New member needs advice

[RonB66]

Hello all.
Thanks for letting me join.
Long time reader... first time poster.
I've been scouting to purchase a Batman.
I've found a few and contacted the sellers. Most are courteous and give me a good feeling that they are legit.
HOWEVER.. I've run into some that I think might be edgy.
For instance. Is it common for the seller to ONLY accept a wire or BITCOIN and not go through a Escrow service? I'm cautious especially if they have no seller ratings, a store, phone number, or even give me a name etc. Basically asking me to send secure funds without any proof of the watch existence. Like I said, I'm a new guy... but this just doesn't seem correct to me.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you
Oh, and if you know of a Batman for sale, let me know!!

[CarlOver]

That sounds like a very risky way for you to handle a transaction. You would have likely no recourse. Find a seller that takes PayPal. It would provide coverage to you. It might cost you 3% more.

[Alex71168]

Buy the seller

[SpeakWithMichael]

The seller states they have references. Check with them. They may be perfectly fine, everyone has to start somewhere. See if they'll work with you on finding a payment method that is less risky for you. That said, you also have trusted sellers who you'll have zero concern or issues with, and they have practically any watch you could want, including the BLNR. If I was wiring $20k, I'd want practically zero risk.

[Marcjvr]

Rule number 1. Buy the seller

Rule number 2. Never forget rule number 1

[RonB66]

Like I said I'm really new to this and it just doesn't seem right.
Do these folks think we all were living under a rock and are that stupid? But I had to check with all you guys.... I didn't know the protocols in this environment.
Is this something I should report to the admin moderators??

[LVx2]

Is face to face possible? A reputable dealer in person would be my advice.

[RonB66]

Great advise.... I'll take it!!!!

[train-time]

New to the game, buy from one of the trusted sellers in the "Boutique" section of the sale ads. It's not worth the risk to save a few bucks or get on a couple authorized dealer waiting lists..... and wait!

[SpeakWithMichael]

Originally Posted by RonB66

Like I said I'm really new to this and it just doesn't seem right.
Do these folks think we all were living under a rock and are that stupid? But I had to check with all you guys.... I didn't know the protocols in this environment.
Is this something I should report to the admin moderators??

The seller hasn't done anything wrong that needs to be reported. Wiring money is not an uncommon practice here, but some sellers have a longer and more proven track record, so your peace of mind will be safer with them when you are wiring them money. That is their entire business, and it revolves around trust.

[RonB66]

SpeakwithMichael
I agreee... Thank you

[rmwill]

If you buy a watch from me without references, it will require a wire transfer before shipping. You have no references. If you want to use a credit card? Buy from a bricks and mortar seller like DavidSW.

Originally Posted by RonB66

Hello all.
Thanks for letting me join.
Long time reader... first time poster.
I've been scouting to purchase a Batman.
I've found a few and contacted the sellers. Most are courteous and give me a good feeling that they are legit.
HOWEVER.. I've run into some that I think might be edgy.
For instance. Is it common for the seller to ONLY accept a wire or BITCOIN and not go through a Escrow service? I'm cautious especially if they have no seller ratings, a store, phone number, or even give me a name etc. Basically asking me to send secure funds without any proof of the watch existence. Like I said, I'm a new guy... but this just doesn't seem correct to me.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you
Oh, and if you know of a Batman for sale, let me know!!

[skatamail]

I bought a 116519LN on here last year. I decide to fly in and pick it up. Buy from someone reputable vs. saving a couple of bucks. The market is pretty transparent, so its not likely that you would score a big discount unless you bought directly from another owner vs. a gray dealer.

As a gray dealer, I would want to minimize txn fees and troubles while protecting my reputation. With Paypal (even if you covered fees) you could still dispute the txn which would mean time and effort on their part.

[paxjedi]

First authenticate the seller,
then authenticate the watch.

[4 Aussies]

Originally Posted by Marcjvr

Rule number 1. Buy the seller

Rule number 2. Never forget rule number 1

[RonB66]

I understand the known sellers asking for wires… I get it
But these guys that don’t have credibility I would never send them a dime unless I had some recourse if the deal went south.
The vendors on here just don’t have what I’m looking for. I’ll just be patient and buy from one of these great people
Thanks for all the responses.

