TeeJay

I'm a freelance art consultant. Here's a re-post of an explanation of that, with a few pics

To put it simply, in the main, I 'draw stuff' for people. I've had projects ranging from wedding dress designs, to tattoo stencils and just about everything in between. I can also advise people on other 'artistic projects' like interior design, custom car graphics, etc. Here're a few examples of projects I've done:

cartoon to mock a devout communist:

rough concept art for a car I would like to build/have built at some point in the future. The Mazda 'Viper':

stencil/layout of a tattoo sleeve I planned to have done but decided against:

custom requested forum signature bar:

car graphics re-created from existing car via use of 'in-game' manipulator :

existing car:

my recreation of it (as closely as the manipulator (and from memory) would allow):

hand-drawn mural at friend's place of work:

(before)

(in progress)

(completed)

Sorry if it's a bit 'off topic', but felt this was the easiest way to explain what I do. Hope folks like the pics

I'd say display back, simply because that allows the pleasure of viewing the movement

As a sidenote, I've noticed that wearing a PAM with a closed back, does make a very slight difference to how the watch 'sizes'. Probably not a problem with a leather strap, but, if an SS bracelet is sized perfectly for your wrist when wearing a watch with a display back, the closed back, will make it ever so slightly more snug fitting.

Can't wait to see the finished project

LOL! "On the job" has a very different connotation in the UK.

This was my first thought upon seeing the title as well

My next thought, was "Someone needs help choosing a Sex Watch??" *vision of person thinking "Yeah!! I'm gonna get my freak on, I've got to put on my Sex Watch!!"

Panerai buckles can dig into one's partner. Either remove, or handle with care

Why invest in an expensive watch winder when a collection of hardcore pornography will do the same thing? Rocco Siffredi wears a Panerai. Not too sure of the model number or if it's a rep, but, he wears one...

And the essential bedroom ettiquette, for partners/companions of watch enthusiasts, please follow the words of Patrick Bateman:

"Don't touch the watch!"

And as for wearing a watch for 'regular work', I wear my 127 about 99% of the time, occasionally swapping for my 029a. I don't have to worry about getting a watch wet whilst working, so I'm not concerned about the straps (I'm not concerned about the watches getting wet either, I know they don't leak )

Maybe you as mod shoud stop treating me diffrent then others as their political treads are ok but mine is not strange way of keeping the rules, i have learn and no more posting from me on such subjects i recpect what admins and mods say.

If they were to stop treating you differently, that would likely mean an end to the leeway which By-Tor mentioned you have been given. Other people might mention political issues occasionaly, you, on the other hand, frequently mention issues of animal rights, politics and religion, and, to be honest, you appear to do so with the intention of sparking heated debate rather than friendly discussion. While that may not be your intention, it is certainly how it appears. This is a watch forum, not one for raising issues of animal abuses. If a subject naturally comes up in the course of a conversation, fair enough, I don't think anyone has issue with that, but, intentionally starting a thread about a controversial topic, cannot, in all honesty, be done without the intention, or at least the understanding, that it is likely to cause heated discussions. While I've nothing against you personally, Dani, intentionally or otherwise, you do do this quite a lot, and are given considerable leeway over it. On one forum I used to frequent (before it got shut down ) there was a rule, which is not often mentioned on other forums, but maybe should be: Continually pushing the boundaries, or 'nearly breaking the rules', will be treated as breach of ToS, and a bannable offence...

I have no int. in getting this subject over to me, i open this tread for helping out does that get blasted by some cry babies in their sale post.

I also now a great big % of members agree whit me on this that is why it shoud be talked openly about.

On this particular issue, I agree with you completely. If Chad wants to sell his watch, for a price which will return the costs he has put into it, that is his right. If people disagree with that price, they have the right not to buy it. To only value a watch by it's cost, and the cost of the mod done, while ignoring other associated costs, such as shipping, is being somewhat 'conservative' in the estimation of it's value. I've said before in topics that modified watches are easily worth more than the cost of the base watch. Mods cost money. They also cost in time, and shipping. While I agree with the comment CarlsbadRolex made, that it is the original owner's choice to have the modifications made, I would also have to point out, that a new buyer would also benefit from the modifications and enjoy them (would possibly have had them done themself) so it's only fair that the costs be reflected in the sales price. At the end of the day, if someone doesn't like the price, they have the right to pass on the sale, there's no need for comments about the price. If someone does like the price, that's up to them, and if they're happy with it, no harm is done...

