Reply With QuoteI wonder if these eBay authenticators remove the back of the watch?
Might be a bit messy with a Sinn UX.
I’m interested in this and currently listed a £2250 watch and feel a lot more safer in regards to the sale
I wonder if these eBay authenticators remove the back of the watch?
Might be a bit messy with a Sinn UX.
Posted mine Thursday, authenticated Friday and buyer received it today.Originally Posted by huytonman
I accepted an offer on Friday for £2k, posted on Friday, had confirmation that it was received by the Ebay watch guys this morning and now confirmation that its "authentic"..whew!and is to be posted to the buyer Tuesday so in reality its a 24-48 hour delay but early days and it could slow down but for now, nothing to complain about.
Keith
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
I too was wondering quite how invasive their methods were.
You and me both one assumes they remove the back and check the movement? for it also begs the question the watch sold was not a “ mint” example it arrives at the buyers who gets back to the seller who says it was perfect when it left me must have been damaged by the authenticators?
Agree at some point it will be a chargeable service i assume EBay have looked the commission loss on a 2K plus watch when the seller has used either 80% discount on final fee or the £3.00 option.
I FEEL LIKE I'M DIAGONALLY PARKED IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE
Game changer I think for eBay, as if the game wasn't already stacked against the seller
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It’d be very interesting to see the image of that scratch for reference.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
Yep, there were no pictures attached so I'll ring him tomorrow, there was enough photos that I'm confident that what I paid for will cover any polishing that needs done.
People will have to be ultra honest on their descriptions, that will be new for eBay
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I suspect that initially, this will be a PITA for eBay sales, but once the process becomes accepted and bone-fide it can only be a good thing.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
To be honest I would never have committed that cash without those checks, can only be a good thing .
The problem being I accept that the watch is used so some minor scratch's are ok, but I imagine that there will be some buyers who want a new watch a used prices
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Wow, that is quite a high quality of service. Better than I was expecting from this.
It will definitely be interesting to see their photo.
They don't say but I suspect not in most cases.
For what it's worth, see the FAQ and Ts&Cs. I think it was linked before but this page, https://pages.ebay.co.uk/authenticit...antee-watches/, describes what they do, albeit with weasel-ish and vague wording.
This seems to be the relevant stuff from the FAQ:
[...]
Our independent authentication partners physically inspect all eligible items before they are posted to you.
[...]
The authenticator will thoroughly inspect and verify your item’s authenticity and accuracy against the item listing before it is posted to your address at checkout
[...]
Smart watches, pocket watches, watch parts, and accessories are not eligible for authentication. Watches may contain repaired and/or aftermarket parts. Customised items will not be authenticated. An example of a customised watch may be a watch with a painted dial, aftermarket bezel or added gemstones.
[...]
A vintage watch is eligible for the Authenticity Guarantee service, if all eligibility criteria are met. Vintage watches which are verified as authentic by the independent authenticator may contain commonly replaced aftermarket parts, such as the strap, bracelet, crystal, spring bars, or screws.
Vintage timepieces and many used watches may not be water resistant to their original rating. Please consult a watchmaker before exposing your watch to water. Mechanical watches are more delicate than other types of watches. Take care before undertaking any activity that might place shock on the watch.
What happens at the authenticator?
Upon receiving the watch, the authentication partner first confirms the item and presentation materials are consistent with the listing title, description, and images. Then they will perform a multi-point physical authentication inspection. Finally, a security tag will be attached to the watch.
The authentication partner does not verify the timekeeping accuracy of your watch. Vintage and many used watches may require servicing by an experienced watchmaker to restore accurate timekeeping.
[...]
The Authenticity Guarantee does not offer a warranty.
What if the item does not pass inspection?
If the item’s authenticity cannot be verified or the item is not consistent with its listing
[...]
all returns must be sent to the authentication partner for verification (to check that the item is still in the same condition and has all relevant accessories, or that the item is not consistent with the listing) and re-authentication before the item is returned to the seller.
[...]
How does the return process work?
