alan furman payment policy

[duckowner]

Hello And Best Wishes To All.i Am About To Purchase Two Watches:ss Ym And Lady Datejust From Alan Furman.their Policy Requires Me To First Send Them Either Personal Check,cashier Check,or Credit Card Check And When They Received The Fund,they Will Send Me The Watches Via Ups One Day (they Will Pay For The S/h)need Your Advise On This Seller And The Payment Method They Required Me To Send.any Advise Will Be Greatly Appreciated.regards, Bao Ngo.
P.s. I Save Aprox 15% On Each Rolex And No Ca Tax.and They Also Told Me That They Provide Their Own Lifetime
Warranty.

[sharif]

Furman has a great reputation, but I always frown upon a business that REFUSES to accept a credit card. Are you certain that is your policy? Or did they offer you a slight additional discount, for using a CC.

I bought one of my watches from swissluxry, and they offer a slightly better discount for a wire transfer. But they definately do accept credit cards.

[vh_bu98]

Directly from Alan Furman's FAQ...

"•What types of payments do you accept?

•In our store we accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, checks or cash. Orders placed over the telephone or by mail may be paid for by personal check, cashiers check, money order, bank wire, or credit card check. We accept Visa, Mastercard or American Express for full payment on watches priced $2,000 or less. For watches priced above $2,000, Visa, Mastercard and American Express can only be used as a deposit towards your purchase."

I wonder if a credit card check offers the same protection as using your credit card. If not, I guess I won't be buying anything from Alan Furman.

[BuffaloRolex]

It is an interesting policy. I was reading it just a few days ago.

They must be attempting to save themselves the CC fee on large purchases, which might make sense since they are already offering their stock at greatly discounted prices. Perhaps their margins would be shot...

Still, .

[sharif]

Originally Posted by BuffaloRolex

It is an interesting policy. I was reading it just a few days ago.

They must be attempting to save themselves the CC fee on large purchases, which might make sense since they are already offering their stock at greatly discounted prices. Perhaps their margins would be shot...

Still, .

IMHO, it's just a poor business policy. In my business, we transact very large CC transactions...all of which are THOROUGHLY scrutinized for fraud. We have a zero chargeback or fraud record too.

I can understand their reasoning, but I still don't agree with it. But hey, I don't sell millions of dollars of Rolex a year....LOL.

[duckowner]

thank you so very much shriff.i am looking at swissluxury.com right now and their price is very much close to furman's.i guess furman will give "lifetime warranty" vs swissluxury's 3 year warranty.i think i will be using my amex with swissluxury.wonder if amex "extended 1 year warranty" will apply to a "grey dealer" purchase?

[Tools]

A companies business practices are usually based on cost and risk. Many Grey Dealers such as Alan Furman will buy their BNIB watches at wholsale from an AD. Let's say that whoesale for a Rolex would be at ~35%off. They then turn around and sell it at ~30%off, a gross profit of 5%.

It just doesn't make sense to absorb the cost of a CC transaction at 2-4 %, and inclulde shipping and handling and overhead..

There is also a percentage lost by almost all business from CC purchases from non=payment..

Like everything else, a reputable business is a joy to deal with....I have never heard anything but positive comments from folks that have actually purchased from Furman's shop..

[duckowner]

Larry,you sounded very "informed>"can you help me with the rolex warranty?a rep fro furman told me that the majority of his clients had no problem getting their watches "repaired and serviced"by a rolex ad.what is you opinion on this? and also i have heard about a grey dealer
will "erase" the rolex serial number as well.please help me.regards.

[ShawnK]

I can't speak for their reasoning behind the payment policy, but why don't you give them a call and ask them. I got the chance to stop by Alan Furman during a recent trip to the Virginia area. They are a top notch, reputable firm. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Rolex or any other watch from them.

I spoke with Daniel Curtin while I was there, and he took the time to show me a few watches, and try to look for a particular dial on an Oyster Perpetual for my wife.

You shouldn't have any worries despite their payment policy.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by duckowner

Larry,you sounded very "informed>"can you help me with the rolex warranty?a rep fro furman told me that the majority of his clients had no problem getting their watches "repaired and serviced"by a rolex ad.what is you opinion on this? and also i have heard about a grey dealer
will "erase" the rolex serial number as well.please help me.regards.

