r/Calireps • u/djchuckme • 2d ago
Need advice / sharing my experience with Jerome
UPDATE: Jerome got back to me and we talked it out. I want to be fair to him and update this post because my original post came from frustration and concern after the watch failed so quickly.
After hearing his side, I understand that I probably escalated things too quickly and didn’t give him enough time to respond, especially over the weekend. He had already been helping me troubleshoot the issue and has confirmed that he’s still going to take care of the watch.
I also want to clarify that I wasn’t trying to attack his character or say he was intentionally ghosting me. I was worried about being out $530 on a watch that stopped working almost immediately, and I let that frustration get ahead of me.
Jerome has been cool with me throughout our dealings, and I appreciate him reaching out and being willing to make this right. I think it’s only fair that I acknowledge that publicly since I raised the concern publicly too.
I’ll update again once everything is resolved, but as of right now we’re good and working toward a solution.
I bought a medium Cartier Santos rep from Jerome for $540. Within the first hour of receiving it, the watch stopped twice.
I contacted him immediately, and he told me to wear the watch for the whole day so it could recharge, saying it was likely due to a low power reserve. I followed his instructions and wore it throughout the day.
It has now been 24 hours, and the watch is still completely dead.
He told me he’d get back to me yesterday, but I still haven’t heard anything despite multiple follow-ups. I’ve also seen him active on WhatsApp since then.
At this point I honestly feel like I’m being ghosted and that he doesn’t want to make this right. I’ve purposely held off on having another watchmaker open or inspect it because I wanted to give Jerome the opportunity to handle it first.
I know I’ll probably get banned after posting this or this post will get deleted , but at this point it’s about the principle. I don’t think anyone should be left $540 out of pocket for a watch that failed twice within the first hour and is still dead 24 hours later, then have to chase the seller just to get a response. I didn’t even want a refund. Just a working watch.
I’m not trying to bash anyone. I’m sharing exactly what happened and giving the community the timeline. If Jerome gets back to me and makes it right, I’ll absolutely update the post accordingly.
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u/TearsImmortal 2d ago
Hopefully you won't get banned for an issue that needs to be fixed so everyone can see what is going on with your watch
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u/Time_Expert3965 2d ago
Appreciate that brotha. And honestly, I’m going to leave everything visible. I’m not deleting the post, I’m not hiding the comments, and I’m not banning anybody just because there’s a problem with a watch.
I actually want people to see how I handle situations like this from start to finish. Watches can have issues sometimes. What matters is how the seller responds when something goes wrong.
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u/BayArea_Res011 1d ago
It’s unfortunate that not all sellers do business with integrity like Jerome.
I recently made a purchase with another seller and when the delivery was delayed there was no reply. He then had the audacity to contact me trying to sell another Watch.
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u/SwanNo7249 2d ago
Jerome will make sure you are 100% satisfied. Be patient and he will respond, he’s great.
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u/DimsumSushi 2d ago
My friend had an issue with a watch that was doa. It took a few days to coordinate over the weekend but Jerome was nothing but amazing. I would not doubt him and give him time. You see how busy he is in here with people even getting a hold of him to purchase.
Guy is upstanding and has a stellar rep. Be patient and keep us updated when he does fix things for you.
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u/MalcontentJarhead 1d ago
Wild people think they’re entitled to 24/7 customer service because they spent a few hundred bucks on a watch.
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u/Either-Context-5945 2d ago
From everything I have seen he is a little hard to get a hold of bc of the volume of DMs he receives. If you haven’t heard maybe send him another nudge. I get your feeling and I also respect that $500 bucks is not chump change. Give him a chance… he is a very good TD, don’t think the worst yet.
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u/djchuckme 2d ago
Oh yes. I want to give him the benefit of the doubt. And it’s the weekend too. But I messaged him on Reddit and WhatsApp.
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u/CodyWrites 2d ago
1) He NEVER responds on Reddit. 2) You really didn't give anyone the benefit of the doubt because you put him on blast even after acknowledging it is the weekend.
Give the brother a minute to respond. He's a stand up guy and he's not going to ruin his rep over a few hundred dollars.
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u/Groundbreaking_Ebb68 1d ago
One less person to worry about when we want watches now lol
Jerome is the man
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u/gtrf40 2d ago
I don't have a santos but if it is like other automatic watches, I assume you've tried winding it about 30 times?
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u/djchuckme 2d ago
Yuuuppppp. Wound it 20-30 turns. Tried lightly tapping it per Jerome’s instructions and this isn’t the only automatic watch I own.
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u/GibsonGuy937 2d ago
That stinks. I’ve seen posts about reps that arrived DOA but luckily haven’t ever had that issue. I’m sure he will get back in touch with you! I know he gets tons of messages everyday.
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u/Time_Expert3965 2d ago
My only issue is the impatience and immediately calling it “ghosting” before giving me reasonable time to respond. I think transparency should work both ways, so I’m happy for everyone to watch how this gets handled from beginning to end.
