Some MAGA supporters who paid for Donald Trump watches are seriously ticked off. The majority of reviews for GetTrumpWatches on Trustpilot give the company just one star, with some people complaining that it is a “scam.”
The timepieces are made by TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC and range from $499 to $2,999 per watch, or $5,389 for the “Ultra Mega Collector Set.” The president has been criticized for hawking them on cable TV as a government shutdown drags on over healthcare funding.
A Daily Beast review of the site’s Trustpilot profile uncovers a string of poor reviews, with 57 percent of the 30 customers who have rated the watches at the time of publication giving the company just one star. Another 3 percent of reviewers gave it two stars. Trustpilot is one of the internet’s leading review sites, though the Daily Beast cannot independently verify the accuracy of the complaints.
The overall 2.8-star rating appears to suggest a record of over-promising and under-delivering. Reviews cite delays, non-arrivals, and ignored demands for refunds.
Many accounts appear to come from fans of Trump, who does not tend to wear a watch himself.
“My daughters ordered a Trump watch and after 5 months of waiting have not received anything. It’s a shame this company is not holding to President Trump’s high standards. This was a present for my 80th birthday!” wrote one MAGA supporter on July 14.
Another customer, Timothy M. Reynolds, warned on April 29, “DO NOT order anything from these people,” while L.S. wrote on March 21, “Took my money then nothing. It finally dawned on me I was scammed. AVOID ORDERING ANYTHING FROM THESE PEOPLE.”
Another, Michael, posted 11 days earlier, “No watch delivered. Endless lines of ‘customer service’ hollow… responses.”
The outrage is not limited to domestic customers. “Ordered a watch juli 10. Haven’t got it yet,” posted Swede Rainer Lüddeckens on Sept. 5. Mike from Norway posted on June 7, “I plan to sue. This is a scam!”
On Jan. 8 Lemme be Frank, from Switzerland—a country famed for its watches—wrote, “Absolutely horrible customer service. Do not buy any of these garbage products. Avoid like the plague!!”
The customer criticism is all the more pointed given that Marco Rubio, Trump’s secretary of state, said in 2016, “If he hadn’t inherited $200 million, you know where Donald Trump would be right now? Selling watches in Manhattan.”
But if the negative reviews are to be believed, the 79-year-old’s attempts to corner this market are not going very well.
The Daily Beast contacted TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC on Saturday for comment. An autoresponse warned, “Please note that we may have received a large number of requests and may take additional time to provide you with a response.”
The organization followed up minutes later to thank the Beast for bringing the string of customer complaints to their attention and said the matter had been escalated to its head of customer service, who would “handle the matter and provide… necessary feedback.”
The following day, the head of customer service, a man known only as Ryan, replied to say the reviews seemed to be—what else—“fake” news.
He said “tens of thousands of satisfied people have purchased Trump Watches” and claimed that two of the irate reviewers had since had their complaints resolved.
“On GetTrumpWatches.com, you can see real verified testimonials of people loving their TRUMP watches,” Ryan added. None of the reviews on the website is less than five stars.
Not all the Trustpilot reviewers are furious at the product. Thirty-three percent gave the watches five-star reviews.
U.S.-based dsgreen wrote on July 31—“I LOVE IT! Even my jeweler said it feels like a Rolex.” Fellow American Kathy Millard on May 9 called her watch “WELL WORTH THE WAIT,” and Greg on May 4 praised the packaging and auto-wind movement after receiving his order two days earlier.
But despite some customer positivity, there is a familiar pattern of lofty promises, sliding deadlines, and shifting explanations.
One U.S. buyer, TERRY BARBER, said a limited-edition “Red” model arrived May 31 but began gaining minutes weekly and has been in repair since July 28. A “Horrible company,” he declared.
Another reviewer alleged a $2,999 order placed Jan. 3 was repeatedly delayed through the spring despite refund requests.
In the fine print, the seller warns of long lead times and “estimates only” shipping, which may explain why many complaints center on timing and refunds.
TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC also stresses in its licensing arrangement that it is not the Trump Organization or a campaign.
It says, “Trump Watches are not designed, manufactured, distributed or sold by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization or any of their respective affiliates.”
While Trump appears in the TV commercial for the watches, which is also hosted on the company’s website, there’s no public figure for Trump’s personal cut from the deal.
In another move befitting Trump’s checkered business past, the watches are marketed as “Swiss-made,” but corporate breadcrumbs point stateside. CNN reported in October last year that corporate records for TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC trace not to a Swiss atelier but to a registered-agent address in a Wyoming shopping center.
The site’s FAQs do not name a factory location, while manufacturing origin remains opaque in public materials.
Last Friday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom mocked Trump’s TV pitches for the timepiece, which touted “Fight Fight Fight” models as collectible pieces of Trump history.
The tone-deaf ad landed as Obamacare subsidies are at risk during the federal government shutdown, with health policy research organization KFF estimating that average annual premiums paid by subsidized enrollees could increase by 114 percent if Congress doesn’t act.
Newsom responded with a social media post in Trumpian caps: “NO HEALTH CARE FOR YOU BUT YOU MUST BUY MY WATCH!!”
Selling timepieces is just one of numerous get-rich-quick schemes Trump has reportedly been involved in during his two terms as president.
A New Yorker investigation estimated that by the end of his second term, Trump and his family will have taken in more than $3.4 billion, largely from deals and investments that likely hinged on his presidency.
Forbes pegs Trump’s wealth at roughly $7.3 billion, putting the immediate family’s combined wealth near $10 billion.
The Trump Organization did not return a request for comment.
The post Furious MAGA Customers Say They Got ‘Scammed’ by Trump Watches appeared first on The Daily Beast.
