Watch Out! (pun intended)

If you're a frugal bastage like me, then you've probably perused the the classifieds for decent pre-owned and/or unique piece to add to your modest collection. Such is the case with my latest acquisition, a gently used Timex Q reverse-panda chronograph ... which is a stunning watch "in-the-flesh" I might add!

However that's not the focus of this little write-up. I've purchased pre-owned watches online in the past without a single issue. This time though it was a MAJOR exercise in frustration and perseverance!

This watch surfaced on a popular Canadian online marketplace back in late August for an unbelievably low asking price, so I immediately contacted the seller/owner for details. He replied that the watch was in excellent condition, so I offered him $10 CDN above his asking price if he would mail it out to my address in eastern Canada (he was located in central Canada). He agreed to this and asked that I e-transfer the money directly to his bank account ... which I did, asking in return that he notify me when the watch was in the post.

Anyhow, days passed without so much as a peep from the seller regarding the status of the shipment. Becoming a bit concerned, I contacted him via email and the online marketplace's messenger service. Again no response. After another week of this, I eventually emailed and threatened to report as potential fraud to the marketplace's service department. Still no response, so within a day or so I did just that (reported him), and asked the seller for a refund. Surprisingly he actually responded to this and agreed to refund my money. I gave him the details to e-transfer the funds back and expected that they'd show up within 24 hours at the most. They didn't. Again days go by without my hard-earned showing up. By this time I am, to say the least, becoming pretty P.O.'d and extremely frustrated. At this point I email again and threaten to report him to his local police department as well as the Anti-Fraud branch within Revenue Canada. The seller must have thick skin, because even this didn't solicit a response. Another week goes by and thinking about chalking my loss up to an unfortunate experience, I decide to try one last time. This time I emailed the seller and asked him what gives? Why would you feel the need to rip off an innocent person like that, just because you could? I questioned his moral character and his conscience. In short, I tried the "shame" tactic, figuring I had already lost and had nothing further to lose.

Lo and behold, this time the seller responded. My last email must've struck a nerve. He changed his mind about the refund and instead agreed to post the watch the very next day, and provide a tracking number!

So yesterday, a month-and-a-half after e-transferring my money, the watch was delivered. It's a beauty, but the whole experience left a sour taste in my mouth and the whole ordeal was literally exhausting. But, I guess a storied watch is an interesting watch! LOL!

Folks, watch out! Be cautious when purchasing a pre-owned watch via local, provincial (state), or national classifieds. I got lucky and also luckily I wouldn't have been out much money if I had been in fact scammed. I'll never e-transfer a remote private seller for a purchase ever again ... lesson learned.