What Do Our Dealers Do For Us?

[Pugwash]

So, we've seen what TTK states he does to every watch that goes out. It's pretty impressive stuff, for sure. So, not wanting to play favourites, what levels of detail can we expect from other dealers?

With Precious Time and Narikaa, as they deliver from the EU, we can be sure that they check their watches personally and they take their own pictures, but what about the others? Does it matter? What aspect of watch pricing is more important to you? After-sales? Knowing what you're getting is what's pictured? Speed of delivery and response?

Try not to deliberately provoke the dealers or insult them as this isn't the time or place. Let's go for both the positive and negative, but constructively.

ps. This post is primarily a result of the sabotaging of the other thread as the content was lost in the noise.

[hyster]

So, we've seen what TTK states he does to every watch that goes out. It's pretty impressive stuff, for sure. So, not wanting to play favourites, what levels of detail can we expect from other dealers?

With Precious Time and Narikaa, as they deliver from the EU, we can be sure that they check their watches personally and they take their own pictures, but what about the others? Does it matter? What aspect of watch pricing is more important to you? After-sales? Knowing what you're getting is what's pictured? Speed of delivery and response?

Try not to deliberately provoke the dealers or insult them as this isn't the time or place. Let's go for both the positive and negative, but constructively.

ps. This post is primarily a result of the sabotaging of the other thread as the content was lost in the noise.

Honesty is what I want, above all else.

[lionsandtigers]

Personally, I have had nothing but excellent transactions with all dealers and private sellers that i have delt with, but i also did my homework and knew what I was getting into and who i was getting into it with before I bought. i think that there is responsibility on both ends, the dealer and the buyer.

I think all dealers should be responsible for ensuring that:

1. The watch that is advertised is indeed the watch they're selling and the watch the buyer will recieve.

2. At least a quick if not full inspection of the product before shipping. I cannot imagine that these guys have SO many orders that they dont have 20 minutes to inspect an item before it is packed and shipped.

3. That if the watch or item is not up to par, a full refund should be given, or a replacement at no extra charge.

Now, there is something to be said about buyers as well:

1. Know what you're buying

2. Know who you're buying it from

3. DO YOUR HOMEWORK

If you pay attention and research a little, its quite easy to spot things that are shady and things that arent. because i did this, i recieved, multiple times, exactly what i paid for.

I much rather pay a little more knowing that I am actually getting what i ordered. but also, lets be honest, this is a very, very blanketed and risky thing to get into. how many of us have actually seen any of the dealers on this board? I dont know where the watch comes from, or who it comes from, and to be honest, as long as I feel beyond any doubt that i am going to get what i paid for, then i can accept it.

I have been scammed once by what seemed to be a reputable dealer, never even got a watch let alone a shitty one, but that was before i joined here, and i accepted it, cause it is risky.

But, like i said, since i have become an active member here, and since i have had many conversations with dealers and collectors, i have turned up pretty damn happy.

[V]

I've had excellent service from all the dealers I have bought from..

Paul, River, Silix, Joshua, EddieLee, King, Prescious time, Puretime...

Lucky? Maybe.. but problems do appeared in the process with some of the dealers and everytime they were resolved.

[Pugwash]

I think all dealers should be responsible for ensuring that:

1. The watch that is advertised is indeed the watch they're selling and the watch the buyer will recieve.

2. At least a quick if not full inspection of the product before shipping. I cannot imagine that these guys have SO many orders that they dont have 20 minutes to inspect an item before it is packed and shipped.

These two are impossible to guarantee for drop-shippers.

[cwai02]

A dealer should:

1. know what they are selling. Sappire crystal, movement...

2. correctly present the advertised item.

3. be honest.

4. deliver the product in a timely manner. A may-not-be-working tracking number is better than no tracking number.

5. reply emails in a timely manner.

6. give the buyers the benefit of doubt. Murphy's law states "Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong." It's not always due to buyer's stupidity when things go wrong.

7. try to find a mutually beneficial solution when things go wrong.

8. look for long term relationship. Don't get personal. It's just businesss.

my 2 cents.

I recommend Andrew, Joshua, EL, river, King, PT, and silix-prime.

[Everythingape]

You know what the egyptians said back in the day: Cravat Emperor

Being a new kid on the block, I obviously were and I still am afraid of being scammed big time. Not having dealt with so many dealers yet, but having sent a few mails back and forth with most of them, I find there are a couple of things I'd like to have clear before making a purchase.

My main concerns are:

1, Is this watch really worth my money?

