My first rep purchase : Taking the plunge (so to speak)...Did I do everything right?

[DiverDoug]

Hi all,

 

Ok, today (14 Oct) I purchased my first rep from a TD here. I thought I would document it to see if anyone would see if I had done anything wrong. If you are a veteran watch buyer, you've probably seen this a million times from other noobs, so I'll apologise in advance for the boring story. So here goes...

 

I've been lurking around here for a little while now and always a bit nervous over the first purchase; however, I've been given the impression that buying from a TD on this forum will be a lot eaier to deal with should any problems arise. I don't know what to expect, but I know (from reading various threads here, there are a few common points:

 

1) buy from a TD here

2) Be patient

3) Should any problems arise, seek the assistance from one of the mods here

4) Be patient...it'll come!

5) I said, "Be patient!"

 

 

I followed some other advice that to choose the TD before choosing the watch. Good point, but I already had a good idea in mind which watches I was after before I even joined up here, so did my redearch in the TD section.

 

I had a look at the TD reviews, particularly for the ones who, despite being a TD, seemed to be a bit shifty. Despite most of the TDs having favourable reviews, most seemed to have their share of rather unsatisfied customers; however, there were two that stuck out as actually not having any bad reviews (at least on the first page) : Trevor, and another one, who will remain unnamed for the moment (due to a rather comical email enquiry that gave me a complete run around...will post later, as I still want to purchase a few reps from him.)

 

The watch I chose:

 

The watch is nothing exciting, as I'm sure it's probably one of the most common ones. It was a V5 correct version PO. This is where it became a little bit confusing. The headline says it's a 4813 28800 bph 25J movement ($140) ( As I said before, I'm just dipping my toes in), but in the description, it says it's a "Nickel plated Swiss Eta 2824-2 Automatic movement, 28800 bph, 25J Insginia (sic) Rotor", with an optional Asian version "Less USD 50". Being a noob, I sent Trevor an email to equire about this. He assured me that the 4813 and 2824-2 movements were the same in quality. He also answered other questions fairly quickly (as well as advising me that he was going to be closed between certain dates without me even asking), so my confidence in him was rising pretty steadily.

 

The purchase:

 

So, today (14th) I decided to order it.

 

I registered and went through the prcess. Then when it came to paying for it, one of the options was PayPal...Huh??? I thought it was supposed to be difficult, but instead, it's even easier than I expected. More points for Trevor! I added the notes to the order saying that I'd like the Swiss version, not the Asian version, and I'd like the QC pics sent to my email address. The order came through, saying that it was going to be $140 (as expected)....

 

 

And then....

 

 

 

I get an email about 10 mins later telling me that it was going to be $278 + shipping...WTF ?!??!?!?!

 

I sent Trevor an email asking him about this about why it says in the description that it's a Swiss Eta movement, but there is no indication of that price. He gave me a quick reply saying that the price I was quoted as was for the 4813 movement (again, points to him for the quick reply), but then when I sent him the screenshot of the watch where it says quite clearly that it's the Swiss Eta 2824-2 movement, I suddenly get no response....Hmmm, bonus points are drifting away very quickly.

 

 

Anyone care to weigh in on my predicament? Am I a victim of false/very misleading advertising, or have I caught him out? I'm not going to cast any dispersions on him (yet), as I need to get it clear that I've done everythign right.

 

I'll ask for your patience with me, as this is my first purchase, but any advice or suggestions (and any hand-holding) would be welcome. I'll keep updating this thread to see what becomes of it.

 

Diver Doug

 

 

PS

 

If anyone can sing me "Soft Kitty", that might also make me feel a bit better too :-)

 

PPS

 

I just got a reply about it : "sorry, there is wrong for the description, for the watch , the price is different of the different movement". Ya, no kidding. Oh well, I'll keep updating this. I'm not going to bag Trevor yet, as it is stil early in the process, and he's been pretty good (the best in fact) so far with regards to communication.

[DiverDoug]

Hmmm...new update about 60 mins after my last:

Now Paypal is not available so I need to go through WU.

What else is not as per the website...

[Legend]

Hmmm...new update about 60 mins after my last:

Now Paypal is not available so I need to go through WU.

