Advice please - UK resident buying online

[Mellin75]

Hi,

I live in London (UK) and I was wondering if there are any UK based pricescope member who have bought diamonds online and had them shipped from the US. Who did you use and was it a painless transaction?

Has anyone from the UK used Dimendscassi.com?

I am just a bit nervous about buying online in another country and want some reassurance that others have bravely gone before me and it all worked out!

Thanks

 

[Cleo]

Hello!

I live in Peterborough (UK) and bought my diamond online from the USA and had it shipped to England.

We bought our diamond from www.diamondsonweb.com who were incredibly helpful and efficient - I would certainly recommend them.

The transaction was very simple, and the diamond was shipped extremely fast via Fed-Ex (with online tracking).

The only thing to be aware of is the fee payable to Customs in the UK. At DoW they charge you this in advance and pay the fee on your behalf, so that your diamond is not held up by Customs. The fee is based on the value of your purchase, and can be calculated on their website. My diamond cost $7266 and the extra on top was $1309. It''s quite a lot, so worth factoring in to your calculations. Even so, I now have a ring which would retail at about £9000 (ish) so it was definitely worth while.

The only way of avoiding the fee is if you can find a vendor willing to mark the package as either ''gift'' or ''sample''. Unfortunately DoW wouldn''t!

Have you decided what size/shape/quality you are looking for? The people on here are a mine of fabulous information and can help you get the very best diamond for your budget, with the greatest ''WOW!'' factor.

Karen x

 

[Maisie]

Hi Mellin, welcome to Pricescope.

I live just outside Newcastle and I have bought 3 diamonds from Whiteflash.com. They are amazing to work with, and well used to dealing with overseas customers. You will save a lot of money buying from the US.

I paid full VAT and customs charges on my diamonds. Its not a good idea to ask them to sneak anything in under the pretence of a gift or sample. I''m pretty sure Whiteflash won''t do it and you could end up in trouble if you are caught trying that sort of thing.

Good luck and I hope you find something wonderful!!

 

[Cleo]

Just to add, DoW send the diamond to you for a 30-day 'appraisal' period, in which time you can return it for a refund if you are not happy.

Strictly speaking during this time you could be considered to be appraising the stone, rather than having purchased it. Hence marking the package as 'sample' could be considered a perfectly valid thing to do. After all, if you were to return the stone would Customs refund the VAT and Duty paid? I think not...

In any case, as Maisie said, you are unlikely to find a vendor willing to do this unfortunately.

 

[Mellin75]

Thanks for the replies Cleo & Maisie. I am familiar with Whiteflash but not diamondsontheweb, so will take a look at their site.

I am aware of the customs and excise fees that are due on international shipping and am factoring these into the price. Even taking these charges into account, it still seems considerably cheaper than shopping in the UK. I work right by Hatton Garden in London so have done plenty of research into UK prices!

I guess I am worried about quality as much as anything, how can I be sure that something looks as great in reality as it does in the pictures online? That is why I think personal recommendations on sites such as this is very important.

Have either of you returned something that wasn''t quite up to scratch?

I am still trying to work out which styles suit my tiny fingers and size/shape/quality decision. Once I think I have found something I like I intend to ask for pricescopers opinions. But that''s another post!

 

[D2B]

Hi
I bought my diamond half eternity from signed pieces , facets collection. No trouble, and saved heaps compared to UK prices, even taking VAT into account.
the only thing to remember is that to check that the vendor will let you ship the goods back if you have a problem, using their Fed Ex account and insurance. I found it impossible to get insurance for a diamond ring as an individual via Fed Ex or others in the UK. Blue Nile, Whiteflash etc will do this, just check. I didnt have to use it, but you never know.

Regarding VAT, if you return the item you can get a refund of the VAT paid, I believe the paperwork is a nightmare, but can be done. You need to ensure the UK amount in pounds is written somehwere on the invoice.

