gemburionline

[jstarfireb]

Have any of you dealt with the ebay seller gemburionline? I''m interested in a stone they have listed, but I''m not sure how reputable they are, so I''d like to make sure they''re not scamming people by selling synthetic stones or something like that. Did a search but couldn''t find much info here. Thanks!

 

[blithesome71]

Based on my personal experience, I think they''re ok & sells natural gems. I won a 1.87 ct rhodolite garnet for $9 from them & I was surprised that it''s got a nice cut & polish despite its price.

 

[GliderPoss]

I won a lovely asscher rhodolite garnet. Cut was good, colour better than expected BUT turned up almost 2 months late despite my repeated requests for shipping info. I actually asked for a refund I was sick of waiting but it did turn up eventually and I love it now!

 

[jstarfireb]

Thanks guys! I may go for it then. Been looking for an asscher, and theirs are inexpensive and well cut. Hotpozzum, glad to hear yourse finally arrived!

 

[Chrometsav]

I tend to think most of the quality stuff is priced up and not on auction with them, but they do sell some quality gems and there doesn't appear any funny business.

I have recently bought and returned a piece via auction that was not as described in a pretty specific email I sent prior to bidding. If you ask questions you expect accurate replies, but if it's only $9 dollars and you don't, I mean honestly how can anyone moan!!!

I tend to go through phases with eBay type auctions, but if you get a lot of misses the hassles involved can get tiring and I stop for a month or two.

You also have to be careful with the grading system VS2 is still not even eye clean on their scale and it nearly caught me out on a few items, with so many dealers having their own charts that differ wildly.

Hope it helps.

 

[RockHugger]

I bought a 1.3ct tanzanite from them for 30$ a while ago. Turned out great!! Looked just like the pic.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

ooh, I''m going to check them out

 

[jstarfireb]

Wonderful! Here's what I bought from them just now...an Asscher tanzanite. I hope it looks like the pic, because the pic is really pretty (as well as the video)!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

NICE!

 

[jstarfireb]

Thanks Bella! This was one of their buy-it-now items, but the price wasn''t bad at all. It''s a little guy at only 5mm, but if you''ve been following my other threads, you may have picked up that I tend to like smaller pieces. There are a few spinel and rhodolite garnet asschers up for auction now if you''re interested!

 

[chrono]

jstar,
The picture doesn''t look too bad at all and if inexpensive, it''s worth checking out the vendor and his picture accuracy. I''m looking forward for your impression when you receive it.

 

[blithesome71]

Date: 1/30/2010 10:44:58 AM
Author: jstarfireb
Wonderful! Here''s what I bought from them just now...an Asscher tanzanite. I hope it looks like the pic, because the pic is really pretty (as well as the video)!

Hmmm, *yummy* that gem looks promising.

Excited to see the RL pics.

 

[Chrometsav]

Looks a cracker Jstar. Now if only they had something on auction in that or a cushion about 2 carats, trouble is he knows better..........

 

[jstarfireb]

This can''t be happening, can it? I just tracked my package using the tracking number they gave me, and it was apparently delivered today in MISSOURI?!? I live in Pennsylvania!!!

I really really hope it''s just a matter of an incorrect tracking number given to me. I was so looking forward to this stone...not to mention the cost issue...but I guess since I used Paypal I can dispute it. UGH! Two stones broken and now this!

 

[T L]

Missouri could have been just a sorting location. Call the post office to make sure. Does the actual status say "Delivered" ???

 

[Indylady]

Aww I hope that it finds its way to you soon! I once thought I had a setting sent to another state, only to realize that it might have passed through that state before getting to me or that it was another package, because I received the setting just a day or two after.

 

[jstarfireb]

Yeah, it actually said "delivered." I just emailed them and actually got a very prompt reply stating they had in fact given me the wrong tracking number. Problem is...I put in the new tracking number that they just emailed me, and it''s also a little off. It was apparently processed through Philly on 2/13 and then continued on its way to...Jamaica, NY. WTH is going on here? I''m so frustrated!

 

[Arcadian]

Missouri???

sounds like its time to send them an email?

I believe Tan is the owner, nice person that I've spoken with via email a few times. English is good enough for communications which should hopefully help you find out what happened to stone.


**edit**


I think you're now at the whim's of the US postal service.

This past year My father in law's Christmas gift from us, went to a post office in Rhode Island before being delivered to him. He's a 2-3 hour drive from us

So Hopefully the package will be in your hands soon!


-A

 

[jstarfireb]

Thanks guys! Tan replied quickly and was very courteous, which helps (although I''m still worried!). I''m going to call the USPS track/confirm customer service line when it opens tomorrow to see why it went from Philly to NY. At least this one is still in transit rather than listed as delivered!

 

[Arkteia]

What is the name of the store? I tried searching gemburiononline and ended with zero. I presume it is the seller''s name. Do you know his store''s name?

 

[jstarfireb]

As far as I know, it''s just GemBuriOnline (maybe it''s case sensitive?). Here''s a link.

