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Trusty Time? I think not.


stansbox

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Hi folks, I am writing this post as a warning, and not just as Andrew put it to "whine". First off, yes this is the cheapest watch I could have bought, but I paid for it with my money, and that money was hard-earned with long hours. Secondly, I believe that when you pay for one thing you should not receive anything else but what you paid for, and that is not what happened here. I am new to modding and this is why I choose the 1680 JKF to be my starting point for my first project. After reading endless forums and many posts on this site I realized that first I need to buy from a trusted dealer, and secondly buy a JK Factory model and not the BP model if I want to mod the dial. That said I choose Andrew at Trusty Time because he was a trusted dealer, and he had the watch I wanted on his site. I wrote to him and asked to double-check to make sure it was coming from the JK Factory and was told he only buys from factories that are advertised on the product page, his clearly being JK Factory. After the watch arrived and I unwrapped it, the first problem was that the bezel wouldn't budge and the crown wouldn't lock! After removing the strap and looking at the back I found I was sold a watch that looks like it has been cobbled together with a 5513 case and god knows what else. After writing back to Andrew he finally admitted that it did not come from the advertised factory JKF, but from some small unknown factory. I wrote him back again and he told me to stop whining and use some WD-40 on it. His other solution would be for me to send it back at my expense and if it does arrive back in China they would refund me. As you guessed my shipping losses would most likely equate to half of my investment if I ever see the refund. This is my experience with Andrew at Trusty Time and I can not speak for others, but if anyone is thinking about buying from Trusty, remember you will most likely not get what you paid for, and like me be stuck with a $200 piece of metal. Marvellous Replica looks like my next stop. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH8KiFg3pZ0

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Hmmmmm, thanks for joining the forum. I hope it’s not just to post about TT and Andrew. If you have an issue with a TD then contact a moderator on here. 

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I have bought from Andrew many times, as have others here. Had your reading taken on board the information here, you would know that being a member of this forum before purchasing would give you the ability to have us negotiate on your behalf. For reasons unknown you chose not to do that, and instead to join an hour ago to as Andrew says “whine”. As such I find my sympathy distinctly lacking, especially as you have posted without first contacting the mod team. I wonder what Andrew’s side of the story is, but not enough to give up any of my free time, as we do for genuine members here

 

So really your warning is by example, don’t be the person new to the hobby who does not heed the advice of those of us with many many years in it

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You're kidding me? This is meant to be a warning to others so that they don't fall into the same trap. I don't need moderation, thank you, I have lived and worked in China for over 20 years and I speak Chinese. I have tried to contact him via WeChat or Line to work this out, but he refuses to. I worked very hard for every penny I earned and spend thank you, I can whine all I want. 

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Then go sort your problem out on your own. Given you know so very much it is a wonder you ended up in this mess in the first place. Especially since I speak neither Mandarin nor Cantonese and have never had such an issue in many purchases 

 

As to whining all you want, feel free, I’m actively moderating your content and will not permit any more unsubstantiated allegations 

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You're kidding me? This is meant to be a warning to others so that they don't fall into the same trap. I don't need moderation, thank you, I have lived and worked in China for over 20 years and I speak Chinese. I have tried to contact him via WeChat or Line to work this out, but he refuses to. I worked very hard for every penny I earned and spend thank you, I can whine all I want. 

So you’ve had a bad experience with TT and he apparently refuses to work it out. Firstly you need to understand TT will never be removed as a trusted dealer based on this incident. He has been established long enough in this circle to be a trusted name.
I’m not saying that what you wrote is untrue or made up. But I’ll like to hear from Andrew to hear his side before anything else. If it’s a mistake, and over a relatively small sum like $200, then send it back for a refund. Shipping fee can’t be reimbursed in this hobby I’m most cases. And lots of patience is needed. Posting this here won’t solve the issue. Communicate properly with Andrew and get this worked out. If one round of email does not work, then do it again. And again. Andrew is not an unreasonable fella, and this fact has been established many times with many different members. I don’t see why he would treat you any different.
There is no point trying to put a blight on his name. Every dealer here has his fair share of good and bad reviews.
If you need real help then send me and Trusty a PM. We will get it resolved the proper way. Ranting won’t help and serves nothing.
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2 hours ago, stansbox said:

How does one go about having a Trusted Dealer removed from your list. Would you like photos or video? Please advise me on the steps I will need to take. Thanks 

 

Adding or removing a dealer from the TD list is not your decision, so you don’t go about it. Acting as you have so far isn’t going to win you any friends and of course begs the question, why did Andrew lose patience with you?

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Dear all,

i belong to this circle - more or less active - since the early start and bought from almost all TDs here, some of them no longer around.

I had it from Trusty many, many times being the last one in 2018 and recommending him to a friend as well.

My last experience was lousy I must say.

I wrote him to double check that an Omega Seamaster 120 he had listed was available and upon his positive confirmation I ordered and paid.

Three days after that I was contacted back and informed I should choose another watch since the 120 was out of stock. Refund option was lightly discussed and I was offered a discount instead that i used moving forward.

