I'm relatively new to this forum, having initially spent most of my time at RWG2 which was the first forum I stumbled into. And I'm a relative noob as well, but in a rather short time I've come to a certain opinion that most noobs perhaps don't yet realize: you have no idea how lucky you are to have found this or another good forum. before i bumbled into this place, i was independently doing my own research into reps and rep dealers, and almost pulled the trigger a coupla times due to various "neutral review boards" and the innumerable slick and polished websites out there. but something just never felt right, so i'd wait. n then my research started turning up consumer boards after consumer boards of screwed buyers who've lost hundreds if not thousands of $$ buying and randomly testing the market and hoping to get lucky. and nightmare consumer stories of months of fruitless chasing shadow numbers and downed websites to subsequent credit card fraud and phishing (some of those poor people find their way here, and they sure as s**t know the value of this place ever after). i just about walked away entirely from reps until a buyer i PM'd on youtube wrote me back and said GO HERE. i signed up, skeptical as s**t now. and started reading and reading. well, first, i walked in and basically on my first post, said hello, i'm new, who's the best dealer?, cuz i'd like a 1:1 rep tomorrow please, like practically every other noob. then i started reading dealer reviews and rep reviews and movement reviews, and all the intro to the rep world for noobs threads, until i finally caught on that all this is well travelled territory; everyone understands what it's like to be a noob and skeptical and anxious about what to buy and from whom and is it safe and when will get my watch?
you just gotta take your time, read the reference resources, use the search function first (it's staggering just how many answers you'll find for just about every question), and then, if no luck, ask. i and every similar thread i've ever read have never gotten anything less than the most courteous, helpful, and thorough answers from some of the most ridiculously knowledgeable watch people, regardless of how obscure or cherry my question was. and all that knowledge, expertise and experience is in one place.
and what's even more ridiculous is that this forum n RWG have their very own list of long-tested, reputable dealers with volumes of buyer history to review and rely on. which means you can buy with confidence in an illegal trade. unreal. will there be some shipping issues?, possibly. will there be some customs issues?, maybe. will there be some eventual product issues?, almost certainly (i own some gens and it's not like those issues don't happen on that side either). but do you have to worry about being scammed out of your money and wasting months chasing down ghosts and worry about your identity being stolen?, nope. NO. nuh uh. so take that peace of mind to the bank and take a step back and breathe. Every dealer here is accountable, very publicly, with many past, present, and future clients watching. Even if you don't believe they're good people, then believe that they're not going to risk their overall business just so that they can screw you out of a couple watches. all the reps come from the same factories; it's themselves they're selling to us as dealers.
Now I've taken my time and purchased only a small number of reps thus far. Each time, it's a little less nerve-racking, you're more sure of the process, and it gets more and more to just be that great anticipation you rarely get as an adult - like a kid waiting for Xmas to come. The anticipation, I think, is just damn good for you and should be sort of enjoyed and savored in our world of immediate gratification and expectations.
and my fellow noobs, try to remember who/what you're dealing with on the other side. these are not corporations with customer service personnel routed throughout the world 24/7; it's just some dude, 15 timezones away, who eats and sleeps and plays sometimes, trying to lead his/her own life, usually working 7 days a weeks most of the year (or at least, way way harder than i work!). they're fielding dozens and dozens of emails each day, many of them frantic and increasingly unpleasant, often regarding issues they have no control over. if you want the quickest and most polished operation, then buy from one of the dropshippers here. but if you want them to handle YOUR rep or source something different/interesting, and make sure you'll be happy, then that requires time and attention, and you're not the only guy in the world buying.
i got the following quote from an old post from Eddie Lee, a legendary dealer now retired, who was very respected for his client service, his product, and his integrity. i wish i got the chance to know him and buy from him. from what i read about him, it would've been fun to be his friend and a client...
