Assistantoda (buyer) attempted to scam me by showing me fake screen shots of a wire payment, which were very convincing. They are already banned from watchexchange and they are on the USL.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1gy58le/wts_rolex_datejust_36mm_116200_silver_jubilee/

Let me preface this by saying I’m an idiot and should have seen the signs all along. I also didn’t know about the USL as this could have easily been avoided. 

I put out a WTB in the weekly WTB post (https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1gif0w8/wtb\_weekly\_want\_to\_buy\_post/) , got message from Yotoeman1 with the watch that I was looking for, got sent an imgur link with pics, and a pic with a timestamp, looked legit. Even sent me a video by email. We agree on price but says his PayPal doesn’t work at the moment. Should have been enough of a red flag. I end up wiring him and he sent me a shady looking shipping tracking website. 

A few days later I get an email from a gmail address from the same shipping tracking company asking for my availability for delivery. I reply and ask for an estimated delivery date. They reply with a date. On the day of I get an email asking for $100 USDT to cover customs charges and a crypto wallet address. Huge red flag and should have stopped there, but didn’t. Went back and forth with the seller asking what was happening. He realized that I wasn’t going to send the USDT so he says that he will cover the USDT and to send him $100. Okay done, few days later another email from shipping company asking for more customs charges that would be refunded on delivery. Yotoeman1 steps in to “help” again saying he will send the money first. I accept I’ve been duped at this point. Lesson learned, don’t be hasty and use services like PayPal G&S and check transaction history. I usually don’t post on reddit, but felt the need to out this person’s username.

 Yotoeman1 is a #scammer. From wire information he goes by Peter Stan. Be careful out there guys

Messaged me after my WTB post claiming he had a watch i listed but he never put it up on watchexchange but was willing to trade it to me. Sent me the pictures which I reverse searched and they were good. Got sketchy when i asked since he had no transactions if he would be ok sending the watch first and once I got it I'll send him mine. He got super defensive claiming he had done over $1000 value deals on watchexchange but when i searched up his name i got no results. He ended up blocking me after

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/s/TSTssSXeSI

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1glt278/wts_lorier_rambler/?rdt=43968

u/hakalraG 

I'm trying to describe the situation as unbiased as I can.

I pm'd the seller about the watch, asked questions about shipping and accuracy of the watch. The seller didn't know the accuracy, so I asked them to time it for a few hours. They wouldn't do it until I confirmed that I was serious about buying. They said that I would make an offer and they would time it for me, they also said that I was the first one to reach out to them. I confirmed that I would like to buy and asked for their paypal. They gave me their email and said that they would check the accuracy for 4 hours and would ship the next day. While I was transferring money between accounts to pay them, literally 4 minutes after their message that they would ship the next day, I received the message "sorry, it's sold"

While I understand that it might've been unclear if we agreed or not since I asked to time the watch, the seller could've clarified that, could've asked another buyer to wait for a few hours or just texted me that there is another buyer who is willing to buy immediately and if I wanted it without the test.

On top of that, in the original post under my comment with "PM", the seller stated that they didn't receive any message from me at all and wished me good luck with my search. Now their comment is removed, but I still have a screenshot. They also blocked me so I can't see or comment the original post anymore.

I also would be happy to disclose all the private messages if the other party agrees.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1g5byjx/wts_omega_seamaster_aqua_terra/

The seller is refusing to ship out the watch after payment. He is claiming that the funds are on hold although it has been paid. He stated that I should cancel the order and proceed by paying him via Friends and Family.

I requested him to cancel the order on his end but he has not and after asking him to call me to resolve this, he has stopped responding completely.

Any advice would be appreciated as it seems I have to escalate this to PayPal for a refund.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1fc0adb/comment/lndnv66/

Sold a watch to u/ewright222. Buyer had no transaction history so he agreed to Paypal F&F. Delivered on 9/21/24, no feedback response. 10/13/24 he opens a case on Paypal disputing that I never delivered, probably through credit card charge back.

