• Tired of adverts on RWI? - Subscribe by clicking HERE and PMing Trailboss for instructions and they will magically go away!

Sheer unprofessional-ism and dissapointment

deafnotdaft

Active Member
16/4/14
339
6
0
I thought, after my somewhat bizarre experience with Narikaa, that I would share it with those of you who are thinking of purchasing a watch from this TD. As with all experiences, they are personal and there will be others among this forum who have had rather more pleasant and productive experiences with Narikaa, likewise, there will no doubt be others who have had considerably worse experiences than mine.


I also believe that in order to truly make an informed decision for ones self, you must assimilate as much knowledge and information as possible. Armed with enough information and knowledge you are placed in a good position to make positive informed choices. It is for that reason that I have decided to endow anyone wishing to read it, with a review of my experience with Narikaa.


To begin with, I was recently advised to speak to Reg (Narikaa) with regards to ordering a watch from him. Another forum member stated that Reg usually has a stock of watches in the UK and that the majority of his watches are all under £100. Furthermore, as he has UK based stock from time to time, anything that is in stock could be delivered quickly.


With all this in mind I decided to email Reg after having a look at his stock list that was currently en route to the UK. Out of all the watches listed, I was only interested in the Rolex Milgauss as this is one of the 3 rep watches I want to try and purchase before the year is out.


Reg advised me that the watch (Rolex Milgauss) was still available and if I wanted it I would need to let him know ASAP.


I asked Reg about QC's to which he advised that he does not, nor would ever need to send any kind of QC's as he sells from stock that he himself has QC'd at point of purchase. Furthermore, his 100% customer satisfaction preludes the need for such nonsense.


I further asked Reg why his Milgauss was somewhat cheaper than comparable watches from other TD's on the forum, it needs to be noted at this point that I was unaware of the movement within the watch. Reg advised that the cheap price was due to him sourcing the watch himself and therefore getting the best value for money.


I told Reg that I was interested and would take the watch when it arrived, I had planned to speak with Reg with regards to the watch movement prior to payment and shipping once the watch was in the UK.


I was expecting the watch to arrive within the next day or two as this is what Reg had previously stated. However, it was 14 days later on the 17th June in the evening that Reg emailed me to advise the watch had landed earlier that day and was earmarked as mine only awaiting payment. He further advised that the watch was £96 plus an additional £10 for UK postage totaling £106 or $175 at the current exchange rate.


Reg provided his bank details for me to put the money direct into his account, which I agreed to do in person in my local branch the following morning.


I then stated to Reg that despite his policy of no QC's, I would like him to tell me about the watch. I had done some substantial reading around the forum and had come across several threads and posts pertaining to issues around the 21 jewelled movements being inappropriate for use in the Milgauss and other concerns around the crystal colouring. Anyhow, after asking Reg to tell me about the watch he replied "They are Asian 21 jewels automatics".


My response to this was that ?I was reading up on the Milgauss recently and there are several reviews and threads in RWI stating that the 21 jeweld movement should be avoided for use in the Milgauss due to the extra weight of the seconds hand. Several threads further state that ?it can cause the hand to stutter and occasionally fail.


I then asked for Reg's thoughts. Reg's response was that ?it was all "forum nonsense" and that he had sold hundreds of these watches without any problems.


I then asked if the 21 jewelled ?version produced a sweeping or stepping seconds hand.


Reg chose not to respond to this question and instead waited till the following morning, the 18th of June, the day I was supposed to be putting the money into Reg's account, to email me with only the words "Now sold out"


Thankfully my emails are routed ?direct to my phone so I received the email prior to placing any money into Reg's account.


I immediately emailed Reg on receipt of his "Now sold out" email asking if he was referring to having sold the watch to someone else, however Reg did not respond. I waited almost 8 hours before asking the same question again. It was over an hour later that Reg replied with a one worded email saying "Yes".


