[mc32]

I dont see a problem with it. Moreover it improves their employment numbers, lest these clerks go unemployed and “automated” out of a job.

It’s a luxury item, who cares?

They could require a two year advance appointment and visit to HQ before buying, for all I care.

They should put their nose in Amazon’s business of commingling and allowing fakes and swapping products on reviews and that bullshit that does affect the Joels et Maries.

[bongodongobob]

I think the catch is it's not Rolex that isn't selling the watches online, it's preventing affiliated dealers from doing it. They are controlling other people's business interests. I can see both sides on this one. Rolex feels like it could devalue the brand exclusivity and the dealers feel that it impedes them from doing legal business.

I'm not sure how I feel about this one.

[gbacon]

Here’s how to feel about it: MYOB.

If the dealers don’t like the terms, they can sell other brands and need to stop tattling to Maman.

Of all the problems, busybodies decided this was the important one to make a stand on. Fixing potholes in the roads would be more worthwhile. Kids are sleeping cold and hungry in the streets, but sacré bleu at not being able to point-and-drool for a fancy watch.

So-called Competition “Authorities” everywhere can go pound sand.

[bongodongobob]

Yeah that's where I lean. I don't think these dealers have a "right" to sell Rolex's. If they don't like the terms set forth by Rolex, don't sell them.

[SteveGerencser]

And that's what we did. I was working for a Rolex AD for about 10 years, and they were an AD for decades. One day they got fed up with the 'rules' and dropped their AD status and started selling Rolex on the "secondary" market. These were never worn watches in original boxes and papers and in no way different than the watch we sold as an AD. Just second-hand. We suddenly had access to the inventory that our customers wanted when they wanted it, and told Rolex to get stuffed.

And yes, watching objectively well off people argue about luxury items as if it's important is always entertaining to me.

[talldatethrow]

Where did the sudden increase in inventory come from once they dropped their agreement with Rolex?

[malablaster]

Unless there’s some evidence that the legal system (which isn’t responsible for homelessness) is enforcing business rules instead of helping starving, cold children… then that’s a false dichotomy.

[dnissley]

Nike and other brands have deals with many third party retailers that prevent those retailers from offering discounts on their items. How is this different than that?

[davidgay]

As the article mentions, the court did allow that practice:

"The watchmaker successfully defended its practice of enforcing recommended retail prices for its retailers, with the authority accepting that preventing the sale of fake Rolex watches and grey market trading are legitimate commercial aims."

but for the online-selling bit:

"The French authority rejected a defence from Rolex’s lawyers that restrictions are needed to prevent counterfeiting and parallel trade in its watches."

[I_Am_Nous]

There was (is?) a huge problem with Rolex watches being listed online for scalping prices by authorized dealers so that they would be sold before they were ever even really in the store. It was really hard to just buy a Rolex officially.

[Marsymars]

I'm not really following. Scalping prices = market value. The "problem" is that authorized dealers were selling watches at market value rather than at some other price at retail?

[I_Am_Nous]

Stuff like this:

https://atelierdegriff.com/2021/02/14/breaking-major-rolex-a...

[turquoisevar]

> The allegations made in this case are just about as juicy as they get and puts the spotlight dead center on the terrible practice of Authorized Dealers directly selling popular watch models into the grey market. This practice of course artificially increases the rather silly prices customers have to pay on the grey market in order to avoid decades long waiting lists.

I had to chuckle at this.

You’d think they’d be talking about loafs of bread in the USSR, the way they describe it.

[I_Am_Nous]

It really is an issue that's hard to feel empathy for. "Poor rich people, they can't buy a status symbol on a whim anymore" but grey market also means increased risk of counterfeit watches.

[Marsymars]

There's a bunch of stuff alleged there, but I'm still not clear on what you think the "problem" is?

As this piece about the dismissal of the first case notes: https://nationaljeweler.com/articles/10782-former-employees-...

"[...] it is not illegal to violate Rolex policies or to sell watches on the gray market."

The other allegations (immigration fraud, income tax evasion, etc.) don't seem to be especially related to the market price of watches.

If the market value of watches is actually much higher than what they go for at retail, the "problem" of lack of availability is effectively being caused by watchmakers a) making too few watches and/or b) not setting the retail price of their watches high enough.

[I_Am_Nous]

It's against the Rolex Authorized Dealer terms. Authorized Dealers are supposed to sell the watches retail only. It not being illegal doesn't have much to do with it.

[djoletina]

I agree, the bottom line should be: they should be able to make this decision.

[LanceH]

After extensive judicial proceedings it was found that Rolex wasn't French.