"Hello ,Ebay? I buy replica watches..."

[Hambone]

"Hello Ebay, I buy replica watches and own many of them it is a hobby of mine, and I want to report XYZ who is selling a replica on your auction"

As most of you here know, I am an avid rep collector and enjoy this hobby with a passion as many of you do as well. RWI is a great forum and so is RWG. I like it there also. It really is fantastic to share this passion of ours with intelligent and interesting people. Discussing all aspects about collecting, photographing, repairing, modifying and even trading and selling are stimulating to be sure. I realize that there are unscrupulous croutons out there who take advantage of our hobby and try to sell them as genuine watches. That goes against the principles of common decency without doubt, and I wish an experience like that on no one. When I read about others playing 'policeman' and reporting perceived or alleged shysters, it on one hand resonates a certain satisfaction, but on the other hand, I say 'buyer beware', and if some tool is foolish enough to buy a rep being sold as a gen then, he deserves the outcome. It just seems to me that we as buyers of replica watches policing those who sell them in a manner repellant to our sensibilities, is somewhat hypocritical.

Well, this is my feeling on the matter and hope not to offend anyone.

 

[Hellcat]

Well Hambone heres how I feel about the situation.
I am no expert on watches, I dont really know all of the types of movements, sizes, specs. etc. I do however know there are die hard folks out here that can spot a rep a mile a way and pick the slightest imperfection out of a watch. I am no where close to that caliber, not even sure that I want to be....
If I see someone selling a rep. and claiming it as gen. on Ebay I may or may not report them. First, it would have to be a very obvious rep. that even I could tell. Second the "I got this as a gift story" is pretty much a dead give away, as well as "I lost the paperwork", or " I bought this and no longer need it". Ill pretty much report them people all the time. I look at feed back, ratings, how many other watches they have sold, etc... I have alot of factors that go into reporting someone. I do not just surf Ebay looking for people to report by no means..
I know of at least 4 dealers peddling reps. on Ebay and dont report them either, Why? They are not trying to sell them as Gen. they dont claim them as gen and they dont command a gen. price. They are actually not breaking any Ebay policy either. As long as they dont show the name of the watch or advertise it as a gen. they are perfectly with in their rights. Now the Rolex Extremeists hate these people and report them daily just because they know for a fact there selling Rolex's and this is somehow lowering the value of the name Rolex which is a different arguement, but these dealers remain because there not doing anything wrong......
I personally dont like ebay Police and they are out there believe me, they surf all day long til they find something to report and then get excited thinking they just saved the world from emminent doom and to those folks I say a big GET A LIFE too.....For some interesting reading go to the discussion forums on Ebay then look at the Watch forum, there some pretty good reading occasionally they even have a resident watch expert that reports people daily for selling fakes.
My .02 cents.......

 

[rek001]

I don't think it's hypocritical at all. Who else but the members of this and other rep forums have the amazing expertise and super-critical eye to call out reps on eBay?
The average watch collector wouldn't even know where to begin to ID a rep.

 

[TWP]

Shame on me, but I have brought several watches selling on the bay to the attention of the people bidding on these watches. Let them, the bidders, make the choice after people have given them a 'heads-up'. I lack the time to surf the bay regularly, and I feel that it is Ebay's responsibility to inforce their slae standereds. You are not wrong or hypocritical Hambone.

 

[cntrl]

Interesting topic. Agreed that if the seller discloses that its not a gen and does not command a gen price then all is fine. I strongly believe that sellers who purchase "accurate" reps and try to sell it as gens should be reported and banned. Alot of people do not have the "eye" like alot of us here and do not realize that a watch with box and papers does not automatically mean its a gen. I have seen a few powersellers pushing reps as well.

 

[Anubis]

The "Hypocritical Policeman" speaketh

Alright Hambone I am the first to agree that on a superficial look it does seem weird that someone who buys replicas gets their panties in a bunch about someone selling replicas on eBay and then decides to play tattle tail. And now for something completely different:

How may people have bought HERE (@our rep sales section or anywhere else) a replica Panerai thinking it was real? A safe bet is none.

You see Hambone there is a Huge difference between conscientiously buying something that you know it's not the 100% genuine article and getting ripped off.

Does any one really enjoy the feeling of getting ripped off? The most important function of this forum is not the getting of watches man, It's the getting of knowledge. knowing what is right and then doing wrong is the most perverted evil out there.

You're saying let the fools fend for themselves. Well where exactly do you stop? Considering that most of humanity are damn fools, to the point that for all statistical purposes we are all fools, does this mean we must never help each other? If that the case why does this forum exists? In for a penny in for a pound Hambone. Slippery slopes suck don't they?

I sell on eBay. There's been times the $$$ from those sales has helped me when I didn't have alternatives. I like to think that I'm one of those honest sellers. People like that scumbag are taking business away from AD's who in turn inflate the prices of the gen that in turn make our reps look so much better . I have every intention to continue reporting that asshat every time he put another rep in disguise up for sale. Call me a hypocrite, but I don't see how it applies.

