Tips on Spotting Fake Rolexes

[Kentishman]

P.S. 'My friend.' Hmm...

 

[js4design]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

If you see a dust in your Rolex...watch out!


- B

fixed

 

[Beckertime]

Hello,
Thanks for the email. I wanted to address the bogus complaint/report you saw on Google. I feel it is always good to see something from what it is...especially since I have spent more than 12 years doing right for my customers.

I think it is a competitor as the complaint does not make "common sense". If they would go through the trouble of contacting the FBI and the BBB, I would think they would leave negative feedback on eBay. Also there would be posts found on the BBB Website that shows the "complaint" he said he left. And my BBB shows no complaints in our history since 1998.

http://www.la.bbb.org/Business-Repor...welry-13210337

I have a near perfect history on eBay with a lifetime positive feedback ratio of 99.9% (since January 1999) and more than 13,750 total feedbacks left for Rolex transactions...and never once sold a fake watch. There is not a single Rolex seller that only deals in Rolex that has as good of a customer service/feedback/detailed seller rating reputation than I do. In addition to having the highest ratings for a Rolex only seller on eBay, I consistently sell more than $750,000 in Rolex watches every month just on eBay...and another $500,000 through my website. This makes me the largest Rolex seller on eBay and one of the largest Rolex sellers on the Internet.

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAP...ab=AllFeedback

This knucklehead first left the complaint in December 2008. He then copied the complaint on other websites. To further prove all the complaints are bogus (this guy also copied the same remarks for 2 other Rolex sellers within the same 37 hours of leaving the initial complaint. The first with the exact same remarks as mine was left 6 minutes prior to my bogus complaint:

http://ripoffreport.com/reports/0/401/RipOff0401157.htm

and the second left 37 hours later:

http://ripoffreport.com/reports/0/401/RipOff0401145.htm

If you look at the same complaint he cut and pasted to another site, his information becomes inconsistent. The dates of when I supposedly sold him a Rolex is different and in the very last paragraph he recommends another Rolex company he says people should buy from. The following is that post:

http://www.canyoutrustthem.com/index...=yes&offsetf=0

It is very easy for anyone to post anything about anyone on the Internet. You should try googling the Rip Off Report or any of these "buyer beware" Websites...as you will see that by some estimates, about 50% of the complaints are bogus...either by competitors or ex employees with a grudge. Unfortunately, since the online world and "blogosphere" is so new, laws have not caught up with the system to protect merchants and people against this type of behavior.

In addition to this, I have emails from this guy from December 2009 when he started harassing me on eBay. eBay had to intervene on my behalf and eBay kicked him off for a whole host of violations...and I was not his only eBay harassment victim. If you would like I can forward all the emails to you...including the emails from eBay's intervention.

This in summary is one of the hidden challenges a high profile seller goes through. Anyone or any company can fall victim for this...its a form of cyber bullying. If you hate someone, it is so easy to destroy someone's reputation. There is very little that can be done especially when the Internet adds the cloak of anonymity for the bad guys. Only companies with amazingly deep pockets can have any chance at going after these guys that hurt legitimate sellers like myself. I have spent almost $20,000 in legal assistance and online reputation management to try and get the bogus complaints removed or moved from the 1st few pages of Google.

Please respond back with your comments. I hope I have answered all your questions and concerns...I feel communication and full transparency is key to trust.

Thanks,
Matt

 

[sellahi22]

Originally Posted by westinghouse

I agree. If your watch is fake then you're a fake.

That's why I prefer my 18k Sub. It's impossible to fake a solid 18k gold watch for $300 much less $3000. You'd know by the weight and the tone first and foremost. Not to mention, my polishing cloth would easily rub out any goldplating exposing the steel beneath.

Nice try by the Rolex haters to come up with yet another lame reason why they can't afford the brand. Rolex purposely prices their watches out of the reach of the middle class for a reason. I have never lost money on any pre-owned Rolex I have traded in. On several, I have even made a profit after several years. No other watch can make that claim. Enjoy trading in your Breitlings and Omegas for a paltry 20% if you're lucky. Talk about a real sucker for buying one of those.

I love the envious looks my watch receives from those in the know. Rolex defines sober, understated elegance. No suits or shoes could ever match that feeling.

LOL i can't think of a single thing more quintessentially middle class than a rolex, at least a post-1970 one.

"sober understated elegance"

 

[cdmoore1855]

I always think of Rolex as a car dealers watch. I am not sure I would say they are priced out of the middle classes, although they may be very wellknown and a good sturdy watch, they are so far from the top of the pyramid when it comes to watches. I have never heard anyone say a Rolex defines sober, understated elegance before.

you can try www.kenwatches.com for a good condition used one. He is HK based but will sent anywhere. He is 100% legit

 

[Jay687]

Originally Posted by westinghouse

I agree. If your watch is fake then you're a fake.

That's why I prefer my 18k Sub. It's impossible to fake a solid 18k gold watch for $300 much less $3000. You'd know by the weight and the tone first and foremost. Not to mention, my polishing cloth would easily rub out any goldplating exposing the steel beneath.

