Bad Ebay Experience--Diamond Ring

[canuk-gal]

Thanks to everyone for your responses and advice.

I'm not a troll. I periodically look through the Pricescope "Jewellry Box" to see pictures of people's rings.

I needed to vent about this somewhere, so I chose to do it here.

I made a mistake and I learned my lesson. The seller also was incredibly rude. I simply was not familiar enough with Ebay and its policies. The rules are quite complicated.

I don't want to reveal the seller's name because that would be vindictive.

I admit I made a mistake---no one is perfect. This is the first time it's ever happened to me, and I have learned my lesson.

I am very glad that I did NOT go through with the transaction, as the seller was rude to me even BEFORE I backed out of the deal. Also, I am not 100% convinced that the ring is authentic.

I've looked at dozens of pictures of this ring style online, and her ring was the first I ever saw WITHOUT pave stones on the basket. On the brand name store's website, the ring is also shown ONLY with a pave basket. So I'm not convinced that the ring comes in more than one style. I think this realization freaked me out more than anything, and I admit I only noticed it AFTER making the purchase commitment.

So I believe I had good reason to back out of the deal. My instinct told me something was "off" about the ring and the seller. Better to be safe than sorry, especially when you're paying $12,000.

Eva

What's next?

I believe there are a few ebay sellers worth investigating despite your unfortunate event. Notwithstanding many Estate dealers who handle the brands you are looking for....

cheers--Sharon

 

[ddiamond]

I'd stay off Ebay for a purchase of this size. Ebay is akin to the wild west. I think you need to find someplace more civilized.

 

[Gypsy]

To tell you the truth, I'm always suspicious of posts like this. Why join pricescope just to vent about this one transaction? It seems weird and "trollish" to me.

+1.

Can the newbies with 5 posts please not attack the other newbies? This is a FRIENDLY forum. GOT IT? We get people all the time who lurk until there is a problem and then post for the first time. So settle down until you have at least 200 posts to your name before accusing anyone else of being a troll.

 

[Circe]

To tell you the truth, I'm always suspicious of posts like this. Why join pricescope just to vent about this one transaction? It seems weird and "trollish" to me.

+1.

Can the newbies with 5 posts please not attack the other newbies? This is a FRIENDLY forum. GOT IT? We get people all the time who lurk until there is a problem and then post for the first time. So settle down until you have at least 200 posts to your name before accusing anyone else of being a troll.

::snicker::

+1

 

[tina sparkle]

I have been a member as long as you and don't need 22,000 posts, nor your permission, to voice an opinion.
Back to the subject.

 

[Frenchcut]

This story is a good reminder that one should never commit to buying online whithout:

- first: assessing the authenticity of the item
- second: checking the return policy

I always perform several checks when I'm about to buy for the first time on a website, even it seems legit. Always. Even for a 25$ purchase...

I do understand that the way Ebay works the OP may not have had enough time to do her homeworks before she started bidding...

Still, when you find yourself in that situation (especially for a large purchase) you have to take some time to check about the seller/authenticity/return policy and if the item is sold once it's done...well, that's life and that's just a ring! It just means that that ring was not meant for you.

At least the OP didn't end up stuck with something that she didn't like for 12k$...and that's pretty good news

 

[MissStepcut]

What's next?

I believe there are a few ebay sellers worth investigating despite your unfortunate event. Notwithstanding many Estate dealers who handle the brands you are looking for....

cheers--Sharon

I agree that estate jewelers might be a good option here. Eva, if you share with us what you're trying to find, we may be able to find a dealer who has it

 

[Eva14]

Thanks for your replies. Live and learn.

This whole thing is turning into a nightmare, as the horrible witch of a seller has placed an unpaid item strike on my Ebay account. All of this after I'd apologized profusely and had told her from the start that this was the first time I'd ever placed an offer on an item on Ebay and was not familiar with the rules.

