What to inspect
Check whether a quote assumes original papers, specific condition, or a configuration you have not confirmed. Ask about shipping costs and the process if the post-inspection offer is lower.
A practical workflow
Create a comparison sheet with net proceeds, conditions, custody, and timing. Save written offers and their validity periods. Obtain a receipt if a dealer holds the watch for assessment.
When to pause or proceed
Do not treat a high provisional quote as a completed sale. Evaluate the risk and inconvenience of sending the watch before knowing the final terms.
Worked example
Imagine one offer includes return shipping if declined while another deducts an assessment charge. The headline figures alone do not show what you receive or pay in each outcome.
Illustrative scenario, not a customer case or reported event.
Wording you can adapt
Use this for the relevant contact or as a private task note. Replace bracketed fields with accurate details and send sensitive records only through an appropriate secure channel.
Please confirm the net amount offered for this watch and included package, the assumptions subject to inspection, and every potential deduction. If I decline a revised offer, who arranges and pays for return? I would also like the custody terms and payment timing so I can compare this proposal fairly with other offers.
Your working record
Copy these fields into a private note. For each entry, add the source file or contact, the date checked, and anything still unresolved. Leave unknown information marked unknown; do not guess to complete the sheet.
- Net offer and assumptionsRecord: __________ · Evidence: __________ · Next action: __________
- Possible deductionsRecord: __________ · Evidence: __________ · Next action: __________
- Inspection and payment timingRecord: __________ · Evidence: __________ · Next action: __________
- Declined-offer return termsRecord: __________ · Evidence: __________ · Next action: __________
This is a recordkeeping aid. It is not a certificate, contract, valuation, or confirmation of insurance cover.
Describe what you can support
A useful sale description distinguishes things you have checked from things a previous seller told you. If you do not know whether a part is original, say what documentation you have and leave the uncertainty visible. Buyers can evaluate a disclosed gap; they cannot evaluate a certainty that the records do not support. Keep the condition description specific enough to compare against the watch at handover.
Agree the watch identity, included accessories, price, inspection conditions, payment route, and delivery arrangement in writing. Photograph the watch near the time it leaves your custody and retain a copy of the transaction record. After completion, update your private inventory and any relevant service or database records through their proper channels. Keep the history rather than deleting the file because you no longer own the watch.
A receipt records a transaction but does not resolve every ownership or consumer-law question. Consignment, private sales, and business sales may involve different duties. Have unusual or high-value contractual terms reviewed locally.
Is the highest quote always the best choice?
No. Compare the certainty of the offer, business verification, custody arrangements, and payment conditions. A conditional figure may differ substantially from the amount finally offered.
Sources and scope
The sources below support the general principles for this topic. The workflow and hypothetical example are MyStolenWatch’s practical synthesis; the sources do not endorse this guide or verify a particular watch. Consult current provider terms before acting.
- FTC: Buying from an online marketplace
US consumer guidance on seller checks, marketplace terms, and payment protections; it does not authenticate watches.
- FTC: Online shopping
General US guidance on documenting purchases and resolving shopping problems. Remedies vary by country and payment method.
Check a watch serial number
A MyStolenWatch search checks reports held in this database. A no-match result does not certify authenticity, ownership, or an absence of theft elsewhere. Check current pricing before purchasing a search.
Check a watch serial number