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MikeMan2727
·I purchased and received my first watch through the eBay Authenticity Program a few days ago. I had read about a few poor experiences with watch stems being snapped and accessories being lost, so I wanted to be as careful as possible.
Before the package was due to be delivered, I emailed the Authenticator with my tracking number and photos of the watch. I told them about the extra strap that would be in the package. I also told them where to find the serial number on the watch case. I did not want them to open the watch or misplace the antimagnetic inner cap if they did.
The whole process was very quick. The watch arrived to them on Friday morning, they "authenticated" it in a few hours, and the watch was shipped to me later in the day. I received the watch on Tuesday.
Everything arrived in excellent condition and nothing was lost. Interestingly, they listed the case number and not the movement number on the authenticity card. I'm not sure if this is coincidence or they actually saw my email. Either way, I'm happy the extra strap was not lost and the antimagnetic inner cap was still present.
Now to the point of my post. Their "security tag" is laughable. On every watch, they attach a red tag that reads "no returns if removed." The tag is attached to the strap and nothing else. I was able to remove the strap on each side without tearing the tag.
Conceivably someone could receive an authenticated watch, remove the tag, open the watch, swap components, etc., and then reattach the tag to return the watch.
This isn't bad for collectors though. I was able to open and check the movement before trashing the security tag.
Before the package was due to be delivered, I emailed the Authenticator with my tracking number and photos of the watch. I told them about the extra strap that would be in the package. I also told them where to find the serial number on the watch case. I did not want them to open the watch or misplace the antimagnetic inner cap if they did.
The whole process was very quick. The watch arrived to them on Friday morning, they "authenticated" it in a few hours, and the watch was shipped to me later in the day. I received the watch on Tuesday.
Everything arrived in excellent condition and nothing was lost. Interestingly, they listed the case number and not the movement number on the authenticity card. I'm not sure if this is coincidence or they actually saw my email. Either way, I'm happy the extra strap was not lost and the antimagnetic inner cap was still present.
Now to the point of my post. Their "security tag" is laughable. On every watch, they attach a red tag that reads "no returns if removed." The tag is attached to the strap and nothing else. I was able to remove the strap on each side without tearing the tag.
Conceivably someone could receive an authenticated watch, remove the tag, open the watch, swap components, etc., and then reattach the tag to return the watch.
This isn't bad for collectors though. I was able to open and check the movement before trashing the security tag.
