Risk of posting a watch…

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Japanred

·6:12am yesterday

Hi all,

I’ve had my snoopy II up for sale for a little while and have been offered full asking price via Chrono24. The buyer is in Germany. I’m in UK.

I’ve always sold my watches face to face which is not possible in this scenario.

Given that the sale price is £34,950 how would you navigate this sale?

First thoughts. Post via Royal Mail. Insure with Secursus. Still risky though…?

 

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Larry S

·8:26am yesterday·Color Commentator for the Hyperbole.

Japanred

Hi all,

I’ve had my snoopy II up for sale for a little while and have been offered full asking price via Chrono24. The buyer is in Germany. I’m in UK.

I’ve always sold my watches face to face which is not possible in this scenario.

Given that the sale price is £34,950 how would you navigate this sale?

First thoughts. Post via Royal Mail. Insure with Secursus. Still risky though…?

You fully insure it and send via a fully vetted and trusted courier service who uses DHL or Fed Ex hold for pick up, signature required. Never ever ever use the post. Don’t cut corners. Don’t try to beat the customs system by lying about its value. If your buyer asks you to cheat. Make them do the shipping and make sure you have the cash in hand before you release the watch. Better yet tell them to get on a plane and meet you in a secure public location.

Edited: 8:31am yesterday

 

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Tony C.

·8:28am yesterday·Ωf Jury member

I would add to Larry's good advice that you should be completely clear about any possibility of a return. And make sure that the details are in writing.

I would also demand a bank transfer. No credit card or Paypal, etc.

 

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Larry S

·8:33am yesterday·Color Commentator for the Hyperbole.

Tony C.

I would add to Larry's good advice that you should be completely clear about any possibility of a return. And make sure that the details are in writing.

I would also demand a bank transfer. No credit card or Paypal, etc.

Indeed .. cash in hand is king. Bank transfer. No possibility of scammy clawbacks.

 

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Japanred

·10:05am yesterday

Sorry should’ve said. He is wanting to pay via Escrow which is what’s worrying me. If he says he hasn’t received it I won’t get the money….

How would you guys proceed?

 

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John7boy

·10:29am yesterday

Chrono 24 will only prompt you to ship the watch once they receive the full funds which they hold in escrow until the buyer confirms receipt of the watch.
Given the high value of the transaction doing a face to face delivery is a possibility. You can get the buyer to accept delivery on the app before you hand the watch over.
This only really works when you’re in the same country and there are no customs implications.

As per the previous advice I’d use DHL or equivalent and make sure the watch is fully insured.

Good luck with sale.

 

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Felix_La_PuBelle

·12:01pm yesterday·Sometimes I’m wrong. Usually.

Japanred

Sorry should’ve said. He is wanting to pay via Escrow which is what’s worrying me.

Who is selecting the escrow service? The buyer? No way. I wouldn't use any shipping or escrow service that I'm not personally familiar or comfortable with.

 

S

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stamplicker

·12:07pm yesterday

Japanred

How would you guys proceed?

For me I would wait for a situation I'm comfortable with. If you're having to ask these questions in my opinion it's not worth continuing. Just wait for someone in the UK or sell it some other way. That's a lot of money.

 

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sathomasga

·12:13pm yesterday

It's not clear to me if the OP originally listed the watch on Chrono24, or if the prospective buyer is asking the OP to list on C24 so that they can take advantage of the escrow service. If the former, then presumably the OP was aware of C24's process prior to listing, and that process generally includes escrow. If the OP is unwilling to use escrow, then the watch should not have been listed on C24 in the first place.

If the buyer is asking the OP to list on C24, that seems like a reasonable request, though it would be understandable for the OP to increase the price to cover C24's fees. If I were a buyer, I wouldn't want to disburse that sum of money without some recourse. But if the OP isn't willing to use an escrow service, they should decline the request.

 

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Annapolis

·12:41pm yesterday

Of course I don’t know the location specifics (in the UK or Germany), but I know there are some very very inexpensive flights on offer between, say, London and Berlin. I’d even imagine that the cost of arranging an in-person transaction with this buyer might not just be less but possibly far less than the cost of an online one, since no one would have to pay for shipping, customs, insurance, or third-party transaction fees. You or the buyer could probably make a weekend holiday of it, hotel and food and all, and still end up coming out better.

That’s what I would do—or what I would suggest to the buyer, perhaps.

Edited: 2:34pm yesterday

 

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NGO1

·2:31pm yesterday

Annapolis

in-person transaction

I agree this used to be the gold standard. However, with the rise of exceptionally good fakes, and I'm the buyer plunking 40Gs on a steel watch, I need a day or two to verify the watch.

 

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Annapolis

·2:37pm yesterday

NGO1

I agree this used to be the gold standard. However, with the rise of exceptionally good fakes, and I'm the buyer plunking 40Gs on a steel watch, I need a day or two to verify the watch.

I hear that. Though it might just be an argument for meeting up a dealer or boutique or some other place where someone on-hand can do a quick look, maybe check the serial, etc. (At this price point I'd imagine one of the parties might have a good enough relationship with a sales associate somewhere---or could spring for a nice bottle of something as a courtesy in return for the favor.)

 

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Japanred

·2:48pm yesterday

Thanks all, I’ve suggested a face to face handover and I will see what he comes back with.

Stories like this scare the bejeesus out of me at this price point. Having read this I definitely won’t use Escrow.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watches/comments/185d20i/chrono24_my_notsogreat_experience

 

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Annapolis

·2:58pm yesterday

Chrono24 offers a useful service, as does eBay, but for a sale like this, wouldn't it be on the order of 2,300 GBP in fees? And this wouldn't include what you'd pay in German import VAT, customs, shipping, etc.---which could be another 6,500 GBP on top of that. (Unless the notion is that buyer has to pay all fees, shipping etc, but in that case I can't imagine he wouldn't just find another watch.)

I'd avoid Chrono24 and only consider an in-person transaction if it were me. It could limit you to UK buyers and so take longer to sell, but it'll be worth it, in my opinion.

 

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theluckyluke

·3:10pm yesterday

Japanred

Thanks all, I’ve suggested a face to face handover and I will see what he comes back with.

I’d suggest you get him to come to the UK for the transaction. He confirms he wants it? Then let him bring the watch back to Germany. No return possible after he walks with the watch.

That’s a lot less risky than sending it, or you crossing the border with the watch, without being entirely sure he will buy it.

EDIT: just make sure you have an instant payment option that cannot be cancelled.

 

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Tony C.

·3:51pm yesterday·Ωf Jury member

As a related aside, I find Chrono24s policy of protecting the identities of "private" sellers to be outrageous.

 

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Evitzee

·4:41pm yesterday

With a watch at this price level go for personal delivery, face to face. I've flown a few times to hand deliver a watch. Or he can come to you.....you can drop the price a little to help offset his travel cost.

 

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mjb

·4:49pm yesterday

My rule is, if it doesn't feel right, then don't do it.

It's too much money and too much risk if you have any doubts.

I know snoopy speedys are expensive, but 35K pounds sounds like over market price!

 

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Dan S

·4:54pm yesterday

Personal delivery. Cashier's check.

 

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Evitzee

·Today at 1:21am

mjb

My rule is, if it doesn't feel right, then don't do it.

It's too much money and too much risk if you have any doubts.

I know snoopy speedys are expensive, but 35K pounds sounds like over market price!

It's a Snoopy II, not the current one, so probably not overpriced.