Infuriating Rolex AD experience

[R4dcu]

I’ve hit a few fairly major milestones in my life recently and with all the reps I’ve had over the last few years I thought I’d explore the ability to secure something special to mark the occasion.

I made an appointment with my local Rolex AD thinking it’s better than walking in off the street, turned up early and greeted people respectfully only to get a salesman who’s mobile phone was continually ringing and had zero interest in showing me the various models and their differences.

I sit down and he asks what I’m interested in and sits there, I say I love the timeless design of the sub, GMT’s and Yacht Master but it all comes down to availability, I don’t really have a set budget and it’s about getting something special.

At this point I think he feels a need to put something in front of me, two tone steel and gold sub at £13k, looked amazing so I picked it up and admired all the details, I didn’t put it on and didn’t start taking pics like a poser. I aasked about availability as why wouldn’t I, what do you mean he says - well I’m unsure if you have anything special in stock that might interest me. Erm not really ‘I think’ maybe just a gold day date…

Proceed to try and get anything from him while the whole time a lad my age and his gf are kissing the other salesman’s arse and banging on about sky dwellers and Daytonas, I see the guy get up and go get a box from the back, oh look he’s found this one a watch - no idea what it is and didn’t catch a proper look on his way out.

I try not to say something and spit out, I’d probably take an IWC top gun off you but want to hold out for something I really want. His response was if you tell me the exactly models you want I can put your name down, I then have to impulsively decide on 3 models and configs to declare an interest in.

At this point he can see I’m pissed off as I see him yawn at me, I tell him how it was difficult for me as I need to see and assess things and it’s about how I feel with something due to my autism and that it’s what it symbolises to me. He asks what I do for a living so I tell him I’m a contractor working in software development, thank him for his time and walk out.

My time waster mate was able to walk into the same dealer a few months ago and get champagne and put his name down for watches he can’t afford and somehow manage to walk out with an air king on finance. How the fuck did that work?! I can’t even get the chance to pay cash for a bloody watch…

I’m actually livid and considering emailing customer services but I’m not actually sure what I even want from the situation anymore and whether it is a Rolex.

I can’t be sure whether they were judging me, I was wearing my Apple Watch ultra as I’m health conscious during the daytime and like to track my movements, nothing rep and certainly not a tracksuit.

Excuse the rant but, is this normal?! I’m in the Uk btw…

 

[Caboose]

Rolex sucks. The waitlist thing makes me not want to even get one of the watches.

I've been in the store a few times, and once I was stopping by after work wearing business casual and picking up a jacket that had been tailored in the mall. Rude salespeople, and they only had a few watches to show me. I left pretty quick.

Another time, I rolled into the store in a t-shirt and shorts, and they treated me like royalty and said I could walk out that day with an Explorer if I was interested.

Walk in to the Omega store across the mall, you can walk out with whatever you want the same day, and at a fraction of the cost of a Rolex. For this reason, I own gen Omegas, but no gen Rolexes.

 

[R4dcu]

Rolex sucks. The waitlist thing makes me not want to even get one of the watches.

I've been in the store a few times, and once I was stopping by after work wearing business casual and picking up a jacket that had been tailored in the mall. Rude salespeople, and they only had a few watches to show me. I left pretty quick.

Another time, I rolled into the store in a t-shirt and shorts, and they treated me like royalty and said I could walk out that day with an Explorer if I was interested.

Walk in to the Omega store across the mall, you can walk out with whatever you want the same day, and at a fraction of the cost of a Rolex. For this reason, I own gen Omegas, but no gen Rolexes.

It’s baffling, I have no idea what their game is… Doesn’t seem like they even know!

I was wearing shorts and T-shirt today with a pair of Jordan’s, looking tidy and not trying too hard. Told him I don’t need finance and I’m ready to go, never seen such a limp salesman in my life.

I’d be alright I think but it seems the other lad was being treated like royalty and I got mugged off.

Which Omega do you have? I struggle to justify one as I've wanted a moon for ages and seen the price double in recent years.

I actually want to go back and buy a fuckin top gun but not from him

 

[Caboose]

It’s baffling, I have no idea what their game is… Doesn’t seem like they even know!

I was wearing shorts and T-shirt today with a pair of Jordan’s, looking tidy and not trying too hard. Told him I don’t need finance and I’m ready to go, never seen such a limp salesman in my life.

I’d be alright I think but it seems the other lad was being treated like royalty and I got mugged off.

Which Omega do you have? I struggle to justify one as I've wanted a moon for ages and seen the price double in recent years.

I actually want to go back and buy a fuckin top gun but not from him

I have a speedy reduced. The moon is nice, and if you want one, the price ain't going down so...

 

[asusundevils1971]

My time waster mate was able to walk into the same dealer a few months ago and get champagne and put his name down for watches he can’t afford and somehow manage to walk out with an air king on finance

That is what the AD's do, they will put your name down for the watch you are looking for and while you are there try and sell you another model that they have plenty of. First reason is to move stock of certain models that are not very popular and make money of course and secondly they are testing you to see if you are serious about purchasing a watch or tire kicking.

Can't believe anyone would want to finance a Rolex watch.

 

[R4dcu]

I didn’t know they did finance on it, they never previously used to… They financed that and then put their name down for a root beer GMT and seem to be treated better than me who’s good to go.

I can’t work out if this lad didn’t want to sell a watch or didn’t want to sell to me. Didn’t even think about cross selling when I mentioned IWC which I know they had in stock.

 

[mclarendude]

You cannot go wrong with Omega, Rolex is just horrible. Catering to influencers and the elite.

 

[R4dcu]

You cannot go wrong with Omega, Rolex is just horrible. Catering to influencers and the elite.

