Rolex Direct Online Purchase Only

[Smarties]

It won’t work. Too many login render the website malfunction.

[Ian Macdermott]

Originally Posted by Smarties

It won’t work. Too many login render the website malfunction.

So how do eBay and Amazon manage then.

[Smarties]

Originally Posted by Ian Macdermott

So how do eBay and Amazon manage then.

Official Rolex website selling Rolex watches at MSRP is not the same as eBay or Amazon selling Rolex at an inflated price.

Scalpers from around the world will try to buy at MSRP and flip for a quick profit.

Can you imagine that?

[Ian Macdermott]

Originally Posted by Smarties

Official Rolex website selling Rolex watches at MSRP is not the same as eBay or Amazon selling Rolex at an inflated price.



Scalpers from around the world will try to buy at MSRP and flip for a quick profit.



Can you imagine that?

I was making a point that eBay and Amazon handle billions of transactions daily and the sites don't crash.

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

[Smarties]

Originally Posted by Ian Macdermott

I was making a point that eBay and Amazon handle billions of transactions daily and the sites don't crash.

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

It'll depend on the scale of infrastructure. If Rolex implements direct selling via the internet, how much do you think Rolex will invest?

With only one private company selling less than a hundred different model of watches (not to mention limited offering of many models), the scale of operation can never be compared with that of ebay or Amazon in terms of product varieties. And more importantly, eBay revenue comes from small % of commission on transaction occurred between buyers and sellers. Their business models are different from Rolex's.

Have you seen Apple online store crashed because people trying to login to buy the latest iPhone at the same time?

[challer]

It’s the only long term solution

[jimcameron]

Rolex would do anything if there is .10$ to be made. But then they would have to set up some "customer service" system to deal with all the neurotics.

[HL65]

Not any time soon. Anything is possible but unlikely IMO.

[Nairn1980]

Originally Posted by cvo

Does anyone think that Rolex would even move to a direct online sales only business model? Cutting out ADs (middle man) and potentially limiting the grey market. Just a thought I had today...

Nope

[seand442]

Originally Posted by tom2517

No, the same question was asked when a reporter interviewed Thierry Stern and he said no either.

In essence TS said there is nothing romantic about buying high end watch online, customer experience matters.

I gotta say, the experience of not being able to buy the watch I want at any AD within 500 miles is a great experience.

[Seibei]

Originally Posted by seand442

I gotta say, the experience of not being able to buy the watch I want at any AD within 500 miles is a great experience.

This so called AD experience has become more of a pain than a pleasure. If you could walk into a store, look at the watches you want, try them on and buy the one you like while being treated in a polite way, then this would all make sense. The days of being able to do this are gone. These days you can be 95% certain that they do not have the watch you want, they will be tired of people asking for that watch, they will be tired of dealing with flippers and they will not know when they will next get that watch from Rolex.

You as a buyer will not know how much other stuff you may have to buy to establish a relationship, you might be placed on a waiting list but you have no idea if it is real or not, you have no idea when you can expect to get your watch, you might get asked for a full deposit with no guarantee you will ever get the watch. When you finally get it you may not walk out with the full set, the dealer may insist on keeping important documents and not handing over the white hang tag with the serial number.

As far as I am concerned this is an expensive archaic global system that is as annoying for buyers as it is for sellers and the sooner it is placed on the scrap heap of history, the better.

Imagine simply going to Rolex's website and look, there is that watch, it costs $X and you can have it in a few months.

Of course Rolex will have systems in place to thwart scalpers. For example, if the wait is longer than 1 month for a certain watch you are only allowed to buy 1 per year. Yes, they would check who you are.

Will there still be flipping and a gray market? Sure, lots of people with money want their watch immediately and are willing to pay thousands of $ to avoid a wait.

Hopefully Rolex would ramp up the production of desirable models while dialing back the slow sellers.