A watch from Alan Furman, or any reputable Grey Dealer will NOT have the serial number removed...

There is nothing illegal or wrong with buying a watch from a Grey Dealer, except in the mind of Rolex NYC who has been bypassed in the transaction..

Rolex USA (NYC) wants all Rolex product to come through them as the franchise holder for USA Rolex distribution.. When you buy from a Grey Dealer, they probably bought it wholesale from out of the country and had it shipped directly to them. Therefore, Rolex USA will not honor the original factory warranty.

Rolex USA will service any genuine Rolex though (they just won't do free warranty work), regardless where you bought it....you don't even have to tell them where you got it from....you just have to pay the bill..

What occassionally happens, the warranty papers are provided by Furman etc., without being filled in - except for the original purchase date. Rolex USA has access to that date/serial number. If you send it in with the paperwork and your name is filled in properly, it may be worked on (under warranty) without further notice.. However, if there is anything odd, they may ask for an original invoice. If that is the case, and you are unable to provide one, they may refuse to do the work free....but they will still do the work..you just have to pay for it..

I understand though that Alan Furman, and others, provide a very nice in-house warranty. If anything was to go wrong with your watch, I would send it to them for repairs under the terms of their warranty...It's just a watch....They're not rocket science..

[FlyingMoose]

So, which is considered better, Alan Furman or SwissLuxury?

[superdds]

sorry to hijack this thread...i'm confused. so if i buy a rolex from an AD in hong kong and need warranty work done, where do i send it?

[Tools]

Originally Posted by superdds

sorry to hijack this thread...i'm confused. so if i buy a rolex from an AD in hong kong and need warranty work done, where do i send it?

If you bought from an AD in Hong Kong, the warranty is good at any RSC worldwide..

This thread is mostly about non-AD purchases of new Rolexes

[sharif]

Originally Posted by superdds

sorry to hijack this thread...i'm confused. so if i buy a rolex from an AD in hong kong and need warranty work done, where do i send it?

If you truly purchase it from a Hong Kong AD, and have an invoice/warranty card indicating this, than the warranty will be honored by ANY RSC in any country. For instance, if you vacation in HK, buy a Rolex there from an AD, come back home to the USA and need warranty work, you would send it the USA RSC and they would do it at no charge.

However, when you buy grey, in the USA, you are buying from the grey dealer, not the overseas AD.....big difference in Rolex USA's eyes.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by FlyingMoose

So, which is considered better, Alan Furman or SwissLuxury?

I can't answer that....I do not know. I do know that Alan Furman has a brick and morter store that they operate out of, and watchmakers on the premises. I do not know where SwissLuxury is located..

We have also had good reports from Bernard Watch, who sells mostly used but has some mint LNIB, and BNIB.

We have had reports here on both providing the product as advertised..

[sharif]

Originally Posted by FlyingMoose

So, which is considered better, Alan Furman or SwissLuxury?

Both have EXCELLENT reputations. Check them both out...shouldnt have any issues with either one.

[sharif]

Tools.....we need to stop our simultaneous answering of questions.....haha!
I will stop now.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by sharif

Tools.....we need to stop our simultaneous answering of questions.....haha!
I will stop now.

No, No, I'll stop...

[Mario]

Bernard Watches is a great place to find a good deal. A friend of mine has two watches from him and everything was as advertised. He does not have a large selection of Rolex but has some nice clean LNIB deals.

[Haroldglen]

Here is what my AD told me. If you buy from a Grey dealer they may have bought the Rolex "overseas" and he claims that those Rollies are not the same as those sold in the USA. Also, if you send it in for repairs to the Grey dealer, then in such event, the Grey dealer will use non-Rolex parts for the repair ("because only the RSC has genuine Rolex parts"). Then, at a later date, if you have to send your Rolex in to the RSC for repairs they will immediately spot the non-Rolex parts and they will refuse to work on the watch until they replace THOSE parts with genuine Rolex parts.....to bring the watch back into original/genuine condition.