Good luck, I would read about vendors on here and definately go for it.

d2b

 

[Maisie]

The only reason I have returned my diamonds was because they weren't big enough for me!

I started off with 1/2 a carat, then went to 3/4 carat, now I have a full carat and I love it!! I am now in the process of designing a posh new setting for it.

I can wholeheartedly recommend Whiteflash to you.

If I was you, I would pop to your local jewellers and try on lots of different shapes and styles. That way you will know exactly what suits you and what you really love. Also, have a browse through the Eye Candy thread.... it shows loads of Pricescopers beautiful rings. You will find lots of inspiration there.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/the-forum-engagement-ring-folder-eye-candy.5429/


If you have any other questions please feel free to pick our brains!

 

[Cleo]

Hey

I agree that you''ll definitely save a bundle of money compared to either buying a loose stone, or a diamond in the UK.

Goldsmiths were offering a 1ct E, SI1 in 18ct gold for about £8000 - and that was with absolutely no mention of cut quality (eek!).

I shared your concerns about an online diamond being as good in real life as you hope.

Obviously make sure you get a return period in which you send it back.

The other thing I did was to only consider GIA and AGS certificated stones. That way I was sure that there was a pretty good certainty I was getting what I paid for in terms of cut, colour & clarity. (That was just me being extra careful, but they''re the top grading labs).

As everyone here will advise, go for the best possible cut grade you can, above all else. In the end I went with the AGS0, which was a DoW Signature Ideal stone. When I opened the packet, I was absolutely blown away by how beautiful the diamond was.... and it''s all down to the cut.

Buy the best cut and you won''t be sending it back!

What ring size will you be getting? Mine is a size I, so I have small fingers too. I''d suggest taking a walk around some high street jewellers and trying some rings on to get an idea of what size & shape stone you might like (as well as the setting styles) before you actually buy something online.

Seeing it on your finger is the best test of what you like.

 

[gwendolyn]

Hiya, Cleo, we're almost neighbors! I'm in Cambridge.

Edit: Nevermind, don't want to hijack, will start my own thread!

 

[Mellin75]

Thanks ladies, this site has been very helpful already and I''ve only posted once.

That''s the stage I''m at so far - visiting local jewelers and trying on different styles... and trying not to panic when they tell me the price! I was in a store in Hatton Garden yesterday, admittedly it was fairly upmarket, and tried on a 0.90ct F VS1 round diamond ring, in platinum with small diamonds half way around the band. It was £6,995! I was hoping to get 1ct for less than that.

 

[Lord Summerisle]

Another Brit...I bought from Whiteflash... and over the last year or so, so have about 7 of my friends as they where v. impressed with what i got for my money.

As said - if you buy a diamond ring - then you are liable to pay 2.5% import duty plus 17.5% VAT
But buy the diamond loose and have it set in a ring in the UK then you only pay 17.5% VAT

seeing as your in London - look up Equinox Jewellers just north of the M25. He has set a couple of my friends diamonds, and a couple of others bought a complete ring from him.

When buying from the US, some Venders say they can only except payment via a Bank Wire from UK customers as their banks dont take UK cards (a bit like when your on holiday in France, our chip and pin cards are different to the French chip n pin cards) but most vendors discount the price for paying via a wire to cover your costs from sending the wire at the bank.

But, recently some vendors (I know Whiteflash now do this) now accept payment from UK cards via Paypal - that way you can pay with a credit card for payment protection.

ps just found Equinox:
Equinox Jewellery Design Studio
100 High St, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire EN11 8HD
Tel: 01992 448544

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 1/31/2008 10:31:52 AM
Author: Mellin75
Thanks ladies, this site has been very helpful already and I''ve only posted once.


That''s the stage I''m at so far - visiting local jewelers and trying on different styles... and trying not to panic when they tell me the price! I was in a store in Hatton Garden yesterday, admittedly it was fairly upmarket, and tried on a 0.90ct F VS1 round diamond ring, in platinum with small diamonds half way around the band. It was £6,995! I was hoping to get 1ct for less than that.

