Anyone willing to share experiences where you purchased a watch based on photos and when the watch arrived(via post) it does not 100% match description?

I recently purchased a watch and the photos showed lume completely full. Upon receipt of the watch, one of the lume plots is missing lume. Would you see this as acceptable? What would you do if it happened to you?

 

Before and after pix would be great in your case here.

Off top of my head, I’d say that watch’s journey to you was somewhat rough and a lume dot was bounced/vibrated loose.

I reserve the right to change my mind if your before pix shows the lost lume dot and you just overlooked it in your zeal.

 

A seller will often accept a return if the watch is not as described. And certainly if it was through eBay, they will back you up on that, even if it was a no return sale. You will need clear photos.

 

Seller Photo

Upon Receipt

 

I would imagine this wouldn't happen in transit as under UV light there isn't random radium everywhere. I presume the photo in the listing was pre service and the watch received was after service. I suppose whomever serviced the watch caused issue with the lume @ 11.

Edit:
Also note it appears the crystal has been replaced or at least the large scratch is gone.

 

Those photos should certainly be enough to justify a return.

 

Unfortunately it wasn't through ebay. I did purchase on credit card but I don't want push to come to shove, obviously.

Thanks for the reply, I felt a little OCD/crazy but it was a bit of a let down after waiting a week to receive.

Gratuitous photo of my "generic Ranchero" project w/ this watch + a 2990 seamaster.

 

I’d return it and ask for my money back. If you bought it expecting complete original lume and it clearly isn’t there, I’d start over.

I have no idea who the seller is, but if they didn’t disclose that - what else didn’t they tell you?

 

From italy, I know...buyer beware but I have been chasing a nice white ranchero forever.

 

Let's wait and see how the return plays out before jumping to conclusions. It's possible that something happened between when the photos were taken and when the watch was shipped, and possibly the seller didn't even notice. As mentioned above, it looks like the crystal was polished or replaced as well. Old watches are fragile, and damage can happen at any time. Hopefully the seller will accept the return with no fuss.

 

If you still like the watch you can always negotiate for a partial refund based on the lume loss.

 

I think attempting to get a partial refund is poor form and a tactic that unscrupulous buyers partake in. I will attempt to get a return going but I am not confident, my message was met with a response that I will hear back within 96 hours...seems way excessive IMO. If I don't hear back I guess I will speak with my credit card company to put pressure on the seller.

The gist of it is I wouldn't have bid what I did had the watch been adequately/properly described. I guess I have had this happen to me multiple times in the last few years and I am tired of letting sellers get away with this behavior.

 

I fully understand your viewpoint, though there are rare occasions where a partial refund may be founded. Sorry to hear that the seller isn’t handling this appropriately.

 

There are many times when a partial refund makes sense, especially on any issues caused by transit. Sometimes it makes the most sense for both buyer and seller. I have been on both sides of this.

Best of luck with the return, a missing lume plot is significant and not OCD

 

Agreed with the "not OCD" part. It isn't a small speck on the dial or like slight variation of color on the lume. The entire lume plot had dropped off/disappeared and that's quite disconcerting to me.

 

I appreciate all of the responses. I just wanted to make sure I am not being an ass about condition.

2019 has started out with a bang for me as far as watches go. First some dbag tried to bait and switch from a Rolex 5513 w/ matte dial to a applied dial...then this. I am still waiting for my money back from the 5513. Watch collecting isn't for the faint of heart. The best thing about the fraud/Rolex is the dude is based in freaking California. Wild west out here.

 

tell me about it. I spent my entire 2019 budget on a watch and it came about as wasn't working when it was described as running.

 

When I started out on my vintage watch journey, 12+ yrs ago now, I made some real rookie mistakes, which I learnt from, as well as having my leg royally lifted on more than one occasion. Very frustrating at the time, and put a real dampener on my enthusiasm for the hobby, but this soon passed and as time went by my disappointments reduced to pretty much zero as my experience & knowledge grew.

As others have said, continue your dialogue with the seller, hopefully it will result in a satisfactory conclusion for you. These days, more than ever before, I really do 'buy the seller', to me dealing with a trustworthy seller is far more important than saving a few quid, or getting a particular piece a bit quicker.

 

It happens very often. If I could give a suggestion, ask the seller to make a video under sun light, rotating the watch in different position (and slowly). I think it is the best way to see clearly how the watch really is. If is possible, try to do not base only on pics.

 

Totally unacceptable. That's not an in transit issue, the watch has been molested between the two photos.