Any update about JA and Blue Nile service

[TUTU]

Hello,

I am looking for a radiant or emerald diamond and found that JA and Blue Nile have large virtual inventory of them. My favorite vendors WF and BG don't have these cut. I think of going to pick from the first two. However, I read some bad reviews about JA recently happening around Jan 2021 at an affiliate website. The reviews are about poor quality ring setting handicraft and impossible return due to unhappy repair.

I am much grateful for any update about these 2 vendors' service.

Thank you all very much for your inputs.

 

[La2020]

Hello,

I am looking for a radiant or emerald diamond and found that JA and Blue Nile have large virtual inventory of them. My favorite vendors WF and BG don't have these cut. I think of going to pick from the first two. However, I read some bad reviews about JA recently happening around Jan 2021 at an affiliate website. The reviews are about poor quality ring setting handicraft and impossible return due to unhappy repair.

I am much grateful for any update about these 2 vendors' service.

Thank you all very much for your inputs.

Could you share more about the bad reviews?

My last emerald cutting ring was set poorly..but the return process was smooth and JA is quite professional.

Only heard from my friend that the delivery of her ring is quite slow.. Due to covid.

 

[monipod]

I'm a happy JA customer. I did read a thread about a badly set ring late last year and someone suggested that the crazy Christmas season with the complication of COVID was proving a challenge for JA. Not an excuse for bad craftspersonship but it would account for higher than average unhappy people?

 

[adele_h]

I just received my JA solitaire yesterday. No real complaints - I feel like there is something ever so slightly askew with one of the prongs, or maybe the whole head is the teensiest bit tilted? It’s minor, only visible on VERY close inspection from the, and I’m confident my stone is secure. I’m in Aus, so will probably have someone here take a look at it when I have my wedding band made. Overall, I’m very happy given what I paid - I’m sure a hand forged setting would’ve been more lovely, but at a much, much higher cost!

The stone (which I can’t mention here, but check the lab forum for details) is beautiful.

They shipped two days behind schedule with no apparent reason as to why, but I did order on NYE, so the public holidays might’ve messed with things.

Overall, I would use them again as value for money was my top priority, rather than perfection. Having said that, the diamond is gorgeous and the setting would easily rival anything I could have made here, so I’m happy!

 

[MillieLou]

I have no experience with James Allen, but I've just bought two items from Blue Nile UK (one of which I changed my mind on a lot!) and have been incredibly impressed by both the quality of the product and the service. Absolutely no complaints whatsoever. The setting is perfect.

Both items were shipped exactly on the expected date and I was kept updated throughout. I didn't get any sense that they were struggling to keep up.

 

[FL_runner]

I ordered my engagement ring upgrade from Blue Nile last summer- excellent work and customer service was great. I have ordered a few other items from them over the past year and the shipping is always fast and the return policy is good. I have never gotten a defective item from them but have returned things due to them not being quite my taste/style once they arrive.

 

[TUTU]

Thank you for all your input

Could you share more about the bad reviews?

My last emerald cutting ring was set poorly..but the return process was smooth and JA is quite professional.

Only heard from my friend that the delivery of her ring is quite slow.. Due to covid.

Hi La2020,

The reviews I came across at beyond4cs.com while i did my research on how to choose a diamond. They were complaints about poor quality ring setting and 30 days return policy not effective.

All those complaints seemed due to poorly set rings which bugged me. I think that it is better to have the diamond set by the vendor, not to send elsewhere to mount it.

 

[TUTU]

I ordered my engagement ring upgrade from Blue Nile last summer- excellent work and customer service was great. I have ordered a few other items from them over the past year and the shipping is always fast and the return policy is good. I have never gotten a defective item from them but have returned things due to them not being quite my taste/style once they arrive.

Your ring and the pear diamond are stunning!

 

[FL_runner]

Your ring and the pear diamond are stunning!

Thank you! I was very happy with the process and the setting is very secure and protective for the elongated end.

 

[MillieLou]

Thank you for all your input



Hi La2020,

The reviews I came across at beyond4cs.com while i did my research on how to choose a diamond. They were complaints about poor quality ring setting and 30 days return policy not effective.

All those complaints seemed due to poorly set rings which bugged me. I think that it is better to have the diamond set by the vendor, not to send elsewhere to mount it.

Are the poor setting reviews for James Allen, or Blue Nile, or both? I don't think the companies are connected.

 

[TUTU]

Are the poor setting reviews for James Allen, or Blue Nile, or both? I don't think the companies are connected.

The bad reviews are about JA.
Hope there was no confusion as I wrote in the beginning post that I was concerned about JA's reviews.

 

[MillieLou]

Ah right. I would be tempted to go with BN of the two as I'm not aware of any particular issues. My experience with BN was fantastic though I'm aware I am just one person and it's a large company!

 

[elizat]

Thank you for all your input



Hi La2020,

The reviews I came across at beyond4cs.com while i did my research on how to choose a diamond. They were complaints about poor quality ring setting and 30 days return policy not effective.

All those complaints seemed due to poorly set rings which bugged me. I think that it is better to have the diamond set by the vendor, not to send elsewhere to mount it.

Are you referring to this? Seems the author didn't have an issue?

James Allen Review - Are Their Diamond Rings Good or Bad?

I've recently bought an engagement ring from JamesAllen.com and performed an indepth review. Watch the unboxing video and analysis of the ring here!

beyond4cs.com

 

[dmack]

I’ve purchased from JA and think they’re a solid company. Customer service is fine - not super stellar but no complaints. The biggest challenge I’ve had with them is their unrealistic estimated ship dates. It was always a few days to a week later than they said. Not a huge deal but hard when you’re anxiously awaiting something.

