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  1. abrod520 Aug 30, 2018

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    A few weeks ago, I bought a Speedmaster on eBay. It was listed by a 0-feedback seller in Texas with a week-old account, as a 3510.50 with a price that would have been a premium for a Reduced, but very low for one of these. It looked like either a 145.022-68 (a reference that I have never owned, but would love to) or a 145.012-67.

    I've looked over enough eBay listings to have at least some idea of who's scamming, and who genuinely just joined eBay to sell their dad's old watch. I judged this to be the latter, bought it, and held my breath.

    upload_2018-8-30_12-30-50.png

    I contacted the seller and offered to send a shipping label, to make his life easier. Well, come evening, he got back to me and said sure, that sounds great - and thanks for buying the watch! I said no problem, let's get shipping worked out. Lo and behold - a minute later, I get a message saying "Sorry, my dad said I couldn't sell it" and my money was refunded. You could just see the seller going through his emails one by one - "SOLD" > "Shipping label?" > "I would like to make you a higher offer...." And so, my adventure came to a premature end. I knew I'd see it again though.

    Well, the bottom-feeder who took it out from under me has now put it up for sale - but not before taking off the beautiful DON and putting on some crappy one he had lying around. Here it is now:

    upload_2018-8-30_12-36-53.png

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/Omega-Spee...ent-no-reserve-/173505191081?oid=173505172991Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

    What's funny is that he's also a no-feedback seller. I haven't looked around much for it on forums or IG, but I wanted to put this up there so you know what kind of person you're dealing with if you're considering buying it. I'm halfway of a mind to report the listing to eBay as stolen, but it wouldn't do much since this guy's eBay account is a burner anyway.

    EDIT: Thought I recognized a few familiar hallmarks in the photos and text. IG confirms it - I see the bezel from my watch on another ware from this dealer. I won't say who I know it to be but he's a member and active seller on this forum. Someone I've traded with and even helped out before.

    Not cool, buddy.

    EDIT 2: I'm not reporting it as stolen. Relax.
     
    Edited Aug 30, 2018
    marco, morningtundra, sjg22 and 6 others like this.
  2. mr_yossarian Aug 30, 2018

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    Confusing, a bit. So the bottom line is that an active member here is the guy who scammed you on Ebay?
     
    Etp095 likes this.
  3. Neek U-neek. Get it? Aug 30, 2018

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    OK you need to re-calibrate your use of the word "stolen". You sourced a seriously undervalued piece and thought you were going to get it, but the seller bailed and returned your money, then sold it to someone else, probably for more than you were going to pay. It sucks but the buyer did nothing underhanded it sounds like. He then recognized the value of that DON and put a lesser quality bezel on the piece and put it up for sale.

    It's unfortunate you didn't end up with the piece, but it was never yours, so using phrases like "my watch" "my lost speedmaster" and "stole" much less report his auction as a stolen piece (which it isn't) seems like you are way out of line. If you have any beef it should be with the initial seller who reneged on his sale to you, and sold it to someone else, not the person who bought it.
     
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  4. abrod520 Aug 30, 2018

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    No, I bought and paid for a watch on eBay that a member here then made an out-of-eBay offer to convince the seller to cancel the sale and send it to him instead
     
    superfly, marco, George.A and 14 others like this.
  5. padders Oooo subtitles! Aug 30, 2018

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    Unless I am reading it wrong, he wasn't scammed and it wasn't stolen. Those are emotive and in this case innapropriate terms. What happened is that someone tapped up the seller after the sale was closed and made a higher offer. This makes both the seller and back door buyer a snake and is a fairly shitty thing to do but not AFAIK illegal, just unethical.
     
    tictic, marco, George.A and 9 others like this.
  6. abrod520 Aug 30, 2018

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    Well I bought and paid for it via eBay, which is a binding agreement. So of course I'm pissed with the seller, but he's just some kid selling his dad's watch and frankly I don't necessarily think he should know better as he's not well versed in either eBay sales or in watch collecting behavior.

    The buyer however is a dealer, who took a legitimate deal at a good price from a collector (me), just to turn it around and try to sell it to other collectors at a higher price.

    OK, I get your point that it wasn't "stolen" and I'm not reporting it as such, fine. But it was my watch - money had already exchanged hands. If you buy something, do you not agree that you should receive it? Or do you really think that when you agree to terms and pay for something, it should remain for sale for whomever should decide to come along and outbid you?

