Grashoppa
Rough_Rock
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2005
- Messages
- 3
I am posting this in hopes that someone will learn from my mistake in the future. I read these forums before I bought from Shenoa and Co, and I am going to post a message that I wish I could have seen before I bought a ring from them.
In the beginning of July I bought a ring from these guys with the following specs on EBay. Yea I know, ring on EBay, shame on me. The diamond looked like a great bargain, and I loved the setting. I ordered the diamond and also opted for an National Gemological Laboratories cert to come with it. I did not know who NGL was, but I figured for 45 bucks, I had some ammo in case things went wrong.
Princess cut Diamond 1.01 CT in the center.
- Color: F
- Clarity: SI-2
14 Round brilliant cut Diamonds 0.10 CT and 12 Princess cut Diamonds 0.68 CT total weight on sides.
- Color: F
- Clarity: VS-2
- Setting: 18 K White gold
I got the package sent to my mom''s house so that my fiancée would be none the wiser. My mom''s boyfriend knows diamonds pretty well, so he looked at the diamond before I saw it. He told me that the setting looked great but the center stone was crap. After looking at it myself, and also taking it to Jared for a second opinion, I decided too that the diamond was worth maybe $500, and I am guessing at these specs:
- Color: M (very yellow in contrast to the side stones)
- Clarity: I2 (Jared pointed to me a HUGE crack that the found with a 10x, but was visible with the eye if you knew where to find it)
- The cut pattern on the cert did not match the diamond at all
- The measured dimensions on the ring were all off, which means that the cert was describing another diamond
After this I called the company, because I was still within my return window, and arranged to send it back to have the right diamond set. He told me it must have been a mistake, and would work to get the right diamond set. Through this whole process I worked with a gentleman named Rudi, and he has given me the best customer service I could ever ask for.
I returned the ring and the cert via UPS, and got a call about 2 days later from Rudi telling me that the new ring was on its way with a new cert. I received the new ring, and this one was of the same quality, and the cert was the exact same as the last, but with a different date. I estimated the new diamond as
- Color: H (still some color visible)
- Clarity: I3 (2 inclusions visible with the naked eye, and 3 if you looked with a loupe)
- Again, the cut pattern on the cert did not match the diamond at all
- Again, the measured dimensions on the ring were all off, which means that the cert was describing another diamond
Naturally I called them back, but this time I asked for a refund, which they agreed to do. After nearly a month of dealing with them, I left negative feedback on their EBay profile stating that the diamond was misrepresented, and that the certificate did not match the diamond provided on the ring.
The next day, I received 3 phone calls from Shenoa & Co where they were outraged that I left them negative feedback on EBay. I had a conversation with Rudi’s manager saying that they did not deserve the negative feedback I gave them, and it was “hurting their sales” and he would “have to let people go” over the matter. After talking with him about half an hour, I told him that they give excellent customer service, but that does not make up for shoddy product. Eventually he offered to pay me $150.00 to remove my negative feedback on EBay. I told him I would think about it.
He called my twice the next day and twice the day after that, constantly badgering me to retract my feedback. I eventually submitted, not because he paid me to do so, but simply because I value my privacy, and it was becoming harder to hide the fact that I was diamond shopping from my fiancée.
Today, I received my refund, but what I saw simply incensed me. The email he sent me confirming my refund reflected an amount $65.00 more than what I actually received. I could not believe that they were still trying to rip me off. I gave myself an hour and I composed this letter:
Shenoa,
I received a credit on my American Express today, but the amount I received was $XXXX total; $XXXX for the ring and $150 for the retracted feedback. Why is there a discrepancy between the amount you promised to refund, and the actual amount you refunded?
I truly feel insulted. I left negative feedback on EBay, because that is the way the system works. I was dissatisfied with your product, and felt that it was misrepresented. I love Rudi''s service, he helped me every step of the way, and I applaud him for the wonderful customer service he provided me with. However, the product that I bought was not even close to what was advertised. This is misrepresentation and a classic bait and switch move. THIS is why I left you negative feedback on you EBay profile, and it is well deserved. I agreed to retract the feedback not because you guys were going to give me $150.00 to cover any expenses that I incurred with shipping, and the lame certificate that was sent with the diamond (which was also a laugh, the cut patterns did not match either oh the diamonds you sent, the color was wrong, the clarity was wrong, the dimensions were wrong, the inclusions mapped on the certificate were wrong; this leads me to believe that either NGL is not reputable, or the diamond was switched after being examined by NGL); I retracted my feedbacks simply because you guys were hounding me to do so, and I value my privacy much higher than $150.00.
I will share with you what your $150 dollars balances against what I have spent trying to get the ring to your advertised specifications:
1 NGL Cert: $45.00
Shipping from Shenoa to my mother''s house: $19.99
2 Round trips to my mother''s house: 200 miles ~ $35.00 in gas plus wear on my car, plus 3 hours of my time
More of my time taking the ring to Jared for a second opinion
Shipping the ring back to you, twice: $21.00 a pop
As you can see the $150.00 was not worth my retraction. I simply wished to cut my losses and to be left alone.
Let me remind you what an engagement ring is for, it is for the person you love in your life more than anything; I am trying to surprise this person with an engagement ring, and it is very difficult with you calling my phone twice a day hounding me to retract my feedback.
This brings all my frustration with your company to this point in time, when you do not honor your end of the bargain after I very kindly removed the feedback which you treasure so much. I would think that if you spent this much effort trying to satisfy your customers in the first place, then you would not have these problems of patching up your pathetic profile after the fact. I suggest you stop fooling honest people with crappy diamonds. I am going to contact EBay about your company, and I will also share my story with others including fraud agencies.
