Bad experience with James Allen!

[coda72]

My husband wanted to post of his experience with James Allen, but I told him it would be more reputable coming from me since I have posted here more often. He ordered a Christmas gift for me and on December 6 his credit card was charged. On December 20 they shipped it second day delivery for delivery on December 24. Unfortunately his office will close early that day. The customer service representative was very unhelpful and pretty much said too bad when my husband told him how unhappy he was about the situation. So, I won''t receive my gift under the Christmas tree and my husband is very upset because he ordered this gift in plenty of time and they didn''t make a strong effort to get it to him by Christmas. I always thought that James Allen had a good reputation around here, but this is the last time we will order from them with this kind of treatment. I don''t expect much in the way of comments, but I''m just posting here to vent because when my spouse is unhappy, so am I.

 

[DMBsGirl]

How unfortunate! I am surprised they were not more sympathetic. Were you given a good reason as to why they waited so long to ship?

 

[avlis]

i have a feeling there is more to this story. why was there such a delay from the purchase to the shipping?

 

[coda72]

This ring had to be made in my size, so I guess it took a bit of time to make this ring. However, when my husband ordered this ring they did not indicate to him that he would not receive it in time for Christmas. So, at the very minimum poor communication on their part. Also the email they sent him told him it would be shipped next day air but it was actually shipped second day, and when he questioned them about it, they said there was a mistake in the email.

 

[strmrdr]

plenty of fault on both parties here.
Waiting until dec 6 to order a ring that had too be made isn''t that smart.
That it wasn''t shipped overnight or the offer wasn''t made to ship it overnight for more money is on J.A.

 

[coda72]

Since I still happen to be on here even though I should be in bed, my husband actually placed the order on December 3. It took 3 days to process his credit card, and I still think they should have told him that it might not make it in time for Christmas delivery. I have special ordered rings that only took a week to make, so why wouldn''t they make sure this is done in the appropriate time frame? Something went wrong here on their part.

 

[neatfreak]

No offense Coda, because I do think there is a lack of communication here...but just out of curiosity did your husband ASK if it would be ready for x-mas?

Because there are many people in this country who don''t celebrate christmas and therefore whose lives don''t revolve around the holiday...so just something to consider as well...

 

[Kaleigh]

Emails at this time of year are not the way to go!!!! You have to pick up the phone, and be explicit in what you need and the time frame you need it in. If that had been done from the get go, you wouldn''t be where you are now. And I am really sorry that this happened, but it''s really a 2 way street here.... I can''t wait to see your ring!!

 

[iheartscience]

Unless your husband specified that he needed it before Christmas, I can''t really blame James Allen for this one. It''s an unfortunate situation for sure, though. I hope you will still be happy with your ring!

 

[avlis]

it takes two people to have bad communication. they werent offering the right answers, and your husband wasnt asking the right questions.

 

[Mara]

I definitely think that communication on both sides was a little lacking...I can definitely imagine this scenario if my hubby tried to go off on his own to a jeweler with great intentions and bought something...he'd probably leave out a ton of relevant information that later might bite us both in the butt.

The one comment I thought was interesting was this:
"On December 20 they shipped it second day delivery for delivery on December 24."

So while yes I agree that unless specifications were made when he ordered to say that this was an Xmas gift, ask if there would be an issue shipping the order in time for Xmas delivery...on the other hand the fact that they shipped it on Dec 20 for Dec 24th delivery tells me that they anticipated that it was required in time for Xmas...otherwise it could have just as easily shipped after Xmas. I would imagine that most vendors would think 'hmm order placed early Dec, let me ask if this is required for Xmas delivery' as well. And many times I think mentally that the onus to ask those Q's are on the vendor, not necessarily the typically-clueless male customer. But in today's day and age, unfortunately CS is not what it should be and that's why many times you have snafus like this.

The 2nd day vs next day is very unfortunate because it's right on the cusp of the holiday. The one positive here might be that I have noticed that a lot of the shippers are moving a little faster than typically right now, I had a few things come Express Saver that were supposed to take 5 days but got here in more like 3 days. So keeping fingers crossed it does come a little earlier!!

