Pricing Info and Ebay Experience

[MPO1]

First, thanks for all the responses to my previous post regarding pricing information.
Several responses contained something about people having success using TZ...could someone please tell me what that is and where I can find it?
Also, has anyone ever had experience buying/selling on ebay? I don't ever see much activity in terms of bidding there, and wonder why and whether ebay is a waste of time for Rolex items.

Thanks to all of you!

[Alcan]

I've had good luck buying on eBay, as have others here, but it can be a minefield for the neophyte. The anonymity it provides makes it an ideal playground for thieves and ripoff artists. The best advice is to buy the seller, not the watch, and if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

We have a WatchOut forum here for members to post listings they're interested in, and several of our members can provide objective advice. You'll see it referred to as sleazeBay, fleaBay, etc, but the fact remains that there are honest sellers there with reasonably priced products.

Btw, TZ is timezone.com, and we have our own Sales Forum right here at TRF.

http://www.rolexforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=9

[dwaine99]

I had a very positive experience... July 2005 I purchased from this individual... notice the feedback.... I made several phone calls prior to making the bid. The watch arrived just as described.... I bought a watch identical to this one for $4800 in 2005... I spoke with Scott Mitchum and it was a smooth transaction...

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-LADIES-ROLEX...QQcmdZViewItem

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZone800rolex

[yachtsales]

Originally Posted by Alcan

I've had good luck buying on eBay, as have others here, but it can be a minefield for the neophyte. The anonymity it provides makes it an ideal playground for thieves and ripoff artists. The best advice is to buy the seller, not the watch, and if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.


http://www.rolexforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=9

I agree, I bought on ebay and was VERY satisfied. But like Alcan said, buy the SELLER first and foremost!

[llamaofdoom]

I have bought and sold many items via eBay. Account name is "itsthemarket". So far, my transactions have gone smoothly - many more transactions as a result of eBay than what actually shows up in my feedback log. I've made some good connections via eBay, too.

In my experience, selling has been the riskier venture - lots of good sellers out there, including many you'll see on the various Rolex forums...but buyers, particularly 0 feedback buyers, that want to pay via credit card or cashiers check are scary unless they have a big feedback history.

Buying is pretty low-risk if you "buy the seller" and use a credit card.

[SLR]

I've actually had a very bad experience on ebay. bid on a ss daytona, and the seller ended up being fraudulent. I requested a photo next to a paper w/recent date which I thought was a reasonable request. He ended up telling me it was 'broken' and that he was canceling the sale. I reported him to ebay and went through the process of reporting (emails back and forth to their fraud dept). While ebay was evaluating the transaction, he listed it again. I notified them again and he was eventually banned. Odd thing was that he had 2000+ feedback and 99.9% positive. I'm not sure how or why he got that feedback score. I learned my lesson - will only buy in person (or from sites recommended by people on TRF). Would never recommend ebay for buying rolexes - even if photos are good, you could receive a fake.

[SPACE-DWELLER]

TZ is = Timezone (another watch forum):

www.timezone.com

You CAN make good deals on eBay, but you

1. either have to know your watches and what you are doing (like AL!), or
   
2. have to "do your homework" BEFORE buying (read as much about the item you want and ask us here), or
   
3. should buy from a seller who has made MANY WATCH deals, has 100 % positive feedback (or 99) after the motto "Buy the seller first, THEN the watch"

Good luck!

[SLR]

Originally Posted by Spacedweller

TZ is = Timezone (another watch forum):

www.timezone.com

You CAN make good deals on eBay, but you

1. either have to know your watches and what you are doing (like AL!), or
   
2. have to "do your homework" BEFORE buying (read as much about the item you want and ask us here), or
   
3. should buy from a seller who has made MANY WATCH deals, has 100 % positive feedback (or 99) after the motto "Buy the seller first, THEN the watch"

Good luck!

True - you can make/find good deals on ebay. I'm not knocking the site entirely. Just my one bad experience has made me shy off of them. Plus - i'm trying to have as good as possible relationship with my AD so that I can get preferred notice when 'rare' rolexes come in.

[llamaofdoom]

Originally Posted by SLR

I've actually had a very bad experience on ebay. bid on a ss daytona, and the seller ended up being fraudulent. I requested a photo next to a paper w/recent date which I thought was a reasonable request. He ended up telling me it was 'broken' and that he was canceling the sale. I reported him to ebay and went through the process of reporting (emails back and forth to their fraud dept). While ebay was evaluating the transaction, he listed it again. I notified them again and he was eventually banned. Odd thing was that he had 2000+ feedback and 99.9% positive. I'm not sure how or why he got that feedback score. I learned my lesson - will only buy in person (or from sites recommended by people on TRF). Would never recommend ebay for buying rolexes - even if photos are good, you could receive a fake.

It's quite possible that his account was hijacked. It does happen, unfortunately.

[XELOR]

As they say, my two cents:

Even if you know your stuff you can get seriously hosed.

1) I had a counterfeit that watchmakers thought was real. Rolex found the bracelet and case fake. Seller had near perfect (99.5-99.9%) feedback.

2) Another company with 100% feedback took my trade and then claimed in their listing they bought the very same watch from an AD. (It was my watch, I sold it to them as an individual and they made their re-sale listing sound better by claiming it was from an AD).

3) Still another seller -100% FB- counterfeit bracelet.

I have purchased a "meticulously inspected" and "just serviced" Rolex with both dried and corroded parts.


Many of the people who think they did great on eBay really never fully check the integrity of the watch.

I can say that the bigger sellers- once they are caught- will refund.

With eBay there's a difference between thinking you have an authentic Rolex and actually having one.

[f16570]

I would not have the balls to but on ebay as I do not have anything like the knowledge required to make such a judgement based on a photo alone.

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