Beware of Diamond & Jewelry Auctioneers in Los Angeles

[Lamone]

Beware of their online auctioneer Diamond & Jewelry Auctioneers out of
Los Angeles. I won a 1665 and they tried to pull a nasty switch-a-roo with a 16600. Gave me a BS story about a listing error and how the 1665 from the 70s is the same as a 16600 from the early 2000s.
Now a VERY similar watch is back on their auction list, along with other watch previously won by other bidders.

Stay away

[htbilgic]

Sorry to hear about the switch-a-roo. I hope you didn't pay them.

[GLADIATOR]

Do these auction houses have any "higher" body/association that we can write too??

EDIT
I have asked a few questions with contacts - lets see.
a

[Lamone]

Originally Posted by htbilgic

Sorry to hear about the switch-a-roo. I hope you didn't pay them.

They of course offered money back. I contacted the BBB and the website that host these online auctions, let's see how it plays out.

[Lamone]

Originally Posted by GLADIATOR

Do these auction houses have any "higher" body/association that we can write too??

EDIT
I have asked a few questions with contacts - lets see.
a

They do, it's all under the live auctioneer platform. I contacted them as well. Worse case scenario, I'll get a full refund. However, I did/do want a 1665, i just love the vintage look

[freefly]

Originally Posted by Lamone

Beware of their online auctioneer Diamond & Jewelry Auctioneers out of
Los Angeles. I won a 1665 and they tried to pull a nasty switch-a-roo with a 16600. Gave me a BS story about a listing error and how the 1665 from the 70s is the same as a 16600 from the early 2000s.
Now a VERY similar watch is back on their auction list, along with other watch previously won by other bidders.

Stay away

+10000

I stopped bothering with the Live Auctioneers BS long ago, as most of the "auction houses" there appear to be shady, and/or totally bogus fronts.
It doesn't take long for one to notice that the exact same watches are being sold/won (not passed), but then relisted over and over and over, sometimes within multiple separate lots in auctions running simultaneously or back-to-back.

It's also rather fishy how many of the auctions there get bid up well past current market values (especially considering the buyer's premiums), yet never actually sell. I get that it can happen sometimes with any online bidding/auction platform. However, it would seem that's the rule there, not the exception. On the RARE occasion you do end up the high bidder on something, you get the "listing error" BS fed to you. I've won several auctions from the "usual suspects" there in the past, only to have the above scenario unfold every time. It's almost as if the site runs/sanctions "fake" auctions to uphold the appearance that they have a constant and always-full auction calendar.

That said, there are legitimate auction houses that do use the Live Auctioneers platform. You just have to know which ones to avoid, as most are a total waste of time and effort IME/IMO. YMMV...

[MILGAUSS88]

Unlike on ebay, liveauctioneer allows the auctioneer to see your full bid amount.
So, if you leave a bid with them, you will most likely have to pay you full bid.
I was at an auction and a $150 pocket watch sold for $800. Then came back because the liveauctioneer bidder accidentally added another zero.
There was no one else that bid on the watch, and no one would have paid that much for it.

[freefly]

Originally Posted by MILGAUSS88

Unlike on ebay, liveauctioneer allows the auctioneer to see your full bid amount.
So, if you leave a bid with them, you will most likely have to pay you full bid.
I was at an auction and a $150 pocket watch sold for $800. Then came back because the liveauctioneer bidder accidentally added another zero.
There was no one else that bid on the watch, and no one would have paid that much for it.

Yep, shady...

All of the LA auctions I've participated in have been online and had other competing bidders.
However, I've always suspected that many of those other "bidders" were bots (auto shills). Even more reason to avoid them IMO...

[Lamone]

Very shady practices!

I got a generic email from Live Auctioneers telling me that a full refund was ready...
I contacted the BBB, I doubt anything positive will come out of this. Lesson learned

[vrfman]

Agreed. Same photo for watches for the last 3 years. either they never sell a single watch or they are posting generic photos of watches and I've bid many times, been highest bidder (years ago) and NEVER won a single auction item. Something's Rotten in Remark w/this co? I wouldn't bid/buy a piece of bubble gum from these "shady" people...putting in politely. RUN; and Invaluable better in my opinion than Live Auction platform, but I just use them to contact the Auction House using them for marketing, and bid directly w/the place w/the watch for 1/2 the buyer's premium. And you can talk to a human and tell pretty quickly if they are legit or like this place using 3rd party hosting sites to NEVER sell anything, certainly not for a good deal; now if u want to pay more than retail, maybe they'd actually sell you a watch, but I'd never risk my $ w/them. Beware. Go directly to the place that has the watch...they are auction house and 9x out of 10 have the ability to take bids directly & ask for more photos to ensure they have the watch or you'll get costume jewelry or nothing at all, and never be able to get back your $.

[vrfman]

Demnark (damn speller checker)

[vrfman]

Denmark. (ahhhh)

[GGGMT]

Seems like a very and obviously poor way to be buying a high end vintage watch. At some point, it’s like ... seriously?


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[Obykinobi]

I'm dealing with them now on a refund because they posted watch images from Bob's watches which shows a 5512 gilt chapter ring. The actual watch was a 1961 case with a late 5512 feet first matte dial. Been 2 months and still only received partial refund. Might be going to small claims court soon...
Avoid them at all costs regardless of what they promise on your return policies, etc. ALL LIES

[freefly]

Originally Posted by Obykinobi

I'm dealing with them now on a refund because they posted watch images from Bob's watches which shows a 5512 gilt chapter ring. The actual watch was a 1961 case with a late 5512 feet first matte dial. Been 2 months and still only received partial refund. Might be going to small claims court soon...
Avoid them at all costs regardless of what they promise on your return policies, etc. ALL LIES

Wow, I see they haven't changed much, lol. I honestly don't see how they are still in business.

And yep, they (and other "auction houses") have expanded their con to include listing tons of watches that they don't actually have in their possession, but are available on other platforms.
Then they set their reserve and/or auto-shill bid bots for XX% higher than they can acquire them for. It's a numbers game for sure...

[GGGMT]

Originally Posted by freefly

Wow, I see they haven't changed much, lol. I honestly don't see how they are still in business.

And yep, they (and other "auction houses") have expanded their con to include listing tons of watches that they don't actually have in their possession, but are available on other platforms.
Then they set their reserve and/or auto-shill bid bots for XX% higher than they can acquire them for. It's a numbers game for sure...

They’re still in business because people like OP and Oby and others are willing to take the risk of dealing with live auctions to buy high end watches. It’s the wrong way to buy but it’s the risk they choose to take. As I’ve said many times: it takes two for these practices to succeed …


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[Azadwatches]

Thats so sad and unprofessional. Scammers if its true. Good call!!

[1665fan]

Wow that’s ridiculous…..they are thieves