Sketchy Yatchmaster II on Fleabay

[westsiderkg]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rolex-Yacht-...QAAOSwBmJcgXmV


You be the judge, but there are several things I dont like about this timepiece or the terms of sale. Tks.

[xqsme]

$23,000.00 and wants the buyer to pay the shipping. Even after 11 beers and a bottle of wine, my English is better than theirs.

[214270Explorer]

LMAO at this entire horrendous piece of whatever.

Cash or wire only? RUN LIKE HELL.

Check out that rehaut. RUN LIKE HELL.

In general -- RUN LIKE HELL.

'Nuff said?

[77T]

The seller appears to be a long time eBay member, has lowered the price and nothing stands out to me as bogus.

But the pictures are not sharp enough to say much. I also don’t like so many pics of the bracelet and clasp but few of the watch head itself.

The offer includes a payoff in person at a Rolex AD where I’d have it opened and inspected before a cash payout. A scam doesn’t appear to be likely.

So for the benefit of the discussion, what else is bothering anyone?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[freefly]

Originally Posted by 77T

The offer includes a payoff in person at a Rolex AD where I’d have it opened and inspected before a cash payout. A scam doesn’t appear to be likely.

Pretty much my take. A well-worn YM being sold with inadequate/low-res pics, and minimal description.

[GLADIATOR]

Originally Posted by 77T

The seller appears to be a long time eBay member, has lowered the price and nothing stands out to me as bogus.

But the pictures are not sharp enough to say much. I also don’t like so many pics of the bracelet and clasp but few of the watch head itself.

The offer includes a payoff in person at a Rolex AD where I’d have it opened and inspected before a cash payout. A scam doesn’t appear to be likely.

So for the benefit of the discussion, what else is bothering anyone?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

My take too.
Nothing screams fake - but it would not be possible to say from those photos.
Not reported

@OP - There is a seperate sub-forum now for Ebay suspect watches

[westsiderkg]

I'll leave a quick morsel for any sceptics.

1. For all the supposed offers this person is receiving I have emailed them several times now asking them to take the watch to a Rolex AD, or experienced third party jeweler local to them to authenticate. No Response. FWIW, in my personal experience there are only a few ADs around me and none, I repeat none will verify used Rolex's or take the backside case off. I've asked each in person in years past on other deals, and done business with each for new watches, and again none will touch pre-owned to authenticate and I don't blame them since what's in it for them? Maybe elsewhere in the world ADs will do this, but unfortunately not local to me and I imagine the practice is fairly standard elsewhere.

2. I requested several clear photos for verification purposes, on multiple occasions now. No response.

3. I requested to see a copy of the card or a verification of what AD it was originally purchased from noted on the card. No response.

4. Terms of sale cash or wire only? Last time I checked this is not a payment option on ebay.

5. Rehaut engraving appears off.

6. Photos stink. Usually, but not always a red flag. Who in 2019 can't take clear photos with a simple smartphone? You own a $20k+ plus watch, but cant take clear photos or afford to take the watch to someone who can?

7. Regarding the 100% feedback. I was scammed some time ago by a supposed 100% ebay seller. What I would later find was many of the items that individual sold previously to gain the initial feedback included small ticket items before they decided to pull out the big ticket. Not saying that's the case here, but seeing as this seller has nothing else on the block for sale, and numerous smaller ticket items previously sold, with zero prior history of selling high end timepieces I would proceed cautiously.

I could go on about a few other things I don't like in the pic about the watch itself, from the one fuzzy picture, but I am going to stop here.

Pass for me, but hey...if your comfortable making a deal with this seller go for it, but please report back and I hope my reservations are wrong and nothing but the best for that buyer. :)

[Paul_I]

Originally Posted by westsiderkg

I'll leave a quick morsel for any sceptics.

1. For all the supposed offers this person is receiving I have emailed them several times now asking them to take the watch to a Rolex AD, or experienced third party jeweler local to them to authenticate. No Response. FWIW, in my personal experience there are only a few ADs around me and none, I repeat none will verify used Rolex's or take the backside case off. I've asked each in person in years past on other deals, and done business with each for new watches, and again none will touch pre-owned to authenticate and I don't blame them since what's in it for them? Maybe elsewhere in the world ADs will do this, but unfortunately not local to me and I imagine the practice is fairly standard elsewhere.

