I've always gone to a licenced retail jeweller to buy my Omegas and now I am looking at a Rolex Explorer II. Can E-Bay be another solution. My big concern is obviously fakes but if the watch is legit what about the papers and the international warrenty? Has anyone gone the E-Bay route? Thanks.
E-Bay For Watches
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Stay away from Ebay for Rolexes, especially the ones that are are selling for under market value. There are so many scams on there it can be very tough to tell who is legit and who isn't. Spend the extra few bucks and go with a company, not just any person, who will take a credit card, that's the only way you are protected. Even paypal will only offer protection for one or two thousand dollars. I hear the horror stories all the time. Not saying that the deals on legit Rolexes are not out there on Ebay, but it is way too risky.
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You can find some good buys on eBay for Rolex. In fact, a few of the WTF Sponsors have ebay stores & sell Rolex's. All of them are trustworthy & I'd recommend any of them without hesitation..
BUT, the key is buy the seller. Yes, you can get some good deals. Yes, there are honest seller who are fantastic to deal with. But there are also many, many crooks. The key as with anything is buy the seller. Do your research. Look at their feedback & past sales. Do they normally sell socks & shirts and all the sudden listed a $5K watch? Or have they been selling high-end watches for long periods with good feedback.
Again, I'd start with the WTF Sponsors. There's several that sell Rolex and all are trustworthy. Then go from there - doing your research..
Good luck!!
BUT, the key is buy the seller. Yes, you can get some good deals. Yes, there are honest seller who are fantastic to deal with. But there are also many, many crooks. The key as with anything is buy the seller. Do your research. Look at their feedback & past sales. Do they normally sell socks & shirts and all the sudden listed a $5K watch? Or have they been selling high-end watches for long periods with good feedback.
Again, I'd start with the WTF Sponsors. There's several that sell Rolex and all are trustworthy. Then go from there - doing your research..
Good luck!!
You'll get in-house warranties. Non-authorized sellers should NEVER imply the watch had warranty through Rolex. I always make it loud and clear that anything I sell will be covered by us for warranty, not Rolex. Besides that, the chance of having a problem in two years in very very slim.
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No - this is the main disincentive. However, many non-authorized vendors stand behind their sales with a warranty of their own.
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No. Rolex warranties are non-transferable. So even if it was bought yesterday & re-sold today Rolex wont honor the warranty (as a rule).
However, some ebay sales (as well as other 2nd hand sales) have the warranty papers not filled in. Some call these open papers. I've heard that these will have the warranty as you'll enter your name, but it also has to have a sales date & AD stamp, so I'm not sure if it's true or not.
I'd assume any Rolex not sold via an AD does not have a Rolex warranty. Though the seller may warrant the watch thru their company. Sometimes this warranty is even better than the Rolex 2 year...
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Edge,
The only ones I'd recommend are the sponsors. They're the only one's I'd personally buy a Rolex on online from (or anywhere else non-AD for that matter).
If you go to the main WTF window you can scroll thru the sponsors links. I believe they all have "rolex" on their picture... I believe the following are the sponsors who sell Rolex in no particular order, but it may not be all of them:
Essential watch
Top Notch Watches
Wallachs Watches
The Cabinkeeper
Sub-GMT
Check them out & see if they have what your looking for.. :thumbup1:
The only ones I'd recommend are the sponsors. They're the only one's I'd personally buy a Rolex on online from (or anywhere else non-AD for that matter).
If you go to the main WTF window you can scroll thru the sponsors links. I believe they all have "rolex" on their picture... I believe the following are the sponsors who sell Rolex in no particular order, but it may not be all of them:
Essential watch
Top Notch Watches
Wallachs Watches
The Cabinkeeper
Sub-GMT
Check them out & see if they have what your looking for.. :thumbup1:
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Ebay can be risky, but if you do some reference checking and the buyer is well established (sold expensive watches before), you can save a lot of money that way. Rolexes are more risky than most, since so many fakes are out there. As someone said, buy the seller....but caveat emptor is still good advice.:thumbup1:
Sales boards are another way to get a Rolex for less than MSRP...but again, know the seller or at least ask for references.
Sales boards are another way to get a Rolex for less than MSRP...but again, know the seller or at least ask for references.
Ebay is the "new" forum for trading and buying, just like the old classified ad section of a newspaper, only it is online. Sure, you ought to do your homework on items bought from ebay, just as you would anything else. Unfortunately, Rolex and Omega too are highly copied watches. But there are plenty of legitimate traders out there and you will have to take your time to learn all the ins and outs.
The classified advertising section of the newspaper used the be the highest read and most followed section of the newspaper, higher read than even the front page. Trading with other people is important. So I wouldn't avoid eBay--most people are honest. But there are enough dishonest people that you can get burned, so doing your homework, looking for references, etc., is important.
I ran into a dishonest Rolex trader just this morning, in fact. He has a website, has several references from the Better Business Bureau, etc. And in fact, he even has a section on how to tell a fake rolex from a real one. He also carries a section listing Rolexes which were "stolen", supposedly to help owners get their Rolexes back, I guess. The prices are below normal retail and used prices, so the watches are supposedly a good deal. But the site is a fraud and he has taken money from several people I guess now. Everything looks legit and even helpful. Fortunately, this is the exception and eventually, buyers will catch up with him. But this doesn't help you get your money back. The only way to help yourself is to become familiar with the product and the market and the reputation of the person/site you are dealing with. Look for positive references. The best clue is to see when a watch is priced below other ones in the market--it's not the only sign, but sometimes saving a buck is not worth the heartache. Remember, everyone in business needs to make a profit. Best of luck.
