Chrono24: Poor Experience, poor service, full of fakes and aftermarket parts

Chrono24 is a marketplace that has not arrived in the digital age

In today’s digital era, online marketplaces have become popular platforms for buying and selling various products, including luxury watches. One such platform that claims to offer a seamless experience for watch enthusiasts is Chrono24. However, my personal experience as a seller on Chrono24 has been nothing short of miserable. In this article, I will recount the challenges and frustrations I faced while attempting to sell my watches through this platform.

1. Limitations of Chrono24’s Listing Process

The process of listing watches for sale on Chrono24 is not without its limitations and frustrations. In fact, full of it. While the platform offers something they call security service to verify ownership and protect buyers, there are certain aspects of the listing process that can be cumbersome and time-consuming.

Chrono24’s listing process appears straightforward at first glance but is years behind if you compare it with places like ebay. However, the platform’s guidelines and requirements for product listings are highly stringent, leading to several rejected submissions. Despite carefully adhering to their instructions, I encountered frustrating delays and rejections due to seemingly trivial reasons such as image quality, too professional looking images or minor discrepancies in product information.

One of the significant limitations on Chrono24 is the inability to make changes to the title of an already published offer. This restriction can be problematic if you need to update or correct any information in the title. A simple typo or autocorrection will require deleting the existing listing and creating a new one, resulting in additional time and effort wasted.

Chrono24’s publication process for new listings can be lengthy and frustrating. There have been instances where it took an excessive amount of time for a listing to be published on the platform. I am not talking minutes, I am talking hours at least, sometimes days. This delay can be detrimental, especially if you are looking to sell your watch promptly or in a time-sensitive manner.

I’ve had numerous problems with my images. Thing is, you don’t get a detailed answer, only that you image wasn’t accepted. After long back and forth email exchanges with the customer service, I got an answer. Or two. First one, my images looked too professional, like catalog images. Damn. Second, they didn’t accept my images since I have used them on other platforms, like my one website. Well, yeah.

On the positive side, Chrono24 does provide a security service to verify the ownership of the watches being listed. This service adds a layer of confidence for potential buyers, ensuring that they are dealing with legitimate sellers and genuine timepieces. It helps prevent fraudulent listings and provides a level of trust within the platform. However, the images that prove ownership are usually ones taken quickly with an iPhone and therefore doesn’t have the quality of the other pictures. However, Chrono24 publishes these for no reason at all. An internal YES/NO check would be enough.

Entering all the necessary details for a watch listing on Chrono24 can be a cumbersome process. The platform does not offer autofill options, which means sellers have to manually input every detail, including brand, model, reference number, and condition. This lack of autofill functionality can be time-consuming with an app. 50 possible details. And especially when dealing with multiple listings or similar watches. 

Chrono24’s interface lacks the ability to autofill relevant information based on the provided details. This limitation makes the process more tedious, as sellers have to manually enter repetitive information for similar watch models or brands. An autofill feature could greatly streamline the listing process, saving sellers valuable time and effort.

2. Limited Exposure on Chrono24

Despite Chrono24’s claims of being a global marketplace for luxury watches, the platform’s limited exposure severely hindered my ability to attract potential buyers and achieve successful sales. The lack of effective marketing tools and promotional features significantly restricted the visibility of my listings among the targeted audience.

One of the main limitations I encountered was the relatively small customer base on Chrono24 compared to other prominent online marketplaces. Even if they tell you otherwise. While the platform may have a dedicated user community, it lacks the extensive reach and diverse audience that other platforms offer. This limited pool of potential buyers greatly reduced the chances of finding the right buyer for my watches.

Additionally, Chrono24’s search algorithms and browsing mechanisms did not effectively promote discoverability. Despite carefully optimizing my listings with relevant keywords and accurate product descriptions, they often got buried beneath a sea of other listings, making it challenging for potential buyers to find them. The lack of advanced search filters and sorting options further hindered the visibility of my watches to the intended audience. In plain language, you can’t sort or filter after all the painstakingly entered details. Well done.

Moreover, the absence of comprehensive marketing and promotional tools limited my ability to showcase my watches effectively. Chrono24 did not offer robust features such as sponsored listings, highlighted placements, or targeted advertising campaigns, which are often crucial for catching the attention of potential buyers. Without these tools, my listings struggled to stand out among the competition, resulting in a lack of inquiries and fewer sales opportunities.

When offering watches at Chrono24 and ebay at the same time / same price, I got way more clicks, a few times more watchers and sold way faster on ebay.

3. Chrono24’s Inadequate Customer Support

Chrono24’s inadequate customer support has been a significant source of frustration throughout my selling experience. Whenever I encountered issues or had inquiries, the lack of timely and helpful assistance from the platform’s support team was disappointing and exacerbated the overall negative experience.

Firstly, the response time from Chrono24’s customer support was extremely slow. Simple inquiries would often go unanswered for days,  leaving me in a state of uncertainty and unable to proceed with important transactions. This delay in response not only impeded the selling process but also caused unnecessary stress. One question I’ve had that I don’t want to repeat here, I sent numerous times, no answer so far.

Moreover, when I did receive a response, it often felt generic and unhelpful. Chrono24’s customer support team seemed to provide standardized replies that did not adequately address my specific concerns. It felt as though they were simply going through the motions rather than offering genuine assistance. This lack of personalized support further added to the frustration and left me feeling unheard as a seller on their platform. Not sure if they don’t want to simply can’t answer questions, in fact, they don’t.