2. I requested several clear photos for verification purposes, on multiple occasions now. No response.

3. I requested to see a copy of the card or a verification of what AD it was originally purchased from noted on the card. No response.

4. Terms of sale cash or wire only? Last time I checked this is not a payment option on ebay.

5. Rehaut engraving appears off.

6. Photos stink. Usually, but not always a red flag. Who in 2019 can't take clear photos with a simple smartphone? You own a $20k+ plus watch, but cant take clear photos or afford to take the watch to someone who can?

7. Regarding the 100% feedback. I was scammed some time ago by a supposed 100% ebay seller. What I would later find was many of the items that individual sold previously to gain the initial feedback included small ticket items before they decided to pull out the big ticket. Not saying that's the case here, but seeing as this seller has nothing else on the block for sale, and numerous smaller ticket items previously sold, with zero prior history of selling high end timepieces I would proceed cautiously.

I could go on about a few other things I don't like in the pic about the watch itself, from the one fuzzy picture, but I am going to stop here.

Pass for me, but hey...if your comfortable making a deal with this seller go for it, but please report back and I hope my reservations are wrong and nothing but the best for that buyer. :)

Just report it and move on. No one here needs convincing.

[214270Explorer]

Originally Posted by westsiderkg

I'll leave a quick morsel for any sceptics.

5. Rehaut engraving appears off.

Anyone who can't see that is blind.

[freefly]

Originally Posted by westsiderkg

I'll leave a quick morsel for any sceptics.

Just a few counter-points to some of your "morsels" if I may:

Originally Posted by westsiderkg

FWIW, in my personal experience there are only a few ADs around me and none, I repeat none will verify used Rolex's or take the backside case off. I've asked each in person in years past on other deals, and done business with each for new watches, and again none will touch pre-owned to authenticate and I don't blame them since what's in it for them? Maybe elsewhere in the world ADs will do this, but unfortunately not local to me and I imagine the practice is fairly standard elsewhere.

There are ADs (and grey dealers) with watchmakers on-site who can/will take a peak at a watch for you. There are at least 3 within 30 miles of me that will do so.
It's true that many will not give you any sort of "official" authentication, but most will be able to tell you that all looks OK (or not).
Some will do it for free, some charge a fee. Probably doesn't hurt if you know them and/or have done business with them.

Originally Posted by westsiderkg

Terms of sale cash or wire only? Last time I checked this is not a payment option on ebay.

Perfectly normal request on a high-dollar item though (and cash is definitely OK if the local pick-up option is offered).
The last high-$$ watch I sold on eBay was bought by a dealer who happily paid via wire at the negotiated price.
There is no way I would accept payment via PayPal on a $20k+ transaction these days. YMMV there...

Originally Posted by westsiderkg

Rehaut engraving appears off.

Bad pic, nothing more.

Originally Posted by westsiderkg

with zero prior history of selling high end timepieces I would proceed cautiously.

Feedback is definitely one (of many) things to consider. In this case, he may not have any previous watch sales history, but that really only means he is not a grey dealer/flipper.
He does however have a 100% rating with recent activity, and previous transactions for a $70k+ 911 and a $13k+ Harley Davidson (both with glowing feedback).

Originally Posted by westsiderkg

Pass for me, but hey...if your comfortable making a deal with this seller go for it, but please report back and I hope my reservations are wrong and nothing but the best for that buyer. :)

Not a bad idea. think I will reach out to him, seeing as he is local.

[GLADIATOR]

Originally Posted by Paul_I

Just report it and move on. No one here needs convincing.

We should be extremely careful of reporting items that no one can categorically state is fake.

[Knappo 1307]

While we're at it, I have to say using the word "Fleabay" is overplayed and annoying...

[freefly]

Follow-up:

Watch and seller are legit. Watch is a bit rough, and has some issues that I made him aware of.
Made an offer based on current condition. Seller declined and will be sending it off to RSC for service, then relisting it when it comes back.

[slickrick68]

Fair amount of people in this thread quick to judge simply on some amateurish photos.

[westsiderkg]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rolex-Yacht-...cc10%7Ciid%3A1


Just to let anyone whose interested know this is item is relisted.

In summary, during initial correspondence with the seller, and when I expressed serious interest, their replies were lightening quick! However, once I started requesting verification info (see below), the ebay seller fell off the map.