[Calatrava r]

No matter what business model of retail sale Rolex uses, the re-seller's market will always exist as long as supply exceeds demand. The lucky ones who get watches will have folks who succumb to the quick profits of selling their watch to the internet re-sellers. Just how business works. If and when supply equalizes with demand the re-sellers will still sell but at a discount as they used to do.

The ideal world answer is all ADs must sell only to legit retail end user buyers and those owners must never sell their watches. Leave to heirs or destroy them but never sell them. This way the "gray" market cannot get product. In the real world such will never happen

[Ny325]

No. Usually people will walk into a AD, and purchase more than one watch. Reason, something will catch their eye, while shopping for what they originally were interested in.

[RJRJRJ]

No, and it would only make it even harder for you to get the popular stuff. The only reason online sales work for some brands is because those watches aren't very popular.

[The1019]

They want to shove shiny gold sparkly things down your throats why would the so called not for profit continue to do that? Exactly

[Rolex Essex]

Rolex should sell both online and in ADs.
It works for other high end luxury brands. Take a look at Louis Vuitton, Hermes etc..
The very expensive items would probably be available at ADs only.

[Oxfordian]

Originally Posted by Ny325

No. Usually people will walk into a AD, and purchase more than one watch. Reason, something will catch their eye, while shopping for what they originally were interested in.

I enjoy shopping, I enjoy that experience of wandering around, seeing what catches my eye, some days I buy nothing other days a lot. If I go into a jewellers I can look at and try a watch on, how does it look and feel, am I in a buying mood, is it what is in my mind, is it what I want.

Can I get that same experience online? Not a hope.

How can you find out if the watch suits you until you see it, my DJ was not the one I asked my dealer for, it is the one that was in the window, the internet didn't do the one I chose justice.

And that is why the internet is not always the best place to buy goods and why I will always prefer to buy anything expensive in person from a dealer.

[Seibei]

Originally Posted by Oxfordian

I enjoy shopping, I enjoy that experience of wandering around, seeing what catches my eye, some days I buy nothing other days a lot. If I go into a jewellers I can look at and try a watch on, how does it look and feel, am I in a buying mood, is it what is in my mind, is it what I want.

You are a real high roller. If you are in the UK you will probably be aware of the situation there. Most people have a snowball's chance in hell of walking into a shop and getting to try on the watch they want. Most people want stainless steel sports models and good luck traipsing into a shop in the UK and getting to try on SS sports model A, B and C. It is simply not happening. It would be lovely if things worked like that, but they don't.

People like you who buy a lot of jewelry are in a far better position to get a hard to get watch than the person who has to save up and stretch his or her budget in order to buy a Rolex. Don't you think it would be fair to level out the playing field a bit? High rollers will always come out ahead, but don't you think the little guy should have a fair chance too?

[csaltphoto]

Originally Posted by Oxfordian

I enjoy shopping, I enjoy that experience of wandering around, seeing what catches my eye, some days I buy nothing other days a lot. If I go into a jewellers I can look at and try a watch on, how does it look and feel, am I in a buying mood, is it what is in my mind, is it what I want.

Can I get that same experience online? Not a hope.

How can you find out if the watch suits you until you see it, my DJ was not the one I asked my dealer for, it is the one that was in the window, the internet didn't do the one I chose justice.

And that is why the internet is not always the best place to buy goods and why I will always prefer to buy anything expensive in person from a dealer.

I don't necessarily enjoy shopping but I get what you are saying about seeing something in person. TOTALLY different than the internet. My GF and I were wandering around this weekend and were checking out the window at a place we like. They had a watch that looked pretty cool on the internet but was a total non-starter in person. My Gf has pretty good taste and it's funny, of all the nice watches in the window she pointed out the Speedy's and said, "That's cool. I'd wear that" And she knows nothing about watches other than she likes my sub.

I think classic design shows much better in person than on the internet.

[amanbra]

Hi All, long time lurker first time poster, I really wanted to jump in on this one =).