He also said, "Do you really believe a jeweler could give a legitimate life-time warranty?" as some Grey dealers do. I am not saying that Grey dealers are illigitimate, for indeed some of theses posts show that members have dealt with Grey dealers successfully. However, these factors should be investigated and considered before transacting with a Grey dealer. I too have heard that Alan Furman and Swiss Luxury are among the best of the Grey dealers to deal with, if you choose to go that route. Perhaps the significant discount you get when you buy from a Grey dealer outweighs the above potential risks. Good luck!

[vh_bu98]

Originally Posted by Haroldglen

Here is what my AD told me. If you buy from a Grey dealer they may have bought the Rolex "overseas" and he claims that those Rollies are not the same as those sold in the USA. Also, if you send it in for repairs to the Grey dealer, then in such event, the Grey dealer will use non-Rolex parts for the repair ("because only the RSC has genuine Rolex parts"). Then, at a later date, if you have to send your Rolex in to the RSC for repairs they will immediately spot the non-Rolex parts and they will refuse to work on the watch until they replace THOSE parts with genuine Rolex parts.....to bring the watch back into original/genuine condition.

He also said, "Do you really believe a jeweler could give a legitimate life-time warranty?" as some Grey dealers do. I am not saying that Grey dealers are illigitimate, for indeed some of theses posts show that members have dealt with Grey dealers successfully. However, these factors should be investigated and considered before transacting with a Grey dealer. I too have heard that Alan Furman and Swiss Luxury are among the best of the Grey dealers to deal with, if you choose to go that route. Perhaps the significant discount you get when you buy from a Grey dealer outweighs the above potential risks. Good luck!

I would be curious to know exactly what the difference would be between a US Rolex and a overseas Rolex. I can't imagine Rolex creating different models for each country. I'll bet you money that there is no difference between a Rolex bought from an AD in the US and its counterpart at an AD in the UK, Europe, the Middle East or Asia.

As for grey dealers using non-Rolex parts for repairs...that is plausible. But I would buy it from a grey dealer and have the RSC do all of the repairs so there won't be any concerns of non-Rolex parts being used in the first place.

[sharif]

Originally Posted by vh_bu98

I would be curious to know exactly what the difference would be between a US Rolex and a overseas Rolex. I can't imagine Rolex creating different models for each country. I'll bet you money that there is no difference between a Rolex bought from an AD in the US and its counterpart at an AD in the UK, Europe, the Middle East or Asia.

As for grey dealers using non-Rolex parts for repairs...that is plausible. But I would buy it from a grey dealer and have the RSC do all of the repairs so there won't be any concerns of non-Rolex parts being used in the first place.

+1 sounds like a misinformed AD trying to convince someone to buy a watch from them.

Personally, if my Rolex ever needs repairs.....in warranty, or out of warranty, I am sending it to the RSC....not the watch store that I purchased it from.

[Ed Rooney]

I don't believe Alan Furman can enforce this CC policy in their stores. I have a lot of experience with CC merchants, and they have to abide by certain rules.

9.12.3 Minimum/Maximum Transaction Amount Prohibited
A merchant must not require, or post signs indicating that it requires, a
minimum or maximum transaction amount to accept a valid MasterCard card.

A $2000 maximum transaction amount is a clear violation.

Reported

If they cannot afford CC merchant fees, then they should not take credit cards. They cannot make up their own rules. It's as simple as that.

[jimroe]

I will echo the positive comments made by others in this thread about Bernard Watches. I just purchased a BNIB Ladies DJ for my wife from Jeff Bernard, and he was more than fair and ethical and great to do business with. Just another class alternative to those already mentioned.

[sharif]

Originally Posted by Ed Rooney

I don't believe Alan Furman can enforce this CC policy in their stores. I have a lot of experience with CC merchants, and they have to abide by certain rules.

9.12.3 Minimum/Maximum Transaction Amount Prohibited
A merchant must not require, or post signs indicating that it requires, a
minimum or maximum transaction amount to accept a valid MasterCard card.

A $2000 maximum transaction amount is a clear violation.

Reported

If they cannot afford CC merchant fees, then they should not take credit cards. They cannot make up their own rules. It's as simple as that.

Funny how one of the violations, is demanding identification....LOL.

[DocD]

For an AD to state that there are different models overseas than in the USA is simply ridiculous. And although it is POSSIBLE that Alan Furman or other grey dealers use parts other than Rolex, it is also possible that they use genuine Rolex parts.

