The most useless question you can ask a dealer

[vric]

Ok this is a bit useless post, but I'm a bit [censored].

Am I the only one that is sick of asking the question: "Is this model available" or "Is it in stock" and always getting a "yes" as reply and finally find you have to wait 3 to 12 weeks to get the watch ?

I don't blame any dealer. I have done business with 7 "trusted dealer" here and on the other forum for the last 3 years, and 6 of them was this story.. Why always wait to be paid to know if a product is available or not? It's not too bad this time since Christmas is still far away (look like I learn from my experience), but when it's a gift, it's a bit sad.

Sorry, it was my 2 cents of the night

[narikaa]

Largely depends on your definition of 'in stock'.

When I use that term (being somewhat 'old school') it means I physically have the item, under my personal control, bought and paid for.

Consequently I can ship it within a couple of hours of payment receipt.

Others use the term far more liberally...often said 'tongue in cheek' while actually meaning to say 'someone has it in stock' (where hopefully any subsequent order can be fullfilled)....or last 'I heard from my dropshipper in China these were available'...........

As usual the choice in this (tho rarely 'informed') is yours............... REALITY or PIPEDREAMS.... up2U

.

[Corgi]

The most useless question to ask a dealer is "how is the gold plate on watch X?"

This is an ancient enigma that no human being will seemingly ever know. Dealers included.

[bazonkers]

Andrew has been good to me when it comes to answering stock questions. I know he drop ships but he has been honest and told me when things weren't available. He has several things still listed on his site that are out of production like the lemania 192 etc. I always email him first and ask if he can get it. If he can, I order it and it shows up shortly after.

Edited November 19, 2007 by bazonkers

[jkarpas]

i had a similar problem with silix when i ordered my white dial vco..

[AMK000]

A "stock" related question is not a silly one.

A "is the movement swiss" or "how is the AR on it" are the silly ones.

[jkerouac]

Perhaps a better way to pose the question would be to simply ask what the lead time is.

If the answer is "I can ship it out this week" would be very different than "I can get it to you in three to four weeks." But both situations could loosely qualify as "in stock" -- even if that means that it is in stock by the collector's factory but the collector first wants to bundle more orders together (for whatever reason) before taking delivery from the factory.