After a nice phone chat the seller claimed the watch was originally purchased somewhere in China (he didn’t know where – which in retrospect makes no sense if the back of the AD card is signed, but oh well) by a very wealthy individual who in fact hated the watch, but had so much money it didn't matter to them, they could sell it for free. The seller also claimed they recently sent the watch to Dallas Rolex Service for a refresh due to many people telling them online to do so.

After our call I requested the seller send me detailed photos directly since the ones on their ad were either illegible or way too far away to verify details.

The seller sent pics, but the photos (although slightly better) still did not indicate everything I requested and this is where I started to get a little uncomfortable.

I requested the seller (again) resend photos of the backside of the warranty card, 3 times requested total. What I received in return was a horribly pixelated 3 second video in which you could not see anything and it was taken from 10 feet away.

I then requested the seller send me a photo of the watch placed on a grams scale, with a handwritten post-it note saying “hi westsiderkg w/a smiley face”. They again sent me a horribly pixelated 6 second video from 10 feet away in which you could not really see anything...again.

I finally requested they send me a picture showing the serial # etching on the watch. Again, nothing returned and requests at this point were getting totally ignored, but the seller continued communicating via text on other matters. It was almost as though I never asked the questions in their mind, odd???

I kindly asked the seller on 3 separate occasions for this information above, but in essence all my requests were ignored at all junctures, despite having a nice 45 minute call with them over the phone, which I again found odd?

Now everyone is different, but if someone with a great rep is offering me serious coin for any of my personal watches listed for sale I would share this info in confidence with a pending offer on the table.

Anyhow, what I also found a little off was the seller said in chatting that when they graduated college their father bought them….”you know…one of those two tone Rolex's….followed by a long, very long and awkward pause…help me here please, you know the one I’m talking about, right….”. I replied, “uh, you mean a submariner”? The seller replied, “Yes, that’s it…and by the way I will send you a (horribly pixelated) video of my solid gold Daytona (from 10 feet away too, lol). Thanks, I guess (sarcasm).

One other interesting tidbit from our call, which I found interesting, was how the seller pointed out they like to weed out scammers by calling and talking over the phone with them. He liked me though since I was asking him numerous and detailed rolex questions, many of which he didn’t have answers for….which again was a little concerning for me (since I thought my initial questions to be basic in nature), but I figured heck, if he gets me the info I need then I may still do the sale under paypal or ebay for protection reasons.

From there I offered a more than fair private party price, actually more than I have seen per asking prices from private sales on TRF and more in line with a sold price from a trusted seller.

The seller agreed to this price, I provided my verified paypal account info for them to invoice me (which was previously mentioned in our conversations that this was how I would pay if the seller wanted a deal), but the seller then indicated they would only accept the price if funds are wired, or I give them my credit card information. If you look at the old ebay link it said wire price only, but that's again not an available payment option on ebay, which again is a little odd. Maybe someone else will go for this, but I will pass.

At this juncture this actually became fun for me. I decided once more to request the verification information above, even sending example photos outlining specifically what I wanted to view so the seller could not misinterpret my requests, but again (no surprise by now) zero reply to the requests.

I then said, “ok, I will (still) do the deal…and I will raise my offer to split the paypal fees” with you...again just to play the fiddle and see the sellers response.

This is where communication got VERY odd.

The seller said (after they called paypal) it would cost them less to fly out to PA and physically deliver the watch to me from the west coast, take my cash, then fly out roundtrip.

Now I have been privileged to own many watches and Rolex's in my day, but I have never had anyone offer to fly a watch to me, lol, seems odd.

I replied via text with a paypal link calculator, which comes out to about $6xx and change in PP fees. I then jumped online only to see flights costing more than PP??? Even if the cost of a flight was slightly less, why on earth would anyone want to waste a full day of their personal time do to something so silly and fly out in person???

This is where it ends for me. I told them GLWS...enough time wasted and fun for me.

Now maybe this person ultimately checks out and the watch is good, like the one person on here previously said who went to see this watch in person several weeks ago, and I don't question that TRF member, but I still feel like something off is in the water here with this seller, but maybe I am wrong and if I am I'm sorry, but personally after all the oddities above I am going to stick with trusted sellers and bypass this nonsense.

Take care and good luck out there everyone and hope you enjoyed storytime as much as I did...

[GLADIATOR]

Jesus
Just ask for a 10 second video of flyback working or setting the countdown hand?

A