Buying private safely?

[emt1581]

In my search for a blue dialed stainless DJ, I've had a couple people PM me here offering to sell one to me. I've done a ton of online buying/selling before.
But since I'm not as well versed on the process of buying/selling a Rolex, I'm less comfortable forking over thousands to someone I don't really know. What are some options to do private sales with a better degree of safety so that the transaction runs smoothly?

Thanks!

[hitman23]

paypal or face to face are the only 2 other options for security.

and that's it really if buying from a private seller.

[dcash0615]

Meet inside your bank. Inspect the watch. If you decide to buy, withdrawal the funds and complete the transaction inside your bank.

If you need assistance in verifying authenticity, meet at a reputable watchmaker that is familiar with Rolex. Get the watch authenticated and then have the seller meet you at your bank to complete the transaction. Prior to payment, verify seller didn’t switch the watch after authentication.

[HL65]

Personally the only true way to buy safely is to deal with very well known, highly reputable people with tons of feedback and take no gamble. Otherwise you roll the dice period. There are enough really solid people that you need not take any chances.

[ROLEXster]

There is not too much you can do with a private sale.

- ask for work # / email address
- take a pic of his driver's license / car license plate
- meet at AD, Jeweller to verify
- meet at bank / police station for transaction
- will send to RSC to verify not stolen or lost, money back if it is

Ask these questions first.
If they say no to any of them ... stay away.
Legit seller should say yes to all of them.

[Kliminator]

Buy from a trusted seller - wouldn't hesitate to do business with them. I've done 3 separate deals with 3 separate trusted sellers. 2 purchase and 1 sale. Wired money and had watches next day in the morning

For the sale - I shipped watch out to TS and they wired me money next day.

Always buy the seller

[Gravity]

Originally Posted by hl65

personally the only true way to buy safely is to deal with very well known, highly reputable people with tons of feedback and take no gamble. Otherwise you roll the dice period. There are enough really solid people that you need not take any chances.

+1

[sillo]

Originally Posted by HL65

Personally the only true way to buy safely is to deal with very well known, highly reputable people with tons of feedback and take no gamble. Otherwise you roll the dice period. There are enough really solid people that you need not take any chances.

This. Don't get too deterred either. There's scumbags out there looking to scam, but there's more honest people just looking to sell their watch.

Do your research, know what to look for on the model you want and get as much info on the seller as possible.

[t65tampa]

Photos online can be faked or copied. Payments can be derailed or cancelled. Cash deals in face to face transactions can turn in to grab and dash robberies.

I only sell, buy, or trade with people online who I have worked with in the past whom I trust or I deal with an entity who is more concerned about sales reputation than making a sneaky buck.

Buying the seller and deals too good to be true often are will be two good principles to remember.


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[springer]

Originally Posted by HL65

Personally the only true way to buy safely is to deal with very well known, highly reputable people with tons of feedback and take no gamble. Otherwise you roll the dice period. There are enough really solid people that you need not take any chances.

Great advice here. Nothing works better than buying from a reputable seller.

[RyanJ]

Originally Posted by ROLEXster

There is not too much you can do with a private sale.

- ask for work # / email address
- take a pic of his driver's license / car license plate
- meet at AD, Jeweller to verify
- meet at bank / police station for transaction
- will send to RSC to verify not stolen or lost, money back if it is

Ask these questions first.
If they say no to any of them ... stay away.
Legit seller should say yes to all of them.

I am not giving a potential buyer my driver license or my work email / work number.

Some loony buys the watch, has buyers remorse, and then shows up at my house. Ya, no thanks.

Go ahead, ask DavidSW, or another trusted seller, for a pic of their current and updated driver license before purchasing. See if they say yes to that.. No way they are giving out their home address.

[rodneygt3]

Meet at a bank or Police Station.

[ROLEXster]

Originally Posted by RyanJ

I am not giving a potential buyer my driver license or my work email / work number.

Some loony buys the watch, has buyers remorse, and then shows up at my house. Ya, no thanks.

Go ahead, ask DavidSW, or another trusted seller, for a pic of their current and updated driver license before purchasing. See if they say yes to that.. No way they are giving out their home address.

I am talking about private sales, not TS.
I don't ask my AD or salesman's for their drivers license.

OP is asking about private sales from people.

I have conducted a few sales / purchases locally and no problems at all.
If you don't feel comfortable, buy only from ADs, good luck.
To each their own.

[emt1581]

Originally Posted by ROLEXster

There is not too much you can do with a private sale.

- ask for work # / email address
- take a pic of his driver's license / car license plate
- meet at AD, Jeweller to verify
- meet at bank / police station for transaction
- will send to RSC to verify not stolen or lost, money back if it is

Ask these questions first.
If they say no to any of them ... stay away.
Legit seller should say yes to all of them.

And if seller is out of state? Also what is RSC?

Thanks

[sillo]

Originally Posted by emt1581

Also what is RSC?



Thanks

Rolex service center.


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[JonaG]

Originally Posted by emt1581

And if seller is out of state? Also what is RSC?

Thanks

It is not uncommon to fly to that state to meet if you are “forking out thousands to someone you don’t know”. What’s the cost of a flight?