    A main part of the enjoyment of this hobby is finding the "diamonds in the rough," Neek, and this behavior strips that right out. We're a community, so how do we feel about people taking advantage of the community to negate our deals and then try to sell us the same thing for more money?

    So sure, it's not illegal. As in, there are no laws against it. But it is against eBay's terms of service (and we're supposed to trust eBay and the sellers on that platform, right?) and it is a really nasty thing to do to another collector.

    Look at it this way - if the buyer were in the right, why isn't he selling this watch on the Forum where he's been an active dealer for a couple years? Why is he instead selling it on a burner eBay account?
     
    superfly, marco, George.A and 24 others like this.
  7. abrod520 Aug 30, 2018

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    OK, I see your point about the word "stole" - really what I meant is more like "stole (or took) it out from under me" and I'll edit my post.
     
  8. MikeMan2727 Aug 30, 2018

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    That sucks. I remember a similar story on the forum about a Longines Tre Tacche so it is not uncommon.
     
    Syrte, Bill Sohne and GuiltyBoomerang like this.
  9. Neek U-neek. Get it? Aug 30, 2018

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    I completely understand and I get why you are upset. But to be honest, from my perspective, if you are dabbling into ebay vintage speedmasters and this is the most screwed you ever get, you're doing great lol.
     
    Seaborg, connieseamaster, kov and 4 others like this.
  10. GuiltyBoomerang Aug 30, 2018

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    Read that one, both are rather unsavoury affairs.
    Again, this probably highlights the fact that watches for most people are just for money purposes...
     
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  11. 89-0 Aug 30, 2018

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    Sorry you lost out on the watch. But thanks for the challenge-- I figured out the seller based on that hand!
     
    smitty190373 likes this.
  12. abrod520 Aug 30, 2018

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    Well, like I said, I've spent enough time going through eBay listings to have at least a little bit of an idea about how to distinguish a scammer from someone who just joined eBay to sell the first big-ticket item they've inherited. But I've definitely been more cautious about it for sure, since I don't have the level of financial resources to be able to absorb a multi-thousand-dollar loss - which is why it hurts to find that a good deal fell through because of someone who does have those resources
     
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  13. tyrantlizardrex Aug 30, 2018

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    So who convinced the seller to break eBay rules, and go back on a contract to sell an item?

    Good to know who can't be trusted. :cautious:
     
    Edited Aug 30, 2018
  14. ConElPueblo Aug 30, 2018

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    I've had this happen to me twice now. There's no other way around it than saying that the guy who sold it to you is violating eBay rules and the (new) seller is a prick.

    This is completely wrong. The price @abrod520 bought it at is irrelevant and does in no way influence whether or not this was an underhand action. What if the initial price had been at "market"? Or even high? It doesn't matter. The rules clearly say that the sale is a binding contract and that you are not allowed to make deals outside of eBay on items... The last item I was cheated out of was actually bought at a, what I thought to be, relatively high price; I most certainly didn't want to pay more for it. Sadly, the watch stopped working as he picked it up for shipping, but it is at his watchmaker now :rolleyes::rolleyes:

    Anyone who knows the ID of the prick - feel free to PM me as I am curious to see who I should avoid dealing with.

    Also - anyone know how to report this to eBay? When I looked into it the first time it happened, I couldn't find the right form.
     
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  15. Neek U-neek. Get it? Aug 30, 2018

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    If you read what I said, I said that the buyer did nothing underhanded. The seller clearly did something against the rules of eBay.
     
  16. tyrantlizardrex Aug 30, 2018

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    So I think I have an idea which forum member and Florida based dealer this might be, and I'll just say this:

    If they think that this sort of behaviour is OK, why are they hiding this watch on a burner eBay account, rather than on their instagram/website/here?

    Would be interested to understand...
     
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  17. ConElPueblo Aug 30, 2018

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    And if you read what I wrote, the buyer has obviously bought it via other channels than eBay thus violating eBay rules. Get it?
     
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  18. ConElPueblo Aug 30, 2018

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    I like how the new seller "am not stating that this is all original or not. I am selling this as is" when everyone can see that the hands are off a mk. II :rolleyes:
     
    George.A, Etp095, lando and 3 others like this.
  19. timestamp Aug 30, 2018

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    The seller’s hand or the incorrect (Speedmaster Mark series) hands? ;)
     
    Vaylalo, ConElPueblo and 89-0 like this.
  20. Boony Aug 30, 2018

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    Yeah you lucked out! Those hands are terrible!
     
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