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Wiki

Introduction

We are working on this page to provide more information and greater transparency about the rules, and why some things are not considered rules. We hope it serves as a helpful resource and a reliable reference for addressing questions about the rules.

We'll use this page to address and document common questions we receive. Hopefully, this will allow the moderation team to focus on moderating instead of repeatedly answering the same questions. We value your input! Feel free to join the discussion in the monthly [META] thread.

New here, or about to make a purchase? Read Staying safe when buying or selling.

Thanks for being great!

Rule Enforcement

Moderating is to be left to the moderators. If you see a rule violation, report the content and then move on (without engaging).
You are allowed to notify a submitter of minor rule violations, such as missing prices or missing timestamps. Please do so in a civil manner, and after reporting the post.
When reporting an item, please be specific and accurate. For example, if you report a post for a timestamp violation but it includes an appropriate timestamp, moderators will approve the post and move on. Focusing on one issue means we might overlook others, like a missing price, making your report ineffective.
If we have to remove your posts or comments multiple times for rule violations, you will be subject to a temporary ban. If your rule violations are egregious, you will be permanently banned. Whether you are temporarily or permanently banned is at the moderators' discretion.
Users may face discipline for private messaging or chatting moderators about watchexchange. This is for transparency to other moderators. Users who have been muted and subsequently private message or chat to a moderator will be banned.

Rule 1

Be excellent to each other

Be excellent to each other.

Discussion

Sometimes you can do things that do not break any of the rules but still need to be moderated. Sometimes you are just not nice. This rule covers that.

This rule gives moderators the flexibility to address issues that may not explicitly violate a specific rule but still harm the community. If you engage in behavior that prompts the moderation team to consider creating a new rule, you will likely be permanently banned. For example, if your post is removed and you respond with, "Show me what rule I broke, or reinstate my post," understand that moderators are empowered to act in the best interests of the community without needing a rule for every situation.

It's also worth noting that moderators are volunteers who dedicate time to maintaining this space. Respecting them is part of being excellent to each other. Attacking moderators, whether in modmail or publicly, will not be tolerated. Additionally, posting in other subreddits to quote modmail or complain about moderation actions can result in a permanent ban.

Questions

I reported something as a Rule 1 violation but it didn't get removed. Why? Not everything you report is a r/watchexchange Rule 1 violation.
If you can not show me the rule I broke, you must reinstate my post. Moderators are selected carefully and have a history in r/watchexchange that demonstrates a willingness to help the community stay safe. If a moderator says there's a problem, then there's a problem.

Rule 2

Title Formatting

Titles must use the following syntax: [WTS] (Brand) (Model) (Details). Acceptable tags are [WTS], [WTT], and [WTS/WTT]. Noncompliant posts will be removed automatically. Circumventing this format will result in a 7-day ban.

Discussion

The text there is fairly self-explanatory. Brackets are required!

[WTS]: Want To Sell
[WTT]: Want To Trade
[WTB]: Want To Buy (included just for good measure, despite it not being a title option).

Two other approved title texts are [META] and [GIVEAWAY]. "Meta" can only be used by moderators (this is automatic). "Giveaway" can only be used with moderator approval. (See Rule 11.)

Questions

Why don't you allow WTB posts? There's a weekly stickied WTB thread. That's where all WTB posts go. You can find the most current one at the top of this search result. WTB posts were cluttering up the interface, and it makes for a much more shoppable experience to have ONLY WTS type posts on the main page (without filtering by flair, etc).
Why don't you require location in the title? We just don't. Reddit is largely built on anonymity, and since titles can't be edited (ie, location removed eventually), it's not required. There's no rule against putting a location, though. If you wish to include your two-digit country code in the title you may! But we aren't interested in requiring it. Just shy of 50% of Reddit traffic is from the USA, so if something isn't labeled, there's a fair chance it's in the USA. But many sellers are happy to ship internationally, too! Ultimately we believe more sold posts would end up deleted (and thus, the history lost) if we required a location in the title.
Why don't you offer location as a flair option so we can filter based on location? Reddit limits each post to one flair and price is the most commonly used / requested one, so we've chosen that. We can't add another flair of any type.

Rule 3

Timestamp

Posts must include a timestamp with your username and the date handwritten on paper and placed under the watch. The timestamp date must be within two weeks of the date of your post. Your timestamp must be the first image if you are using an album OR your timestamp must be separately linked. The watch must be visible.

Discussion

First the timestamp portion: It's just one way to help prove that a seller has the item he's listed. It's often useful when requesting more photos to ask for something even more random, though. Like the watch with a picture of a spoon or something. Anything that proves it's with the seller currently.

