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question about chrono24 scams

Harry jenkins
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I am selling an antique watch on Chrono24 as a private seller. I have never sold a watch on there before. The asking was £4600. A potential buyer who has only been a member since 2025 (recent) - began to message what appeared to be valid questions about my listing and so I answered them honestly. Movement screws, invoice of last service etc.

Among those questions he also asked, which I thought odd, where specifically in my country of origin I was based. As in - which town. Why would he need this information? He then said that he 'really likes the watch' asked the 'best price I would take'. I responded with a figure that was really not significantly lower than my original asking, but only marginally less £4500. He responded with 'If you can deliver it for £4,250 I’ll have it…' I thought this odd. Why didn’t he put that offer forward for consideration immediately?

I said I would sleep on this offer but that I was considering it. The reason I was considering it was that these watches sell very slow, something else has come up, and £4250 would ultimately have broke me even for the work I had to have done on the watch to make it sellable. He responded with 'I am happy to pay you directly'. I asked if he meant directly - as in immediately (as it is sometimes used) - he responded - 'I mean straight into your account…'

I have no intention of selling this watch outside of the Chrono24 infrastructure, but what is the angle here if this is a scam? I think it is.
 
gatorcpa
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Anytime anyone asks you to violate rules of the selling venue, you need to be very wary.

I would decline the offer and wait for someone willing to abide by the rules.
gatorcpa
 
sathomasga
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Harry jenkins Harry jenkins
I mean straight into your account

Pretty sure the OP isn't contemplating this, but giving one's bank account information to a stranger whom you already suspect is sketchy is one way to live life on the edge.
 
Dan S
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There's no obvious reason to think it's a scam, I think you are probably reading too much into the back and forth. Most likely the buyer is looking to avoid C24 fees and perhaps taxes by paying you directly. I have never bought or sold on C24, but I know that eBay tries to intercept any communications that look like they might be headed in that direction.

Aside from the ethics of the situation, you and the buyer would obviously lose any protection C24 provides if you accepted the offer.
 
A
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yes, I have seen this before and the idea is that you will accept lower offer if you don't have to pay c24 fees. But... as stated- you and he lose any sort of protection afforded by service.
 
Davidt
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What protection does the seller need if he’s paid via wire?
While one obviously needs to be alert to scams when buying or selling it’s also important to recognise that people are people (ie strange) and not all weirdos are scammers.
 
Jakeys
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Harry jenkins Harry jenkins
I am selling an antique watch on Chrono24 as a private seller. I have never sold a watch on there before. The asking was £4600. A potential buyer who has only been a member since 2025 (recent) - began to message what appeared to be valid questions about my listing and so I answered them honestly. Movement screws, invoice of last service etc.

Among those questions he also asked, which I thought odd, where specifically in my country of origin I was based. As in - which town. Why would he need this information? He then said that he 'really likes the watch' asked the 'best price I would take'. I responded with a figure that was really not significantly lower than my original asking, but only marginally less £4500. He responded with 'If you can deliver it for £4,250 I’ll have it…' I thought this odd. Why didn’t he put that offer forward for consideration immediately?

I said I would sleep on this offer but that I was considering it. The reason I was considering it was that these watches sell very slow, something else has come up, and £4250 would ultimately have broke me even for the work I had to have done on the watch to make it sellable. He responded with 'I am happy to pay you directly'. I asked if he meant directly - as in immediately (as it is sometimes used) - he responded - 'I mean straight into your account…'

I have no intention of selling this watch outside of the Chrono24 infrastructure, but what is the angle here if this is a scam? I think it is.

It isn't necessarily a scam, but it definitely increases the risk for both parties paying off platform. The rest is explainable:

  • Recent member: Could have only signed up specifically because he's currently in the market for a watch.
  • Where you're based: May be trying to see if an in person purchase can be made. Easiest way to reduce the risk of an off platform sale.
  • The best price offer: Textbook haggling. He gets you to throw out a number first so he can come in just slightly under it. I bet if you'd said 4250 he'd have said 4000. Side note I hate that tactic, when it's tried on me I just repeat the list price but suggest they're welcome to make an offer.

I've never sold on C24 but assuming it offers you some seller protections, I'd just politely decline but give him the number you're willing to take through C24. Also, if it's anything like eBay, the fact he's given the game up on their messaging platform means you may actually not even be allowed to sell to this guy off platform now. eBay operates that way for sure.

When I bought my Railmaster, I saw it via eBay. The seller wanted well above market value, but I deduced this was a watch dealer from the style of listing and researched the username. I found the website and emailed the guy directly with a slightly below market value offer. He countered with market value, way below his listing price, but noted that if I had messaged him via eBay it would have locked him into making the sale there and he would have needed more than 10% on top to cover their fees so I was right to email him independently. Everybody won... except eBay heh.

The point of that story is to say that this guy may be legitimate and just trying to negotiate a better price from you by removing the fees you'd have to pay C24. Or he may be trying to scam you. It's up to you to figure out what angle you're giving him, if any - or just accept that you get a smaller cut and use the platform's protections.
 
M
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From previous expérience I will use the platform's protection just to be on the safe side.
 
mjb
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On C24 the seller pays a fee and the buyer pays sales tax (in the USA) but since Harry doesn't tell us where he lives, we just have to guess.

I've been approached/suggested to avoid the platform both as a buyer and seller so that the transaction can go forward at less cost for both parties. What your comfort level is for this, is totally up to you. It doesn't necessarily mean that it's a scam, other than stealing money from C24.

If doing a face-to-face, as the buyer suggests, then you could do it for cash, exchange at a bank, etc. at whatever your comfort level is for both parties. I've done that once, my buyer was literally 1 mile from my work - I googled him, saw that he was who he said he was, we met as his work place (which had integral security) and it all went very well. Of course, that was a sale from this forum, so we weren't ripping off anyone...
 
Evitzee
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Other than a possible tax dodge there is no advantage to the buyer in taking the sale off C24 because the seller pays the fees. Perhaps he figures if the seller takes the sale private he will accept a lower price because of the fees.
 
Dan S
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Evitzee Evitzee
Other than a possible tax dodge there is no advantage to the buyer in taking the sale off C24 because the seller pays the fees. Perhaps he figures if the seller takes the sale private he will accept a lower price because of the fees.
Exactly.
 
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