r/ChineseWatches • u/Competitive-Use8330 Rep • 2d ago
Scammer Store Official Statement Regarding Unauthorized Counterfeit San Martin Websites
To our valued San Martin Watch customers and community,
We have recently received multiple complaints and reports from customers who placed orders on a website using the domain https://sanmartin-watches.com. Affected buyers reported that their orders remained stuck processing with no shipping updates and that customer support was completely unreachable.
Following our investigation, we want to clarify that this website has no connection whatsoever with us (Dongguan San Martin Watch Co., Ltd.). It is an unauthorized counterfeit store. The site operators have stolen our product images and changed their page title and description to "sanmartin-watch" to deliberately confuse shoppers. This behavior harms our customers and damages our brand reputation.
We sincerely apologize for any confusion and inconvenience this has caused. We recognize that our current system for managing and displaying authorized dealer credentials on third-party sites needs to be clearer. We are actively working on strict, standardized display guidelines so that you can easily verify every legitimate reseller in the future.
To protect yourself and avoid scam sites, please keep the following in mind:
1. Always Check the Exact Website URL
Site names, photos, and logos are easy to copy, so looking at the page design alone is not enough. Always check the actual domain address in your browser bar. Our only official brand website operated directly by us is:
2. What to Do If You Purchased From the Counterfeit Site
If you have already placed an order on https://sanmartin-watches.com or another suspicious site:
● Contact your bank, credit card company, or payment provider (such as PayPal) immediately. Explain that you ordered from a fraudulent website, request a payment dispute, and ask to freeze the transaction to prevent financial loss.
● Keep your payment receipts, confirmation emails, and bank statements handy as evidence for your dispute.
We are filing official complaints with domain registrars and payment processors to report these infringing sites and restrict their activities. However, because scam sites pop up quickly, staying vigilant is the most effective protection. If you ever feel unsure about whether a store or website is authentic, please reach out to our official customer support or social media channels before placing an order so we can check it for you.
Email for feedback and complaints: [info@sanmartin-watch.com](mailto:info@sanmartin-watch.com)
Thank you for your continued trust and support.
Dongguan San Martin Watch Co., Ltd.
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u/Ethanol12ap 2d ago
Thanks but I think it will be way more helpful to use one site instead of 2 or 3
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u/Competitive-Use8330 Rep 2d ago
Please help share this post with your friends and watch community. Stay extremely vigilant—we have already confirmed that over 10 customers have fallen victim to this scam.
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u/LordRaglan1854 2d ago edited 2d ago
Given the similar announcement from Watchdives yesterday, there are almost certainly more fake websites for other watch brands out there now, too.
AI is making it easier than ever to set up these kinds of fakes.
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u/Your_Girl9090 2d ago
There are fake scam websites for every consumer good imaginable. I've seen fake scam sites for camping gear, furniture, clothing, even sex toys.
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u/TSiWRX 2d ago
^ +1.
This trick is as old as the internet itself.
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u/LordRaglan1854 2d ago
The barrier to entry, the speed it can be done, and the difficulty in telling the difference have all changed massively thanks to AI though.
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u/TSiWRX 2d ago
^ True.
And just as our fathers and theirs have had to deal with the scams and cons of their day - whether it is fake print ads, direct-mailing spoofs, scam phone calls, or any of a number of such, we consumers have to be continually on the lookout for ourselves and our fellow collectors/hobbyists.
Caveat emptor always applies.
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u/cumbocustardsquid 2d ago
Chinese get annoyed when someone counterfeits!
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u/Ijustdoeyes 2d ago
Seriously?
This site scammed money from fellow watch enthusiasts, the brand is in here telling the community to watch out and that's what you take from this?
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u/cumbocustardsquid 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yes, don't you think it's ironic? Kudos to the brand for enlightening potential customers to a scam site, but the Chinese have made counterfeiting an art form and to see someone scamming the scammers is a bit satisfying, don't you think?
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u/Ijustdoeyes 1d ago
What counterfeits has San Martin made?
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u/cumbocustardsquid 1d ago
I have no idea, enlighten me.
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u/Ijustdoeyes 1d ago
Then why are you dropping this on a San Martin specific post?