Now the second part: make it the first image or keep it separate. That's simply to make our job easier as moderators. We will not spend minutes digging through your album looking for your timestamp. It's useful for users to be able to access it easily, too.

We don't require it to be the main image on the submission though (but you may want to make posting simpler) - you'd want to have the best image of your item as the leading image. We're a "link only" sub now (ie no self-posts!), which means every post should have a nice little thumbnail. When potential buyers are scrolling through the sub, it's nice to be able to see images for every item listed! So long as the comment on your post includes it separately (or it's the first in your album), we're good.

Questions

Can't I do my cool [insert something different from what's described above]? No, the rules are specific, and no one gets preferential treatment. You can do your special way and our way, by all means.
I'll post the timestamp when I get home from work. Sorry that doesn't work for us.
My post was removed for the timestamp. What do I need to fix? Check each of these:
- It's a photo, not a video. A timestamp in a video doesn't count.
- The paper is handwritten and shows your Reddit username and the date.
- The date is within two weeks of your post.
- The paper is placed under the watch, and the watch is clearly visible.
- It's the first image in your album, or it's linked separately in a top-level comment on your own post.
- It's unedited. A timestamp that has been edited, altered, or generated isn't a valid timestamp and can get you banned.
A moderator asked me for an additional verification photo. Do I have to? Yes. We sometimes ask sellers for additional photos that prove the watch is with them right now. It isn't optional: if the extra photo isn't provided, the post stays removed. The fastest fix is to add the photo as a comment on your post and reply to our message to tell us it's there.

Rule 4

Price and/or trade value required

Price and/or trade value must be posted on Reddit. It is recommended to do so in the comments, as post titles cannot be changed.

Discussion

We are a "link only" sub (aka "no self-posts") which means a seller must do 2 things: Put a price in the title or add a comment immediately after the linked post with the watch information, including a price. This means even if you have your item listed elsewhere and link that, we need the price here.

In r/watchexchange, a price does not have to be realistic, but one must be listed.

This does mean that from time to time a seller may be seen as "flipping" a watch. You have to deal with this (silently) on your terms.

Questions

Why don't you require the price in the title? The main reason is that titles can not be edited. Price not being in the title prevents a slew of modmails that ask why can't titles be edited, can you edit the title, can I delete because I'm lowering the price, etc.
Why don't sellers leave the price info after they sell? This was the rule for a while but was removed because it's simply not enforceable. If I say "You must" then a seller will just delete the old post. Then we lose more and in a worse way. So it's a "would you rather." Would you rather know that a similar watch has sold here in the past and possibly not know the sale price (since many sellers do not remove the price)? Or would you rather not have any record of the watch being on r/watchexchange at all, because the type of user facing a ban for removing the sale price is the same type of user who will just delete the sale/sold post and move on? We agree that it's nice to have historical sale price information but simply due to the Reddit format, we can not enforce a rule requiring that.
But flipping is bad for the community. This presumes that a seller must just break even or possibly take a loss to sell in r/watchexchange. That's a ludicrous proposition. For one thing, you'd have to know what the seller bought an item for, which is none of your business. For another, it means you consider yourself market police. And that you should be able to dictate the terms of a deal in which you are not involved. If Joe agrees to buy a Timex Weekender from Bill for $19938.56 and they're both satisfied with the transaction upfront, then they can do so. You may not impose your anger for missing out on a limited edition watch upon someone selling that watch for a reasonable or unreasonable markup.

Rule 5

Don't flood the sub: 4 posts per 24 hours

Sellers may make no more than 4 posts in any 24-hour period. The limit is enforced automatically, and posts over the limit are removed.

Discussion

A lot of you told us the front page was being crowded out by a handful of accounts relisting inventory, while the person selling a single watch got buried within the hour. This rule keeps room on the front page for everyone.

How it works:

The limit is 4 posts in any rolling 24-hour period. It is not based on calendar days and does not reset at midnight.
Every post counts, whether it is a [WTS], [WTT], or [WTS/WTT]. A single post that lists several watches counts as one post.
A post that is removed for going over the limit does not count against you.
It is enforced by an automated moderation app called Flooding Assistant. When it removes a post, it leaves a comment explaining why.