Peace out.

Maybe Double AR was something 'they' thought of, in the hopes it would mean people had to keep returning their watches for service at approved centers, rather than just doing other things...

I've seen enough photos on the forums to know that Double AR does make a huge difference to the appearance of the watch, while it is in pristine condition. But. I can also imagine that once the exterior coating starts getting scratched and worn, it would start looking very shabby very quickly... I'm happy to keep things simple

Whats more it was only one exhibit, if you look at the vid most people seems to be steering clear of it altogether.

Yes TJ pigs need sunscreen as they don't have fur to protect their skin from the sun but as one that has lived on a farm I can tell you that sunburn (other than itching) doesn't bother pigs it is more the concern of skin cancers and such that makes the farmer use the cream.

Ken

Ahh, that's fair enough. Beyond the most basic form of identification, I don't agree with tattooing anyone/anything without their/its permission. To me, that looked like someone practicing to become a tattoo artist, but not wanting to wait for the pig to expire before 'getting down to work'...

Pigs are tattooed for identification as part of the normal farming procedure.

Note the emphasis there. While it could be argued that those tattoos would 'identify' an individual pig, the tattoos applied are definitely more 'decorative' than something applied for simple identification, ie: 000001, 000002, 000003 etc etc...

They are also used by tattoo artists to learn the trade as pig flesh is very similar to human flesh (same subcutaneous fat layer).

As I said before, not while the pig is still 'wearing' the skin...

What about branding cattle and horses? That's normal practice too.

What about it? The video was not about cattle or horses being branded for identification purposes. Branding cattle and horses is not the issue here...

Also, there is quite a difference, as with tattoos, between brands applied to identify an animal, or show ownership, and artistic brands applied for decorative purposes, as is the case with Human Brandings.

Also on the bit about the tats on the pig's, yes it's wrong but I seriously doubt they feel much (if any) pain from the process due to their thick hides, I think people are equating it to the pain a human feels but for the pig's it is probably more like scratching an itch.

It also looks like those pigs are living a pampered life, will they in fact even be slaughtered?

Ken

I wouldn't be so sure... I understand that pig owners have to apply suncreams to their backs so they don't get burned. If they were more tollerant of the pain/heat (such as cats are more tollerant of higher temperatures than Humans) there wouldn't be much need to give them the suncream. The pig also moved about a bit, so it was clearly in some manner of discomfort.

The thing that disgusted me most about that, is that the pigs have no choice in what is being done to them. I suspect that if someone was to tattoo someone else, without their permission, then they would receive a stiff penalty. I remember reading on one tattoo forum, where someone once fell asleep at a birthday party, where the birthday boy had got a tattoo machine for their birthday... When they woke up, they had a load of tiny 'bats' tattooed across their shoulder, so in need of coverup work. I'm not sure if they actually pressed charges, but, there was a lot of encouragement for them to do so. The pigs don't even have that luxury...

I think the Mee/May issue will continue to run and run. I suspect that the classic pronunciation was 'may'/'meh', and, there is a difference between being right and being wrong. Personally, I just really liked the exchange between Bond and Vesper, and the smug tone in Bond's voice (at putting such a bossy woman in her place) really makes the scene. All this talk has caused a flareup of my PlanetOceanitis... Just when I thought it was firmly undercontrol, with my PAMophelia, it rears its head

Japanese Yakuza dudes and their tats:

Those're just works in progress Full bodysuits FTW

Ok, how about this one: Wim Delvoye is acclaim as a major contemporary artist, one of his work involves tatoo on pigs

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=DUcX0owdIhY

That is so wrong on so many levels...

Tattooing anyone or anything against it's will is just unspeakably wrong. I wonder how he would like to be held down and forcibly tattooed... Maybe the word "C*nt" across his forehead would be appropriate...

