The tag price point makes it too easy of a target for this scam. I just joined today asking for buying advice for Autavia - looking to buy used if possible. Because of tags price point, a lot of the dealers just dont want to buy (and sell) tags, or just discourage owners by lowballing ridiculously.
So people have to buy their used tags from ebay and it's a minefield.
eBay, fine for articles under a tenner, anything else?
As long as you understand there are fakes on the platform and do your due diligence, then it can still be a good place to buy and sell. And the authentication service, although having its own risks, also provides a certain level of confidence for both buyers and sellers.
EBay is a great place to buy if you ignore most of the description and make your decision based on the pictures and your own knowledge. If the aren’t able to spot fakes yourself it’s a complete lottery as eBay aren’t great at identifying and removing fake listings.
I would say my experience hasn’t been quite as bad as others. I’ve managed to get lots of fake watch listings removed but I do think eBay have some algorithm which is at least in part fuelled by the amount of people reporting a listing as fake and perhaps the history of the reporter.
Please excuse my ignorance, but what things did you see that tipped you off that it's fake? I still have a lot of learning to do....
For any Monaco enthusiast, well versed on the various Monacos, there are just so many things wrong with it. The list is long.
Some of the things are subtle, unless one has a trained eye, such as the grain on the case. But others are just glaringly wrong. The box and papers are not the ones used for the current H02 Monaco. They're a much older style, so old that they have the original old TAG Heuer logo with the arrow style "G". Not only are they period incorrect, but they also look like imitations.
The caseback on the watch itself is totally wrong. The H02 Monaco has a see through caseback. This fake has the special 'One of 169' solid caseback that can only be found on the five Calibre11 Monaco 50th Anniversary models, each limited to 169 pieces.
^This particular fake uses the caseback of the '90s decade LE (1989-1999) Monaco 50th Anniversary, which would be the one that I own (below). ^