# Cartier on Ebay?



## Rascasrosa (Dec 14, 2012)

So I have been thinking of picking up a Cartier watch, more than likely a Tank Solo or a mid sized Tank Francaise. I see there are many for sale via eBay at reasonable prices, but, I am not sure who I can trust. Of course I can review feedback, but many sellers have limited feedback (that I have seen).


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## V10K+ (Jul 8, 2012)

I had a good transaction on ebay. Just be sure to find someone with good feedback and check their return policy. If you wait a few months you can find brand new ones being sold deeply discounted as opposed to used. I definitely think its better to find one on ebay than buy new. With extra money saved you can buy a second tank at half price.


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## Dino944 (Dec 10, 2012)

There is an old saying when it comes to buying ...buy the seller. Meaning...know who you are dealing with and how the community views them and their reputation. There are even some sites that have sections about "Goodguys" to deal with. If you are a novice hold off and do a lot of research and go see the Tank Solos in person at ADs or boutiques so you know what the real one should look like. If you still unsure the safest thing to due is buy from an AD or boutique. There are tons of fake Cartiers out there. If I had to, I'd rather buy from an AD or Boutique and pay more than Ebay, but know that I bought the real thing instead of a fake or a franken-watch (cobbled up from real Cartier parts).


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## Rascasrosa (Dec 14, 2012)

Dino944 said:


> There are tons of fake Cartiers out there. If I had to, I'd rather buy from an AD or Boutique and pay more than Ebay, but know that I bought the real thing instead of a fake or a franken-watch (cobbled up from real Cartier parts).


While I am aware there are many fake Cartier watches out there, I wasn't aware of the "franken-watch." Thanks for the heads up on that!


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## Rascasrosa (Dec 14, 2012)

V10K+ said:


> If you wait a few months you can find brand new ones being sold deeply discounted as opposed to used.


Glad you had a positive experience via eBay. I might take your advice and visit a few AD's in a few months to see if I can get a deal.


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## famster99 (Dec 25, 2012)

Hello. I have been buying and selling on Ebay for years now and I find it to be a great place to get nice items at fraction of the cost. 
There are a lot of Cartier watches on Ebay, genuines and fakes. What I look for when purchasing an expensive watch there is whether it comes with the original Cartier box and certificate. I know no case where a seller would try to sell a fake watch WITH original box & papers so I feel a lot better buying one that comes with those 2 items. Some certificates are not filled in (not unusual) but the fact that it comes with the watch gives me confidence that I am buying the "real" thing. And it's also great when I need to resell the watch at a later date for the same reason.
Ebay now has a warranty on the purchase if the item turns out to be fake so that's your second defense, too.
As a buyer, I find it great to get my Cartier watches from Ebay knowing that they have been discounted heavily from the original new price tag. As a seller, it's not as good because of the fees involved and for a Cartier watch, the fees could max out at $250.00 plus another $75 or so for Paypal. 
Hope this has answered your question.



Rascasrosa said:


> So I have been thinking of picking up a Cartier watch, more than likely a Tank Solo or a mid sized Tank Francaise. I see there are many for sale via eBay at reasonable prices, but, I am not sure who I can trust. Of course I can review feedback, but many sellers have limited feedback (that I have seen).


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## Dino944 (Dec 10, 2012)

famster99 said:


> What I look for when purchasing an expensive watch there is whether it comes with the original Cartier box and certificate. I know no case where a seller would try to sell a fake watch WITH original box & papers so I feel a lot better buying one that comes with those 2 items. Some certificates are not filled in (not unusual) but the fact that it comes with the watch gives me confidence that I am buying the "real" thing. Ebay now has a warranty on the purchase if the item turns out to be fake so that's your second defense, too.


The Ebay warranty is a good thing...although I'm not sure what one has to go through in order to get reimbursed.

As for the Box and Papers, they are not a guarantee that what you are getting is real, as they can also be fakes. Some of the higher quality fakes come with fake box and papers. They look genuine from a distance or in a photo, but in person you can easily tell the boxes and papers are not real.

If someone isn't that familiar Cartiers and they are risk averse, buying at an AD or boutique gives them the confidence to know they are buying an authentic Cartier....and none of the risk. Yes, it might cost a bit more but if they get burned on a ebay deal, its a tough lesson to learn on a first good watch purchase.


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## Rascasrosa (Dec 14, 2012)

Dino944 said:


> As for the Box and Papers, they are not a guarantee that what you are getting is real, as they can also be fakes.


Good point. Some of my friends who own authentic Tiffany pieces were able to sell their "blue boxes" and bags via eBay anywhere from $50 -$100 each. While I am sure there are people buying these boxes for authentic pieces purchased second hand, I am sure there are people purchasing these boxes to help sell fake pieces. I am sure this happens with Cartier as well.


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## Rascasrosa (Dec 14, 2012)

famster99 said:


> Hello. I have been buying and selling on Ebay for years now and I find it to be a great place to get nice items at fraction of the cost. Ebay now has a warranty on the purchase if the item turns out to be fake so that's your second defense, too.


I purchase many items via ebay as well, though, they are not items that have high price tags. I didn't know that Ebay offers a warranty protection if an item turns out to be fake, thanks for sharing, I will review the fine print on that. Hopefully Ebay doesn't make it too much of a nightmare to file a claim.