The idea that only the RSC has access to genuine Rolex parts is a myth. Rolex still has "Rolex trained" watchmakers out there that DO have parts accounts. Although these watchmakers are not "authorized" (Rolex has no authorized repair centers other than their own RSC's), these watchmakers DO have parts accounts.

I recently brought a 1964 gold Rolex "Zephyr" in for a refurb to a local watchmaker in Philly that I've known for years (the watch belongs to my brother-in-law). He definitely has a Rolex parts account, and even showed me a drawer full of Rolex crystals in the package (complete with the sideways "S" inside the etched coronet denoting a replacement crystal), as well as several other packaged Rolex parts.

However, he told me that ANY part he replaces on a Rolex that has "Rolex" on it, engraved on it, etc., must be sent back to Rolex to be destroyed to prevent it from being "recycled" on the street.

So there are many watchmakers that are independent that DO have Rolex parts accounts and use genuine Rolex parts. Alan Furman MAY have a watchmaker with that capability or may not. But it's a question that should be asked.

[Ed Rooney]

Originally Posted by sharif

Funny how one of the violations, is demanding identification....LOL.

It helps prevent identity theft. If a cashier knows your address and birthdate, along with your CC number, he can pretext anything he wants. In some states Social Security numbers were used as drivers license numbers for a time.

Never, EVER use a debit/visa check card to pay at a restaurant where they take your card away to ring it up.

[sharif]

Originally Posted by Ed Rooney

It helps prevent identity theft. If a cashier knows your address and birthdate, along with your CC number, he can pretext anything he wants. In some states Social Security numbers were used as drivers license numbers for a time.

Never, EVER use a debit/visa check card to pay at a restaurant where they take your card away to ring it up.

True, but I don't think that is the reason for the rule. VISA/MC wants their cards to be accepted....with no exceptions at all...just like cash. So as long as the card is signed, and the sig matches, they are supposed to take it.

I just find it ironic, because a rule that forbidens a quick ID check will likely encourage more CC fraud, which we can presume the CC companies are trying to avoid.

[vman]

You should ask any grey market dealer what parts they use. Also, there are shops that have parts accounts. Just because you get a lifetime warranty from Alex Furman it does not mean that you cannot use your watch elsewhere. If there is a shop that can use genuine Rolex parts, then you should be all set. A&E watches in San Francisco (www.aandewatches.com) state that certified pre-owned watches on their site may contain non-Rolex bezels or crystals. I think that any shop who wants your business should state the same thing just like A&E.

I went to an AD once in my life and I am never going to go back.

[captained]

Originally Posted by Tools

A watch from Alan Furman, or any reputable Grey Dealer will NOT have the serial number removed...

There is nothing illegal or wrong with buying a watch from a Grey Dealer, except in the mind of Rolex NYC who has been bypassed in the transaction..

Rolex USA (NYC) wants all Rolex product to come through them as the franchise holder for USA Rolex distribution.. When you buy from a Grey Dealer, they probably bought it wholesale from out of the country and had it shipped directly to them. Therefore, Rolex USA will not honor the original factory warranty.

Rolex USA will service any genuine Rolex though (they just won't do free warranty work), regardless where you bought it....you don't even have to tell them where you got it from....you just have to pay the bill..

What occassionally happens, the warranty papers are provided by Furman etc., without being filled in - except for the original purchase date. Rolex USA has access to that date/serial number. If you send it in with the paperwork and your name is filled in properly, it may be worked on (under warranty) without further notice.. However, if there is anything odd, they may ask for an original invoice. If that is the case, and you are unable to provide one, they may refuse to do the work free....but they will still do the work..you just have to pay for it..

I understand though that Alan Furman, and others, provide a very nice in-house warranty. If anything was to go wrong with your watch, I would send it to them for repairs under the terms of their warranty...It's just a watch....They're not rocket science..

Hello all - relatively new poster here (just lurking for a few weeks looking for advice & shopping). I'm a new owner of a 2008 "M" SS Sub Date purchased gray with a no-name warranty card. What is the "correct" way for this to be filled out and what would an RSC consider odd? Thanks in advance!