DiamondCuttersIntl - interesting link... moderators: remove if inappropriate

[thunkpad]

Date: 4/1/2006 11:37:21 PM
Author: indecisive
OMG couldn''t that be considered libel??? Because those are complete and total lies with intent to harm

Yes it is libel. He can''t make those comments without hard evidence and I''m pretty sure that isn''t something he''s got! This guy makes me fume. If you can only sell diamonds by knocking other people''s reputations then what does that say about your own?

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

It is not fair.

I want Fred to pick on me too.

 

[widget]

Arggh! I''m so frustrated! The link here doesn''t work for me (it''s my computer..some kind of ''script error" pops up..) I went to the site directly and tried to find what everyone''s talking about, but no luck..

Could someone tell me what he said? or tell me where on his site he says it?

Thks
widget

 

[Lorelei]

Widget try this. Go to FAQ and look under The Diamond. You will see a list of questions and it is the 6th one down from the top, dated 3.29.2006, titled Diamond Experts.

 

[MissAva]

Oh look he posted again....Diamond Expert


ETA: ETA: I just had a thought…how much do ya’ll think we are upping his traffic ratio?

 

[Mara]

Date: 4/2/2006 12:34:48 PM
Author: Matatora
Oh look he posted again....Diamond Expert

Hello, POT this is kettle calling, ARE YOU BLACK??

Covered with soot actually.

It's actually fairly comical because he says this stuff and it's really like he is talking about himself.

I can't imagine how ANYONE in their right mind, would think that all these stunning diamonds we see daily on here are wrong. Does Fred have a section on HIS site where you can post pictures of diamonds purchased from DCI? I would think that would probably be too much of a reality check for customers, so probably not.

 

[Lorelei]

Just thinking of a suitable response but you did it for me Mara!

That is the crux of the matter isn't it? How can anyone dispute the beauty and quality of the diamonds we see here on a regular basis? Would be interesting to see some DCI diamonds to compare with.

 

[Mara]

Actually, Mata I was telling Greg about this yesterday and he said that he thought Fred made a mistake answering that question with www.pricescope.com either in the question or response, can''t recall, because now it will be easily searchable and it may come up in someone''s Google search and what he is doing is leading them to wonder ''oh what is pricescope'' and then hopefully they will find us here.

 

[princessv]

Ugh...that guy makes me ill..especially after I went to read the opinion in his criminal conviction. It's too bad that other poster who purchased from him wouldn't let any of the appraisers take a look at the type of stone that DCI promotes. If he likes talking so much junk about PS and the experts here, he should come up with a real comparision of the true policies ie lifetime trade up and even the numbers off one of the PS vendors' in-house stones and one of his own....which get real..he'd never do I'm just dreaming

ETA: Mara you're so right!! No publicity is bad publicity right?

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 4/2/2006 12:44:43 PM
Author: Princess V
. It''s too bad that other poster who purchased from him wouldn''t let any of the appraisers take a look at the type of stone that DCI promotes.

I still wonder about that poster.....

 

[Blenheim]

Widget, if you''re still having problems with the links or his website --

Diamond Experts

Q I have been reading alot on the forums in www.pricescope.com. There are MANY diamond vendors, cutters, aficionados, etc. on there who express vastly different opinions on what a well-cut diamond is - as compared to your opinions. If a well-cut diamond is essentially a question of mathematical ratios, how can there be so many educated "diamond people" out there who think differently from you? For instance, that site is a GIANT supporter of Whiteflash and the posters there are REGULARLY buying from WF. How is it so obvious to you that these are off-makes, but yet all those people are supporters?