All of this has left me pondering the actions and attitude of Reg. The watch itself is comparable to other 21 jewelled Milgauss's from other dealers. Other dealer prices range from $80? (which includes free delivery) to $180, so Reg's $175 price tag for this particular watch is top end money for a 21 Jewelled movement.


Also, having been messed about by Reg once I asked questions about the watch movement, I will be taking away an underlying feeling that Reg has not got the respect of 100% of his customers as he believes. Furthermore, the feeling that Reg was trying to pass off a lesser quality 21 jewelled movement watch to me, whilst deflecting the information that the movement is not recommended in this watch as "more forum nonsense" leaves me feeling that Reg may not be as trusting as I would expect or indeed want him to be.


That feeling I had about Reg's truthfulness with me was most certainly reinforced when after asking valid questions about the movement, Reg not only rubbished valued threads and well researched articles within the forum pertaining to the Rolex Milgauss, but he also purposefully evaded the issue by deciding not to correspond with me further and answer my questions about the watch and apparently sold it on to someone else!


These are not the actions of someone ?that I personally would want to do business with and despite knowing that Reg has the right to sell or not to sell to anyone he chooses to, I myself would not want to purchase a watch from someone with whom I had no faith or trust in.


The opinions I have formed are due to my personal experience and interactions with Reg. ?They should not preclude you from repeat purchases nor indeed a first purchase with Reg, but should be used to expand your knowledge of the actions and behaviours that may be expected from Reg only.


As for me, well from this experience with Reg I have been left with an impression of Reg that portrays sheer unprofessional-ism and disappointment.
 

KBH

Mythical Poster
1/11/07
7,168
43
48
All his watches have always been the cheaper 21j models. Same as WBK. This is nothing new. You're talking about a $100 basic watch, not a $600+ specialty item. If you wanted a Eta/clone movement why didn't you tell him that in the first place and just move on. Instead you felt the need to tell him all about how his movements are inferior and he's a bad dealer for not giving you QC pictures. And now he's the bad guy because he didn't want to deal with you?


Reg is probably the most easy going dealer on any of the forums. And one of the most well liked.
 

voilodion

Getting To Know The Place
25/12/08
26
0
1
Your post reduces your prospect of a m2m purchase in the future.
 

Daz_147

Do not accept unsolicited offers
8/5/14
4
0
0
I have just received an AP ROO from Reg and I have to say that the service and email response was first class. The one I wanted was on route to the UK, I asked Reg to reserve me the watch on the 3rd June, I got a reply on Tue 17th to say that the watch was here. I transfered the money to Reg on Wednesday morning, and the watch was in my hand the next day. The watch is great, it is solid and well screwed together, but Quartz (I knew this before ordering), obviously I didnt expect sweeping seconds, and for £83 +£10 shippping I can't say that I am anything other than 100% satisfied.
 

mech500

Mythical Poster
6/4/12
8,253
3,603
113
UK
Wow you "waited 8hours to ask the same question again" and it took him "over an hour to respond" lol.

Sorry for the unhelpful response mate but not sure why you wouldn't ask about the movement beforehand?

Lots of dealers don't send QC pics (my TD doesn't). It's not an issue if you known what exactly you want in terms of movement, factory of origin etc). I just email my TD and ask (for example): "how much for a MB TW, noob factory, A7753, SS bracelet, white dial, EMS UK shipping)?

If you don't want a "21j automatic" then don't buy it but its offensive to ask a TD to justify the adequacy of their watch/movement offering. IMO
 

Alex_P1

I'm Pretty Popular
11/5/12
2,030
14
38
I think it was my recommendation of Reg to you which has resulted in this post. For that I'm sorry to both parties.

I've bought from Reg many times, including my first ever rep. I've never had a bad experience with him and will not hesitate to buy from him again for myself and friends, or recommend him to other forum members.

