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Any horrow stories on returning diamonds?

galevin

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 5, 2013
Messages
18
Just returned a $40k+ diamond that I paid by wire. Never, Never, Never again. This turned out well but could have easily have gone south. USPS only covers up to $25k in insurance. Yeah, they stamped the return box with sides taped and stamped and told me it would be under lock and key literally at all times. But this box could have been opened anytime after leaving my hands, diamond removed and/or switched and then continued to be touched by god knows how many people. Even the store that I delivered this to could have said the diamond was not in the box or it was switched. I know the odds of this happening are very slim but not worth the hassle. I was reviewing a GIA stone that was VS2 and it was NOT eye clean. In fact several jewelers said this was not a typical GIA stone as it appeared to be overgraded and they were amazed it was graded VS2. D color with no florescense but it looked terrible. The GIA number was stamped into the girdle so the diamond matched the certificate. Long story short. Diamond safely returned and another diamond bought at a BM "wholesaler" here in my city. Never will I buy a diamond with a wire (offering no protection) and then buying based on a GIA cert. It was a fancy cut diamond so bought based on the salesperson telling me how beautiful it was when it was not. Pics of the final ring and setting coming. It is a work of art now but took 8 weeks of planning and grief to accomplish my goal.
 

chrono

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 22, 2004
Messages
38,364
I am sorry to read of your scary and bad experience. When returning such an expensive item, with the $25K insurance limit, you might be better off using an armoured truck's service. I know of PSers who have done so. Should your package be tampered with, it is easy to tell which is why the post office uses paper tape. Those can only be used once and when opened, will not restick. So if the stone is switched, missing or whatever, then you can make a claim but only up to the insured amount with proof (receipt). It is also signed at every stop so it makes it easier to track where and when your parcel was tampered with and by who.

Fancy cut diamonds are the most difficult to purchase unless you know what you are doing or have professional assistance. It probably looked terrible due the poor cut.
 

bunnycat

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 12, 2012
Messages
2,671
galevin|1362082214|3392855 said:
Just returned a $40k+ diamond that I paid by wire. Never, Never, Never again. This turned out well but could have easily have gone south. USPS only covers up to $25k in insurance. Yeah, they stamped the return box with sides taped and stamped and told me it would be under lock and key literally at all times. But this box could have been opened anytime after leaving my hands, diamond removed and/or switched and then continued to be touched by god knows how many people. Even the store that I delivered this to could have said the diamond was not in the box or it was switched. I know the odds of this happening are very slim but not worth the hassle. I was reviewing a GIA stone that was VS2 and it was NOT eye clean. In fact several jewelers said this was not a typical GIA stone as it appeared to be overgraded and they were amazed it was graded VS2. D color with no florescense but it looked terrible. The GIA number was stamped into the girdle so the diamond matched the certificate. Long story short. Diamond safely returned and another diamond bought at a BM "wholesaler" here in my city. Never will I buy a diamond with a wire (offering no protection) and then buying based on a GIA cert. It was a fancy cut diamond so bought based on the salesperson telling me how beautiful it was when it was not. Pics of the final ring and setting coming. It is a work of art now but took 8 weeks of planning and grief to accomplish my goal.

I'm sorry you had this experience. I have never had to ship anything over the maximum USPS amount before, but I have shipped stones back to vendors before without issue that were under that amount and fully insured. Took over a week in most cases to get there via USPS. When something I was looking that went over my comfort zone for sending through USPS, I asked the (online) vendor if I could use a prepaid label from them for the return. They happily obliged and all I had to do was drop the package off and I was happy to pay them for letting me do that for the peace of mind it gave me (plus it was overnight service) of not having to go to the PO and tell them how many thousands were sitting inside a little box for insurance. Perhaps that's something you could consider if you ever purchase from an online vendor again, especially the ones PSers tend to use.

You'll definitely find people will agree with you here that fancies can't really be bought off a cert.
 
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