Nice try by the Rolex haters to come up with yet another lame reason why they can't afford the brand. Rolex purposely prices their watches out of the reach of the middle class for a reason. I have never lost money on any pre-owned Rolex I have traded in. On several, I have even made a profit after several years. No other watch can make that claim. Enjoy trading in your Breitlings and Omegas for a paltry 20% if you're lucky. Talk about a real sucker for buying one of those.

I love the envious looks my watch receives from those in the know. Rolex defines sober, understated elegance. No suits or shoes could ever match that feeling.


I'd take a Grand Seiko over Rolex any day. Just saying.

Your money does not all go to quality when buying Rolex. Just brand name. And have no need for the name... and where you got that Rolex is "understated elegance" is beyond me, lol.

 

[westinghouse]

Seiko junk LOL

Japanese goldplated crap ROFLMAO

 

[Reevolving]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

If you see dust in your Rolex...watch out!
- B

What does that indicate?

 

[Reevolving]

Becker,

Based on his auctions, you get about $2000 for a used steel Rolex.
But, if a fake is indistinguishable from the real thing, aren't buyers foolish to be buying used watches?
How can YOU tell if you're dealing with a fake?

I love those complaints.....
Clearly he was baited by a comptetitor at swiss-wrist.
Which seems to be a scam, if you click the link

 

[LUBE UP]

Originally Posted by westinghouse

Seiko junk LOL

Japanese goldplated crap ROFLMAO

This is the reason the upper class don't patronise brands like Rolex anymore..

 

[Another New Yorker]

Rolex is so neauveu riche - I don't recall the last time I saw someone eye a Rolex with an "envious look." Go fake an 18k rose gold patek and then tell me you're special.

 

[Steve Smith]

Originally Posted by westinghouse

Seiko junk LOL

Japanese goldplated crap ROFLMAO

Hold a Seiko Marine Master in your hand and then tell us whether it's junk. Seiko does make some junky fashion type watches which can be found in department stores. Enthusiasts of that brand are almost exclusively interested in dive watches, Grand Seiko, King Seiko and vintage.


I don't consider Rolex to be a good price/value proposition. If that makes me middle class, so be it.

And FWIW, most watch enthusiasts consider Rolex to be an overhyped nouveau riche brand.

 

[Beckertime]

Buying a Rolex for some is an investment since Rolex holds their value better than any other preowned luxury watch brand. For others, it is a personal decision based on achieving a milestone in their life.

To verify authenticity, just as we do with every watch purchased for resale, it is important to have a qualified Rolex watchmaker carefully inspect every watch, inside and out. There are many things to look for in a Rolex to determine if it is 100% original and/or authentic. The movement must be inspected to make sure it is the correct movement for the model with all the original (correct) parts. The case must be checked to make sure it is correct, including the caseback. The same goes with every other part of the watch. There are too many situations where a watch can be 50% correct...just enough to give it the appearance that it is 100% original. You can never judge authenticity by just looking at it or the weight. Good fakes will look the same and weigh the same. Or, a genuine Rolex can have a refinished dial or aftermarket parts...which does not mean its a fake...just means it should be described not as being 100% original....and the price being less to the buyer compared to if those parts were original.

Another thing to consider is a fake is illegal. It hurts the value of the brand. If someone is looking to spend $300 on a fake Rolex...don't! It is better to buy a quality gnuine timepiece made by another company for $300...there are many of them out there.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Originally Posted by westinghouse

Rolex purposely prices their watches out of the reach of the middle class for a reason.

I like rolexs, but come-on now, lol.

Originally Posted by corey.m

It does make me wonder why I'm paying over $6K AUD for watch when a single self trained man in Taiwan is making a perfect replica from the exact same materials for one tenth of the cost though.

This is an obnoxious post, but I'll take a stab at it. The place in Taiwan is not smelting their own 904L stainless steel and 18k gold among many other things they are not doing. What are their standards for work environments like? Are their factories clean and safe? Do they market the brand? Do they allow their sales people, factory workers and corporate employees a decent living?

 

[junior varsity]

Originally Posted by SkinnyGoomba

I like rolexs, but come-on now, lol. This is an obnoxious post, but I'll take a stab at it. The place in Taiwan is not smelting their own 904L stainless steel and 18k gold among many other things they are not doing. What are their standards for work environments like? Are their factories clean and safe? Do they market the brand? Do they allow their sales people, factory workers and corporate employees a decent living?
well it is true that i think rolex and other top brands who do not offer deep discounts over MSRP are placing/catering themselves specifically to a segment of population .. and i agree with that idea... a ferrari should always be expensive and out of the hands of the middle-class, so should a patek or zegna suits. it should be an achievement to be able to own one of those, and it makes people proud to have them. by undermining the market with sales and catering to the mass audience like what Tag Heuer or BMW have done, also undermines the true value and also perceived value of the watch. Also, by making it very exclusive, it makes the item hold its value much better than nonexclusive items. A $200,000 CLK Black AMG that you can walk out of the show-room with, depreciates 60% of its overall value in 2-3 years. A $200,000 Ferrari F430 that you have to be on the "list" for to even be considered, only depreciates 20% of its overall value in 2-3 years, if that.