Purchase Watches from Strangers

[jiayonglim]

Hi 👋, newbie here and need some advice from you guys.

I am interested in buying a watch from an Overseas individual seller. The seller is requesting a portion of advanced payment first and will ship the product to me here. She allows me to settle the rest of the payment when I'm satisfied with the watch. I'm thinking of paying through PayPal first. But is it actually safe..? Will PayPal refund me if I don't receive the watch or if I receive a fake watch? If not, are there any other recommendations on how to go about this?

[Kesharoo]

Hi,

Happy CNY.

I wouldn't do it. Even seasoned veterans get conned every now and then. Unless you are determined to get the watch at any cost, please reconsider.

[bulletnos]

Individual sellers are tough to verify…why even those who claim to have shops are tricky too - in the end, buy the seller. 

[ck77]

If it's too good to be true, it probably is

[dpkong]

Nobody who's seen the forums often would recommend for you to proceed with this no matter how good it sounds or how cheap it may be. The risk of getting nothing at all or a fake is too great and while Paypal seems safe, it is not a guarantee you'll get anything back.

[IamJacky]

A couple of years ago I was also going to do what you're about to do OP, except then I was going to pay 1/2 via TT instead of PayPal because PayPal charges you 4-5% fee. Luckily for me due to bank issues the payment couldn't go through and deal was called off. That was a weekend full of anxiety and self doubt that I foolishly got myself into. If you search my username you can probably find the thread.

My advice is to purchase from authorized dealers, or if the watch can't be obtained you can buy from local, reputable dealers backed with physical storefront and references. You will probably have to pay more than buying from private sellers from overseas, but believe me the money you think you're saving is not worth the anxiety and doubt you will eventually have when you receive the watch. To each his own though, best luck!

[jiayonglim]

Thanks for all the advice guys! Really appreciate it, I have decided to not proceed with the purchase 😊

[jiayonglim]

Anyways, when I asked for the Rolex warranty card, the overseas seller showed me a paper warranty card claiming to be a 2022 watch. If not mistaken, 2022's Rolex warranty should be in card form. Suspicious..

Sent from my SM-A525F using Tapatalk

[dpkong]

When online, they can show you any picture which are easily available with a Google search. What arrives in the box, if anything at all, is what truly matters.

An example just a few months ago, I posted a WTB in a FB group for car spare parts. One person PMed me he had the parts for a good price and sent pictures. As I had been doing a lot of Google already, the picture he sent looked so much like what I had seen somewhere online. To test him, I asked to COD and the person gave many excuses that he was far away and provided a Google location pin is a remote location in Kedah. I replied that I have a cousin living nearby only 45 mins away and can pick up. He went silent and blocked my number.

Unless you really know the seller, DON'T.

Of course not every online seller is a scammer and a few members here, myself included, have bought online from a US seller but that guy had solid references and a long history of online selling. Regardless, it was still a bit of a gamble, sending the money by wire and waiting the few days for the package to arrive and then taking it to the service centre for verification.

Anyways, when I asked for the Rolex warranty card, the overseas seller showed me a paper warranty card claiming to be a 2022 watch. If not mistaken, 2022's Rolex warranty should be in card form. Suspicious..

Sent from my SM-A525F using Tapatalk

[jiayonglim]

When online, they can show you any picture which are easily available with a Google search. What arrives in the box, if anything at all, is what truly matters.

An example just a few months ago, I posted a WTB in a FB group for car spare parts. One person PMed me he had the parts for a good price and sent pictures. As I had been doing a lot of Google already, the picture he sent looked so much like what I had seen somewhere online. To test him, I asked to COD and the person gave many excuses that he was far away and provided a Google location pin is a remote location in Kedah. I replied that I have a cousin living nearby only 45 mins away and can pick up. He went silent and blocked my number.

Unless you really know the seller, DON'T.

Of course not every online seller is a scammer and a few members here, myself included, have bought online from a US seller but that guy had solid references and a long history of online selling. Regardless, it was still a bit of a gamble, sending the money by wire and waiting the few days for the package to arrive and then taking it to the service centre for verification.

Anyways, when I asked for the Rolex warranty card, the overseas seller showed me a paper warranty card claiming to be a 2022 watch. If not mistaken, 2022's Rolex warranty should be in card form. Suspicious..

Sent from my SM-A525F using Tapatalk

Smart of you to let the seller know you have relatives nearby to collect the item. I should try this trick next time haha 😆. Thanks for the advice bro, much appreciated.

[jf98]

A good rule of thumb is that if the price is too good to be true, then it usually is. Got bitten before previously, have to resist the temptation