OMG I need to rant (watch related) bloody eBay authenticators

Evening all

forgive my rant but I need to let off some serious steam!

So……… after a couple of years of fun and I decided to let my 2002 SMP 300 titanium chronograph go, partially not wearing it as much, partially I have to accept it’s a bit big for me and partially fancied a planet ocean but need to watch my pennies! As with all of my watches the watch is an absolute belter, I looked at loads and its a beauty. Its just been serviced, its got the original GTE and the original inner and outer box.

so, I listed my SMP on eBay and got a great buyer, lots of back and forth and we agreed a deal, I wasn’t making on the watch in fact losing but just about breaking even but happy it was off to a good home!

So I packed it up and off it went with original GTE in the original (tatty as they always are Red inner and White outer) early 2000’s red omega box! I actually debated about putting it in a nicer newer box but thought the orignal box was more appropriate (despite the ‘red shed’ of flaky red box syndrome from that period, the yellowing of the inner foam of the white outer box and the general 'not perfect' condition of the box)

At the same time, day I sold it I saw a totally orignal, unmolested orange bezel PO 42mm 2500 on eBay for a decent price so I bagged that! Great seller, really honest, good back and forth.

both watches went of to the ‘authenciator’ in the UK…….

today…. The SMP buyer (who I stress is a lovely chap but not a collector and as such going on good faith) gets an email from the authenciator to say the watch is legit (of course it is) but the box (yes the orignal early 2000 tattered red box) is a ‘reproduction and not genuine’……. I mean what the actually fudge?? I've owned so many of these boxes, the more modern ones I get are often 'repro' but I've never once seen a repro late 90's / early 00's red box.

Back and forth with the new buyer and eBay and the new buyer has rightly now got the jitters (I’ve offered a £50 partial refund or another box). Ebay of course 'stand by their authenticator' but will 'investigate' for me (now the damage is done)

Then Esther messages me to tell me the PO has arrived. So, despite the stress trying to sort out the box issue (still unresolved) and after a 15 hours day at work I get home tonight all excited at 11:00pm to find my PO fresh from the authenticators with all the certificates. looks great and most importantly original and unmolested but does anyone see a problem with these pictures?

I’m just gob smacked!

So eBay UK’s authenticator is so knowledge about late 1990’s to early 2000’s boxes that they can confidently tell a buyer that the box a fake implying that I’m clearly some sort of criminal mastermind faker who’s gone out of my way to leave a pretty much worthless early 00's red box in a loft for years so the outer red layer peels off and degrades (like they all do). Then the very same authenciator inspects my new PO and misses that not only does the crown not lock but it’s not actually attached! Or even worse they damage it themselves (the seller is a totally stand up guy so I have no doubt he is honest from the messages throughout the deal) and then send it to me like this!

it’s been a long day but is it just me or is this really not acceptable and in actual fact utter shocking??

Honestly, I'm so mad about it! I've been collecting omegas (as lots of you all know) for over 20 years, admittedly my collection is predominantly the vintage stuff but I know my stuff. No one was faking those style of boxes back in the early 2000's (yes I get its a 'thing now' but never seen a fake of that style in my life, the new 'big red box' yes but not the old ones) and then to age it so its flaking its red leatherette coating! Who would do that? No one!

The PO crown thing is unforgivable! All of their pomp and ceremony about 'authentication' and it arrives with a detached crown and unless the authenticator is some sort of master preserver of wrist cheese and detritus, if they have actually conducted a throughout inspection I am a monkeys uncle! shambolic!

If the authenticator is a member (which I really hope they aren't) then shame on you!

eBay"Authenticators" ??? Why on Earth would anybody use them ? eBay is full of fake merchandise. It's only another service to lull Buyers into fake security and screw sellers once more.

Just another step in a process, another set of hands, another leg in shipping that can complicate an already complicated and fragile process. For what? Potential damage, potentially them getting it wrong. Like Archer said, if you don't like it, don't use eBay which is why I don't and never will. OP, I hope you get satisfactory resolution.

Yep, not optional here either (anymore). I don’t mind to be honest, I do still buy bits on eBay and sell them but the last 48 hours has left a bitter taste in my mouth over it all I have to say

I’ve now got a buyer who might back out over a box I know in my heart of hearts is legit and orignal to the watch and I’ve got a seller who’s facing getting his watch back and having to foot a big repair bill or partially refund me to foot a big repair bill and end common denominator (yet again) is eBay’s allwdged customer service

some fair points in the comments chaps but what irks me is they present this as some sort of gold standard an it really really isn’t!