I know many tattoo artists learn to tattoo by using pigskins, but not while the pig is still wearing it... What he's doing is just another example of an 'artist' using animal cruelty for their 'works'. It's jokers like that that give legitimate (human) tattoo artists a bad name...

This is a risk folks run when buying a rep item, rather than the gen...

very nice watches TeeJay, thanks for sharing mate, seems like there are so many good models out there. I love the black PVD version.

Also, I came across a few GEN watches that mimic the panerai style, they are more than my budget but I think a gen is worth stretching out my budget:

Magrette Regattare Valencia

any ideas/opinions?

No problem As mentioned, they don't come in 'Super Rep' catagory, but pretty nice for their cost. The PVD is nice, but, doesn't see much wrist time. In all honesty, it's not a very versatile watch. Regular SS is much more versatile, so probably a better choice.

I like the look of the Magrettes, although without the crown guard, they look like they're 'missing' something The price is okay, so I guess it comes down to personal choice

Mate is Tony in EU?

No mate, he's in China, but, I've had stuff sent via EMS (which is then delivered by Parcel Force) and by regular airmail (which I think was then delivered by the Royal Mail) and never had a problem with any delivery. They've all come through within the promised timeframe (about 7 working days)

Where can i see your wrist shots?

Here's a few for you Not what could be considered 'super reps', but good enough for my requirements

I know folks advise against getting reps wet, but, I've never had a problem from doing so...

Yeah I guess you are right, I am not overly bothered about being "called out", its a rep and as long as I remember that myself I guess it doesnt matter what others make of it. The one in the picture is "alright", but its in a pretty bad shape, too many scratches and crown guard is in a very bad shape. I think rather than spending money to pimp this one I would get a best rep $150 can buy.

I know what you're meaning: Would the money spent modding it be better spent buying a new watch and being done with it... Only you can really answer that one, but, I would say, if you wouldn't be happy wearing that watch (even with extensive mod work) it might be better spending the money on a new watch and being done with. I had once planned to mod a POS Omega 2531.80, but in the end, just bought a new one, as it was too much hassle thinking about sourcing parts, and watches to cannabalize for parts, so in the end, it was as easy to just buy one

Hmm, the seller didn't misrepresent anything, but he is most probably aware that the adapter has issues as he has received negatives and neutrals over that same product. I'm assuming he's also received a lot of positives for that adapter?

Personally, if I was in that sellers position I would stop selling the product. Or another alternative is to do my own investigation and find out if it has a problem with all p168+ models, or could it be that the phone is at fault (outdated firmware or other such issues). If this turns out to be the case, I would make it clear in my listing that this adapter does have known issues with some p168+ phones, so purchaser is buying at own risk.. something along the lines of that. However I admit that I would have to be pretty desperate to flog them off for me to do that, as another member pointed out above, he might have surplus stock of these adapters so he's trying to get rid of them on e-bay.

You're right there, bro, he didn't misrepresent anything, but, from the other feedback he had, I'd certainly say it was witholding known information. Not lying, per se, but definitley behaving in a less than honest fashion...

Given the phone didn't have any 'audio dropout' when using the factory-issued headphones, I think this has to be a case of the adaptor not interfacing properly with the phone (or the headphones). Especially when the headphones connected to the adaptor, work flawlessly with other MP3 players

As you say, personally, I would have the listing, but then specify that problems with intereacting with a person's own headphones is a possibility, that way it covers both the possibility of the adaptor functioning perfectly, while still covering the possibility of the adaptor not being fully compatible with the headphones I have to admit, I don't really have a problem with them as a dealer, I was just really shocked that they would attempt to pay someone to remove less than 100% positive feedback I wonder if they did that to all the buyers who left negatives, and if the buyers also told them to jog on Oh well, hopefully the new phone will work... I might even do another review

Hmmm...

This:

I am looking for the "super rep" or a highest quality rep,

is rather contradicted by this:

but on the budget of around $150 max.

I've always been happy with the watches I got from Tony, which are around that $150 mark. See my PAM wrist shots as examples

The one you put together might not be necessarily accurate to any known model, but, if it tells the time accurately, why not throw a really nice strap on it, and wear it around a bit. Folks don't know what PAMs are even supposed to look like, let alone spot a fantasy model

TeeJay, would you say the seller misrepresented the listing?