Eddie Lee:
QUOTE
The case is too big,,,even the case is the right size. By the case----is the size without the crown…..i had 2 chargeback because not as described….the buyers include the crown guard….when doing the measuring…
The dial is too flat., even it is the same jet black as original
The hologram is not perfect, even the hologram is pretty well made already.
The font is 0.05nm too think, too short, tooo long….
The noise from the automatic rotor is too loud…as loud as the 747 jet plane engines.
The crystal is too flat, too round, too dome, too this or that.
The lever is too loose, or too tight.
The bezel is too tight.
The bezel is too loose
The band is too cheap.
The bracelet is too light
The bracelet is too heavy, not like original which weighs 20 grams,,,while the rep bracelet weighs 21 gram.
The second hand is too jerky, not sweeping like original
The hour hand is not radioactive like original
The min hand is not plutonium plated like watches from Pluto.
The dial is not as luminous as my Seiko or my original 90,000usd Breguet
The case is too light , feel cheap, and not made of lead like your diving belt
The leather is like plastic,but more like my pam Anderson inflatable love doll.
The buckle is 0.12942588341244mm too fat.
The case back is not right…because the serial is written on 10 oclcok while the original is written at 6 oclock ( dude,,,u need to rotate the case back if u like,,,,,)
The hologram number is 1 letter extra.
The tracking is not working,,,,are you trying to scam me????
The bezel click sound is cheap like plastic….original is more like pitching at 64hz frequency.
How the fxxk you adjust the links on my ralex bracelet? Why screwdriver not included?
How do I get the bracelet off? This is a piece of sxxt….!!!
FXXKER,,,, the piece is not working.,….( handwind…dude….u need to handwind the movt)
FXXXKER,,,,why the piece is not running ? ( 7750b1,,,,did you read my “mad cow†procedure for 7750b1, 7753, 7750, 21j ?)
This is a disaster!!!! It has been 3 weeks,,,why no watch yet? ( u have to go to post office to get it….u were not at home….that is why…..)
Where the fxxxk is the tracking??????
If you don’t return my email now, I will call paypal now!
If you don’t send me tracking, I will go for chargeback
If you don’t replace it, I will go to forum and tell everyone.,,,,( even the buyers have wore the item for over 3 months or longer,,,,etc,,,)
Why custom stop my package? Because it is their jobs.
Why has custom issue,…because replica is illegal
Why other sellers never have custom issues? Because they are smart, me as a seller is dumb,,,I write “ fake replica 100usd rolex “ on the declaration form.
Why I have to pay taxes? Because your govt needs taxes.
My points …
You want to avoid these issues. Please buy the genuine one
If i or any sellers mentioned, we will get you the parts. U will get the parts. It just takes time.
You, just relax and wait for the piece to arrive. Don’t keep on asking for tracking. Not all tracking are working.
You want to take your pieces to go swimming ? I will say…go ahead.
( But I did not say it will survive after the swim)
Don’t ask any seller why your pieces are not waterproof to 200m like original.
Be happy what you have now. You can always go outside the forum to venture out if you wish. All sellers on board have life outside the forums. Some like to party, some like to talk to chicks, some like to go drinking, some like to smoke some herbal medicine daily for “therapeutic reasonâ€, some like to get lucky on pay day….etc…..same as you, as a buyer. ---we all have life beside the forums.
We don’t return emails not because we did not receive your emails. We are just ignoring you, because in the last 24 hours, you have shooted over 50 mails to my account talking the same thing. We all will do our best to get you the parts, support, and service we can afford to offer. When we have tracking, we will forward you.
In short, be cool, maintain your cool, and relax.
I just received a royal treatment from a forum member. A paypal chargeback. Because it did not EXCEED his expectation.
END QUOTE
In other words, friends, it's a big world out there, and many sides (and cultures) to the story. Like surfing or kiteboarding in an unfamiliar spot, get to know your way around a little before you just start thrashing around...
...so the real question is, who's the best dealer here to get me a 1:1?! [smilie=angel12.gif]