Sharing for others to stay away from him.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1fyz2jy/wts_mido_big_tv_multifort_new_color_2024_1100/

Bought a watch from u/Econit33 for 1050 USD on Oct 8 via PayPal F&F. Seller promised to send the watch in a few days but I've had no shipping information at all.

The seller has since been banned on USL on Oct. 9th and deleted all of their posts and comments on WatchExchange but here is the listing I bought on https://marketplace.watchcharts.com/listing/17332684-wts-mido-big-tv-multifort-color-2024-1100

The seller had 3 good transactions and was not flagged in USL until 9th Oct.

Sharing this to help others and specifically new buyers like me, guys be careful.

The Scammer's post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1fgzc3w/wts_omega_seamaster_quartz_precision_movement_1499/

I have been blocked by him so I cannot see the post.

The communication with the scammer: https://imgur.com/a/YmgrCNT

Bought a watch from u/kingersss for 137 USD on July 7 via PayPal F&F. Seller promised to send the watch in a few days but I've had no response from the seller since then despite several attempts on Reddit, IG and email.

The seller has since deleted all of their posts and comments on WatchExchange but here is the listing I bought on WatchPatrol: https://www.watchpatrol.net/listing/1654721/?username=kingersss

And here is a link to the original deleted WatchExchange post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1c1qine/wts_vintage_orient_crystal_three_star_084690_21j/

The seller has an active IG account and a website which are linked here: https://www.instagram.com/wetwatchesofficial?igsh=eDl1eXF0bnN6YWdm

https://wetwatches.com/

Agreed a price on https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1fgw8zr/wts_omega_seamaster_300_midsize/ u/TheGreatPinepapple he was happy enough with Paypal payment and shipping to my fathers address in USA despite the fact I'm in Europe. Sent him the agreed amount via Paypal as per WatchExxchange instructions - Goods and Services - only for it to be immediately refunded with u/TheGreatPinepapple claiming he only accepts Friends and Family despite this being strongly recommended against WatchExchange rules. Ultimately I didn't lose any money but if you're dealing with u/TheGreatPinepapple be aware you have to use Friends and Family which is extremely risky and he doesn't explain this up front or say so on his posts.

I messaged  in response to his WTS post on WatchExchange. We came to an agreed upon price. He said he could not mail out until Thursday and that I could hold off sending the money until then, and I said OK. Then I get a message less than an hour later that said he has sold the watch to someone else for a higher price and that the watch is no longer available. Unethical seller, do not do business with .
https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1fi4mby/wts_seiko_5_srpe77_strapcode_oyster_bracelet/

No sale attempted but u/prior-jackfruit-1222 sent a chat to me asking for my Omega "red cards" to use as a "reference." The link is to my old, successful purchase.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/s/GMPrEWQ5Vv

About 3 weeks ago I bought a couple of watches from u/JustAGuyChillingg - a rose gold Citizen and a Seiko solar chronograph.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1enlt5e/wts_high_quality_quartz_watches_eco_drive_android/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1enlsc2/wts_sub_50_watchs_quartz_seiko_fossil_timex/

Before buying the citizen I asked for more pictures and he sent additional pictures and told me that it was a limited edition watch. We agreed to a deal and I paid the money.

Later that night I asked about the Seiko from another one of his listing. He confirmed that both watches were fully functional and I paid money for the Seiko as well. Shipping was prompt and I received the watches a few days later. The Seiko was not running - even after leaving it in the sun for a day. The Citizen that I received was a completely different watch - a ladies watch instead of the limited edition watch I had paid for.

I contacted the seller on reddit chat - no response. I then sent an email (paypal account email address) and after a couple of exchanges he agreed to send me the return label and to issue a full refund after receiving the watches.

After that exchange, I didnt get a response for a couple of days. So I decided to create a Paypal dispute. I received a response, almost, immediately after I created the dispute. He said that there was a family emergency and couldnt respond earlier. The next day he sent a Pirateship link as the return label. The link was from his personal account, so I couldnt access the label. I requested him to send me the label as a file. That email was sent 11 days ago. He decided to completely ignore my emails. I had to escalate the dispute to a claim to get my refund.