 

[TUTU]

Are you referring to this? Seems the author didn't have an issue?

James Allen Review - Are Their Diamond Rings Good or Bad?

I've recently bought an engagement ring from JamesAllen.com and performed an indepth review. Watch the unboxing video and analysis of the ring here!

beyond4cs.com

No Elizat,

There is a Q&A part in the website where questions/comments are posted and Paul Gian gives feedbacks to each comments.

 

[Inbloom]

I’ve purchased from JA and think they’re a solid company. Customer service is fine - not super stellar but no complaints. The biggest challenge I’ve had with them is their unrealistic estimated ship dates. It was always a few days to a week later than they said. Not a huge deal but hard when you’re anxiously awaiting something.

Has been my experience as well. 2x purchased from them 5 years ago, and they were great! They even had a gemologist compare 3 stones in person, send me a comparison pic, and give me their suggestions so I could make a more informed choice. I don't think they do that anymore as the stock is mostly virtual.

Had my JA jewelry serviced at a local Jared's for free earlier last year with no issues whatsoever. But now with my latest purchase (upgrade diamond+new setting), I'm experiencing that dreaded 3wk initial "ship by date" of 1/21/21 when I ordered on 1/2, being pushed to 1/22/21 today. For all I know the ship date will just keep moving back until they feel like they're ready with no sense of urgency to keep the customers happy. I called today and at least the customer service rep was honest enough to say it wouldn't be completed by today and they're communicating with the jeweler. She also said they'll send me an email of the most updated shipping date but I have yet to receive anything.

So I can totally relate to what you're saying. I'm not going to die, but it's hard when you're anxiously awaiting something.

 

[TUTU]

Has been my experience as well. 2x purchased from them 5 years ago, and they were great! They even had a gemologist compare 3 stones in person, send me a comparison pic, and give me their suggestions so I could make a more informed choice. I don't think they do that anymore as the stock is mostly virtual.

Had my JA jewelry serviced at a local Jared's for free earlier last year with no issues whatsoever. But now with my latest purchase (upgrade diamond+new setting), I'm experiencing that dreaded 3wk initial "ship by date" of 1/21/21 when I ordered on 1/2, being pushed to 1/22/21 today. For all I know the ship date will just keep moving back until they feel like they're ready with no sense of urgency to keep the customers happy. I called today and at least the customer service rep was honest enough to say it wouldn't be completed by today and they're communicating with the jeweler. She also said they'll send me an email of the most updated shipping date but I have yet to receive anything.

So I can totally relate to what you're saying. I'm not going to die, but it's hard when you're anxiously awaiting something.

So sorry to know about your experience. Waiting without update from vender is terrible especially after you made the payment.

My last purchase was with White Flash and I paid by bank transfer. This time I think of double the budget and still consider either paying by credit card or bank transfer. I will be a lot more worried if shipping date is delayed without communication if I use the first method.

Please update us if you receive the notice of shipping. Good luck!

 

[TheLady]

Not to hijack the thread but, I’m working with a different vendor on an upgrade. This has been going on a few weeks with almost no communication. Last I heard I would be sent an invoice for the price difference. That was a week ago. Is this typical because of COVID or am I just receiving bad service? We had great service when purchasing the original ring.

 

[Inbloom]

So sorry to know about your experience. Waiting without update from vender is terrible especially after you made the payment.

My last purchase was with White Flash and I paid by bank transfer. This time I think of double the budget and still consider either paying by credit card or bank transfer. I will be a lot more worried if shipping date is delayed without communication if I use the first method.

Please update us if you receive the notice of shipping. Good luck!

Actually it shipped Friday end of day, but won't be delivered until Monday (Fedex Priority Overnight shipping is only overnight if shipped Mon-Thurs, apparently).

I really think my calling for updates made a difference and pushed them to hurry up a little bit, haha. They can see communication notes with the jeweler so the rep gave me more info about what was going on. The last rep I talked to recommended sending feedback to JA about transparency. But they all mentioned production takes 3-4 weeks, though the estimated shipping date on the website when you make the purchase states 3 weeks. I'm thinking of emailing them to suggest more communication if the jewelry won't meet the shipping deadline, and also to make the initial estimated ship date to be 4 weeks out standard, and so if it's shipped early, then the customer will be happy!

As far as build quality, that's another story...I hope there's no QA issues like what's been popping up around the forum lately...I'll update in my other thread when I actually get the JA ring next week.

 

[Rockcollector]

Multiple purchases from Bluenile for over 20 years. Never a problem! Never a problem with a return either.

 

[Alybetter]

Sorry to thread hijak (again) but I didn’t want to clog up the boards with another thread.
Has anyone ordered from JA in the last year and noticed their item shipping out from Hong Kong? I’ve ordered many times from them and everything has always shipped from NY. This latest ring is coming from HK. The JA rep said that sometimes happens, but it threw me a little.

 

[tyty333]

Sorry to thread hijak (again) but I didn’t want to clog up the boards with another thread.
Has anyone ordered from JA in the last year and noticed their item shipping out from Hong Kong? I’ve ordered many times from them and everything has always shipped from NY. This latest ring is coming from HK. The JA rep said that sometimes happens, but it threw me a little.

The ring is shipping from HK or just the stone?

 

[Alybetter]

The ring is shipping from HK or just the stone?

The ring. It’s a 7 stone anni band.

I should add that I spoke to another representative at JA over the phone. He explained that they do have a segment in Hong Kong and there are jewelers there, and occasionally items are shipped out from HK. He also mentioned a huge uptick in orders this year, and also spoke about how the quarantine measures in New York crippled them for a while, so utilizing their Hong Kong element seems sensible…