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Question about buying on this forum?

P
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I buy online only for stuff i cant get locally. And have used a myriad of payment options including bank transfer, credit card, paypal, etc. Key is buying the seller. So far, doing this since 2016, never been burned.

Normally, if available locally, one can get a better deal in my experience.
 
STANDY
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wsfarrell wsfarrell
This doesn't always work. In the last six years or so I've seen four highly respected forum members just vanish. In two of the cases, the members disappeared with thousands of dollars in deposits for high-end custom kitchen knives. Family issues, divorce, medical issues, whatever--it happens. It still boggles the mind that people will send thousands of irretrievable dollars to strangers.

Most members and Mods I have bought off are the type of guys that you would welcome in your house, ie been here a long time and have hundreds of reputable sales.
 
Dan S
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No reason that you can’t ask for additional info by pm. If someone asks, I am always willing to share verifiable personal and contact information if I’m selling something. Most people aren’t willing to risk exposure and criminal prosecution for a few thousand dollars.

it may seem like a lot of money to the OP, but look at the collections that many OF members have acquired, and put things in context. Someone who has spent decades collecting hundreds of watches is really going to rip you off for $3k?
Edited:
 
mydeafcat
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I’ve made but 4 purchases on OF since 2017, the first within days of joining; then, as now, a newbie. That first seller was in Sweden and I’m in Vancouver. Yet he and the situation just felt legit (both were, absolutely). Having a comment on the watch from @ConElPueblo helped the legitimacy, of course. Sure, it was only $600 US, yet when I later bought a dodgy Speedmaster on OF for $3K US and it turned out to be a sour deal, rather than risk his reputation the seller (in the southern USA) refunded my wired amount - minus about $75 in an exchange rate screw up. That hurt but cest la vie. I let it go. Still, he did the right thing. That’s OF. Not all sellers are saints, of course, yet not everyone is out to swindle you, either. You can usually tell who’s who if you lurk long enough. The other two watches, like the first, were smooth deals. And believe me, I haven’t much disposable income to risk.

My point? Looking at the threads’s title, ‘Question about buying on this forum’, I can say, with conviction, that yes...one can buy on this forum. No question.

But trust is essential. On both sides.
Edited:
 
Kargol
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I have sold and bought many watches. I never got burned. I always talk with the sellers before the purchase. If I feel something strange I do also video calls.
Before I send money I always try to forget my love for the watch I am getting and try to think how I feel about the seller. I have abandoned many purchases because I felt "awkward" talking with sellers. There is no limit on how much time you talk or how many messages you will send when you are about the send money. It does not matter if it's 10 euros or 3000 euros. Sellers that don't reply quickly enough, or don't reply straight to a simple question, make me feel "strange".. Sometimes I can talk for days until the purchase, and many times I have made seller-friends.
Selling and buying to me is like a full time job.
If you are not experienced or you feel you don't have the patience and insight, just go to an AD.
 
Fatcat
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Hi I have sold and buy lot of things in the forum, of course depending where you are located makes the difference , in EU wire is more usual than a US guy, on the other side it depends the communication that you have with the person , also looking in the past transaction it helps ( Got my self request how was the deal with the user xxx) because the person was dealing with them or course is never a full warranty but you can get a good image of the seller or the buyer.

Paul
 
rainking
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bucksandreds bucksandreds
I'd be saving about $600 on hesalite Moonwatch as getting one with a credit card that has an Omega warranty is not an easy proposition outside of ADs. That's a lot of money. More than I make in a day of work.
If you think saving $600 off a new Speedy Pro is a good deal, and that finding one with an Omega warranty is difficult, you haven’t looked very hard. You can save at least $1000 or more and get factory warranty from multiple well-known trustworthy sellers. There’s nothing to worry about but if you can’t get past it, that’s understandable.
Edited:
 
bucksandreds
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rainking rainking
If you think saving $600 off a new Speedy Pro is a good deal, and that finding one with an Omega warranty is difficult, you haven’t looked very hard. You can save at least $1000 or more and get factory warranty from multiple well-known trustworthy sellers. There’s nothing to worry about but if you can’t get past it, that’s understandable.

not $600 off MSRP. $600 off cheapest I can find that comes with an Omega warranty that I can also purchase with a credit card.
 
padders
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So you want the retail safety net but a private sale price? See what Standy posted above, thats about as close as you are going to get.
Edited:
 
bucksandreds
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padders padders
So you want the retail safety net but a private sale price? See what Standy posted above, thats about as close as you are going to get.
Who doesn’t? I’m just doing my due diligence and taking my time. Buying used I had to return a moonwatch that wasn’t keeping time. Now that I’m going new, I want to make the best and most informed decision.
 
PhotonX
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STANDY STANDY
Buying from @Kringkily is as safe as you can get. Know hundreds of people will agree.......

Agree, I had a great first time experience with @Kringkily. The key to person to person transactions is verifying they are reputable through research on OF and other forums.
 
gostang9
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bucksandreds bucksandreds
Who doesn’t? I’m just doing my due diligence and taking my time. Buying used I had to return a moonwatch that wasn’t keeping time. Now that I’m going new, I want to make the best and most informed decision.
If you don’t feel safe wiring money to a user here, you shouldn’t. I’ve sent multiple thousands many times, always received what I expected in short order. I once met someone F2F to buy a watch and it is the deal I regret most (nice watch, was not exactly what I was told it was...).

I have found that trusted sellers can be trusted. I have found that personal integrity is high with regular members. If I didn’t know someone well enough, then I wouldn’t send money.
 
BlackTalon
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wsfarrell wsfarrell
In two of the cases, the members disappeared with thousands of dollars in deposits for high-end custom kitchen knives.
Sorry to move off on a tangent, but what kitchen knife forum did this happen on?
 
Toishome
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bucksandreds bucksandreds
Who doesn’t? I’m just doing my due diligence and taking my time. Buying used I had to return a moonwatch that wasn’t keeping time. Now that I’m going new, I want to make the best and most informed decision.

I was just told of a brand new moonwatch out of the box that's losing half a minute per day. You can have issues even with a new watch.
Where are you located? Wondering where you getting these prices 😕
 
JohnLy
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bucksandreds bucksandreds
With a wire transfer through a sale on this site is there any recourse if you don’t receive what you pay for? I’m in the market for my first Omega watch but am nervous of sending cash to someone that I don’t know.
Thanks in advance.
I have bought several watches on OF and have not had a bad experience on any of them. Each time the watch was a good or better than the description, delivery was spot on. In all a very good buying experience.
 
jankymutt
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Trust is inherent in any forum purchase. I was skeptical of private transactions initially, but after researching the sellers my mind was put at ease.

Sine then I have made dozens of high end purchases from forums (watches, firearms, guitars, fishing gear, boats) all while trusting the seller will do right by me. I haven't been burned yet. Not saying it's never going to happen, but I am confident with the right research I can minimize the risk. If that is something you can't reconcile in your head, buy used locally (FTF) or buy new. Good luck!
 
cholack
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The first and most important rule is to buy the seller. Generally do your homework by checking out their references, their posts (and degree of involvement in posting), and their social media presence. What you are looking for is their establishment and reputation over time.

Personally, I like to call or text for more information and/or photos. If they cannot adequate answer your questions or provide you will additional requested photos, that is a sign to pull the ‘chute.
 
J
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To echo what everyone here has mentioned before me, I'll just reiterate - buy the Seller before the watch and half a dollar of common sense is the best investment you can make in a successful outcome. Don't let the want for the watch subdue any "too good to be true" alarms that might be going off in your head.
 
mjb
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I wonder what the OP decided to do?
 
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