Rolex lawyers etc etc

[audemarsdan]

They do troll the web. I had a domain named FAKEROLEX.INFO that I was hosting a book site on. GAF (Rolex's law firm) contacted me threatening legal action. I also had my ebay account shut down by Panerai for a week (for selling my book I guess) and just recently had my google adsense ads shut off for a few days because of a supposed violation of the policy by having a site about replicas. I had to straighten them out about the subject of my site (information on how to detect replica watches, not how to buy) before they would enable the ads again.

So yeah, these companies do have an awareness of what goes on around here I'm sure. I just think that since the site is located out of the US they really haven't pressed the issue (yet).

Richard

www.replicawatchreport.com

[panerai153]

This subject has been discussed in great excruciating detail on the other forums. But here goes again. As Pugwash stated, the brands do care!! Tiffany sued ebay for allowing fake Tiffany products on the auction site, and they had Ebay dead to rights, because they bought hundreds of items and found that most were fake. Cartier, LVMH and others have mounted a vigerous campaign against sellers of fake handbags, shoes, jewelry etc.

We can rarionalize til the cows come home about replicas, counterfeits, fakes, etc not hurting the companies, but the preception by the manufacturers is that counterfeits "Cheapen " their brand(s), because it greatly decreases the "exclusivity". The companies want you to lust after their products, and if you can barely afford them, you will lie, cheat and steal to have a Herme' bag. Now when the women who can afford to buy the product see every high school girl sporting "their" handbag, the matrons certainly won't buy one. Let me give you a personal experience from years back. I bought a genuine Rolex Day-Date 18k gold, President bracelet, etc. Set me back 5k and that was back in the 1980's. I was very proud of that watch, it was a real status symbol ( in my mind anyway). Well, about a year later, I bought a new car. Went to the dealership to sign the papers and pick up the new vehicle, lo and behold, the sales manager and the salesman both had Gold Rolex "Presidents"!! On closer examination, it was obvious that both had quartz movements and were obviously fake. I knew that because I had done a lot of research on watches and especially Rolex. But to the aaverage Joe, they were real. The impact on me was "why have agenuine 5k Rolex when every guy on the street had one". The exclusivity was gone. I sold mine a short time later, and went for quite a number of years before I bought another Rolex. And then, only s/s Submariners and Seadwellers. Had the Gold Rolex, not lost it's exclusivity to me, I probably would have over the years bought others. This atitude, be it good, bad or indifferent, elietist, snobbish, call it what you like,is why high end brands hate counterfeits. It erases the snob appeal when everyone can own one.

The attitude of many of these companies certainly run contrary to the value system that many of us have come to embrace over the years, but remember their are many,many vainglorious people out ther who want to have the only one of something, they don't want to meet their 50k Breguet coming down the street on the arm of the postman!! Conversly how would you feel, if you had just bid sucessfully on a genuine Double Red Seadweller, shelled out 20k for this very, very rare watch and the second day you are wearing it, you spot another one on someone who obviously, to you at least can't afford this expensive watch, big letdown, you bet!! That folks is why Rolex SA and all the others are in a fight to the death against replicas,fakes counterfeits.

[Klink]

they fight simply so they can continue to sell artificially high priced

stuffs and live in villas south of france..

simple.

just different degree of crooked

thats all.. legal crooked

rationalize all u like!

Life is Good!

Klink

[Isoroku]

This subject has been discussed in great excruciating detail on the other forums. But here goes again. As Pugwash stated, the brands do care!! Tiffany sued ebay for allowing fake Tiffany products on the auction site, and they had Ebay dead to rights, because they bought hundreds of items and found that most were fake. Cartier, LVMH and others have mounted a vigerous campaign against sellers of fake handbags, shoes, jewelry etc.

