a full warranty on everything he sells.

The problem is that most of these watches today are not easily replaceable. Which means if you want to keep the watch it will have to get it repaired either with the seller or directly with RSC. It's basically just an unfortunate inconvenience.

[PBJ1925]

Probably the course I would take as well unless I really felt the repair was minor and I felt comfortable the trusted sellers retained watchmaker could quickly fix the issue in a matter of days vs months. Either way it sounds like you'd be covered, perhaps you'd save on the shipping directionally if you worked it out with the trusted seller.

[bullies]

I bought a BNIB AP from David and I had a power reserve issue with it. I sent it directly to AP and got it figured out. Never even told David. Now, if they gave me a hard time or said it wasn't covered etc then I would have let him know, but otherwise it wasn't his fault the watch was acting up.

So, yes, I agree with your thinking

[vh2k]

Sounds like you are looking for an excuse to expose the flipper.

[OrangeSport]

If I bought BNIB from an AD and there was as issue I would drive it up to the RSC myself to get sorted. In fact I have had top.

Guess its the same really..

[JacksonRain]

Originally Posted by bullies

I bought a BNIB AP from David and I had a power reserve issue with it. I sent it directly to AP and got it figured out. Never even told David. Now, if they gave me a hard time or said it wasn't covered etc then I would have let him know, but otherwise it wasn't his fault the watch was acting up.

So, yes, I agree with your thinking

Originally Posted by mbalmz

a quick non-specific, hypothetical question I’m curious about.

say I buy a BNIB watch from a trusted seller. watch looks to be in perfectly tip-top shape but after a day or two of use I discover there’s a minor functional issue with the movement that may or may not require a little service.

it doesn’t seem like a big issue that would, e.g. indicate any serious, unfixable problem, but obviously not ideal for a BNIB watch to have anything wrong with it whatsoever.

that being said, I really love the watch, I got a deal I’m happy with, and I don’t think it’s a watch the seller (or I) will be able to source a replacement for quickly.

so with all of that in mind, if I don’t really want to just return it for a refund and the watch is still under warranty, my thinking is I should go through the brand to get a warranty service if need be and there may not be much benefit to raising this w the seller.

does that sound right to people? any reason I’m not thinking of why I’d want to discuss w/seller first?

Neither of you bought a brand new inbox, at best it was unworn, likely resized without you knowing. And it definitely had a prior owner. In fact it went from the manufacturer to the authorized jeweler, then from the authorized jeweler, God knows where it went, and then it eventually traded hands to the new owner, the grey dealer, and then you purchased it from the grey dealer

It is also very likely depending on who you bought it from, that it was OPENED (which would void the warranty) albeit if a good job was performed in a dust free environment, then it would be contaminated. Yes, I purchased from what you would call so-called trusted sellers, that did open the watch, avoiding the warranty, with a bunch of contamination inside, from this FORUM.

Hope this was educational and informative.





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[sj24k]

You’re gonna get all sorts of anecdotal stuff here. But, in general, trusted resellers will honor their sales and do whatever they can to make it right if and when there’s an issue.

Also, very easy to bring to RSC and let them sort out if that’s your preference.

Between those two avenues, you’ll be covered.

Sure, there are always going to be outliers to this, so if you want 100% confidence, then the AD is the way to go.

In all my years buying watches from ADs and trusted resellers, I’ve never had an issue that couldn’t be easily remedied. (Knock on wood — or stainless, or gold, or platinum).


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[Chadridv]

Originally Posted by JacksonRain

Neither of you bought a brand new inbox, at best it was unworn, likely resized without you knowing. And it definitely had a prior owner. In fact it went from the manufacturer to the authorized jeweler, then from the authorized jeweler, God knows where it went, and then it eventually traded hands to the new owner, the grey dealer, and then you purchased it from the grey dealer

It is also very likely depending on who you bought it from, that it was OPENED (which would void the warranty) albeit if a good job was performed in a dust free environment, then it would be contaminated. Yes, I purchased from what you would call so-called trusted sellers, that did open the watch, avoiding the warranty, with a bunch of contamination inside, from this FORUM.

Hope this was educational and informative.





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I've experienced every which way you describe and while i've had headaches there was never a serious issue getting things sorted out.

My first watch I ever bought through the forum was a hulk back in 2015 From DavidSW. The watch was described as mint and under warranty. Upon inspection there was a smudge under the crystal. I brought it to RSC and they said the warranty was voided. I reached out to David, he took the watch back and handled it himself no problem. Obviously covered shipping all ways.

