The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Am I just being paranoid or are my spidy senses tingling for a reason? I find what I think is a decent deal for a Seawolf, but new seller with zero feedback. I ask for a picture of the watch with today's date, this was yesterday, not that it really matters. Seller is quick to get back to me and says totally understands my concern they are long time watch seller wants to get an ebay presence and will get me a picture tomorrow (today). A few more back and forth messages inside and and outside of ebay system and I am feeling quite good about things, they guy is quik to get back to me and very nice, FWTW. For what ever reason he later sends me a note saying old auction deleted and new one up...fine, don't really care but seems odd. Looking at other items for sale all high end watches - Rolex, Breitling and the like. All seem like decent prices. This particular SW has no boxes or papers, small ding on 1 o'clock lug, but price is right...maybe I make a slightly lower offer who knows. Still waiting on pix. Offers to send me text to my phone of picture if email does not work. Again I think no big deal but why would email not work. Nothing wrong so far...just seems "off" a tad.

I eventually get a pictue with today's date and a pile of watches, none of which are the SW I asked for or any other watches I see him selling currently on ebay. Kind of crappy cell phone pic, but to me the Rolex just does not look right. Hey, I am no expert on Rolex or any fake watchs, but just looks cheap. So now I am gun shy. Don't think I will even bother to write back and say you sent me a picture with today's date BUT not with the watch I am interested in. Side note the picture has a business card with company name and phone number. I google the phone number and find many hits some for odd auctions of watches and it appears to me that evey one of those old auction photos are the same pix as his ebay stuff...my potential Seawolf included.

Please give the below a look and let me know what you all think.

Ebay auction for SW
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Breitling-Mens- ... 3375927886

All his other watches
http://www.ebay.com/sch/swisswatchconne ... 4340.l2562

Picture he sent me with date/watches...but not SW


Odd ball auction site with exact pix of SW...found this by googling the phone number on the picture above
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/114 ... -automatic

Granted this guy could be selling on ebay now if the other acutions did not work out...but this whole things seems rather odd.

seems a bit strange, Rich.
the old story, seller first, all the rest later

The live auctioneers web site looks pretty professional and slick.

There is also independent confirmation that the auction site/business is legit. See http://www.crunchbase.com/company/live-auctioneers

They have a FB page. See http://www.facebook.com/LiveAuctioneers/info

The watch itself looks fine, but I would specifically ask him to send you a pic of the watch with a handwritten date also in the shot.

Have you called the number on the business card?

The online auction has a lower price than eBay, why don't you bid there

Finally, there are loads of people on here who are NYC based, maybe someone can pop into the office and see if its legit or just a box number!

At the end of the day the cardinal rule is always buy the seller first, then buy the watch. If your senses are tingling then walk away, there will be more along.

You could also post a WTB ad on the forum, someone may have one to sell...

Good luck with the hunt!

_________________
Avenger M1
Airwolf
Omega Planet Ocean 9300
Omega Dark SoTM
B50 Night Mission
Chronoliner
Chronomat 47mm GMT Ltd Ed
Bentley Supersports
SuperOcean OuterKnown
Chronomat 44 (Yellow Ltd Ed)

This may or may not help (having seen your "Talk me out of it" post)

Id rate these eBay sellers way over the one you have been talking to...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Breitling-Aer ... 20c53778e7

or this one.....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Breitling-Ave ... 720wt_1374

Both have 100% feedback and both have sold high end watches in the past month

_________________
Avenger M1
Airwolf
Omega Planet Ocean 9300
Omega Dark SoTM
B50 Night Mission
Chronoliner
Chronomat 47mm GMT Ltd Ed
Bentley Supersports
SuperOcean OuterKnown
Chronomat 44 (Yellow Ltd Ed)

I hear you all on buy the seller. I was all happy when he was so quick to get back to me and seemed really willing to work with me. It is all the other things that give me pause.

jkwelsh, no I did not call. Too much going on so far today.

So what about those watches in the picture he sent? Any obvious problems or just not enought detail to say one way or the other?

