Bennett-jewelers on eBay is a total scam and fraud

[JohnStewart]

So to make a long story short I made a purchase on eBay, I dealt with a man named Ben, he sold us what was supposed to be a 3.50 CT ROUND CUT D/SI1 CUSHION HALO DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING 14K WHITE GOLD, the listing claimed this was a EGI graded diamond which to me seemed like they were trying to confused buyers into thinking it was EGL, seems this EGI grading certification was nothing but a fraudulent scam that was made in house, I brought this over to a GIA graduate gemologist at Kays and the stone I got was re-graded by them and their findings were just scary, the stone re-certified as a I2 clarity (enhanced) and H color, Good Cut, Poor Polish, 2.16ct (was supposed to be 2.25ct SI1 clarity, D color, Very Good Color according to EGI) and i must tell you this stone was so cloudy and had so many inclusions that i was even embarrassed to tell anyone what i paid for it. Their listing claimed to have the video of the actual ring which was also a total lie!

The company claimed to be from the USA but shipped from Israel, the Jewelry also claimed to be manufactured in the USA but the shipping documents said it was from Israel. This company is nothing more than a scam to get gullible customers to purchase from them. These people should be arrested for fraud!

BUYER BEWARE of these stores and Ben!

If you have bought anything from these people I would strongly advise having it checked via a third party to insure you got what you paid for, after two orders with them both of the rings we got were nothing like what was described.

Has anyone ever purchased from these frauds?

 

[tkyasx78]

never heard of them, but yes almost every seller of diamonds on ebay is a fraud ( I am sure there are exceptions but they would be rare )
I would recommend to return the ring and buy a loose stone from a PS vendor and have it set in the setting of your choice.
when it comes to diamonds and life, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.

 

[Rockdiamond]

I agree with the part about things that sound to good to be true.
As an eBay seller we're aware that many of the other sellers are truly bad apples.
Truly a shame and we feel trrrible that people still get taken.

 

[Austina]

Was it this one?

It does actually state that it's clarity enhanced in the details



Sorry you've been scammed, but if it is this one, the $3600 price tag should've set alarm bells ringing. I don't know anywhere you'd get a 3.5ct diamond ring for that price. Typically a centre diamond of that size and clarity would be $20,000++++

 

[Queenie60]

Have you filed a claim with Ebay/Paypal? This would be my first step. And I strongly suggest you purchase from a PS vendor.

 

[LLJsmom]

Was it this one?

It does actually state that it's clarity enhanced in the details



Sorry you've been scammed, but if it is this one, the $3600 price tag should've set alarm bells ringing. I don't know anywhere you'd get a 3.5ct diamond ring for that price. Typically a centre diamond of that size and clarity would be $20,000++++

$3,600????? STOP....

 

[flyingpig]

An unfortunate thing is that the OP still thinks EGL (not EGI) is a reputable lab and a mounted appraisal by a GG from a chain jewelry store is trustworthy.

 

[partgypsy]

Looks like they have a 30 day return policy. Return and get your money back.

 

[EvaEvans]

JohnStewart,
There are hundreds of similar scam sellers on ebay!!!
May be someone has to write a tutorial "How to avoid scam sellers on-line".
My advice is to open a case for "Item NOT as described", be careful to follow ebay instructions, contact ebay customer support if needed, also, do not trust this seller and do not close the case prior to receive your money back.
To honor your claim, ebay will require appraisal on your name from reputable legal jewelry business in the USA.

 

[rockysalamander]

Return the ring. At best they graded the stone using a very soft company while in the setting (and thus screwed up the weight) or they mis-represented the stone.

But, do pause after this experience and realize that there are no deals or steals in retail diamonds. You really should only seek 'fair market value'...seeking a steal will lead you down the same path. If you had told most of us nothing but the price ($3500) and claim (2.25ct SI1 clarity, D color, Very Good) -- sight unseen, ad unseen, we could have told you that it was a CZ, clarity-enhanced, or stone graded by a blind mole rat at that price. If you want to get a good diamond for your budget, come back and the kind PS folks will help you. It will be nowhere near 2+ carat with a setting for $3500. But, it will be honest about what it is.

 

[arkieb1]

I hope that you can return the ring and get a full refund. If it seems way to good to be true usually it is. There are literally hundreds of people selling stones like that on Ebay.