I see that he has been actively selling more watches on watchexchange and I see that other buyers have had a good experience buying from him. But that was not my experience and I wanted to share that here. Be careful when dealing with this seller and always use PayPal Goods and Services.

Screenshots of my interaction with the seller: https://imgur.com/a/erk5ciy

I have blurred out his personal details like name and email address.

UPDATE: The seller sent me a sub $100 watch to compensate for my bad experience.

I posted in WTB Thread in r/Watchexchange:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1f0o5n6/comment/lklm5cl/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

User u/thelovelylythronax reached out to me with "proof of watch", by using images from user u/Dirfty0ne

and using an altered image of the `timestamp`

Original Time stamp:
https://cdn.watchcharts.com/listings/7f1acf60-810e-4769-b2f2-c8a90029ac1f.jpg

Scam timestamp:
https://matrix.redditspace.com/_matrix/media/v3/download/reddit.com/xo3espl6jpld1

Also in chat says they "removed" their old sales posts :|

Anyway stay clear as they are most likely to do this to others

Seller used photos from this listing:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/s/a7vSB0if0M

To attempt to scam me, sent the wrong watch when asked for a timestamp (different logo) then was confused when I asked him to simply leave the pen in the next photo, when they “retook” it

Sent a chat about me seeking an SKX013 using clearly stolen/fake photos and blocked me once I accused him of scamming

https://imgur.com/a/RNIhnUZ

Original post photos were stolen from

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/s/9HQfbRFsgs

[NEGATIVE] Sent a replica (fake) Rolex Explorer by u/gunker1

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1eqspgy/wts_explorer_39mm/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

After over a year of hundreds of successful deals on watchexchange and other online groups, I’ve encountered my first fake watch. I traded an Omega Speedmaster valued at $3,500 plus $800 via Venmo for a watch only Rolex Explorer. My watchmaker determined the Rolex was fake. Despite many messages with the seller () and the mods, we’re at an impasse. I truly don’t believe the seller knew the watch was fake and is having a hard time accepting that fact, and my hope is he will do the right thing return my Speedmaster and refund my $800. My reputation in the watch industry is at stake, and I have nothing to gain by scamming the seller. As a full-time watch dealer who handles much higher value transactions daily, I can’t afford to risk my business and reputation over this.

I’ve commented our entire chat exchange below for reference and deleted any identifying information.

I recently engaged in a potential sale of my Black Bay GMT with u/dugiepts66.

[WTS] Tudor GMT Pepsi 79830RB - 2023 - $2750!! :

While the communication was polite, there were several aspects of the interaction that I believe other sellers should be aware of.

Pros:

• The buyer was clear in their initial interest and asked relevant questions about the item.

Cons:

• Despite my original post clearly outlining the payment methods I accept, the buyer made a significantly lower offer, which felt like a lowball attempt. While negotiation is part of the process, the initial offer was far below market value.
• After we agreed on a price and exchanged payment details, the buyer suddenly raised concerns about the payment method, despite my initial clarity on this point. This led to unnecessary delays and the eventual collapse of the deal.
• I even offered to utilize a trusted escrow service to facilitate the transaction safely for both parties, but the buyer declined. This ultimately led me to decide not to move forward with the sale.

In summary, while u/dugiepts66 was courteous (though a bit sarcastic), the negotiation process and the last-minute objections made the transaction challenging. Sellers might want to ensure all terms are fully agreed upon upfront when dealing with this buyer.

Transcript here: https://imgur.com/a/6jP8ueu

Hi,

I arranged a trade with u/Relative_Citron and he provided me receipts and photos so I sent my watch. After taking a closer look and a bunch of excuses (including the tracking was smudged) from him it’s been determined that he is a scammer and his photos were fake. STAY FAR AWAY!

