Buying Diamonds from Robbins Bros

[DiamondHog]

Can anyone share experiences about purchasing / owning / returning / insuring diamonds with Robbins Brothers in Southern California.

We are looking to purchase a custom Diamond and Platinum ring from them and so far are happy with the customer service.. and knowledge of the sales people..however, the leather sofas, cappucino machines, 4 sales people to 1 customer ratio has the Diamond price "a cut above the rest"

I showed them as best a comparison diamond that I could find .. and they were quick to reduce their price somewhat.. claiming that the insurance component of the diamond through Robbins Brothers and cusomter service.. and life long commitment sets them apart from the rest..

I d be interested to others stories .. Thanks !!

 

[Magnum]

I've never dealt with them, but I seem to remember some past posts about them. If you do a search for Robbins Brothers, you should find some threads about them.

 

[daboyzmomi]

Hi Diamond,

We gave Robbins Bros a shot when we were in the market in Oct. for my 10 year upgarde stone. They were CONFIDENT they could match any internet dealers price and quality. But to do so, they would take away their lifetime guarantee, so as to put thier stone on the same playing feild as the internet stones. After viewing 6 diffrent stones it was apparent there was no way they could match the quality or the price even with taking away the guarantee they say is the reason for the up in price. In my experience they will try to sell you based on which one looks the best to you. They like to keep the certs. from you and play a guessing game. Not exactly the way I like to do my diamond business. In my opinion, you would be much better served going with an online retailor with a good reputation here on Pricescope. We did are more then happy with our decision. Hope this helps. Good luck in your upcoming choice.

 

[pqcollectibles]

Here's a recent Robbins Brothers diamond buying story for you:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/ive-been-stupid-but-please-help.12065/

Take a look at the price the buyer paid for a not so great diamond and what she coula had buying on-line.

 

[sumi]

I walked in to the Robbins Brothers in Torrance loooong time ago, before my husband and I were seriously considering becoming engaged. We were just there to look. I was immediately turned off by the fact that they asked for our name, address, phone number right at the door (I refused to give them this info). I didn't like their aggressive sales technique. I was not at all impressed by the quality of their designs and craftsmanship or the quality of their stones. This was back before I was really interested in diamonds, but somehow I knew that I've seen better stones before. I walked out of there annoyed and disappointed and never went back.

If you had a different experience and are really happy with what you chose, then that's great. However, I really think you can get something better elsewhere.

 

[derekinla]

The quality to price ratio at Robbins Brothers leaves little to be desired. I do, however, think it is worthwhile going in just to browse the MANY different settings in order to get an idea of what type of styles you might like. They also have a "lounge" area with free biscotti & coffee so it might be a nice excuse for a midafternoon snack if you're in the area. Like Sumi, I too stopped by the Torrance store off of Hawthorne Blvd, and I do agree that their sales tactics have a certain "used car salesman" flair.

 

[DiamondHog]

Thanks for all of your great feedback .. !!! I called them to negotiate further pricing on the Diamond and it seems that the standard line is " Our Service is a life long commitment.. etc etc etc.." Doesnt make the addition few thousand dollars on the stone alone worth it...

I did enjoy the Cappucino in Torrence...stayed clear of the Biscotti for fear that it may have been there for months...

Thanks again ..

PS..

This is my first time at this site.. and I have to say that you do not see forums like this very often. the speed of responses and quality of replies os outstanding ... Give all of yourselves an addition carat on your next stone !! Cheers

 

[iceseeker]

I've visited the Robbins.Bros in Torrance as well. Their diamonds are very expensive! They have to pay for the radio commercials that they play constantly! You can do so much better on the web.


I do suggest that you go to see the differences in color and clarity of stones. They have a large selection. As for cut, they don't mention it! They also have a great selection of settings to choose from.

 

[derekinla]

At least there are TONS of good restaurants near Robbins Bros so it's not a total loss! If you go down to Crenshaw between Wilson Park and Sepulveda, there is this little strip mall on the east side of Sepulveda with a bakery called J.J. Bakery. They make the most yummy pastries. Tiramisu is to die for and VERY VERY reasonably priced.

 

[sumi]

Oh my Gosh! Derekinla, I think we have the same stomping grounds. I love JJ Bakery! They have really great fresh bread and yuumy treats. I really can't stand that processed bread from supermarkets and I only buy fresh bread. JJ Bakery has really good bread, so does Trader Joe's. We usually get birthday cakes from there too. Oh Yeah! I heard they have good sandwhiches too.

If you ever want to hear where the BEST Japanese restaraunts in Torrance are, just PM me and I'll let you know. I grew up there so I know the best spots. (Plus it doesn't hurt to have a Japanese Mom)


Don't get me started about food because I can go on forever!

 

[queensr001]

i had a great experience at robbinsbros. I have 2 family members in the diamond business and I shopped their. They completely service my wifes and my rings. They are always nice and i have never had any problems. They are the most dominant diamond seller and back up all their benefits.

 

[tlee]

I just bought a trew tungsten ring from there and I have mixed feelings. I'm not sure if it's b/c of incompetence or if they were deliberately trying to rip me off.

First off, their return policy is a full 30 day refund except on "special orders, custom made or custom altered products". They consider designer brands to be special orders and sometimes resizing a ring falls into the "custom altered category". So, basically the return policy doesn't mean much unless you buy a ring out of their case as is.

Last week I bought a plain milgrain platinum wedding band w/o researching the latest platinum prices. Afterwards I regretted the decision for overpaying and went back for a refund. But they said I could probably get the band for 1/3 less than what I originally paid for it by price matching it. However, they couldn't give me a definite answer b/c it was late in the day so they couldn't call the manufacturers. The person assured me that I could always get my refund if I didn't like the ring when it arrived.

Well, I was still sore about how much I was shelling out for a stupid piece of metal so I started searching this forum to see what other guys were wearing for their wedding bands. I fell in love with tungsten rings and went back to RB again.

I'm pretty sure they were tired of seeing me, but hell, I'm the customer. A new sales person showed me the rings and I found the one I liked. They even price matched it to one I found on the internet. I asked again about the return policy and they said that once a designer ring is made the customer is stuck with it. That means that the previous sales person was either lying to get the sale or totally incompetent.

Anyway, we did the exchange and I got credited the difference for the original ring. Once I got home I discovered that they shorted me over $200. And there was this "employee discretion" charge on my bill. That will teach me a lesson to make sure the numbers add up before I sign for things in the future.

Needless to say, I was quite upset. But when I called I got yet a different sales person who was cheerful and very accommodating. They looked up the charge and reversed it right over the phone. I thought I was going to have to argue for it and drive all the way back there to have them swipe my credit card again.

So, I guess my advice to people planning on buying from RB is to never let your guard down for a second. Make sure you ask all the questions and make sure you know exactly what their return policies are before making payment. It also appears that your experience will vary dramatically depending on the sales person you get. The internet price matching is great for less expensive items. However, tax kills it for most jewelry.

Hope this helps some people.

T