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Tits McGee

Hey Noob, here's a few things I learned about TD's

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Rolex2020

Thank you I appreciate you looking out for me.. I, just trying to get involved 

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Rolex2020
On 19/06/2014 at 05:23, YotaBoy said:

Took the words outta my mouth, thing is a lot of the uninformed noobies make for great entertainment!

We were all newbies at once, it’s like making fun of a kindergarten kid 

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JoeyTate

I was about to jump right in and start ordering after just a couple of days as a member ... I found this topic before I did and stopped myself - at least until I feel I know and understand enough.

Great advice, thanks Tits! 

(Of course part of me also just wanted an excuse to say "thanks tits" :D)

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Forbeys

Hi I'm new here, the more I read the more I learn, thanks

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Golfer130i

That was a great read and very useful. I particularly think the idea of sending photos to the TD of what you are wanting is genius. Especially due to the language barrier (something that I hadn’t even considered) I’m a very proud member of a car forum and have been blown away by the help and friendship that it has provided me over several years. Having been lurking on here for several weeks before joining I am already feeling that this seems to have a similar vibe. 

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doughboy1
On 05/02/2019 at 04:33, Golfer130i said:

That was a great read and very useful. I particularly think the idea of sending photos to the TD of what you are wanting is genius. Especially due to the language barrier (something that I hadn’t even considered) I’m a very proud member of a car forum and have been blown away by the help and friendship that it has provided me over several years. Having been lurking on here for several weeks before joining I am already feeling that this seems to have a similar vibe. 

I'm of the same sentiment - I never thought about sending pictures of the watch to the TD.  

On a different topic, there should be a poll on this site to ask members, new and established ones, how long they waited until their first purchase.  I have a feeling that many committed to a purchase soon after they joined this forum.  

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Bassguygt

Very useful post. 

Warning, noob question to follow:

I'm curious how many members of this forum have received a watch (from a TD of course) that immediately needed repairs?  Fear of this is the biggest thing holding me back from my first purchase. Sending a watch for repairs back and forth halfway around the world seems like a good way to get it lost, thus losing your hard earned money. Also, where I live I'm not sure I'd be able to find a regular watchsmith yet alone a rep friendly one. 

Assuage my fears, o wise elders of the forum!

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Rickyc

That has really helped

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Adit
23 hours ago, Rickyc said:

That has really helped

Agreed. Excellent Tits,  thank you

Eh? Who said anything about Sophie Reade?  :D

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porkypig2010
On 18/06/2014 at 13:51, Tits McGee said:

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,j 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. ;)

Very true just sent a new v2 two tone back for repair. Took 4 emails for the td to get it and 4 pics.

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quadro

Mr "Tits McGee" is right.
A little research and serious discussion can not hurt. A good relationship and an exchange of smart words are the basis of a lasting relationship. Take example of your wives ...

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Hattricks

Thank you for the detailed post. What about the sticky thread (from like 8 years ago) about what to do when you get your rep. Soaking the bracelet In WD-40, opening the case to clear our debris, etc. Do you find thats still relevant and necessary? Because I admit that's not something I've done on any of my reps.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

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Black-Grey-Haze

Good post. A lot of this is common sense for most people but there are just some people who’s expectations that are unrealistic. As a little bit of a faux social experiment, I’ve handed people genuine watches and told them they’re reps and almost every single time people reply with “pfft I can tell it’s a piece of junk” and then they start pointing out things that are wrong with the watch. And some people have those expectations that are just absurd. 

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Black-Grey-Haze
On 25/02/2019 at 21:16, Bassguygt said:

Very useful post. 

Warning, noob question to follow:

I'm curious how many members of this forum have received a watch (from a TD of course) that immediately needed repairs?  Fear of this is the biggest thing holding me back from my first purchase. Sending a watch for repairs back and forth halfway around the world seems like a good way to get it lost, thus losing your hard earned money. Also, where I live I'm not sure I'd be able to find a regular watchsmith yet alone a rep friendly one. 

Assuage my fears, o wise elders of the forum!