All ok to this point but I got the idea that I was lured.

Worst happened a bit later after I recommended TT to a friend who ordered 3 watches from him shortly after.

Two of the watches he received were damaged; one wouldn’t wind, the other had a crown issue and a damaged bezel insert.

Once contacted about the issue reply was suggesting sending the watches to China and wait for the factory to send the replacements or to check with a local watchsmith (in both cases at his own expense). Refund was out of question.

This second situation was very embarrassing as you must understand.

TT behaved like a kind of mama san.

If this deserves the prefix “trusted”…

 

 

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1 hour ago, stansbox said:

I would like to retract the statement about Andrew and Trustytime not being honest. Since writing this post Andrew has reached out and resolved all my problems without any trouble. I will use him again if I find anything on his site in the future. 

No dealer is immune to problems. Show me a dealer and I’ll show you a disgruntled customer of his or a problem watch he has encountered. It is important to handle and manage such issues with maturity rather than bashing a dealer just because you’ve hit a speed bump. That’s not the way to go no matter what happens. 
 

Remember these are reps and you should manage your experiences realistically and with prudence. Whether you retract your statement about Andrew or otherwise, his reputation remains stellar overall. 
If you encounter issues in future try to resolve it with the dealer direct and if need be, involve a moderator here. 

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53 minutes ago, Legend said:

 Whether you retract your statement about Andrew or otherwise, his reputation remains stellar overall. 

There is something as old as societies called business ethics, being it goods, smart goods or even fakes; its business after all… and it should apply to all.

I am here since the early start of the forum and saw and read many, many things, while buying from almost all the “T”D’s, some still around, others not.

What I shared above of the latest experience with TT is true.

if his reputation is stellar for you… well, congratulations.

To me, after what has been posted here, yours sounds a ridiculous remark.

 

Anyway, guess the community (i am part of it but i exclude myself from what i will say next) and the dealers are lucky to have you around…

unfortunately this friend of mine is not part of the community and look what he got buying from a world wide open business website…

 

Best,

Marco

 

 

Edited by madasboot
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On 3/2/2022 at 9:32 AM, Legend said:

(…) Posting this here won’t solve the issue.

(…)
If you need real help then send me and Trusty a PM. We will get it resolved the proper way. Ranting won’t help and serves nothing.

ahahah… this one is hilarious.

if this isn’t some sort of a joke it is even worse than I think.

First you suggest not posting here, preventing a blight on someone’s name (probably forgetting that information is also prevention)

and then you suggest PM you and “Trusty”…

this reminds me an old anedocte about east germany in the 80’s that ends up with a censor saying “you have no need to shout it in the street, next time you whisper it to me in my ear”…

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ahahah… this one is hilarious.
if this isn’t some sort of a joke it is even worse than I think.
First you suggest not posting here, preventing a blight on someone’s name (probably forgetting that information is also prevention)
and then you suggest PM you and “Trusty”…
this reminds me an old anedocte about east germany in the 80’s that ends up with a censor saying “you have no need to shout it in the street, next time you whisper it to me in my ear”…

I’m actually not a customer or even supporter of trustytime but he does have a good reputation. You seem to have a problem with this objective fact.
I think that until you learn to show some respect, you and your rudeness isn’t welcome here. What I said stands:

That if you have a problem with a trusted dealer, learn to first sort it out with him via PM. If that does not work, approach a staff for help. I didn’t say me specifically but I guess you’re too dumb to understand that.

Long time member or not, take a breather. Till next time.
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Some additional advice from an old timer. I’ve done a dozen or so deals with Andrew/Trusty. I’ve always gotten the product.
 

However, as it is with this hobby, do not expect the actual watch to be a mechanical marvel. Nearly everything I have purchased in the last two years has had some major mechanical flaw. This is not unique to any one dealer. QC is a joke. I would say one in five reps will arrive at your door, need nothing, and operate trouble free for more than a year. You basically need to be an amateur watch maker/repairer, or know someone who can service or fix the gremlins in these replicas.  NOOB, ARF, an BP have terrible insides. 

 

Do not expect much added inspection, in regards to something QC related. Asking Trusty to double check bezel alignment will usually be met with “it’s the angle of the photo”. I discovered a majority of QC photos are taken at the factory and not by Trusty so he / his staff is not even in a position to “put hands on” your QC item. That’s the other thing, I am sure he has staff, and based on a couple of exchanges you might be dealing with an underlying at times.
 

Barring any major issues, you pretty much have to accept what arrives at your doorstep.  Fix the issues locally. Just the nature of the beast. Low expectations are your friend. 🙂

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On 4/3/2022 at 6:21 AM, madasboot said:

ahahah… this one is hilarious.

if this isn’t some sort of a joke it is even worse than I think.

First you suggest not posting here, preventing a blight on someone’s name (probably forgetting that information is also prevention)

and then you suggest PM you and “Trusty”…

this reminds me an old anedocte about east germany in the 80’s that ends up with a censor saying “you have no need to shout it in the street, next time you whisper it to me in my ear”…

OK now that I have some time, I will address what you wrote.

