warning suspect DRSD 1665 on popular auction site (not ebay for a change!)

[Xantiagib]

been following a thread on this abomination which is still for auction on this link: (lot 356)

https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/a...lot-image-link

Sneakily the auction house pushing it is not describing it as a Rolex but as a "gents automatic steel cased divers watch.... "

Bidding is getting silly - Either someone knows its suspect and will pay in monopoly money or they are going to be dissapointed without any recourse to lay a claim due to description/fine print.

Auction house responsible: HUMBERT & ELLIS LTD - +441327 858465 / +441327 359595
Surely reputations would be worth more than letting this sit for too long...?

Spread the word and beware if you are offered this watch in the future....

picture here of the 'watch' in question:

[1675-David]

ouch!

[Xantiagib]

ouch indeed...Sold for £21,000 look at the lovely engraved serial:

[rootbeer7]

I understand one of the members here tried to raise a red flag but was ignored.

[swish77]

And a bad fake at that. Shocking that in this day and age of such easy access to information about vintage Rolexes that an auction house would sell an obvious fake and that people would actually bid on a obvious fake.

Forget the (bad) details of the watch for a second, DRSDs stopped at 5.2 million serial numbers, of course.

[Vincent65]

Junk

[05carbondrz]

A Fool and His Money....

[Verti]

How can someone can pay 20k+ for a watch without having basic Rolex knowledge? cannot be more obvious...
Thanks for sharing

[Haywood_Milton]

On 4th June I completed the web contact form on the auction house's own website. Here is a screen grab of it, with the full text of my submission on the yellow "sticky" :



On 6th June I emailed this to the address published on their website :



On 9th June I wrote this "comment" on the company's Facebook page :



I also tweeted them that day :



On 12th June I wrote to the company through Facebook messenger :



I tried to speak with the valuation team / proprietor earlier this week but was told that no one was available.

About half an hour before the auction started (perhaps an hour and a half before the watch itself was offered), I called again and this time received an audience. The conversation being on speakerphone has been minuted thus :

HE : "Hello, can I help?"

HM :"Good morning, yes. A bit of advice if you could please. I've sent messages through your website contact page and through email, and through your Facebook message, and left a comment on your Facebook page about a lot in today's sale, the Rolex Double Red Sea-Dweller supposedly, which is INcorrect. I've not had a response to anything and the sale still seems to be going ahead. What could I do to try to save you and the potential bidders from going through with that transaction?"

HE : "Um...well...it's not for me to comment."

HM : "Then whom could I speak to, because I've sent messages through all the correct media - your website contact page, email, Facebook page, even Twitter and not had a response to anything, which is unusual."

HE : "As you may be aware we've had a huge amount of interest, um, and as a consequence of that, um, there's a lot of people ready to press the button."

HM : "But if the item is incorrect - and I sent through my credentials for..."

HE : "Well have you...Look, we're just about to start the sale. It's not for me to say. It's not my business..."

HM : "Well that's why I sent it, er, days ago, I think it was the 4th, 5th and 8th were the dates of those early correspondences...er...if it goes ahead the publicity and so on that would arise from it is going to be horrific, particularly when it's on record that all those contacts have been made. I invited correspondence. I gave my credentials at the time. I sit on two of the trade bodies of the jewellery industry..."

HE : "It's up to Mr. Humbert to respond to you if you feel so... I can't speak to you. It's not my business. I'm aware of your interest but, er...we're about to start the sale so it will go ahead, the watch will be offered so that's all I can tell you at this stage."

HM : "Ok, so my messages were received, you've confirmed that much."

HE : "I believe so, yeah."

HM : "Thankyou very much. Ok. Bye."

[Styles Bitchley]

Originally Posted by Haywood_Milton

On 4th June I completed the web contact form on the auction house's own website. Here is a screen grab of it, with the full text of my submission on the yellow "sticky" :



On 6th June I emailed this to the address published on their website :



On 9th June I wrote this "comment" on the company's Facebook page :



I also tweeted them that day :



On 12th June I wrote to the company through Facebook messenger :



I tried to speak with the valuation team / proprietor earlier this week but was told that no one was available.

About half an hour before the auction started (perhaps an hour and a half before the watch itself was offered), I called again and this time received an audience. The conversation being on speakerphone has been minuted thus :

HE : "Hello, can I help?"

