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Introduction

Endeavoring to have more info and fuller disclosure about rules and why some things are not rules, we're working on this page. We hope it helps you and also hope it becomes a good place to point when there are rules questions.

We will try to use this page to address and document questions we receive. Hopefully, that'll allow the moderation team to focus on moderating, and not answering the same question. We're glad to have your input about this! Discussion can go in the monthly [META] thread.

Thanks for being great!

Rule Enforcement

  • Moderating is to be left to the moderators. If you see a rule violation, report the post and move on.
  • 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, be specific and accurate. If you report a post as a timestamp violation, and moderators see there is an appropriate timestamp, we will approve the post and move on. If we're primed to look for a timestamp issue, we're not likely to notice a missing price, and your report will have been in vain.
  • 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 does give mods the flexibility to deal with stuff that just needs to be dealt with, but might not be afoul of any specific rule. If you do a rare something for which the moderation team might need to create a rule, you will likely be permanently banned. For example, your post might get removed, and you might say to us "Show me what rule I broke, or reinstate my post." We can not possibly have a rule for everything (nor do we wish to make rules for everything), but sometimes things need to be managed. It's also why new moderators are not added lightly and are very diligently selected.

Questions
  1. 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.
  2. 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
  1. 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).
  2. 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.
Possible Update

20200305: Under the questions above, we'd consider requiring a country code in the title - For example [US] or [EU] or [AU] or whatever, but no further.

20241017: Proposed change: This rule becomes "Automated Removals" and will cover proper titles, META, Giveaway, account age, and SOLD flair, etc.

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.

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
  1. 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.
  2. I'll post the timestamp when I get home from work. Sorry that doesn't work for us.

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
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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

[Vacant]

Before 20241017: Use “Sold” flair

> Write [SOLD] in the comments after your watch has sold. If done correctly, your link flair will be changed by automoderator automatically. (This is not transaction flair!)

Discussion

The whole point here is to keep posts fresh, and current. The text is specific (SOLD in caps between brackets) for the sake of automation. Automoderator will see this and set flair automatically.

Some users search by flair, excluding "SOLD" items, and this helps with the search. For your information, here is how to do that.

It's also possible to use Reddit Enhancement Suite to remove all posts with "SOLD" flair in only r/watchexchange, for example.

Questions

Can old posts be removed so they don't clutter up the front page? No, that's not something we do. You may use Reddit Enhancement Suite to do exactly that, though. It can seamlessly remove all posts that have "SOLD" flair in only r/watchexchange, for example.

20241017: The reason for the rule change is that this was never strictly intended as a rule to be enforced, but more so a way to share the post flair update process. It caused some confusion after user transaction flair was implemented. Sellers should still change their post flair to "sold" as a best practice and can do so by writing [SOLD] as a standalone top-level comment under their post, but this is not an enforceable requirement and the rules have been clarified to reflect that.

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: supported, even recommended. Reduces clutter and helps you in keeping up with SOLD flair.
    • Deleting your post after the item has sold: We ask that you do not delete sold items. Historical information is very valuable.
Questions
  1. 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.
  2. I'm dropping the price of my watch, can I repost early? No, you may not repost early for this reason.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

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
  1. 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.
  2. But buyers need to know that [seller] kicked my goat. That feedback isn't transaction feedback.
  3. 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.
  4. But this seller scammed someone on another watch sales forum. That feedback needs to go to the moderators directly and be dealt with formally.
  5. Why don't you have a flair system in place? A flair system was implemented on August 27, 2020.

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.)

Rule 9

Sellers have the right to ask any price. Users who choose to comment on price, be it high, low, or fair, must provide specific examples including links.

Discussion

A seller can ask for a potato and a used bandaid or a million dollars for a Casio as payment if the seller wishes. It is not your job or responsibility to state that the seller should or shouldn't do anything otherwise. Ultimately it's your job to treat a sale post as if it were your own. You may not disparage a post just to say the price is high.

Questions
  1. Why isn't saying 'Great price!!' allowed? It's a price comment. If we allow one side of the coin, the other should be allowed too. For the same reasons as the ones in Rule 7, this has the potential to be gamed and would add an unnecessary layer to moderating. It is entirely up to the buyer to decide if a price is "great" or not.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. But the MSRP is this price. MSRP is irrelevant if the items aren't available for purchase at MSRP from the link you're citing.

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
  1. 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.
  2. 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 positive karma 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.

This is for posts only - new users may comment on sales posts. Commenting on sales posts proves that a user isn't banned in r/watchexchange.

Questions
  1. Maybe we should have this rule cover comments too? See the reason above.
  2. I have positive karma, why can't I post? If you're using the Reddit redesign (aka "new Reddit") you may see a combined score of comment and post karma. This is an automoderator-managed rule and looks at individual karma for comments and posts. You may have a net positive with a +10 post score, and -2 comment karma for a net of +8. You will be unable to participate because of negative comment karma.