A Hi Jennifer, Math is math. Can it be distorted for someones self interest? Sure. Take a good look at the so called experts on these forums. Are they Best Selling Authors? Are they experts to the Journal, Tribune, Instyle, Glamour, CBS Evening News, Today Show, Good Morning America, Menshealth, ESPN? Have they been acknowledged by the Guiness book of World Records in Jewelry Design? Have they ever made a Superbowl, World Series, NHL or NBA championship ring? Just because someone calls themselves an expert doesn''t make it true. Do you think it is a coincidence that they are supportors of Whiteflash? I''ll give you one more thing to think about, how is it that Abazias, Whiteflash & Union Diamonds all list the same diamonds? If these diamonds that they offer are so great why won''t they buy them back if you aren''t happy with them at any point in the future? If these diamonds are so great why won''t they allow trade-ins at any time in the future? Is it possible that these 3 companies that list the same inventory actually aren''t the owners of the diamonds they sell? Why won''t they guarantee against annealing? Have a great day! Fred


Online Reputation

Q Curious to know whether you have heard of Union Diamonds.com and what their reputation is like. Thanks!

A Hi Ben, Abazias, Whiteflash and Union Diamonds are the Larry, Moe and Curly that make up the three stooges of the Internet Diamond World. They all grab from the same pool of diamonds (you’ll notice each company lists the exact same rocks) that have attractive weights, clarities and colors but are off-makes. They feed on poor little guppies that have a little bit of knowledge but are actually dangerous to themselves. These guys are consolidators pure and simple that sell “seconds”. Their warranties are no more than a house of cards and they really don’t even own an inventory. If the goal is a bluff diamond to try and save some money, I guess they are an option. If you want the real deal, don’t get “stooged”. Be careful, Fred


Diamond Expert

Q As a follow up, I wasn''t suggesting "the others" were right and you were wrong I''m a customer of yours! LOL. I was really just pondering how something as clear as a mathematical ratio can be so misunderstood by so many "educated" diamond vendors and purchasers. I don''t know more than I have read in your book and on this site (yes - I read the answers on here everyday. I find the info and your writing style quite entertaining!), but I am still appalled at how confused people are! So, in your opinion, are those vendors, who should remain unnamed, knowledgable and deceptive or do they really believe they are selling their customer a great diamond? -Jennifer

A Hi Jennifer, Wow, how can I put this in a diplomaic way... I hope for their sakes they believe what their saying. Now having just written those words I have a nasty taste in my mouth. Let''s try it another way. If everyday you tell people that 2+2=5 you will one day believe it yourself. Cognitive Dissonance tells me that your actions have to coincide with your beliefs or you won''t be able to live with yourself. I think eventually everyone who stretches the truth (I''m being kind) has to believe what they are saying to make it through another day. Thanks for taking the time to write in. All the best, Fred



Those are direct quotes from his website, in the order that their links appear in this thread.

He has such interesting views, bless his heart.

 

[princessv]

Date: 4/2/2006 12:47:49 PM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 4/2/2006 12:44:43 PM
Author: Princess V
. It''s too bad that other poster who purchased from him wouldn''t let any of the appraisers take a look at the type of stone that DCI promotes.

I still wonder about that poster.....

You and me both....seems like he knew alot about Fred''s criminal conviction..and not just that...he was OK with purchasing from a convicted felon as well. Creepy.

 

[Blenheim]

Wait... why does Fred have a criminal conviction? This gets more and more interesting.

 

[indecisive]

can someone explain what he was convicted of?

 

[Mara]

just search on google.

nevermind did it for you.... 'fred cuellar convicted' brings up various links, here is one of them:

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/1998/06/08/story3.html

 

[MINE!!]

 

[princessv]

Yeah I thought I summarized it pretty well here.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/fully-bonded-diamond.35824/page-4

ETA: the poster apparently purchased from Fred and was more than willing to try and stick up for him so I did some digging for the actual case that he was involved in and read up on it..hey I was bored!

 

[denverappraiser]

Date: 4/2/2006 12:41:27 PM
Author: Mara
Actually, Mata I was telling Greg about this yesterday and he said that he thought Fred made a mistake answering that question with www.pricescope.com either in the question or response, can''t recall, because now it will be easily searchable and it may come up in someone''s Google search and what he is doing is leading them to wonder ''oh what is pricescope'' and then hopefully they will find us here.

The way I found pricescope is because it was being slammed in another forum.

