A question before I make my first purchase on TRF

[juanmadrid]

Hello...I am new to this site but have made multiple watch purchases over the last few years. I m on the verge of purchasing a Rolex Day Date 2 from a TRF member and just had a few questions I'm hoping people can answer.

1. The watch I am purchasing is yellow gold, so it's obviously a rather large amount of $. Since I have no prior relationship with the seller, what safeguards can you recommend in regard to the transaction?

I am LA based and the seller is on the east coast.

2. I have done some research on the seller and everything seems 100% legit but I figured asking for a little advice is what this forum is all about.

Thanks to anyone who can offer any advice.

J
M

[FNFZ4]

buy the seller never the watch

[gimpex]

Originally Posted by FNFZ4

buy the seller never the watch

Yep. If the seller is one of the two or three most known here , I would be prepared to do it based on trust.

Otherwise - If you don't feel comfortable , dont do it

Although also think from the sellers side - he doesn't know you at all ......

[mrbill2mrbill2]

Have you looked at Who's Who?

[azguy]

Most TRF frequent sellers have extremly high reputations to protect and will go the extra mile to insure it's an easy transaction and that you are happy

[jolimont]

It's worth a plane ticket for a face to face if you're spending more than 10k on a watch

[springer]

Originally Posted by gimpex

Yep. If the seller is one of the two or three most known here , I would be prepared to do it based on trust.

Otherwise - If you don't feel comfortable , dont do it

Although also think from the sellers side - he doesn't know you at all ......

There are many more than two or three "most known here." There might be two or three that sell more than others here, since it is their business, but there are many trusted sellers here on TRF.

And, to the OP, who is the seller you are inquiring about? You may post reference questions on sellers in the Who's Who section of the Classifieds.

[juanmadrid]

Thanks for the info guys. I appreciate all the feedback.

[Highland Ranger]

Not sure how anyone buys this type of item online.

I've considered it but for me paying the nominal extra and enjoying the experience of buying from an ad in person with a full clear warranty and no worries is worth it.

Even on a solid gold watch, the piece of mind is worth the extra shekels.

[Highland Ranger]

.

[gimpex]

Originally Posted by springer

There are many more than two or three "most known here." There might be two or three that sell more than others here, since it is their business, but there are many trusted sellers here on TRF.

And, to the OP, who is the seller you are inquiring about? You may post reference questions on sellers in the Who's Who section of the Classifieds.

Agreed.

However , Since the OP is a newcomer , I was alluding to the fact that those few who are most active he could trust "out of the box ".

Others he would need to look into and investigate. It's no secret we have had one or two sellers ( who at the time were trusted ) who went rogue.

[juanmadrid]

Originally Posted by Highland Ranger

Not sure how anyone buys this type of item online.

I've considered it but for me paying the nominal extra and enjoying the experience of buying from an ad in person with a full clear warranty and no worries is worth it.

Even on a solid gold watch, the piece of mind is worth the extra shekels.

I hear you...I would prefer to buy it from an AD but when it is a substantial price difference, I would consider every option. You do your research, and figure out what works best for you.

[Highland Ranger]

From what I have seen not that substantial. Often it is the difference between lnib and nib plus maybe something for clear warranty vs ?

[golfimbul]

Originally Posted by gimpex

Agreed.

However , Since the OP is a newcomer , I was alluding to the fact that those few who are most active he could trust "out of the box ".

Others he would need to look into and investigate. It's no secret we have had one or two sellers ( who at the time were trusted ) who went rogue.

Oh dear! I just signed up hoping to grab a 16570 explorer 2 but this makes me as nervous as hell!

Who are the 'really' trusted? I just messaged DavidSW

[train-time]

IMO; there's more risk with a newcomer buyer than a long established "trusted seller" who has a hard earned reputation on the forum.

[gimpex]

Originally Posted by Edward Arthur

IMO; there's more risk with a newcomer buyer than a long established "trusted seller" who has a hard earned reputation on the forum.

Normally it's the buyer who sends the money first , especially if there is not a long standing relationship , so not much risk for the seller. Yes I know there can be wire fraud and and but just as likely ( and I mean not very likely ) the seller can get the funds and then not ship or ship not as per agreement.

So I think the seller here holds the upper hand in general.

[Tan]

I would recommend using paypal to safeguard your transaction in the case of a discrepancy. As well, I would recommend taking your watch to an AD post purchase to have it authenticated. If there are authentication issues with the watch, you can be assured that you have an option to get your money back.

[mjclark32]

I bought my one and only Rolex from davidsw after being on the forum for about 6 months. Everything was smooth and as represented. I highly recommend him.