I called Ebay customer service and they were very nice and understanding. They saw that I'd never retracted an offer before. They told me that my account will not be suspended for ONE unpaid item strike. They said it takes THREE unpaid item strikes before they suspend someone's Ebay account. They told me not to worry too much about this. The whole ordeal has been extremely upsetting for me.

Unfortunately, Ebay does NOT have the emails of the seller being incredibly RUDE to me, as the seller sent those "outside of Ebay". So the poster who said that it was a red flag for this seller to ask me to communicate with her "outside of Ebay" was totally correct. Yet another lesson I've learned.

After this, I don't think I ever want to buy jewelry off of Ebay!

I plan to go to Tiffany's and get the ring that I want. If I have to settle for a smaller center stone, so be it. I'll be able to try on the ring and make sure that I really want it. And I won't be treated like a piece of garbage if I decide to not purchase a ring. Even if I purchased a ring from Tiffany's and didn't like it, they have a 30 day return policy.

I don't understand how Ebay sellers can expect someone to purchase such an expensive item sight unseen, no returns allowed. That really does not seem fair to me.

I admit that I made a mistake; I've only bought jewelry off of Ebay a few times and was very inexperienced and not very knowledgable of Ebay's rules, which are quite complicated.

Still, I have never been treated so horribly by a seller in my life! She cancelled my Paypal invoice and THEN she files an unpaid item strike insisting that I "pay now"??? It would clearly be IMPOSSIBLE for me to "pay now", since she cancelled the Paypal invoice!

Now, I feel like at least giving her neutral feedback, but I don't want to escalate the situation. I know I made a mistake, but SHE is the one who is being so RUDE and ABUSIVE that it shocks me. I have been nothing but POLITE to her.

I hope this serves as a lesson for others out there who may not be very familiar with Ebay's policies. Everyone on this forum seems to be very knowledgable about Ebay's rules, but there may be lurkers out there who will read this and learn from it.

I've learned my lesson. I will not be buying any expensive jewelry off of Ebay.

Eva

 

[ddiamond]

Thanks for your replies. Live and learn.

I don't understand how Ebay sellers can expect someone to purchase such an expensive item sight unseen, no returns allowed. That really does not seem fair to me.

Eva

That's the thing with Ebay. Seller sets the tune and buyer dances to it or moves on.

Once the seller decided to cast the first stone on you by reporting you for retracting your bid I would definitely stick it right back to her on negative feedback. As I said earlier, however, if you are not prepared for all this nastiness, Ebay is not the right place for you.

Be glad you still have your 12k and not some ring you don't really want.

 

[Maisie]

Thanks for your replies. Live and learn.

I don't understand how Ebay sellers can expect someone to purchase such an expensive item sight unseen, no returns allowed. That really does not seem fair to me.

Eva

That's the thing with Ebay. Seller sets the tune and buyer dances to it or moves on.

Once the seller decided to cast the first stone on you by reporting you for retracting your bid I would definitely stick it right back to her on negative feedback. As I said earlier, however, if you are not prepared for all this nastiness, Ebay is not the right place for you.

Be glad you still have your 12k and not some ring you don't really want.

I still don't think leaving a negative is appropriate though. The seller didn't do anything wrong. She was upfront about her policies regarding returns yet Eva clicked to buy anyway. Not knowing the rules around placing an offer doesn't mean its ok to back out of the sale. Its an unfortunate situation all round but don't try and get revenge by leaving a negative. It would probably be removed anyway by Ebay.

 

[distracts]

Honestly, I have very little sympathy for your "the rules are too complicated" excuse. Yes, eBay has slightly more complicated policies than most websites, but they are distilled quite simply here (especially in the Basic Rules for Buyers link, most applicable to you):
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/overview.html

Here is a link relevant to your specific situation that I found in ten seconds of googling:
http://answercenter.ebay.com/question/Miscellaneous/Unpaid-Item-Casecancel/1000249181

So even if the seller canceled the PayPal invoice, she did NOT cancel the eBay transaction, which means that according to eBay you're still on the hook for the money unless you want the strike.

I am very sorry the seller was rude to you, but that does not negate your responsibility for your actions, and does not magically absolve you of their consequences.

