Nothing, really. I would assume you could try suing, but if you have agreed to the terms and conditions, your options may be very limited. I know the general feeling here is that this is nothing short of a disaster, but the feedback I've seen on some other forums tells me that a lot of people are very pleased with this idea. The vast majority of buyers don't have all the knowledge required to make sure they don't buy fake, so for those people this is ideal, and takes the potential to be scammed out of the equation by inserting a third party who can authenticate, at least to some degree.
Interesting approach by EBay. Echo some of the concerns in authenticating watches that are rare, Chrono24 doesn't even recognize a lot of vintage references. Another concern is the extra travel? Where does it have to be sent for authentication? The more travelling, the higher the risk of loss or damage. Even if it's fully insured, it would be upsetting if that happened.
It also gives confidence to the seller that the buyer won't try to scam them (e.g. not as described).
So, the heart of it: What items are eligible for eBay Authenticity Guarantee? Only watches sold in the Wristwatches category for over $2000 are currently eligible. Smart watches, watch parts, watch accessories and customized watches are not eligible (A watch is deemed to be customized if the original brand parts have been replaced with non-brand parts, or parts not original to the model or era. Or if components have been modified from the original design, e.g., adding a diamond to the bezel or dial) Authenticity Guarantee is available for all conditions and in all listing formats. However, if an item sells for under $2000 in an Auction listing, it may not be eligible for authentication The item must be located in the US and sold to a buyer with a US shipping address There are some loopholes. I wonder if a hirsch band is a modification, for instance. Customised spring bars?
This will also depend on the person selling it to list is accurately by now listing it as "customized" and you can't depend on all sellers to do this. I agree that this program could have some great benefit to a large group of people. However, I also feel this program will have sharp growing pains. Will this same exclusion apply to vintage watches? Many of these are sold "head only" or on an aftermarket strap. What if someone with a modern speedy hated the OEM bracelet, sold it to purchase a 1171, and ultimately decided to sell the watch. It's an OEM part but "not original to the model."
eBay isn't my favorite marketplace, but I see this as an overall positive for eBay and their watch processes in general. Had to start somewhere
So... just them? Does that mean a watch from Melbourne or Paris will always have to travel to Dayton Ohio? Or have I got that part wrong?
I believe they would have “experts” in different areas. but I use the world loosely. It’s a bit like the Genius’s in an Apple store.
I just know that in a not-so distant future, we will have new members signing up here with redialed Constellations or Speedmasters with aftermarket DONs saying "but it was verified by eBay...". Remember you read it here first I haven't bought many high-priced watches on eBay, but the ones I have bought (i.e. an Australian Navy Certina DS PH1000M or a Mido Multi-centerchronograph) are NOT items I'd want to run by some unknown person with a pair of tweezers and a loupe.
This also encourages more “buy first, ask questions later” I think we will see quicker purchases, more bidding, and ultimately higher prices as novice buyers feel “safer”
And another point — what about those of us that use third party insurance. We insure a $25k watch through parcel pro to make sure it gets to the buyer... I guess we are now insuring the watch to get to eBay. And then eBay insures the watch the rest of the way. This brings up way too many questions and what if scenarios and we will need more info.
It seems to me that what this really comes down to is either go along with the process or have one less platform on which to buy and sell watches priced over a certain threshold. I’ve sold one watch and bought two on eBay. All were under the $2,000 threshold. I suspect that the vast majority of transactions fall below that limit. Bottom line: if you don’t like it, buy or sell elsewhere.
More than half of my over $2k watch sales are on eBay. There is access to a much greater buying pool and despite the higher selling fees, I am often able to sell for more on eBay so it evens out. But I absolutely don’t want to be a part of that. I don’t need eBay to authentic my watches for the buyer. Maybe it won’t last and they will find it will cause more headaches than it saves. One can only hope...
As I mentioned above, I've also sold many watches on eBay for more than $2k, but in recent years (as fees and taxes went up) I have increasingly moved to private sales, often via forum listings. However, eBay is still a good place to sell more obscure watches, or watches with some condition issues, and these can certainly sell for more than $2k. Honestly, I don't have many watches like that left in my collection, but I have a few old pieces that might be hard to "authenticate" for someone accustomed to looking at common modern watches. What would they make of this obscure chronograph for example? Is it authentic? Is the unsigned 1940s Valjoux 22 movement original? Will they spend an hour doing research, or just send it back? Could it sell for $2k? Maybe, since on eBay there will always be a few people who know what they are looking at.
It's weird that eBay is now in the speculative game now. I've seen more than a few auction (not buy now) listings that are well below the $2k limit but already have the stamp on it. Per their FAQ, watches expected to sell for over $2k automatically get it added. Wonder what happens if it doesn't make it?
