[The Rampage]

As some of you here might know, against my better judgement, I bought a "grey market" Bulova Moon Phase off some Canadian on Ebay, who misleadingly had a 99.7% rating and thousands of prior sales.

I received it today, and instead of the awesome semi-dress watch I thought I was getting, I got something that looked as if it'd been chucked down stairways, kicked around on concrete and generally abused for at least a year. The crystal is horribly scratched, chipped around the edges (I think one hole might even go almost into the case), the band is scratched up somethin' awful and upon inspection, I probably wouldn't even pay $2 for this thing, let alone wear it.

Oh, and it was advertised as "BRAND NEW...IN THE BOX."

Well, behold my "brand new" watch, in its box:

One...





Two...and you can see that hole by the second hour marker...




Three...





Tah-Dah!!

My first instinct was to go ballistic and shoot off threatening emails to that f'in canuck con-artist, but--as I wouldn't want to upset my ulcer--I calmed down, realized that I'd been had and that I'd had it coming with the way I bid on Ebay, and then I composed a very friendly email telling him about what I'd just received.

It's 3:30AM in the land of maple leaves and apathy, so I'm not gonna stew around, waiting for the response. But to my fellow watch fanatics who might be had by this *********, I offer his name and private info:

Company: WatchRepublik

Ebay URL: http://myworld.ebay.com/watchrepublik/

Name: Ronald Nhan

Email: ronald_nhan@yahoo.ca (please don't email him...yet!)



Beware this seller, and regardless of how my situation turns out--who knows, the dumbass might actually give in to my demands(2-day express shipped replacement, all shipping costs for my return to be sent to my paypal)--I suggest you all avoid this guy like the plague. I should've read all of his comments (even the green ones) because it appears this ain't the first time he's sent out scratched watches.

For some reason, the buyers don't submit red flags with the comments, so I didn't see them.

Anyhow, I'll let you know how it turns out. Let's just hope my VX-200 from the AMERICAN seller turns out better.



TR

[jmatteau]

Sorry about your experiance. When can we start the fire mission to his email????? I am ready to pull the trigger, c'mon, just say the word!

[The Rampage]

Originally Posted by jmatteau

Sorry about your experiance. When can we start the fire mission to his email????? I am ready to pull the trigger, c'mon, just say the word!

Much appreciated! But let's see what this dungbucket says about my refund/replacement. The comments on him seem to suggest he's a decent guy, but you never know.

From now on, I'm just buying my watches from the store (or the Chinese gentleman in Singapore, who sent me the awesome Seiko).


TR

[IndyGunFreak]

That sucks...

Hope it gets worked out..

IGF

[gruntmedik]

I hope you get this resolved.

[aaronrkelly]

Originally Posted by The Rampage

Much appreciated! But let's see what this dungbucket says about my refund/replacement. The comments on him seem to suggest he's a decent guy, but you never know.

From now on, I'm just buying my watches from the store (or the Chinese gentleman in Singapore, who sent me the awesome Seiko).


TR

Kinda disappointed to see the name calling so soon. As a seller on Ebay sometimes stuff happens and I always take care of it, would hate to have someone spouting off about me before I even got a chance to do something about it.

People have different perceptions about "like new" - it happens.

Ive spent as much as $120 to make an Ebay deal right before. Stuff happens. You can always go thru Paypal and make a claim if you have to.

[The Rampage]

Originally Posted by aaronrkelly

Kinda disappointed to see the name calling so soon. As a seller on Ebay sometimes stuff happens and I always take care of it, would hate to have someone spouting off about me before I even got a chance to do something about it.

People have different perceptions about "like new" - it happens.

Ive spent as much as $120 to make an Ebay deal right before. Stuff happens. You can always go thru Paypal and make a claim if you have to.

aaron, I can understand your sentiments and applaud you on being an honest seller and going that far to make things right. However, I don't see how consumers/sellers possibly have "different perceptions" of "BRAND NEW." As far as I'm aware, "brand new" has only one meaning. No?

Here's the seller's description, verbatim:


Item: Mens Bulova Day & Date Moon Phase Watch
Model/Serial: 96C34
Movement: Swiss Quartz
Year: New
Condition: Brand New with box
Diameter: 41mm (without crown)
Height: 48mm (top lug to bottom lug)



Kinda hard to F up the interpretation of THAT.

More than that, this guy's communication is AWFUL. It routinely takes him three, four, even five days to get back to me (well, once I'd bought the watch, anyway) and even though I've emailed him twice since receiving the watch he still hasn't answered.

If he'd had even half the common decency that every other buyer I've contacted or bought from has had--the guys who shoot out responses in a matter of hours--then this could've been avoided.

Therefore, I'm already filing a dispute, I've already given him some horrible feedback (which I'll resolve as soon as he's done his part), and if I don't hear from him by tonight, I'm going to file a similar dispute through PayPal.

