when i first contacted watchbrokers.com in april of 2012, i had an engaging conversation with albert gentilini.
however, he crossed the line by sending an email stating, "if you look half as good as you sound, we are going to get along great."
this lack of business ethics raised an alert. i brought this lack of discretion to his attention. he was apologetic and promised he would never engage in this behavior with a woman client again.
when i called to arrange an appointment, he asked me to meet him for a drink at a local restaurant close to the watch broker office, which i often frequent but in my neighborhood.
i declined as i do not mix business with pleasure OR at least until the business has proven their worthiness.
for a myriad of reasons, i took several watches in to be sold. when i was leaving, he requested my driver's license so watchbrokers.com could verify my identity. i refused but did show him my name ONLY on the license.
all of the aforementioned bothered me. when i logged into my account, several days after having given them possession of my watches to be soled, there was nothing listed.
well.
i performed a BBB search and discovered the following:
Government Actions
The following describes a government action that has been resolved by either a settlement or a decision by a court or administrative agency. If the matter is being appealed, it will be noted below.On January 17, 2012 the Governor's Office of Consumer Protection ("OCP")entered into a settlement with International Estate Brokers, LLC d/b/a Watch Brokers and d/b/a www.webuywatches.com, and its individual proprietor Ronald L. Bergh, III. The settlement agreement was reached in order to resolve allegations by the State that the Atlanta-based wrist-watch brokering company engaged in deceptive advertising, sold watches on behalf of consumers without paying consumers their share of the proceeds as agreed to prior to the sales, and failed to return watches that had gone unsold to the consignors upon their request.
In settlement of this matter, Watch Brokers and its principal Ronald L. Bergh III, have entered into an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance with OCP, under which the company is required to pay restitution to 475 consumers in the amount of $651,258.92, to cease from making false representations in its advertising, and to pay a $20,000 civil penalty. Consumer restitution will be made on a payment schedule over the next several months.Please be advised, an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance is not considered an admission of guilt or a violation of Georgia law. It is used for settlement purposes only.
For more information relating to this action, please contact the following
agency;
Georgia's Office of Consumer Protection
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Suite 356
Atlanta, Georgia 30334-9077
and found reports on this web site.
immediately, i drove to their business and requested the return of my watches.
eric tosso asked why i wanted them back and stated he could not find me in the database, at least until i produced my receipts.
fortunately for me, i regained possession of my watches AND have it indelibly imprinted upon my mental hard drive that i must NEVER do business with any company unless i perform [1] an internet search and [2] run in the other direction when uninvited comments are made about the sultriness of my voice over the phone.
Q: why is this business permitted to exist OR conduct business without any over sight or supervision of their activities given the "F" rating by the BBB and per the Georgia's Office of Consumer Protection directing International Estate Brokers, LLC d/b/a Watch Brokers and d/b/a www.webuywatches.com, and its individual proprietor Ronald L. Bergh, III. to pay nearly three quarters of a million dollars to four hundred and seventy five [475] clients?
they also have a web site: http://www.webuywatches.com/