We can rarionalize til the cows come home about replicas, counterfeits, fakes, etc not hurting the companies, but the preception by the manufacturers is that counterfeits "Cheapen " their brand(s), because it greatly decreases the "exclusivity". The companies want you to lust after their products, and if you can barely afford them, you will lie, cheat and steal to have a Herme' bag. Now when the women who can afford to buy the product see every high school girl sporting "their" handbag, the matrons certainly won't buy one. Let me give you a personal experience from years back. I bought a genuine Rolex Day-Date 18k gold, President bracelet, etc. Set me back 5k and that was back in the 1980's. I was very proud of that watch, it was a real status symbol ( in my mind anyway). Well, about a year later, I bought a new car. Went to the dealership to sign the papers and pick up the new vehicle, lo and behold, the sales manager and the salesman both had Gold Rolex "Presidents"!! On closer examination, it was obvious that both had quartz movements and were obviously fake. I knew that because I had done a lot of research on watches and especially Rolex. But to the aaverage Joe, they were real. The impact on me was "why have agenuine 5k Rolex when every guy on the street had one". The exclusivity was gone. I sold mine a short time later, and went for quite a number of years before I bought another Rolex. And then, only s/s Submariners and Seadwellers. Had the Gold Rolex, not lost it's exclusivity to me, I probably would have over the years bought others. This atitude, be it good, bad or indifferent, elietist, snobbish, call it what you like,is why high end brands hate counterfeits. It erases the snob appeal when everyone can own one.

The attitude of many of these companies certainly run contrary to the value system that many of us have come to embrace over the years, but remember their are many,many vainglorious people out ther who want to have the only one of something, they don't want to meet their 50k Breguet coming down the street on the arm of the postman!! Conversly how would you feel, if you had just bid sucessfully on a genuine Double Red Seadweller, shelled out 20k for this very, very rare watch and the second day you are wearing it, you spot another one on someone who obviously, to you at least can't afford this expensive watch, big letdown, you bet!! That folks is why Rolex SA and all the others are in a fight to the death against replicas,fakes counterfeits.

I understand....but consider this:

Exclusivity is exclusivity. You felt that your watch was devalued because those two oafs at the car dealership had replica Rollies....but a replica is not a genuine, no matter how close. Yours was real, thiers not. end of discussion. If the concern is that "I paid through the nose for something with the name 'Rolex' on it, and this other guy bought something with the same name for a fraction of the price, and now I'm [censored]"...Then you get what you deserve, IMHO. The whole idea of buying a genuine soley because you have something others can't afford, then you have an inferiority complex....Buy a mega-home...but a S550 Benz....buy a baseball team...you can't fake that, and you will have something others can't afford.

Buying a genuine because you really love the history, design, and brand equity provided by the company, then you shouldn't be phased. Replicas can't provide that. They provide the "status"....and if the those who are in a position of priviledge are so concerned about having [censored] others can't, then they need to set thier sights higher than a watch. Wanna impress me with your mad-cash, exclusivity, or whatever? Get a private Lear plane....buy a 6,000 sq. ft. house on the hills over looking San Fran....take me for a ride in your Continental Bentley Coupe....

Anyone who drops $5k-$30k on a watch and then demands exclusivity is a twit. Buy a Fossil and spend the rest of the money on a bigger house, cooler car, or whatever. Having exclusivity being a part of your purchase decision of a watch is poorly advised, IMHO.

Marxism sucks....but it existed for a reason.

[swdivad]

Anyone who drops $5k-$30k on a watch and then demands exclusivity is a twit. Buy a Fossil and spend the rest of the money on a bigger house, cooler car, or whatever. Having exclusivity being a part of your purchase decision of a watch is poorly advised, IMHO.

Marxism sucks....but it existed for a reason.

Well put Iso...

I have several genuine watches and I love them as well as my reps. I try now to purchase gens that are not repped....

Here in Australia, LV and Gucci rep bags are a dime a dozen... At any one time in Melbourne, you can usually pick out 5-10 rep bags walking down the street, usually on young (14-16) girls and also many asian girls. I would say 98% are repped.

My wife, has an very well rounded collection of Louis Vuitton bags... all gens and some 20 years old in perfect shape. Her latest was a speedy denim that went for around $AU1900. A few days after her buying it, the reps hit town, she was a bit disappointed as the reps look very very close (scary close). She was disappointed that she spent almost 2k and then sees a $100-200 bag that was so good. She knows it's really not 'worth' that much in terms of a product, or even a brand... She just loves LV and its history and quality, and that's why she buys them.

We bought a messenger bag on ebay for about $AU800 a few years back, with a guarantee from the seller on authenticity. We brought it to the LV shop for verification... They could not even tell it was fake except for one very tiny discrepency in the length of a d-ring strap, everything checked out fine including manufacturing numbers, fit, finish and all. The bag ended up being on the 'questionable table' and we brought it back to the seller for a refund, which was given, lucky us.

I don't know how it is in other countries, but looking around Australia, I think the handbag/wallet brands are being devalued by the plethora of fakes, they don't get the WOW effect that they used to when seeing someone with one of these items because they are everywhere and they seem like very good quality.... It sort of numbs you to a product when it's in your face so much.