Is being rude in vogue?

dsio

Isn't this the same guy that had the Seamaster SS case black waffle dial / gold marker you recommended a few weeks ago?

peter wagenaar

I like it when somebody hides himself after a fancy name, and then go after a seller
no vintage Omega Oracle , but that is a new way to do sorry
if you have a problem you come to me instead of a forum

dsio

but if you really did reply

"Just raised the price
Gold price is rising
So do not buy if you can not afford it"

I'd be just as furious about it, as would about anyone else with an interest in this hobby

U ulackfocus

So I'm doing my regular day-off hunting and come across a pink gold vintage Ω logo buckle. It looks decent, so I send an e-mail using the "Contact" option. I noticed all the seller's buckles are priced at 155 Euros despite their metal content... solid gold, gold plated, stainless, etc. I ask what he'd take for the particular buckle - here's the conversation sans the greetings and sign-offs:

Me

"Hi. I see all your buckles are marked with the same price. What would you take for this 14ct rose/pink gold 16 mm Omega buckle?"

Peter Wagenaar of Omega-Fanatic (sales site is watch-fanatic.com):

"I do not understand your question
You see the price and now you ask what is the price ?

Omega solid red /pink gold - Buckles & Parts for Vintage Watches

The price wil be higher next week as the gold price is rising"

Me

"So your saying your marked price is not negotialble? And regardless of what metal a buckle is you charge 155 euros for it?"

PW

"Just raised the price
Gold price is rising
So do not buy if you can not afford it"

I went on the site to see it was now 165 Euros. Could this guy be more abrupt? So I sent him back a nice reply.

Me

"Aren't you a polite person! "If I can't afford it"! Dude, get lost. I can afford to buy whatever I want. I simply asked a question that you should recognize as what's called a buying signal, but since you're so rude I wouldn't purchase anything from you now. Funny - last month I had another brash shop owner who was selling an Audemars Piguet. I hung up on him and spent those thousands of dollars with the very next dealer I contacted. Looks like the same is about to happen to you.

Oh, and I bet the forums will get a kick out of your tactics."

Would someone clue me in to what's the popular trend? Is being obnoxious to customers the 'in' thing nowadays? I mean, I'm in sales so I need to keep up with trends or it could cost my company money. The funny part is I have no need or desire for anyone to be sugar sweet with me; I just want them to NOT be an asshat. Is that asking too much? Has politeness gone out of style?

J Jaques

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I have never dealt with Peter but have with any number of Dutch people and people from other Nationalities. Each has its own arrogance, the Asians, for example, by pretence of humility until that fails because they look down on the white trash they have to tolerate as they see it, to become acceptable. Americans also have an aura of superiority and in France think they are god's gift, when generally they are despised. There's a very obvious trait of Australians who think they can behave as .they wish and dress as they wish and drink as they wish in, for example the middle east, Thailand, Bali.

There's a trait within the Dutch of not suffering fools gladly and being businesslike. You phrased your question as though he was a stall vendor in an Arab flea market and received a reply which was quite accurate,to 'what will you take'. There are ways you could have phrased the question, such as "Peter, I see your price for XY is Z euros. I don't know you but I have found people will negotiate on price sometimes....would you consider reducing the price at all or is it a firm price".?...

Peter who is not say a native American but has about the same issues with the language as do speakers of correct English, came back to say that he's given a price..in other words he saw you as asking 'what is the price'...he reminded you the price of gold was rising....so be aware the price will rise as gold rises. Again he has not raised your question's intent.

You may well not realise it but once you have made an offer or tried to haggle, a person can lawfully increase their price 'on the spot'. He has chosen to increase the price when perhaps he could have said 'sir, watches and gold are my assets. My price listed is my price however when prices are rising for the metal I follow the market. If you want to buy at my listed price then I will hold it there for you alone for 24 hours and then it will increase.', however you showed him no respect and came back with the infantile and perjorative term "Dude" which when he checks his dictionary he sees addresses him as an inexpert person (as in Dude Ranch) or at best as a person to whom you are superior...which in this case you are not. ....The term is highly insulting, something which would see your nose pulled by some you addressed that way, and proclaimed you could buy anything you want....In other words you said "I am in control out here....I have money...thousands of dollars which I spend on the very next person's goods when I am not treated with the deference I crave and I am going to treat you that way"...You spat your dummy, tipped your Farex on the floor and started to bang your highchair. Why should Peter Wagenaar care about your implied threats...

Peter quite reasonably, from a national background of extremely wealthy jews involved with precious stones and minerals as he said, saw you being unlike him who gives his name, as someone without an identity hiding behind a pseudonym. You could be on social services or you could be a millionaire ...until you gave the 'I can buy anything I want ' act , which exposed you realised that you are a blowhard. Peter Wagenaar would not care about your money; he's not a street urchin you can bribe and threaten as though you are Meyer Lansky or Al Capone or GW Bush. Peter is a specialist dealer in Omega and some paraphernalia with costs of business including holding costs.

He also said 'don't buy if you can't afford'...he's not advertising on eBay as someone you do not know and with no credentials. Most of what he offers has been selected and where necessary, repaired. He has a price and that price reflects something more intelligent than the example given of a car with fuel in it when fuel prices rise. In fact that's bad business thinking. A sensible person would drain the tank of some fuel, or use the vehicle until sold...or the fuel gets to a quarter tank for example. America and Israel have generated a terrorist controlled world in which fear affects gold price as a rare and precious metal which can be used in almost any negotiation...including gold watch cases and buckles.

Has politeness gone out of fashion?, well in his case he's acting pretty normally for a Dutch specialist, abnormally were he a flea market vendor in Ethiopia or at a car boot sale in USA. You immediately personalised the issue and insulted him and began to brag in a way which tried to demean him. I thought him restrained then. You could have come back to him with a non critical response: ...I'm sorry Mr Wagenaar, I didn't mean to be disrespectful, perhaps I didn't express myself well, I was just trying to see if I could do better than your listed price because sometimes for vendors their price is one they are prepared to reduce if asked by a serious buyer. I will buy the buckle at (price-5%...or whatever you think you are ok with paying ) would you be ok with that?....I am keeping in mind your kindly alert that gold-prices are rising. If you accept my offer I will pay immediately on your advice. My best regards....

It all could have been better handled but you instigated the problem and then continued it on my going on like a brat rather than reassessing the situation to make one more attempt to buy what you wanted through not devolving the situation further. I thought his replies thereafter quite moderate Your proclamation "I mean, I'm in sales so I need to keep up with trends or it could cost my company money" if it is true, indicates that you have a long way to go. Were you acting on behalf of 'my company' to buy the buckle....would you have handled the matter as you did?
Your 'nice reply' adulated by other commentators, to me indicates perhaps a trainee real estate or used car salesman....full of bluster and overactive imagination. I hope you learn from this *if you come back to the site, these few years later.
Voila, Jaques.