Or, don’t bother and look for one in your state.

RSC = Rolex Service Center. They will tell you if it’s genuine or stolen.

Happy hunting

[emt1581]

Originally Posted by JonaG

It is not uncommon to fly to that state to meet if you are “forking out thousands to someone you don’t know”. What’s the cost of a flight?

Or, don’t bother and look for one in your state.

RSC = Rolex Service Center. They will tell you if it’s genuine or stolen.

Happy hunting

The flight itself would be around $300 round trip which isn't bad. The cost of not working for a day or two is far more.

I guess it either means accepting the risk, shopping face to face or buying from a trusted seller which essentially means retailer.

Thanks

[JonaG]

Originally Posted by emt1581

The flight itself would be around $300 round trip which isn't bad. The cost of not working for a day or two is far more.

I guess it either means accepting the risk, shopping face to face or buying from a trusted seller which essentially means retailer.

Thanks

I get you. Personally, I’d go with a trusted seller

[Bladeshot]

Originally Posted by HL65

Personally the only true way to buy safely is to deal with very well known, highly reputable people with tons of feedback and take no gamble. Otherwise you roll the dice period. There are enough really solid people that you need not take any chances.

This. . Anything else is a gamble. I do gamble sometimes in buying from private sellers; and I do my due diligence. But I am at peace with the fact that in buying from a private seller, I could be out the money, and with no watch. If that gives you pause, don’t do it.

[Floorguy]

Originally Posted by springer

Great advice here. Nothing works better than buying from a reputable seller.

I can vouch for this reputable seller!!

[Boaters]

Originally Posted by hitman23

paypal or face to face are the only 2 other options for security.

and that's it really if buying from a private seller.

This ... Or from one of our "Trusted Sellers"... Always buy the seller first

[pkincy]

I have only bought from TSer or AD, and with CC or Paypal so there is some extra protection. However I have done a number of transactions on other goods from other fora for automobiles and parts. One thing that makes it easier for me is that I have many thousand posts on those fora as do the people I deal with. One extra step I always take is to search and spend quite a bit of time reading the counter parties posting history. You can tell a lot about a person that posts hundreds if not thousands of times about a subject.

I would never deal with someone without a very long posting history here or in similar websites.

[Boaters]

Originally Posted by Floorguy

I can vouch for this reputable seller!!

Touche J.P. Is One Of The Best

[emt1581]

Assuming the transaction is legit... what about the warranty card? If someone else's name is on it and I buy the watch...will Rolex honor any repairs if needed? How does that work?

Thanks!

[MSchott]

Originally Posted by JonaG

It is not uncommon to fly to that state to meet if you are “forking out thousands to someone you don’t know”. What’s the cost of a flight?

Or, don’t bother and look for one in your state.

RSC = Rolex Service Center. They will tell you if it’s genuine or stolen.

Happy hunting

Seeing the watch in person is no guarantee of authenticity unless you are an expert and don’t mind opening the case. I suppose you can do this with a verified appointment at a RSC if one exists in that area.

[aphil]

Personally I keep it simple; especially for a piece like DJ that's not super difficult to obtain from an AD. Either buy from AD for a few hundreds more than going grey, maybe could help establishing a rapport with the AD to perhaps be considered for some of the hard to get SS models - if you want one of course. Either do business with one of the trusted online sellers here; people like davidsw, takuya, sohais, erikszpr, to name a few. People who most TRF members would do online deals with, with their eyes closed.

Again, i would personally consider a seller with no experience if their profile seems solid, if they provide all proofs of ownership i request, and exhibit outstanding communication.

Good luck in your hunt!

[ALF61]

This is waaaay too exagerated. No wonder nothing ever gets done face to face. There are plenty of ways both buyer and seller can pre-meet and ask for references, let each other know what they do, talk over the phone with face view, the seller can reveal watch history how he acquired it etc. There is no way in hell I am going to let someone take my watch for money, take it to an RSC to see if it is good, and run the risk of having something other than my good watch returned. You guys need to lighten up and stop being so paranoid. If I were buying say a BLRO in pristine condition, I can meet the owner over facetime before metting him in person, I can see the watch and serial number, trace the serial number and see where it came from. If I decide it is worth a meet I will be able to tell if it is a good watch and good seller and done deal.

[Calatrava r]

Originally Posted by dcash0615

Meet inside your bank. Inspect the watch. If you decide to buy, withdrawal the funds and complete the transaction inside your bank.

If you need assistance in verifying authenticity, meet at a reputable watchmaker that is familiar with Rolex. Get the watch authenticated and then have the seller meet you at your bank to complete the transaction. Prior to payment, verify seller didn’t switch the watch after authentication.

That is fairly cumbersome I would think. It why private seller face an uphill in selling their pieces themselves.

[piratfisk]

If you're worried about security, I'd call your local police station & see if they will offer you some space to complete your transaction. It'd be impressed if a scammer would still want to meet once you give them the address of your local cop shop. Maybe this site can help: http://www.safetradestations.com/

[MTdweller]

I say buy the seller. There are a lot of trusted sellers on TRF but if you do meet face-to-face, I recommend meeting at a bank or jewelry store.