One idea...can he call FedEx or whoever is the shipping company and ask them to hold it when it comes in that morning to the facility? Then he can go get it himself rather than potentially having it come to his office when everything is closed. Also that morning, sometimes the drivers have a better idea of where it actually IS and when it might be delivered than the online tool which is not always accurate. Lastly, I never just talk to CS representatives, ask for the issue to be escalated to a manager and keep going higher on the chain until you get someone who can help you.

Good luck.

 

[door knob solitaire]

Sorry to sound sound...argumentative...Am I missing something???

Your ring will arrive before Christmas.

What... you aren''t happy with the time of the day before Christmas? You don''t expect comments? Well, Coda your derogatory intention to slander a PS vendor without accepting personal accountability merits a comment.

I don''t see where they failed. I bet their office did everything they could to get it to you before December 25th. I bet staff even stayed late and worked over time this entire month to make sure things went out to arrive before the 25th. Where I come from the 24th comes before the 25th. Let see....23, 24, 25...yep just as I thought.

Your post said "They pretty much said too bad". Wouldn''t you agree you are paraphrasing? I don''t believe for one minute those words were spoken or typed to your husband. Again it is your interpretation. Once something is shipped there is not much they or anyone else can do to alter the process. Your inserting that into this post was a deliberate attempt to release your anger with no regard to the repercussion''s to JA and his reputation.

I wonder if you should have refrained from posting your frustration after you exhausted all avenues to communicate with the shipping company? Prudent? I argue yes. Odds are your package will arrive by noon on Monday. Fed Ex and UPS both deliver to business addresses first. So...as the old saying in HS goes...don''t get your knickers in a knot over milk that hasn''t been spilled yet.

His office will close early...how early? Pack hubby a sandwich and he can sit on the front stoop and wait. If all fails your husband can call the supervisor of the shipping company Monday AM and arrange to meet the driver and the truck at another location. All he needs is a drivers license that matches shipping name. And williness to put forth a little effort-which should have been done on December 3rd-no lets say November 3rd. Actuallly upon learning he could have requested a WILL CALL and gone to the station to pickup.

I agree with others...3 weeks is an incredible effort by James Allen to get a custom sized piece in and out during THE MOST HEAVIEST consumer purchase period of the year. Assumption of delivery time is no excuse on your husbands part.

Sorry If my email sounds a little snide. But your posts were interpreted by my reading as angry and determined to cause damage to the reputation of a highly respected jeweler...because of lack of planning and confirmation on your part. Their is a quote I love to ponder...

Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.

Again I think JA did their part by getting it to you by December 25th...the 24th actually. Yes I do. §

 

[door knob solitaire]

Mara your and my posts crossed. I see you already had the suggestions to contact shipper. Brilliant minds think alike. (that is my story...you with me?)

Things aren''t always black and white...you sometimes need to operate in a shade of grey...put forth a little effort...to get results.

I realize everyone else has a kinder approach to this issue. You should all be commended.

And I should be tarred and feathered. As I am a mean old grinch. Grrrrrowwwllll!

 

[coda72]

Whether or not this ring arrives before Christmas remains to be seen since it hasn''t arrived yet. It is not due to arrive until 4 pm Monday which is cutting it pretty close. From what he told me, they did not offer him free next day air because his order was $5 short of the total needed to ship it this way, and they did not offer him the option of upgrading the shipping for a fee. As far as intercepting packages, whenever I''ve tried to do that, I haven''t had much luck, but I suppose anything''s possible.

He did not realize this was a custom piece. He thought that when his credit card was charged that it would be shipped at that time, not over 2 weeks later. In addition custom pieces do not have to take that long. I had a ring custom made during the holiday season that took only a week, but I suppose each manufacturer is different.

All in all an unfortunate set of circumstances, but I think his main problem is that he didn''t feel that James Allen made a strong enough effort to get him this ring in a timely fashion.