 

Everything that anyone posts about any dealer here is subjective, both good and bad. The difference is that most if not all of the good feedback do not require any form of follow up, whereas negative feedback often are cries for help loaded with frustration, anger and feelings of helplessness. 

Being a long-time member here does not give you the right to be rude, especially not to staff. 

 

I was right in saying that trying to drag Andrew's name through the mud will not improve his situation. It will get the Andrew supporters out of the woods and they will share their subjective experiences. Will that fix the watch issue? So you get one lousy feedback (which nobody is denying) and say 6 positive ones (which are also true). The reputation of any dealer is a sum of how the community perceives him, and not something decided by any one feedback, good or bad. The relationship between any forum and the dealers trusted on that forum will allow the issue to be looked at and resolved far more efficiently than some newbie, with unknown reputation himself, shouting it on the streets. You are the ridiculous (and likely semi-retarded one) if you do not realize that the new guy is as likely to get lynched for doing so, as members sympathizing with him or arguing against him. So how will that help him? 

 

Your East German analogy is offensive and irrelevant. So long-time member or not, you will respect the forum and its staff here. Else, feel free to stay away and don't let the door hit you on your way out. I do not care if you are here longer than God's grandmother, but I will not tolerate you trying to run your own disgruntled vigilante system against dealers, for your own bitter agendas. I am not a client of Trustytime, nor will I ever purchase from him. But I respect the fact that he is a trusted dealer here, and as such, he needs to be treated like one. Nobody was telling the OP to shut up. What was told to him was how things are run around here, and how others have had positive experience with him. If you want to turn into a playground bully based on your tenure here, open up your damned eyes and see who you are trying to pick on. 

 

I will de-restrict you in a couple of days and restore your posting privileges. But one errant word out of you next time and you will take a time out from here. 

I am the type who will stand up against guys like you, who think you know it all and should lord over everyone else based on the fact you were here first. But you are nothing but a guy made up of a twisted ball of curmudgeonly grumpiness doused over with the essence of bitter resentment. If you have a problem, take it somewhere else. The RWG trusted dealer policy will stay, like it or not. As long as Trustytime remains a trusted dealer here, he will be accorded the same treatment as other trusted dealers, without favor or bias. Likewise, staff here will be staff. Go run your mouth elsewhere.   

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"However, as it is with this hobby, do not expect the actual watch to be a mechanical marvel. Nearly everything I have purchased in the last two years has had some major mechanical flaw. This is not unique to any one dealer. QC is a joke. I would say one in five reps will arrive at your door, need nothing, and operate trouble free for more than a year. You basically need to be an amateur watch maker/repairer, or know someone who can service or fix the gremlins in these replicas.  NOOB, ARF, an BP have terrible insides." 

 

That is the unvarnished truth if I ever saw it!   :thumbs:

If I could not hack around on/in these heirlooms, I would not be able to participate in this Esteemed Hobby of Royalty.

...and Knaves. knave - a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel

 

 

 

 

 

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@madasboot I observe that you are still only reacting to posts instead of typing anything useful at all, even after restoring your privileges to normalcy. 

That is completely unacceptable and your next infraction will be to attend a coffee marathon with me, starting 1900hrs and ending... well it ends when it ends. 

So if that is what you want, then ok, carry on your protest of sullen silence. Just don't blame me when the invitation letter turns up at your door to attend said marathon. 🤣

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On 4/7/2022 at 1:35 PM, Legend said:

@madasboot I observe that you are still only reacting to posts instead of typing anything useful at all, even after restoring your privileges to normalcy. 

That is completely unacceptable and your next infraction will be to attend a coffee marathon with me, starting 1900hrs and ending... well it ends when it ends. 

So if that is what you want, then ok, carry on your protest of sullen silence. Just don't blame me when the invitation letter turns up at your door to attend said marathon. 🤣

ahah… I was just out of the square for a couple of days…

I am still recovering, feeling myself into some sort of “parole”…

but hey, looking forward to da marathon ahah.

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I've been buying from Andrew for about 15 years (last purchase maybe 6 months ago), and it's mostly been good experiences, and if they weren't good, he fixed it up very quickly.
Same here 15 years.... And Andrew has always fixed any issues.

Regards Mansun.

Sent from my HTC U11 plus using Tapatalk

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I just had a pristine Rolex GMT Master II delivered to me from Trusty-time. A true 1;1 replica. I will have to tweek the GMT hand. But please! It is a replica! Andrew was a breeze to work with. Time, about 35 days. But given the SNAFU with shipping everywhere. I ordered a watch from Ukraine in December and it didn't get here until 1/2 way through March.

TT is professional and I will buy from them again.

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I wish TT and others would go back to direct shipping via DHL.  Those were the good old days.  I’d get my order in 7 days or less. Now everyone seems to be using some bulk/clearinghouse??? shipping that takes a month. 😞

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