ok, I do have a ladies rolex in the for sale section at WUS ( http://forums.watchuseek.com/f29/fs-ladies-rolex-6919-datejust-reduct-$1-200-a-2864018.html ) ... since it is the best priced lady Rolex on watchrecon - I do get quite some mails about it. In my ad, I am very upfront and transparent with pics, information & answering questions, etc... hey I even put up my rep&FB from past transactions. Now I get a lot of mails from people out of asia who ask to provide proof of genuinity (again, its a 40+ year old watch) - so an original purchase invoice is not available. I send 40 mb worth of hi res unaltered straight out of the camera pictures. I clearly show model and serial number. They send me back a mail asking for proof of genuinity. I suggest they share the pics with somebody knowledgeable and even encourage them to consult local RLX boards ... BAM ... 'nother mail: "do you have proof ...." F..CK NO!!! (no worries - I always stay polite and professional) I also get plenty of people asking if I take the watch back if their hometown watchmaker says its not genuine. I explain that I do not do that, as I would have to pay import levy and VAT (together prob. 40% of the value) for the return package... plus I'm not too hot to get a guy with possibly needle nose pliers trying to open a RLX case ... I really sometimes feel like sending them something back along the lines of "if you cant identify a RLX from 20+ hires pics, you are better off going to an AD - that is your only 100% probability that it is genuine. Be prepared to pay more than $1,200 buck , tho ..." (again, I bite my lip and not send the lines ) I have done quite some US/Europe transaction and normally its 2-3 mails back and forth (again, I go to great length showing all available information) ... a bit "can you lower the price - tango" and we are set ... Do I just have bad luck or is doing business with asia very high on the PITA scale? cheers, Al
Seems just bad luck to me. I have dealt with plenty of Asian people, and never had any issues with any of them
maybe its the type of watch - that pricewise might be a gateway watch - so plenty of newbies/firsttimers who are secondguessing every step... donno
Al, you are not ranting at all. It's the same as me buying a pre-moon/vintage Speedy on this forum and asking the seller for the burden of proof beyond detailed pictures and a comprehensive description. In this case, I depend on the vast collective knowledge of the forum, along with @Spacefruit 's site and Moonwatch Only. It's up to me verify the serial number is within the correct range, along with the dial and case. Now, if I did receive a piece that was not depicted as advertised, that does does shift the responsibility immediately to the seller. If it were me in your situation, I'd move on from this potential buyer. I can imagine all sorts of potential scenario's, ie claiming the piece is counterfeit and using paypal to file a claim,
I've sold a couple of watches to guys in Singapore and Hong Kong and they've been among the best to deal with in my experience (and often better at corresponding in English than many Americans/British).
I've had good dealings with people in Singapore, HK, PRC and India. That being said, I had major customs issues with India and PRC - watches held up for 2 weeks in customs and I had to provide additional paperwork.
I actually think it is not that unreasonable. from their perspective it is also a big purchase to make with no warranty etc. is the price of doing business and IMO the burden of proving authenticity is definitely on the sellers side, not the buyers. You can get a certificate of authenticity from either Rolex or a good source like Aaron faber.