[...]
the authenticator will inspect to confirm that the item returned matches the item originally sent to you by verifying the authenticity and condition including any original packaging or accessories (for clarity, this includes the item’s box where applicable). In addition, the security tag must be attached to the item and untampered to be eligible for a return.
[...]
Why was the item sent back to me by the authenticator after I opened a return?
If the authentication partner determines the returned item is not the same item, is not in the same condition, or the security tag has been tampered with or removed, it will be sent back to you and the return will be closed.
Is there an authentication card?
Yes, all items verified as authentic come with a card which provides details about the item such as brand, model, movement type, case material, bracelet type and reference number, as applicable.
Last edited by markrlondon; 18th October 2021 at 20:12.
Doh, it was linked in the very first message by ralphy.
Sorry.
Would be interesting to see the comm to seller. If buyer pulls out, how do they cover the loss of sale and damage they have done to the watch?
Also what caused the scratch?
Say it was dropped or hit by something, how do they resolve less obvious potential damage, say to movement.
Seems to be a good idea when all goes smooth but faq not clear when not.
I couldn't find in the faq but do they open the watches and if so do they then test WR to specification?
I hope Stoll have bought one of his superfake books.
Imagine the volume increase in work if Ebay have 20,000 watches above £2k. That must be hard to absorb quickly and reliably. As stated above this service has a cost sooner or later it will be laid at the sellers door.
Steve
So got the picture, it was missed from original list, but doesn't look too bad, I've saved enough on purchase price to cover a trip to the bodyshop
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I'd say that was a good call from eBay.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
What waterproofing guarantee do they provide once they have opened up the watch to authenticate the movement and then closed it all back up again . This would worry me as a seller and a buyer.!
Thanks
I've just had an interesting conversation with a member of eBay's Authenticity Guarantee Department (and quite a WIS he was too).
He confirmed that along with the external visual inspection the process did include movement verification with pressure testing done both before and after the opening of the caseback.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
Everything about this listing says fake to me but has the authenticity guarantee.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rolex-oyster-perpetual-daytona-watch-/165136112682
Presume fakers come up with some story to circumvent the authentication process.
^^^ No longer listed.
As an aside:
https://usa.watchpro.com/stoll-co-st...n-into-the-uk/
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
Gone now.
Zero feedback seller who joined eBay in 2021. It appeared to be a 116500LN. The description was:
“Rolex oyster daytona
No time wasters.
The watch is in good conditions and has been worn by myself most days. It is a beautifully designed watch and the pictures don’t do it much justice.
Selling to fund another Watch. Recently Inherited , discounted as no box.
The postage will be at my cost and guaranteed by Royal Mail special tracked delivery.
Will consider serious offers but please don’t waste my time with low ball offers. This is a very high quality watch. Give it the respect it deserves!”
Last edited by David_D; 19th October 2021 at 12:49.
Looks like the service did its job successfully!
Quite impressive that it seems to work as claimed.
Wow, given the weasel-ish/vague wording in the FAQ I am surprised about this. From the way the FAQ is worded, I thought they'd want to keep out of the insides.
Probably a good thing in net terms that they do open watches.
I'll also add to this that the watch I purchased via this process has since been to Omega to have the regulation tightened up. They made no mention that it appeared to have already been opened and were quite happy to regulate the watch. To me this bodes well for any future potential warranty work and any comment that may have been made at that time around the case back having been opened.
I wouldn't describe the wording in the FAQ as either weasel-ish or vague:
From the front page:Upon receiving the watch, the authentication partner first confirms the item and presentation materials are consistent with the listing title, description, and images. Then they will perform a multi-point physical authentication inspection. Finally, a security tag will be attached to the watch.I think the more accurate description would be 'incomplete'. I made this point to the person I spoke to, he agreed and also said that they were reviewing the wording.Multi-point inspection.
Independent authenticators verify multiple inspection points, including the crown, bezel, dial, case, clasp/buckle, hands, end links, and reference number.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
We will have to agree to differ. The very thing that you describe as "incomplete" in this scenario is, to my mind, the key fundamental ingredient of both "vague" and "weasel-ish".