What else is not as per the website...

Relax, you have to deal with a lot of misinformation when ordering, and experience would let you know when not to be misled by well...misleading ad copies. 

The price of $278 seems fair for what you ordered for an ETA movement rep of the PO honestly. I am not an Omega guy, but others would be able to provide you more information regarding the relevance and fairness of the pricing you were quoted. 

 

I would however recommend a paypal friendly TD, or at least one that accepts credit cards, to allow you some channel of recourse should your deal fall through in any manner. If its just cash, then you do not have the benefit of assurance of any type if you are being scammed.

 

Ask Trevor for a firm quote on the model and movement you want, and check with him if it is the "latest and greatest", or specify the features you want and check if they are present in that specific watch you ordered.

 

When ordering your rep watch, your expectation must be managed accordingly. Understand and accept that there is no such thing as a 1:1 copy, and understand that there are good reps and bad reps, and that shipping, and the watch that finally reaches you, may vary in quality and health from its brethen in the same batch.

 

Good luck, and yes, a little patience never hurt anyone when purchasing a rep!  

[DiverDoug]

I figured the price was a little low for a swiss movement, but a little bit of truth in advertising would've been appreciated and would guarantee me purchasing my second and subsequent reps from Trevor. It's a bit up in the air now (though not out of the realm of possibility).

I would however recommend a paypal friendly TD, or at least one that accepts credit cards, to allow you some channel of recourse should your deal fall through in any manner. If its just cash, then you do not have the benefit of assurance of any type if you are being scammed.

Good information...in hindsight! ;-) lol... As far as I was aware, PayPal was there and was one of the reasons why I went with Trevor, only to find out everything wasn't as his website said it was. He has sent me a few emails since and seems genuine, but now I'm waiting to find out how I can pay. I'm banking on all the good reviews he's had to have a relatively smooth transaction. So far, it hasnt't been perfect, but the red flags haven't gone up...yet. So far, my inexperience is probably making it more difficult than it needs to be. I'll just await for payment instructions and maintain a patient attitude. I just keep reminding myself why I chose Trevor as a TD. Funnily enough, the other TD I've chosen accepts credit cards (supposedly! ;-) ).

More to follow...details as they become apparent :-)

Edited October 14, 2013 by DiverDoug

[Fonz77]

I just went through something similar. Trevor was certainly good with responding, although I quickly discovered he didn't accept paypal. Although I was going to go through with the deal I decided on another model from elsewhere.

 

I know what you mean by being a bit worried when it comes to sending cash or credit card numbers. I guess they are TD's for a reason and would not be if they just ran off with the money.

 

By the way what is Trevor's web site? I didn't look at it, I just contacted him directly.

 

 

Cheers,

 

 

Fonz

[DiverDoug]

http://www.trwatch.com/ He has some pretty good deals, which is why I went with him (plus the number of glowing reports in his review section), but I would much rather pay via PP or CC

 

I'm still a little bit hesitant myself, though I just think it's noobie nerves acting up. I was going to send him the money via WU today, but for some reason, he hasn't replied to any of my emails today. I don't know whether he's just snowed under with orders or he's taken the day off. Either way, I'm not going to question his integrity now, but I will wait until I hear back from him before wiring him the money.

 

DD

[Fonz77]

Thanks for the link, ill check it out. To be honest I was very hesitant as well but in the end was going to send Trevor cash. I only decided this after lots of research. I like the fact you can get genuine ETA movements from him. My total was $575 which for me would have been a significant loss but I just "said screw it I have to start somewhere". I put my self in his shoes and realized return business and positive feedback is the only way to make a living at this. I think by his feedback he's legit. I will be ordering from him in the future.

If you do order it would be great to hear how it all went!

Fonz now Free

[Fonz77]

I forgot to mention, my understanding is he did accept Paypal untill idiot buyers reported him from these forums. Who does that ??? It's ruined it for everyone.

Perhaps after proving our selves we could use paypal with him.

Cheers,

Fonz

Fonz now Free

[Gav_tt225]

I chose Trusty for my first purchase, best website in my opinion. Super fast communication and pay pal friendly, 4 watches later and  I won't be using anyone else. Fingers crossed it all works out for you.