"I don't understand how Ebay sellers can expect someone to purchase such an expensive item sight unseen, no returns allowed. That really does not seem fair to me."

It's not. But sellers get to choose whether or not to allow returns, and you get to choose whether or not to purchase items from specific sellers. The seller MUST specify a return policy in the listing, so it's not like it is something you couldn't have found out except by contacting the seller (unless they did not specify anything in the listing, which would be a violation of eBay rules). This is why reading the fine print is important.

As well, many members of this board (as well as myself) have had success in getting return policies where there were none or extending return policies (in the case of jewelry, usually to allow adequate time for an appraisal) by contacting the seller and talking to them about it. Prior to bidding. And making the sale of the item contingent upon having a return policy and, in the case of jewelry, being confirmed by an appraisal or lab to be what it is stated to be. If you had contacted the seller prior to offering about this, you likely would have found out she's a jerk and could have avoided this whole mess.

Please familiarize yourself with the policies of places you buy from BEFORE committing to buy in the future. I look at the policies of everywhere I buy from or am considering buying from - Amazon, Target, Ruby Lane (possibly a better venue for you for jewelry purchases since all sellers are required to have a return period), sellers on Etsy, Nordstrom, etc. It's part of being a responsible buyer.

 

[mrssalvo]

You and the seller both made some mistakes. I hope this has been a lesson learned for you and do not think you should leave the seller any feedback. Just wipe the slate clean, forget about it and move on. I think getting your ring at Tiffany is a good idea if that is what your heart is really set on.

 

[elliemay]

Thanks for your replies. Live and learn.
I don't understand how Ebay sellers can expect someone to purchase such an expensive item sight unseen, no returns allowed. That really does not seem fair to me.

Worst case scenario is something arrives and it isn't as described. In that case, you're covered by eBay's policies and will get your money back. I've gone that route recently and it worked out just fine.

If you aren't willing to take that risk, ask the seller to amend their terms. If they will and give you a return period, great. If they won't, move on to another seller.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

We can actually tell you places that might have the ring WITH a return period if you show us the ring.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

One bad apple doesn't spoil the whole barrell: expensive items can and are being purchased, safely, on a regular basis on ebay.

Eva, going to the original B & M to get your ring is a great idea--peace of mind and all that. But please do not suppose that ebay dealers and/or Estate vendors who deal with the Brand names you seek will ALL treat you that way. You had a bad experience, and dealing with ebay in the future is your choice. So is moving on.

Once again, if you would like to provide details of what you are looking for--as MissStepCut said earlier--we can help. If there is a site or vendor someone here hasn't looked at, I'd be surprised: as I don't know a savier bunch!

cheers--Sharon

 

[cavluv]

Hi Eva!

I am sorry you had a bad exchange with an ebay seller. You never mentioned the exact style of ring you were looking for, but I'm taking a guess it's the Tiffany Legacy. If so, you might be interested in this thread discussing authenticity. Although comments began on the "it's fake" side of the column, turns out the ring was, indeed, authentic. For Legacy rings UNDER 1 ct (center), there are no diamonds on the struts (or basket, as you're referring to it).

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/real-or-fake-tiffany-legacy-ring.134189/page-2']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/real-or-fake-tiffany-legacy-ring.134189/page-2[/URL]

That said, I think there are people here who could help you find a great Legacy for less than $12k, especially under 1 ct. Don't let one bad experience keep you from searching!

Best of luck!!

ETA: I know this may be speaking out of turn, but I also wanted to add that I can't stress enough the importance of trying on a ring to make sure you like it before you commit to it. Point-in-case: When DF and I were shopping for engagement rings, I went into Tiffany with the express intent of looking at the Legacy. Turns out, it did not appeal to me the same way in person as it conveyed online. I actually ended up falling in love with a different Tiffany ring altogether. I was so glad I actually went to see the rings in person, or else I would have ended up with a ring I wasn't all that happy with. Good luck with your search!!

 

[Eva14]

Thanks for the replies.