What then is the actual wording in the FAQ's that has given you the impression that something specific and meaningful has been stated when in fact it is only a vague or ambiguous claim?
To my mind there is only the omission of internal inspection - which is neither "vague" or "weasel-ish".
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
As I said, we will have to agree to differ.
I’ve just seen a panerai on eBay which looks proper fake ,and it’s got ebays guarantee,someone is going to be disappointed.
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Linky?
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
It’s in uk ,on a bracelet it’s at 4800 ,they don’t even know what model it is .
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Is the watch still for sale? If so, then it hasn't gone through the authentication process yet. That happens when the watch is sold. The seller sends it for checking, if all is okay it's then sent on to the buyer. If as you say it's fake then hopefully it's picked up when it reaches the authenticators.
Can they authenticate it to be a (any) Panerai, just not a particular model?
What I don’t understand is some don’t say there in the authenticity program,is this something you have to sign upto ,obviously if your a scammer you wouldn’t sign up ,maybe they don’t know,I’m no expert but it looks wrong to me .
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No all purchase over 2k go through the process , when I bought, the seller didn't even know about the process, he just had send the watch to an address in London
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So package arrived from eBay today, apart from it took about 10 days from purchase to arrival, very happy with the process
It does allow buying with a bit more confidence
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^^^ Thanks for that. Very informative and useful to see how it works.
How well did they look at it ,has it’s a manual wind not an automatic,has stated on the guarantee card.
Not that I’m saying it’s fake ,but I’d be interested to know how much work they do .
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Just wanted to pass on my experience with the authentication service. I recently bought a watch which the seller promptly sent for authentication. After a couple of days, I received a notification to say that authentication was complete and the watch had been forwarded to me. It didn't arrive in the specified timescale, so I contacted eBay to find out what was happening. To cut a long story short, it became clear that the watch had been sent to the incorrect address which led to it being returned by the postal service to the authenticator. The watch became stuck in the postal service / customs from that point on and still hasn't been located.
eBay's communication was excellent throughout. As a result, I was happy to wait for a while to see if the watch would appear but in the end, requested a refund. The refund was processed promptly by eBay itself, thereby not affecting the seller who played their part fully.
So in summary, there was a postage mistake which can happen. Just thought it might be helpful for others to hear that eBay's subsequent communication was great and the situation was resolved successfully.
^^^ Interesting report, thanks.
Glad they didn't pass of their mistake onto the vendor.
This is interesting as I also bought a watch which went through the authenticators who approved it and sent it on.
The package has since been “lost”.
I have been refunded but I actually just really wanted the watch. I can’t find another, and if I could it would likely be a lot more expensive….
To say I am annoyed is an understatement.
There is an Audemars Piquet finishing in about half an hour at the time of writing. Currently bids up to £6300, no box or papers, no close up of the movement through the exhibition caseback, and seller with a feedback of 5 (purchases only). Every alarm bell should be blaring out for prospective buyers, but maybe people are taking a punt hoping there is a slim chance it could be real and the authentication process will catch it if not? Very dangerous game to play!
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Description says to send him your email and go from there, so pretty obvious scam I would have thought. I doubt the watch exists.
Oh a very obvious scam, as I said, every alarm bell should be blaring. The watch probably exists but has to be a fake. I was wondering more about the 4 separate bidders motives in bidding. It 'went' for £6400 in the end. I've left it on my watch list to see what if anything happens regarding the sale in his feedback in a week or two.
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I suppose that if you pay through eBay and follow their process then there is very little risk? The watch will never get sent to the authentication serivce, or if it does and is fake then it will be caught and you will get your money back. Maybe they thought it was worth a punt in that case?
The real risk is that the seller tries to coax them away from the eBay process and collects payment through some out of band method.
Yes, think you've hit the nail on the head there.
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Still massively risky IMO, any good fake would still get through. As such, I’d never buy an expensive watch through eBay. YMMV
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If the authenticators are opening case backs (and assuming they are competent, which seems likely so far) then this doesn't seem likely to me.
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