I think you be surprised how many watch shops are “rep friendly”.  They don’t have to advertise “rep friendly” and probably wouldn’t anyway but if I have a few watch shops close by that will work on any kind of watch. I have a pan shop close by that has a watchsmith come in and picks up watches a few days a week. I just got friendly with them and started talking to them . Asked them to help me get a strap 1 time, help me fix a clasp another time and then asked about installing a DWO and boom. All set. 

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Kmast

Thanks for the post, 

I have 2 reps, both pretty poor quality to be fair bought in turkey. I now have a long list populated form this website waiting until I have the cash to start buying. I have changed my mind so many times based on the deep research i have done on this forum. Thanks again for the guidance.

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GMTMastertoo

Very useful post!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Kylord

Thank you, looking to purchase my first rep soon. This heaps heaps.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

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russ99

Useful post, should help those new to the sport

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WatchGeek5711

what i personally learned and iam sticking to the same TD since years (Sead) to build a connection with your TD is superb, i been paying with paypal ever since. one ordered a watch that upon arrival was Broken, he told me repair is on him and gave me a adress of a watchmaker in the UK. it took a week and it came back Workking. 

TDs are the safe spot. id never buy anything with credit Card or on a sketchy website thats not trusted in RWG or RWI.

Sead isnt the fastest in replies wich is understandable he doesnt do TD work for a living only and he does respond, Always. can recommend him big ways.

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BadPickle
13 hours ago, WatchGeek5711 said:

what i personally learned and iam sticking to the same TD since years (Sead) to build a connection with your TD is superb, i been paying with paypal ever since. one ordered a watch that upon arrival was Broken, he told me repair is on him and gave me a adress of a watchmaker in the UK. it took a week and it came back Workking. 

TDs are the safe spot. id never buy anything with credit Card or on a sketchy website thats not trusted in RWG or RWI.

Sead isnt the fastest in replies wich is understandable he doesnt do TD work for a living only and he does respond, Always. can recommend him big ways.

Also NOT a Trusted Dealer here, if you want piece of mind only trade with the official  dealers listed- 

 

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WatchGeek5711

True,  i guess has to do with him beeing busy with his UK Stock and inquires from the rwi forum.

trusted the man with a couple thousand bucks so far no regrets. 

1 minute ago, pickledbeetroot said:

Also NOT a Trusted Dealer here, if you want piece of mind only trade with the official  dealers listed- 

 

 

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BadPickle
8 minutes ago, WatchGeek5711 said:

 

trusted the man with a couple thousand bucks so far no regrets. 

 

Bucks?  Is Deer farming his main job?   

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BadPickle
15 minutes ago, WatchGeek5711 said:

True,  i guess has to do with him beeing busy with his UK Stock and inquires from the rwi forum.

 

 

Guess?? :lol: Maybe he’s not a dealer in the true sense, more a bulk buy reseller.  One of those who can’t get the latest offerings at the major factories like Angus and Ryan,  more does the shipping for those RWI uk collectors who are too lazy/afraid to do it for themselves...  if we’re guessing, then that’s mine :D 

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WatchGeek5711
8 minutes ago, pickledbeetroot said:

Guess?? :lol: Maybe he’s not a dealer in the true sense, more a bulk buy reseller.  One of those who can’t get the latest offerings at the major factories like Angus and Ryan,  more does the shipping for those RWI uk collectors who are too lazy/afraid to do it for themselves...  if we’re guessing, then that’s mine :D 

so be it, cant judge you for your opinion!

for me personally i didnt have an issue with any orders of anything yet though.

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jowill923
On 18/06/2014 at 19:51, Tits McGee said:

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. ;)

Really helpful post for us noobs! Been reading the forum a long time and another top tip I can speak to, is never ever Google search the TD websites... always go through the relevant section in the TD section - check, check and check again. For example, my preferred TD is Toro, but I'm always seeing his websites ripped off with near-identical URLs on what feels like a near-daily basis.

Stay safe out there guys! :thumbsup:

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