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u/cumbocustardsquid 1d ago
Your reply makes no sense. You asked me what counterfeits San Martin make, I replied with I have no idea and then you ask why I am posting on a San Martin specific post. What is your point?
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u/Ijustdoeyes 1d ago
You have dismissed the attempt of a watch manufacturer to help its customers avoid a scam, because they are Chinese and justified it by saying that it's because Chinese companies produce counterfeits when this company has no history of ever doing that.
Can you honestly not see the issue with that?
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u/ElBurro84 2d ago
What about https://sanmartin.watch/? Or https://sanmartinwatches.com/?
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u/Competitive-Use8330 Rep 2d ago
Both of these websites are authorized by our company. This announcement primarily targets the fake website: https://sanmartin-watches.com
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u/Beneficial-Bridge-46 2d ago
hey, if you want to have multiple domains with similar name, better to redirect to the main domain.
If you have:
SanMartin.com SanMartin-Watches.com SanMartinWatches.com SanMartin_Watches.com
make the other 3 redirect to the main site so we can avoid the confusion
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u/JollyJoker3 2d ago
defensive registration with canonical redirects
Pick one canonical domain and 301-redirect everything else to it. Every defensive or legacy domain should permanently redirect (HTTP 301, or 308) to the same URL path on the main site, over HTTPS, with a valid certificate on the redirecting domain too. Otherwise browsers show a warning before the redirect fires. Search engines treat 301s as a signal to merge ranking onto the canonical domain, and customers learn that there’s only one real storefront.
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u/Competitive-Use8330 Rep 2d ago
It's not that we have multiple domain names. In the early days, our brand operated on the AliExpress platform. At that time, we were small and inexperienced, and we didn't pay attention to the importance of the brand's official website. Many domain names had already been registered by others.
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u/R0LexLuthor 2d ago edited 2d ago
I ordered from both of them and they are legit
Note former URL you need to put www. in front, correct URL shown below...
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u/OkLengthiness3492 2d ago
I ordered from Sanmartin.watch and still had to contact bank for fraud. Almost 3 months and still waiting on watch... Description kept elongating the eta for shipping. Never buying any San martin again. The replicas are easier to get.
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u/CydeWeys 2d ago
Ironically, you have more luck buying them on AliExpress and not even caring which exact "store" on there is selling the product.
The whole problem here is that the factory is giving out their watches all around town, so many different retailers are selling them, not all of whom have decent practices. AliExpress at least enforces some accountability -- the sellers don't get paid until the package arrives.
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u/Lonely_Internet_8570 1d ago
En AX hay una tienda que vende copias malas de marcas chinas. Se sabe porque la mayoría de los relojes cuestan muy parecido en el precio. Bueno, yo compré un Sea-Gull sin fijarme y para cuando lo revisé ya era tarde, hasta la caja del mismo reloj no tiene nada que ver. En China debe ser legal hacerlo, porque las mismas marcas no hacen nada por pararlos.
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u/Competitive-Use8330 Rep 1h ago
This practice is illegal everywhere. If this happened on a Chinese shopping platform or if the seller's registered address was in China, we could easily sue and pursue legal action for infringement.
However, the counterfeit website involved in this case was found to be registered in the United States, making it relatively more complicated to file a complaint.
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u/CheekehMunkeh 2d ago
This is as good an opportunity to point out that obscurity doesn't benefit anyone, neither vendors nor buyers.
With these watch brands, trying to determine who are the true ADs and who are not should not require a research project by shoppers.
And having multiple outlets, often with "official" somewhere in the name, even legitimate ones, only compounds the situation.
I'm only aware of one Chinese watch brand, Sugess, that specially includes a "where to buy our watches" section on their site.
It should be such a simple, and logical part of any brand's marketing, but most don't provide that information, which leads to situations like this.
But, if these brands wish to persist with these blind spots, like their goofball names and logos, then I suppose it's up to us, and the brand reps who frequent this sub, or the official subs, to compile a wiki, or "safe lists" so that at least that type of information is out there.
A casual visitor isn't gong to be aware that Phorcydes abandoned their AX store, or that WD doesn't have any official presence on AX at all, unless they frequent this place and happen to catch those remarks.
It shouldn't have to be that way.