Bait and switch PS listings?

[Lizabeth]

Is this normal? I inquired about reserving a diamond listed as being available from a PS vendor. The vendor replied that it would take 4 to 5 days to find out if it was available through its partner -- and provided info on some other "similar" diamonds that are considerably more expensive than the one that interested me.

In the meantime, the diamond (which has been listed for a long time) is still listed as available.

Why would it take that long to determine if diamond had been sold? Is this typical or am I right in wondering if I'm being baited and switched?

Thanks!

 

[Karl_K]

No its not normal and sounds slightly stinky.
But it might not be intentional evil, the partner company may be on vacation and closed down right now.
The vendor needs to explain themselves to you to avoid getting branded a skunk.

 

[MelisendeDiamonds]

Is this normal? I inquired about reserving a diamond listed as being available from a PS vendor. The vendor replied that it would take 4 to 5 days to find out if it was available through its partner -- and provided info on some other "similar" diamonds that are considerably more expensive than the one that interested me.

In the meantime, the diamond (which has been listed for a long time) is still listed as available.

Why would it take that long to determine if diamond had been sold? Is this typical or am I right in wondering if I'm being baited and switched?

Thanks!

It sounds like this diamond is owned by a third party and is being offered for sale Virtually. This applies to 99% of diamonds being offered for sale online.

In that case the owner of the stone may not work on the weekend and it may take a few days to contact them especially if its outside the United States. There is no cause for alarm necessarily if this is the case.

 

[Gypsy]

Is it B2C? This echos another person's experiences with them.

 

[Andelain]

Is it B2C? This echos another person's experiences with them.

Are you referring to me, or has it happened to someone else? I picked a stone that they even had pic and ASET of posted, and supposedly had been examined. When they got it in to ship to me, it suddenly developed a chip on a VS1 stone.

I think it's deceptive that they list their stones as in-house when they're not. I did a search for a certain size stone a couple days ago, and they returned 2/3 of the results.

 

[Diamond_Hawk]

Is it B2C? This echos another person's experiences with them.

Hi Gypsy. I presume you're referring to the availability comment and not the topic of this thread. The term ‘bait and switch’ goes against the philosophical foundation of the transparent method in which we conduct business. If a diamond is discovered to be tied-up elsewhere it is, of course, our policy to make recommendations of comparable or more desirable alternate options.

I picked a stone that they even had pic and ASET of posted, and supposedly had been examined. When they got it in to ship to me, it suddenly developed a chip on a VS1 stone.

Hi Andelain. I’m glad you mentioned this, because it’s precisely why we refuse to drop-ship. Any diamond we sell goes through inspection before being sent to a client, in the interest of protecting that client. Damage sometimes occurs in transit, handling, etc., so every buyer should work with a company that fully vets any diamond they sell in-house. The glass half-full is that our quality control worked exactly as it should. While disappointing, we believe it’s preferable to a situation where you’d have received a damaged diamond, an incorrect grading report and no warning.

I did a search for a certain size stone a couple days ago, and they returned 2/3 of the results.

I am happy to hear our inventory is as far-reaching and expansive as we hope it to be. Please be confident that B2C will do everything possible to meet your expectations should you choose a diamond in our inventory.

 

[Karl_K]

Is it B2C? This echos another person's experiences with them.

Hi Gypsy. I presume you're referring to the availability comment and not the topic of this thread. The term ‘bait and switch’ goes against the philosophical foundation of the transparent method in which we conduct business. If a diamond is discovered to be tied-up elsewhere it is, of course, our policy to make recommendations of comparable or more desirable alternate options.

Brian this is aimed not specifically at you unless it was b2c that messed up here.

That has to be done very carefully and if it happens too much and gets perceived as a pattern it will bite.
Either a diamond is in stock or it is not, 5 day wait for data is not in stock.
Consumers deserve awesome customer service and up front outstanding service if a vendor wants to get recommendations.
They are not given they are earned having a ton of listings does not help if the customer service is not there to back it up.
There will be growing pains but a quick and truthful apology and great efforts being made to correct the issues goes a long way. The words must be backed up by visible actions.

 

[WinkHPD]

Is this normal? I inquired about reserving a diamond listed as being available from a PS vendor. The vendor replied that it would take 4 to 5 days to find out if it was available through its partner -- and provided info on some other "similar" diamonds that are considerably more expensive than the one that interested me.

In the meantime, the diamond (which has been listed for a long time) is still listed as available.

Why would it take that long to determine if diamond had been sold? Is this typical or am I right in wondering if I'm being baited and switched?

Thanks!

Lizabeth,

You do not say if the vendor is B2C, but if it is I have personally known Diamond Hawk (Brian) for years and know him to be good people. He is acting in good faith to recommend other diamonds if the one you want is not available. If you have a conversation with him to more fully explain your desires he will be able to either give you better recommendations, or to go out and find you a diamond that does fit your desires.

Just my thoughts, based on my knowledge of the man who represents B2C on this forum.

Wink

 

[Diamond_Hawk]

Brian this is aimed not specifically at you unless it was b2c that messed up here.

As the OP did not mention any company at all you are exactly correct. Then it becomes an open topic of ‘best practices’ in the industry - exactly what your final paragraph addresses.

Because B2C was asked-about, I wanted to seek clarification from Gypsy on whether she was referring to the subject line of the thread (Bait & Switch) or if she only meant others had called to find that a listed diamond was unavailable.

With B2C invoked a couple of times in this thread I thought it best to provide clarification on practices and policies, for the benefit of anyone who might come across it in the future.

That has to be done very carefully and if it happens too much and gets perceived as a pattern it will bite.
Either a diamond is in stock or it is not, 5 day wait for data is not in stock.
Consumers deserve awesome customer service and up front outstanding service if a vendor wants to get recommendations.
They are not given they are earned having a ton of listings does not help if the customer service is not there to back it up.
There will be growing pains but a quick and truthful apology and great efforts being made to correct the issues goes a long way. The words must be backed up by visible actions.

Precisely. That’s why I am here.

 

[Gypsy]

I forgot about the title. Sorry. They all start to blur after a while. Not the 'bait and switch' thing. But the calling about a stone that is shown as available on the site, finding out it is unavailable or being told to wait a week to find out status. It happens to every vendor occasionally (not being made available, but I am hearing about it OFTEN from B2C. And the 5 day wait for status thing is just not okay, period. I think 48 hours or 2 business days should be the max. I don't know if they are not updating their site in a timely manner or what the issue is. But it has been a something that has been mentioned to me more than what I consider is 'normal' for a vendor and is starting to look like a pattern.