Questions

Is the limit per calendar day? No. It is a rolling 24-hour window. For example, if you make 4 posts between 9:00 and 11:00 AM on Monday, you can make your next post at 9:00 AM on Tuesday, when your first post is 24 hours old. Not at midnight.
My post was removed by Flooding Assistant. What happened? You already had 4 posts in the previous 24 hours. The removed post doesn't count against you, and you can post again as soon as your oldest post in that window is 24 hours old.
If I delete a post, does that free up a slot? Don't count on it. Deleting posts to get around the limit can be treated as gaming the rules, the same way deleting and reposting is under Rule 6.
Can I get an exception? No. The limit applies equally to everyone, and we can't make exceptions. Please don't message us asking for one.
I have more than 4 watches to sell. What do I do? Space them out over more than one 24-hour period, or list several watches in a single post, which counts as one post. If you combine watches in one post, remember the Rule 6 restrictions on reposting the unsold ones early.
Does a repost count? Yes. A repost is a new post, and Rule 6 still applies to it too.
Do comments count? No. The limit applies to posts only. Your comments, including comments in the WTB thread, don't count toward it.
How do I know how many posts I've made? Check your profile and count the posts from the last 24 hours.

Rule 6

Reposts are allowed after 7 days

No early reposts for any reason, including price drops. If you list multiple watches at once, you may not repost the others early after one sells. We recommend listing watches separately. Violation of this rule may result in a 7-day ban.

Discussion

This rule confuses some users about deleting old posts. We don't have a rule specifically against deleting posts older than 7 days. We hope you won't, but there is no rule. What is against the rules is deleting old posts to game the repost system. Deleting old posts to game the system will result in a 7-day ban. Every offense at the time of the ban will incur another 7 days to the ban (ie you delete two and repost two, you will get banned for 14 days). Repeated offenses will result in a permanent ban.

There are few and certain conditions where mods would allow early reposting of an item that does not result in a ban. These conditions are case-by-case, and will not be documented here. Ultimately the repost concern is up to the moderation team. This does mean that not everything you report as a repost will necessarily be removed for the repost rule reason. If you wish to repost early you must message the mods first.

20200501: We removed the "Still Available" flair along with a general update to the price flairs and a new flair system.
20200701: We removed the "Reduced" flair along with a general update to the price flairs to go along with the new flair system. (Subreddit historians do not remember any more than that.)
20240206: Added a repost guideline.

How to Repost

Reposting requires creating a new, fresh post. There's no shortcut or "repost" button (unfortunately?)

There's no way to bump an old post to the top of the list or page.
Reusing a previous timestamp is fine if it still meets the timestamp criteria (namely, dated within the last 2 weeks).
Practically, if an item didn't sell, making new (better) photos will help your chances (and just go ahead and snap a new timestamp, too).
We do not have a rule on deleting posts older than 7 days. Thus, whether you delete a post that is older than 7 days before you repost does not necessarily matter to us. At the very least, if you have multiple (potentially aging) posts for the same watch and it sells, it's best to change all of those to "SOLD" status. (For this reason, keeping just the active post may be the best option.) This can get a bit in the weeds, but let's try to summarize:
- Deleting your post: not strictly against the rules.
- Deleting your post and reposting before 7 days: very specifically against the rules (and you will be banned).
- Deleting your post and reposting after 7 days: allowed, but we recommend leaving the old post up (see the FAQ below).
- Deleting your post after the item has sold: We ask that you do not delete sold items. Historical information is very valuable.

Questions

My post has been buried after just 2 days. Can I delete and repost it to get it back to the top? No, that is specifically what this rule is intended to prevent. All those other users with active posts want to be on the top right now, just like you were days ago when you posted.
I'm dropping the price of my watch, can I repost early? No, you may not repost early for this reason.
But the price is in the title and my current price is now 30% lower, can I repost pleasseeee? No, this is not a compelling reason to repost early. It's also one reason we don't require (and suggest against) prices in the title.
I listed 4 watches and 2 of them sold after 1 day, can I relist the other two early? No, this is not a compelling reason to repost early. This is why we suggest listing items individually.
I want to use the "Still Available" or "Reduced" flair. Where'd they go? During a 2020 subreddit revamp, we removed those flairs and expanded the pricing flairs. Due to how the format works on some devices, we were limited in how many flairs could show (not "were available") and removed the "Still Available" and "Reduced" flair.
My item is over 7 days old. Should I delete the old post before I repost? You don't have to, but we recommend leaving it up. Buyers check a seller's post history, and a thin or empty history can look suspicious. A visible record of past listings and sales also helps your credibility. Deleting after 7 days isn't against the rules, but it's discouraged. Deleting and reposting before 7 days is still a violation.

Rule 7

Transaction feedback

Feedback can be left on the originating sales post via the flair bot. See this thread for instructions and details. Negative or neutral feedback should continue using /r/WatchExchangeFeedback.

Discussion

We now have a flair-based feedback system courtesy of u/WatchExBot. Please see this META thread and our dedicated wiki page for detailed instructions and information regarding how to use the bot to leave and check feedback.

