Advice on dealing with AD

[IR201]

Hi all, I contacted an AD in my hometown about a middle of the pack difficulty piece. The SA was nice and said she'd try to get the piece for me sometime soon and would contact me. Fast forward to later in the week and I'm on vacation and stumble upon another AD. Start chatting with the SA and they ask if I'm interested in anything. I mention same piece I told AD1. To my amazement they have it for me.

Now I was in a tough spot. Do I pin my hopes on AD1 coming through (great vibes but no guarantee), or do I take the bird in the hand?

I went went with the latter.

Problem now is this - I was really excited about building a relationship with hometown AD. Now I've got to explain I am no longer interested in the piece, and will seem like a flake.

Any idea how to handle?

[Master_Grogu]

Buy what you can! No feelings! It’s not yours until you cross the door. Buy!

[Sisyphus]

I would definitely reach out to your hometown AD asap. Be honest with them, share your excitement with them and make them understand that you would have loved to buy it from them, but that it wasnt certain they could get it for you (she'd try).

Remain humble and thankful and everything will be alright.

Cheers,

Ps. the sooner you show up to buy something from them the better tho ^^

[donas]

I would have gone with bird in the hand without hesitation. If you are that concerned about "looking bad" to the AD, maybe just tell them you found the piece at a different AD. At least they would know you are a serious buyer. As I've stated in numerous other threads, I personally don't buy into the AD relationship thing and couldn't care less what they think. In saying that, sure there are benefits to kissing an AD's butt, it's just not worth it to me.

Congrats on the find, by the way!

[MONTANTK]

If there is something else you’re interested in just tell your AD you’re now looking for something different. I told my AD I was looking for an OP and I ended up buying elsewhere. No hard feelings and they still continue to offer me decent pieces every now and then

[Spartacus]

Bird in the hand.

[WatchNutcase]

First of all you made the right choice for sure, there was no guarantee your hometown AD would have came through for you anyways.

To be courteous you can simply reach out to your local AD and let them know, thank them for their assistance etc. Or you could just wait for their call and flip the watch.

You shouldn't worry about this at all, it's not something to build anxiety over.

[Panader]

Just be honest. My AD tells me to buy whatever I can find where I can find it, no hard feelings.

If it is a piece that you can sell for a profit I would just stay on the list at your main AD and then sell one of the watches when you can.

[envuks]

Bird in the hand is best. Just be honest with the hometown AD


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Vivalas]

Out of curiosity what’s a ‘middle of the pack difficulty piece’?

[vh2k]

Every other post on TRF is about "AD Games."

Do you think ADs have a private forum where they post and share stories about "Customer Games." Just saying...

[sj24k]

Of course you made the right call. Can’t believe you even through the about it for a minute.

Build relationships with family and friends. Buy watches from people who sell watches.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[HHIslander]

Tell the first AD that the watch was gifted to you by xxx to celebrate your recent xxx. And that you have another piece you are interested in.

[RealMadrid1988]

Originally Posted by Vivalas

Out of curiosity what’s a ‘middle of the pack difficulty piece’?

I read that to mean something like a Milgauss or Explorer/Explorer II. But I guess these days that could even describe some DateJust configurations (blue stick dial, Wimbledon dial, etc.). What a time to be alive.

[RealMadrid1988]

Originally Posted by vh2k

Every other post on TRF is about "AD Games."

Do you thinks ADs have a private forum where they post and share stories about "Customer Games." Just saying...

LOL. You tell us.

[watchwatcher]

Originally Posted by vh2k

Every other post on TRF is about "AD Games."

Do you thinks ADs have a private forum where they post and share stories about "Customer Games." Just saying...

OP, to answer your question, you really can't lose in this scenario, as long you're straight up with your original AD and either communicate you're no longer interested in the piece (don't worry, in the current Rolex frenzy, they'll know why), or just buy it when it comes in.

If you do the latter, you can then just trade it for something you want.

[Sgooter]

Seems you have established a beneficial relationship with the AD at your vacation site and the AD in your hometown. So, court both, but don't tell one mistress about the other.

[garyk]

Originally Posted by vh2k

Every other post on TRF is about "AD Games."

Do you think ADs have a private forum where they post and share stories about "Customer Games." Just saying...

Yes!

[novae500]

Glad you pulled the trigger with the AD out of vacation. Came through for you. I would tell hometown AD when you get the call that its available. Tell them, i'm not interested anymore. Up to you to tell them you got it on vacation.

I've told my AD that my current collection came from grey market, cause no local AD would give me an opportunity. He understood and i've purchased my 3rd rolex from him this year. He knows i'm not a flipper now, maybe feeling me out to see if i was one or not early on. I've worn all of my watches when i've visited the AD.

[amh]

You did the right thing. The "relationship" is only there so you can buy watches. In the good old days (when cases were full) you could march into any AD and expect a 10% discount! ADs were bending over backwards.

*sigh*

[Endoscopist]

It's your money. You earned it and you get to spend it how you see fit and where you see fit. You do not owe an explanation to your AD (beyond "hey I found the watch at another place, thanks for keeping me in mind and I hope to do business on another piece in the future let's stay in touch) nor should you feel guilty about your decision

[vh2k]

Originally Posted by Sgooter

Seems you have established a beneficial relationship with the AD at your vacation site and the AD in your hometown. So, court both, but don't tell one mistress about the other.

[Brew]

"Worry" about this when AD #1 calls with the piece you already have. That call may never come ("problem" solved), but if it does, at that point your tastes will have changed, etc. blah blah blah, "how about a . . . . "

[911991]

Personally I never feel obligated to spend my money at any AD. I would have bought the watch at the second AD too. You can always tell AD1 that you are no longer interested in the model, you dont have to revel you bought it elsewhere. enjoy your new watch

[macrowatch]

Are you sure you even have a problem? It's like you gave person #1 at the bar your phone number...but are you sure they are even going to call you?

[ks58]

What was the lucky piece you got?

[ap1]

With no supply, you buy when offered from whomever, easy

[MickCollins1916]

There’s no need for loyalty to any AD - it’s a purely transactional relationship. My loyalty is to my own wallet and to the best deal I can get for myself. ADs couldn’t care less about their customers, so I personally can’t be bothered to extend one-sided loyalty their way.

If you found what you want elsewhere, congrats on the incoming…enjoy your new watch and don’t give AD1 a second thought!

[Chiboy]

AD puts you on the list, a bigger fish shows up, and they get the watch. You lose.

You show interest in a watch, AD suggests they may be able to get for you in the future, and you find it sooner from somewhere else. AD loses.

As Tim Robbins said in Bull Durham, "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains."

[dannyp]

This would only be an issue if you already had a long history with hometown AD and you were trying to remain loyal/ knew they were pulling strings for you.

The time for loyalty, though, is on non-allocation stuff/other jewelry. On the hard-to-get stuff, there’s no guarantee it’ll ever happen, and if it does, they’ll sell it in an hour regardless. So buy it when/where you can. Then, just as dealers read past spend with high-demand pieces, reward past allocations with future spend.

When I got my Explorer, I called a few dealers, including one I had a small history with. But nobody could really tell me anything definitive. So I bought from first one to call me back. Note I want a silver OP34. Not too hard to get apparently, so that’s one I’d purchase only from the dealer that came through on the Explorer, even if it means a longer wait.