AP AD requesting to cancel my order after deposit and 13 month wait

[blada4life]

I put down a deposit on a blue dial 26331ST when they first reopened after covid. My brother did the same, but on the 27mm RO.

My order needed manager approval. After some back and forth they agreed to let me order the blue dial. I put a deposit down with my CC and was told to expect it somewhere in the 6-12 month range depending on the delivery schedule. At the time the chrono wasnt as popular so the premium wasn't nearly the same and the rep told me i was not that far down their list.

I was not pushy and followed up about once a month knowing I had to wait about 8 months. At the 8 month mark, my brother got the call for his 37mm and i thought i was good to go.

I spoke to my rep about 2 weeks ago and she made it seem like i was getting mine soon. All of a sudden, i got a call yesterday telling me they needed to cancel my order and refund my deposit, with some sh!tty explanation that doesnt make sense. i have also been given the run around to speak to the manager.

I am not sure what my options are here. The watch has significantly gained a premium over the past year. Has anyone been in this situation before? Any advice? Here is what i am thinking my possible options are, and none are very pretty, i just want the watch to own:

1. walk away and leave a bad review
2. threaten legal action to enforce agreement, or difference in current market price v. selling price
3. continue to push for the watch or something different (they sales rep for now refused this option)
4. file a complaint with AP (not sure if this would even make a difference).

keep in mind i have waited for over a year (about 13-14 months) with the promise of being able to buy the watch. there is literally no explanation other than they want to cancel the order. nothing was offered and i am getting the run around regarding speaking to the manager etc. its almost as if they got to my name finally and with the current market value, realized they didnt want to sell it to me. very bizarre, and after spending at most 1-2 minutes each time with me as to the ETA when i have inquired, the rep spent over 30 min pressuring me to accept cancellation, which i have for now refused.

[GW44]

What exactly does this mean please;

"with some sh!tty explanation that doesnt make sense"

Might help us to give a view with more information?

One possible thought could be that they just cannot get any more stock in of the 26331ST as it's widely known/rumoured it will be discontinued for the 2022 range as it is the 25th anniversary of the Royal Oak Chrono and we should see new Steel models in line with, for example, the new 26239 Royal Oak Chrono in Pink Gold that has the new in-house movement, display case back and relocated date window.

[blada4life]

Originally Posted by GW44

What exactly does this mean please;

"with some sh!tty explanation that doesnt make sense"

Might help us to give a view with more information?

One possible thought could be that they just cannot get any more stock in of the 26331ST as it's widely known/rumoured it will be discontinued for the 2022 range as it is the 25th anniversary of the Royal Oak Chrono and we should see new Steel models in line with, for example, the new 26239 Royal Oak Chrono in Pink Gold that has the new in-house movement, display case back and relocated date window.

It really means there was no more explanation. It was along the lines of “we won’t be able to fulfill this for you”. Maybe a better description was there was no substantive reason given. The rep also pushed back hard about speaking to the manager. I am getting the feeling I was allowed to order/buy it initially (after manager approval) and maybe they now realize they shouldn’t have and are pushing the rep to cancel my order or else. Maybe someone is throwing the rep under the bus? Not sure. These are just my thoughts.


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[HMHM]

I feel you should meet up with them in person and seek explanation. I do think the REAL reason is that the ROC in 41 is getting discontinued for a new reference soon and the supply is running dry. But the SA can’t possibly divulge that to you due to confidentiality reasons within AP regarding new releases.

[ts3]

3.

... assuming there is sth else you would want instead if the chrono doesn't happen.

[Benzsiam]

26331ST is going to discontinue soon, your AD won't be able to full fill your order, they have more VIP in front of you.

If you are their VIP and they want to be nice to you, they will move your name to the waitlist for the other model per your request.

I don't think you can do anything, just get your deposit back.

[1William]

Go into the store and have a conversation with your SA and the Manager if you can. Tell them how disappointed you are and ask what they can do to help you out. AP makes some great watches and with a little help from them you might get a different watch that you would really want or transfer the refund over to another waiting list. The only thing you get with being strong with AP and the staff is a never call you again situation. In the end, even if they can not or will not help you, you move on and conduct yourself in a manner consistent with who you are.

[AshAP]

If it’s an AD they may have lost the AP account and therefore can’t honour your order. Maybe they don’t want word to get out that they’ve lost the account but the reality is that AP are closing all or the vast majority of their ADs, it happened to mine last year and they only got 6 months notice.

If this is due to one of the reasons stated above by other forum members then I don’t see how a bad review now will help you further down the line if there’s something you want later, perhaps a watch from a different brand or a good price on some jewellery. It’s always worth leaving the door open for the future no matter how annoyed you feel right now.


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[blada4life]

Originally Posted by AshAP

If it’s an AD they may have lost the AP account and therefore can’t honour your order. Maybe they don’t want word to get out that they’ve lost the account but the reality is that AP are closing all or the vast majority of their ADs, it happened to mine last year and they only got 6 months notice.

