1. I have been collecting watches for years. I have seen any and every fake Rolex made. Not a one can fool me. There is no such thing as a "good" fake. How could a dealer be fooled? All Rolex sport models made after 2005 have the serial number at 6:00. It must match the serial number between the lugs (that is the one you checked against the stolen list, right?). A fake serial number is easy to spot.
2. You gave someone 5500 pounds for a used recent model submariner? You should know better. I hope it was gold, or at least two tone.
3. The guy was willing to pay 7500 pounds for a used Submariner? He could buy three of that much, unless we are talking gold. For a two tone submariner that is OK but nothing to write home about. For an all gold submariner, I would call that pretty sweet.
4. As a dealer, you know the box and papers mean nothing. You can buy Rolex gift boxes an papers on eBay.
5. He sent a courier from Scotland? The watch is not rare and your price is not stellar, unless we re talking gold. Why would he send a courier that far?
6. No legit dealer resells a Rolex without having it serviced. So when you removed the case back was it not obvious that the watch was fake?
7. The Submariner is the easiest fake in the world to spot. All you had to do was turn the bezel, and listen for the click. You can also just shake it and listen for the winding mass to scrape against the case back. Dude, do not tell me you deal in watches and do not know this.
8. I do not believe that he went through all that trouble to swap out a movement. A Rolex 3135 movement only cost a few hundred pounds. The cost of labor installing it is more than that. It is not worth the time it took to set you up.
as previously - seek legal advice - but I think you are wasting your time
the fact that you bought it in good faith and believed it to be genuine are irrelevent, cos that is a matter between you and whoever you bought it from, it has nothing to do with your buyer
You say its a well known trick to switch movements.
If so then it was REALLY dumb of you not to have the watch authenticated yourself before sale
It was ESPECIALLY dumb to buy the watch yourself without having it authenticated at ANY time
second thing
It was pointless and stupid of you saying in a contract that it was "sold as seen" cos at that time the buyer hadnt seen it. And as he hadnt seen it he was entitled to assume it was an authentic watch (and its also illegal for you to sell a fake watch)
Frankly I would pick another career if I were you
you claim you are a watch dealer specialising in rolex watches but you buy a watch before its even authenticated, even though you are aware its a well known trick to switch movements.
THEN you blame a customer for pointing out to you that the watch YOU sold HAS a fake movement
He obviously aint as dumb as you are
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LOL what a hilarious story, you are a very dodgy geezer who tried to scam someone and he is now going to take you to court and not only get his ￡600 back but will also charge you for his travel time, legal fees and time wasted in attending court. You will end up paying him around ￡1,000 by the time he is through with you. Nice to see a scammer like you get scammed legally for a change.
You gave it away when you mentioned a contract where you clearly stated that you would not be liable if the watch turned out to be a fake, only a scammer would do that.
Unfortunately you agreed to refund his money and took the watch back so you may be stuck.
seek legal advice.
Yes, you should.
I am a watch dealer specialising in vintage Rolex watches. I was offered a more modern Rolex divers watch (Submariner) which came with everything including the original till receipt. I checked it on the lost & stolen register and came back fine and so I paid ￡5500 for it.
I advertised it at ￡7500 which was a very good price. A gentleman called about it and wanted to buy it.
He asked was it genuine and I told him what it came with, ie receipt etc and that I'd checked it on the register but I had not taken it to a Rolex store to be checked.
He asked would I meet him to have it checked and I agreed to travel 200 miles to meet him to do this but he declined and said he would take the risk and just go for it but wanted to pay ￡2000 upfront and the rest when he got the watch. I was unsure at first but then I decided to trust him and go ahead although I wrote out a contract stating that if the watch turns out to be incorrect or not even real, I accept no responsibility and the watch is sold as seen. He sent a courier from Scotland - to london to collect it, I had the courier read and sign the contract as he was acting ion behalf of the buyer.
Anyway mid afternoon the following day the guys calls me to tell me the watch is not genuine and that he wants his money back. I did clearly state on the contract of sale that it was sold as seen due to the fact that the buyer declined the offer to meet at a Rolex store to have it authenticated.
After some heated discussions he agreed to return the watch and I would do my best to refund him as I felt bad. I didn't have the whole ￡2000 though and only had ￡1400 which I duly sent back to him.
He is now threatening court action if I don't refund his ￡600 but I'm starting to think he may of swapped the movement over in the watch before returning it. A well known trick!!
I don't want to refund him ￡600 as I feel he robbed me but where do I stand legally? I bought the watch in good faith and believed it to be genuine.
