Vastly different experinces at AD's

[RICHARD_LEWIS]

I'm saving for my first Rolex and after trying on several different models (Subs, Sea Dweller, DJ II, Milgauss and GMT2c) i've decided on the 116713 LN. I'll be in a position to place a substantial deposit in the later quarter of the year and am looking forward to finally pulling the trigger!

I've read many of the posts on here about trying different models and speaking to many AD's, but something that i've found unusual is the massively different purchase advice and approach to payment different AD's have. For example: the AD's in Selfridges, Oxford Street do not accept financing options and only accept full payment in 1 hit spread over 2 or more credits cards (which i thought was strange). Anywhere else i have been to accept a deposit and financing over a 2-3 year period as standard, however, one AD in Croydon said that he would offer a deposit 'today only' - again, i thought this as strange, especially in Croydon!

I've come across discrepencies in advice on availability too. Example:Different branches of Watches of Switzerland also say different things: one says they get 2-3 models of all of their watches per year so buy immediately, whereas another says thats complete rubbish.

Has anyone else encountered anything like this or is this a standard experience when looking to purchase a Rolex?

[joe100]

Pretty standard. Every AD is different

[Tan]

The "Today Only" is just a sales tactic to create urgency. If they can do it today, they can do it tomorrow.

[RICHARD_LEWIS]

Cool, good to know. Thanks joe100

[RICHARD_LEWIS]

Tan: figured as much. In my naivety i assumed that official sellers of luxury items wouldn't be given to such tactics

[rlee]

Originally Posted by Tan

The "Today Only" is just a sales tactic to create urgency. If they can do it today, they can do it tomorrow.

I came across this a lot too.

[jctrolex]

Unless you are going after a rare or sought after model why pay a deposit? You will be tied down to one AD with no room to negotiate. I would save my money and look around at different models in different AD. You may change your minds several times and find a really helpful sales person who deserve your business. When you have the full purchase amount walk in with cash and knowledge it will give you much more negotiating power.

[strafer_kid]

Would agree that going in to buy it outright will get you the best deal!

[ChuckFinlay]

Unless you need finance, I'd be looking at a decent AD that is giving you 10-15% off that model if you're buying outright.

[JGX]

Was the Croydon AD, Lyons? When I used to live in London, I bought a number of watches from them (and one from Ernest Jones downstairs) over the years and I always found them very good and more than willing to 'do a deal'?

[RICHARD_LEWIS]

Originally Posted by JGX

Was the Croydon AD, Lyons? When I used to live in London, I bought a number of watches from them (and one from Ernest Jones downstairs) over the years and I always found them very good and more than willing to 'do a deal'?

Yeah, Lyons in the Whitgift Centre. The Croydon branch of Ernest Jones dont carry Rolex anymore - a friend of mine works there and he said Rolex have pulled out of most branches.

[RICHARD_LEWIS]

Originally Posted by jctrolex

Unless you are going after a rare or sought after model why pay a deposit? You will be tied down to one AD with no room to negotiate. I would save my money and look around at different models in different AD. You may change your minds several times and find a really helpful sales person who deserve your business. When you have the full purchase amount walk in with cash and knowledge it will give you much more negotiating power.

Looking to pay a deposit as i'm getting married and saving for the wedding at the same time. My thing is that i want to be wearing it on the day. I've tried on many watches now and am set on a TT GMT IIc, no not worried about that.

[CJ01]

They're sales tactics, that's all.

[Reu]

Haha oh no... The financing route generally doesn't go down too well on this forum so I'm not sure how you'll get on with this one.

I've found quite a few AD's in London to be quite irritating to deal with. Again this is only my own experience but some of the things staff from the AD's have said in the hope of rallying up some sales is just comical.

I've actually purchased from Lyons before some years ago and the staff there are really helpful and friendly.

In regards to putting down the deposit, I would say only do this when you have found a store that stocks the model you want and you want to move forwards and deal with them and walk out the store with it.

0% interest, and as long as you meet the contractual terms its a no-brainer!

[RICHARD_LEWIS]

Originally Posted by Reu

Haha oh no... The financing route generally doesn't go down too well on this forum so I'm not sure how you'll get on with this one.

I've found quite a few AD's in London to be quite irritating to deal with. Again this is only my own experience but some of the things staff from the AD's have said in the hope of rallying up some sales is just comical.

I've actually purchased from Lyons before some years ago and the staff there are really helpful and friendly.

In regards to putting down the deposit, I would say only do this when you have found a store that stocks the model you want and you want to move forwards and deal with them and walk out the store with it.

0% interest, and as long as you meet the contractual terms its a no-brainer!

Right, 0% interest is the route i'm thinking. Thanks for the replies!

[colpol]

Probably going to get a lot of different responses to this one. Every AD different

I think someone else mentioned that 0% finance doesn't go down well with a lot of people here. However, in the "real world" for a lot of us - thats the ideal/ maybe only scenario to get the watch as long as your confident of meeting the payments (then again who's job is safe !!)

I was in watches of switzerland last year with my brother & we got a Omega ceramic PO. 0% finance over 36 months !! A helluva lot of watch for a small payment every month. Service was 2nd to none too.

Laings in Glasgow's arcade - bought my SD from then about 8 years ago. Saleswoman was snippy\ no idea about the watches. No discount for cash. No finance deals. Made out that there was a waiting list & only got the watch from another branch as she understood I was going to buy !!!