2, Is the watch you advertise really the one I'll get? Since most of us new guys will not know a 2893 from a little man turning a crank, will it really be what I pay for?

3, How fast will you reply, and do you even have the watch you advertise, or will you send me an email after a couple of days telling me you can not get it, and I will have to change my order?

4, Will it arrive and not really fulfill my expectations, look and feel too cheap?

5, How long will it take for the watch to get here?

6, How do you pack and ship it? And How will you handle customs issues should they arise?

These are the things I think about, in no particular order..

But I guess when I think about a purchase as a whole it comes down to quality.. I want a watch that runs and looks good. I'm not too occupied with accuracy yet, but I do need to feel good about it.

I'll probably think of a few things more, but this is what I got so far.

-Ape-

[jonthebhoy]

Neil sends me $500 every month to keep on his side and to ignore his Syd Barrett type rants.

I get a free watch for every nice thing I say about him and he's even promised to send me over a horny little West Highland Terrier to service Katie my Westie [censored] cos the little runt round the corner called Ben hasn't got the first idea, so much so that I've renamed him "Bent".

There...........I've let the cat dog out of the bag.

Flame away!

JTB

[Pugwash]

Flame away!

Ah, it's pub turfing-oot time I see.

[eddhead]

So, we've seen what TTK states he does to every watch that goes out. It's pretty impressive stuff, for sure. So, not wanting to play favourites, what levels of detail can we expect from other dealers?

With Precious Time and Narikaa, as they deliver from the EU, we can be sure that they check their watches personally and they take their own pictures, but what about the others? Does it matter? What aspect of watch pricing is more important to you? After-sales? Knowing what you're getting is what's pictured? Speed of delivery and response?

Try not to deliberately provoke the dealers or insult them as this isn't the time or place. Let's go for both the positive and negative, but constructively.

ps. This post is primarily a result of the sabotaging of the other thread as the content was lost in the noise.

This is a very good thread. I am relatively new to this game, and benefit from the expertise of the pundits on this and other sites. I try to do as much research as I can before asking questions and making purhcases but still... there is an awfully lot to digest and my eye is just not as nuanced as many of the more seasoned collectors

What I value from the dealers above all else is thier honesty. I am impressed with a dealer who can objectively look at his/her product, and not only tell me what is good about it, but where it does not quite measure up. I have had very limited experiences as a buyer, and a correspondent but in the few that I have had, I have been impressed with the willingness of the dealers to be up-front.. I really like that. I think they cannot help themselves.. they are business people, but collectors as well and they love the craft too much to be anything but discerning, and objective about thier products... i really think they value thier positon as experts too much to be anything but honest in their appraisals.

after market support is probably not as important... given that the dealers I buy from are overseas, and considering the custom hassles, et al.. it is very unlikely that I will EVER return a watch for any reason.. if the watch i recieve is damaged or not up to par, i may reach out to person, maybe try to work something out for the next time... if i cannot get satisfaction i will not deal with that dealer again... chalk it up to a lesson learned. But honesty and honor are of paramount importance to me.

I read through TTK's ten reasons msg many times over the past week or so. I really like the fact that he personally inspects every watch and hand picks them... and i have no doubt that he actually does this... regardless of whatever else you may think, anybody who follows his posts can clearly discern that he loves this stuff too much to do anything but be very anal over every piece he collects, sells or trades... Getting that kind of assurance from the other dealers would go along way with me... I am not looking for guarantees, just an assurance that somebody with a high level of expertise looked at the piece and found it up to his/her standards.

EDIT... the dealers i have purchased from so far are andrew and eddie lee, and the experience with both was been superb. I also has a deal going with josh that fell thru b/c the product i was interested became unavaliable right after i pulled the trigger.. to his credit, josh offered me a substantial discount on a replacement to make up for it but i was not interested in the model.. i guess that is what i mean by honor... communcation with him thoughout was amazing and i will defintely do business with him at some time in the future.

[jonthebhoy]

Ah, it's pub turfing-oot time I see.

Correctamundo!

A little less gravitas is what's required on a Friday night (or any night) methinks.

JTB

[MAHLER]

With Precious Time and Narikaa, as they deliver from the EU, we can be sure that they check their watches personally and they take their own pictures, but what about the others?

Because we don't feel some answered by the dealers?