The classified advertising section of the newspaper used the be the highest read and most followed section of the newspaper, higher read than even the front page. Trading with other people is important. So I wouldn't avoid eBay--most people are honest. But there are enough dishonest people that you can get burned, so doing your homework, looking for references, etc., is important.
I ran into a dishonest Rolex trader just this morning, in fact. He has a website, has several references from the Better Business Bureau, etc. And in fact, he even has a section on how to tell a fake rolex from a real one. He also carries a section listing Rolexes which were "stolen", supposedly to help owners get their Rolexes back, I guess. The prices are below normal retail and used prices, so the watches are supposedly a good deal. But the site is a fraud and he has taken money from several people I guess now. Everything looks legit and even helpful. Fortunately, this is the exception and eventually, buyers will catch up with him. But this doesn't help you get your money back. The only way to help yourself is to become familiar with the product and the market and the reputation of the person/site you are dealing with. Look for positive references. The best clue is to see when a watch is priced below other ones in the market--it's not the only sign, but sometimes saving a buck is not worth the heartache. Remember, everyone in business needs to make a profit. Best of luck.
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No, it isn't.Uh-ohhh.....sounds like The Time Keeper? I've had problems with that guy.hmy:
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Here are my two cent's...
I have used ebay, however I do make sure that it is a face to face transaction especially if I am the buyer (no transfering monies until I see the Item). Now for me it usually works out due to my status as a Road Warrior (frequent flyer):biggrin:. I do check out the refrences, name and address (verified only) and map the phone number back to an address via the following link:
http://www.phonenumber.com/reversephone
And If need be I check out the property in that area to make sure they are the owners. I always choose a bank for the meeting, all of this prior to making a bid :thumbup:.
Plus I have some buddies ya know (but dont blame them for working for the govt, they were interns first and could not leave the family)....:lol::lol:
I have made some great deals... Mostly on Vintage Rolex watches.
I have used ebay, however I do make sure that it is a face to face transaction especially if I am the buyer (no transfering monies until I see the Item). Now for me it usually works out due to my status as a Road Warrior (frequent flyer):biggrin:. I do check out the refrences, name and address (verified only) and map the phone number back to an address via the following link:
http://www.phonenumber.com/reversephone
And If need be I check out the property in that area to make sure they are the owners. I always choose a bank for the meeting, all of this prior to making a bid :thumbup:.
Plus I have some buddies ya know (but dont blame them for working for the govt, they were interns first and could not leave the family)....:lol::lol:
I have made some great deals... Mostly on Vintage Rolex watches.
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unknown eBayer = risky.
Get to know your seller. Find out here he works, where he lives, and where his kids go to school. Then buy your dream watch from him.
A few extra bucks for piece of mind is worth it every time. There are swiss manufactured Rolex fakes out there that look, smell, and act 99% like a genuine Rolex. They try to gloss over their unscrupulous practices by using the term "replica". This is disengenuine however.
Get to know your seller. Find out here he works, where he lives, and where his kids go to school. Then buy your dream watch from him.
A few extra bucks for piece of mind is worth it every time. There are swiss manufactured Rolex fakes out there that look, smell, and act 99% like a genuine Rolex. They try to gloss over their unscrupulous practices by using the term "replica". This is disengenuine however.
Rolex and E-Bay
On the topic of retail pricing...what is the average pricing for a new Rolex Explorer II? Will an authorized jeweller offer some sort of discount? I've always had a discount when buying my Omega's (I live in Canada) from my jeweller but he doesn't carry the Rolex line.
On the topic of retail pricing...what is the average pricing for a new Rolex Explorer II? Will an authorized jeweller offer some sort of discount? I've always had a discount when buying my Omega's (I live in Canada) from my jeweller but he doesn't carry the Rolex line.
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The Explorer II MSRP's at $5,000 in the US. Not sure of the Canadian retail. For a list of all US list prices, they're listed in the Rolex Information & Resource Archive ( http://watchtalkforums.info/forums/showthread.php?t=38 ).
As to discounts, you may be able to get small ones, 5-10% maybe as an average, though many AD's won't discount any of the Sports line as they're so popular they know they don't have to discount them to sell them. So I wouldn't be surprised if you don't find an AD that'll discount.. But if you do find a Rolex AD to discount, you won't find Omega type discounts as a rule.
As to discounts, you may be able to get small ones, 5-10% maybe as an average, though many AD's won't discount any of the Sports line as they're so popular they know they don't have to discount them to sell them. So I wouldn't be surprised if you don't find an AD that'll discount.. But if you do find a Rolex AD to discount, you won't find Omega type discounts as a rule.
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It's good to ask around and I'm glad to offer advice but this is a messageboard after all so you have to take everything with a grain of salt, especially my post!! LOL
like everyone has said there are good and bad sellers and and doing your OWN homework is crucial!! asking questions will only get you so far, you have to dig and dig deep to get what you want at a fair price.
like everyone has said there are good and bad sellers and and doing your OWN homework is crucial!! asking questions will only get you so far, you have to dig and dig deep to get what you want at a fair price.
Scott in my case I bought from a reputible guy from the newturfers site, the warrantee card I got was from a Hong Kong AD and it was blank, had the AD's stamp and it was dated a month earlier than the purchase date but the name was waiting for me to fill it in. I haven't had to use it yet but the AD I took it to authenticate it says it's 100% legit. So I guess some grays buy in bulk from Asia or other counties and negotiate the "open papers" as a part of the purchase?!?
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