Too good to be true??

[prk154]

First post, so please bear with me. I've been researching market value of yach-masters recently...regularly searching ebay. Came across an ad for a "buy it now" yacht master on ebay for $1,000. I understand the various red-flags with the posting, but comforted by the ebay guarantee, I took a chance. The seller actually provided me a UPS tracking number and then changed it to a USPS tracking number...of course no actual confirmation of shipment yet. Any help or insight you all could offer would be greatly appreciated. I definitely need the education.

Below are some excerpts by my almost constant communication with the seller:

New message from: eribrisc-6 (0)
Yes you have my word on this. You can take it to any jeweler and they will confirm it. I'll send you your money back and let you keep the watch if you dont like it or if there's absolutely anything wrong with it.


Your previous message
And you guarantee that the watch I'm getting is a 100% authentic Rolex with all boxes and matching serial numbers paperwork? I am just looking for some confirmation. $1000 is a lot of money for me.

eribrisc-6:
No nothings wrong with it at all. Its brand new comes with the box and has all the tags plus the serial number on the box. I have a few of them and they aren't selling in the store I work in so were selling them for cheaper online to get them out of our inventory

Your previous message
Is there something wrong with this watch? Why is it so much cheaper than others?

[Tools]

The first picture is of a fake.

The last picture appears to be a different watch. I would guess that none of these pictures are related...

[freefly]

Originally Posted by Tools

The last picture appears to be a different watch. I would guess that none of these pictures are related...

Yep, last pic stolen from a seller here:

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=346186

[prk154]

Thanks for the input, guys. Looks like I loaned the guy $1000 until the ebay guarantee reimburses me. I already contacted them and they assured me that I would get my money back within three days of filing a dispute.

[cht]

Originally Posted by prk154

Thanks for the input, guys. Looks like I loaned the guy $1000 until the ebay guarantee reimburses me. I already contacted them and they assured me that I would get my money back within three days of filing a dispute.

wait...you ACTUALLY thought there was a chance you'd get a gen watch out of this mother of a scam??



lol, good luck getting your money back, hope you used a credit card.

If the seller withdraws your money from their account before ebay tries to recover it, they have nothing to return to you.

[eelpie]

Originally Posted by cht

If the seller withdraws your money from their account before ebay tries to recover it, they have nothing to return to you.

I think eBay's protection repays a buyer who's been stiffed, even if the seller has absconded with the money. At that point, eBay either resorts to insurance, or they set their dogs loose on the seller.

Whether or not a deal with a zero feed-back seller is covered by the protection plan remains to be seen.

[freefly]

Originally Posted by prk154

Too good to be true?

Yes. As in, not even a remote possibility that it's a legit deal.

Originally Posted by prk154

Any help or insight you all could offer would be greatly appreciated. I definitely need the education.

A Yacht-Master for $1000 from a zero-feedback seller? What could go wrong? LOL...

Sorry bud, you are either getting a fake watch, or nothing at all.
In the future, recognizing the glaring red flags will save you a lot of headaches (and potentially thousands of dollars should you get scammed by someone who PayPal actually sides with in a dispute).

The two most obvious of those red flags (deal-breakers) being:
1. A seller with zero feedback.
2. A price is that is comically low.

This listing had both of those (in addition to others). I am always amazed how the allure of a potential "smoking" deal causes some folks to throw all reason/logic out the window. Hopefully the PayPal refund process will go smoothly (which it should on this one...it's a slam dunk), and you will not have had to "pay for your education" like many have done in these situations, without the benefit of purchase protection.

[eelpie]

Originally Posted by freefly

Hopefully the PayPal refund process will go smoothly (which it should on this one...it's a slam dunk), and you will not have had to "pay for your education" like many have done in these situations, without the benefit of purchase protection.

Just as an FYI, always, and I mean always, use a credit card through PayPal on anything more expensive than a used Duncan yo-yo.

Using a PayPal balance or a debit card deprives you of your cash until the dispute is settled . . .

[eelpie]

Four or five grand back of retail, with four sold screams run away . . .

[crowncollection]

No way your getting an authentic ym imho


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[eelpie]

Originally Posted by crowncollection

No way you're getting an authentic ym imho

The original poster isn't going to get anything but heartburn from this deal.