Cavluv, you are very knowledgable! The ring is no longer listed on Ebay, so I can now disclose that it was indeed the Tiffany Legacy ring. Thanks for sharing the link to the other's buyer's concerns about authenticity, as they are identical to mine.

I think people may understand why I freaked out when I noticed the lack of pave on the basket of the ring. I was afraid that it might be a fake Tiffany, as so many people on this forum also thought that the other Tiffany Legacy ring pictured was a fraud due to the lack of pave on the basket. On the other post, I believe that everyone thought that the ring was fake, except for one poster who was extremely knowledgable about Tiffany's merchandise.

As far as my confusion Re: the return policy, the seller stated this on her Ebay page: "If for some reason you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact me before you leave negative feedback and we will try to work something out". This led me to believe that the seller was a reasonable person who would not be difficult to deal with. And I certainly caused her less inconvenience by cancelling the transaction BEFORE she sent out the ring, instead of AFTER.

I learned even more about the seller by doing a google search of her name, which I still don't want to reveal. She's clearly a vindictive individual and I don't want her to damage my reputation. I just want to drop the whole thing. (If anyone somehow guesses the seller's name, I ask that you please don't reveal it. The woman has my full name and home address; she could make my life hell).

It turns out that I am not the ONLY person who has had a bad experience with this seller, despite her current 100% positive feeback score. About a year ago, someone bought an expensive diamond ring from this seller, only to find that the serial number on the ring did not match the serial number on the ring's paperwork. Also, a stone on the ring was chipped. The buyer wanted to return the ring and asked for a refund, but the seller refused and was very rude. Buyer said: "Seller is impossible to deal with." I agree completely!

I disagree that emailing the seller before the purchase would have led to me disovering that she was a jerk. I'm sure there are many sellers out there who act perfectly nice BEFORE a sale, but once the sale is finalized or there is a problem then they couldn't care less about the customer and become rude.

Thanks for the advice about needing to actually try on the ring. I agree completely. While the Legacy looks beautiful in online pictures, it may not be the same in real life. And everyone's fingers are a bit different, I suppose. I also like Tiffany's Soleste ring, so I may end up getting that one.

I just want to clarify that what I found so confusing was the Ebay offer/counteroffer/counteroffer to that scenario. In my very first email to the seller, I stated that I had never made an offer on an item before and was not clear about how the process works. We all live and learn. And in the higher scheme of things, mine was a very minor mistake. And while I wish I'd never placed an offer on the ring to begin with, I am so happy that I did cancel the transaction and didn't get stuck with a 12k ring that I might not have even liked.

Eva

 

[mandasand]

Eva,
My suggestion is to NOT leave a neutral feedback...that will really make the seller mad! I did that once because it took a month for something to arrive to me and I thought the shipping was really slow. I wasn't impressed with the sellers slow shipping and eBay is always bugging you to leave feedback. The seller then sent me an email to my PRIVATE account saying how she is going to black list me from buying from her and she is going to tell everyone NOT to let me purchase from them. All because I left a NEUTRAL rating. I think sometimes eBay sellers are a little wacky. I know I'm totally over-generalizing here, but there is a reason why they are selling behind the disguise of a computer. It's much easier to type nasty emails than actually saying it to someone's face. It's so much easier to be hostile online because no ones coming after you!

Also, I don't think it's a BAD idea to try eBay or any other online consignment store. JUST ONLY WORK WITH SOMEONE THAT HAS A RETURN POLICY. If this seller was offering authentic Tiffany's, she should ENCOURAGE you to have it appraised and the authenticity confirmed. And offer a return policy. It's just good business.

I also think maybe eBay should change some things. Perhaps they should impose a seller rule that if an item costs a certain amount, it requires a return policy? Maybe that's not possible but there is no way in the world I would pay $12k for something and not have the option to take it back. You can even return cars nowadays!

You know, I love the legacy too. I went to Tiffany's and looked at one with a .50 center stone and the cost was $10k. I think that is a little ridiculous. You'll get a better deal online I think.