false advertising

[sparkle123]

I purchased a diamond ring from a department store less than a month ago advertised in the flier as being 1.98 carats total weight. Now I know I should not buy from them, but the price was right and I liked the look. I had it sized by the store before taking it home. When I got it home I noticed that the main diamonds were illusion set. I estimated it was around 1 carat total weight. I took it back to the department store and they told me tough it was sized. I took it to a jeweler and he said it was close to a carat weight. I went back to the department store and they are demanding an appraisal. Weren''t laws broken here? I have contacted an appraiser. The jeweler told me to just keep it, and I said that would be fine if it was even close to 2 carats, otherwise I was totally scammed. Any suggestions or anyone knowledgeable about laws? Thanks.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Do you have original paperwork stating the TCW?

 

[neatfreak]

Are you SURE it's not 2ctw total? If it was from a reputable department store I would think they were at least close to truthful. Something seems shady to me about the jeweler-not necessarily the ring.

Did you go to an APPRAISER? Or a jeweler who does "appraisals"? Two different things.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

1.98 carats total weight (ctw) means that all the stones on the ring add up to 1.98.

 

[D&T]

are you saying that you "thought" you purchased a center stone that was 1ct but then realized that you are buying many little stones that is set to Look like a one carat center (I've seen some with princess cut stones that appear to be large, but in fact were four stones set in illusion settings)? of all of stones in the center added to 1ctw? two different thing. I don't quite know what is "false"
To even get the exact total weight of your diamonds, you would have to take it all apart, otherwise it would be "approximate" if it is still in the setting

 

[Dancing Fire]

if you read Costco''s fine print...
it saids...their 1 ct stone can weight < 1 ct (i.e. .98ct) but they still call it 1ct.

 

[sparkle123]

First sorry about posting in two areas. I am new and have been lurking but this brought me out. I bought the ring with 9 diamonds. I questioned if it was really two carats but the sales clerk said yes. The three diamonds in the center looked like 1/3rd a piece to me in the store. So there were 6 more. I did like the design. It was in 14k and had a rather 1920s look. I decided to have it sized for my left hand and did not take it home before sizing (big mistake). When I got it home outside the store lights, I realized the three center stones looked smaller because they were surrounded by metal or what would be termed an illusion setting. For two days I thought about trying to measure the center stones thinking I had to be wrong. I finally measured the stones and determined that they couldn''t be any more than .20 a piece from a top measurement. The other stones were smaller. I went to the department store and they told me I needed an appraisal or a jeweler to look at them. I went to a jewelry store in the mall that sells tacori and high end stuff. The jeweler was just told to look at the ring and estimate the total carat weight. He said to the sales clerk it was barely a carat. I then told him what had happened. I left and went back to the department store and they denied it could be other than what was stated on the sales receipt and in the flyer that had listed the ring. They said I needed an appraisal and than they would see what their buyers in New York said (I''m in MI). I did go back to the jewelry store and asked about paying for the appraisal. The jeweler than measured the stones and he said even being generous it was no more than a carat. He also said he knew the ladies in the department store and didn''t want to be involved. And that his giving me an appraisal would end up with them saying he wanted to take their business. He told me to go to an appraiser who did not sell jewelry and was certified and gave me a name. I emailed them but have not heard back. I don''t know if it is worth it to pursue. But my husband is equally angry.
Long story. Just happened today. Thanks for the response. Any further comments or suggestions?

 

[decodelighted]

An independent appraisal could cost $150-200 if I'm remembering correctly. Whether its worth it to put more $$ into proving their fraud ... only you can tell. Maybe you can find an appraiser that works Pro Bono

.

Did the ring come with any paperwork besides the flier from the newspaper?

 

[AGBF]

I have never dealt with this, but my husband (when he was first out of business school) once told me to go right to the top. If you can find the President or CEO of the company and write to his office complaining about what happened and explain what you have been put through, perhaps his office will want to make things right for the good of public relations. You could mention that it is unfair for you to have to pay a private appraiser and report this to the Better Business Bureau when all you want to do is to get your money back. (I hope that is what you want to do!)

AGBF

 

[Liane]

If you have documentation from the store saying that the ring should have approx. 2 tcw of diamonds (sales receipt + flyer should be sufficient if you can match them up to the ring in your possession, ex. if the flyer has a picture of the ring and the sales receipt matches to a number on a tag or something), and you have documentation from an independent appraiser saying that the ring has about half that tcw of diamonds, then this is pretty cut and dried. If you wanted to go to court on that, you could, and you''d win without too much trouble.

I''m not sure it would be worth your trouble and if it''s a big department store they''d probably be happy to resolve the matter privately via customer service complaint, but IF that is what happened and IF you can prove it then yeah, that''s a super easy case. The only caution I''d have would be to not sit on it too long once you know for sure that something''s wrong, because then it could look like you tacitly accepted what you got.

 

[lilyfoot]

Date: 12/14/2009 8:04:16 PM
Author: Dancing Fire
if you read Costco's fine print...
it saids...their 1 ct stone can weight < 1 ct (i.e. .98ct) but they still call it 1ct.

Yes, most (all?) jewelry stores have a "disclaimer" on their ads/in their stores that state what the actual range of carat weights can be.

i.e., it'll usually say something like: a "1/2 carat solitaire" can be a diamond in a range from .45-.54 ct.

ETA: being a few points away from the actual carat weight wouldn't be a big deal, but if OP is saying the ring is half of the ctw it's supposed to be, personally, I'd be raising h*ll.

 

[Karl_K]

did you pay with a credit card?

 

[jewelerman]

This type of problem is not un-common.The inexperianced sales staff has sold you the wrong ring.I would only deal with the store manager or corperate head offices and tell them that you need a written statement from them that they will pay for the appraisal if the ring is under 1.98 as advirtised.I would then ask the manager to meet you at a jeweler and have the appraiser explain to the idiot that the ring is not as represented.I would make it clear that because the ring has been mis- represented that sizing dosnt matter and that if you dont get satisfaction you will contact the better business beau to intervine.Have them take the advirtised ring from the case to compare and they will see that the rings are different.I agree that the credit card company should be contacted and the sale be flagged as a disputed sale!I HATE when this type of thing happens due to lazy sales staff.GOOD LUCK and dont give up.

 

[jewelerman]

so whats going on with the ring exchange?