Grrrrrrr……. It’s so frustrating and I know will bring another day today of hassle and stress as both a buyer and a seller having to try ans sort this out

Well David, I suspect I may be in the same boat today

It frustrates me as they present themselves as an expert service and therefore above reproach, they aren't. What I found out this morning is that the aren't Omega accredited and have no Omega authorisation or accreditation to work on Omega watches, how on earth can they claim to be experts and authenticate Omegas when they have no formal training or most important accreditation to work on or inspect them?

Their UK set up are not experts they are at best basically trained and unaccreditd general watch makers making a quick buck with easy in and out work, which is fine and probably making someone very wealthy. But to then question authenticity or a box like this stinks. (especially as there are over a dozen identical and original boxes for sale on eBay currently)

That they can claim to be so knowledge that they can distinguish the authenticity of a generic red omega box thats over 20 years old and I know is genuine and original but then send me a watch that been through their 'rigorous inspection process' but still has the red wax case seal intact on the case back and the crown clear knackered is simply unforgivable.

Anyway, we will see what today brings, can't imagine I will be any happier about this at the end of it!

That said I have this on my wrist today so in the scale of my life’s problems I probably do need to check myself and accept what will be will be!

The authenticators are probably just dudes who have a booth at the shopping mall where they cut keys, sell phone chargers and replace watch batteries.
As such they wouldn’t know an Omega from the hole in their arse!
Because EBay wouldn’t pay enough for a real expert to do it, although I bet they charge like a wounded bull for the “service” (for want of a better term)

Well

By way of an update, the buyer is keeping the SMP chronograph but its costing me a new replacement box, so I will ultimately end up out of pocket but most importantly my reputation in intact. eBay won't return my alleged 'fake' box to me without me forking out for the postage costs so I've spent half an hour tearing them a new one as Ive provided them with all the evidence they need to show the box was indeed genuine in the first place and is totally original and legit (via a dozen item numbers to identical aged boxes on their own website).

The debacle with the PO is still on going, the seller is amazing but eBay are now saying that its most likely the crown (which was on the watch, in a box, surrounded by buddle wrap, in another box and then in a shipping container) was damaged in transit! I mean really? Nothing to do with their authenticator? who has no accreditation from Omega whatsoever and no authorisation / formal training they can provided me with to show they know the difference between and Omega and Garden Gnome.

But on the plus side, the PO did come with a lovely shiny card telling me about how much care they took inspecting it for me! woop bloody woop!

Sure you pay for the shipment costs back to you. You are the Culprit. Next time, you sell with box : ship the watch via whatever registered you agree on. Box in a second parcel, registered but the cheapest way. So the Ebay " Specialist " gets only the watch to screw up. The empty box parcel might cost you around $50 and no more hassles. " Authenticators " in Australia are so far non existent.

Phew I feel for you, so devastating issues stacking like this, when it happens I usually just want to give up and regret all my recent life decisions

Back when I was a total newbie, all my entrepreneurial ideas were marketplace related, obviously amateur ideas as it requires a lot of effort and heft to create a marketplace, but coming full circle, my best idea is again a marketplace

I really think there's a strong gap in the world, a marketplace with eBay's practicality, but risks are buyers and fees are minimal, so you buy the seller, seller has peace of mind

I think in principle, the eBay authentication is a really good idea, as there are so many people that have been badly stung, but it sounds like they make too many cock-ups which is concerning.

In Europe commercial sellers are obliged by law to have an imprint with all contact details in each listing.

In one case I contacted a seller through this and outside eBay, because I did not want the watch to go through "authentication", which was compulsory. The seller was all too happy to agree and I received my watch without any fuzz, the watch being in perfect order.

The seller told me by occasion of our correspondence (OK, this is hear-say, but I believe him) that he just recently had sold another high priced watch via eBay and that this one consequently went through the "authentication". It had been serviced just before by a watchmaker and was in faultless condition. The "authenicator" then notified him and the buyer that the watch had failed because it was said to be non-functional, the deal was cancelled. When the seller received the returned watch he was shocked, because they had sent it in parts. He needed to give it to his watchmaker again for reassembling and repair, with all the related additional costs.

In Germany the "authenticators" are located in a side room of a logistic center for cloths and the company name they run under is not existent, but only similar to the name of the logistic center. According to eBay, an "authenticator" spends many hours checking each item. Considering the number of watches above 1,800 € sold each day, it would need more than 50 highly qualified watchmakers to do the job. I might mention that typically a watch spends about 24 h only at the "authenticator". It would seem highly unreasonable to find that number of such skilled persons instantly, not to speak of making all of them move to Berlin. I do not believe that in the German center there is more than one person, who knows how to spell "watch" correctly, not to speak of having a knowledgable view on each item.