Whiteflash Upgrade Policy Revision

[Texas Leaguer]

All,
This has been discussed in another poster’s thread but we wanted to move the discussion here for more members of the pricescope community to be aware of.

We have recently made a change to our lifetime upgrade benefit, which is very important to many shoppers in evaluating the overall value of a diamond purchase, and comparing one option against another. Whiteflash has been offering an upgrade benefit for over 20 years and we have helped many, many customers move up to bigger and better diamonds without losing any stored value in their original purchase. And we are fully committed to continue that practice.

The change to be aware of is that going forward (as of 08/11/23) the trade up diamond will be required to be at least 50% more valuable that the original. All other aspects of the benefit remain the same. (see effective date on bottom of Lifetime Upgrade Page)

Things to consider about the revised policy:

• The majority of upgrades we do are 50% or greater in value anyway, so in practice the number of people affected by this change will be relatively small.
• The original diamond still has 100% stored value.
• We continue to be committed to stocking in-house the largest inventory of ideal and superideal diamonds in the market, so Whiteflash options for upgrades will continue to be ample. (a trade up program is only as useful to the client as the options available, no matter how liberal the terms may be).
• All factors considered, we feel that our upgrade program is still competitive with or superior to those offered by other merchants.
• The new requirement will only apply to new purchases. All prior purchases are not affected. Benefits are always governed by the policies in place at the time of purchase.

Why we made this change:
In the past few years the natural diamond market has been slammed by a perfect storm of events that every company has been challenged to adapt to. Pandemic lockdowns, Russia's assault on Ukraine, supply chain disruptions, sanctions placed on Russian diamond rough, the rapid emergence of lab grown diamonds in the market, and for those of us in the super ideal realm the GIA's acquisition of AGSL, have all been factors requiring significant adaptation.

While we have been reluctant to alter any benefits comprising our value proposition, our overarching consideration is to be a sustainable business that continues to serve our customers long into the future. Insuring that our trade-up program is a true upgrade benefit is part of that goal.

Whiteflash is determined to continue providing the top tier product quality and customer care that we have become known for, and to be here for our customers in the long term, despite what obstacles might be placed in our way. We intend to remain very competitive in the value we add to the market, and trust that our customers will view our products, policies, and benefits in a holistic way when comparing Whiteflash against other merchants.

Your questions or comments are more than welcome. We greatly value the feedback we have always received from the pricescope community (good, bad, or neutral), and will always respond to be best of our ability.

 

[kenny]

Thanks Bryan.
To me it sounds more than reasonable and fair.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

Thanks Bryan.
To me it sounds more than reasonable and fair.

Thank you Kenny.

 

[Patty]

Thank you for sharing the information here, Bryan. I love how transparent Whiteflash is and I’m glad to see this. I’d hate for someone to recommend a stone and refer to the old upgrade policy…not everyone reads the policy details although they should.

I’m a huge fan of Whiteflash and hope to be a customer for many more years. I know the past few years have been tough on you all and your steps to remain a successful company are reasonable. Best wishes to you and everyone at WF as you navigate these uncertain times.

 

[crbl999]

I also love the transparency of Whiteflash and the professional presence that is maintained on Pricescope. I don't buy for the upgrade program, although it is nice to have. I buy for the quality of the product and the overall experience of the purchase.

I have purchased 4 super ideals. 2 of them are ACAs. IMO ACAs are the best value for super ideals. Customer service is before and after the purchase is excellent. Brittany was most helpful in my most recent purchased (.302 F VS1 ACA). Even though my purchase was small, I was not rushed. All of my questions and concerns were answered over a day of back and forth emails. She helped narrow down my four top choices. She even offered her view point of which diamond spoke the most to her when asked. Happy customer and look forward to doing more business with Whiteflash.

 

[Bonfire]

Thank you Bryan for the concise explanation of the new upgrade policy. I just upgraded my ACA in June and as always my experience with Whiteflash was top notch! (Shout out to Becca)

I just wanted to chime in to say how fortunate we are to have you here in our PS community. May Whiteflash continue the tradition of excellence long into the future!

