Nikola Tesla 12 Posted January 24, 2014 (edited) I've just been ripped off by a vendor running a website named replicawatches4saleDOTcom. I ordered a double red Pro Hunter from the vendor running the site before I discovered this forum, or even knew that forums like this one existed. My bad. Now I know better, and I want to warn others about these shitheads. I paid 400+ USD for a watch that was supposedly a 1:1 rep with a 3135 movement. What I received was a POS that might just as well have come as a prize in a box of Cracker Jacks. To give you an idea of exactly how bad this piece of garbage is, I've reproduced below the message I sent to the vendor immediately after receiving and inspecting it: “Hello, I received the watch I ordered from you today (Order # 17024). This is the wrong watch. It is not the watch I ordered and for which I paid (Model: watches-7166). It is not the watch pictured on the product's web page. This is a much cheaper watch, closer to the $100 price range than $400, and I wish to return it immediately for either a refund or an exchange for the correct watch. This watch is still in new, as-received, and unworn condition, with all the plastic wrap on the face and band still in place. The problems with this watch are as follows: 1. Watch NOT 1:1 - case is much shorter than genuine DSSD and is not the correct 44mm diameter, and the distance between the lugs is 20mm, not the correct 21mm 2. Incorrect dial - watch does NOT have the correct Pro Hunter Double Red dial shown on the product page 3. Bezel mechanism is non-functional - bezel is frozen and CANNOT be rotated clockwise 4. Incorrect bezel - bezel is NOT the correct sandwiched ceramic bezel with white markings, as shown on the product page 5. Gas escape valve incorrect - this one is black PVD instead of the correct polished metal valve shown on the product page 6. Stem is incorrect - too SHORT and not the same as pictured 7. Date setting function is completely inoperative - CANNOT set date directly with stem in date-setting position 8. Date advance incorrect - date does NOT snap over to next day at midnight as it should, but gradually rolls over close to midnight 9. Back incorrect - single piece stainless back, NOT 2-piece titanium Jacques Piccard back, as specified on product page 10. Clasp is incorrect and not as pictured on product page - this watch has a cheap stamped sheet metal clasp of incorrect design and with no diver extension 11. PVD coating is cheap and has uncoated base metal showing through on one of the lugs 12. WRONG MOVEMENT - watch ticks and seconds hand jumps, so I know this is NOT a 3135 movement without even opening the back If I do not receive a satisfactory reply from you within 24 hours, I will contact my bank and contest the transaction on my credit card. I paid $100 less from another vendor for a "cheaper" version of this watch a few years ago, and that one had NONE of these issues. Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this situation." I sent off that message on Tuesday. Three days later, I have yet to receive any response at all from the vendor. Furthermore, the website is currently offline, probably permanently. I've just reported the transaction to my bank as fraudulent, and am now awaiting fraud report forms to fill out and return. My bank has informed me that I will probably be covered under the fraud protection clause of my account, so I may be fortunate enough to be reimbursed for my stupidity. If so, I'll be ordering a replacement from one of this forums TD's and counting myself very lucky indeed. Ladies and Gentlemen, I now understand the wisdom of buying from only trusted dealers. As I stated above, I was unaware that such an animal even existed until too late, but I have learned my lesson. I hope this experience serves as a warning to everyone else thinking of risking his/her hard-earned shekels with an unknown vendor. :( Cheers, T- Edited January 25, 2014 by Nikola Tesla Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David1982 0 Posted January 24, 2014 WI all the way!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mystery Shopper 5,887 Posted January 24, 2014 Don't hold your breath waiting for a response. It does sound like a cheap quartz version. Do you regret not finishing the Wardenclyffe Tower? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kleen™ 45 Posted January 24, 2014 What an envigorating read - hope you get your money back and stick to the TDs....:-) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nikola Tesla 12 Posted January 25, 2014 Do you regret not finishing the Wardenclyffe Tower? Yes, but I had no choice. I was double-crossed by J.P. Morgan. He reneged on the funding. :o Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kcore 0 Posted January 25, 2014 Do you regret not finishing the Wardenclyffe Tower? Yes, but I had no choice. I was double-crossed by J.P. Morgan. He reneged on the funding. :o Go get 'em! BTW, I think you were screwed by the Italian, Marconi, not Morgan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nikola Tesla 12 Posted January 25, 2014 Do you regret not finishing the Wardenclyffe Tower? Yes, but I had no choice. I was double-crossed by J.P. Morgan. He reneged on the funding. :o Go get 'em! BTW, I think you were screwed by the Italian, Marconi, not Morgan Both equally. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mazz 62 Posted January 25, 2014 Just zap the spammer with a coil............... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nyckid 0 Posted January 25, 2014 Do you regret not finishing the Wardenclyffe Tower? Yes, but I had no choice. I was double-crossed by J.P. Morgan. He reneged on the funding. :o Go get 'em! BTW, I think you were screwed by the Italian, Marconi, not Morgan Both equally. You very well deserved it for feckin' Mr. Edison in the arse with your AC....ungrateful bastid, after Edison taught you all you know, at his shop :P Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BentleySharp 0 Posted January 25, 2014 I hate to say I told you so....But any of the 50,000 members of this forum will tell you "Stick to the Trusted Dealers". I guess you are just the type to have to learn the hard way. Honest internet dealers in the rep business are a considerably small fraction. Just from what I've seen, it seems to me like there's 1 honest dealer for every 15 to 20 scammers. The chances of choosing that 5% - 7.5% at random are pretty slim. That's why we have a TD list and a forum, so people don't have to take those chances and we can educate each other and share information about who is doing good business. If some other site is claiming to be able to get a watch that the RWG dealers can't get, they are probably lying. it's true, some people do business outside the TD list, with modders or specialty dealers, but until you really know what your doing, do yourself a favor and play it safe. I hope you can get your money refunded by the bank. Some scam sites are 'fly by night' operations. They get a whole lot of money from potential customers who placed orders and then either send out a bunch of low quality garbage worth about $20 (but charged $400+) or they just don't send out anything at all, then they close up shop and do it all over again with a new website. Don't expect a reply to your email or to ever see that website again... If you can't get a refund, than just take it as a hard learned lesson and move on... Best of luck to you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeAlmighty 0 Posted January 25, 2014 Let's see some pics of this $400 rep. I'm curious to know what they are passing off. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
