I inherited a Heuer Autavia GMT. So naturally I have been watching eBay to learn more about this particular watch and also to learn about value. There we are a few auctions with very high buy it now prices. I keep watching those and know the asking prices are a bit high. However I have also seen a few auctions that have started very low and then poof. Gone. Is this a case of eBay recognizing a fake and protecting buyers like me who just don’t know what to look for to spot a fake? Or is the seller getting a side offer? I just don’t know enough to spot a fake to know it’s a fake and an trying to learn so if someone could explain it to me, I would be very grateful.

 

I am an eBayer too. I recently saw a TAG Heuer SpaceX for sale there and decided to look in to it's authenticity before bidding. It was an unusual colored dial and markings. Maybe I had just never seen it. Recently someone posted here about a similar watch with and even crazier color combination. Is my TAG Heuer Authentic? All questions here please I wanted to add the pictures from that auction to this discussion and when I went to click on it was just gone. The old "We've looked everywhere..." message came up. That was a fake SpaceX I'm sure. I've seen that many times before as well. Also, sellers are selling items in their stores or at other online sites as well of course. So, in short, both questions might be answered "Yes".

BTW, I am looking for a GMT just like yours. And one day you will see one like it and the next it will be gone! (That was me buying it)

 

In many cases where a watch disappears, it's possibly because it's been sold elsewhere, e.g. outside of eBay. In any case, eBay asking prices are not necessarily a good indication of true value - it's selling prices that matter. You can search for those by filtering on "Sold Items" in the advanced search options. You can also check the price charts for your chosen model reference on Chrono24.com.

 

And if you see "Best Offer Accepted" you can run a quick Google search to find out how to view the actual selling price

 

Thanks for the replies. Yes, I agree that asking price is not an indicator of value. As evidenced by the auction with a $24K price for a head only. However the ones that seem to go away are the ones that start with a low initial bids. Perhaps they get a cash offer on the side and end the auction but usually there is a cancel notice especially if there are bids. I bid $24 on one example knowing that would be nowhere near the selling price but just to be able to track the progress. The next day, poof, gone. No notice that an item I was bidding on was canceled like in the past. I think I will screen shot those that I find from here out of only to find out if they are fakes and how to tell the difference.

 

It’s back! This same piece is the one listed previously. Is it a fake? Is the whole auction a scam? I will update if it disappears again.

 

Absolutely. The watch is good, but the seller is trying a scam. You should look at the other listings offered, all vintage dream watches. This happens with various seller names too. Easy to spot as they always include an image like this.


Please do not bid, really?

 

I see this pawn thing often. And yes it disappears. Saw it frequently when I was searching for a 2446c and my Blue Dreamer. Same pawn graphic popped up for a Hodinkee Skipper and was gone like an hour later.

 

The newest Skipper listing has been there for a coupla days now. Shouldn't be too long before it disappears.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Skipper-He...145329?hash=item26582dabb1:g:Ab8AAOSwTr9gHfAyPurchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

 

Yep. Same pics as before. Strange scam.

 

So easy to spot too, total fraud. But then the seller has 2,710 positives rating and zero negatives. I just can't explain why this just keeps showing up. Along with all the other gems of the watch world listed on this same seller's listings.

 

Surely will be a hacked and stolen eBay account. The listing breaks eBays rules too which is a huge red flag.

 

Yep, this is an ongoing scam where different accounts are hacked, but that "Selling for my boss at the pawn shop" image is always included. They also always reuse the same images, so it's fairly easy to spot when they show up - and why eBay quickly takes them down when they're reported.

 

Agree with the above about hacked accounts. I even contacted a couple of them to let them know when this started happening regularly. Now it is every weekend-same pieces, same photos, same scam. Sigh.....

 

I had never noted the seller name before, just that the seller had a great feedback. That was what threw me. Longtime seller, great feedback, bids on auction and “poof” gone.

 

They also bulk-upload so many of these listings that it makes that day's eBay alerts an absolute wash - too much scrolling to find any actual watches listed. A real pain

 

Another fake AR listed on Reddit a few hours ago. Obviously worn and 'enjoyed' by the seller for a few years. Spotted some more fake ARs on Ebay today. I reported them as counterfeit but I don't think it'll do much good. I'm convinced this is hurting TAG as the quality of those fakes must have an impact on TAGs quality perception by the general public.

 

Thanks for this, I'm going to start reporting them myself too. So is their scam to hack trusted accounts and then try to have people reach out to them via email directly for the $3000 "buy it now" price and avoid eBay?

 

Went to report it and sure enough “poof” it was already gone.

 

This one might be a better one for you to compare yours with.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Heuer...204449?hash=item3db5ce5961:g:xZMAAOSw2QlgHwsQPurchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network