Claude Valentini watch scam!

[csmail]

Hey everyone,

Well, me and two friends were walking through Carlisle city centre on the way to get a bus home. When walking through, we passed a black top-of-the-range bmw 5 series.

The man, complete with london accent and fancy suit, shouted to us if we fancied saving "a few bob" on some watches, so we thought might aswel have a look. As the story goes, he stated that he was supposed to give them out to customers who bought a new bmw/mercedes, but had a few left and needed to get rid of them.

So he flicked through this brochure pointing out all the retail prices of these supposive really expensive watches next to bmw/mercedes and explaining how David Beckham wears them and stuff, the prices ranged from about £150-£450. But he would give us them for cut-price, about £40 each.

Thankfully I had no money at the time (too much spent on my jtd ) but my friends fell into the trap, although at the time we thought he was total legit.

So my two friends walked away with 2 watches after trying them on etc, both with full warranty, case, bag etc, one had a rrp of £99 and the other £225... £100 for the two, so quite the saving...

So we walked back along to the bus home thinking we just struck a bargain, how wrong.

With closer inspection we could see that the metal links were of bad quality with rough edges and such, and upon closer inspection of the warranty card we could see spelling mistakes and missed letters etc. So we were prety suspicious.

When we arrived home I did a quick search on these "claude valentini" watches and found this site,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/east/series6/car_park_peddlers.shtml

So, just here to warn you of these people, they supposively operate at motorway garages aswel, so just keep a lookout for them.

csmail.

 

[Randomman]

The good news is the watches are supposedly worth about 30 quid. So you didnt get too ripped off. (well not into triple figures)

And secondly, please dont take offense when I say:

If something seems too good to be true - It is!

Especially when if they are real it would have taken 10 mins to flog them on ebay for close to their real amount.

 

[luvduvs]

If something seems too good to be true - It is!

:yeahthat:

And I would never buy anything off someone on the street.

 

[custard]

tis a classic scam,most often used is im on my way home from a watch convention.
used to get them all the time when i worked near the SSCC in glasgow

 

[jimboy]

ah so young & easy target i could feel sorry 4 u wich i do in a way , but icant believe u fell 4 anything like this be this a lesson in which u will learn nothing 2 to do with anything, but i,ve never heard of claude val'''''''''' or whats his name its easy 4 me 2 scoff but icant believe any1 doesn,t matter how old or young buys stuff from dodgy people on street corners

 

[bulldog5046]

was it a black guy in the convertible? me and my mates bought watches off him i talked him down to £20 then sold it to another mate for £25

 

[Rockbottom]

Don't you watch The Real Hustle? :nono:

After watching The Real Hustle I'm suspicious about everything, don't think I would be fooled by the classic watch scam.

 

[thepottleflump]

They featured a similar scam with video cameras, show the customer a nice JVC but actually sell then a heap of crap, they only realise once they've opened the box. If the watch was £150 why sell it for £40, obviously it ain't worth £150 notes.

 

[csmail]

was it a black guy in the convertible? me and my mates bought watches off him i talked him down to £20 then sold it to another mate for £25

Yeah, but he was in a black bmw this time lol.

But im just glad i didnt buy any, my mates were pretty gullible, although i knew something was fishy, there was no way of talking them out of it.

 

[dave]

was it a black guy in the convertible?

there either lots of guys that got same description and car or Ive met the same bloke, he had watches and bling. i laughed at him and said look at me you see any watch or bling on me? i ain't into that sort of stuff, i told him where the local chavs hang out and he said thanks and went to rip them off instead.
i see the scam on TV and they had watch expert on who said they worth less than £5

watches are old fashion things people used to need to know the time before mobile phones was invented

 

[The Negotiator]

My friend is spending around £1500 on a watch in the next few weeks, should I send him this bloke's way?

People are so easily led when you use a Italian/French/Spanish name on a watch when really nobody is going to go "ohh wow is that a Valentini?" they will say "why are you wearing that crap on your wrist?"

 

[Randomman]

Another one that is actually really good (as in really clever) with cheap watches.

Never seen it happen but know of it, you will need scammer 1 (S1) and scammer 2 (S2) and Victim 1 (V1)

V1 works as a manager in a resturant. S1 eats in the resturant then leaves. S1 returns to say he's lost his fathers/expensive/wedding* (whatever) watch. Any good V1 will have a look, but of course its not there. S1 gives V1 a business card and says there is a £100 reward for finding it. And leaves.

Now, later that day S2 comes in and eats and finds a watch (try a pick a table with sofa seats to make it believable) S2 speaks to manager about it, managers eyes look like $$.
S2 - Do you think they'll be a reward? Did anyone leave there number?

Now the manager should ring, S1 will say he will be down in 20 mins, he is delighted and will have the reward with him.

S2 cant stay but wants his reward so he offers a 50/50 split with the manager. The manager pays £50 knowing he's going to get £100 for it. And of course neither scammer are ever seen again. The manager has a 5 quid watch and a number to a sim card thats about to be binned.

 

[bozzy]

People are so easily led when you use a Italian/French/Spanish name on a watch when really nobody is going to go "ohh wow is that a Valentini?" they will say "why are you wearing that crap on your wrist?"

Not limited to Italian/French/Spanish. I went to see 3 Omega's and all were fake. These were 2 grand watches and I know one was sold later that day on e-bay despite me telling e-bay that I had been to see it and it was fake. Poor/stupid people.

 

[The Negotiator]

But that's slightly different, that's selling something as something it's not, using a well established and famous brandname. I am talkng about people falling for buying crap watches because they have an exotic and expensive sounding name.

 

[Big Black Stilo]

a lad who used to work at my old work got a watch off a bloke outside the NEC. This geezer was selling them from a BMW, saying he worked for BMW and same as above had been giving out Armani watches to people who bought new beemers.

This lad said to him your talking bullpoo and said you dont have to give me all that rubbish, then asked how much they were, this guy says £50 for a £300. Lad from work walks away with two for £30, sold one to someone at work for £40 and kept one.

He was still wearing two years later when I left there and never once beleived he had bough an armani watch, but it lasted.

 

[faster4_tec]

so you've got his registration and are currently talking to police about someone illegally pedalling goods not as described, and selling in a public place without a market type license?

deals don't find you, you find them!!


that rule applies to most things..

doorstep salesmen
car park tossers
jahovis witness's

 

[maddogmorg]

i may of spotted the best warning sign.....

The man, complete with london accent...

you sure t'wasn't a robin reliant?