[8202632]

Originally Posted by RonB66

I understand the known sellers asking for wires… I get it
But these guys that don’t have credibility I would never send them a dime unless I had some recourse if the deal went south.
The vendors on here just don’t have what I’m looking for. I’ll just be patient and buy from one of these great people
Thanks for all the responses.

Goes back to buying the seller! There are also people mimicking legit sellers with similar usernames and/or emails. That has happened to me and I almost went through with a deal and separately reached out to the seller to confirm whether I was communicating with them. The faker used an extra “.” in the username, so I’m glad I double checked.

Legit seller had great feedback, so something seemed fishy about the fake seller when payment started being discussed.

Just be careful, use your head, and follow the advice here. You may spend more for some protection, but it will ease your mind. My 2 cents.

[Brenngun]

Originally Posted by RonB66

I understand the known sellers asking for wires… I get it
But these guys that don’t have credibility I would never send them a dime unless I had some recourse if the deal went south.
The vendors on here just don’t have what I’m looking for. I’ll just be patient and buy from one of these great people
Thanks for all the responses.

This is the best decision you've made since you decided to join us. Wiring money is not an issue when done with the right seller. Also be careful with face to face unless it's with a brick and mortar place. There has been rip off issues in the past especially when dealing with unknown sellers.

[Cryptochonos1]

I’d recommend Nashville Watch, he’s pretty fair on most deals he has. Hope you find you Batman that your looking for also check out Takuya as well he has some sports models

[Carguy87]

Also consider buying a used one from a brick and mortar AD in your area. You’ll pay more, but you can build a purchase history with them to get on lists for new watches and feel pretty secure that a Rolex AD isn’t going to put their status at risk selling a fake watch or trying to pull one over on a customer. Otherwise for online transactions I’d just make sure you really vet who you’re dealing with first as others have suggested. Happy hunting and post some pics once you get one!

[fishingbear]

There are plenty of trusted sellers here on the forum that will take great care of you and will remedy anything at all that you are not happy with before, during and after the sale.

[TunaTuna]

Sounds to me like you should pay the $500 more to buy from a reputable brick and mortar dealer in your own town. One that gives you a warranty and accepts returns

[edisonstar23]

eBay now offers an Escrow service and they authenticate the watch. I haven’t heard of any experiences but it looks like you can’t go wrong if you use that service and pay with a credit card.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Polar Bear]

You also need to remember that the seller shoulders some risk in the transaction.
You're worried about them running off with your money, they're worried you'd issue a charge back or lodge a Paypal dispute and run off with their watch
There is such a thing as a Trusted Buyer too

As many have said, pay a slight premium and buy from a trusted seller or fly in to collect and pay for the watch face 2 face

I'd recommended flying in if possible as it solves a lot of the trust issues you have while also ensuring the watch doesn't get stolen/lost during its transit from the seller to your doorstep

[Polar Bear]

Originally Posted by edisonstar23

eBay now offers an Escrow service and they authenticate the watch. I haven’t heard of any experiences but it looks like you can’t go wrong if you use that service and pay with a credit card.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There was a bit of a fuss caused on the Paneristi Group a while back when someone ended up buying a fake Panerai that had been "authenticated" by the eBay service

Admittedly, Panerais are easier to fake than most brands but it certainly made me take eBays claims of authentication with a grain of salt

[beshannon]

Originally Posted by RonB66

Like I said I'm really new to this and it just doesn't seem right.
Do these folks think we all were living under a rock and are that stupid? But I had to check with all you guys.... I didn't know the protocols in this environment.
Is this something I should report to the admin moderators??

Based on the amount of people that still get scammed, yes.

Welcome to the forum

[goheel]

Like everyone has said, buy the seller.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by fishingbear

There are plenty of trusted sellers here on the forum that will take great care of you and will remedy anything at all that you are not happy with before, during and after the sale.

Exactly this ^^^

Welcome to the forum OP

[thenewrick]

My advice is to get your first Rolex from an authorized dealer near you.

Don’t buy 2nd hand unless it’s vintage and no longer in production.

Will save you a lot of money and headache and guaranteed authentic.

[RaZCaL]

Originally Posted by Cryptochonos1

I’d recommend Nashville Watch, he’s pretty fair on most deals he has. Hope you find you Batman that your looking for also check out Takuya as well he has some sports models

Another vote for Chase at Nashville Watch. Done multiple deals with him among other recommended sellers here. His price is also generally lower than others.