He replaced that watch with a brand new hulk, my name on the card. After about a week of wear I realized there was a little discoloration on the ceramic bezel, about the size of a pinpoint. No big deal, but still wanted to get it fixed. Brought it to RSC they sent it away for about 4 weeks, replaced the insert under warranty no problem.

Fast forward a few years, I bought an AP from Takuya. It was a diver that had some cosmetic issues on the dial. It was brand new. Thanh Do said return, exchange, repair, etc. anything I wanted was fine. I ended up exchanging it for a daytona 116500.

Point is you deal with the right trusted sellers (not sure why you call them "so-called" trusted sellers), you will be taken care of. Anything can happen. I don't blame David or Thanh Do for those issues I mentioned, I'd blame them if they weren't more than willing to help and make me happy as their customer.

[mbalmz]

Originally Posted by sj24k

You’re gonna get all sorts of anecdotal stuff here. But, in general, trusted resellers will honor their sales and do whatever they can to make it right if and when there’s an issue.

Also, very easy to bring to RSC and let them sort out if that’s your preference.

Between those two avenues, you’ll be covered.

Sure, there are always going to be outliers to this, so if you want 100% confidence, then the AD is the way to go.

In all my years buying watches from ADs and trusted resellers, I’ve never had an issue that couldn’t be easily remedied. (Knock on wood — or stainless, or gold, or platinum).


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thanks— and just to be clear, I have zero concern whether the seller here would do the right thing.

I have no doubt that he’d refund me and take the watch back if I asked for that.

[brandrea]

They are trusted sellers for a reason and will work with you to sort out an agreeable solution

[JacksonRain]

Originally Posted by Chadridv

I've experienced every which way you describe and while i've had headaches there was never a serious issue getting things sorted out.



My first watch I ever bought through the forum was a hulk back in 2015 From DavidSW. The watch was described as mint and under warranty. Upon inspection there was a smudge under the crystal. I brought it to RSC and they said the warranty was voided. I reached out to David, he took the watch back and handled it himself no problem. Obviously covered shipping all ways.



He replaced that watch with a brand new hulk, my name on the card. After about a week of wear I realized there was a little discoloration on the ceramic bezel, about the size of a pinpoint. No big deal, but still wanted to get it fixed. Brought it to RSC they sent it away for about 4 weeks, replaced the insert under warranty no problem.



Fast forward a few years, I bought an AP from Takuya. It was a diver that had some cosmetic issues on the dial. It was brand new. Thanh Do said return, exchange, repair, etc. anything I wanted was fine. I ended up exchanging it for a daytona 116500.



Point is you deal with the right trusted sellers (not sure why you call them "so-called" trusted sellers), you will be taken care of. Anything can happen. I don't blame David or Thanh Do for those issues I mentioned, I'd blame them if they weren't more than willing to help and make me happy as their customer.

I do agree with this. The key is to buy from a TS who has a reputation and SOMETHING TO LOSE.

The TRF trusted seller that I used lied about the condition, it was polished and advertised as unpolished, and the watchmaker or whoever opened it got a lot of dust and debris inside.

Took it to ROLEX, they deduced that it had been polished and showed me why, and they voided the warranty. That trusted seller offered a refund but lied, misrepresented the watch, and took advantage of me.

So, if you are buying from a grey, non AD, you better do your research, you better take a loup, you better realize that they most likely opened the watch, touched it up, polished or refinished ALL OF WHICH would void the warranty of anything is left, that's all. And the only way to feel safe for sure is to buy direct from the AD.

And also key things about not being og owner etc.

Your name was on the card bc a lot of greys buy direct from the ADs and the ADs sometimes literally hold the card until the watch is sold and then they put the name of the buyer on the card that they held, and then they give it to the grey who then passes it to the end user.

I know you know all of this bc I've actually seen many of yours posts and how knowledgeable you are but mentioning it for others.

Cheers

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[TunaTuna]

Jeez don't stress about it. Call the seller and they will fix it. Wouldn't you do that if you bought a TV from Best Buy? They will take care of it

[Kevin of Larchmont]

Anecdotal question, anecdotal answers. Why don’t you present that example and your questions directly to the trusted seller before you buy?

[mbalmz]

Originally Posted by Kevin of Larchmont

Anecdotal question, anecdotal answers. Why don’t you present that example and your questions directly to the trusted seller before you buy?

I’ve already bought the watch

Just framing this as a hypothetical and keeping anonymous so as not to impugn anyone…

[Kevin of Larchmont]

Originally Posted by mbalmz

I’ve already bought the watch

Just framing this as a hypothetical and keeping anonymous so as not to impugn anyone…

I would still ask your seller the hypothetical question. Who would know better than them. Report back.

