Changes to BGD upgrade policy

[milton333]

I'm curious about your thoughts on this. I have an ACA diamond bought from Whiteflash which is eligible to be upgraded at BGD (bought in fall 2007). The policy as currently written on the website states that BGD Signature stones (the functional equivalent) can be applied as follows: for signature stones, "Apply the original purchase price (less shipping) towards your upgrade and pay the difference." For trading in a Blue, it's apply 95% of the original purchase price (less shipping) toward the upgrade. Nothing in here says that you must be upgrading to purchase a Signature or Blue stone, right? As long as you have an "upgradable stone," you apply it toward "your upgrade."

Anyway, I've been told that there's a "new policy" that only credits you 80% of the original purchase price if you are buying a Select stone (which is a virtual stone meeting the criteria to be considered "Select," not an "everything else" virtual stone). And I was told that after I've already paid to ship and insure the original e-ring, which is in transit. And since I'd be taking a 20% hit on the stone and no credit for the setting, now I might as well have just sold the ring myself (in fact, since diamond prices have gone up, a diamond with the same specs sells for 45% more than what I paid for it initially, and I'd likely have made money). Am I off-base to be frankly annoyed by this? And not being told about this "policy change" during my discussions with the sales rep and at the time I was given the return authorization number?

 

[Gypsy]

Your post confused me. Do you have an ACA or a Select stone?

And to my knowledge, Select stones have always been upgraded at only 80%. And that's a generous policy in the trade.

Can you be more concise about the timeline of what happened and when? Cause I'm not understanding what's going on.

 

[milton333]

I have an ACA. I was planning to buy a Select stone (largely because there's a special occasion and BGD is out of stock of all the Blues meeting my specs and price point). I inquired about whether the ACA could be applied toward the upgrade purchase of the Select stone. Was told it would be, send it in, got an authorization number to send it. After shipping it, was just told today that there is this "new policy" that will only credit 80% of purchase price toward a Select stone. I'd get 100% of purchase price toward a Signature or Blue. But that's not what the website says, and I was never told this before.

 

[Gypsy]

I have an ACA. I was planning to buy a Select stone (largely because there's a special occasion and BGD is out of stock of all the Blues meeting my specs and price point). I inquired about whether the ACA could be applied toward the upgrade purchase of the Select stone. Was told it would be, send it in, got an authorization number to send it. After shipping it, was just told today that there is this "new policy" that will only credit 80% of purchase price toward a Select stone. I'd get 100% of purchase price toward a Signature or Blue. But that's not what the website says, and I was never told this before.

Ahh. I see.

You were trading in an ACA toward a new stone at BGD. Your sales person didn't tell you that only 80% of the value of the ACA would be applied to the purchase price of the new stone because it is a Select stone. Whereas if your new stone was a Blue Line or Signature Line you would have gotten 100% of the value of the ACA applied to your purchase price. (That was all you needed to write )

I would call Lesley and talk to her about this.

 

[milton333]

The full timeline is that I thought initially about selling the ring myself, sent it in to WF to see about a couple of scratches on the basket. Cost to repair was going to be $150, and I then inquired about just using the upgrade policy through WF and BGD (I'd rather buy a blue). Told that I could use the stone to upgrade at BGD (and I talked about wanting a Select stone w/ blue flour, noted the lack of Blues in stock), I had WF ship the ring back to me un-repaired, and shipped to BGD.

So if I don't go through with the upgrade at BGD, I'm out $200 in shipping. I would not have shipped it to BGD if I'd known they were going to have a "new policy" that would only partially credit me for the original purchase price of the ACA if I'm buying a Select stone, particularly where the retail value of the ACA is already 45% higher than the purchase price. I'd get the full purchase price if buying a Signature or Blue, but despite knowing that I intended to buy a Select, no one told me about this "new policy." The value of the ACA stone is the same no matter how it's applied to a new stone, kwim? The Select stone is listed elsewhere and priced higher at BGD. So I'm not seeing the rationale for the policy. And I'm annoyed that I'm wasting all this money shipping the diamond around, when I wouldn't have done so if I'd known about this up front.

 

[Gypsy]

Once again. Call and talk to Lesley.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I think you should have known before you shipped it, call and see what can be done.

 

[Laila619]

Argh, I'd be so annoyed too. Why didn't they say anything BEFORE you sent the stone in?! They just seem to be really disorganized there. I know they are a small operation and they don't have a lot of help, but yes, I'd be irked.

 

[Christina...]

Yeah, I'd be annoyed too that the new policy wasn't mentioned until after the stone shipped, but I agree with Gypsy that it's likely something that Leslie can and will sort out for you when you call her. Good Luck and let us know how you make out.