[Watchmeister]

There is a reason why the dealers here and at TRC survive. They are tested every day by hundreds of forum members. If a dealer is not acting appropriately we know about it. I have bought multiple items from Andrew Eddie, Josh, Ken/Honpo, King, Lisha (AAA plus), Neil, River and Sean. We quickly forget about those dealers who have not survived here. With all the dealers I have bought from they have always rectified any problem. That is what makes this forum so invaluable. You still have to do the homework to figure out which watch, generation, version, movement, etc. you really want though. That is what makes it fun for us.

By the way, anyone who has bought from our dealers and is on this forum should be financially supporting it (not so gentle reminder).

[Birdman]

I want good comunication as this is what I give my customers. I would like to know when an item is shipped. Cant be that hard

[Guest TTK]

When you have a 100+ orders....yes it can.........you pay for a watch.....and the QC that I provide.....you do NOT get filial loyalty.....unswerving devotion.....any guarantee that your ass won't get flamed......and I'm defo not anyone's penpal.......e:g.....it's now the weekend...and at the weekends I head off to the big rock candy mountains......!

One evening as the sun went down and the jungle fire was burning

Down the track came a hobo hiking and he said boys I'm not turning

I'm headin for a land that's far away beside the crystal fountains

So come with me we'll go and see the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains there's a land that's fair and bright

Where the handouts grow on bushes and you sleep out every night

Where the boxcars are all empty and the sun shines every day

On the birds and the bees and the cigarette trees

Where the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains all the cops have wooden legs

And the bulldogs all have rubber teeth and the hens lay soft boiled eggs

The farmer's trees are full of fruit and the barns are full of hay

Oh, I'm bound to go where there ain't no snow

Where the rain don't fall and the wind don't blow

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains you never change your socks

And the little streams of alcohol come a-trickling down the rocks

The brakemen have to tip their hats and the railroad bulls are blind

There's a lake of stew and of whiskey too

You can paddle all around 'em in a big canoe

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains the jails are made of tin

And you can walk right out again as soon as you are in

There ain't no short handled shovels, no axes saws or picks

I'm a goin to stay where you sleep all day

Where they hung the jerk that invented work

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

I'll see you all this coming fall in the Big Rock Candy Mountains

[Watchmeister]

Huh?

[slay]

well, I dont wanna start anything (because I know, someone's gonna be offended for sure, because he always is), but we've heard from TTK-DOA watches as much as about any other dealer's watches being DOA!

[Admin]

well, I dont wanna start anything (because I know, someone's gonna be offended for sure, because he always is), but we've heard from TTK-DOA watches as much as about any other dealer's watches being DOA!

I do believe the simple reason for this you find between the dealer and the delivery to your door. It would surprise me A LOT if any of the dealers here send out watches that does not function when they send them. But when it's in the mail, it's out of their hands. They all have their own ways of packaging the watches, but all dealers seem to have their part of DOA so I guess it is safe to say that the parcels go though some rough treatment on the way from a dealer to your door.

[Pugwash]

well, I dont wanna start anything (because I know, someone's gonna be offended for sure, because he always is), but we've heard from TTK-DOA watches as much as about any other dealer's watches being DOA!

It would appear that DOA is a side effect of the postal system then.

I've had four problem watches in the history of rep buying, only one of which was apparent upon purchase: The rest showed up in the first week and could all have been a product of being booted around a postal depot. The important thing for me was that in every instance the dealer has been stand-up and has sorted me out.

Two of those problems were from dealers[1] that inspect their watches.

It's not that problems don't happen, but for me, it's important that the dealer stands behind his product. I suspect price and after-sales are two of the most important parts for me.

[1] Not TTK, before you ask. I've only bought one watch off TTK so far and it's still running very, very well. Yes, I knocked the bezel pearl out somehow, but that's hardly dealer error.

I do believe the simple reason for this you find between the dealer and the delivery to your door.

You appear to type faster than me. I agree.

[Richard Tracy]

I think we all have different expectations and chemistry with each dealer....

With me, Communications is right under product, which is over post problem

handling....

So far Best I have known..in over 90 purchases,.......

{and I have traded with just about everyone, but a few Euro based dealers..}

Is...

# Four Narikaa,.. Best in Lower priced, High Quality, Hand Picked watches....

{My Jlc and Vulcain alarms are Top Notch !! }

# Three Trusty,.. This guy answers questions in an instant, and fixes every

problem fast, .. also a great personality !

# Two, King ,.. Fantastic sweet lady, the great product,..fixes problems in

an easy flash.. {She would rate higher if her English were a bit better.}

Number One Jay... Low prices, Perfect english.. fast communication,..

quicker delivery and no questions asked fixes to any problem I may encounter !

