How the things go when you ask for a watch

[GenTLe]

Taken from FatPanda (he's a dealer on the other RWG) here: http://www.rwg.bz/board/index.php?showtopic=82346&st=120  (post #132)

 

 

Often, it is NOT known if you can get a watch or not. If you have inventory of watches you are selling, that is one thing, but if your dealing with 15 factories, and 20 suppliers of factory watches, that is quite another.

A real world example of the supply chain. This is just one example. There are others.

Customer to TD - Can you get xx watch?
TD - Not in stock, let us find out
TD to Factory A, B, C, D, Supplier A, B, C, D, E. Can you get xx watch?
Factory A,B,C,D supplier A, B, D, E. No, we cannot get that watch.
Supplier C to TD - I can get xx watch price is xx
TD to customer - Supplier C can get this watch, price is xx
Customer to TD - sends money to TD
TD to Supplier C - Here is the money, please send photos of watch
Supplier C - receives money, goes to his supplier B and pays for the watch
Supplier C - makes photos of xx watch, sends to TD
TD sees the photos and notices its the wrong watch, or old version of the watch
TD to supplier C, it's the wrong watch
Supplier C to TD, its the watch you said you wanted, nothing wrong with the watch
TD to supplier C, the customer does not watch that watch. Can you get the customers watch?
Supplier C to TD - I don't know, but I already purchase xx watch, my supplier won't accept it back, now I am stuck with this watch. Do you want it or not?
TD to Supplier C, no we don't want it because the customer wants different watch. What can we do?
Supplier C to TD, I am already out the money, so ask your customer to choose a different watch I can sell you.
TD to customer, we cannot get the watch, sorry, do you want to choose another watch?
Customer to TD - What? You already said you can get the watch? Are you insane?

FP

[sgtguk]

 That's retail for ya !

[bobandshawn]

Pretty enlightening. Thanks. I was just thinking today it would be helpful if everyone knew how many PM's/emails a TD gets in one day. Obviously he deals with more people than on this forum. I wouldn't be surprised if there were hundreds...and we expect same day responses???

 

B

[fraggle42]

Supplier C to TD - I can get xx watch price is xx

Supplier C to TD - I don't know, but I already purchase xx watch, my supplier won't accept it back, now I am stuck with this watch. Do you want it or not?

So in this case supplier C is unobservant or trying to pull a fast one and so should end up the person out of pocket, not the TD or buyer.

It would seem a slightly safer policy would be to deal directly with the factories and the TD hand over the money for the watch directly - but I know the 'factories' are very hush hush and only a few people know their members or location so I suppose it'd take a TD a good few years to get onto their "friends" list as it were.

[aajaxx007]

Love this post, if this were any other illicit good what you write would be a walk in the park.

Makes me appreciate the reach our TDs have...