Tits McGee 7 Posted June 19, 2014 The most important thing I've found about the rep world and this forum in particular is to establish relationships, make friends, ask questions, take pictures, have thick skin, and try not to be an asshole. Even if I think I know better, I still try this approach because if I spin out of control and get my panties in a bundle....I'll have to go it alone. ...I always knew you were a panty-wearing type guy Tits...the clue was in the nick... :P You should try it some time Sconey. Very comfortable Im still confused :lmao: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
YotaBoy 0 Posted June 19, 2014 Took the words outta my mouth, thing is a lot of the uninformed noobies make for great entertainment! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rav747 0 Posted June 19, 2014 Someone give this man a bun.......... Hopefully..... Damn Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mystery Shopper 5,887 Posted June 19, 2014 Mmmmmmmm, morning tea time. Great post Tits. This should save newbies heaps of time. Accurate and balanced feedback is always welcome here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big J 0 Posted June 23, 2014 Excellent post, very helpful Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fe22ari 0 Posted August 15, 2014 Ive been a member for a while (yes, yes I know I must upgrade again and I will), but this post is very helpful to anyone not just noobs. When you start to get your panties in a wad about it taking a week to get your QC pics, read this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MBR2014 9 Posted August 17, 2014 GREAT read. Thanks for taking the time to put this together. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Noodle_oh 0 Posted August 25, 2014 Great, great post. As a noob, I thank you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FindingSerenity 0 Posted August 28, 2014 I've been researching for my first order and this is a great post to read. Thank you very much. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
watch101 0 Posted September 15, 2014 (edited) +1 & thanks for your sound advice!! Edited September 15, 2014 by watch101 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SebSpain 0 Posted September 30, 2014 Thanks for taking your time and share your experience for newbies like me... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
asta65 0 Posted October 8, 2014 Thanks a lot for your shared experience! I believe it is helpful for almost everyone who is a new person to this world. Started surfing this forum with this thread and already see it is full of experienced people.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
watchworm 0 Posted October 19, 2014 Very informative for this VERY new UK noob. Allready stopped me from making some decisions I would probably have regretted. From a few nights browsing here I have learned a lot that, hopefully, may benefit me. Perhaps in a week or so I will take my first plunge and hopefully surface with an acceptable first off rep.(Cartier or Tag Heur) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thorbeen 0 Posted October 31, 2014 Thanks for sharing your experience! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
garyepw 28 Posted October 31, 2014 +1, especially the 'thick skinned' bit which is a must on these forums Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kleban 0 Posted November 8, 2014 good advice. Should have read this one before. thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scorpiosg 0 Posted November 8, 2014 Super Rep posting. May you be always blessed and continue to give good advice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
afunkymonk 0 Posted November 12, 2014 Very useful, thankyou. Nice to know there is help at hand if we need it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Im7ft14 0 Posted November 22, 2014 The most valuable post I've read thus far. Every point made I was wanting to jump sky high. You can tell experience by the last paragraph, build relationships, thick skin, etc. Etc. Thank you! I've been a member of this forum for nearly 3 years now and have learned a few things about ordering from TD's. Please allow me to impart a bit of what I have learned about TD's, expectations, and this forum. I, like many noobs, jumped right in and began ordering watches from TD's BEFORE I thoroughly educated myself by reading and asking questions. I had many disappointments but in general, I've been pretty lucky. I've never had a DOA but have had a few with problems. I estimate I've ordered nearly 100 (total) new watches from all the TD's listed here. The few (6) I had problems with were ordered from dealers elsewhere. Therefore, I'll list a few of the things I ALWAYS DO now. 1) Identify, then RESEARCH the watch I want. RESEARCH means asking questions about the model I want in threads or by PM's, using the search bar on the top of every page is necessary. Establish relationships here and use the membership HERE to ask questions. I do my homework first, THEN once I'm sure I know what I want I contact a TD and inquire. Again, I always ask questions HERE first. 