One of the photos he sent me for a watch that he supposedly sent on 8/13 had meta data from Apple saying 7/1. I have many screenshots and photos and have reported to the police the watch as stolen but want to make sure everyone on here doesn’t suffer the same fate as me. He also claimed that UPS replaced the tracking number and other things like his iPhone had a bug which is why it said 7/1.

Beware - and stay safe!

OP: https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1eptuy6/wttwts_tudor_black_bay_monochrome_5_link_lp/

Purchased a vintage Seiko Chronograph from u/WeylandYutani452. We made a deal, sent the funds and was anticipating the watch. He was reluctant because my offer was lower than he wanted, but a deal is a deal. He kept the ad up and received another offer and sold the watch. Gave me a BS story about his kid breaking the watch. Extremely dishonest and will lie to you for a better deal.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1ekpkr7/wts_1977_seiko_61396005_blue_pogue_restoration/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Edit; added a screenshot of our final convo with new number:

https://flic.kr/p/2q9GFWk

Link to the post where he wanted the watch (I can't see his comment because he blocked me but others can see) - https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/s/0CITTlgOAb

For anyone who wants to deal with this person, do it on your own risk. He initially wanted to buy a 6694 from me, asked a ton of things which I don't mind, and that went on for at least 5 days.

Then he came up with a stupid excuse of his bank account being on hold for 15 days, saying that he will proceed to pay after the hold has been released. Now that it's almost 15 days, I texted him but found out I was blocked by him.

I confronted him with another number and he said that its his wife who blocked me lol. Really? If you don't want the watch, just say so, don't give dumb excuses.

It's not my first time selling a watch so I know that people back out all the time. But really? Your wife blocked me because she doesn't want you to buy a watch? Why don't you say that it's your grandma because it's her pocket money for you to catch more pokemons? What a waste of time and effort.

Edit #2: he literally spends on PokemonGo hence the pokemon comment from me. Feel free to check him out at u/Mitchowwww

I recently purchased a Seiko Prospex SPB149 from this seller. The watch was represented as being in "very good condition with some normal wear mainly noticeable on the clasp and some marks on the casebook [sp]."

Original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1dqqvcl/wts_reduced_seiko_spb149_sbdc107_55th_anniversary/

Unfortunately, the watch arrived in significantly worse cosmetic condition than either the description or the photos indicated. There are deep scratches on the polished champfers on both sides, gouges on the lug tips - back and front, and the buckle and retainer are deeply and thoroughly scratched to the point that replacement is likely the only realistic option.

Photos here: https://imgur.com/a/VSN3yrn

And the seller's response? "I'm sorry you feel that way."

Buyer beware

EDIT WITH PROOF - https://imgur.com/a/HHNgln3

~https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1efjgrh/wts_glashutte_original_panomaticlunar_blue_5950/~

We made a trade+cash deal. Seller was very communicative and had a good transaction history so I sent the venmo right away (it was 5 am) and then communication started to break down. He became uncommunicative and the next day I reached out since I hadn't heard back and let him know that it seemed weird how he stopped responding after receiving the cash. He then sent his address and apologized so I sent the watch. I sent him all the info that day and messaged multiple times but no response. I finally sent a message asking that he confirm receipt of my messages and he did. We all have lives outside of the hobby afterall.

This still gave me a bad vibe so I started doing more research (hours). I sent the link to my watch guy and figured out this piece was a FAKE. I looked into it more, combing the internet before confronting because I didn't want to make false accusations. Not a single listing online or shred of evidence showing this piece exists (as listed). I shared pictures of the calendar and showed him how his is the only blue dial with the white calendar, I pointed out the moonphase issue, the case finish, the hands, etc.  After I saw one thing the rest started to become more noticeable. Glashutte is not a brand that I am super familiar with but lesson learned to do a hell of a lot more research on these more unique pieces before making a deal. I'll take my share of responsibility for that.