There were no watches to sell. It's a scam, trolling for a few fish who thought they'd get something for almost nothing:

Zero feed-back seller, registered three weeks ago, selling four new Rolexes for $1,000 each. Any of these conditions should send any lucid being running for the exits. The combination should make a lucid being either cringe or laugh.

Even if all the photos had come from the same source, this auction shrieks scam. This is why critical thinking is so crucial when approaching a deal like this.

1) No newly registered seller is going to start with four identical, new Rolexes.

2) No new with tags Rolex Yacht Master can be purchased anywhere on the planet for $1,000.

3) If you have questions, see rules 1 & 2.



By the way, the original auction listed the case color as . . . green.

[GLADIATOR]

Seems Seller has removed the listing
Based in United States, eribrisc-6 has been an eBay member since 28 Oct, 2017

[eelpie]

Originally Posted by GLADIATOR

Seems Seller has removed the listing
Based in United States, eribrisc-6 has been an eBay member since 28 Oct, 2017

No, eBay have deleted both the relisted auction and the original. Leaving obvious scams accessible is bad for their brand.

It seems unlikely the seller will be offering Rolexes by the bunch any time soon.

Now, let's hope the poor buyers haven't paid, or that they have recourse.

[GLADIATOR]

Originally Posted by eelpie

No, eBay have deleted both the relisted auction and the original. Leaving obvious scams accessible is bad for their brand.

It seems unlikely the seller will be offering Rolexes by the bunch any time soon.

Now, let's hope the poor buyers haven't paid, or that they have recourse.

Cool.
I had no link to either auction, so I checked the user, who has nothing to offer.
If ebay remove, they either put a sign up that listing is removed OR it just goes to other similar models

Do you have a link to either auction?
adam

[eelpie]

Originally Posted by GLADIATOR

Do you have a link to either auction?

Once an auction has been removed, you cannot access it any more, and when you enter the auction number you get a generic rejection: The auction (*****) is no longer available or it has been removed.

Sometimes it will take you to auctions with similar content.

The best you'll do at this point is the photos at the beginning of this thread.

[GLADIATOR]

Originally Posted by eelpie

Once an auction has been removed, you cannot access it any more, and when you enter the auction number you get a generic rejection: The auction (*****) is no longer available or it has been removed.

The best you'll do at this point is the photos at the beginning of this thread.

Yes I know that,
Where did you get the links, to determine eBay removed them?
Without links (that I agree now would go no where) how you can determine they were removed?
Thanks

[taofeeq]

Hahahhaha seems too good to be true. Don't do it. You'll get burned.

[Ballaratboy]

Sorry, but you were scammed.

[BrokerNaples]

If something seems to good to be true - it mostly is.
I wish you best of luck with the refund process. I hope you reported the seller.

[eelpie]

Please disregard.

I'm dealing with weird Rolexes all over the place . . .

[deltabravo786]

I wouldn't trust those nails with $5

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[BrokerNaples]

Originally Posted by deltabravo786

I wouldn't trust those nails with $5

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

lol

[hambone1983]

I don't mean to sound harsh, but did you ask yourself why someone would be exchanging his $12,000 for your $1,000? Is there any answer to that other than you are never going to get his $12,000???

[Onikage]

Keep researching. Seller, if they had a Yacht-Master could go to any pawnshop, second hand shop, jewellers etc etc ANYWHERE and beat $1000. Best of luck pal.

[MonBK]

There's one born every minute.

Do I feel bad for the OP, no I can't say I do.

When you start a thread with this: "I've been researching market value of yach-masters recently...regularly searching ebay" and then buy one for 1k it's kind of hard to have sympathy.

[BarryR]

I am a complete novice, in fact a few notches below a novice...A simple reverse look up on Tin Eye most times reveals the same photos used in other ads or websites...Just a tool in the box on suspicious items, watches, guitars or what have ya....
Barry

[usling15]

No sorrow for OP here. Did he assume the reason for low price was that it was a stolen item ? 1K below normal trading value,....maybe. But multi thousands below ?? come on !!

[rolex75216]

Yikes!

[CaveDweller]

I got as far as "I'll send you your money back and let you keep the watch if you dont like it or if there's absolutely anything wrong with it" before collapsing with laughter .....

[Onikage]

Originally Posted by CaveDweller

I got as far as "I'll send you your money back and let you keep the watch if you dont like it or if there's absolutely anything wrong with it" before collapsing with laughter .....

If only more watch dealers were as generous.