If this is due to one of the reasons stated above by other forum members then I don’t see how a bad review now will help you further down the line if there’s something you want later, perhaps a watch from a different brand or a good price on some jewellery. It’s always worth leaving the door open for the future no matter how annoyed you feel right now.


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i get your point and thought the same thing; however, the sales rep refuses to even shift me over to something else. terrible customer experience.

[AshAP]

Originally Posted by blada4life

i get your point and thought the same thing; however, the sales rep refuses to even shift me over to something else. terrible customer experience.

If they don’t want to move your order to a different watch and you’ve conducted yourself in a decent way with them then I think it’s likely that they’ve lost the AP account and just don’t want customers to know it yet. Why else wouldn’t they let you move your deposit to a different AP.


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[RealMadrid1988]

Just an idea, but have you thought about visiting the store on one of your SA’s “off days,” trying to make a connection with a different SA and explaining what happened? Perhaps you could make progress that way (and make a point to your SA) at the same time.

[supernova]

What legal recourse do you think you may have if they refund your deposit? I’m quite sure you have none as they can cancel at their discretion.


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[WatchEater666]

I would complain to AP and ask for my money back plus interest from the dealer. They can donate the interest part if they want. Purely a principle thing...

[Bearxj86]

This.

Originally Posted by AshAP

If it’s an AD they may have lost the AP account and therefore can’t honour your order. Maybe they don’t want word to get out that they’ve lost the account but the reality is that AP are closing all or the vast majority of their ADs, it happened to mine last year and they only got 6 months notice.

If this is due to one of the reasons stated above by other forum members then I don’t see how a bad review now will help you further down the line if there’s something you want later, perhaps a watch from a different brand or a good price on some jewellery. It’s always worth leaving the door open for the future no matter how annoyed you feel right now.


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[Vipes]

Is this an AP boutique? If not then I think the store may be losing AP and can’t fulfill your order. It’s disappointing and upsetting but I would move on and not focus any negative energy on posting bad reviews, etc. Just my humble opinion.

[blada4life]

Originally Posted by supernova

What legal recourse do you think you may have if they refund your deposit? I’m quite sure you have none as they can cancel at their discretion.


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In terms of legal recourse, i do not practice contract law but I do think there is somewhat of a good faith dispute that i may have some recourse, in my opinion:

1. the deposit receipt says all sales final, and the secondary invoice that lists the balance does not reference any terms or conditions for refunds or cancellations. In fact, it says that I cannot cancel or request a refund. i performed my end of the bargain. they did not. Because i ordered during the heat of the pandemic, the SA was very clear I would not get this back if i backed out. They continued to take deposits for about 1-2 months while things were slow so i am sure i am not the only one.
2. even though there is no specific delivery date or guarantee by date, at least there was a guarantee i would receive the watch. by pushing cancellation/involuntarily refunding, i will now never get the watch from them. that is a breach in my opinion. I also have plenty of texts laying out the timeline etc.
3. the watch has gained significant value since i put a deposit on it (for argument's sake, about $30,000 vs current retail of $30k).
4. I relied on the purchase and turned away other opportunities to buy other watches. Aside from other models becoming unobtainable now, which were obtainable before for me, this watch's value has increased over $20k since i ordered it as compared to the cost on the grey market and what i could've paid for it back then (now making it unaffordable $26k retail back then or about $33k grey market back then v $60k grey now).

Per the reasons above, to me, the legal issue is not entirely clear here but i can only imagine the cost of trying to enforce the contract and then entering discovery (requesting copies of deposit lists and inventory deliveries etc). Not sure if is worth it for that. It is very disappointing as this was a special watch for me and my family (my wife is into watches as well) for various reasons especially since we ordered it in the heat of the pandemic.

Seems the consensus is to back off and take the refund. My main reason for the post was to get experiences from other members and whether anyone has dealt with a similar issue before or had any ideas based on their dealings with AP ADs etc

[Sulituan]

I would be super pissed off if my money was being held for 12+ months - more disappointing if there is not even an attempt to make you happy. Seriously!

[Watchflair]

That's terrible -

I don't believe you have legal recourse here and the threat of social media will do little.
I don't believe that your deposit constitutes a contract - simply enough they can say they can't deliver the item requested.
From what it sounds like all they did was put you on their list for this watch - your deposit was not on an available watch with a serial number that was tangible - it was on the promise of putting you on the list to secure a potential available piece in the future. Simply enough - now it's not available. The other stuff about passing on other potential pieces is your problem not theirs - they're not in control of your financial position to purchase other pieces. Just trying to play devils advocate to show you what I think their response to a legal dispute would be.

I would personally go in and visit the AD and ask to speak with the manager. I'd ask them to be candid about what happened and why the sudden change of heart. Tell them you're a big boy and can handle the truth.

[blada4life]

Originally Posted by Watchflair

That's terrible -

I don't believe you have legal recourse here and the threat of social media will do little.

I would personally go in and visit the AD and ask to speak with the manager. I'd ask them to be candid about what happened and why the sudden change of heart. Tell them you're a big boy and can handle the truth.