[DiverDoug]

I chose Trusty for my first purchase, best website in my opinion. Super fast communication and pay pal friendly, 4 watches later and  I won't be using anyone else. Fingers crossed it all works out for you.

Funny you mention that, as Andrew was the other choice. Totally agree with you:website, but I got a bit scared off over an email exchange that I'll elaborate on later. It's actually a bit funny in hindsight (right out of a Benny Hill sketch! :-) ), but very frustrating when it was happening. However, I chose him as well based on the feedback which seemed to be all good. He didn't have the PO I was after (wrong colour) and didn't bother to offer to try to get it, but he has a couple really nice Pateks for a really good price (albeit with a 2813 movement, but if they run and keep somewhat accurate time, I'm not worried). But does he have PayPal? I didn't think he had it..oh well, I see myself buying a nice Patek dress watch...or two...or more...very soon!

 

DD

[mstan83]

Andrew does take PayPal if you request it, he'll usually send you a link to make the payment via another website, might seem a bit dodgy your first time round, but, it's usually (in my experience) a smooth and easy process. I like PayPal purely because its less hassle, few clicks and your done.

Find what you like and go for it!

Once you've got that 1st order on your wrist you'll be much more relaxed 2nd time round.

[Gav_tt225]

My first watch purchase with him was almost off putting but glad I stuck with him now. Long story short the watch was in stock and after I paid he only had leather strap and not the stainless steel which was annoying! However the watches I have received are top notch and highly recommend. You can use paypal with him also but this is through a third party website after you've confirmed purchase, as mentioned quite handy as I use credit card for added protection. And I'm sure after the first you will get the bug and be buying at least 1 a month lol!!

[DiverDoug]

UPDATE : NEXT STEP COMPLETED - SENDING THE MONEY - 16 Oct

 

 

Ok, now the wait begins. I just wired the money via WU to Trevor, so now the waiting begins. Hopefully I'll receive some QC photos before the end of the week. Does anyone who has dealt with Trevor have an idea of how long it takes to recieve the QC photos, or is it just wait a while? The watch I got isn't a rare model and he says it's in stock. I won't get worried for a while though. Just have to follow the rules regarding patience.

 

Oh well....waiting....waiting...waiting... lol

 

DD

Edited October 16, 2013 by DiverDoug

[ceocorona]

I have always had a perfect buying experience from Andrew and Sead.  Both are lightening fast in email responses.  Good luck with your first buy, always the hardest one to get through.

[DiverDoug]

I have always had a perfect buying experience from Andrew and Sead.  Both are lightening fast in email responses.  Good luck with your first buy, always the hardest one to get through.

Thanks for your input. I was pretty certain that my next purchase would be through Andrew simply because he has the watches I'm after, plus all of the feedback similar to yours. I haven't had any experience with Sead yet, but I'll take people's opinions into consideration...

 

DD

[DiverDoug]

UPDATE:

QC photos arrived today (18 Oct). Looks really great, but would really like to see it in a beat counter (?) to show it is a 4813 28800 pbh instead of a slower one.

Now will wait for it to be sent...

DD

[DiverDoug]

Update : Oct 24 - More QC Photos arrived, as requested, but are they the same watches???

 

 

The initial QC photos were pretty good, but as per my last post, I wanted to see the watch on a timeographer (?) to prove that it was a 28800 bph as advertised. I got the additional photo as requested, and it shows a 28800 movement :

 

 

But here's the photo of the watch that is not in the timeographer :

 

 

 

 

Notice anything different ? (Hint: Omega symbol) ...or am I just being paranoid and it's a matter of lighting ? I already asked for the watch to be sent, but I then sent Trevor an email asking him to explain the difference between the two photos, so the horse might've already bolted, so to speak.

 

Anyone's input would be greatly appreciated!

 

DD

 

 

 

 

 

[GenTLe]

Hey Doug, how the story ended up?

[DiverDoug]

Everything ended up great. The watch still works well (though runs a bit fast) even today. If you go to Trevor's section fir reviews, you'll see both of my reviews (have a V3 noob PAM111 now...niiiiice!).

Long story short, Trevor is an awesome TD!

[GenTLe]

Good for you :-)