[bonbonson]

The first with the payment options is just up to the AD honestly but the units per year are not true Sometimes ADs go to crazy limits to sell a watch

[ChuckFinlay]

0% without discount may not be the cheapest route, for a TT GMT I'd expect 15% off, so on an RRP of £8650, I'd expect to pay around £7352 a saving of £1300 (round figures).

If I financed £7352 at 6.9% which isn't unreasonable as a loan APR, I'm paying £783 in interest (3yrs), to make a saving of £1300. So I'm £517 ahead.

I'd look for a maximum discount and maybe cheap finance elsewhere.

[up2nogood]

Originally Posted by ChuckFinlay

0% without discount may not be the cheapest route, for a TT GMT I'd expect 15% off, so on an RRP of £8650, I'd expect to pay around £7352 a saving of £1300 (round figures).

If I financed £7352 at 6.9% which isn't unreasonable as a loan APR, I'm paying £783 in interest (3yrs), to make a saving of £1300. So I'm £517 ahead.

I'd look for a maximum discount and maybe cheap finance elsewhere.

+1.
No such thing as interest free.

[Sherwooddavid]

Originally Posted by jctrolex

Unless you are going after a rare or sought after model why pay a deposit? You will be tied down to one AD with no room to negotiate. I would save my money and look around at different models in different AD. You may change your minds several times and find a really helpful sales person who deserve your business. When you have the full purchase amount walk in with cash and knowledge it will give you much more negotiating power.

[Lucky777]

Do yourself a favor and buy here from a trusted seller. No games, just the watch you want at a great price

[3266]

dido

[JGX]

Originally Posted by Lucky777

Do yourself a favor and buy here from a trusted seller. No games, just the watch you want at a great price

The OP is in the UK - not quite that easy to buy from a trusted seller here.

[oliphanttapp56]

I always thought the same things at first that every AD would be really nice, and traders would be nice people because they sell rolex watches! I think we all think they are going to be nice people because they sell luxury items. But experience is very different, they are no different then any other sales people that you will come across in life. Yes the free drink is nice, the chat is lovely, havent they been so nice to me. But reality is there still sales people and you have to remember that. Definitely some are nicer than others!

We all want the experience to be nice because the watches are nice and it is not always the case.

[ARTISAN]

cash is king,,,,,,,,,,,walk in try the watch ,,,,,make your offer,,,show the cash ,,, start to walk away,,,,,,,wait 6 seconds,,,,,,,,,,,,then the magic words ,,, sir maybe we can do something,,,,,,,,,,,then stick to what you want to pay, ,,,, WORKS ON ANYTHING ,,,ALWAYS BE PREPARED TO WALK.
got my LB , LN , AND LV this way............happy shopping

[strafer_kid]

I agree with Artisan - cash talks and in the current climate in UK (and probably a lot of other places) it does not matter who the dealer is and how 'top end' he thinks he is! None of these guys are keeping their stock as collections they like to look at and all need money moving through their businesses!

[ChuckFinlay]

Originally Posted by strafer_kid

I agree with Artisan - cash talks and in the current climate in UK (and probably a lot of other places) it does not matter who the dealer is and how 'top end' he thinks he is! None of these guys are keeping their stock as collections they like to look at and all need money moving through their businesses!

Guy I deal with at Fraser Hart has just told me their Chief Exec has told them to reduce Rolex discounts, max 5% on SS, 8% on TT. Even the manager said it is crazy, but he said people will still walk in and either pay retail, or accept the paltry discounts.

[Daytona-Dan]

Originally Posted by ChuckFinlay

Guy I deal with at Fraser Hart has just told me their Chief Exec has told them to reduce Rolex discounts, max 5% on SS, 8% on TT. Even the manager said it is crazy, but he said people will still walk in and either pay retail, or accept the paltry discounts.

From experience, 5% on an SS model in the UK is a great deal! I've never been able to get any discount out of them. The truth is that in the UK, we don't look for discounts because more often than not, the price you see is the price you pay no matter what you're buying. If I hadn't known about Rolex and AD discounts from this fine forum I would have never even thought to ask when it came to my YG Daytona where I scored a 15% discount. I guess I owe thanks to TRF...

THANKS TRF!!

[Reu]

Originally Posted by ChuckFinlay

0% without discount may not be the cheapest route, for a TT GMT I'd expect 15% off, so on an RRP of £8650, I'd expect to pay around £7352 a saving of £1300 (round figures).

If I financed £7352 at 6.9% which isn't unreasonable as a loan APR, I'm paying £783 in interest (3yrs), to make a saving of £1300. So I'm £517 ahead.

I'd look for a maximum discount and maybe cheap finance elsewhere.

... Or you could stick with the 0% interest free (which, by the way, means if you stick to your contractual obligations you don't pay interest - bored with people saying there's no such thing).

Then, there are a number of short-term investments you could buy in to with the money you didn't put down, and £517 would be merely pocket change in comparison to the return you'd get elsewhere.

Realistically, though, the OP is probably not interested in going round the houses and investing/saving money in the long run when it comes to the simple purchase of something he'll be putting on his wrist. He's probably more interested in utilising the 0% purely to enable him to buy the watch now, which, realistically is what many people do.

[ChuckFinlay]

I'd aim for 10% on SS, I bought a blue dial SS/Plat YM when they came out and got more than that, slightly more again on an X2 black dial 42mm....it all depends on the AD, go to Harrods or Selfridges and they'll laugh at the suggestion :)