Do I tell vendors that I have others searching for me too?

[lovindiamonds]

Ok, so I''m new to this business and I''m wondering if it''s common to have several vendors searching for you at once and secondly, do I let them know?? I mean, I have 3 different vendors contacting me (through the pricescope inquiry form) that are working on diamonds and putting a ring together. I feel bad that obviously I''m going to go with one and the other two will have worked for nothing. Also, my dad said that I should totally let them know that I''m working with other vendors so that way they''ll give me the best price they can, to earn my business. All 3 vendors so far have great reputations - Good Old Gold, Whiteflash and Mark from ERD. I don''t want to be rude, but definitely want to find the best deal.

Help!

 

[vintagelover229]

I dont think its rude...but if its more than a "general" question, then I think you should let them know. Goodoldgold has more information than othersites, education wise, etc. so they probably will be a little more expensive than the other ones.

 

[lovindiamonds]

Well, I think that it''s definitely hard to find what you''re looking for without looking all over, however, I''m sure they''re used to getting several inquiries at once. I''m just wondering at what point do I stop someone and say that I''ve found a better deal?

Do I let them all build me my dream ring and then see who''s got the best deal, or is that just not right in this business??

Just trying to find diamond buying etiquette!

 

[DiamondExpert]

You''re under no obligation to do this, but just asking the question suggests you''re not comfortable...and, of course, they now know!

Make sure that getting the very lowest price is really your goal here, because that might not be the same as the best deal for you.

 

[vintagelover229]

I would say if you are more comfortable/confident in one vendor vs another you should let the other vendors go. I understand that you are wanting the best deal, but it really depends on what your shooting for here. If you are wanting a custom setting done, its easier to go with one vendor for both the stone and the setting. Whiteflash and ERD have great reviews with custom setting, although GOG has great reviews. If your unsure of what shape you want, GOG would be best because they have information that you can educate yourself with, and take pictures, etc. If you want a cushion cut stone, either ERD or GOG are great and they have both sourced many beauties.

Also something to consider is their return policy, buyback policies and upgrade policies. But yes, I feel after a certain point more than the general "Oh, how much would this cost" you should let the vendors know you asking around. They expect some of that, but you dont want a vendor to go above and beyond and then say "Oh, sorry, I''m going with Joe instead now." But thats just my opinion, because im sure they are used to that as well.

 

[lovindiamonds]

Well, I certainly know what you guys are saying and thanks for that. I suppose I have some thinking to do! GOG didn''t have the stone I wanted (radiant) anyhow, so that narrows it down.....

Thanks for the shopping etiquette. I think that I got so many emails in after sending out the request that I didn''t know what to do, it was happening so fast!

 

[swingirl]

Those are 3 great vendors with very comparable products, in workmanship as well as mark up. They probably have access to different inventory but I don''t think one''s going to give you a better deal. One vendor might have a stone that better fits your requirements. The vendors also have specialties that they are known for like if you are looking for a fancy cut. I would say find your stone first and then worry about the setting and who is going to make it. Quoting projects is time consuming.

 

[Todd Gray]

I think that most of us (vendors) assume that clients have contacted more than one vendor in hopes of finding the right diamond. I really don''t think that any of the vendors here on PS have an issue with it, in fact we pretty much expect it. Our paths cross throughout the week more than you might expect because the world of precision cut diamonds is actually quite small, the nice thing is we all seem to get along quite nicely.

That said, I recommend choosing a vendor who you like and only asking that particular vendor to conduct a search for you because activating multiple vendors can result in too much play on a diamond and that can make things difficult for you... Example from a few weeks ago, we were assisting a client with finding a cushion cut diamond and he had activated a few other vendors as well. The cutter became paralyzed from the play on the stone and didn''t know who to ship it to. I''ve also seen too much interest in a stone result in the cutter thinking he has the Holy Grail and raising the price.

From the perspective of the inside, I would recommend you choose one vendor, let them run a search, check the price against the listings here on PS to ensure that they are competitive. You can always activate other vendors if you don''t like the service and results provided by the vendor you initially select.

 

[strmrdr]

If they are calling stones in then I think it is fair to be upfront.
Every time they call in stones it costs them money which is why some are charging for it.
If enough people have stones called in without buying then they will all charge because they cant afford to have them called in on their dime all the time.

 

[blastdoor]

from a business standpoint, its not really about how they feel, its about how you feel... are you genuinely looking forward to see what each of these vendors can offer you eventually, and that each of them actually do have a chance? or have you actually decided in your mind who to go with, and the other two have next to no chance?

if you genuinely still looking then give them a chance each to show you what they've got.. it might not end up being the lowest price, but rather a design you prefer or a customer service you are most comfortable with.. that's what buying is all about isn't it? whether its buying a car, or a diamond, or picking up a fish from the local supermarket, its all comparison before commitment..

but if you've already have one of them in mind, then you should really let the other two go, a nicely writen email or a polite phone call saying "thanks for your help, but i think i've found what i want, you were really great to work with though, hope to deal with you again next time.." would suffice...

as for whether or not to let them know you have others working with you... if a vendor is confident of himself, his service and the stuffs he sells, he should not be upset with compettion.. especially when it comes to buying online, when more than half the time consumers are buying sight-unseen, service is especially important.. if a vendor would refuse you service because you are talking to other vendors as well, then you might want to consider if you really want this kind of service or not in the first place.. in fact if he really wants your service, the more he should work hard for it (eta: that's not to say the PS vendors are not working hard, in fact they ARE

)...

personal experience, when i was looking to custom make my wedding band, i spoke to four different vendors, following are the various responses: -

vendor 1 - apologized for not being able to sel to me due to shipping limitations (I am not in the US),

vendor 2 - came back with something out of my budget, so i told him i was waiting for 3 other quotes, and he came back with other attractive alternatives for my consideration,

vendor 3 - was not able to meet my requirements fully, and he actually suggested 2 other vendors for me to consider, while putting his proposed alternative only last,

vendor 4 - i eventualy went with coz he was able to offer me what i wanted close enough to the budget i had in mind...

and i must say i have great experience with all 4 of them... if there were any hard feelings, they definitely did not show it... that's why i trust these vendors so much...

besides... even if i hadn't told them i was working with others at the same time, what's to say they haven't assumed that already?

my 2 cents for your reference...

 

[lovindiamonds]

Well, I found a stone from Whiteflash, I''m waiting on stones from Mark and GOG had none. So I did tell Whiteflash that I had one other person looking, just to give him a heads up, but that I did like the stone that he provided to me. I will give Mark a chance because they all must expect that people are going to be getting different quotes because they take part in the pricescope inquiry form. By tomorrow after I see stones from Mark, I will definitely decide on one of them and move on my way.

The process with the inquiry form is a bit deceiving.