 

[ChristineRose]

They have multiple copies of that ring. While they say 2.25 ct, no one can be expected to find a suitable stone of exactly 2.25 ct for every ring they make. Everyone rounds up in these cases. They never round down, of course. It's another sleazy trick, but it enough people do it so that it's not considered misrepresentation.

Also, the person at Kay's has an incentive to talk down a ring you got on e-bay and to talk up their own rings. Clarity enhancement is a can of worms--Kay doesn't sell CE--but if you're open to the idea that CE is not "low quality" then Kay sells equally low quality stuff.

However...I did see this on their front page:

Our diamond rings come with a Free Jewerly Appraisal and a Certificate of Authenticity by EGL - one of the most respected diamond grading labs in the world. So that is exceptionally sleazy...

They have a good return policy, which trumps everything else.

 

[GliderPoss]

Return it immediately and run away from Ebay as fast as you can! The price was never realistic for the ring you thought you were buying anyway.

Then come back and let us friendly folks help you start from scratch.

 

[msop04]

Just file a SNAD with ebay and be done with it. If you used a credit card or PayPal, even better (if ebay gives you a hard time)...

 

[WinkHPD]

Great advice as even a moderately well cut D-SI1 in the 2.25 ct size would be at or over $30,000. If you wanted one with sparkle, just keep going up in price...

Wink

 

[MollyMalone]

* * * My advice is to open a case for "Item NOT as described", be careful to follow ebay instructions, contact ebay customer support if needed, also, do not trust this seller and do not close the case prior to receive your money back.
To honor your claim, ebay will require appraisal on your name from reputable legal jewelry business in the USA.

Just file a SNAD with ebay and be done with it. If you used a credit card or PayPal, even better (if ebay gives you a hard time)...

I'm not seeing a reason, at this juncture, to spend the money on an independent appraisal in order to either open an "Item not as described" claim under eBay's Money Back Guarantee or seek a charge-back from your credit card company. Bennett Brothers avers, If you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase, you can return it within 30 days for a full refund or exchange - no restocking fee, no questions asked.

In fact, where the seller represents they have such a return-refund policy, eBay wants you to give the seller 6 business days -- after your return shipping tracking method shows that delivery was made to the seller -- to issue the refund. If the refund hasn't shown up as a credit to your account after 6 business days, you're expected to next make a specific request for a refund from the seller before asking eBay to step in. More info in the FAQs under the Handling returns on eBay header on this page:
http://pages.ebay.com/ebay-money-back-guarantee/questions.html

I suspect the reason that Bennett Jewelers -- and Wilson Jewelers (not to be confused with Wilson Brothers Jewelry, whom I've personally had good experiences with), which shares the same toll-free number --
http://stores.ebay.com/Bennett-Jewelers
http://stores.ebay.com/WilsonJewelers
have 100% Positive Feedback ratings is because they do promptly issue a refund following a return. See this Neutral feedback post:
http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISA...s=25&iid=-1&de=off&which=neutral&interval=365

 

[ajsqueen]

Unfortunately I have to agree that Bennett on ebay is a scam. I needed a clarity enhanced diamond for a ring for a customer. Instead of going through my usual sources and waiting for them to give me a list or wait for a diamond auction I purchased a ring from Bennett. When they asked what size I wanted, I informed them it didn't matter because I was going to remove the center stone and reset it into a setting that was specifically to fit that stone. They refused to sell it to me and ended up refunding my money, saying that they would not allow their center diamonds to be removed from their rings because "torching" could damage the clarity enhancement. I agree that a torch can do that but since when do you need a torch to reset a center diamond that has a setting made to the mm to fit the diamond?

I found a lady whose husband had purchased that exact ring. It was advertised as a 4.0 ct ring with the center diamond being 2.75 ct. Because of the economy, they needed the money, so I bought it from her. It came with an EGI certification- which is fishy to begin with but again- she needed the money. I immediately knew something was wrong when I got the ring. Just eyeballing the round diamond I could tell it was not 2.75ct. which is typically around 9mm. I removed the center diamond and it measured at 8.11mm and weighed 2.25ct. See attached photos.

I now know why Bennett didn't want me to remove the center stone- because it was fraudulently listed. Since I didn't buy it directly from them, I have no recourse. Lesson learned. Do not buy from Bennett on ebay.