Well, other than it not working 100% properly ( ) then I wouldn't have said it was a misrepresented product. Of course, if someone sees something for sale, unless flaws and known incompatabilities are mentioned, then someone could fairly presume, that the item would work properly. All we're talking about, is a piece of wire with a mini USB on one end, and a microphone with a 3.5 input port on the other... Not really much to be incompatible, so it's a mechanical issue. Having seen that there are other people with issues with it, I think it's fair to say that the dealer is aware of the problem (and still listing the item) I've said that I'd retract the feedback, but not heard back from them yet. As pointed out above though, given that I'm not the only one who's experienced difficulties, I'm now wondering if I was being overly generous with my agreement to retract the neutral feedback, and if I should simply leave it as is. I remember a line from Highlander: It doesn't matter if you give your word, it matters who you give your word to. Doesn't make much sense, but I can kind of understand the logic...

Is that adapter only designed for the P168 or also other phones/models?

As far as it's advertized, it's only for the P168+.

First of all, its not possible to CHANGE feedback from neutral to positive. All that can be done is MUTUAL feedback REMOVAL.

Secondly, you are absolutely correct in that you haver every right to leave whatever feedback you feel is due. But so does the seller... And the simple fact that you failed to contact the seller prior to leaving anything other than positive feedback warrants NEGATIVE feedback in my humble opinion.

I dont feel a seller should ONLY be given positive feedback... If you contact me and tell me there is a problem and I tell you to go [censored] yourself... then I deserve a negative feedback. If you place an order and I sit on my ass for a week and dont ship it... I deserve a negative feedback. If I tell you something is brand new, and then I ship you something that I let my kid play with for a few days... YES, by all means tell the world I am a jack ass! But if a mistake is made, something is defective or the carrier destroys it GIVE ME A CHANCE TO FIX IT.

As far as him having negative feedback this month... SO DO I. I process 200-250 orders per day. I ship about 50% from my location and the others are drop shipped. I have a VERY GOOD relationship with my vendors, and they do everything in their power to live up to my high standards. BUT, occasionally accidents happen and an order is mis-shipped. Do I deserve an immediate neutral or negative for that? OR, whit if UPS or Fedex destroys a package... Do I deserve a neutral or negative for that? Neither of these situations are within my immediate control and I receive NEGATIVES for both at least a few times per month. AND EVERY SINGLE TIME the customer has left the feedback before contacting me. Had they contacted me I, I would have cross shipped a replacement, filed a claim if necessary and in most cases give a 10% discount on future purchases. BUT NO... because the transaction wasnt PERFECT, the whole world needs to know about it.

As soon as a customer places an order, they receive an automated email with the receipt, links to free downloads, warranty registration AND instruction pertaining to RMA, feedback and return procedures... But 8 out of 10 times they dont read it.

THIS is why I feel justified in leaving a negative feedback for them. Maybe Im wrong, maybe Im not. But IT IS GOOD TO BE KING! I can do what I want with my Ebay store!

The thing is though, had I contacted them, what would have been the outcome? From the other feedback I found, it's a very strong possibility that a replacement would also have had the same problem. I admit, I didn't know that at the time, but, my knowledge of the facts, or rather lack of knowledge of the facts, wouldn't've changed the outcome, as there are the other reports stating issues with the same product. As mentioned above, making good on a bad deal, while good business practice, isn't the same as delivering a flawless product in the beginning. From what others have said (I wish I'd read the feedback now) I would never have received a flawless product, as it is clearly a product with issues. All the good will in the world isn't going to change that, so from that point of view, I feel that my comment about the product itself (which was only factual and polite, not "It's a piece of [censored]!") deserves to stand. In terms of rating the overall transaction, yes, it was good, but, I can't get over the feeling of being bribed/manipulated into ammending the feedback, especially since finding others who have also had problems with the same item... Ironically, the feedback for the phone I just ordered from the same dealer, has all been reasonably positive. I'm already aware of potential firmware issues with the phone via independant research, so I know full well that it might have issues, I'm just hoping that they won't detract from the phone overall

It sounds like your business is more than thriving, so that's awesome, best of luck with your own site, and transfering your clients thus If you ever have a UK-based vacancy, please let me know

a defective product is one thing. but when there's other feedback about the same item having problems and you the seller refuse to do anything about , be it changing the listing descript or even refusing to stop carrying the item all together youre then aware what youre selling is not what youre claiming it to be. even contacting the person to tell them hey this product has problems (which they already know) just to pay to ship it back is unacceptable, and neutral is more than fair.

