Atrocious behaviour at Tiffany NY

[decodelighted]

Date: 3/5/2007 5:50:00 PM
Author: winternight
That''s not my point. Your ring is still a copy of a popular Tiffany design - somehow I doubt that you would have settled on that particular design if it wasn''t for Tiffany cache associated with it. I think you put the salespeople in an awkard position and then got all upset when they didn''t compliment/fawn over your ring. Its not a cheap copy, but its a copy. I feel sorry for the salesperson who had to deal with that. They probably thought you were wearing a Tiffany ring at first glance and then got flustered once they realized it wasn''t.

I''d guess they were EVEN more flustered at seeing a Tiffany-inspired setting on Harriet since she already owned a GENUINE Tiffany e-ring.

OFF TOPIC -- I do find it interesting that folks who are outspoken opponents of knock-off designer *handbags* ... are *just fine* with purchasing knock-off or "inspired by" designer jewelry. Stones & Glass houses? Or maybe just gigantic stones.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 3/5/2007 5:50:00 PM
Author: winternight
That''s not my point. Your ring is still a copy of a popular Tiffany design - somehow I doubt that you would have settled on that particular design if it wasn''t for Tiffany cache associated with it. There are some well made leather copies of the famous Birkin bag, sans the Hermes tag or title. They are still trying to emulate the Hermes bag. I seriously doubt most people would go into Hermes, hand over such a bag and expect compliments.

I think you put the salespeople in an awkard position and then got all upset when they didn''t compliment/fawn over your ring. Its not a cheap copy, but its a copy. I feel sorry for the salesperson who had to deal with that. They probably thought you were wearing a Tiffany ring at first glance and then got flustered once they realized it wasn''t.

I think the tiffany design is basic enough that knockoffs are a given. It''s almost like pepsi telling coke they stole their can shape.

Now... when someone chooses to spend more $ to have an *authentic* "Tiffany" ring, I suppose that gives them the right to look down at those who do not... but it isn''t any more becoming in a client than it is in a sales assistant.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 3/5/2007 5:58:54 PM
Author: decodelighted
Stones & Glass houses? Or maybe just gigantic stones.

Deco, you can throw colorful stones at my glass house *anyday*

 

[Harriet]

Date: 3/5/2007 5:58:54 PM
Author: decodelighted

Date: 3/5/2007 5:50:00 PM
Author: winternight
That''s not my point. Your ring is still a copy of a popular Tiffany design - somehow I doubt that you would have settled on that particular design if it wasn''t for Tiffany cache associated with it. I think you put the salespeople in an awkard position and then got all upset when they didn''t compliment/fawn over your ring. Its not a cheap copy, but its a copy. I feel sorry for the salesperson who had to deal with that. They probably thought you were wearing a Tiffany ring at first glance and then got flustered once they realized it wasn''t.

I''d guess they were EVEN more flustered at seeing a Tiffany-inspired setting on Harriet since she already owned a GENUINE Tiffany e-ring.

OFF TOPIC -- I do find it interesting that folks who are outspoken opponents of knock-off designer *handbags* ... are *just fine* with purchasing knock-off or ''inspired by'' designer jewelry. Stones & Glass houses? Or maybe just gigantic stones.

See my above response to Winternight.

 

[winternight]

Date: 3/5/2007 5:58:54 PM
Author: decodelighted

Date: 3/5/2007 5:50:00 PM
Author: winternight
That''s not my point. Your ring is still a copy of a popular Tiffany design - somehow I doubt that you would have settled on that particular design if it wasn''t for Tiffany cache associated with it. I think you put the salespeople in an awkard position and then got all upset when they didn''t compliment/fawn over your ring. Its not a cheap copy, but its a copy. I feel sorry for the salesperson who had to deal with that. They probably thought you were wearing a Tiffany ring at first glance and then got flustered once they realized it wasn''t.

I''d guess they were EVEN more flustered at seeing a Tiffany-inspired setting on Harriet since she already owned a GENUINE Tiffany e-ring.

OFF TOPIC -- I do find it interesting that folks who are outspoken opponents of knock-off designer *handbags* ... are *just fine* with purchasing knock-off or ''inspired by'' designer jewelry. Stones & Glass houses? Or maybe just gigantic stones.

Well this particular ring is marketed as a "Tiffany" style 6-prong and pretty much just copies the Tiffany design. I think there are plenty of nice 6 prong designs that you could go with without copying Tiffany. That ring is trying really hard.

I think its also asking for problems handing over your non-Tiffany copy to a bunch of Tiffany SAs. What are the SAs supposed to do?

OFF TOPIC - Both drive me nuts and I totally agree.