Also Sources watches and will hand inspect upon request.

EL should also be mentioned as Top Notch !

[eddhead]

When you have a 100+ orders....yes it can.........you pay for a watch.....and the QC that I provide.....you do NOT get filial loyalty.....unswerving devotion.....any guarantee that your ass won't get flamed......and I'm defo not anyone's penpal.......e:g.....it's now the weekend...and at the weekends I head off to the big rock candy mountains......!

One evening as the sun went down and the jungle fire was burning

Down the track came a hobo hiking and he said boys I'm not turning

I'm headin for a land that's far away beside the crystal fountains

So come with me we'll go and see the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains there's a land that's fair and bright

Where the handouts grow on bushes and you sleep out every night

Where the boxcars are all empty and the sun shines every day

On the birds and the bees and the cigarette trees

Where the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains all the cops have wooden legs

And the bulldogs all have rubber teeth and the hens lay soft boiled eggs

The farmer's trees are full of fruit and the barns are full of hay

Oh, I'm bound to go where there ain't no snow

Where the rain don't fall and the wind don't blow

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains you never change your socks

And the little streams of alcohol come a-trickling down the rocks

The brakemen have to tip their hats and the railroad bulls are blind

There's a lake of stew and of whiskey too

You can paddle all around 'em in a big canoe

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains the jails are made of tin

And you can walk right out again as soon as you are in

There ain't no short handled shovels, no axes saws or picks

I'm a goin to stay where you sleep all day

Where they hung the jerk that invented work

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

I'll see you all this coming fall in the Big Rock Candy Mountains

I agree with you, but maybe i'ld put it a differnt way... as a potential watch buyer you need to determine which seller attributes are most important to you and pick your dealer accordingly. Some very busy dealers do an amazing job in communicating with thier clientele... others are perhaps less diligent in that regard but provide a different buying experience through price, product, passion, QC, whatever... the point is that there is more than enough information on this and similar sites for perspective buyers to make educated decisions based on thier priorities and the specific attributes of the dealers. No one should be surprised.

Still this thread has the potential to be an important tool for dealers who to know what makes thier clientele click, and what they need to do if they want to attract more clients. I realize that not every dealer here is motivated in that way, but for those who are, this might help.

[andreww]

I would never believe that anybody would send a dead watch, that would be just plain stupidity. I do prefer someone like TTK who handpicks watches though. Just because a watch "runs" doesn't mean it "works". TTK runs his watches for a period of time, so you know its not going to lose 20 minutes a day (not sure what his acceptable deviation is however). Also, you know that you are not going to receive the wrong watch by mistake.

I really believe that over the past half year the quality of our dealers has gotten better. The long standing vets like TTK have picked it up a bit, and new additions like Ruby, Razorfish, and Sash have givin us more options.

What I would like to see however is the distribution to the customer be handled by distributors in the U.S., Canada, Europe, etc., with people like TTK supplying them. Having to ship individual pieces around the globe does not seem to me to be the best way to do things, and I believe customers would be more comfortable purchasing watches without customs issues. Also, this would open up other methods of payment (CC, cash) and get rid of PP or WU fees.

Edited April 12, 2007 by andreww

[lovepanerai]

since I just receieved the 4th watch from River within the last week or so I have to say that he is the best

• inspects all watches before packaging
  
• best packaging - taped to the insight of a cardboard box and wrapped in bubble wrap
  
• the watches from him all ran within or close to COSC - none from the other dealers did - maybe just luck?
  
• great communication
  
• can't say what he does when you have problems - never had any
  
• fastest shipment ever - mostly between 2 and 3 days from TW to California
  
• great incredible competitive prices - paid only $19 more for the IWC than in recent group buy
  
• no attitude
  

I have no reason to order from anybody else. I also wanted to mention that Eddie is also a great dealer but since he uses a shipper out of Taiwan a lot of things are beyond his control.

[sonystyle]

I think we all have different expectations and chemistry with each dealer....

Number One Jay... Low prices, Perfect english.. fast communication,..

quicker delivery and no questions asked fixes to any problem I may encounter !

Also Sources watches and will hand inspect upon request.

EL should also be mentioned as Top Notch !

Can you let me know who you mean by Jay ? I dont recall hearing that name before on this or the 2 other forums, thanks !

[Pugwash]

Can you let me know who you mean by Jay ? I dont recall hearing that name before on this or the 2 other forums, thanks !

Silix-Prime.