Once I read the other feedback and saw the existing issues, that was precicely what I thought, and felt thoroughly manipulated into thinking I should retract the feedback, just because they didn't want it. Other folks left neutrals, even negatives for the same product, even though I'd said I would retract it, maybe I should stick with my initial instinct, which was saying nothing bad about the dealer, just pointing out a legitimate (and obviously known) issue with the product itself.

what may be going on is the seller is unloading their inventory of crap hoping a few people wont notice or are too lazy to return it.

Possibly. They don't have a huge range of stock, just a few models of phone, and the afforementioned adaptor. When purchassing a phone, the buyer is given, as freebies, a leather case, a silicone jacket, car adaptor, screen protector, SDcard to USB adaptor/reader, yet none of those things are available for individual purchase, so I think you could be right about them liquidating certain stock items.

I've been considering sterlizing my 127... I did a photoshop mockup to see how it would look, but just can't decide... I'm worried that the lack of printing, which 'pulls the dial together', might make the dial look huge

Omega: Oh-MAY-ga

"Rolex?"

"Oh-MEE-guh..."

Quick Update:

Having mulled over the issue, I emailed the dealer, and said that I was prepared to remove the neutral feedback and replace it with a positive one, but, that I would leave the same message, explaining the incompatibility, so I'll see how they feel about that.

However, something which I think should be pointed out, is, having since looked through the feedback ratings, this seller has had several negative feedbacks this month alone, several neutrals, and some of those, relate to the same adaptor. As a point of interest, I tried using the adaptor with a set of Sony earphones, and the same audio dropout was present (was never present when I used the original factory-issued headphones) so the issue is clearly one if incompatability.

So, given that the item (in general, not just specifically mine) is not without flaws, was I really being unreasonable by detailing them? (compare to the hypothetical watch review of a watch where everything bar the lume is top notch)

See, I think you should have emailed them with the issue first.

They may have offered to refund, replace, or partial refund. I have had this happen several times with good sellers. "Sorry to hear our product has some minor issues. We've tried our best, we can offer to replace it, or to return for refund, or we can do a partial refund to compensate you?"

Always try and resolve any issues first before leaving feedback is my rule.

As someone that does over $100k per month in sales on Ebay let me educate you a little about Ebays feedback system.

First and foremost, the NEW feedback system being used by Ebay considers a NEUTRAL feedback the same as a negative. Ebay does not normally explain this, but my Ebay representative (YES you get one when you do the volume we do) has explained it to us.

Furthermore, the Square trade process is basically nothing more than a way for a seller to PAY to have feedback removed (with the agreement of the buyer). So OBVIOUSLY, ebay does not have an issue with paying to have feedback removed. The simple fact that he has offered you $5 tells me he is a pretty wise seller and is trying to avoid the square trade process which costs $20 per removal.

After reading your posts, I feel that what you did is wrong. You should have contacted him FIRST and given him the opportunity to remedy the situation. And quite frankly, you would have received a negative feedback from me for this. I have found that leaving a buyer a negative feedback (which is now being made impossible) seems to motivate a buyer to agree to the removal of unwarranted feedback.

And dont even get me started with Ebays DSR's (detailed sellers ratings)... Ebay makes it very clear to buyers that the scale (1-5) for 5 categories is a great well to detail the transactions. They tell buyers that they should give a 1 for a horrible transaction and reserve 5's for absolutely perfect transactions. SO, with that information MOST buyers leave 4's across the board. MOST people would think that is great!!!! WRONG... Unless a seller maintains a DSR average of 4.6 or greater they do not qualify for Power Seller discounts and are no longer given preference in searches. SO, my business has taken a 30% hit because my DSR rating average is 4.4 even with a 99.6% feedback rating and over 15k feedback.