Harry Houdini once said to the newspapers: "I dont care what you say about me just spell my name right."

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[Mara]

hhaha, how did i miss that thread? funny how the poster was like a dog with a bone, throwing out BBB complaints vs Fred (and then mata squashed that with posting that BN and D.com had 34 going out of 46! DUH...) and then suddenly was all ''oh yeah that''s not good'' and then poof gone?

i found Fred''s site when we were shopping and he sent me a copy of his book like he does everyone else, and we read it. it was interesting, but some stuff definitely didn''t make sense, but surfing his site and all that it was sooo ONE SIDED about what they think and how they tell you what to do or give advice etc. when i found PS with various contributors who had varying opinions, that was it! i much prefer lively debate on what is beautiful or right or wrong vs one person telling you how it is and oh by the way can i sell you a diamond.

 

[widget]

Thanks Lorelei, and Blenheim!!

 

[perry]

Here is some computer help for those who are having problems opening the link - and advice for those posting links:

Older windows and some non windows operating systems will not open a link that starts with http:// They will only open links that start with www.

So people who are posting links would help other people if they would delete the "http://" from the link they copy so that it starts with "www."

For links starting with "http://" the way to open them is to copy the link ([Crtl C]) then open the browser link page [Crtl o] (thats an "oh" not a zero), then past the link in [Ctrl V] and edit off the "http://" so that the link starts with "www."

Hope that helps all.

Perry

 

[KittenKat]

I hate that he points out how the media talks to him as the diamond expert...

As someone in PR, all I can say he has some brilliant people working for him - GETTING him in these various publications.

Ugh... maybe I should focus my skill at getting some of the Pscopers into WSJ, LA Times etc!

He must spend A LOT of money on publicity - he wouldn''t get that attention from the media without it.

But it always bothers me when people like him act as though the media found him... it ain''t so

 

[koko]

Just had to add my problem with Fred, which is that he takes ideas from others and makes them his own in his "best selling books." A true diamond expert, Antoinette Matlins, has been writing books since 1989 on the subject. In her book "Engagement and Wedding Rings" published in 1990, she discusses subjects that Fred takes credit for such as "buying shy" of a carat to save money, cut being the most important of the 4 C''s and how to determine the best cut, retail pricing guides, etc. Pretty much everything that Fred came out with in his "best selling" book that was published in 1996. He even claims he got death threats from jewelers who didn''t want consumers to know the secrets of a good cut, since they were making a killing selling poorly cut stones with good color/clarity. I don''t recall Ms. Matlins ever receiving death threats for getting the exact same information out six yrs. earlier. I think Mr. Cuellar is a victim of his own ego. I appreciate all the advice I''ve gotten here and the lively discussions from true experts, who just don''t have the egos to promote themselves like Fred does.

 

[koko]

And furthermore.....it''s funny him calling Abazias, WF and Union Diamonds the "Larry, Moe and Curly" of the diamond world who sell "off makes" to innocent "guppies....." I think since we''re doing comparisons here, Fred is rather like The Wizard of Oz, in that when you pull back the curtain and take a long look what you see is a fraud and a con(vict) who puffs himself up by putting others down. And pity those poor munchkins who are taking cooking and marital advice from his son and wife!!

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 4/2/2006 12:56:04 PM
Author: indecisive
can someone explain what he was convicted of?

impersonating a diamond expert.

 

[Blenheim]

Hey, I''m reading up on their marital advice and I find it quite interesting. Did you know that 34% of women are gold diggers? Did you know that women who are initially willing to upgrade their engagement ring have a higher divorce rate, because it shows that they''re insecure in their marriage and their life? (That last one confuses me, because I feel like it would be in his best interest to push for upgrades.)

And Mara and Princess V, thanks for looking up that info. I usually run immediately to Google, but my brain is absolutely fried from exams and so it didn''t cross my mind.

 

[aphisiglovessae]

Holy Cow, I missed a lot in this thread! I wonder how he''s still in the business after such a history.

 

[Mara]

hehe I just upgrade my ring because I like big diamonds!!!