Expensive watches is a scam

July 09, 2023 12:26PM

Do not do the expensive watch shops. They are a scam. They come up with reasons to not accept them. They do not send them back to correct. It’s like you could spell a word wrong and that could be the reason it’s not paid.

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July 09, 2023 12:37PM

I have done many of these shops. Everyone accepted, without challenge, and paid on time.

July 09, 2023 01:42PM

I did a few years ago and I was always paid. At times it was difficult noting everything they wanted noted without looking obvious staring and looking around for certain signage, etc I also ran into an issue as when I did the shops more than once the same person would be working there which resulted in them saying they remembered me, etc. Obviously they were expecting me to buy something and were disappointed when I returned looing for a very special gift for someone else this time! LOL

July 09, 2023 02:40PM

I have done them for two different companies with no issues. Maybe you should call our the company if you think they are being unfair.

July 09, 2023 03:14PM

I have done these for three MSCs. No issues except for running after one of them to pay me (which has not happened yet for a May shop).

July 09, 2023 06:06PM

@Rousseau wrote:

I have done many of these shops. Everyone accepted, without challenge, and paid on time.

As have I. Never had any problems. Take these at a bonus on a regular basis and have always been paid with no issue.

July 09, 2023 08:46PM

Stating it is a SCAM is a bit much and misleading. Why always go there with that term? What is the real reason the shop was not accepted? Not the imagined reason.

July 12, 2023 08:41PM

I've done it for the MSC that starts with the letter I. I had no issues. I heard the MSC that starts with S have a ton of issues, but then again, everything with them are problematic, not just the watch shops.

July 12, 2023 08:50PM

On an unrelated note, expensive watches are a scam. I did a shop for Rolex and the shop had none. They would take your name and contact you if they got one. You couldn't preorder or be told when they expected them. I am more of a Cartier girl myself but damn, Rolex, what is so great about your watch that you can charge that much.

July 13, 2023 03:21AM

"I did a shop for Rolex and the shop had none. They would take your name and contact you if they got one'

Don't car dealers do the same thing and no one thinks twice? Or Beanie Babies at the height of their popularity?

July 13, 2023 03:40AM

How is an expensive timepiece a SCAM? Is it a fraudulent business scheme? A swindle? No. Now if the watch was not a genuine Rolex, Omega, whatever, that would be fraudulent.

July 13, 2023 05:01AM

Why is that a scam? They didn't have the watch in stock. Did they take your money and fail to deliver? Did they give you a Folex (a fake Rolex) There are many watch brands even more expensive than Rolex that I had shopped for and they take orders for delivery in 2 to 3 years. That is the industry. Many of them have far more dealers than the total number of watches they produce in a calendar year. How is that a scam?

For years, Tesla kept waiting lists for cars. They announced the Cybertruck about 4 years ago, and have yet to even manufacture a single one, but thousands of people gave them a $100 reservation fee. Is Tesla a scam? By your definition, apparently Tesla is a scam.

@jazzzyjd wrote:

On an unrelated note, expensive watches are a scam. I did a shop for Rolex and the shop had none. They would take your name and contact you if they got one. You couldn't preorder or be told when they expected them. I am more of a Cartier girl myself but damn, Rolex, what is so great about your watch that you can charge that much.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

July 13, 2023 02:16PM

As much as I love my Tesla, I also gave them $100 a good three years ago with no prospect of getting a Cybertruck. The 15k for FSD which does nothing more than Autopilot is also a scam. You lose it if you sell the car. So yeah, Tesla is in part a scam.

Carry on.

July 13, 2023 04:20PM

Ok -- maybe not a scam as I didn't buy one or even put my name on the list to be contacted so I can't comment on that but I do feel like the business model of creating scarcity to raise the price on something that really just a luxury status symbol designed to part people from their money well it is a ploy that has caused exquisite poverty whereby consumers buy luxury goods to match a mental image (fueled by social media) of wealth and status that they do not actually have nor can they afford.

Could Rolex make more watches? probably. Could Rolex allow you to preorder? probably.
But most companies have a production schedule and would be able to let their retailers when they would be getting the product. The sales person I talked to said he could not predict when or if they would get any watches in. That hardly seems like a business model that is sustainable.