We just increased our monthly budget by $5k to cover additional advertising meant to pull our Ebay customers to our own website. And HOPEFULLY by September, we will be using Ebay for nothing more than liquidation of overstock and returned/defective items.

PS: had you contacted him, he most likely would have reshipped a new one and covered the cost of return shipment... He may have even said keep it and shipped a replacement. My policy is to ALWAYS cover return shipping for defective or damaged items and if its simply not cost effective to get it back... the customer can keep it AND get the replacement.

I have to admit, I am really surprized with the responses and attitudes here. Why should a dealer only be given positive feedback? Why should a dealer be given positive feedback, when the item they sell, is not 100% perfect for it's intended role? Why should a customer be bribed or bullied (as is the case with receiving negative feedback, thus forcing a retraction of the original feedback) to remove feedback which is not what the dealer wants to see? If the customer is not happy with the deal, or the dealer, or the product, they have the right to state that in a reasonable manner. That's what the feedback system is for. It also educates potential customers, about issues with said product or dealer, and can spare them the hassle of ordering something which is not suitable for the intended use. Key issue: Fit for the intended use. In the UK, that is the key definition which an item must fullfill if a refund is required. If the item is not fit for the intended use, the customer has the right to return/refund/be less than satisfied with it For something as trivial as a little sound dropout, it is not worth the hassle of trying to get the item replaced, when the replacement will likely have the exact same problem. Do buyers not deserve to know that a product might not be 100% what they are looking for? Is that not the very reason that forums like this exist? To educate and inform buyers? That's all I did in the feedback: Said I was happy with the dealer and their service, but left a factual, educational note, that the adapter does not work 100% with Apple headphones. That's not saying anything negative about the dealer, not saying anything negative about their business practices, but leaving a 100% honest evaluation of said product. Do I not have the right to be dissatisfied with it? Do I not have the right to leave comment explaining that? If not, why does eBay even allow people to leave feedback? Had I left a negative feedback, or, even a neutral feedback, but one with a really bad write up, then by all means, I would expect a negative feedback in return. But a negative feedback for leaving an honest review of a product? What's what that? Are people that sensitive that they can't stand any criticism at all? If a product does not work with X Brand of headphones, then the dealer needs to know that, just as buyers need to know that. That's not to say that I don't want the thing, it's just saying, it doesn't work perfectly with these headphones. I can guarantee that someone less tollerant than I am, would likely have left a negative feedback or returned the product. It would be like someone buying a rep which was almost flawless, but saying "The lume's not very good, I want a refund on it..." The rest of the item would be fine. Why go to the hassle of a return over such a trivial issue? If the person was to review "X is a great dealer, they sent the watch really quickly, and the watch is really nice. It keeps time at +2 seconds a day, and is visually identical to the original, however, the lume is not so great..." would people consider that an unreasonable review?

Not intending to get into a flamewar here, I'm just really surprized how folks feel on the issue, we'll just have to agree to disagree Have a good weekend, folks

What if they had offered you ten thousand dollars?

The amount is irrelevent to the issue of the item not being 100% compatible

Ignoring the bribe, I don't think it's reasonable to give neutral feedback to the seller because of this issue. If he's willing to give you $5 to recind the feedback, he's probably willing to accept a return and issue a refund. And it would seem better to praise him for his customer service in a review with positive feedback, while also stating that the product is subpar.

Hmm, I can see your point... Personally, I think positive feedback requires all aspects of the transaction to be perfect. I did state (in the feedback) that the dealer's service was above reproach, and that the issue was solely with the item itself, as it was not 100% universal.

And besides, the problem could be with your phone and not with his adapter.

It could, but it's not. The factory-issue headphones delivered full sound, and, the Apple headphones deliver full sound when plugged into a different MP3 player. The issue is definitley with the adaptor, not the phone or the headphones, so I feel it only fair that future customers be aware of this compatability issue before purchassing. It wasn't a rant, afterall, the feedback space is limited, so I simply stated the facts: Dealer absolutely perfect, swift delivery, but item not 100% compatable with my own Apple headphones. Personally, I couldn't see anything unreasonable about that...

Why didn't you just return the item and receive a refund if you were not 100% happy with it?