 

[coda72]

By the way Door Knob Solitaire, it seems as if you''re intent on tarring and feathering me, but I do think it''s important to realize the vendors on here aren''t perfect and do make mistakes. You will see your shade of gray, and I see mine. I do feel James Allen''s customer service was lacking especially in comparison to other vendors I have encountered here. And I am allowed to post if I am unhappy with a vendor''s customer service, even though you do not think so. It isn''t always happy posts on here, and if you don''t want to read anything negative, you can skip over these types of posts.

 

[Steel]

Date: 12/22/2007 5:13:03 AM
Author: coda72
By the way Door Knob Solitaire, it seems as if you''re intent on tarring and feathering me, but I do think it''s important to realize the vendors on here aren''t perfect and do make mistakes. You will see your shade of gray, and I see mine. I do feel James Allen''s customer service was lacking especially in comparison to other vendors I have encountered here. And I am allowed to post if I am unhappy with a vendor''s customer service, even though you do not think so. It isn''t always happy posts on here, and if you don''t want to read anything negative, you can skip over these types of posts.

Hi Coda,

I think [0.02] a couple of comments directed to you have been harsh. Your thread is exactly the reason I chose not to post about a negative experience I felt I had with a well loved PS Vendor. Yes I think it might have been more PC for you to post after Christmas had come and gone and no ring sat waiting for you under your tree. But I get it, you are upset that your DH''s wonderful and thoughtful gift to you will not be there Christmas morning. That’s ok. I am sorry too, for you, if indeed it fails to arrive.

Communication can be a tricky thing with an online vendor and we can discuss what he said and she said or what we could have said till the cows come home. Thanks to your thread, perhaps somebody will be cautious to ask their own jeweller - will ‘X’ be ready for my husband''s birthday or will ‘Y’ ship before Valentines Day.

When taking into account that you are upset, the comments you made sit just fine with me.

I also agree with comments made that perhaps your DH (or you) could contact the shipper to see if you could intercept or something, I know not ideal [because it takes you out of your way] but considering the Christmas rush and how much you would like the gift for the 25th, I would be proactive here and stalk that shipping company...

Take care Coda, congrats in advance for the Christmas bling, don''t forget to post when you get it, I would love to see it! And go give that thoughtful DH of yours a kiss; it was nice of him to get you some sparkles for Christmas [or the days following shortly thereafter].

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all. [Season of goodwill and all....]

 

[Ellen]

I just hope you get to open it for xmas Coda, and that you'll post pics!

 

[kellyfish]

I'd try to call Fed ex and ask that the package be held, then go pick it up!! I hope you get it! Do you know exactly what it is?

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 12/22/2007 8:26:30 AM
Author: Ellen
I just hope you get to open it for xmas Coda, and that you'll post pics!

Ditto Coda!!

I look forward to seeing the ring

 

[orbaya]

Date: 12/21/2007 11:52:38 PM
Author: coda72
This ring had to be made in my size, so I guess it took a bit of time to make this ring. However, when my husband ordered this ring they did not indicate to him that he would not receive it in time for Christmas. So, at the very minimum poor communication on their part. Also the email they sent him told him it would be shipped next day air but it was actually shipped second day, and when he questioned them about it, they said there was a mistake in the email.

Did you husband inidicate to JA that he needed the ring by Christmas? If not, they probably assumed it wasn't necessary and focused more on orders that they knew were rushes for the holiday. Also, December 6th was probably too late for a custom ring at this time of year, so your husband should have ordered long before then. It does sound like it is scheduled for BEFORE Christmas...it's not JA's fault that your husband's office closes early, and the rep wasn't overly helpful, so I'd say there was fault on both sides.

