Guarantees, warranties, etc

[jusradiantshopping]

Hi all..

Long time lurker, first time poster..

I am looking at purchasing an engagement ring soon and have been debating between going to a brick and mortar or get an e-ring...

I''ve gotten over all the quality concerns and am left with one large concern. My select local B&M (Shane Co) offers a lifetime guarantee so long as I allow them to inspect the ring every 6 months or so.

My e-tailer of choice would be Whiteflash, however I see only lifetime trade-up policies and other temporary return options. Is it possible to find an e-tailer that offers a lifetime warranty or is this even something I should be concerned with? My other thought besides getting a guarantee with purchase is to purchase an insurance policy, but obviously free guarantee with purchse is more appealing.

I would certainly like going to whiteflash because they have exactly what I want and from what I have heard here, are quite good with custom designs as well..

Opinions and info much appreciated.

 

[bookworm21]

DO NOT GO TO SHANE CO!!!

I am very much against that particular company due to my own personal experiences with them. Their guarantee and warranty ONLY applies to lost stones if it's due to workmanship errors. So if you lose the stone because you accidentally whacked the ring on something, that's not covered under their warranty. In my opinion, that warranty is crap.

The stones they carry there are subpar. I asked to see stones with the following specifications: D-F color, VS2 and above, emerald cut. They told me they don't carry stones that are above SI1 quality. They also don't have the full measurements of their stones, and from what I understand, stones under 1 carat are graded by an in-house gemologist; hence, no GIA or AGS report.

My bf and I bought a .45 carat, G, SI2 stone from them before I learned so much here on PS, and I realized later that we paid way too much for a stone that was poorly cut and of such low quality. The inclusion is clearly visible and is in the center of the stone, so in our opinions, it should have been graded at least an I1.

Their service is lacking and the sales staff don't know much. They also tend to take advantage of the clueless shoppers, just like all B&Ms. So don't believe their line "Now YOU have a friend in the diamond business," because it's BS. You can get a much better quality stone at an internet vendor for the same price.

Just my opinion, of course.

ETA: You should always get a ring checked every six months for loose prongs and other stuff anyway, so that's something else that makes their warranty crap.

ETA2: Maybe not ALL B&M's take advantage of clueless shoppers. That was a little unfair. But most do.

 

[Dancing Fire]

forget about Shane Co.

go with WF

 

[denverappraiser]

Warranties are important and valuable but it’s equally important to understand what is being warranted and at what cost. ‘Free’ is rarely free after all.

The costs normally are in the form of a higher initial price, higher costs for the ongoing maintenance and reduced flexibility in where you get your work done. Different people will view these things differently and some find it more annoying than others to comply with the rules about how often you must have things checked, what choices you have about where to take it, etc.

The details of the coverage can also vary considerably from dealer to dealer and it may not cover the kinds of risks that you’re worried about. Many people find that the coverage they want is better served through an insurance policy and go that route even when the jeweler offers a program that covers part of it. The dealer warranty will be considerably less valuable if you are going to be inclined to buy an insurance policy in any case. Estimating the ‘value’ of the warranty can be approached by comparing the ‘free’ coverage with what you would get from a commercial policy. If the coverage is less, discount the value by some percentage based on what coverage you consider important.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[jaz464]

That''s what insurance is for.

 

[JohnQuixote]

JRS,

All Whiteflash jewelry carries a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects if this is what you are referring to. Hope this is helpful.

Best regards,

 

[Small]

I have alot of those warranties on my jewelry from the retail stores and sometimes I think they are a waste! It''s nice for resizing, rhodium plating WG, and any other small thing you may need them to do that it covers but for actual insurance that you aren''t going to take a loss on the ring if it''s lost or stolen I would definitely get an insurance policy and not waste time thinking these warranties are going to cover you.
I will say that I have one for my eternity band and if I lose a stone they''ll replace it so maybe in that instance it''ll be worth it. But for all else...my husband buys it because he thinks better to be safe than sorry but I''ve had to use it once so far for rhodium plating.
Get an insurance policy and go with WF or another online vendor. I''ve heard nothing but bad things about Shane and Co.