The item is 99% perfect, and something I use daily. It was not worth the hassle of returning it for refund, as, that is the only source of such adaptors I have seen, and, that is the item required, as I have not found any dealers selling factory-issue headphones for the Cect P168+. If I could have bought a new pair of factory-issue headphones (as my original set got trodden on) I would have done so. However, none was available, so I went with the next best alternative.

That would have been much nicer than leaving that feedback.

It would have been nicer to receive a product which did not lead to what can only be described as 'audio dropout', but, that's not the hand I was dealt... I felt that I was fair in my feedback, and simply leaving the comment as a 'public notice'. I felt, that not being 100% satisfied with the item, it would be misleading to give positive feedback, as that could encourage others to purchase the adapter, thinking it would work perfectly, and wind up disappointed. The 'dropout' I'm describing, is strange, and varies from track to track. For example, on Blue Oyster Cult's Don't Fear the Reaper, the guitar in the opening riff is not heard. In the Elton John track Crocodile Rock, the "Wah" vocals in the chorus, are not heard, only the musical accompaniment. Not enough to render tracks un-listenable to, but enough to be noticeable, and sign of a not 100% compatible item.

I would not take it as he was offering a bribe, but rather making up for the problem you had.

$5 would not make up for the problem though. It would not make the item work properly, nor would it provide a replacement. I don't think it would even cover the cost of return shipping had I wanted to return it... As I said, I wasn't dissapointed enough with the item to send it back, and, I do use it everyday, but, it does not work perfectly, and, future customers deserve to be aware of such a compatibility issue.

Have you ever been somewhere to eat and were not 100% sat. so they gave you a gift certificate to come back?

No. I have had money taken off a holiday bill due to issues which interupted our holiday, however, the location itself, was one where my wife and I had planned on getting married, and, the issues which presented themselves (such as broken and dirty chinaware at the eateries) put us off the idea of getting married there, as those are not the kind of things people want to be thinking about on a wedding day.

To be honest, I'm not a particularly fussy or demanding person., I just feel that with certain things, they should be of a reasonable quality, or performance. While I might put up with less than perfect performance, that doesn't mean I will do so silently

[Edit to add]

Had the money been described as discount off a future purchase, rather than being conditional upon the removal of the (wholly accurate, honest and legitimate) feedback, I might not have looked on it as a bribe. Either way, given the incompatibilty with the headphones, I still feel the feedback was warranted and a reasonable note for future buyers to be aware of.

I think you may have missed my opening premise

'The 1 thing I know is that

anyone who has ever spent extra time or money to get a more accurate (to the gen) rep

is, de facto, trying to pass his/her rep off as a gen.'

Clearly, you do not fall into this category, so please ignore my comments referencing you & your choice of watches. And please accept my apologies.

I had noted that premise, and it's one I fully agree with. I simply read your later comment to mean that folks who say they aren't wearing a rep to pass it off as a gen, as being less than honest

Apologies accepted, but really not necessary, nothing more than getting the wrong end of the stick

No, definitely not.

Good good

I just find comments like that difficult to believe.

That's fair enough, but, that's your 'issue', not mine... Some folks find it hard to believe that Man has set foot on the moon. That doesn't make NASA liars If I wanted to try and pass off my watches as gens, I wouldn't be buying the Asian 'basic' models from Tony As I said, I might even have the lettering removed from my 127, so it'll have a totally plain dial. I'm still trying to decide if I like it 'sterile' or not (from a photoshop mockup) If I was concerned with passing it off as gen, I certainly wouldn't be removing the brand name (which, as above, most folks don't even recognize, so there's no point in trying to impress people with things they don't recognize )

As I said above, I can only speak for myself, and my own requirements in a watch. While I would agree that there likely is a digital watch which is as easy to read as a PAM, I've yet to see a digital watch which actually looked smart or elegant. Functional, certainly, but, not the aesthetic which I like (analogue) All I was pointing out, was that it is not fair to apply ones's own motives to others:)

With all due respect, there are any number of far more accurate & easy to read (at a glance) digital quartz watches

I disagree.

To suggest that 1 buys a mechanical watch because of its superior accuracy or legibility strains credulity. But to each his own..........

Are you calling me a liar?