Sincerely,
EW
They responded back half an hour later and are issuing me the remainder of the refund.
Well that is the end of my story. I hope some of you find it entertaining, and more people find it useful.
In the beginning of July I bought a ring from these guys with the following specs on EBay. Yea I know, ring on EBay, shame on me. The diamond looked like a great bargain, and I loved the setting. I ordered the diamond and also opted for an National Gemological Laboratories cert to come with it. I did not know who NGL was, but I figured for 45 bucks, I had some ammo in case things went wrong.
Princess cut Diamond 1.01 CT in the center.
- Color: F
- Clarity: SI-2
14 Round brilliant cut Diamonds 0.10 CT and 12 Princess cut Diamonds 0.68 CT total weight on sides.
- Color: F
- Clarity: VS-2
- Setting: 18 K White gold
I got the package sent to my mom''s house so that my fiancée would be none the wiser. My mom''s boyfriend knows diamonds pretty well, so he looked at the diamond before I saw it. He told me that the setting looked great but the center stone was crap. After looking at it myself, and also taking it to Jared for a second opinion, I decided too that the diamond was worth maybe $500, and I am guessing at these specs:
- Color: M (very yellow in contrast to the side stones)
- Clarity: I2 (Jared pointed to me a HUGE crack that the found with a 10x, but was visible with the eye if you knew where to find it)
- The cut pattern on the cert did not match the diamond at all
- The measured dimensions on the ring were all off, which means that the cert was describing another diamond
After this I called the company, because I was still within my return window, and arranged to send it back to have the right diamond set. He told me it must have been a mistake, and would work to get the right diamond set. Through this whole process I worked with a gentleman named Rudi, and he has given me the best customer service I could ever ask for.
I returned the ring and the cert via UPS, and got a call about 2 days later from Rudi telling me that the new ring was on its way with a new cert. I received the new ring, and this one was of the same quality, and the cert was the exact same as the last, but with a different date. I estimated the new diamond as
- Color: H (still some color visible)
- Clarity: I3 (2 inclusions visible with the naked eye, and 3 if you looked with a loupe)
- Again, the cut pattern on the cert did not match the diamond at all
- Again, the measured dimensions on the ring were all off, which means that the cert was describing another diamond
Naturally I called them back, but this time I asked for a refund, which they agreed to do. After nearly a month of dealing with them, I left negative feedback on their EBay profile stating that the diamond was misrepresented, and that the certificate did not match the diamond provided on the ring.
The next day, I received 3 phone calls from Shenoa & Co where they were outraged that I left them negative feedback on EBay. I had a conversation with Rudi’s manager saying that they did not deserve the negative feedback I gave them, and it was “hurting their sales” and he would “have to let people go” over the matter. After talking with him about half an hour, I told him that they give excellent customer service, but that does not make up for shoddy product. Eventually he offered to pay me $150.00 to remove my negative feedback on EBay. I told him I would think about it.
He called my twice the next day and twice the day after that, constantly badgering me to retract my feedback. I eventually submitted, not because he paid me to do so, but simply because I value my privacy, and it was becoming harder to hide the fact that I was diamond shopping from my fiancée.
Today, I received my refund, but what I saw simply incensed me. The email he sent me confirming my refund reflected an amount $65.00 more than what I actually received. I could not believe that they were still trying to rip me off. I gave myself an hour and I composed this letter:
Shenoa,
I received a credit on my American Express today, but the amount I received was $XXXX total; $XXXX for the ring and $150 for the retracted feedback. Why is there a discrepancy between the amount you promised to refund, and the actual amount you refunded?
I truly feel insulted. I left negative feedback on EBay, because that is the way the system works. I was dissatisfied with your product, and felt that it was misrepresented. I love Rudi''s service, he helped me every step of the way, and I applaud him for the wonderful customer service he provided me with. However, the product that I bought was not even close to what was advertised. This is misrepresentation and a classic bait and switch move. THIS is why I left you negative feedback on you EBay profile, and it is well deserved. I agreed to retract the feedback not because you guys were going to give me $150.00 to cover any expenses that I incurred with shipping, and the lame certificate that was sent with the diamond (which was also a laugh, the cut patterns did not match either oh the diamonds you sent, the color was wrong, the clarity was wrong, the dimensions were wrong, the inclusions mapped on the certificate were wrong; this leads me to believe that either NGL is not reputable, or the diamond was switched after being examined by NGL); I retracted my feedbacks simply because you guys were hounding me to do so, and I value my privacy much higher than $150.00.
I will share with you what your $150 dollars balances against what I have spent trying to get the ring to your advertised specifications:
1 NGL Cert: $45.00
Shipping from Shenoa to my mother''s house: $19.99
2 Round trips to my mother''s house: 200 miles ~ $35.00 in gas plus wear on my car, plus 3 hours of my time
More of my time taking the ring to Jared for a second opinion
Shipping the ring back to you, twice: $21.00 a pop
As you can see the $150.00 was not worth my retraction. I simply wished to cut my losses and to be left alone.
Let me remind you what an engagement ring is for, it is for the person you love in your life more than anything; I am trying to surprise this person with an engagement ring, and it is very difficult with you calling my phone twice a day hounding me to retract my feedback.
This brings all my frustration with your company to this point in time, when you do not honor your end of the bargain after I very kindly removed the feedback which you treasure so much. I would think that if you spent this much effort trying to satisfy your customers in the first place, then you would not have these problems of patching up your pathetic profile after the fact. I suggest you stop fooling honest people with crappy diamonds. I am going to contact EBay about your company, and I will also share my story with others including fraud agencies.
Sincerely,
EW
They responded back half an hour later and are issuing me the remainder of the refund.
Well that is the end of my story. I hope some of you find it entertaining, and more people find it useful.
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