Just thought I'd share my experience with the seller I deal with at the Gate...
While I'm sure it is hit or miss...I guess I got lucky...while this seller is not on the low end of the price spectrum, he's not the most expensive...generally the pieces I look at are beween $100 and $200...so far the quality has been good to very good.
One nice thing was I was in need of two lost screws, one for the VC Overseas that I got from him, one lug screw must have been loose and the head went missing. The other was for a U Boat Chimera that I already had (not from him), a bezel top screw also went missing. I tried a few TD's to get the U Boat screw and nobody could get one.
He was able to source both (the complete screw assemblies) and sent them to me at no charge along with a watch order I placed. He also gives me an extra discount for being a repeat customer. We communicate via Whatsapp and he always gets back to me promptly.
I guess my point is you can find reliable sellers on the Gate you just have do your homework and have a bit of luck.
Happy rep hunting Y'all