The inadequate customer support from Chrono24 not only hindered my ability to address concerns and resolve issues promptly but also contributed to a general sense of being undervalued as a seller on their platform. Keep in mind that you as a seller are paying commission. Effective customer support is crucial for building trust and fostering a positive user experience, but Chrono24 fell short in this regard.

4. Chrono24’s Unreliable Buyers 

One of the most frustrating aspects of selling on Chrono24 was the prevalence of unreliable customers. Despite taking precautions such as thorough vetting and implementing secure payment methods, the platform exposed me to a significant number of unreliable buyers, making the selling experience highly challenging and disappointing.

Firstly, instances of non-payment were distressingly common. After reaching an agreement on the price and terms of the sale, there were instances where buyers simply disappeared or failed to follow through with the payment. Yes, I felt ghosted. This not only wasted my time but also created a sense of uncertainty and financial loss, as I took down the ad from other marketplaces, had to relist the item and go through the selling process again.

Moreover, fake offers and time-wasting negotiations were recurring issues. Something I’ve never experienced on ebay. Some buyers would make unrealistic offers, only to back out at the last minute or engage in prolonged negotiations without any genuine intention to purchase. This not only disrupted the selling process but also undermined the credibility of potential buyers, making it increasingly difficult to discern serious buyers from those merely looking to waste time.

5. Chrono24’s Escrow Service

One would expect that Chrono24’s escrow service, which is intended to provide a secure payment and transaction process, would alleviate some of the concerns associated with selling high-value items. However, my experience with Chrono24’s escrow service proved to be yet another miserable aspect of my selling journey with Chrono24. 

The escrow process itself was far from smooth. After the first sale, the buyer reported an issue which turned out to be not a problem. But Chrono24 refused to release the funds. I’ve sent 16 (yes, you heard that right – sixteen) emails and guess what, never received a reply. A total communication nightmare.

What I’ve read and heard from other sellers, delays in funds being released and disbursement issues were common occurrences. The supposed security and protection offered by the escrow service were overshadowed by the time-consuming and nerve-wracking experience of waiting for funds to be released, causing unnecessary stress and uncertainty.

Furthermore, the communication and support from Chrono24’s escrow team were severely lacking. Any attempts to seek clarification or resolve issues were met with delayed responses or generic, unhelpful or no replies at all. This lack of responsiveness and assistance only added to the frustration and left me feeling abandoned in the midst of crucial financial transactions.

Overall, the escrow service provided by Chrono24 fell far short of my expectations. Instead of providing peace of mind and security, it contributed to the overall miserable experience of selling watches through the platform. The excessive fees, disbursement delays, and lack of effective customer support only further reinforced my dissatisfaction and lack of trust in Chrono24’s escrow service.

6. Fake Watches on Chrono24 full of Aftermarket Parts

One of the significant challenges faced by both buyers and sellers on Chrono24 is the alarming presence of fake watches or watches full of aftermarket parts without mentioning them within the platform. The prevalence of counterfeit timepieces raises serious concerns about the authenticity and integrity of transactions taking place on Chrono24. Chrono24’s verification process for watch listings falls short in detecting and preventing fake watches or watches full with aftermarket parts without mentioning from being listed. While the platform attempts to provide security measures, the effectiveness of their verification process in identifying counterfeit watches is questionable. This loophole allows unscrupulous sellers to list and potentially sell fake watches, putting unsuspecting buyers at risk.

For buyers, it can be challenging to assess the authenticity of watches listed on Chrono24. The responsibility of confirming the authenticity lies primarily with the buyer, as Chrono24 does not provide a comprehensive authentication service. The absence of a robust authentication mechanism within the platform makes it easier for counterfeit watches to circulate, causing potential financial loss and disappointment for buyers. Chrono24’s lack of strict seller accountability contributes to the presence of fake watches on the platform. While Chrono24 does provide buyer reviews and ratings, these mechanisms may not always accurately reflect the authenticity of the watches sold. Dishonest sellers can exploit this lack of accountability, misleading buyers and perpetuating the circulation of fake watches within the platform.

Chrono24’s vast inventory of watches, combined with the prevalence of fake listings, can make it challenging for buyers to conduct reliable market research. Distinguishing genuine listings from fake ones requires meticulous scrutiny and extensive knowledge about the specific watch models, their variations, and identifying markers of authenticity. This complexity can be overwhelming for buyers who are not experienced in watch authentication. The presence of fake watches on Chrono24 makes buyers vulnerable to scams and financial losses. Despite Chrono24’s attempts to offer a secure transaction process, the risk of purchasing a counterfeit watch remains high. Buyers must exercise caution, conduct thorough research, and consider seeking professional authentication services before committing to any purchase on the platform.

I’ve checked images of all 75 listings of a certain Seiko model. Only from looking at the pictures, I was able to identify 37 watches that had aftermarket parts in it and the respective sellers didn’t mention that. Therefore these were not legit original Seiko watches.

Conclusion

My experience as a seller on Chrono24 has been an exercise in frustration and disappointment. The stringent listing process, high fees, limited exposure, inadequate customer support, and unreliable buyers collectively contribute to an unsatisfactory selling experience. For those considering using Chrono24 as a platform to sell their luxury watches, it is crucial to be aware of these challenges and weigh the risks against potential benefits. Alternatively, exploring alternative online marketplaces or seeking assistance from reputable watch dealers might be a more reliable and hassle-free option for selling valuable timepieces. 

To sum it up, I can’t recommend selling vintage watches on Chrono24.