HM :"Good morning, yes. A bit of advice if you could please. I've sent messages through your website contact page and through email, and through your Facebook message, and left a comment on your Facebook page about a lot in today's sale, the Rolex Double Red Sea-Dweller supposedly, which is INcorrect. I've not had a response to anything and the sale still seems to be going ahead. What could I do to try to save you and the potential bidders from going through with that transaction?"

HE : "Um...well...it's not for me to comment."

HM : "Then whom could I speak to, because I've sent messages through all the correct media - your website contact page, email, Facebook page, even Twitter and not had a response to anything, which is unusual."

HE : "As you may be aware we've had a huge amount of interest, um, and as a consequence of that, um, there's a lot of people ready to press the button."

HM : "But if the item is incorrect - and I sent through my credentials for..."

HE : "Well have you...Look, we're just about to start the sale. It's not for me to say. It's not my business..."

HM : "Well that's why I sent it, er, days ago, I think it was the 4th, 5th and 8th were the dates of those early correspondences...er...if it goes ahead the publicity and so on that would arise from it is going to be horrific, particularly when it's on record that all those contacts have been made. I invited correspondence. I gave my credentials at the time. I sit on two of the trade bodies of the jewellery industry..."

HE : "It's up to Mr. Humbert to respond to you if you feel so... I can't speak to you. It's not my business. I'm aware of your interest but, er...we're about to start the sale so it will go ahead, the watch will be offered so that's all I can tell you at this stage."

HM : "Ok, so my messages were received, you've confirmed that much."

HE : "I believe so, yeah."

HM : "Thankyou very much. Ok. Bye."

Wow! Cheers to you for the effort.


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[scooba]

Haywood went above and beyond what you could expect from a member of our little community, The Auction House in Question , what can you say about there standards ?

Shocking behaviour , someone has bought a fake 1665 due to the Auction house not listening to a real expert, I’m sure this is wide spread but really !!!!

[Xantiagib]

indeed Haywood went beyond the call of duty on this one - well done indeed
at least I hope that we will all be aware of this model in circulation as whoever bought it may want to be rid of it quick... and we can all steer clear of the auction house mentioned
above!

[Xantiagib]

and HM may have an update for us soon on this - we wait with baited breath!

[Canforfair]

Hats of to Haywood for going above and beyond trying to stop this . Somebody is going to be extremely p.....d off when they know the truth. And the auction house should be made to give a full refund .


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[Watchcollectables]

One simply has to question their ethics on this one . Quite obviously thick skinned auctioneer but hopefully the bad press and coverage will do far more damage in the long run and rightly so .

[Ballzzz]

WoW

[pts1956]

I have to say excellent work by Haywood Milton, it’s very reassuring the experts on here act as such guardians for the benefit of us mere mortals and take the trouble to go above and beyond . Thank you Sir! Speaking personally as a laymen the majority of us wouldn’t have that level of expertise to confidently argue the toss. I’m fairly confident as this company is based in the UK that the company would be guilty of fraud by false representation under 2006 Fraud Act. I understand there is a website called Actionfraud where you can report online crime and cybercrime on their “online reporting tool”... just thinking


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[dhknola]

Would be a solid dose of irony if the new owner of that replica stumbles on to this forum to already find his or her watch has already achieved infamy. That auction house is garbage imho.

[pts1956]

Fraud by false representation
“(i) to make a gain for himself or another, or (ii) to cause loss to another or to expose another to a risk of loss. (2) A representation is false if— (a) it is untrue or misleading, and (b) the person making it knows that it is, or might be, untrue or misleading. Fraud Act 2006


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[Vincent65]

Typical - greedy scum

[NOPDK]

My respect to Haywood for being as persistent as he was. Buyer beware, or very aware it seems.

[Ignace Worang]

hats off to Haywood...invaluable effort...

[Tom1675]

Haywood, thanks for your noble efforts. Next time post your crusade here prior so we can pile on!

[harry in montreal]

HM is a good guy. When I see fakes online, I no longer interfere. I am burnt out with sending such emails. You are a good person.

[FrmrHoss]

I agree. Haywood went above and beyond what could be reasonably expected from anyone here and applaud your efforts.

[datejust24]

So what happens when whoever bought this junk finds out they got had and notifies the auction house? They’re just sol?

[Bladeshot]

Haywood, my compliments on the extent you went to, to try to help the house and the bidders. Wish the auctioneer had an interest in being honest and accurate. Very sad. Until recently I worked in the equipment auction sector, and your reputation is all you have in that line of work. People count on you to represent auction items to the best of your ability. I always appreciate this forum as a place where we can count on each other for help and advice, and some good fun, too!Regards, Grant.


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