Doesn't make sense that they wouldn't allow you to secure another piece though - there has to be pieces that are obtainable they could throw your way.

thats what bothers me most. there was zero effort. they sell other brands and when i mentioned i would consider another special piece for my collection, even from another brand, the reaction was akin to "i literally cant sell you anything" (as if i am not VIP enough and they cant believe they let me get that far in the first place). kind of ridiculous in my opinion. The rep literally admitted that they would keep my money had the watch come in and i said no, yet now they cant fulfill anything for me (presumably due to the demand/value on the current market).

[Watchflair]

Originally Posted by blada4life

thats what bothers me most. there was zero effort. they sell other brands and when i mentioned i would consider another special piece for my collection, even from another brand, the reaction was akin to "i literally cant sell you anything" (as if i am not VIP enough and they cant believe they let me get that far in the first place). kind of ridiculous in my opinion. The rep literally admitted that they would keep my money had the watch come in and i said no, yet now they cant fulfill anything for me (presumably due to the demand/value on the current market).

Agreed - it sucks - pure and simple - updated the original post w a response to how I'd see the legal side going.

[blada4life]

Originally Posted by Watchflair

Agreed - it sucks - pure and simple - updated the original post w a response to how I'd see the legal side going.

thank you. appreciate the response and your point is valid and well taken.

[GS93108]

Originally Posted by blada4life

...they sell other brands and when i mentioned i would consider another special piece for my collection, even from another brand, the reaction was akin to "i literally cant sell you anything"...

It sounds like you've been blacklisted. The AD can choose who to do business with and if you've 'flipped' a watch, regardless of brand, then you are done for life. e.g. if you've flipped a Rolex then as far as the AD is concerned that also affects your ability to buy an AP.

Unfortunately your willingness for 'another special piece' from a different brand is a red flag in and of itself, albeit after the fact in this case.

Don't forget, you may not have flipped a watch from this specific AD, but from another AD in their group, and thus have fallen foul of their shared knowledge.

Go and find another unrelated AD and start over and hope that your history doesn't follow you.

No accusations by me, just laying it out there, only you know.

[blada4life]

Originally Posted by GS93108

It sounds like you've been blacklisted. The AD can choose who to do business with and if you've 'flipped' a watch, regardless of brand, then you are done for life. e.g. if you've flipped a Rolex then as far as the AD is concerned that also affects your ability to buy an AP.

Unfortunately your willingness for 'another special piece' from a different brand is a red flag in and of itself, albeit after the fact in this case.

Don't forget, you may not have flipped a watch from this specific AD, but from another AD in their group, and thus have fallen foul of their shared knowledge.

Go and find another unrelated AD and start over and hope that your history doesn't follow you.

No accusations by me, just laying it out there, only you know.

I am not sure where you are getting that I "flip" watches (I dont). has nothing to do with it. just a terrible AD in a high income location with too much demand. For the record, I can still buy something but I was pushing for a special piece because i have been waiting for a blue dial RO, doesnt get any more special than that. dont think i was being unreasonable all things considered.

[martinr]

Westime ?

[GS93108]

Originally Posted by blada4life

I am not sure where you are getting that I "flip" watches (I dont). has nothing to do with it. just a terrible AD in a high income location with too much demand. For the record, I can still buy something but I was pushing for a special piece because i have been waiting for a blue dial RO, doesnt get any more special than that. dont think i was being unreasonable all things considered.

I'm not getting at anything. I wasn't accusing you of anything, as my post stated. I was going on the information YOU provided. You stated that they couldn't sell you anything, which = black listed, but now you say that you can buy from them. Garbage in, garbage out.

[J.T.]

How much was the deposit?

[blada4life]

Originally Posted by GS93108

I'm not getting at anything. I wasn't accusing you of anything, as my post stated. I was going on the information YOU provided. You stated that they couldn't sell you anything, which = black listed, but now you say that you can buy from them. Garbage in, garbage out.

actually if you read my prior comments i made that statement in the specific context of "when i mentioned i would consider another special piece for my collection" so dont put words in my mouth. the only garbage was your comment.

[GS93108]

Originally Posted by blada4life

actually if you read my prior comments i made that statement in the specific context of "when i mentioned i would consider another special piece for my collection" so dont put words in my mouth. the only garbage was your comment.

Silly me for misconstruing your words, so sorry.

Good luck with your purchase.

[macrowatch]

Option 5. Pretty woman the situation. Walk back with five AP’s including a code and make them regret scorning a true target client.

This is sadly a cautionary tale of why all new relationships should go through botique since all AD days are numbered and there is zero relationship for long term client development now.

If you were able to get on the new ROC list, it would be super long because all existing clients that want one would come before you.

Or maybe start with ROO 43 to tide you over while you wait.

[Mbbgysam]

Is it worth sending an email to AP? I've heard of success stories going this route. Don't make it a complaint per se, just keep it succinct and factual and wrap it up with a clear ask. I'd be thinking something along the lines of...

-Quickly establish passion for AP and the watch
-Explain the situation, keeping it purely factual. Attach a copy of the deposit receipt if you have it, and communications with the AD to back up your story
-Double down on why you still want the watch and seek guidance on how to shift your deposit to an AP boutique