My first bad experience after buying a watch...

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Seller doesn't give 2 shits what a bunch of watch nerds on a forum think...
so thrue...
 
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So this was a buy and flip for him. From a source who is a collector and perhaps does some trading on the side, unless I ask him/her to service before shipment or there are records, I assume that I'm taking the watch straight to my watchmaker.

From an established dealer, I'd expect and have received some sort of warranty which most offer. I think he thinks he did you a favor in selling this to you as a flip, is tight on what he has in it vs resale, knows you are not going to send it back and does not want to invest any more in it. He obviously does not care if you ever buy from him again.

It would have been nice if he had simply explained that and offered to cut you a deal on a future purchase. You have a nice/rare watch there so you win and he looses.
 
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Seller doesn't give 2 shits what a bunch of watch nerds on a forum think...
Then he is not very sensible. The type of people on here are exactly the type of people who have 5 figures that they are prepared to spend on a watch like the OP's.
 
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That is quite upsetting, but may I ask a question to everyone: what's wrong about naming the dealer publicly?
The only dealer I've ever dealt with on a much cheaper watch gave me a year warranty on the watch and said if there's anything wrong with the watch I should ship it back to him for repair and he would pay for the round trip shipment via Fed Ex.
When I first spoke to him by phone he assured these terms would be laid out in the invoice and that his goal was to make his clients happy.

If this dealer sells 5 figure three handers without providing providing any warranty that is something worth knowing, if stated factually.
 
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There are always two sides to every story. This I have learned.
 
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The attitude is definitely offputting, but I would just suck it up and get the watch fixed -- and never deal with this person / dealer again. I always assume service is required (after learning a few lessons myself).

While it might be unfriendly, the watch sounds like it was "as described".

Sorry for your bad experience @Fost
 
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Why not just send the watch back and never buy from him again?
 
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Why not just send the watch back and never buy from him again?

Step bezel, 35mm tre tacche's aint exactly a dime a dozen. A hassle indeed, but still worth it for the Longines prize...
 
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Why not just send the watch back and never buy from him again?
Because 35mm glossy dial tre tacche don't grow on trees and a service or a donor movement is a drop in the bucket.
 
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As frustrating as it is there is some comfort in knowing he won't receive another penny from you.
I also don't think there is anything wrong in naming the dealer. It will either transpire that this is a one off, as other buyers will share their positive experiences or unhappy customers will share their negative experiences. Knowing these things allows potential customers to make up their own minds about where to spend their money.
 
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The attitude is definitely offputting, but I would just suck it up and get the watch fixed -- and never deal with this person / dealer again. I always assume service is required (after learning a few lessons myself).

While it might be unfriendly, the watch sounds like it was "as described".

Sorry for your bad experience @Fost
You are right... AT the end of the day this is not a big deal as the movement is quite cheap and easy to fix... It is more about the principle. If the watch you are buying is not explicitly described as non working, I Consider it as working... Maybe i am a fool..
Why not just send the watch back and never buy from him again?
See @watchknut and @LarryG answer 😀
As frustrating as it is there is some comfort in knowing he won't receive another penny from you.
I also don't think there is anything wrong in naming the dealer. It will either transpire that this is a one off, as other buyers will share their positive experiences or unhappy customers will share their negative experiences. Knowing these things allows potential customers to make up their own minds about where to spend their money.
I hear you but I don't want to name someone on a public place. I don't like it and I think it is not the aim of this post. I was just trying gather opinion to confort my point. I think there products and cons on every situation. That's not the end of the world, just very annoying because... I Will not have any black dial for summer holidays 🙁
Edited:
 
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Sorry to hear this @Fost. I hope this may cheer you up a bit, and you are able to get your tre tacche up and running soon.

I have always had a soft spot for older Seikos as I remember them from my childhood. I recently bought a vintage Seiko from a seller I did not know.... who told me the watch was " all correct and a bit of a bargain". I put my hands up to not being that familiar with all older Seiko models (quite clearly). This is the assessment I just received today after sending it in for a service. All in all it is quite apparent I have bought a huge pile of muck! The list was so long it actually made me laugh. Maybe I will just stick to Omega!

** I think that this is a watch that has been refurbished but whoever did this, rather than replacing worn / damaged parts with original SEIKO parts has either used aftermarket (AM) parts or has repaired the existing parts.

** I think the bezel insert is AM - it doesn't fit correctly and under magnification you can see poor finish around the outer edge.

** The main hands have either been repainted (badly) or are AM. The sub-dial hands are definitely AM.

** I suspect the dial is AM - the lume on the batons is not correct (certainly not SEIKO lume).

** The crown and stem have been butchered (where the stem screws into the crown) and there is rust.

** One of the pushers is rusty, but also looks like it has been repaired and welded - I suspect this is why it looks different in length to the other one.

** There is quite a lot of rust inside the case and the the movement runs - but with a very low amplitude around the 170 mark.
 