 

[mrssalvo]

coda, i do understand your being upset right now. I can see both sides. honestly, it would have been nice if JA offered to upgrade the shipping to overnight for free, but you said the amount was $5 short and they just have to draw the cutoff line somewhere. again, nice and over the top, yes, making them bad, no. if it were me and i found out the timing was going to be so close, i would have just paid the extra for overnight, knowing i couldn''t be at work monday to pick it up. I have been able to intercept packages either requesting they hold them or even met a UPS driver in a parking lot a few blocks from my house after I''d missed him. So, i hope your hubby will try to get a hold of it b/f Christmas for you. Folks should be able to come and post their experiences here, good and bad, i just think that when it''s about a well respected vendor, people are going dig around to try and find out both sides. I do think there was probably some lack of communication on both sides. it would have probalby went down the same way if it were my hubby, other than I know he would have stressed the point of the delievery day, although he would of had no idea of custom/sizing if he ordered something. taking 3 days for a credit card to clear is pretty normal too. Anyway, JA probably needs to double check on delivery dates in the month of dec. with the buyers to make sure they can complete the request and honestly, they did get it shipped out to be delivered on the 24th, which is still before christmas. not a comfy cushion of time for your hubby, but it should still be able to get under your tree for you. I really do hope you guys can track that package and get in on monday and i hope you come back and post some pictures of it. i bet it''s just fabulous!!!

 

[belle]

if you end up getting the package before the 4pm delivery time, would you be happy? what if your hubby would have had it delivered to your house instead of his office? as others have said, it sounds like some major miscommunication on both sides and i don''t think ja was entirely at fault. it seems like the ''bad experience'' part is being unfairly used since you haven''t even received the shipment yet. venting is very well understood here but venting is different from trashing. don''t get me wrong, i''d be upset if i was missing out on a jewelry gift too! i just think you need to keep your expectations real (and maybe wait for the gift to actually be late) before you publicly flog a vendor.
anyway, i hope you get your pressie in time and you L

VE it!

 

[YoungPapa]

coda,

This is Jim Schultz, president of JamesAllen.com. While I would much prefer to be sitting here in my office reading a wonderful testimonial, I think that reading about your unhappy experience is probably going to help us as a company.

Your husband hung up the phone as an unhappy customer who didn''t feel that we appreciated his business or empathized with his situation. That could not be further from the truth. I know this because a) I was personally made aware of your situation, b) we called Fedex and requested expedited delivery on Friday, and c) we discussed having the package rerouted to your home for delivery on Monday. It is concerning to me that while all of these internal efforts and discussions took place, your husband walked away feeling like we didn''t care.

To that end I will sit down with the sales rep who talked to your husband Friday and make sure that he is aware of this thread. I don''t think that we''ve ever had "sensitivity training" here at the company, but maybe we should start.

I will be here all day tracking mountains of packages and you can be assured that yours is one of them.

All the best,

 

[Steel]

Hi Jim,

I am impressed that you took the time today to post.

Best wishes and Holiday greetings to all who work at James Allen.

 

[dani13]

Hi Coda,

I am sorry about your unfortunate experience.....Keeping my fingers crossed for you that your gift arrives before Christmas!! I''m sure it will....I have a feeling Jim will make it right.

Good luck, and remember to post pics when you get your new bling!

 

[Quash]

Mistakes aside, the order is scheduled to be delivered Dec. 24, before X-Mas. It is not James Allen''s fault that your husband''s office closes early that day, nor would they know this. I don''t expect anything to arrive before x-mas if I order past mid-November unless there is a guarantee. I also ensure that I ask for a date a few days before I actually need in case there are wrinkles like this.

But, there is a simple solution: call the shipper with the tracking number and reroute the ring to a place you will be that day and your husband can get it.

 

[YoungPapa]

coda,

I am happy to report that Fedex delivered the package to your husbands work this morning. It is sitting in his office waiting for him to pick-up.

All the best,

 

[Ellen]

Good work Jim.

 

[Steel]

Date: 12/22/2007 11:27:39 AM
Author: James Allen Schultz
coda,

I am happy to report that Fedex delivered the package to your husbands work this morning. It is sitting in his office waiting for him to pick-up.

All the best,

Well done James Allen!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whooo Hoooo!

Coda,

I am so very excited for you. Please please post some pics after Christmas!

YEAH!!!!

 

[DMBsGirl]

Date: 12/22/2007 11:27:39 AM
Author: James Allen Schultz
coda,

I am happy to report that Fedex delivered the package to your husbands work this morning. It is sitting in his office waiting for him to pick-up.

All the best,

AWESOME! PS vendors always go above and beyond for customers!