UPDATE: I wrote back and mentioned that he did not include the SW in the picture my message and his reply below. Not looking good from where I am sitting

I wouldn't even bother. The whole point of these kinds of pictures is to verify the seller has the watch in his possession. The fact that he sent a different picture indicates anything but, and it's a pretty big red flag, imo. A good seller should have enough sense to know this from the get-go, and shouldn't need to be asked a second time. It clearly doesn't feel right to the OP, or he wouldn't have posted this in the first place; so at this point, he would just be talking himself into something his better judgment is already telling him to avoid.


Scammers are often very eager to work with you and gain your confidence. Good customer service is a good thing, to be sure, but it really cannot be seen as a measure of honesty, or a sign the watch is legit.

I decided to google him, as well. His business card says he specializes in Rolex, Breitling, Cartier and Patek Philippe, but apparently he also used to specialize in selling used cars, and maybe still does. Take it for what it's worth.

http://www.meetup.com/AMAZINGSINGLES/messages/boards/thread/8127038/

If you are stressing out about when you haven't even put your money on the line, then I would say not worth it.....

You are only going to stress more once you send that payment over. I would personally hold off and wait for another used one to pop up and pursue that one. If your gut tells you it seems off, trust it and save yourself the stress. I'm sure you really want the watch ASAP, but you definitley don't need it ASAP.

Thats a deal breaker right there! Would you buy a $2000 watch from a used car salesman?

_________________
Avenger M1
Airwolf
Omega Planet Ocean 9300
Omega Dark SoTM
B50 Night Mission
Chronoliner
Chronomat 47mm GMT Ltd Ed
Bentley Supersports
SuperOcean OuterKnown
Chronomat 44 (Yellow Ltd Ed)

BTW, who are the people voting this is legit? I'd like to know why they think so. The seller has zero feedback on eBay, despite having a ton of watches listed, and the only thing you've gotten directly from him is a foggy picture that doesn't show the actual watch he claims to be selling. The fact the Live Auctioneers website is legit means nothing, either. It's not the seller's website; it's a go-between, just like eBay. At best, there is no way to tell if this is a legit sale, which is how I voted, but frankly, on balance, the signs point to scam. Anybody who actually voted legit should have his head examined.

Totally agree chances I move forward on this almost nil. But being relativly new to all of this I was curious what others thought. There will always be more watches and I don't NEED any of them. I'd just think once the guy can't give me what I asked for he would move on to the next person to try and catch. With zero feedback I never expected a reply at all. When I got a picture of stuff I was not interested I was wondering what he was possbly thinking. Why not just ignore me at that point.

Still interested to know all your thoughts on the picture he did send is of real or fakes...not that it really matters. They just don't look anything like his auction pix.

I was wondering the same thing. I most certainly wouldnt be buying anything from that seller unless I was local and could do an in person deal. Even then, id be wary of getting robbed or something.

_________________
-RJ

Hard to know why he's keeping in touch. It could be a face-saving measure, or pride, or some weird thing like that. If he ignores you now, he's basically admitting defeat. If he acknowledges you now but then simply fades away, then perhaps, in his mind, he's gotten the last word. I would be very surprised if you ever get an actual shot of that watch taken with the necessary indicators of possession.

As for the watches in the picture, I'm not very good at spotting fakes, and that shot is so piss poor anyway, it would difficult to tell. Perhaps an expert might catch an obvious tell, but if it requires being able to spot fine detail, that pic won't allow for it. Not coincidentally, that's why so many scammers' pictures look that way.

On a related note, what is he thinking sending you a picture of watches he already sold? Even if he's not a scammer (and that's a big if), he loses on grounds of basic stupidity. If you go through with this, rplace, I'm personally going to send you a pointy cap and make you sit in the corner.

LOL and I would deserve that pointy hat. You might be right about trying to get in the last word. He did write me back another time. Seems we are becoming fast friends. Good song and dance about why he can't get me a picture till Monday, but does have more watches to sell. Even a Ti Chrono SW he could photo today for me and send it along. Also I am covered by ebay protection so why not just buy it...no thanks. If the rest of you are interested he has about 80 watches to sell. Let me know if you want his contact info

Good point - he could be trying a bait and switch. Just another reason to stay away.