 

[winternight]

Date: 3/5/2007 5:58:59 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 3/5/2007 5:50:00 PM
Author: winternight
That''s not my point. Your ring is still a copy of a popular Tiffany design - somehow I doubt that you would have settled on that particular design if it wasn''t for Tiffany cache associated with it. There are some well made leather copies of the famous Birkin bag, sans the Hermes tag or title. They are still trying to emulate the Hermes bag. I seriously doubt most people would go into Hermes, hand over such a bag and expect compliments.

I think you put the salespeople in an awkard position and then got all upset when they didn''t compliment/fawn over your ring. Its not a cheap copy, but its a copy. I feel sorry for the salesperson who had to deal with that. They probably thought you were wearing a Tiffany ring at first glance and then got flustered once they realized it wasn''t.

I think the tiffany design is basic enough that knockoffs are a given. It''s almost like pepsi telling coke they stole their can shape.

Now... when someone chooses to spend more $ to have an *authentic* ''Tiffany'' ring, I suppose that gives them the right to look down at those who do not... but it isn''t any more becoming in a client than it is in a sales assistant.

Oh and the Coke bottle shape is patented...

 

[Harriet]

Date: 3/5/2007 6:04:29 PM
Author: winternight

Date: 3/5/2007 5:58:54 PM
Author: decodelighted

Date: 3/5/2007 5:50:00 PM
Author: winternight
That's not my point. Your ring is still a copy of a popular Tiffany design - somehow I doubt that you would have settled on that particular design if it wasn't for Tiffany cache associated with it. I think you put the salespeople in an awkard position and then got all upset when they didn't compliment/fawn over your ring. Its not a cheap copy, but its a copy. I feel sorry for the salesperson who had to deal with that. They probably thought you were wearing a Tiffany ring at first glance and then got flustered once they realized it wasn't.

I'd guess they were EVEN more flustered at seeing a Tiffany-inspired setting on Harriet since she already owned a GENUINE Tiffany e-ring.

OFF TOPIC -- I do find it interesting that folks who are outspoken opponents of knock-off designer *handbags* ... are *just fine* with purchasing knock-off or 'inspired by' designer jewelry. Stones & Glass houses? Or maybe just gigantic stones.

Well this particular ring is marketed as a 'Tiffany' style 6-prong and pretty much just copies the Tiffany design. I think there are plenty of nice 6 prong designs that you could go with without copying Tiffany. That ring is trying really hard.

I think its also asking for problems handing over your non-Tiffany copy to a bunch of Tiffany SAs. What are the SAs supposed to do?

OFF TOPIC - Both drive me nuts and I totally agree.

1. See my above response to you.
2. Nothing. I only handed my ring over to the original SA because he asked to see it.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 3/5/2007 6:04:29 PM
Author: winternight

Well this particular ring is marketed as a 'Tiffany' style 6-prong and pretty much just copies the Tiffany design. I think there are plenty of nice 6 prong designs that you could go with without copying Tiffany. That ring is trying really hard.

I think its also asking for problems handing over your non-Tiffany copy to a bunch of Tiffany SAs. What are the SAs supposed to do?

OFF TOPIC - Both drive me nuts and I totally agree.

For what it's worth, I have seen one of the appraisers on here say before that the design is old and is not copyrighted at this point. There are a huge number of tiffany style settings. It is one that CAN be copied. Nothing wrong with that part.

And to the second comment, the SA should have said, "Your ring is very beautiful! Congratulations!"

 

[lumpkin]

Date: 3/5/2007 6:04:29 PM
Author: winternight

I think its also asking for problems handing over your non-Tiffany copy to a bunch of Tiffany SAs.

Or just don''t tell them it''s not a Tiffany ring. If they compliment you on it and ask you if you bought it there, just say it was a gift. Wearing something very, very similar to their signature piece into the store and then telling them it isn''t theirs could be taken as kind of an insult, too. They are probably not (at least not all of them) going to fawn all over it, and you can count on someone to make a snide remark about it being a copy, even if they don''t do it to your face. You have every right to wear your ring anywhere you please. It''s your engagement ring, after all. Your original SA probably meant well, but he should have known better, too. Why hand it off to yet another salesperson??? The whole thing just seems very wrong and off, to me.

Personally, if I really felt wronged and insulted I wouldn''t even bother trying to get an apology. I just wouldn''t shop there. I''d sell my ring on consignment and find something elsewhere. I love the Tiffany signature solitaire and the Etoile rings, but Tiffany is certainly not the only game in town and as you found out, you can find phenominal deals on line.

 

[Harriet]

Update 3:
Tiffany has delivered 2 notes of apology to me -- 1 from the offending SA, and 1 from a director (even though I insisted that he didn't have to since he wasn't at fault). Case closed.

 

[lumpkin]

It sounds like you got what you wanted. Hopefully everyone involved will be able to take something positive away from this experience.