Negotiating price at B&M

[dbgaap]

Here''s the situation:

There is a very reputable B&M in my area that has gemologists, goldsmith services, loose stones, lots of settings and an estate section, too. Also, they sell crystal, china, etc. They are "the" place to go for repairs, and they have a reputation for "standing behind" their products & services.

They will set a stone even if I didn''t buy it from them AND offered to take an existing stone as a trade-in (I do have a single diamond earring I never use)

We''ve gotten into prices, and I can see that they are offering me too much for my stone and asking too much for their stones.
The net result is that we''ll pay about a thousand dollars more AND throw in the half carat stone if we go by initial asking price.

We ALSO have a very reputable web-based vendor (one of the pricescope favorites) within driving distance and they will let us come look at stones before we buy and they can do the setting, too.

My question is this, would you even try to get a decent price from the B&M or just blow it off and deal with the web-based vendor becuase, ultimately it is just less hassle.
I really resent having to fight for a fair price, but of course I do it for cars and houses so why not diamonds?
THANKS!!!!

 

[Nicrez]

Absolutely try your B&M. Sometimes, as some people here mentioned, it is best to have someone close who can provide "customer service" when you need it, and if they do, and you anticipate them doing so in the future, then go for it! Always bargain, and if the price is still too much for your budget, you have to go with someone who is trustworthy, but less expensive.




I have noticed it helps to be honest, and say, "hey, listen I really want to establish a relationship with you, and I want to work with you, but I really can get a better price elsewhere. They don't provide the same long-term relationship, but I am hoping you can help me keep my price in budget." Try it, and let us know how it goes...!

 

[mike04456]

There are B&M jewelers who can't seem to handle internet competition in a rational manner, and those that can. Yours sounds like one of the few that can.




Why not just explain the situation as you have here and see what they say? My bet is that they'll be willing to work with you.

 

[DavidEmslie]

Id work with your local guys, Good settings and goldsmithing services are getting hard to find, if you can find a good goldsmith, hang onto them for life, alot of them are not around anymore, build a relationship with them, tell them whats going on.
Our business made quite a few changes with the advent of the internet.
People buying from us both online and in our store, and people comming in with things they bought online and in pawn shops...business in business in these hard times. negotiate a price. but be supportive...you want places like that to be around in 5 years. Your online vender may be out and gone just as fast as any other small business can go under. Getting locals is hard anymore, and if you find a good one, is very valuble...like I said, find a good one and keep em for life, and be fair, cheapest is not always the best too.

 

[dbgaap]

Thanks for the advice.

One thing I think will help the process is to remove the whole trade-in issue with my existing half carat.

I found Lippincott estate liquidators (www.whatwebuy.com) online and I'm sending the diamond to them. I know it's not worth much - you can get one just like it for $550 from any ps vendor. Plus I can get rid of some other stuff (scrap gold, etc.) in a simple, impersonal way. It feels a little icky to clean out my jewelry box, but very emotionally liberating.
I agree that the cheapest price is not necessarily the best deal.
This is a very interesting process - sorting through emotions and balancing that with common sense & practicality.

I have to confess that BF and I still have not determined our budget for the e-ring. We are still trying to figure out what is the right ring and then we'll just pay for it.

At first he wanted to go to Tiffany's together and snag a ring! It was the ultimate romantic gesture in his mind (and I really appreciate it), but I am all about ggetting the best value for money spent. ... We are learning to work together (LOL) OK, woops. Shoulda never said the "T" word on this forum!!
Thanks again.

 

[valeria101]

I guess that more and more buyers will get in your position, at some point. To me, it seems that each shop has it's particular strength and you could make the best of both words buying the diamond from the "internet" seller whom you are anyway going to meet in person, and having a spectacular design made nearby. After all, craftmanship can be as valuable as diamonds are.

On the other hand, given the way diamonds are sold "off the list" (ok, maybe not the very narrowly defined best selection of them), perhaps the same diamonds would be available at both stores, after all