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Buying Tips

Paneristi.com's online sales forums were created for and to allow the members to buy, sell, and trade Panerai watches and their related accessories amongst themselves. Panersiti.com is not involved in any of these transactions between buyers and sellers nor does it bear any responsibility for the transactions that may result.

Following are some tips to help you buy or trade with more confidence.

Tip # 1. BUY THE SELLER

This is repeated often on the boards and cannot be stressed enough. When dealing in any online transaction get a comfort level with the person on the other end of the deal. Ask for and check references. Make sure either the seller or their references or ideally all are known forum members. Post a reference check on the Collector’s Market. If the seller is known, good or bad, you will get a response. Perform a search on all the Paneristi.com forums. Is the seller an active member? For how long? Are there previous sales you can find? Ask the seller what other sales/trading forums they belong to and what their IDs are on those forums. Send an email to those addresses and verify it is the same person. Check their references on those boards. Ask the seller for a phone number to speak to them personally to discuss the transaction. Ask them for their home address, a legit seller should have no problem providing this information. Does the location match the area code of their telephone number? If you are still not comfortable ask the seller to provide a copy of their driver’s license.

Tip #2 KNOW WHAT YOU ARE BUYING

It sounds easy enough but take the time to research the watch you are buying. What straps did it come with originally? Any additional tool, keys, scrolls etc. necessary to make a complete set? What are the correct boxes and paperwork that should accompany it? Completeness adds to the value. If a seller states a watch is complete, make sure you know what that should entail.

Tip #3 KNOW THE CONDITION

A seller’s definition of condition may drastically differ from yours. Ask the seller pointed questions either via email or by telephone. Are there any scratches or dings or dents? Is the crystal clean? What condition are the straps/bracelet in? Condition is another important factor in determining value. Make sure you know what shape the watch is in that you are trying to buy.

Tip #4 GET SCANS

Most ads will contain scans. Bear in mind, pictures are easily stolen. Ask for additional scans of the watch on a newspaper showing the current date. Ask for scans of the movement sticker and the back of the watch. Do the numbers match? Ask for scans that show any potential "concerns" about the watch. Do not let a seller tell you that the ding/scratch on the bezel is not noticeable; have them prove it with a picture. Ask for pictures of the complete set. Are all boxes, paperwork, straps etc shown?

Tip #5 TRADES REQUIRE EXTRA CAUTION

A higher probability for scams exist with trades. Extra caution must be exercised prior to entering these transactions. It is strongly suggested that deals involving trades only be done with a party personally known to you, a transaction that can be done face to face or a seller/trader with excellent credentials/references above reproach. If extra care is not taken when contemplating a trade the possibility exists for you to wind up with both no money and no watch. Double the risk, double the due diligence.

Tip #6 METHODS OF PAYMENT

As previously stated, a face to face transaction with both the watch and cash present is probably the safest. One can verify the condition and completeness of the watch and the seller receives payment immediately. It is recommended that these transactions take place in a suitable public location i.e. an AD, a bank lobby, etc. Most sellers will not accept a check or take a credit card directly. From a seller's perspective, the second safest form of payment is a wire transfer into their bank account. For the buyer, this will give them additional information about the seller as well as confirm previous information provided. Some sellers may accept PayPal with the fee's negotiable between the two parties. PayPal offers a level of security to both the buyer and seller, especially if a buyer uses a major credit card. There are potential risks to this and those should be researched prior to utilizing. Lastly, a word about escrow services. Most legitimate buyers will not accept the use of an escrow service. It slows the transaction down, adds cost to the transaction and really does little to protect a buyer. Most escrow services do not open packages so they do not verify the contents and if they do open them, they certainly offer no verification of the authenticity of the goods they receive. There continue to be a plethora of phony escrow services as well and one would be wise to avoid them from either side of a transaction.

Some Warning Signs - These may not indicate a bad deal but all should be taken into account and verified to your satisfaction.