Disappointing Deal With Tempoking (Anastasios)

[Spartan]

I bought an OysterQuartz 17013 from Anastasios Epitropou (TEMPOKING) in May of 2013 for 2200$ for my dad’s 70th birthday.

Here is the listing: https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=296725

Anastasios has nearly 7000 posts here at the ROLEX FORUMS and no one in his right mind would even think for a split second that there would be a problem with one of his Rolex sales!

Unfortunately, that is not the case with the watch that I purchased from him.

In his ad he posted the following:

"personal warranty similar to Rolex new watches for 2 years".

10 months after purchasing the watch the battery stopped so I had it sent to the ROLEX Service Center here in Canada expecting a simple “service” , the usual stuff…. usually runs about $600.

I had no issue with doing that, despite the implied warranty that was provided with the watch when I purchased it. I am not that fussy.

I was shocked, to say the least, when I received the estimate of $1600 from Rolex! Not so much the fact that there were worn out gaskets and that the watch had zero waterproof protection, or that any of the near 30 year old parts that need replacing. No, I was shocked because Rolex refused to repair it unless I would replace the COUNTERFEIT crystal on the watch first.

I have purchased many used Rolex through this forum and others, and I have personally sent more than 10 of them to the Canadian RSC for servicing. Never have I received an estimate stating that "The watch has undergone significant modifications". I was embarrassed!

When I told this to Anastasios, he did make me 2 offers. The first was that he would buy back the watch from me at a lower price. The money loss was not the issue. The issue is that the watch was a gift to my father! My Dad knows nothing of this and is simply waiting to get the watch back from a routine servicing. His second offer was that I send the watch back to him where he would get the service done for U$1200. I would have to send it to him, then he would send it to Europe and then they back to him, and then him back to me.... each leg crossing international borders. And, there would be no official service papers or even a guarantee that the counterfeit parts would be replaced, or that, gulp... new counterfeit parts wouldn't be used in the service.

I will pay the Ca$1600 and my father will get his gift watch back. That is my only viable option.

So, I asked only one thing of Anastasios, and that was that he reimburse me the $200 that I have to pay to replace the crystal before Rolex will touch the watch.

Who would not be mad at buying a watch from a reputable dealer only to find it has counterfeit parts? I don't think I was unfair with my request. In fact, if he had simply said "not interested", I probably would have walked away and taken my lumps. I am not the kind of guy to get into a war of words with anybody. But, Anastasios accused me of trying to "extort" money from him. And, he actually told me that "he wouldn't know a real crystal from a fake".

He will either pay me the $200, or not. It won't change my life much. I just think that not standing behind the integrity of his watches is deplorable, and people should know that. If we can't trust a "trusted seller" in every way, then who can we trust.

Tony.