machiavegli 6 Posted January 25, 2014 I dunno, it's a pretty long email, they may still be translating it -Mach Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BentleySharp 0 Posted January 25, 2014 I dunno, it's a pretty long email, they may still be translating it -Mach This is my favorite part... Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this situation." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ANDMAN.ELLIPSIS 0 Posted January 25, 2014 How did you pay.. if by card ..curious how these scammers maintain the ability to process cards... PPal easy chargeback WU... yr screwed... Bank transfer... screwed... Post a pic or two... Good luck with your purchase from TD's here.... hope you get your money back Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cyril_Clunge 0 Posted January 25, 2014 I hate to say I told you so....But any of the 50,000 members of this forum will tell you Stick to the Trusted DealersI guess you are just the type to have to learn the hard way. Learn the hard way?! He ordered his watch BEFORE he found RWG! You may have known all there is to know about reps before you joined the forum but guess what - most people don't, which is why this place exists. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dr Yan 8 Posted January 25, 2014 +1 Cyrilius Clungeus Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Monty010 1 Posted January 25, 2014 Always sucks to read someone's been rear ended. Hope you can get your card charged back mate. Cause the sellers not gonna do you any favors. If you haven't been put of by this scam. I'd say check out the trusted dealers. They are top notch. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr Stubbs 0 Posted January 25, 2014 The website is still operational. I see the SD's "regular" price stated as $782.75, on sale for $408.51. As an aside, the photos are tagged "watchjust.com" if anyone knows who they are. Some of the pics may be gens, but when I look at the Omega moonies they look more like iparadisiac quality (ie not very good). I sincerely hope this is solved in your favour! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scorpion 0 Posted January 25, 2014 Its a touch too late for you but here is my special guide.................................mainly aimed at plonkers who come hear read a few bits then ask if www.swissconartistwatches.com, www.rolexripoff.com and all the many others are legit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BentleySharp 0 Posted January 25, 2014 I hate to say I told you so....But any of the 50,000 members of this forum will tell you Stick to the Trusted DealersI guess you are just the type to have to learn the hard way. Learn the hard way?! He ordered his watch BEFORE he found RWG! You may have known all there is to know about reps before you joined the forum but guess what - most people don't, which is why this place exists. Oh......................................................must have overlooked that extremely critical piece of information oops. I now officially rescind my previous statement. Yea, I could go back and edit it and delete what I said, but that's not fair. I can admit when I'm wrong and when I'm not. Well, i'll at least go cross out the offending sentences... Everything else I said up there still applies though. Thanks Cyril for the correction Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nikola Tesla 12 Posted January 25, 2014 How did you pay.. if by card ..curious how these scammers maintain the ability to process cards... PPal easy chargeback WU... yr screwed... Bank transfer... screwed... Post a pic or two... Good luck with your purchase from TD's here.... hope you get your money back The CC processing was handled by a 3rd party site called "ssbillpay." Thx for the good wishes. When I spoke with the folks at Chase, they informed me that the fraud protection on my card should cover me. The bank is sending me a form to fill out and return. It appears I've been unusually lucky in the past, because I've placed several orders for watches and other items with a couple of different online vendors and always received exactly what I ordered. I was planning to use one of those two vendors who had already demonstrated their trustworthiness for this watch, as well. However, one was temporarily offline and the other didn't have the exact product I wanted when I finally decided to place the order, so I took a chance on this vendor. I learned the hard way that I couldn't continue to roll the dice without eventually crapping out. Now that I have discovered this forum, I will be making all of my future purchases from only the TD's listed here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nikola Tesla 12 Posted April 12, 2014 Finally got some closure to this ripoff. After submitting my complaint forms and supplying photo documentation of the advertised product vs. what I received, as well as copies of my emails to the vendor and the processing agency, I finally received a full credit from Chase for my purchase price. Go, Chase! Now, it's time to spend my recovered money on a rep from one of RWG's trusted vendors. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seclark007 11 Posted April 12, 2014 Good to see that you got justice in the end. A cheap lesson, if I do say..... Enjoy your upcoming hunt! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nikola Tesla 12 Posted April 13, 2014 (edited) Good to see that you got justice in the end. A cheap lesson, if I do say..... Enjoy your upcoming hunt! Thanks. I have just ordered the watch I wanted from one of this forum's trusted vendors. This purchase experience will undoubtedly be much more pleasurable. A couple folks asked a while back for photos of the POS I received. Here are a few "advertised vs. received" pages that I sent to Chase in support of my case: Chase didn't even want the watch, and just looking at it spiked my blood pressure, so I threw it out. Edited April 13, 2014 by Nikola Tesla Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhillyRock 0 Posted April 13, 2014 Keep your orders limited to the TD's and Craft vendors here and you'll be A-OK. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
