Bought Rolex but received Empty Box--HELP

[Humble michael]

Nope answer is to ALWAYS use pay pal or AMX for payment - or both! The trouble occurs when you wire money- you become the stickee with little or no recourse.So sorry to see this - and now the shipping company drags their feet on payment. Had either of the methods I suggested used payment to seller could be stopped immediately.

[Knappo 1307]

Any news??

[GoingPlaces]

Originally Posted by GGGMT

+1. Who buys a relatively common watch (ie not unique or vintage) from a one off guy? Just buy from an established place.

My sentiments exactly, this happens all the time. Buyer sees a watch that might be a few hundred lower and then the next thing you know is they are on the forum complaining they are out thousand's of dollars and no watch. Stick with the trusted sellers.

[yxc145]

Originally Posted by GoingPlaces

My sentiments exactly, this happens all the time. Buyer sees a watch that might be a few hundred lower and then the next thing you know is they are on the forum complaining they are out thousand's of dollars and no watch. Stick with the trusted sellers.

For buyers, It is really easy to say buying from Trusted Sellers. But that makes it really difficult for private sellers
What if you want to sell your watch one day and you don't have much history buying or selling. Trust sellers are only willing paying you a few thousand dollars less than the the fair value.

[MinMay]

And that's why flipping is NOT easy. Newbies just don't get it...they'll learn the hard way, wondering why they're losing money or can't sell their new watch privately.

[CorradoBrit]

Originally Posted by MinMay

And that's why flipping is NOT easy. Newbies just don't get it...they'll learn the hard way, wondering why they're losing money or can't sell their new watch privately.

Certainly helps to live in a major metropolitan area where face-to-face is a more realistic option.

[wesdaniel]

Originally Posted by yxc145

For buyers, It is really easy to say buying from Trusted Sellers. But that makes it really difficult for private sellers
What if you want to sell your watch one day and you don't have much history buying or selling. Trust sellers are only willing paying you a few thousand dollars less than the the fair value.

In the grand scheme of things, though, it seems like this happens relatively rarely here on TRF.

I've bought seven watches here. Without naming names:

2 from people with 125 - 200 positive feedback in Buyer/Seller Who's Who
1 from a person with 50-75 positive feedback
3 from people with 20-50 positive feedback
1 from a person with 5 positive feedback

Fortunately, all of my transactions went smoothly and there weren't problems, but, two of those sellers are now banned (I don't know why) and that gave me a bit of heartburn.

I think that there are a lot of factors to consider. Such as what the individual's post level is (not just number of posts, but quality of posts and amount of interaction); whether the individual has people on here that can vouch for them as a person; whether the person is willing to have a phone conversation with you and, of course, how many sales and purchases they've made here.

I don't think that everybody who buys from sellers who don't have thousands of transactions here is doing it to save $200 or $300. Most of the watches that I've bought have been because they're not commonly listed. If I wanted a Datejust, I could get one all day long from 20 sellers. If I want something a little less common, I have to take what's posted and decide whether it's worth the risk.

In the end, I've saved thousands of dollars off from MSRP on these watches and have gotten some watches that I wouldn't have found anywhere else. I took some risks, but I tried to mitigate those risks as much as possible.

The person who suggested PayPal and AmEx as preferred ways to pay makes a really good point. I've wired a few times, done F2F once and most of them were via PayPal.

If someone won't buy from any seller other than the ones who sell hundreds of watches here, that's fine. But, I don't think that's necessarily the only way to do this either.

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by MinMay

And that's why flipping is NOT easy. Newbies just don't get it...they'll learn the hard way, wondering why they're losing money or can't sell their new watch privately.

Accepting thousands in losses may be your remedy, but it doesn't work for many other people. The trusted sellers will only give you their version of wholesale. The loss against market value is thousands of dollars in most cases.

A lot of watches are sold here by private sellers. And there aren't very many scams. If you have the patience, selling your watch yourself is the smart move.

[Burlington]

What a messy situation - do hope it can get resolved one way or the other.

Regarding the parcel weight, there is at least one way I can think of which would change the shipped weight between dropping off and it arriving, so not even sure parcel weight is definitive *proof* of anything.

[Aceldama]

Not wanting to F2F with a 90 min drive is throwing every red flag for me.

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by Aceldama

Not wanting to F2F with a 90 min drive is throwing every red flag for me.

I'm not spending three hours in the car for a watch, unless it's from an AD. Not wanting a F2F is a personal choice, not a scam.

[Aceldama]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

I'm not spending three hours in the car for a watch, unless it's from an AD. Not wanting a F2F is a personal choice, not a scam.

Sorry reading comprehension isn’t your strong suit. I clearly said 90 mins. You should try logic and reason instead of erecting straw men to argue with.


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[PLNYC]

Originally Posted by Aceldama

Sorry reading comprehension isn’t your strong suit. I clearly said 90 mins. You should try logic and reason instead of erecting straw men to argue with.