 

[Crystal keeper]

Tan is the man..in a world where buying stones from Thailand can be risky and especially on ebay Tan is a beacon of light on a cloudy day. I regularly speak with him and he shows me new items before most other folks. We have done quite a bit of business for awhile now. I know of anotheR PSer who has been very pleased with her stones bought from him off ebay in the past..not cheap ones either and she is very very picky about what she gets and knows what she is doing like many of you on here. I would recommend him to anyone and especially PSer''s..which coming from an ebay seller in Thailand is something not taken lightly on this forum as we all know...I have told him about PS and the folks on here..if you tell him Jason sent you and you are from Pricescope then he will more than likely cut you a deal even on a buy it now stone..his biz runs on repeat customers..honesty is his policy..if you are not happy..no problem..he is very gracious and helpful with any issue or problems ou may have..I returned close to $1000 in stones one time that just didn''t fit my bill..no problems or issues..went back time and time again afterwards..sorry for the raving but I have had good dealings with Tan..have probably spent $5000+ in the last 5 months with him.

 

[GliderPoss]

Hmmm... this ebay seller also lost my stone.

Gave me an incorrect tracking number and refused to communicate clearly about the matter. Just kept saying here is the tracking info - which didn''t work!

My stone was lost for nearly two months then mysteriously turned up looking a totally different colour from the one I ordered. I suspect he simply sent me another one of similar size....

Although I accepted it as the stone was pretty, I was very unhappy with his shipping.

 

[Crystal keeper]

You can''t fault someone on there shipping....it takes my stones on average 20-30 ndays to reach me with one taking 35 days..they get shipped though Hong Kong post office which takes forever and tracking won''t work until mit reaches the US..just says something like arrived at HK PO then nothing for weeks..just like with Eric at Swala..cost $90 nto ship..can''t fault him for that..thats just the way it is..it''s nice to have a stone shipped for $2-$5 from minnesota or Massachusetts but doing overseas shipping is always tricky..export fees from sri lanka are a minimum of $60 for just a tiny stone...I just shipped back around $400 of paraiba rough stones back to Brazil to one of my contacts..never had issues before..well guess what using USPS there is no tracking..not even express international...once it leaves the US it''s off the radar..well my stones njever showed..it''s been 2 months now..my fault for not using UPS or DHL but i can''t fault my contact since I won''t be getting my $400 back now since the stones never showed..it''s out of there hands..when you order thousands upon thousands of dollars in stones from ever area of the world you come to realize that shipping can be dicey..how fo you think i felt when i had to cough over an extra..what was it..$300 in import fees for $700 in stones that i had ordered many times..hell I was pissed but thats the name of the international shipping game

 

[Chrometsav]

Crystal Keeper,

Whilst I agree with you on shipping and enough people don't have the patience they should considering where it is coming from and usually the considerable savings they can make on purchasing in The U.S. or elsewhere.

I would say (and this is a wider eBay viewpoint really)I don't accept this much more recently practiced notion that many Far-East-gem sellers adhere to, that just because they offer a money back guarentee that it somehow exonerates them from mis-representing the stone in the first place. There is still a lot of hassles involved in returning stones that are 'no way' the stone purchased, I'm not talking 75% tone instead of 80, but 40% instead of 80% etc taking into account monitor differences and all that. Or Si clarity instead of flawless. Or shocking cutting.

The postal hassles you talk about can work for returns as well and a lot of the time they sell on the buyers ignorance and that they won't return it.

Also, not specifically directing this at the eBay seller mentioned, many (not all) will substitute stones if a certain price is not reached hoping again the buyer won't return it as they don't know enough about the subject.


Having bought a couple from Tan over a fair period of time and returning them, I'd say again that his better stuff as with the original OP is buyitnow fixed priced, and that although he slips the odd one in, most of his auction stones are of a nice hue but not eye clean or vice-versa.

Not so good for those of us on the constant look out for a bargain!!

 

[Arkteia]

Thank you for giving me his name. I suspect I just entered the wrong name in the search.

I checked his website. "Color-change chrysoberyl" always raises suspicion. Also, the red of his color-change garnet is too good to be trun (maybe it is, but I became suspicious). "Lavender Paraiba" does not look like Paraiba. Again, maybe it is but I have burned on ebay stones several times and became very suspicious.

I am going to wait till Jstarfireb gives a feedback about her stone. He may be an excellent vendor especially for lower-end stones but I would hesitate to buy color-change garnet from him unless several people have done so and posted their reviews.

A perfect six-ray intense-color star sapphire should cost more than the one in his picture. Many vendors take pictures of beautiful stones and forget to say that the stones they sell "look like" the ones on photographs.

 

[jstarfireb]

Thanks for the additional feedback on the seller, guys! I will certainly give you my impressions of the stone...that is, if I ever receive it.

 

[jstarfireb]

Good news! According to the tracking site, it looks like my package finished its little detour to NY and is in Philly as we speak. I think it will be delivered tomorrow. YAY!

 

[T L]

Date: 2/17/2010 10:59:15 PM
Author: jstarfireb
Good news! According to the tracking site, it looks like my package finished its little detour to NY and is in Philly as we speak. I think it will be delivered tomorrow. YAY!

Well, I hope you get it tomorrow and it turns out to be beautiful. You deserve something lovely after all the recent grief you''ve had with stones.

 

[jstarfireb]

Aww, thanks, TL! I really appreciate the thought.