In my opinion, it doesn't take much exploration of Reg's section of the forum to realise that his watches are not the usual selection as sold by other dealers, that they come from Thailand as opposed to China, are all either 21J or Quartz, and are generally significantly cheaper than other models. If this isn't clear to others, I'll be sure to point that out explicitly to other members when I recommend Reg to them in the future.

The advert for the Milgaus in question clearly states it is a 21j movement and coming from Thailand:

http://forum.replica-watch.info/vb/showthread.php?t=183003

I accept that it is possible you didn't read the advert, but also expect it is reasonable for Reg to have assumed you have.

One thing you are certainly incorrect on is that the watch "is comparable to other 21 jewelled Milgaus's available from other dealers" (sic). From my experience of Reg's watches, they are far superior to budget 21j Chinese models, in fact their quality frequently exceeds that of $300+ so called "super-reps". Until you've handled examples of both, please refrain from such misleading statements.

To me, it sounds like you've simply rubbed Reg up the wrong way and he had buyers lining up for his sought after UK stock, so the watch became "sold out" before you could transfer your money as he had less demanding and/or regular buyers next in line. If this is unprofessionalism in an unregulated and illegal industry, then so be it.

This is not intended to be a criticism of you and I do appreciate that you've taken the time to relay your experience to other forum members in an eloquent and neutral tone, as you say, people should have access to a true spectrum of others' experience to ensure they make an informed decision. I do think that perhaps you need to consider why your review is the only negative one in here and that so many other people talk in glowing terms of Reg, perhaps you've got too higher expectations of the industry linked to this hobby?

Please keep contributing to the forum, your patience and perseverance is to be admired and I think that once you've managed to actually get your hands on a couple of watches, you'll write some cracking reviews.
 

Mbren30

Getting To Know The Place
26/8/11
27
0
0
i have one of reg's thai milgaus's. I will hold my hands up and admit it is nowhere near the quality of my high end omega planet ocean or my tag heuer aqauracer chrono, which i paid hundreds for.

but it is easily in the same quality if not better quality than the numerous seikos i own. for the money Reg will supply you with fantastic watches with brilliant service. I will always go to him first. Keep up the great work Reg.
 

deeno1980

Getting To Know The Place
DO NOT TRADE WITH ME
22/4/16
30
0
0
I thought, after my somewhat bizarre experience with Narikaa, that I would share it with those of you who are thinking of purchasing a watch from this TD. As with all experiences, they are personal and there will be others among this forum who have had rather more pleasant and productive experiences with Narikaa, likewise, there will no doubt be others who have had considerably worse experiences than mine.


I also believe that in order to truly make an informed decision for ones self, you must assimilate as much knowledge and information as possible. Armed with enough information and knowledge you are placed in a good position to make positive informed choices. It is for that reason that I have decided to endow anyone wishing to read it, with a review of my experience with Narikaa.


To begin with, I was recently advised to speak to Reg (Narikaa) with regards to ordering a watch from him. Another forum member stated that Reg usually has a stock of watches in the UK and that the majority of his watches are all under £100. Furthermore, as he has UK based stock from time to time, anything that is in stock could be delivered quickly.


With all this in mind I decided to email Reg after having a look at his stock list that was currently en route to the UK. Out of all the watches listed, I was only interested in the Rolex Milgauss as this is one of the 3 rep watches I want to try and purchase before the year is out.


Reg advised me that the watch (Rolex Milgauss) was still available and if I wanted it I would need to let him know ASAP.


I asked Reg about QC's to which he advised that he does not, nor would ever need to send any kind of QC's as he sells from stock that he himself has QC'd at point of purchase. Furthermore, his 100% customer satisfaction preludes the need for such nonsense.


I further asked Reg why his Milgauss was somewhat cheaper than comparable watches from other TD's on the forum, it needs to be noted at this point that I was unaware of the movement within the watch. Reg advised that the cheap price was due to him sourcing the watch himself and therefore getting the best value for money.