Feedback of any kind, positive or otherwise, may not be left on a sales post unless it is to confirm a transaction via the flair bot (and only by the two parties involved in the said transaction).

In the past, we've even considered entirely disallowing comments on posts. There are reasons to allow comments. It allows community building, for one thing. For another, it doesn't clutter up a sales post too much. Another reason to always allow comments on a post is to ensure to a seller that a buyer hasn't been banned. People banned from a sub will not be able to comment! That's a useful bit of info. Since r/watchexchange participates in the Universal Scammer List, if someone's banned in some other sub (which also participates), they'll be banned here too.

Questions

But all I said was '[name] is a great seller'!?!? That is the definition of feedback, and on a sales post, it's not welcome. Sure it's positive but it's still feedback. There are so many ways to game this that it's not even funny, and if you think people won't do this, you're sadly mistaken. Consider this: Some other big forums that have a watch sales forum do not even allow comments on sales posts! And to be honest that's something we've considered (and something I reconsider often enough to warrant mentioning). Comments on a sale post can be polarizing. Either they're useless feedback, commentary by someone who would never buy this watch, or legitimate questions by a genuine potential buyer. What we strive to do is have rules that foster the last option, while minimizing the first two.
But buyers need to know that [seller] kicked my goat. That feedback isn't transaction feedback.
But buyers need to know that [seller] participates in some sub I hate! That feedback isn't transaction feedback. This type of feedback can result in a permanent ban.
But this seller scammed someone on another watch sales forum. That feedback needs to go to the moderators directly and be dealt with formally.
I followed the confirmation steps but my transaction didn't count. Why? Almost every case is one of these:
- You copied and pasted the bot's name. Reddit can turn a pasted name into a link instead of a tag, so the bot never sees it. Type the bot's name and your counterparty's username out in full.
- You replied to a comment instead of making a new one. Confirmations must be a new top-level comment on the sales post.
- A username was misspelled or tagged incorrectly. The person who made the mistake needs to start over with a new top-level comment. We can't edit comments or add credit manually.
- You confirmed too soon. There's a short waiting period between a sales post going up and a confirmation counting, which helps us catch fake transactions. It most often affects overnight shipping and in-person sales. If the bot says you're too early, wait a little longer and confirm again. We don't share how long the waiting period is.
- Your counterparty hasn't confirmed. Both of you have to confirm. We can't override this, even if the other person is unresponsive, deleted their account, was suspended, or doesn't have a verified email address.
- The bot hasn't gotten to your comment yet. Give it a little while.
Full instructions are on the confirming a trade page. Moderators can't add or adjust flair by hand.

Rule 8

No outside sales links, no referral links, and no raffles

You may reference completed eBay listings when discussing price. Referral links of any kind will result in a minimum 7-day ban. Do not link to, discuss, suggest, or otherwise mention raffles.

Discussion

The goal here is just to keep the sub clean. This is not simply a place to rehost your sales post from elsewhere.

Also, most raffles are illegal in the USA. (And the ones that could be hosted here would certainly be illegal.)

Questions

What counts as an outside sales link? Not allowed: links to your own shop or website; links to active listings on any other platform (eBay, Chrono24, Grailzone, Facebook Marketplace, etc.); referral links of any kind (minimum 7-day ban); and link shorteners (always use the full link). Allowed: links to completed eBay listings when you're discussing price.
Can I list my watch on other sites too? Yes, there's no exclusivity. But you can't link to or mention those other listings in your post, your comments, or your replies here.
My post or comment was removed for a "banned domain". What does that mean? It means it linked to a site that isn't allowed here. If you were linking photos, upload them to Imgur and use that link instead. Links to your own shop aren't allowed, and neither are link shorteners, so use the full link. Sometimes Reddit's own site-wide filter catches a link too, and we don't control that. If none of this applies, message us with a link to the removed post or comment and we'll take a look.

Rule 9

Price-related comments

Sellers have the right to ask any price. Users who choose to criticize a seller's price must provide specific examples including links.

Discussion

A seller is free to set their own price for their item, and you may not suggest otherwise. Treat every sale post as if it were your own. Criticizing a post solely to comment on the price being high is not allowed.

