Local AD - Are you freakin' nuts?! 20% to look? Fuggittaboutit!!!

[TxHarleyGuy]

Greetings everyone,

I wanted to share with you folks here what I thought was a rather unusual (okay, freakin' ridiculous) exchange I had with a local AD here in Austin, Texas yesterday afternoon.

About two and a half weeks ago, I purchased two Rolexes from a Rolex Boutique in Houston, Texas while traveling on business. Experience was nothing short of stellar. Since then, I have decided that I would be making a third purchase; that of a GMT Master II BLNR. The boutique in Houston was happy to place me one the list (second) without requiring a requisite deposit (500.00) for same. Told me that they don't anticipate the wait being more than a few weeks time at most. Great.

Fast forward to yesterday. Having never actually seen a GMT Master II BLNR in person, I decided to drop by a local AD here in Austin, Texas to see if they by chance had one available. I knew going in that the likelihood of such would be slim to none. But what the hell, an opportunity to check out the other watches, right?

I get there and a gentleman asks if he can be of assistance. I tell him what I am looking for and he says he'll check his computer to see what he may have available or in the works on order. He comes back to tell me that he does have two GMT Master II's 'in the system' and that he can have it to me overnight for the following day. He went on to tell me - and this is where things went south rather quickly - that in order for him to acquire the piece that I would have to.......wait for it......wait for it.......give him 20% of the full retail price - NON REFUNDABLE - in order for him to get it to the store.

With all due respect, I told him (in a round about sort of way; politely of course) that he could........well, I'll spare you all the verbatim.

I mentioned that while I was intent on making a purchase, I was not going to commit to anything without my first having actually seen the product beforehand. His response was tantamount to, "It's a popular product. If you don't buy it, someone else will." I then told him if that was in fact the case, why was he requiring non refundable deposits if - as he claims - if I don't buy it, someone else will?

Perhaps this is the norm? Perhaps requiring a non refundable 20% down payment just to see a product is common place? Perhaps most folks comply without so much as giving such a second thought?

Needless to say, the experience made me appreciate/value the treatment I have been given by the Rolex Boutique in Houston all the more. Proving, without question in my mind, that not all AD's are created equal.