I told Reg that I was interested and would take the watch when it arrived, I had planned to speak with Reg with regards to the watch movement prior to payment and shipping once the watch was in the UK.


I was expecting the watch to arrive within the next day or two as this is what Reg had previously stated. However, it was 14 days later on the 17th June in the evening that Reg emailed me to advise the watch had landed earlier that day and was earmarked as mine only awaiting payment. He further advised that the watch was £96 plus an additional £10 for UK postage totaling £106 or $175 at the current exchange rate.


Reg provided his bank details for me to put the money direct into his account, which I agreed to do in person in my local branch the following morning.


I then stated to Reg that despite his policy of no QC's, I would like him to tell me about the watch. I had done some substantial reading around the forum and had come across several threads and posts pertaining to issues around the 21 jewelled movements being inappropriate for use in the Milgauss and other concerns around the crystal colouring. Anyhow, after asking Reg to tell me about the watch he replied "They are Asian 21 jewels automatics".


My response to this was that ?I was reading up on the Milgauss recently and there are several reviews and threads in RWI stating that the 21 jeweld movement should be avoided for use in the Milgauss due to the extra weight of the seconds hand. Several threads further state that ?it can cause the hand to stutter and occasionally fail.


I then asked for Reg's thoughts. Reg's response was that ?it was all "forum nonsense" and that he had sold hundreds of these watches without any problems.


I then asked if the 21 jewelled ?version produced a sweeping or stepping seconds hand.


Reg chose not to respond to this question and instead waited till the following morning, the 18th of June, the day I was supposed to be putting the money into Reg's account, to email me with only the words "Now sold out"


Thankfully my emails are routed ?direct to my phone so I received the email prior to placing any money into Reg's account.


I immediately emailed Reg on receipt of his "Now sold out" email asking if he was referring to having sold the watch to someone else, however Reg did not respond. I waited almost 8 hours before asking the same question again. It was over an hour later that Reg replied with a one worded email saying "Yes".


All of this has left me pondering the actions and attitude of Reg. The watch itself is comparable to other 21 jewelled Milgauss's from other dealers. Other dealer prices range from $80? (which includes free delivery) to $180, so Reg's $175 price tag for this particular watch is top end money for a 21 Jewelled movement.


Also, having been messed about by Reg once I asked questions about the watch movement, I will be taking away an underlying feeling that Reg has not got the respect of 100% of his customers as he believes. Furthermore, the feeling that Reg was trying to pass off a lesser quality 21 jewelled movement watch to me, whilst deflecting the information that the movement is not recommended in this watch as "more forum nonsense" leaves me feeling that Reg may not be as trusting as I would expect or indeed want him to be.


That feeling I had about Reg's truthfulness with me was most certainly reinforced when after asking valid questions about the movement, Reg not only rubbished valued threads and well researched articles within the forum pertaining to the Rolex Milgauss, but he also purposefully evaded the issue by deciding not to correspond with me further and answer my questions about the watch and apparently sold it on to someone else!


These are not the actions of someone ?that I personally would want to do business with and despite knowing that Reg has the right to sell or not to sell to anyone he chooses to, I myself would not want to purchase a watch from someone with whom I had no faith or trust in.


The opinions I have formed are due to my personal experience and interactions with Reg. ?They should not preclude you from repeat purchases nor indeed a first purchase with Reg, but should be used to expand your knowledge of the actions and behaviours that may be expected from Reg only.


As for me, well from this experience with Reg I have been left with an impression of Reg that portrays sheer unprofessional-ism and disappointment.



I got to tell you if you want quality watch go buy a real one its stupied of you to even get mad its a fake rolex
 

DreadPirateRobert

Wtb Zenith Ton Up Chrono
Advisor
13/6/14
4,757
472
83
Fire Swamp
Ultimately, you buy the seller whether this is a TD or m2m. Noone should fault you for going with your gut and asking the questions you asked. At least now you know that 21j may not be for you, and looking towards an ETA movement might be a better option.