A lot of you know that one of my businesses is selling Omegas. Most deals go through without a hitch, but sometimes you get crazy buyers.

Backgrounder:
I sold a 2561.80 to a guy who then wanted to return the watch because he claimed the bezel did not turn. I of course accepted his return. When I inspected his return (all returns are videotaped for fraud mitigation), I found that the bezel turned properly. Here's the video of the return:

In spite of the fact that I already accepted his return and was giving him a refund, buyer claims that I fabricated the video, swapped the watch with one that had a rotating bezel to scam him.

But scam him out of what? I already agreed to a refund!

The analysis here is that buyer was wrong (bezel did turn), but was willing to invent an incredible, unbelievable story of a sophisticated scam to prove he was right - never mind that I had nothing to gain by the "scam"

Here's the conversation that went on:

[Me]
Hi Bob, I received your return. Inspected it today and it looks to be in order. However, the bezel turns normally with the expected amount of force. We take videos when opening returns to prevent fraud (when people return a ham sandwich instead of a watch), so I have a record of this which I can upload this to youtube and show you. Not sure what the situation was when you got the package and inspected it and why you could not turn the bezel? Were you rotating the unidirectional bezel the opposite way?

We will of course accept returns, but given that it is 100% functioning as expected, do you want us to just send it back to you?

[Bob]
I absolutely want to see your video! The unidirectional bezel did NOT move--not one click, not a wiggle. It was frozen fast. I am disabled, due to COPD, and must use oxygen to breathe 24/7. For years, I've used a Rolex Submariner until recently because--just like the deep sea divers--I must constantly know how much time I have remaining before my oxygen runs out, I'm in a world of trouble if it does--just like the divers! So, yes, pls send me a link to view your video. thanks,

After video was shown:

[Bob]
ASTOUNDING video, wow!
First (of several) problems: When you “examine” my watch, and demonstrate how smoothly and easily the bezel rotates, the watch you are demonstrating has a paper label or sticker on the backside of the watch. The watch I returned to you had NO SUCH PAPER STICKER, since I WORE it around the house for two days. Second: I set the date to the correct date. You received the watch on the morning of the 26th, but the date indicator on your demo watch reads 21. The watch is clearly ticking—keeping time--as the second hand is moving. Okay, now that I realize you switched out my watch for another one with a working bezel, I needed to see how you did it.
Disregard the Magician’s classic misdirection trick--the action of your right hand moving the plastic package envelope back into the box. CONCENTRATE ONLY ON MY WATCH IN YOUR LEFT HAND! MY WATCH (in your left hand) MOVES (AND DISAPPEARS) OFF SCREEN TO THE LEFT, MOVING OUT OF THE VIEW OF THE SCREEN IMAGE! For how long? Oh, maybe 2 or 3 seconds, perhaps?? CERTAINLY long enough for you to DROP MY WATCH (with the bad bezel) and pick up the STICKERED WATCH, mentioned above, and demonstrate how stupid I must be NOT to be able to operate such a smooth and effortless bezel.
I wondered why an HONEST MERCHANT would need such an elaborate ANTI-FRAUD PROCEDURE. I guess it depends on WHO is perpetrating the FRAUD, right?
ENOUGH! I expect a full and complete refund of this transaction (don’t even mention any outrageous restocking fee!) back into my PayPal account by close of business TODAY (Thurs 9/1). If the refund isn’t there tomorrow morning when I get up, I will refer this transaction via formal complaint to eBay and PayPal’s Fraud department. You can deal with them. I have downloaded a copy of your video, just in case it disappears or gets altered to cover the mistakes I have pointed out.

[Me]
Hi Bob, first off, REDUCE THE PARANOIA. Why would I want to spend the effort to make a fake video when I already gave you the option to return for a refund. WHY?

Secondly, the inventory sticker was always there - you may have not remembered it. If you inspect the sticker on the video, you can clearly see that it has have BOTH the ITEM NUMBER PA401 - which is on the listing title, as well as the serial number, which is on the listing description. So aside from your incorrect claim of me swapping the watch, you are claiming that I fabricated a new inventory sticker that matches what you bought. Again, FOR WHAT PURPOSE? As for the date, like the sticker, I don't think you remember events correctly.

As for the time the watch is out of the screen - clearly less than 1 second? So according to your conspiracy theory - I drop the watch, pick up another watch soundlessly and instantaneously (or maybe I had an accomplice?). Again, spend this effort FOR WHAT REASON? I ALREADY ACCEPTED YOUR RETURN AND AGREED TO A REFUND???

As for an anti-fraud procedure, as someone who sells dozens to hundreds of watches a month, everything has to be videotaped. Are you also thinking that taking return videos is part of an elaborate scam and is not something any reasonable seller of high-value goods will do?

I am very, VERY disappointed at the paranoia you have displayed in this transaction. I have been very easy to deal with, accepted your return without question or hesitation, and for my trouble showing you that the bezel turns properly and giving you the OPTION of sending the watch back to you, you fabricate an unbelievable story of impromptu and impossibly quick sleight of hand, fabricated inventory stickers - again for what purpose? To scam you? I ALREADY ACCEPTED YOUR RETURN! WHAT IN THE WORLD DO I HAVE TO GAIN FOR THE TROUBLE???