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## Sheena098 (Dec 23, 2012)

Dino944 said:


> The Ebay warranty is a good thing...although I'm not sure what one has to go through in order to get reimbursed.
> 
> As for the Box and Papers, they are not a guarantee that what you are getting is real, as they can also be fakes. Some of the higher quality fakes come with fake box and papers. They look genuine from a distance or in a photo, but in person you can easily tell the boxes and papers are not real.
> 
> If someone isn't that familiar Cartiers and they are risk averse, buying at an AD or boutique gives them the confidence to know they are buying an authentic Cartier....and none of the risk. Yes, it might cost a bit more but if they get burned on a ebay deal, its a tough lesson to learn on a first good watch purchase.


HI

I agree with Dino944, if you are not confident or very familiar with cartier pieces then i would definately buy from a AD, as i did myself. Please take your time and look around, I went to the AD once to have a look around then again to put a deposit on the watch i liked (a deposit secures the watch at the reduced price but you still have 8 weeks to decide if you want to buy or get a refund of your deposit). needless to say i didnt take that long to decide but went back in a couple of days and bought the watch. I did take advice from people on here (very knowledgable and helpful) and family as for me this was a considered purchase.

In my mind it makes sense to be able to try on and feel the watch, try on other styles and go with what feels right. you might be surprised and walk away with a different watch or atleast some more information to think about. The two years warranty i think only comes from AD (if im wrong am sure someone will correct me). if you are confident enough about ebay then go for it....either way Happy Shopping !!

hope you find what your looking for


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## famster99 (Dec 25, 2012)

Rascasrosa said:


> I purchase many items via ebay as well, though, they are not items that have high price tags. I didn't know that Ebay offers a warranty protection if an item turns out to be fake, thanks for sharing, I will review the fine print on that. Hopefully Ebay doesn't make it too much of a nightmare to file a claim.


As a seller, you will have to sign an agreement to allow EBay to wihdraw money from your account in the case EBay concludes that you are selling counterfeit or scamming buyers. This is the reason why EBay can offer 100% money back warranty on all purchases.
Of course it's always best to purchase a watch from AD but you can save so much more buying a 2nd hand watch from Ebay. I have bought 4 nice watches from EBay already at at least 50% discount from the original prices. 
Another tip is to pay with your credit card. You can always dispute with the bank should there be a problem. Remember that as far as the bank is concerned, the seller you are in dispute with is Paypal and NOT the individual seller on EBay. And Paypal doesn't have all the facts in the transaction between you and the Ebay seller.


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## Dino944 (Dec 10, 2012)

No one is disputing there can be a significant savings buying a watch through ebay. Its simply it comes with risk and some hassel if it doesn't work out. I've never sold anything on ebay (just made small purchase). But what happens if the seller closes the account that the funds were transfered into? Does Ebay just give you your money back and they go after the seller themselves? Do they make you wait until they get the funds back from the seller. If they file a law suit against the seller, it could be several months or years before they retrieve funds from the seller. 

In the end people have to make decisions they are comfortable with, particularly if the buyer has limited experience with a brand. For some it means paying a bit more and eliminating the risk of getting a fake, franken-watch, etc.


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## famster99 (Dec 25, 2012)

Dino944 said:


> No one is disputing there can be a significant savings buying a watch through ebay. Its simply it comes with risk and some hassel if it doesn't work out. I've never sold anything on ebay (just made small purchase). But what happens if the seller closes the account that the funds were transfered into? Does Ebay just give you your money back and they go after the seller themselves? Do they make you wait until they get the funds back from the seller. If they file a law suit against the seller, it could be several months or years before they retrieve funds from the seller.
> 
> In the end people have to make decisions they are comfortable with, particularly if the buyer has limited experience with a brand. For some it means paying a bit more and eliminating the risk of getting a fake, franken-watch, etc.


I did have to deal with a case when the seller withdrew all money but that was BEFORE Ebay/Paypal had the full money back warranty. This was when paying with your credit card became very IMPORTANT. I simply called my credit card company and disputed the purchase. The bank gave itself 3 months to resolve the case and you don't have to pay during this period. After 3 months, if it cannot solve the case, you are automatically FREE from paying. And as far as the bank is concerned, your seller IS Paypal, which is in your favor because Paypal cannot claim that they sent you an authentic item as it has no way of doing so if the buyer/scammer simply quit on it. In my case, I got my money back (by the bank's declaring that it couldn't resolve the case with 'seller'(Paypal)

I may sound like I work for Ebay but I just want to share my experience so others don't miss out on the great values they may be missing. My most recent purchase on there is a Cartier Ballon Bleu, large size, with box and papers including a warranty card showing the date of purchase in 8/2011. The watch is practically new with the price of $3,525. Now tell me how much more would I be paying for such a watch at the AD?


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## Dino944 (Dec 10, 2012)

Good to know that the buyer isn't screwed if the seller is trying to scam them. 

However, thats presuming that the buyer knows enough to identify a real one from a fake. Some of the fakes or franken-watches (cobbled up from real parts) are good enough to fool people in the industry until they take the back off and look at the movement. Many of us know our way around Cartier, Rolex, etc...but a newbie might not know all the tell tale signs. Someone with experience can get some deals and not get burned, newbies should be careful until they really know about watches.


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## Rascasrosa (Dec 14, 2012)

Wow, lot's of great eBay information being shared, thanks so much! I like paying with my credit card when using paypal, because I don't like the idea of funds being taken directly out of my checking account (I'm a bit paranoid). Still not sure if I feel comfortable going the eBay route as the idea of purchasing a "Frankenwatch" scares the heck out of me even with all of the protection ebay/paypal and my credit card company offers on the purchase. Maybe I will just continue to monitor ebay and when I come across what I think is a good deal from a seemingly reputable vendor, I can hopefully check around this forum to find out if anyone has had issues, or something. If I were to purchase from an AD, I would just go to Cartier, which could turn into a fun experience (I love playing with diamonds).


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