2) Contacting a TD and asking a question about availability requires a picture and communicating in a CLEAR and CONCISE manner. I ALWAYS send the TD a picture of what I want. I NEVER rely on their websites. In fact, I sometimes send a picture from a competitors website. I send a picture, ask specifics about the movement I want, case size, bracelet or strap, etc. No matter what your primary language is, ALWAYS send a picture of what you want. If I've done my RESEARCH, and if I've sent my PICTURE, I can almost always expect a clear answer from the TD. I have been told many many times the watch I want is unavailable. I then move on to my next TD and inquire the same way. By communicating in this manner, I have never had a TD accept my payment only to find later the watch is unavailable. Again, I've been lucky. If I've done my RESEARCH BEFORE I contact the TD, I can pretty much know what the status is before I inquire. Not always though, but the membership here is generally more than aware of who has what and is by far my best resource for information. 3) I DO NOT rely on TD's websites. Again, I DO NOT rely on TD's websites to be representative of the watch I want. I'm skeptical about QC pics also but that's just me. Have you ever seen a Burger King TV commercial where they show a real tasty burger with all the fixings? Then you go through the drive thru only to receive a cardboard box filled with slop that looks nothing like what you saw on TV. What you see on TV and TD websites is advertising. I tend to frequent restaurants my friends have told me are good. Same with the TD's. If I've done my RESEARCH correctly, I probably won't receive a bad meal. 4) I have learned to LOWER MY EXPECTATIONS. Why? Because I essentially have no recourse anyway. A TD here is simply a middleman who has earned a certain amount of trust within this forum. Nothing more. The Admins and Mods have deemed that TD is worthy to be called a TD, simply because the membership here have generally had good experiences with him. The TD's don't make the damn watches. They scoot around in the shadows of shady backstreet illegal businesses and find us higher quality watches than the open air markets. They're middlemen who generally don't carry large amounts of inventory. You ask for it and they go get it for you. Pretty simple. They're not a watch store at the mall. UPS doesn't deliver their inventory either. 5) If I have a problem with a TD or a watch I have received, I first take a PICTURE of the issue, take a deep breath, and humbly and appropriately communicate my issue to the TD. I NEVER start a thread whining about my issue. That's just plain stupid. I know that if I do that I'm pretty much on my own. There are people here who will help me IF I follow the forum guidelines. But I generally don't need their help if I've taken a PICTURE and emailed the TD and politely explained why I am not happy. I also realize the TD may not say what I want to hear. THEN I quietly contact a friend or Mod and ask for guidance. I've come to understand that this is not Macy's and I can't return a 30 day old pair of underwear for a full refund. If I have a mechanical issue, I bite the bullet and try to find a rep friendly watch smith. That is just me. Most, if not all TD's, will instruct you to send the watch back at your own expense for repair. But if I had done my RESEARCH properly beforehand I would already have known that. 6) I have learned that the TD feedback section is mostly about communication between the TD & I. I NEVER post negative feedback about post office issues. That is out of the TD's control. I NEVER post negative feedback about a TD unless I have already involved a Mod in my issue and he clears me to post. Delays in answering email inquiries after payment has been sent is a legit complaint. But I ALWAYS wait to post feedback until after I have received my watch. I never post order status reports because......who cares. We've all had to exercise patience. It's part of the deal. If I had done my RESEARCH beforehand I would have known that. If I receive a watch that is DOA or broken, I'll leave that in the feedback section (see #5). The most important thing I've found about the rep world and this forum in particular is to establish relationships, make friends, ask questions, take pictures, have thick skin, and try not to be an asshole. Even if I think I know better, I still try this approach because if I spin out of control and get my panties in a bundle....I'll have to go it alone. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yctwatch 0 Posted November 29, 2014 Sage advice... we spend real money to get real watches... with a twist (or in the case of frankens, many twists). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ashi 0 Posted December 6, 2014 Thank you for this useful post. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dusty123 0 Posted February 1, 2015 Thumbs up, thabks for the insight Share this post Link to post Share on other sites