As we ALREADY AGREED TO in previous email communications, and as PER OUR POLICY ON THE LISTING, your return will be refunded.

 

Moral of the story: some people suck.

My wife & I are hoping to save enough money to either turn our house into a fortress or buy our own island so we can minimize any contact with the general public. I hope I can find an M-134 mini gun on the black market.

 

Maybe on sale at memorabilia shops?

 

wowza...what a saga! Very good idea of yours to tape the returns for this reason.
Wonder if that was a lesson learned the hard way at one point in time when you were first getting started?

Can't imagine what the 'buyer' has to gain here by claiming you've falsified the return video...as you say, he's already been refunded...

 

This is his angle - the watch was sold on ebay with no returns (but I accept returns anyway because I'm a nice guy). He made a false claim that the bezel did not turn so he could have the option of making a SNAD claim. As you can see in the video, the bezel turns. And he invents a fantastic story of how the bezel which he claims does not turn, in fact turns -regardless of how involved the process may be for me to document a fabricated story, and regardless of me having completely ZERO motive to do so.

Hard lesson. I've had someone return the watch with a busted bracelet, and then claim that I did that myself in order to stick them with a restocking fee. Even claimed to the credit company that I used a box cutter to remove watch links! Yes, that box cutter on the upper left corner of the watch pic

 

He is basically either a liar or an idiot. Or a lying idiot. eBay is full of them, he is probably just a tyre kicker who got buyers remorse and wanted an out. Chalk it up to experience, block the buyer and hope the next guy is less of a tool.

 

What's that?

 

Significantly Not As Described. eBay will pretty much always side with the buyer when one of these is accepted.

 

@WatchVaultNYC , we all know that you practice witchcraft as your other hobby!

 

Yes, with a chicken blood, that box cutter can remove stainless steel links

 

Perhaps a case of buyers remorse. I wanted. I got it. Then really realised I couldn't afford. Doh. Return to sender.

 

I sympathise with COPD sufferers, but surely if he needs to know how much oxygen he has left, he'd be better a) keeping a close eye on the supply gauge and b) getting a timepiece with a countdown timer and alarm.....

 

The moral of the story, at least from my reading, is that people with serious health issues simply cannot be trusted.

 

You forgot to use the [sarcasm] correct font. [/sarcasm]

 

Clearly his oxygen bottle must have run empty and his brain suffered oxygen deprivation, leading to acute confusion.
I hope the poor thing is still alive!

 

I might add that you showed great restraint and diplomacy in your replies ... I'd have probably told him to Foxtrot Oscar.... Which is while I'll likely never be able to have a job where I have to provide service to morons of the public. Well done

 

After running a customer service department for a large Video game with over 12 million players a day, I can assure you people are insane.

This game was free to play, we only made revenue from people that purchased extra items to improve the in game experience.

Some highlights... err lowlights

Complaints to the BBB from players that had never paid us complaining about lack of support, we had a policy that we offered no support to players that had never purchased anything. Of course the BBB sided with our non paying members, but that is another rant. The BBB wanted us to issue refunds... umm they never paid us anything... You would be amazed how many Gaming companies with free to play games have this problem with the BBB.

On a regular basis players requesting full refunds for everything they had purchased and used, as they decided that they had moved onto other games, in most cases they had purchases going back years.

The " I did not know I was not allowed to cheat" defense when we closed accounts that had been found cheating, and had received multiple reports from that player reporting other accounts for cheating.

The list goes on and on. At least 3 times a month I was threatened to be sued for some of the most hilarious reasons ever. The best where the people that we removed from the community for saying some of the most vile horrendous things you could ever imagine, and then of course I was impinging on their first amendment rights....

 

Some buyers...

Some sellers...

Some people... &

Sometimes... all you can do is take a deep breath and or or

Thankfully, most people are

Amd more OF members are

 

Dear Bob:

The rotating bezel on a diver's watch is not for counting down time, nor do divers use it to help keep track of remaining oxygen (they have a special gauge attached to their tanks for that purpose, as do you). The rotating bezel is used to count elapsed immersed time so that decompression sickness can be avoided upon return to the surface.

p.s. I am a diver, and I have had to use supplemental oxygen due to illness. You don't seem to know what you're talking about.

 

- I had someone file a BBB complaint from a waffling buyer who was complaining that they didn't get a watch because someone else bought and paid for it first.

- I had someone file a BBB complaint, and splatter all over social media that I stole several hundred bucks from them ("thief! thief") for an out-of-stock set of custom luggage, when they had already been refunded months before(!) How hard is it to check your credit card???

- I had someone pay for a watch at 10pm and complain why it was not at their doorstep the next day.

- I had someone buy a watch in the forum, and then immediately accused me of scamming them because it did not disappear from Ebay, Chrono24, and the other forums "the second" they bought it from me. I mean, what happens if I'm asleep when they pay?

I'll have to reiterate - most people are reasonable. But if you deal with thousands, statistically there will be a few who will be difficult