Reply With QuoteThanks for sharing, incredible the lengths some people would go to!
EDIT: Sorry, didn't see the other thread!
I spotted this on a Facebook forum earlier. I hope Antony, the original poster doesn't mind me sharing but I think it's something we all need to be aware of. Of course, fake Rolex cards have been around for years, but recently, it seems the fakers are making much greater efforts to improve their quality.
It doesn't particularly scare me regarding buying a fake watch, as much as it scares me that people may start supplying them with the latest Rolex models. Let's face it, most ADs are holding back warranty cards, and I know some of you are "all for it" if it stops profiteering. Well I've always thought this to be downright silly in terms of a way to stop things (it merely delays the process for a few months, by which time, grey market prices have usually risen from the first watches being released anyway) and I've always wondered if the scenario attached below would come to the fore; it seems so.
So basically, somebody could purchase a Basel '18 model, accept that the AD will hold the warranty card for a period of time, and then sell it with a card like this instead. Even if the one pictured isn't the best, I'm sure there will be other, better recreations elsewhere. This is bound to create issues under warranty, and much further down the line if a watch has hugely appreciated, where the card forms part of the extra value as a "full set".
Last edited by W44NNE; 5th July 2018 at 00:33.
Thanks for sharing, incredible the lengths some people would go to!
Wayne where there is a gap someone will step in to fill it. These counterfeiters will have been around for ever but the recent sillyness on behalf of Rolex has allowed them the oxygen and demand to thrive.
Im sure in the future aspiring marketing students wil reflect on case histories of manufacturers / retailers success’s , lets start with Ratner! , Photobucket charges last year, Nokia’s refusal to embrace any phone shape other than chocolate bar and Rolex’s decisions to dismiss AD’s , warranty cards and rip up waiting lists!
Just my 2p
Steve
a guy in youtube compared fakes by different factories and different batches..after watching those...I dare not to buy new / used over the Internet.
I imagine these will make the addition of papers worthless when purchasing a watch once the warranty has expired because how would you ever know if the papers accompanying the watch were truly genuine or not, I guess the same could be said for boxes as well.
It’s all a bit saddening really. I joined this forum in 2011 and its amazing how much has changed since then.
I wonder if Rolex will ever go down the route of the warranty being with the individual, not the watch. They’d have you on file with an account and therefore know if you’ve bought a watch already etc. I see that as one way to stop the madness, but then, as much as they supposedly want to stop it all, it’s not exactly harming the brand or their profits.
That would hit really hard the value of the watches on the second hand market!Originally Posted by W44NNE
The answer is obvious.
The Rolex AD sells a new watch and it has either a thumb print or eye recognition technology which stays with the original owner.
If after say one year the owner wants to sell it to you, both he and you go to any AD and delete his warranty and introduce a new proof of ownership card for you based on your thumb print etc. the AD gets a fee for this.
That way the brand is protected and there is less chance of you buying a dodgy watch, you would know the genuine service history of the watch.
All this would be voluntary but if it reduces the risk of buying a fake, then that will keep prices high.
Paper and cards are a security joke and the sooner they go the better.
But they only true warranty is registered on the rolex pc system. What purpose does the card have?
Don't you think that eye recognition and thumb print are a bit too 007? Other than the fact that people don't want to leave their thumb print for national security claiming that is against their privacy, do you think people would do it for a watch?
What is a bit "007" today is tomorrows norm and I did say it could be voluntary.
My IPhone has thumb print security facility which I use. If you wish to continue thinking that a card (which easier to fake than paper) gives you protection then one day you could be in for a shock. At the end of the day it is your choice.
Different AD's sorting out watches they haven't sold in the first place.. That's a job for the saturday boy/girl, and all the potential for cock-ups on a grand scale.
Maybe the answer is to just do away with the papers full stop. Rolex know the date the watch is sold and the warranty activated so there really is no need for papers.
It seems to be the way things are going anyway with the AD’s retaining the warranty cards.
Last edited by boring_sandwich; 5th July 2018 at 12:20.
The way that Rolex and ADs are behaving sounds childish. If they really want to protect the sanctity of of their warranties and the value of the watches even in resale, they should welcome calls from prospective second or third sale buyers to check the validity of a watch by serial number. From what I’ve read, they are very grumpy and unwilling to do so. Well then, hanging on to warranty cards will just create a thriving market for fake cards, duh. Bravo (slow clap).
They know the answer to the problem, they just don’t want the bother. It actually turns me off on the brand. I don’t crave the “experience” of a Rolex on my wrist so badly that I’ll submit to ludicrous and condescending practices that put the customer in a box. But then,… there will always be rubes who feel that treatment is part of the luxury “experience.”
End of rant. :}
It would only affect the prices of watches less than 5 yrs old, and even then the effect won`t be huge. If people don`t see themselves keeping an expensive watch for several years maybe they shouldn't be buying such luxuries? The obsession with 'residual values' has become a bit silly in recent years and a move towards non-transferrable warranties could be a good thing if it brought second-hand prices down a little.
It could be argued that the 'papers' that come with a watch are unnecessary thesedays, provided the date of sale is recorded on the manufacturer's database (which it will be for most big manufacturers) I can`t see what the guarantee card actually adds?
Paul
Papers for a 50 year old watch (or older),…*charming. Adds to the provenance and charm of the watch’s history.
Papers for a 5 year old watch,… meh. Adds to authenticity, maybe.
Do I really NEED the warranty card? If I go into any Rolex AD with a bona fide watch under warranty, can’t they just look up the serial #, cue the trumpet fanfare, and take care of the valued customer? Does it even matter if I’m the first buyer or the second? (I really don’t know. Are they really so chintzy that they only extend red carpet warranty coverage to the first buyer, and the second buyer is treated like a unwanted distant cousin?)
it was my understanding that in the UK a valid receipt of purchase was acceptable as a way to prove warranty date...without having any other paperwork.
Perhaps if the original receipt from the AD were available, then it would be a simple process for the second or third owner to check the origin of a watch? The first owner could always redact their details if privacy was an issue. In the past I have a called ADs to check if the serial number and receipt that I have are real and match their records. Invariably they are always happy to help. Obviously this doesn't work if the watch is faked from serial no to receipt....but then no cards from the Rolex are going to be of any use either.
It's not Rolex fault. They'll service w/o card. It's the buyers who want a 'full set'.
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