His response was "Lol, It’s not fake. Try a better watchmaker" followed by "You think a factory in China is faking Glashutte calibers?" then telling me it was a limited edition (doesn't exist), then a old model, then suggested I wait and receive the watch and then email Glashutte etc. I asked him to find one version online that matches his and he sent me a screenshot of an FB post of what could be the one he bought. That turned to "it was a dial swap and best case it’s a very limited released without any online info" at which point I stressed that I needed my funds returned. He agreed and the next day he returned the funds (after more follow-ups and requests from me). His position was "Have bought and sold 750+ watches and common sense + experience are telling me this is a fine unit" and that is more or less where we left it.

Link to the quotes - https://imgur.com/a/lkIoYWB

I called FedEx and had my watch rerouted back to me which turned into a nightmare of its own. All in all, I'm glad that I was able to figure this out before it was too late. It took many hours but I'd rather be down hours and shipping costs than thousands of dollars and a watch. I will reiterate that the seller did end up doing the right thing after I put forth a lot of effort to nicely make my case.

Link to wtb post https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1ejmr2m/wtb_weekly_want_to_buy_post/lgj3k4t/

Link to coversation:

https://imgur.com/a/m758TBM

Link to screen shot of eBay listing from which he stole the photos:

https://imgur.com/a/aClMxIx

u/Default_0 trying to scam me for a Rolex case using photoshopped verification on stolen eBay listings. Beware.

Original Post

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/195dplc/wts_christopher_ward_c65_dune_sand/

Picture from chat:

https://imgur.com/a/VSXgeuw

Look at the paper and the date on the watch.

I’ll preface by saying that I transact here often. I suspect my experience is the same as most, people asking questions and then ghosting, all part of the hobby. U/crownat4 however made me go through so many steps only to make what I suspect is his go to excuse.

He had posted a WTB: https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/s/zD1YovC7t3 I responded as I had the watch available.

I had a look at his profile and saw no transactions but multiple posts about getting scammed. He has zero transactions here and I have a reasonable number. I still did everything to make him feel comfortable.

The entire conversation is available here: https://imgur.com/a/wSRPEuM

I remained very transparent with all factors and declined his request to declare an incorrect value on the watch. I deal by the book.

Again, I have had people back out of deals here and ghost regularly but have never left feedback. I just found this particular person as someone I wanted to warn others about, having no transaction count and only failed transactions over and over, at a certain point the finger needs to be pointed at the common denominator. I would recommend not dealing with this person based on my experience.

I posted on the weekly WTB post. u/OneBallJamal contacted me through DM and sent me a photoshopped timestamp photo to attempt a sale.

Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1e8e2pv/wtb_weekly_want_to_buy_post/

Scammer photo: https://imgur.com/a/QFPELPd

Original photo: https://imgur.com/a/halios-seaforth-3-time-stamp-ZBx8TqA

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/s/BOEDd32PpQ Original post

Sales post: https://www.reddit.com/r/lorierwatches/comments/1e5imdx/for_sale_lorier_zephyr_crimson_full_kit_price_is/

Original watchX post from another user: https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1dc2j8k/wts_lorier_zephyr_crimson/, and related imgur album: https://imgur.com/a/XeaUU5U

Mods - add this clown to the scammer list, please!

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watchexchange/comments/1e02xga/wts_omega_seamaster_aqua_terra_41mm_green_dial/ This user and myself worked out a deal for a trade. He originally was supposed to ship last Thursday, but that didnt happen. I sent him a new Next Day Air label for that Friday. He said he dropped off at 5:50pm, but tracking never updated (while my package had been shipped and was tracking.) I asked him several times for a receipt, which he finally provided Saturday evening showing that he had scanned a package that day at 2:30 pm. I immediately contacted UPS to have my package rerouted back to me after I searched for his email address (lampforme@gmail.com) and saw that he had previously scammed another user with the same email address, but a different username. He has several posts with "Sold" flair, but does not have any transaction history, so I believe he is just trying to make his account look more legitimate. He also has not paid me $45 as agreed to change his original label from Ground to Next Day. Do not conduct any business with this user, or any user giving you the aforementioned email address. Stay safe out there!