Bought from well known grey dealer - RSC says warranty voided

[nickrb]

Originally Posted by CarlOver

You should contact you pr credit card and inform them of the of the misrepresentation. They should back you.

I am not at this stage yet. Going to give them time to correct the situation.

Of course, this remains an option, but very much a last resort.

[Watchsprings]

Hope Watchbox do the right thing!

[Bill11783]

Would not buy from grey market dealers then.

[Darcey]

Interesting to note that it is not being rejected for the reason of grey market purchase because the warranty travels with the watch. A Rolex warranty card when properly issued is like a bearer bond - honoured on presentation.

If there are physical signs of repair/interference that's another story. That's a conversation to have with the grey market dealer because how they react is the best indicator of being a trusted seller. This is all likely to end with a three way finger pointing party.

For those who contemplate buying on eBay, the watches are now checked/authenticated by a third party and I'm betting that case marks and evidence of opening are going to a common problem with dealing with Rolex. Ebay will not be hiring the best and brightest to do those authentications. It's going to be some amateur dude in a dark room high on Cheetos with a crescent wrench and hammer being paid $25 a go.

Can you ask Rolex what specific evidence they noted? Where on the watch and what damage. You could also find a top flight independent and get them to examine it. The only good news is that your problem could possibly be fixed for a few hundred bucks or at worst set you back $900 for a full service. Many greys give the watch a light polish before sale and under magnification that work may be visible to a trained observer. I'm sure there are stories of Rolex refusing warranty repairs because the thing has had a polish.

[dayandnight25]

Yea hope watch box do good by you🫣🫣🫣


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[joli160]

A Rolex repair is very cheap. Even a full service cost very little and can be had for 800 already. I don’t see the problem.

Nice if the seller pays for the regulation which will be a small fee only.
If not you miss out on max a 100 bucks, pfff, on a watch of 10K this is peanuts

[ajw45]

I think Watchbox will sort it out. They are so busy they kinda suck at email which is no excuse for an online company but that said I've had a watch warranty serviced through them and in person the team there is super nice. Tim even louped my watch and apologized that they would need to keep it for service. Way better service experien than I've had at some brand boutiques.

[ArtNouveau]

Just an anecdote. When my BLRO’s timekeeping became a bit wonky at around two years I took it to my Boutique who has a tech(s) on duty. He timed it for a couple of days then I was informed it was being sent to the Dallas RSC. All warranty work sent there, they only open and sevice watches that are past warranty.

[GradyPhilpott]

For one thing, a regulation is not a repair.

Mine have always been done under warranty and every Rolex I have bought new has been regulated by a certified watchmaker with a parts account.

If I bought the watch as new, I would be more than a little bit unhappy that it had been serviced at all.

[teabags001]

Watch box tried to do me dirty. I bought a watch from them that had damage to the bezel. It was Noticeable in person. They tried to hide it in the pics. I took it as glare from the pics.

I got the watch and inspected it. They said they would only return the watch to me if I agreed to a 20 percent restocking fee. Luckily I had the original pics before they took it down from their site. I fought with them everyday for a month before they finally agreed to rerun it. And it wasn’t because they had a change of heart. I got my CC involved and they were going to do a charge back.

I gave them every opportunity to make it right and that’s how I was finally able to have them resolve the issue.

Good luck OP. I only buy from ADs now. Keep in mind this was years ago when you could actually get a nice discount going grey.


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[amh]

Originally Posted by Bill11783

Would not buy from grey market dealers then.

Still plenty of very reputable greys out there
- DavidSW ($$)
- Takuya
- OCRolexguy
- Justrolexes
- AU_911tt

Just go here for reviews
https://www.rolexforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=28

A good grey:
- Pictures are of the actual watch for sale, not their stock photos.
- Photos of excellent quality and with high resolution
- Clearly stated whether watch is NIB, NOS, polished, or unpolished
- Their reputation matters more than a few hundred dollars

A bad grey:
- Polishes everything
- Misrepresents the item (eg. stock photos, blurry photos)
- Swaps parts
- Drops contact after the sale

I've dealt with several of the major greys and honestly the experience is far superior than visiting your AD! They'll take care of you and that box is at your front door by 10AM the next morning.

[hello93]

Originally Posted by amh

Still plenty of very reputable greys out there
- DavidSW ($$)
- Takuya
- OCRolexguy
- Justrolexes
- AU_911tt

Just go here for reviews
https://www.rolexforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=28

A good grey:
- Pictures are of the actual watch for sale, not their stock photos.
- Photos of excellent quality and with high resolution
- Clearly stated whether watch is NIB, NOS, polished, or unpolished
- Their reputation matters more than a few hundred dollars

A bad grey:
- Polishes everything
- Misrepresents the item (eg. stock photos, blurry photos)
- Swaps parts
- Drops contact after the sale

I've dealt with several of the major greys and honestly the experience is far superior than visiting your AD! They'll take care of you and that box is at your front door by 10AM the next morning.