Check out the prices for a similar stone at Whiteflash--it''s entirely possible you could spend half the money by buying online (and I love that WF has all the info up online to check out right there for about every stone without having to request anything!). Should put your mind somewhat at ease, especially if you''ve read all the great reviews here.

 

[Mellin75]

gwedolyn - my understanding is that it doesn''t matter if you are a UK resident, if you bring goods into the UK you must pay VAT and excise. I am not a UK resident either, but have had to pay VAT on several items bought from the US and Australia (my home country). That''s the legal side of it.

You could get the ring shipped to your parents US address and they could sent it to you in the UK. If they ship via DHL or Fedex it automatically gets flagged to customs & excise the value of the goods and they will send you a bill for VAT (that''s what happened to me). I don''t know what happens when you send it via normal mail, but I don''t think I''d risk sending a diamond ring that way!

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 1/31/2008 10:44:19 AM
Author: Mellin75
gwedolyn - my understanding is that it doesn''t matter if you are a UK resident, if you bring goods into the UK you must pay VAT and excise. I am not a UK resident either, but have had to pay VAT on several items bought from the US and Australia (my home country). That''s the legal side of it.


You could get the ring shipped to your parents US address and they could sent it to you in the UK. If they ship via DHL or Fedex it automatically gets flagged to customs & excise the value of the goods and they will send you a bill for VAT (that''s what happened to me). I don''t know what happens when you send it via normal mail, but I don''t think I''d risk sending a diamond ring that way!

No no no, I wouldn''t want to send a diamond in the normal mail either! Too many lost parcels to think about that for a second!

I posted my own thread so I wouldn''t de-rail yours here, but my last experience with the customs guys at the airport last month is what led me to wonder the question, because me bringing stuff back into the UK from home didn''t seem to bother them at all, even though I said I bought it while I was there. Maybe because it was (relatively) cheap stuff? Or because I''m on a student visa now? Dunno, but it made it seem like there was some iffiness about my situation.

 

[Lord Summerisle]

Date: 1/31/2008 10:31:52 AM
Author: Mellin75
Thanks ladies, this site has been very helpful already and I''ve only posted once.


That''s the stage I''m at so far - visiting local jewelers and trying on different styles... and trying not to panic when they tell me the price! I was in a store in Hatton Garden yesterday, admittedly it was fairly upmarket, and tried on a 0.90ct F VS1 round diamond ring, in platinum with small diamonds half way around the band. It was £6,995! I was hoping to get 1ct for less than that.

indeed you can.
1ct F VS1
3/4 eternity platinum ring

totals up at $11054 which after import duty and VAT is £6690 - add about £30-50 for shipping via FedEx.
Thats just the first one that i found, theres plenty of options

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

Hi, I''ve bought from US vendors and had no problems at all with shipping to the UK. I''ve found that even with the VAT and import tax there is a significant saving. Fed ex pay the charges for you, bring you the item then invoice you for the customs charges. Other carriers don''t do that - you have to pay HMRC via the carrier before the parcel is released to you. Still, it''s not a big hassle and still a saving on UK mall prices.

I''ve bought from Whiteflash, Diamonds by Lauren and The Gem Shoppe (Michael Edget). All hassle free transactions. I''ve never had to return anything though.

Good luck with your purchase.

Jen

 

[Pandora II]

I''m based in London and I''m doing quite a bit of work with US vendors - there are very few I trust in Hatton Garden, and the mark-up is considerable.

I bought my brother''s diamond from Whiteflash and paid via credit card. Whiteflash also has a lifetime upgrade policy (you can take your old stone in, buy a bigger one and just pay the extra!)

Mainly I''m into coloured stones, and work with Wink Jones - I pay him via PayPal which is super handy. (He does very nice diamonds by Infinity).