 

[MissGotRocks]

Yes, thanks again Bryan for the clarification. There have been so many threads and recommendations made here stating the old trade in policy, so it is nice to have a thread to refer folks to if needed.

As always, best wishes to all at Whiteflash for its continued success. Many (including myself), have made many happy purchases through Whiteflash and it is my sincere hope that this company continues to grow and thrive. It serves a niche that few others do and it is a valuable resource to many.

 

[adlgel]

@Texas Leaguer I have a diamond purchased before the new policy so I understand I am eligible for the original policy that I just need to spend at least $1 more. If I were to upgrade next month under the original policy and then upgrade again a year from now, would that future upgrade be subject to the new policy or the original. Basically if a diamond was purchased prior to the new policy date, are all upgrades of that diamond subject to the original policy?

 

[Texas Leaguer]

@Texas Leaguer I have a diamond purchased before the new policy so I understand I am eligible for the original policy that I just need to spend at least $1 more. If I were to upgrade next month under the original policy and then upgrade again a year from now, would that future upgrade be subject to the new policy or the original. Basically if a diamond was purchased prior to the new policy date, are all upgrades of that diamond subject to the original policy?

@adlgel,
Thanks for the question. An upgrade is essentially a new purchase using the stored value in the original diamond as payment. The new diamond would then be governed by the new terms.

It might be therefore better to wait until your target diamond is at least 50% more, instead of stepping it out in a smaller increment now.

 

[adlgel]

Thank you for clarifying @Texas Leaguer .

 

[valenledge]

Thank you for the clarity! We’ve loved working with your team over the years, Bryan, and your customer service and generous upgrade policy was what won us over.

I think this also means that only multiple upgrades across size, color, and/or clarity are going to hit the mark vs a minor upgrade in one of those factors, which was a possibility to do before.

 

[Redwoods-hiker-girl]

As a consumer whose pockets are smaller than they used to be, I felt my heart sink as I read the change in policy. It's understandable, of course. I appreciate your letting us know, @Texas Leaguer.

 

[autumngems]

I purchased my first large diamond from Whiteflash due to their upgrade policy. I sold it personally but I am looking to purchase again. Makes me sad as some of us cannot afford to do 50% for each upgrade especially if already purchasing a large diamond to begin with. Would take too long to save and wait to upgrade.
@Texas Leaguer

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I think it is very reasonable especially considering the fact that many retailers require a 100% greater value for the trade up. I've been around long enough to see diamond prices go up and back down, and I can see how it could make a jeweler go under if they weren't wise with the upgrade policy, and especially in these times. I certainly have made use of the upgrade policy multiple times, and I imagine most of them were 50% more (or close to it). People will just need to be more intentional with their upgrades which is a good thing since replacing settings multiple times can add up (ask me how I know! lol!).

 

[Redwoods-hiker-girl]

I think it is very reasonable especially considering the fact that many retailers require a 100% greater value for the trade up. I've been around long enough to see diamond prices go up and back down, and I can see how it could make a jeweler go under if they weren't wise with the upgrade policy, and especially in these times. I certainly have made use of the upgrade policy multiple times, and I imagine most of them were 50% more (or close to it). People will just need to be more intentional with their upgrades which is a good thing since replacing settings multiple times can add up (ask me how I know! lol!).

It is absolutely reasonable.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

I think it is very reasonable especially considering the fact that many retailers require a 100% greater value for the trade up. I've been around long enough to see diamond prices go up and back down, and I can see how it could make a jeweler go under if they weren't wise with the upgrade policy, and especially in these times. I certainly have made use of the upgrade policy multiple times, and I imagine most of them were 50% more (or close to it). People will just need to be more intentional with their upgrades which is a good thing since replacing settings multiple times can add up (ask me how I know! lol!).

Agreed, most do require "double spend".

 

[Alybetter]

The original upgrade policy, in my opinion, is what elevated WF above some of their competitors. Spend more on an ACA, and enjoy the generous upgrade policy and buy-back policy. Those are the reasons I purchased an ACA; knowing I could incrementally increase in size as my budget allowed.

I can understand whys behind the decision. And appreciate the clarity. I’ve had great service from the folks at Whiteflash. But I believe my purchasing choices will be affected by this change.