What irritates me more than anything is that sites like watchfinder, watchbox, hodinkee posts listing of there watch and state that its photos of the actual watch for sale and listing condition as "excellent"

[nickrb]

Originally Posted by joli160

A Rolex repair is very cheap. Even a full service cost very little and can be had for 800 already. I don’t see the problem.

Nice if the seller pays for the regulation which will be a small fee only.
If not you miss out on max a 100 bucks, pfff, on a watch of 10K this is peanuts

Well, its the $810 for the service (again, Rolex is indicating the watch needs a full service, they are not offering to do a regulation only). Also the fact that I paid $1000 more for a watch with box, papers, and alleged factory warranty than I would have for an equivalent watch from this dealer without box, papers, or factory warranty. Plus $60 for shipping to RSC.

In the grand scheme of life this is not a large sum of money, but certainly frustrating as a purchasing experience.

[dannyp]

Originally Posted by Scholar

Wait, RSC will not honor a watch warranty if it got a “third party repair”?

So if I took a Rolex to a nearby independent with a Rolex parts account for a service, that would void warranty? Doesn’t sound right… It might be true, but stupid if so.

I could be wrong, but my guess is that this wouldn't include the so-called Plaque Service Centers located within a growing number of ADs (something in between a certified watchmaker and actual RSC). Personally, I think it's equally silly to pay for a repair covered by a warranty (a PSC can do warranty repairs).

Originally Posted by train-time

Interesting! Often Resellers quote the remaining term of the warranty on a pre-owned watch. It could be years remaining and that adds perceived value, but in this case, RSC has voided that remaining term regardless of whether you may need additional warranty work.

I think this is one where specific wording matters. Do the listings say "____ months remaining on warranty" or do they say "warranty card stamped ______" - a subtle but important difference? The former is basically a promise that there's a valid warranty, the latter technically only speaks to purchase date (and the theoretical remaining warranty period if the warranty is valid).

Originally Posted by LA_LEC

If you DID, why would you expect ROLEX to repair something that might have resulted from you taking to a 3rd party who may or may not know what they are doing? I am with ROLEX on this one.

The grey sold it as being covered under ROLEX warranty so the grey needs to step up and do the right thing in this particular case.

Mostly agree. However, here's where I'd be torn: Let's say that a watch had a lousy polishing job, where it was obvious and obviously not done by RSC, but the case back has never been opened. Technically Rolex within its rights to refuse movement service under warranty, but practically speaking, do the two really have anything to do with one another? I get it, there's a desire to discourage secondary market purchasing, but still...

Originally Posted by 77T

Makes no sense for the RSC to say that. If it is less than 5 years old, they need to be more specific about any damaged parts. The interval for overhauls on new movements is more than 4 years.

Agree that there should be a more specific explanation. However, if there are any parts that were either damaged by someone's tinkering, or improperly installed, then Rolex won't want the watch going back out until everything is "right" inside of it. No way of knowing that the damage hasn't impacted other aspects of the movement without a more extensive servicing.

[amh]

Originally Posted by nickrb

Well, its the $810 for the service (again, Rolex is indicating the watch needs a full service, they are not offering to do a regulation only). Also the fact that I paid $1000 more for a watch with box, papers, and alleged factory warranty than I would have for an equivalent watch from this dealer without box, papers, or factory warranty. Plus $60 for shipping to RSC.

In the grand scheme of life this is not a large sum of money, but certainly frustrating as a purchasing experience.

Damn. Well if I were buying from an individual and without a warranty I would factor in that $1k in order to gain a new warranty. In your case the expected benefit was not realized. (Possibly unintentional... grey probably don't rip open every watch they process.) I'd ask WB to eat that cost.

[hello93]

Does polishing watches go against the warranty policy by Rolex?

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by storii

Hope Watchbox will make it right for you.

When I was considering Watchbox, I thought it was strange that many watches on their site were listed as "coming soon" so I asked them. Their answer was that those watches were being worked on by their watchmakers to make them right for sale and most of them were about two weeks away to become ready. I don't know what extent of "work" they may be doing but it is possible at least some of them can be considered by RSC that they were left with an evidence of third-party repair attempt...

I could be wrong, but I think in many cases the grey dealer doesn’t actually have the watch in their inventory.

I believe they “sell the order” and then they try to source the watch from another dealer or buying group. This might also explain why it takes a week or two to ship a watch

[amh]

Originally Posted by brandrea

I could be wrong, but I think in many cases the grey dealer doesn’t actually have the watch in their inventory.

I believe they “sell the order” and then they try to source the watch from another dealer or buying group. This might also explain why it takes a week or two to ship a watch

You're absolutely correct. The "good" greys don't do this, however.