What I'd really like but don't think will happen is order online and select which AD you'd like to pick it up from whereby that AD then gets the sale. Oh how I'd love to see the faces of some of the rude ADs here if that were to happen.

[RJRJRJ]

Originally Posted by amanbra

Hi All, long time lurker first time poster, I really wanted to jump in on this one =).

What I'd really like but don't think will happen is order online and select which AD you'd like to pick it up from whereby that AD then gets the sale. Oh how I'd love to see the faces of some of the rude ADs here if that were to happen.

Sounds good but you're leaving out the part about the AD not having anything for you to pick up.

[kieselguhr]

Originally Posted by RJRJRJ

Sounds good but you're leaving out the part about the AD not having anything for you to pick up.

The order would already be placed, processed, and fulfilled, he just wants Rolex to ship it to a specific AD so he can pick it up from there. Many luxury brands have this option already such as Channel

[Seibei]

Originally Posted by amanbra

Hi All, long time lurker first time poster, I really wanted to jump in on this one =).

What I'd really like but don't think will happen is order online and select which AD you'd like to pick it up from whereby that AD then gets the sale. Oh how I'd love to see the faces of some of the rude ADs here if that were to happen.

You can pick it up from me if you like and instead of a water bottle or some tea I will treat you to a nice lunch. How about that? Seriously, what could you possibly gain from picking it up at an AD? The pleasure of finding a place to park nearby maybe?

[RJRJRJ]

Originally Posted by kieselguhr

The order would already be placed, processed, and fulfilled, he just wants Rolex to ship it to a specific AD so he can pick it up from there. Many luxury brands have this option already such as Channel

Same difference to me.. I mean if they announced that Daytonas were available to anybody in no pecking order hierarchy..you would still be out due to bots or just dumb luck anyway with the massive influx of buyers that they know they can make thousands of dollars easily. I don't know much about Chanel, but my best guess is that whatever you can order and pick up is their version of the DJ. Same way you can't just log in and oder a Birkin bag for pickup.

[SLWoodster]

Originally Posted by jimcameron

Rolex would do anything if there is .10$ to be made.

Disagree. They'd have ramped up production to match supply with demand, or jack up the prices even further.

[amanbra]

Originally Posted by Seibei

You can pick it up from me if you like and instead of a water bottle or some tea I will treat you to a nice lunch. How about that? Seriously, what could you possibly gain from picking it up at an AD? The pleasure of finding a place to park nearby maybe?

They can adjust the bracelet for me and give me some mineral water i guess. =)

[Seibei]

Originally Posted by amanbra

They can adjust the bracelet for me and give me some mineral water i guess. =)

They will probably take your white hang tag off your hands as well. That happens every day in some countries apparently.

[amanbra]

Originally Posted by RJRJRJ

Same difference to me.. I mean if they announced that Daytonas were available to anybody in no pecking order hierarchy..you would still be out due to bots or just dumb luck anyway with the massive influx of buyers that they know they can make thousands of dollars easily. I don't know much about Chanel, but my best guess is that whatever you can order and pick up is their version of the DJ. Same way you can't just log in and oder a Birkin bag for pickup.

It'd be good in that it will help them track flippers better. Here in Aus there are a few 2nd hand dealers that always get new stock. Over time if Rolex kept track of the orders it will help things. Worst case people will feel (just perception or not) the system is fairer than ADs playing favourites/back door etc

[amanbra]

Originally Posted by Seibei

They will probably take your white hang tag off your hands as well. That happens every day in some countries apparently.

Not here in Aus, well not the join it recently got a DJ36 from.

Anyway overall i'm not very savvy with this stuff so buying from and AD gives me piece of mind. The existence of super fakes scares me.

[Seibei]

Originally Posted by amanbra

It'd be good in that it will help them track flippers better. Here in Aus there are a few 2nd hand dealers that always get new stock. Over time if Rolex kept track of the orders it will help things. Worst case people will feel (just perception or not) the system is fairer than ADs playing favourites/back door etc

I could not agree more.