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90 mins each way is 3 hours, buddy

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by Aceldama

Sorry reading comprehension isn’t your strong suit. I clearly said 90 mins. You should try logic and reason instead of erecting straw men to argue with.


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Sorry math isn't your strong suit. It's a two way trip, 90 minutes each way.

The whole point of an online sale is convenience. As soon as the F2F becomes inconvenient there's no point in pursuing it. Three hours in the car is a PITA. Choosing to avoid that kind of hassle is not a red flag, it's a choice.

[Aceldama]

The watch is in a 90 minute radius and I’m dropping 8k, I’m driving. Best of luck with UPS, USPS, and FedEx.


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[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by Aceldama

The watch is in a 90 minute radius and I’m dropping 8k, I’m driving. Best of luck with UPS, USPS, and FedEx.


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Your choice. I've purchased five Rolex without leaving my living room. All arrived on time, no issues. That's the norm, not the exception (the trusted sellers would be out of business if they needed to rely on F2F).

The OP was being quite reasonable expecting the seller to be able to safely ship the watch. Choosing not to burn half a day on a F2F is a reasonable choice.

[MinMay]

too many horror stories F2F as well... google it and you'll find plenty of real life situation with F2F issue.

1. gun point
2. grab money and run away
3. and even death.

[Burlington]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

Not wanting a F2F is a personal choice, not a scam.

Agree fully - don’t see why it would be construed as otherwise.

[walds11]

Originally Posted by helo008

Hi everyone,

I'd love to be able to offer good news, but as of yet there are still no updates. A week and a half ago a regional UPS investigator came to inspect and take pictures of the package, and he has told me that he has gathered all the information from the receiving end (there is another investigator at the sending end) and submitted it to the claims handler. He is not sure about when a decision will be made, although he expects it will likely happen in the next several weeks.

As the receiver and not the shipper UPS does not keep me in the loop, but the investigator was great and has made himself fully available to me if I ever want to check on the status of the claim.

I'll be sure to keep you all fully updated as soon as there are developments on my end.

Any updates?

[Americany13]

Nothing New on this?

[southtexas]

Originally Posted by MinMay

too many horror stories F2F as well... google it and you'll find plenty of real life situation with F2F issue.

1. gun point
2. grab money and run away
3. and even death.

I remember a year or two ago, a guy posted pics of his buddy who did a F2F...guy was lying in a hospital with multiple stab wounds.


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[0037ksm]

A couple of things:

1. Years ago, I was shipped an item via UPS. It arrived in pieces. UPS will only deal with the Shipper as he paid the money to UPS making it a contract between the two. It took months, but UPS eventually paid. I hope your situation is likewise successfully resolved.

2. My city’s Police Dept. offers a Safe Space program where ftf exchanges can take place at the station. I think many communities offer the same.

[jvmartin]

Originally Posted by 0037ksm

A couple of things:

1. Years ago, I was shipped an item via UPS. It arrived in pieces. UPS will only deal with the Shipper as he paid the money to UPS making it a contract between the two. It took months, but UPS eventually paid. I hope your situation is likewise successfully resolved.

2. My city’s Police Dept. offers a Safe Space program where ftf exchanges can take place at the station. I think many communities offer the same.

Many cities are now offering this service... it is a very good alternative to Starbucks which is where most of these F2F gone wrong situations tend to happen...

[helo008]

Hey everyone,

Been a few weeks since I've updated this thread--it's amazing to see all of your support in resolving this issue and I really appreciate it.

At the moment, UPS is still in the process of their investigation and I've been informed by a representative that it is taking longer than expected due to the high value of the item. Unfortunately, that means that at this point I am still out the value of the watch but I am actively reaching out to UPS waiting for updates.

As soon as I hear anything I'll be sure to update this thread, but at the moment, I'm still waiting on UPS to make a decision. Thank you all for keeping up with this situation, and I'll be sure to keep you all updated.

[CorradoBrit]

Is the seller still communicative and providing the necessary support?

[brandobot]

What a mess. Unlike some others on here, I prefer to do f2f transactions. Unlike many others, I like to use platforms like eBay as there is a level of buyer protection.

Paying by wire is like handng someone cash and hoping they keep their end of the deal.

[havingagoodtime]

I videotape the complete unboxing of every watch I receive. Once the box is opened, the camera then does a full detailed observation of the watch to confirm the condition matches that of the previously provided photos. If all checks out, the video is deleted or archived. Very little effort for the piece of mind. I really hope this watch turns up for you. What a sour experience!!

[Onikage]

No news = Bad news. At this point. Ouch.

[GoingPlaces]

Originally Posted by havingagoodtime

I videotape the complete unboxing of every watch I receive. Once the box is opened, the camera then does a full detailed observation of the watch to confirm the condition matches that of the previously provided photos. If all checks out, the video is deleted or archived. Very little effort for the piece of mind. I really hope this watch turns up for you. What a sour experience!!

I do the exact same thing.

[michaelodonnell123]

So you sent money via 'Direct Wire' to a stranger and you actually expected to get something in return? You are definitely my kind of customer.