 

[motownmama]

Run don’t walk

 

[WillyDiamond]

The original post is from 2017 folks.

 

[motownmama]

eek!

 

[ajsqueen]

UPDATE:
Believe it or not...I contacted Bennett and they took the ring back and sent me a GORGEOUS 9mm 3.01 carat diamond. I am GIA diamond certified and the diamond is real. It is clarity enhanced but it's beautiful and I have no further complaints. I actually don't mind clarity enhanced diamonds. I have several of them myself and sell a ton of them.

I asked them about their diamonds and how them sell them so cheaply. They explained that they are from NYC and Tel Aviv and order large diamond lots. The diamonds they sell in their rings on Ebay are "toppers" from their lots that are obviously not the cream of the crop. The only issue I have with them is their EGI lab. I think the lab they use is kind of a sham and obviously over-grades, but other than that- Bennett seems to be on the up-and-up as far as taking returns and trying to make things right.

I also think after looking at several diamond sellers on eBay that yes, the majority of them are scammers but there are some good honest sellers on there who are just trying to supplement their incomes or store revenues. Heck, I'm probably going to sell some on there myself.

 

[Racheal Hall]

UPDATE:
Believe it or not...I contacted Bennett and they took the ring back and sent me a GORGEOUS 9mm 3.01 carat diamond. I am GIA diamond certified and the diamond is real. It is clarity enhanced but it's beautiful and I have no further complaints. I actually don't mind clarity enhanced diamonds. I have several of them myself and sell a ton of them.

I asked them about their diamonds and how them sell them so cheaply. They explained that they are from NYC and Tel Aviv and order large diamond lots. The diamonds they sell in their rings on Ebay are "toppers" from their lots that are obviously not the cream of the crop. The only issue I have with them is their EGI lab. I think the lab they use is kind of a sham and obviously over-grades, but other than that- Bennett seems to be on the up-and-up as far as taking returns and trying to make things right.

I also think after looking at several diamond sellers on eBay that yes, the majority of them are scammers but there are some good honest sellers on there who are just trying to supplement their incomes or store revenues. Heck, I'm probably going to sell some on there myself.

How can I contact these people? My boyfriend bought a ring from them in March and isn’t getting a reply back!

 

[HHtv]

I find it interesting that a "European gem lab" priced the ring in USD ( I know for diamond prices they're USD based, but somehow it seems odd on that report - also that they comment on the symmetry of the ring as fantastic.)

 

[MTaylor20]

UPDATE:
Believe it or not...I contacted Bennett and they took the ring back and sent me a GORGEOUS 9mm 3.01 carat diamond. I am GIA diamond certified and the diamond is real. It is clarity enhanced but it's beautiful and I have no further complaints. I actually don't mind clarity enhanced diamonds. I have several of them myself and sell a ton of them.

I asked them about their diamonds and how them sell them so cheaply. They explained that they are from NYC and Tel Aviv and order large diamond lots. The diamonds they sell in their rings on Ebay are "toppers" from their lots that are obviously not the cream of the crop. The only issue I have with them is their EGI lab. I think the lab they use is kind of a sham and obviously over-grades, but other than that- Bennett seems to be on the up-and-up as far as taking returns and trying to make things right.

I also think after looking at several diamond sellers on eBay that yes, the majority of them are scammers but there are some good honest sellers on there who are just trying to supplement their incomes or store revenues. Heck, I'm probably going to sell some on there myself.

Since you are diamond certified, I would like your opinion. I can buy an EGI certified radiant diamond ring. I don't mind if it's a overgraded a bit. The ring is beautiful and less expensive than I could get anywhere else. A person friend has it and did buy it from a NYC jeweler very similar to what you described. Should I be worried that the diamond is real or just that it might be over graded? Any advice would be helpful.

 

[lovedogs]

Since you are diamond certified, I would like your opinion. I can buy an EGI certified radiant diamond ring. I don't mind if it's a overgraded a bit. The ring is beautiful and less expensive than I could get anywhere else. A person friend has it and did buy it from a NYC jeweler very similar to what you described. Should I be worried that the diamond is real or just that it might be over graded? Any advice would be helpful.

This is multiple years old. Start a new thread