 

[Novesh]

well said anubis, you make a good point.

 

[jfreeman420]

Ebay is a community just like these watch boards. I buy and sell everything from watches to shoes on ebay and do my due dilligence before buying anything. Just like on these boards there are newbies who buy watches that don't know any better and are looking for a good deal. Not all people who buy watches are collectors. It isn't right for anyone to profit from the misfortune of others. Seeing ebay as a community I feel a responsibility to turn in a scammer if I see one, not that I am surfing around searching for them. Ebay should do more to prevent it but they don't have the resources to see everything. When we find a scammer here their name address, phone number, date of birth and anything else we can dig up on them goes public. Why should ebay be any different?

 

[Hambone]

Interesting responses, thanks, again I meant not to offend anyone, just offering my view on the matter. :lol:

 

[Klink]

Ebay should do more to prevent it but they don't have the resources to see everything.

eBay could care less about replicas/fakes.. it is purely buyer beware.. they have not got the resources

simply because it is in their best interest not to have those resources.. LOL.. it would hurt their bottom line..

virtually all new name brand handbags on eBay are fake.. and there is currently big lawsuit about it.. against

eBay, who says? "We will collect your fees, but gosh, we do not have any resources..."

Wowsers, sweet deal for fakebay!

 

[Hambone]

eBay could care less about replicas/fakes.. it is purely buyer beware.. they have not got the resources

simply because it is in their best interest not to have those resources.. LOL.. it would hurt their bottom line..

virtually all new name brand handbags on eBay are fake.. and there is currently big lawsuit about it.. against

eBay, who says? "We will collect your fees, but gosh, we do not have any resources..."

Wowsers, sweet deal for fakebay!

So Klink, are you saying that eBay will pull auctions of fakes only when reported by 'surfers'? That would seem to be the case to me also since there are so many and to not respond to reports only inflames the perception and you say fact that they don't care about fraud.

 

[Klink]

ebay cares about money

period.

Like many other businesses...

Life is not fair...

if you expect it to be?

LOL

"Is he limping? Is he limping? Who has the ammo?"

We are allowed to think, and we are actually encouraged

to do so..

Life is Good!
Klink

 

[Hyster]

I would not report a rep on e-bay just because its a rep BUT.........

I for one like the ethos of this site, the watch out for one another mentality is something that sits comfortably with me.

I don't have any reason to get upset if a rep sells for a couple of hundred quid but when people are getting ripped off while we stand and do nothing, we do ourselves a disservice.

The honesty I found on this site was the main reason I did not instantly walk away from it, dismissing it as a den of thieves.

If we are open and honest here with one another, why can't we extend that to the noobs we have not met yet?

You won't catch me reporting a guy for selling a $200 Panerai rep but if he trys to sell it for $1000s, well.....

Warm regards,
Hyster

 

[TWP]

ebay cares about money

period.

Driven purely by greed. Money hunger bast#$ds.

 

[Anubis]

Driven purely by greed. Money hunger bast#$ds.

Yes they're money hungry bastards and their sellers fees are outrageous and paypal fleeces you every time you receive money so end up paying twice for everything, but at least you know where you stand.

The guy in discussion is deliberately ripping off people. No matter how you gussy it up.

I mean holly hell, when horologerie_unitas got ripped off by that douche in Jersey, ppl were offering to pay him a visit!

On eBay we don't have that option and it hurts him more to be reported. So where's the harm? this is doing Good in my eyes.

 

[Niko]

Hambone,

I have previously reported this guy cureently selling the Bell & Ross replica, for selling a replica Pam 111h as a gen.

eBay responed by thanking me for the message, but that any action that they take in confidential etc, so I did not know the outcome.

I have no issues with reporting replicas or fakes if they are passed off as genuine, but I have no idea if reporting these auctions has any effect.

Klink is right, eBay does not have the resources or the interest to take action. The irony is that they collect a significant fee when a watch sells for several thousand dollars, as was the case with the 111h.

Again, as Klink said, 'caveat emptor'...'let the buyer beware'!

N.

 

[CISO1969]

Ebay stopped/banned the sale of legal firearms a few years ago (guys with FFL's etc)--yet you are still allowed to buy any sort of sex toy you want, bondage gear, hardcore pornography of all kinds... What a wonderful double standard.

As with any marketplace, if you don't like what is being sold, skip that section. Also, anything legal to be sold should be able to be sold. It's a disservice to your purported community to censor these things. Censor all possible negative items or none at all.

E-bay cracks me up--not in a good way!

 

[Anubis]

It's good to see morals are still around. It's even better to see them in here. I can't say that I have an authority on morals for the gods's sake. Nichomecian ethics bounced off my hide.

well said enzo. I couldn't agree more.