[minute_man]

Originally Posted by joli160

A Rolex repair is very cheap. Even a full service cost very little and can be had for 800 already. I don’t see the problem.

Nice if the seller pays for the regulation which will be a small fee only.
If not you miss out on max a 100 bucks, pfff, on a watch of 10K this is peanuts

I agree with the above and anyone buying 2nd hand (similar with buying a used car) should be prepared to fork out the equivalent of a full service BUT

Originally Posted by nickrb

Well, its the $810 for the service (again, Rolex is indicating the watch needs a full service, they are not offering to do a regulation only). Also the fact that I paid $1000 more for a watch with box, papers, and alleged factory warranty than I would have for an equivalent watch from this dealer without box, papers, or factory warranty. Plus $60 for shipping to RSC.

In the grand scheme of life this is not a large sum of money, but certainly frustrating as a purchasing experience.

As a matter of principle they (WB) should make right as this constitutes a gross misrepresentation on their part.
They are not the only resellers who do this and God only knows in which manner they're "preparing" their stock for sale. So many "unpolished", "mint" and even "unworn" examples out there, which are in fact not.
When I sold my 116710LN, they shaved 4-5 teeth clean off the scalloped case back when the die jumped on them. They didn't seem to worry much about that and when I asked them they said that anything can be fixed with the brush... I'd never buy from them.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by amh

You're absolutely correct. The "good" greys don't do this, however.

[rolexandlange]

It's a 2018 Sub so there is only 1 year left on the factory warranty. Get a full service from RSC, peace of mind, and a 2y warranty going forward.

Ask watchbox to pay for the service, and if they don't, you're sort of SOL. They made more than $800 on this sale so I think they should cough it up and chalk it up to a cost of doing biz. But in any case the warranty was almost up and service was coming due anyway.

As an aside, I bought a full set 116520 from The Real Real, 20y old and mint/almost unworn. Advertised as meeting expected timekeeping standards, it was running 14s a day fast. I got an RSC quote, sent to to The Real Real, and they paid for the RSC service which took 8 weeks. This was in early 2021.



Good luck.

[VonSomething]

Originally Posted by hello93

Does polishing watches go against the warranty policy by Rolex?

Yes I would say so. The temperatures the case reaches when polishing are HIGH - if the movement is still fitted I can imagine something could potentially go wrong just because of the heat generated

[watchwatcher]

Originally Posted by drrd

You found out it wasn't so get your money back.

My thoughts as well.

Also, depending on how this plays out, make sure you leave the feedback from your experience in the appropriate sub-forum, "Who's Who," so the rest of us can make informed decisions whether to do business with them.

Keep us posted.

[hello93]

Originally Posted by VonSomething

Yes I would say so. The temperatures the case reaches when polishing are HIGH - if the movement is still fitted I can imagine something could potentially go wrong just because of the heat generated

That's astonishing considering how most greys polish everything. WTH!!

[puckybadger]

I believe several NBA players including Giannis are investors in Watchbox. Money should not be an issue if they need to make good on an error in their listing.

[rpstrimple]

Why would a grey need to service a newer watch that is under warranty? Why is watchbox performing work on watches under warranty? And, perhaps knowingly, voiding warranties and still listing the remaining manufacturer warranty on the listing.

[aniconic]

Originally Posted by amh

I've dealt with several of the major greys and honestly the experience is far superior than visiting your AD! They'll take care of you and that box is at your front door by 10AM the next morning.

Couldn't agree more. The closest ADs to me basically demand a bribe -- buy some jewelry I don't want -- before offering to sell a Rolex as a "reward." At the moment, they don't seem to care about long-term reputation. You can see other threads where the ID of these ADs has been correctly guessed. YMMV and you may have a great AD, but there are plenty who are awful and would quickly fold if there weren't such a demand.

[VonSomething]

Originally Posted by rpstrimple

Why would a grey need to service a newer watch that is under warranty? Why is watchbox performing work on watches under warranty? And, perhaps knowingly, voiding warranties and still listing the remaining manufacturer warranty on the listing.

A scratched up watch sells for less than after it has been polished up to "excellent condition". Most grey dealers do this.

[rpstrimple]

Originally Posted by VonSomething

A scratched up watch sells for less than after it has been polished up to "excellent condition". Most grey dealers do this.

I didn't know polishing voids RSC warranty. Good to know. I'd rather them list it unpolished to ensure warranty is intact. I understand why they polish them, but on a watch with a card, seems like you are inviting issues like this.

[alphadweller]

Originally Posted by shaunylw

I can’t imagine watchbox paying for the service. I bet they offer to service it for you and send it back, or full return. Almost $800 for a service could be the majority of their margin.

With a gross magin of 40 to 50%? Even if they lose a possible 8% net margin, they're still getting paid and covering costs. So they'll be fine making the OP whole.