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Sorry to hear this @Fost. I hope this may cheer you up a bit, and you are able to get your tre tacche up and running soon.

I have always had a soft spot for older Seikos as I remember them from my childhood. I recently bought a vintage Seiko from a seller I did not know.... who told me the watch was " all correct and a bit of a bargain". I put my hands up to not being that familiar with all older Seiko models (quite clearly). This is the assessment I just received today after sending it in for a service. All in all it is quite apparent I have bought a huge pile of muck! The list was so long it actually made me laugh. Maybe I will just stick to Omega!

** I think that this is a watch that has been refurbished but whoever did this, rather than replacing worn / damaged parts with original SEIKO parts has either used aftermarket (AM) parts or has repaired the existing parts.

** I think the bezel insert is AM - it doesn't fit correctly and under magnification you can see poor finish around the outer edge.

** The main hands have either been repainted (badly) or are AM. The sub-dial hands are definitely AM.

** I suspect the dial is AM - the lume on the batons is not correct (certainly not SEIKO lume).

** The crown and stem have been butchered (where the stem screws into the crown) and there is rust.

** One of the pushers is rusty, but also looks like it has been repaired and welded - I suspect this is why it looks different in length to the other one.

** There is quite a lot of rust inside the case and the the movement runs - but with a very low amplitude around the 170 mark.
Thanks so much!!! I feel better now 😀
 
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Had a similar experience this year as well.
Bought this beauty from the bay:
1713201_by_hubor-db8ygxj.jpg
Price was rather steep, but I decided it was worth it. Seller "daveplc" claimed it was serviced last year.
The thing stopped after about six hours of running.
Seller offered me a refund as well, but as @watchknut said, these don't grow on trees either.
So sent it to my watchmaker, asking him to do a quick assessment about the condition.
He replied, that the movement isn't botched but dry and blocked by hair 😲. After learning this I found out that the seller also regularly exhibits at watch exchanges.
So I had it queued and repaired by my watch maker. Paid the bill, didn't get a refund. When I recieved it back it was even to late for a bad review on the bay ::facepalm1::.
Of course the 250€ are not worth bothering an attorney but I guess because of this those guys get away with this behaviour.
Strictly spoken, this is fraud.
 
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I think we are all subject to some bad deal unfortunately 🙁
BUT!!!!!!

... I was smart enough to keep a drug patch for holidayssssssssssssss 😎😎😎
 
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I think you are wise to not rush into naming the dealer publicly at this stage. Is the dealer in question an individual watch seller, who is part of this forum, or are we talking about a large company that deals on line?
I say this because 'outing' an individual like this (even using private messaging) could be a serious thing and, if challenged legally, may need to be substantiated with proof that goes beyond an accusation on a web forum.

Don't get me wrong @Fost, I'm not casting any measure of doubt over your acount of things. This is often the case when details of an agreement are expressed verbally. I feel very sorry that you have had this experience and I think this forum is the perfect place to discuss a matter like this. The fact that you are so open about it, by creating this thread, suggests that you have 'right' on your side and confidence that you are justified in your dissatisfaction.
I'm very sorry that this has spoiled the enjoyment of your watch. Bad deal mate.🙁
Edited:
 
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@nonuffinkbloke no problem and I completely agree with your point. Naming him in public is absolutely not my way of thinking and dealing with such issue. Nevertheless if someone ask me reference for him I will just tell him the thrue.

That being said, if proof are needed one day, I have all the written exchange. But the problem is not that I was scammed or something, it is more about service, transparency and customer satisfaction. And if he want to protect himself, he can always say he offer me to get the watch back... So i dont think he will be in.trouble even if I decided to push on him... Something i Will not do of course, not for 250 euros...
 
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Well this post puts two dealers in to my mind without even trying too hard

Mr paper clip
Mr Imnotadealer

I am sure more will pop up
 
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Sorry to hear about this. I see it as somewhat of a tricky issue as most watches sold by dealers carry no warranty by the manufacturer or the dealer and are sold as-is. There should always be a reasonable period of time however to check for issues and "inspect" the watch. For some it is 3 days, others it is a week, etc. Issues found should be disclosed ASAP and hopefully a solution could be worked out. In any event, the dealer should be patient and respectful, which it certainly sounds like he was not. Without knowing more, I'd say a typical solution in a situation like this is splitting the cost of the repairs. It adds value and seems fair to me. Otherwise you should be able to return it at the dealer's cost.
 
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Well this post puts two dealers in to my mind without even trying too hard

Mr paper clip
Mr Imnotadealer

I am sure more will pop up
I bought a watch from Mr paper clip and if I had known about his shoddy practice before hand he would not have seen one penny from me. I think it is especially bad because I expect better from other members than I would from eBay or even dealers outside of this forum. The watch I received was not as described. Oh well, we live and learn.😀