I'm sorry if our opinions differ, but I find it hard to believe that it was just "a little mistake," sending me a watch that at even the quickest glance is obviously beaten to hell and badly damaged. And combined with the fact that there are many "green" feedback notes about him that I didn't see due to them being green--feedback comments that very accurately describe this same situation happening dozens of times with this seller--I'm left to conclude that he knowingly sells USED watches as new, in the hopes that the watches were so cheap or highly discounted that the buyers just "wouldn't bother" to return it.

So yeah, I'm gonna call names. If I ain't heard back from him by the end of the weekend, I'm gonna go call names on EVERY WATCH FORUM I'm a member of. And if that bothers him or any other Ebay seller, then let it be a lesson to you.

Don't sell BS items.

Don't BS in your ads about the items.

If you run a "business," then check your "business email account" more than once a f'in week.

[aaronrkelly]

Originally Posted by The Rampage

aaron, I can understand your sentiments and applaud you on being an honest seller and going that far to make things right. However, I don't see how consumers/sellers possibly have "different perceptions" of "BRAND NEW." As far as I'm aware, "brand new" has only one meaning. No?

Here's the seller's description, verbatim:


Item: Mens Bulova Day & Date Moon Phase Watch
Model/Serial: 96C34
Movement: Swiss Quartz
Year: New
Condition: Brand New with box
Diameter: 41mm (without crown)
Height: 48mm (top lug to bottom lug)



Kinda hard to F up the interpretation of THAT.

More than that, this guy's communication is AWFUL. It routinely takes him three, four, even five days to get back to me (well, once I'd bought the watch, anyway) and even though I've emailed him twice since receiving the watch he still hasn't answered.

If he'd had even half the common decency that every other buyer I've contacted or bought from has had--the guys who shoot out responses in a matter of hours--then this could've been avoided.

Therefore, I'm already filing a dispute, I've already given him some horrible feedback (which I'll resolve as soon as he's done his part), and if I don't hear from him by tonight, I'm going to file a similar dispute through PayPal.

I'm sorry if our opinions differ, but I find it hard to believe that it was just "a little mistake," sending me a watch that at even the quickest glance is obviously beaten to hell and badly damaged. And combined with the fact that there are many "green" feedback notes about him that I didn't see due to them being green--feedback comments that very accurately describe this same situation happening dozens of times with this seller--I'm left to conclude that he knowingly sells USED watches as new, in the hopes that the watches were so cheap or highly discounted that the buyers just "wouldn't bother" to return it.

So yeah, I'm gonna call names. If I ain't heard back from him by the end of the weekend, I'm gonna go call names on EVERY WATCH FORUM I'm a member of. And if that bothers him or any other Ebay seller, then let it be a lesson to you.

Don't sell BS items.

Don't BS in your ads about the items.

If you run a "business," then check your "business email account" more than once a f'in week.

Ahh, just noticed the brand new......I read it as "like new" my mistake.

[The Rampage]

Well, I just received an email from Ronald Nhan of WatchRepublik, asking me to send the watch in and stating that a refund will be issued as soon as the watch is received. Exaclty how much the refund will be wasn't specified.

To clear things up, I replied that I expect a full refund for the price of the watch, plus shipping to me, plus the shipping back to Canada.

I hope I'm not being unreasonable.




TR

[California Jack]

Good t har you got a response. Hopefully all will go as disred. Please keep us informed.

[LifterCatcher]

Originally Posted by The Rampage

Well, I just received an email from Ronald Nhan of WatchRepublik, asking me to send the watch in and stating that a refund will be issued as soon as the watch is received. Exaclty how much the refund will be wasn't specified.

To clear things up, I replied that I expect a full refund for the price of the watch, plus shipping to me, plus the shipping back to Canada.

I hope I'm not being unreasonable.




TR

Before you send the watch back make sure to have a open dispute or claim with PayPal only send it back if paypal gives you the option too. DO NOT take his word on it. Once a scammer always a scammer. Do not get hosed again.

[Scarecrow28]

Sorry about being scammed. I just don't understand people that can do that.

[The Rampage]

On a brighter note, the VX-200 I won on an Ebay auction from AN AMERICAN just arrived...although at my house in Hawaii, and I'm still here in Japan.

That sucks.

What doesn't suck, however, is that the package has been inspected thoroughly and it appears it's all kosher! Not a scratch, everything checks out, price tags, warranties, manuals all in the box.

So in the end, I got scammed on a $99 piece of junk quartz, but I won a thousand-dollar (retail) Swiss ETA Diver for $252.

I'd say I'm still ahead!

If I can get myself that TISSOT Seastar 1000 for $250, I'll be happy man!

[LifterCatcher]

Scarecrow your avatar I have seen that before somewhere but I cant think of where?

Coheed and Cambria ?