[Rado63]

To answer your hypothetical question is to address the so called BNIB watch. Since it is doubtful you can get a brand new in box from a trusted seller, you are more likely to be getting a pre owned , unworn, unsized watch. If you are purchasing from any dealer an AD or trusted seller, and you wear the watch they may not take the watch back from you and would require you send to RSC for warranty service. That's Because the watch is now worn. A trusted seller may have a supposed watchmaker, but it is doubtful they are authorized to repair Rolex under warranty, so doing repairs to a watch under warranty will void the Rolex warranty unless the work is performed by the authorized service center. Another issue with your hypothetical question is that although it may be unusual for a new watch to have issues, it does happen, and it will happen. I would ask the hypothetical trusted seller what their experience is with dealing with such an issue on a so called BNIB watch, and how they dealt with it, and be aware of how to deal with this before I buy the watch.

[djdm]

On the flip side, I’ve purchased two watches from ADs that needed to go straight to the RSC for repair within the first month of ownership. One for a smudge on the dial and another for losing ~10 seconds per day. In both cases the AD shipped the watches to the RSC for me, but did not offer to replace the watches.

[Kevin of Larchmont]

I bought a Pelagos from an AD and the insert dropped out of the bezel about three days later. The AD gave me a new watch so fast it made my head spin. There were reports at the time that a number of early Pelagos did this. I got the sense that they were instructed to take it out of circulation.

[crew]

If you buy a watch from a TS that is either BNIB, or used but still under warranty, why would you do anything but send it to RSC for service?
Returning the watch for a refund to the TS is the only other option I would consider.

[Marcjvr]

Originally Posted by vh2k

Sounds like you are looking for an excuse to expose the flipper.

There are no flippers. Only those who bond with their new Rolex and those who don’t

[Kevin of Larchmont]

Those who buy watches with no intention of bonding with them are flippers.

[daveathall]

I would ask the trusted seller for his opinion, I would tell him that I have no issue with him and am of the opinion that it is "just one of those things" that happen with new watches, hi fi's etc. Can't hurt.

[superdog]

Originally Posted by daveathall

I would ask the trusted seller for his opinion, I would tell him that I have no issue with him and am of the opinion that it is "just one of those things" that happen with new watches, hi fi's etc. Can't hurt.

I would do the same.

[bullies]

Originally Posted by JacksonRain

Neither of you bought a brand new inbox, at best it was unworn, likely resized without you knowing. And it definitely had a prior owner. In fact it went from the manufacturer to the authorized jeweler, then from the authorized jeweler, God knows where it went, and then it eventually traded hands to the new owner, the grey dealer, and then you purchased it from the grey dealer

It is also very likely depending on who you bought it from, that it was OPENED (which would void the warranty) albeit if a good job was performed in a dust free environment, then it would be contaminated. Yes, I purchased from what you would call so-called trusted sellers, that did open the watch, avoiding the warranty, with a bunch of contamination inside, from this FORUM.

Hope this was educational and informative.





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Not exactly.
Stickers, case protection etc all on the watch. Rubber strap = no sizing necessary. Transparent caseback = no opening necessary.
AP to AP Boutique NYC to DSW and then registered to me.
But, sounds like you know everything so

[JacksonRain]

Originally Posted by bullies

Not exactly.

Stickers, case protection etc all on the watch. Rubber strap = no sizing necessary. Transparent caseback = no opening necessary.

AP to AP Boutique NYC to DSW and then registered to me.

But, sounds like you know everything so

Stickers?! Lol. I've seen grey's remove and place those stickers on and off on APs, at them then call them new unworn.

I do. Enjoy your "unworn" watch. Don't worry I'm sure it's fine. I don't think anything happened when it switched those hands.

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[superdog]

Originally Posted by JacksonRain

Stickers?! Lol. I've seen grey's remove and place those stickers on and off on APs, at them then call them new unworn.

I do. Enjoy your "unworn" watch. Don't worry I'm sure it's fine. I don't think anything happened when it switched those hands.

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one bad experience does not make for more bad experiences.

just sayin...

[JacksonRain]

Originally Posted by superdog

one bad experience does not make for more bad experiences.



just sayin...

One bag experience?? What do you mean...I see this a lot.

And the TS with whom I was dealing said he OPENS UP EVERY WATCH and I know many other grey's do too.

You make the choice to go get... There is always an element of risk and unknown involved. You mitigate it by going to someone who has a lot to lose, I guess.

Again the advice person didn't get a BNIB watch and NOT the original owner

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