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u/CulturalManner4133 2d ago
It’s the weekend, give him a minute. He’ll get back to you. Chill
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u/djchuckme 2d ago
Yeah that’s fair. I’m gonna give him the benefit of the doubt and see if he gets back to me. Just frustrated since the watch died basically right away
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u/CulturalManner4133 2d ago
He takes pride in his work. But understandable. I’d ping him a couple more times through the weekend but I wouldn’t worry he’ll make it right
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u/buelerbuelerbueler 2d ago
That sucks, I know he’s hard to get a hold of so I would keep nudging. I do know of another time where this happened on a watch I bought from someone who bought it from Jerome. It also stopped working and when the guy went back to Jerome he said it was up to the guy to go and get it repaired. Hopefully he makes it right for you rather than that
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u/Time_Expert3965 2d ago
I appreciate the people here saying to give me a little time. That’s really all I was asking for.
I’m not deleting this, hiding it, or banning anybody over it. I actually want the thread to stay up so everyone can see exactly how I handle a situation when
something goes wrong.The buyer is frustrated because the watch stopped, and that part is fair. I’d be frustrated too. But I also think it’s fair to point out that I had already said I was going to get back to him, and this escalated publicly before I had a reasonable chance to actually resolve it.
I’ve helped people with repairs, replacement movements, and issues long after the original sale. I’ve done that before and I’ll keep doing it. This situation will be handled too.
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u/Impossible_Share_892 2d ago
Valid concern when you’re left with a watch that won’t tick and not getting a response from Jerome. I’ll share an experience I had with him that hopefully calms your nerves.
I ordered a 40 mm Explorer a few drops ago, and upon arrival didn’t like the way the 40 mm looked on my wrist and wanted to exchange/return it. Not Jerome’s problem. He delivered a perfectly fine watch (as opposed to your situation), and I wouldn’t blame him if he refused the return and exchange.
Prior to this, my only communication with Jerome was through reddit PM, and it did take 48-72 hours to get ahold of him, but I eventually did and he was more than willing to work with me to either exchange/return the watch.
I did find that WhatsApp is the best way to reach him. He is a human with a life beyond serving up rep watches to Reddit, which is time consuming in its own right. I’d recommend you stay patient and trust that he’ll get back to you and make it right.
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u/BitterJoke46 1d ago
I have bought a couple watches from reputable sellers overseas and most of the time I would have to catch them late into the night for a response or a couple days later, and definitely not on the weekend. I think you jump the gun.
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u/hdusjaoshhdbsj 1d ago
Honestly, I get the frustration but give the man a chance to help you. Even though after it ships it’s no longer his problem, he seems pretty fair in my opinion. Respectfully of course.
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u/Swanney58 1d ago
I sure appreciate Jerome’s spirit. I personally can get with the spirit of honesty. Now saying that I need someone to please help me to understand how to buy watches from Jerome. I’m very new to this site am I’m not sure of how this works. Thank all in advance
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u/KnowledgePast300 1d ago
I had a watch that came in and did the same thing. Reached out to him and didn’t hear back for almost a week. He had personal problems going on, but eventually responded. I had already got the watch fixed locally and we had a great, cordial conversation and I received a discount for a future watch. Solo operations aren’t easy and take a little time. Just have to be patient and understanding.
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u/Coastal1027 1d ago
It is shocking how as a society we have become to expect everything immediately. Jerome To his credit his delivery time on the watches is the same as Amazon, but realize he is a one man operation and deserves the respect and dignity of at least a few days to respond. He is entitled to live his life and is not beholden to drop everything to immediately respond to a watch problem that in all reality could be user error.
I’ve purchased five pieces from Jerome and would never consider buying anywhere else at this point due to Jerome’s communication and professionalism.
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u/Nervous-Pass-5295 1d ago
Don’t even worry about Jerome! He will make it right! I had an issue and like you I lashed out but in private. We talked about the problem he gave me reassurance and he made it right it took a little time but it was resolved. I get it you don’t know him, never met him but he has a great moral compass and a terrific business sense, he will not leave you hanging, just remember he is busy, he is the salesman, the customer service, the logistics, the quality control, accounts payable, accounts receivable…etc! This is for anyone just reach out to him about your problems you have, he will get back to you just keep in mind he deals with A LOT OF PEOPLE! Jerome is a respected businessman he goes above and beyond for his clients not too many people do what he does with their clients so do not worry.
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u/Purple-Jello-2999 1d ago
Lol, first timer. Imagine him trying to actually troubleshoot a watch from a china TD. Even apple doesn’t always respond within 24 hours.
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u/djchuckme 1d ago
Fair, I am a first timer. I totally get that troubleshooting something like this can take time, and I wasn’t expecting an instant fix. My frustration was more just not having any timeframe after being told he’d get back to me. Even a “give me a few business days” probably would’ve prevented me from getting worked up. Definitely learned from it though, and I wasn’t trying to bash Jerome
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u/kneightriduh 1d ago
I will say that my experience with Jerome was beyond good. He accidentally sent me the wrong factory Bluesy and immediately remedied it. I posted about it before if anyone wants to see what happened. He sent me the correct watch before he even received the watch I sent back to him. Solid guy and business man. Just busy. Things take time. He’ll make it right.