I think you’re right, I got more respect trying on £3k watches than what I have when looking to spend significantly more and for what really?

 

[asusundevils1971]

I can’t work out if this lad didn’t want to sell a watch or didn’t want to sell to me

Should send a few AD's an email letting them know what model you are interested in and see how they respond. I sent a message to Raffi Jewellers here in Toronto through their contact us, asking about the availability of a DJ 41 126334 - 0001 and they responded that the 0001 dial wasn't in stock but offered me two other DJ 41's.

I purchased a Clean Factory DJ 41 with the blue dial instead and saved myself $12K CDN.

 

[Karbon74]

AD have big issues with staff behaviour.

Some of those staff come very recently from general retail and revel in their perceived power. There are good respectful staff and then there are jerks. Horrible to say this but it seems that the younger they are the more chances they are jerks

unfortunately it is the luck of the draw. The market has already turned. Flipped watches are barely above retail now, if that, expect for specific pieces.

Give it a few more months.

 

[R4dcu]

Thanks @asusundevils1971 - that’s a good point, I might actually do that with another local AD and be upfront about my autism and how I would like to try conduct business. That said it hammers home how good the value of some of these reps really are.

@Karbon74 you hit the nail on the head there, I didn’t want to say it but I can’t imagine this salesman was as good as he perceived.

Funny you said that as the 126613LN he brought out at £13,150 is going for under RRP on the grey market. The SD43 is also the same… Makes me want to wait and if I do I’ll likely reconsider one altogether.

 

[Karbon74]

I love watches too much to let small minded people get in the way

 

[R4dcu]

I love watches too much to let small minded people get in the way

Teach me how…

 

[Karbon74]

Teach me how…

you are already in the right place on RWI

I bought my first rep because the Exp1 gen was not readily available. I am perfectly fine with it, and now the market will soon be in a place where I can get the gen without drama

In the meantime I bought some other brand gens that I love and enjoy.

AND it made me meet some great people here, plus discover a new hobby in vintage watch building

 

[R4dcu]

100%!!

Motivating me to explore the franken space

 

[TESLA760]

I would've lost my marbles the moment he started answering calls. When you're trying to sell me something, it's not much to ask that the sales person have proper etiquette. Unfortunately this is how almost every Rolex AD has become.

 

[R4dcu]

I would've lost my marbles the moment he started answering calls. When you're trying to sell me something, it's not much to ask that the sales person have proper etiquette. Unfortunately this is how almost every Rolex AD has become.

I kid you not I could have reached over at him, it kept going off and he kept looking out of it on the table, he took it out of his pocket the first time and left it there. Can’t be sure he was interested in trying to sell me anything tbh

I’ll be complaining for sure…

 

[TESLA760]

That's when my wife starts nudging me to go, before I lose my shit

 

[Maximillian]

I’ve hit a few fairly major milestones in my life recently and with all the reps I’ve had over the last few years I thought I’d explore the ability to secure something special to mark the occasion.

I made an appointment with my local Rolex AD thinking it’s better than walking in off the street, turned up early and greeted people respectfully only to get a salesman who’s mobile phone was continually ringing and had zero interest in showing me the various models and their differences.

I sit down and he asks what I’m interested in and sits there, I say I love the timeless design of the sub, GMT’s and Yacht Master but it all comes down to availability, I don’t really have a set budget and it’s about getting something special.

At this point I think he feels a need to put something in front of me, two tone steel and gold sub at £13k, looked amazing so I picked it up and admired all the details, I didn’t put it on and didn’t start taking pics like a poser. I aasked about availability as why wouldn’t I, what do you mean he says - well I’m unsure if you have anything special in stock that might interest me. Erm not really ‘I think’ maybe just a gold day date…

Proceed to try and get anything from him while the whole time a lad my age and his gf are kissing the other salesman’s arse and banging on about sky dwellers and Daytonas, I see the guy get up and go get a box from the back, oh look he’s found this one a watch - no idea what it is and didn’t catch a proper look on his way out.

I try not to say something and spit out, I’d probably take an IWC top gun off you but want to hold out for something I really want. His response was if you tell me the exactly models you want I can put your name down, I then have to impulsively decide on 3 models and configs to declare an interest in.

At this point he can see I’m pissed off as I see him yawn at me, I tell him how it was difficult for me as I need to see and assess things and it’s about how I feel with something due to my autism and that it’s what it symbolises to me. He asks what I do for a living so I tell him I’m a contractor working in software development, thank him for his time and walk out.

My time waster mate was able to walk into the same dealer a few months ago and get champagne and put his name down for watches he can’t afford and somehow manage to walk out with an air king on finance. How the fuck did that work?! I can’t even get the chance to pay cash for a bloody watch…

I’m actually livid and considering emailing customer services but I’m not actually sure what I even want from the situation anymore and whether it is a Rolex.

I can’t be sure whether they were judging me, I was wearing my Apple Watch ultra as I’m health conscious during the daytime and like to track my movements, nothing rep and certainly not a tracksuit.

Excuse the rant but, is this normal?! I’m in the Uk btw…

Few years ago before covid, I wanted to get myself a Rolex. I dropped an email to one of the ADs in Vienna (4 hours driving from my home), telling them I wanted to take a look at some Rolex. They replied and asked me if any specific models in mind, I told them I want Sub and Explorer II. They said they will prepare it. So that weekend, I drove to Vienna and spent few hours in the AD's shop. I ended up getting a GMT II and an IWC chrono, without any problem.

My point is, it really depends on the AD you picked. Some of them especially in Munich, they are genuine arses only serve celebrities and millionaires. I tend to believe most of them are ok in terms of service.

 

[TESLA760]

I've found the AD's in the Caribbean and Mexico to be more accommodating.