But ultimately my comment can be boiled down to -- I don't understand the allure of luxury status symbols but if I had more money than I knew what to do with I might be talked into something from the Van Cleef & Arpels collection and those are more expensive (and likely less recognizable)

July 13, 2023 07:11PM

People who are wealthy don't typically by these "status" symbols.

July 14, 2023 12:13PM

I had a friend who wasn't wealthy, but knew how to game the system. He had a low pressure job, probably politically connected, that gave him a car and housing. He owned a Rolex for every day of the week. He had the latest Porshe in a garage that he rarely used and sold it for a profit to buy the newest model. When he retired with a huge pension, he bought a million dollar house down the shore. Going out to dinner with him became too expensive for us as he would order the finest wines and get the largest lobsters.

When my son got married a few years ago, not only did he not attend, he never sent so much as a congratulations card. He is sort of an ex-friend these days.

I'm not impressed by status symbols. Mostly all for show.

*****************************************************************************
The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..

Mark Twain

July 14, 2023 02:18PM

My main issue with these shops is that some MSC pay $100 for a report on these, and the rest offer $25 - $40 pay max. For $100 I'll do it, but never for $45.

July 15, 2023 05:28AM

How can you say that this is a scam or fraudulent? A Rolex is at the price point it is at based on a little economic theory you may know as supply vs demand. Same with other high cost products or property. I live 2 blocks from the Gulf of Mexico this property does not come cheap - unless it gets moved 20 miles inland. Just because you don't want a Rolex or pay the going price of one, does not in anyway make it a scam or fraud.

Is your problem only with the price of the watch or is your problem with the MSC because you were not paid? If your report is anything like your statement about being a scam, fraud, etc.; it might be understandable why you didn't get paid. You cannot throw out those terms or slap labels because you feel justified. We as professional shoppers have to give the factual information not come to our own conclusions or name calling and expect that to be accepted in a report.

Maybe give us the facts and only the facts - not your opinion or your assumptions and we might be able to help you.

July 19, 2023 12:43AM

I schedule some watch shops and we have pre-book and walk-in shops - for the walk-in you just go to the store without an appt and shop for watches!

Karen Holland
Independent Scheduler for Ipsos
[www.ishopforipsos.com]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2023 12:10PM by KarenSchedulesForIpsos.

July 19, 2023 02:17PM

Curious as to why though? I've done a few of these. The current project is not the one from last year. This one is super easy. You just walk in and ask about a watch or jewelry. The shop only takes 15-20 minutes while the associate gives you their talk. I've never had a problem with them.

July 20, 2023 04:16PM

@Realshopsinfo wrote:

Do not do the expensive watch shops. They are a scam. They come up with reasons to not accept them. They do not send them back to correct. It’s like you could spell a word wrong and that could be the reason it’s not paid.

Not to question what you're saying but I did the Rolex evaluation for the massive multi-continent MSC that we all know and love...paid $300. Most I ever made on a non-purchase shop.

I will say that the screen shots they wanted were crazy...I had to shrink my screen down to a level where I couldn't read it to get a screen shot. That was nut-so. Took a week or two to get the payment. No issues except for the protracted payment.

Every shop is different though. Sorry you didn't have a good experience.

July 20, 2023 04:19PM

@purpleicee wrote:

Stating it is a SCAM is a bit much and misleading. Why always go there with that term? What is the real reason the shop was not accepted? Not the imagined reason.

I have no idea why this poster chose those words. I'll just presume that they felt that strongly about it.

However, it does seem to me that on the internet, there is almost a reflex that some folks have to automatically go to the extreme to get a reaction. I don't think it is always artificial but I think in most cases it is. I'm sure the poster felt strongly.

July 20, 2023 04:28PM

The OP only stuck around long enough to create the thread and add a comment. Clearly the shop is not a scam. Is it possible that the OP is an alternative screen name for someone here?

July 20, 2023 07:25PM

What about a phone shop of them for $5-10? Is that a waste of time?

I know a lot of people hate phone shops for that low, but I'm trying to boost my income by any means possible at the moment. Five $5-10 phone shops a week does make a difference.

July 20, 2023 08:56PM

@wrosie wrote:

What about a phone shop of them for $5-10? Is that a waste of time?

I know a lot of people hate phone shops for that low, but I'm trying to boost my income by any means possible at the moment. Five $5-10 phone shops a week does make a difference.

Agree. Made 50 bucks without leaving the house last month.

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