With the current dollar exchange rate, it''s well worth it, even factoring VAT, customs etc into it.

And, they are all so nice and helpful to work with - plus you have the ''Pricescope consumer-led guarantee''!

I have yet to have any problems - and don''t expect to have any!

Welcome to PS by the way.

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 1/31/2008 11:27:53 AM
Author: gwendolyn

No no no, I wouldn''t want to send a diamond in the normal mail either! Too many lost parcels to think about that for a second!

I posted my own thread so I wouldn''t de-rail yours here, but my last experience with the customs guys at the airport last month is what led me to wonder the question, because me bringing stuff back into the UK from home didn''t seem to bother them at all, even though I said I bought it while I was there. Maybe because it was (relatively) cheap stuff? Or because I''m on a student visa now? Dunno, but it made it seem like there was some iffiness about my situation.

If you have owned the item for 6 months before bringing it into the country, you don''t have to pay duty or VAT. It would be a bit ridiculous if they started charging every US visitor duty on their e-rings everytime they came to visit.

If you had, god forbid, a problem like having jewellery stolen over here, you don''t need a VAT receipt or anything. Just make sure you have either an independant appraisal report, or copies of the original invoice.

When I received my ring, Wink had enclosed a full set of documents with photos, carat sizes for all the melee etc.

It''s also worth photographing anything that is valuable to you just in case.

Often insurers will expect you to replace items from their supplier (they pay less). I made sure to give a lot of details when I insured my e-ring. If they think I''m accepting a tsavorite sourced by Goldsmiths if anything happens to mine, they have another think coming!

 

[Delster]

Date: 1/31/2008 10:31:52 AM
Author: Mellin75
Thanks ladies, this site has been very helpful already and I''ve only posted once.

That''s the stage I''m at so far - visiting local jewelers and trying on different styles... and trying not to panic when they tell me the price! I was in a store in Hatton Garden yesterday, admittedly it was fairly upmarket, and tried on a 0.90ct F VS1 round diamond ring, in platinum with small diamonds half way around the band. It was £6,995! I was hoping to get 1ct for less than that.

You definitely can!!! I''m in Ireland but here''s my thread comparing prices on this side of the pond with what I could find on the PS search engine: Dublin B&Ms v PS Search Engine

 

[Maisie]

Date: 1/31/2008 5:22:56 PM
Author: Pandora II

Date: 1/31/2008 11:27:53 AM
Author: gwendolyn

No no no, I wouldn''t want to send a diamond in the normal mail either! Too many lost parcels to think about that for a second!

I posted my own thread so I wouldn''t de-rail yours here, but my last experience with the customs guys at the airport last month is what led me to wonder the question, because me bringing stuff back into the UK from home didn''t seem to bother them at all, even though I said I bought it while I was there. Maybe because it was (relatively) cheap stuff? Or because I''m on a student visa now? Dunno, but it made it seem like there was some iffiness about my situation.

If you have owned the item for 6 months before bringing it into the country, you don''t have to pay duty or VAT. It would be a bit ridiculous if they started charging every US visitor duty on their e-rings everytime they came to visit.

If you had, god forbid, a problem like having jewellery stolen over here, you don''t need a VAT receipt or anything. Just make sure you have either an independant appraisal report, or copies of the original invoice.

When I received my ring, Wink had enclosed a full set of documents with photos, carat sizes for all the melee etc.

It''s also worth photographing anything that is valuable to you just in case.

Often insurers will expect you to replace items from their supplier (they pay less). I made sure to give a lot of details when I insured my e-ring. If they think I''m accepting a tsavorite sourced by Goldsmiths if anything happens to mine, they have another think coming!

lol! I know what you mean about Goldsmiths! That was my fear. I made sure that my insurer is one which makes you get 3 quotes and they pick the one they like best. Hopefully they would like the less expensive abroad option!