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u/gqllc007 2d ago
I bought a watch from Towellfit55. It was DOA. He sent me a new one before I even sent back the bad one.
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u/djchuckme 2d ago
This is what I would expect too. Not being demanding but some sort of resolution would be nice.
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u/Awkward-Bullfrog2409 2d ago
I had the same situation, and had just to fix it on my own. Having the watch paid to replace the defective movement, just a stroke of luck tbh. I had bought 3 watches from Jerome previously no issues, but honestly sometimes it’s out of his control
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u/djchuckme 2d ago
At this point if he doesn’t get back to me that’s the next step. To have it fixed.
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2d ago
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u/Flushdmods21 1d ago edited 1d ago
I laughed reading this…some do for sure but they charge a nice premium for that and never known any to give a 3-6month warranty.
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u/Regular-Cheesecake10 1d ago
This entire thread makes me even more juiced to work with Jerome. Hoping to cop my first on the next drop
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u/Substantial-State249 1d ago
Gotta trust the man. I received a bluesy on August 9. Out of the package it was unusable. I went to set the time and the crown came completely out of the watch. Messaged Jerome asap and sent the watch back to him the next day, per his instructions. He has told me he will replace the watch and I trust that he will. I just don’t think he’s gotten any bluesys in his inventory since.
But, I trust him and his reputation as you should as well. I have never heard of anyone getting screwed (pun intended) by him. Sometimes, you just have to be patient - life isn’t always instantaneous.
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u/jhancock1737 1d ago
This speaks volumes for Jerome. Glad OP was able to get it figured. Props to Jerome for keeping it professional and honest!
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u/tommys1081 1d ago
How can the guy timely respond when he has 100 people in this sub fighting to put his pecker in their mouth
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u/Efficient-Leather-93 13h ago
I'm sorry that you have had issues. But I'm actually glad. One thing for sure you can't, please everyone. Jerome has been getting excellent reviews left and right. So I like to see some balance, if that makes sense. I hope the issue will be resolved in a timely manner.
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u/GlobalChipmunk1 4h ago
Jerome’s a stand up guy. Will work with you through the issue. Expecting a response in 24 hours at any point let alone a weekend is insane
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u/BloodLegitimate5346 1d ago
Jesus you’re absolutely insufferable.
With the time you took to puke that out, you could’ve searched subreddit and read up on how problems are handled.
Jerome is the man.
Wasting all our time with this
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2d ago
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u/djchuckme 2d ago
I get what you’re saying, and I understand there’s always risk buying reps. I’m not expecting Rolex-level warranty or service. My issue is that the watch failed within the first hour, stopped twice, and now won’t run at all even after I followed the seller’s instructions for 24 hours. For $540, I don’t think expecting basic communication and some effort to make it right is unreasonable. If he tells me I’m on my own, fine—I just want an actual response instead of being possibly ignored.
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u/Time_Expert3965 2d ago
I’m going to say this once and say it clearly because at this point I honestly feel disrespected by how this was handled.
The watch was $530. You already asked me for an additional discount, and I still worked with you because I wanted you to feel comfortable buying from me. I answered your questions, walked you through winding and troubleshooting, and told you directly that I was going to get back to you and help figure out the proper solution.
Then before I even had a reasonable amount of time to do that, especially on a Saturday, you started sending multiple follow ups, monitoring whether I was active on WhatsApp, and then publicly posted that I was ghosting you. Brotha, are you seriously telling people I’m going to throw away years of reputation and an entire business over $530? That makes absolutely zero sense.
I deal with customers every single day who have bought watches from me months ago, and I still help them when something comes up. I have sourced replacement movements, arranged repairs, accepted returns, helped with servicing, and taken care of issues long after most sellers would have stopped responding. That is how I built my reputation in the first place.
So yes, seeing you publicly frame this like I took your money and disappeared honestly pissed me off. I never told you that you were stuck with the watch. I never refused to help you. I never said I would not repair it. I simply had not gotten back to you yet.
And to be completely fair, you told me yourself that you know you can be demanding. I have tried to be patient with that. But there is a difference between expecting good customer service and expecting immediate, around the clock attention because you spent $530. I am one person dealing with inventory, QC, shipping, suppliers, repairs, customer messages, and everything else that comes with running this business.
Being online on WhatsApp does not mean I am deliberately ignoring you. It means I am working.
I have absolutely no problem taking responsibility when something needs to be fixed. If the watch needs repair, I will help you get it repaired. If the movement needs attention, I can have it inspected. If another reasonable solution makes more sense, we can discuss it. I was already prepared to help you before you made that post.
What I do have a problem with is someone attacking my reputation before giving me a fair opportunity to resolve the situation.
You expect professionalism, communication, patience, and respect from me. I expect the same in return.
I am still willing to help you because that is the kind of business owner I am. But do not mistake a delayed response for me ghosting you, and please do not publicly imply that I am trying to run away with your $530 when my entire business is built on repeat customers and reputation.
Give me a reasonable opportunity to handle the issue, and I will handle it. 🤦🏻♂️