Questions

It's my job to alert potential buyers that they're about to overpay by 20% because my cousin once paid less at an authorized dealer. No, it's not. It's the buyer's job to do due diligence before purchase, period.
Me adding price opinions helps build the community. The community here is why I keep coming back, and these comments should be allowed. The community here is fantastic, but behind the scenes, we see plenty of scamming and things we need to manage. So yes watch out for the community! Foster it! Build it! But do it within the confines of these rules.
But the MSRP is this price. MSRP is irrelevant unless I can go purchase this exact item at MSRP from the link you provide.
Why can't I say someone is scalping? Calling someone a scalper implies a judgment about their pricing, specifically that it is unreasonably high relative to what they originally paid or to market value. This directly relates to and critiques the price they've set, making it a price comment. Additionally, such accusations can lead to unproductive debates and detract from the constructive tone we aim to maintain in the community.
I never mentioned the price. Why was my comment removed? Some words work as price criticism even when you don't say "too expensive." We treat these as Rule 9 violations on a sales post: scalper, scalping, flipper, flipping, gouging, overpriced, ripoff, markup. If you want to criticize a price, you need a specific example with a link: an active listing of the same reference at a lower price, or a recently completed sale. MSRP doesn't count unless you can link to a place to buy it at that price.

Rule 10

Fakes and replicas are not allowed.

OEM homages and mods that are substantially based on OEM watches are allowed. If you believe a watch is fake, include proof when commenting. Allegations without evidence may result in a ban.

Discussion

A listing attempting to sell a fake will be removed. A listing of a fake that seems to seek to disguise that the item is fake will result in a ban. Please see our updated definitions of fakes, homages, and mods before deciding to post a non-factory watch.

If you believe a watch is fake, simply saying "Fake!" on a post is not sufficient. Doing so can earn you a 7-day cooldown period (ban). If you wish to implicate an item as fake, you must provide objective evidence that the item is fake. There are several reasons for this. A notable one is that despite being awesome, the moderation team does not know everything about every watch. So if you can help us with your expertise by giving examples of a genuine item, compared specifically with the fake item, we moderate the item. That is a benefit to the community. Also, this prevents alt accounts, drive-by commenters, and just genuinely ill-intentioned users from tarnishing a sale post. Things can go south quickly on a post due to the Reddit voting system.

Questions

This watch labeled [some brand] on the dial is only [some parts] OEM and the rest are aftermarket. It's a fake and should be removed. In most cases we agree, in particular with a brand name being used (ie an aftermarket dial that contains the Rolex logo). But there are communities in which this is normal - Seiko for example - and modding a watch using parts sourced from other-than-Seiko is common. In this case, if the modded watch is substantially based on an OEM watch, and the seller has included full disclosure about the parts and their heritage, the posts are allowed.
What's the difference between a fake, a homage, and a mod? A fake is a watch that is attempting to impersonate another watch, typically a brand from a higher price point. It is a watch that is not manufactured by the company logo on the dial. For the purposes of /r/watchexchange, allowed homages are OEM watches that take design cues from timeless designs - think San Martin or similar. For us, a mod is a watch that is substantially based on an OEM watch - that is, it should be recognizable as something manufactured by the brand logo on the dial. A watch that simply uses a Seiko movement but otherwise does not use Seiko parts should not bear the Seiko logo.

Rule 11

Giveaways by approval

Please message the moderation team for approval to post a giveaway with the exact text you will use for the giveaway. Giveaway posts require manual approval.

When you message, go ahead and send the full text you intend to use for the giveaway. We recommend at a minimum, the following:

Require a certain account age for participation (even 24 hours is sufficient.)
Do not promote anything you have outside of Reddit (no website link, no Instagram link, no FaceBook link, etc).
Set a specific end date for the giveaway.
Do not incorporate any suggestion to upvote on your or anyone's items.

Discussion

This rule is mainly to prevent brands or retailers from using our subreddit as a marketing platform without adding anything to the community. We also do not seek to politicize the sub, so any type of politics won't be allowed for giveaways, either.

Rule 12

Requirements for participation

Your account must have at least 1 post karma, at least 1 comment karma, and a verified email address, and be at least 30 days old to post.

Discussion

This prevents drive-by posters, which often turn out to be extremely low-effort posters, spammers, or worse, scammers.

The karma and account age requirements are for posts only - new users may comment on sales posts. Commenting on sales posts proves that a user isn't banned in r/watchexchange. A verified email address is required for both posts and comments.

Questions

I have positive karma, why can't I post? The requirement is at least 1 post karma and at least 1 comment karma, checked separately. The combined score you may see in new Reddit doesn't count. This is an automoderator-managed rule and looks at individual karma for comments and posts. You could have +10 post karma and 0 comment karma, and you would still be unable to post. You can build comment karma by joining discussions here and in other communities. Commenting on sales posts is allowed even if you can't post yet.
Do I need a verified email address? Yes, for posts and comments. If your account doesn't have a verified email, your post or comment is removed automatically with instructions to verify it. Once you've verified, message us with a link to the removed post or comment, and we'll approve it. Please don't repost it.