Has this happened to anyone?

[Taurus2313]

I ordered a ring that I thought was going to be the perfect wedding ring for me to go along with a band that I already had. The ring was ordered from Overstock on Ebay and it was a Forever Brilliant Moissanite Ring. It arrived late yesterday afternoon (7:30PM) and I was elated. Earlier today I was looking at the ring admiring it and noticed that it had no 14K Hallmark or Stamp in it at all! Neither was there any C&C stamp or anything. I mean nothing! I was totally shocked! The ring did ship from NC where C&C is located but I am still not comfortable at all buying a brand new ring that has no markings at all to indicate it's gold content or the makers mark like C&C jewelry is supposed to have.. Here is a photo to show what I am talking about.. I mean nothing! So I have no idea if I purchased a real gold ring or authentic piece of C&C or not! Has this happened to anybody else? Please let me know..

 

[YadaYadaYada]

If it's a Forever Brilliant or Forever One branded C&C moissanite there should be an inscription on the girdle of the stone (although it might be hidden by a prong). Try looking at the girdle with a loupe or you could always ask a trusted jeweler to look at it.

I actually bought a moissanite off DB that was supposed to be a Forever Brilliant but I found there wasn't a girdle inscription so I was able to file a claim through PayPal and get a refund. That's how I know about the inscription

 

[Taurus2313]

Oh my gosh, I didnt even think of that @StephanieLynn! Thanks so much for mentioning that.. Yes it is a Forever Brilliant ring. I just looked with my jewelers loupe and NOPE, no inscription at all! I am so upset!! I cant believe this! Why is Overstock selling this fake junk? I have no idea if the metal is actually gold or sterling silver.. It was advertised (sold as)14K.. Without any hallmarks or stamps who knows what it is!

 

[KaeKae]

@Taurus2313 did your ring come with documentation that it is a C&C product? If it did, then maybe you can contact C&C and see if they have any knowledge of the product sold under their name by Overstock. In the meantime, I'm sure any good jeweler can verify for you whether the metal is gold.

I wonder if by chance this ring was a return to Overstock and the previous buyer had is sized. Pretty nervy if so, and it should never have been sold again, but that could explain the loss of the jewelers marks. However, I just checked my own C&C ring, and it not only has the C&C mark and the 14K mark, but another mark as well. I would think it would be unlikely for all three to have been lost in a sizing.

 

[Taurus2313]

@KaeKae yes it came with the Charles & Colvard Forever Brilliant Warranty card.. I am still very upset that Overstock would send me something like this. Even all my 925 C&C pieces have their hallmark and stamps verifying that it is indeed genuine. I am sick about this..

This ring was advertised as New so I don't know if it had been sized before or not but seems to me that if it had, there would have at least been some retaining of the hallmarking somewhere..Also that fact that the stone is NOT inscribed leads me to believe that this is a knockoff, fake all the way around. I feel like I have been had! Contacted Overstock on Ebay about this and not heard anything back yet..

 

[bludiva]

Overstock quality is hit or miss b/c you're buying from different sellers that use their platform but their return policy is very good. You should be able to send it back with the shipping label comped as the item was not as advertised. Sorry it wasn't what you were hoping for, that's lousy.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

If it's within the return period maybe return it and start over. Take a look at the Fashion Jewelry Forum, there is a lot of discussion about moissanite there, you could also try posting a WTB post in Preloved.

After my debacle I had an Etsy vendor make me a ring and it came with a warranty card so I knew exactly what I was getting.

 

[Taurus2313]

@bludiva I sure wish that I would have known that before now.. This is my first jewelry purchase from Overstock. I am wondering if I would just be better off having my jeweler make me my own custom Mossanite Ring. I have plenty of gold rings to use for the meltdown and a design in mind. I would just have to buy the stones from Oren on Ebay.. Him I totally trust!

 

[Taurus2313]

If it's within the return period maybe return it and start over. Take a look at the Fashion Jewelry Forum, there is a lot of discussion about moissanite there, you could also try posting a WTB post in Preloved.

After my debacle I had an Etsy vendor make me a ring and it came with a warranty card so I knew exactly what I was getting.

It just arrived yesterday afternoon (like 24 hours ago) so I would think that it was definitely within the return period, I am upset that my time was wasted over it. Now I have to fool with sending it back and waiting on them to process a return. That is going to be frustrating..

Thanks for the info about the FJ Forum..Didnt know that!

 

[KaeKae]

@Taurus2313
Who is Oren?

 

[Taurus2313]

@Taurus2313
Who is Oren?

He is a very trustworthy seller of C&C Moissanite Stones on Ebay.. Oren Hiller..He will hand pick you the best stones! Here is his Ebay ID: http://myworld.ebay.com/moissaniterus/

 

[KaeKae]

@Taurus2313
Thank you!

 

[Taurus2313]

@KaeKae, No problem hun! You are so welcome.

 

[Bron357]

I’d return it.
Firstly, they are “faking Moissanite” these days, so you have to buy from totally reputable sources. eBay, for eg, is full of designer handbags that come with “cards” and even store receipts! But the bags, the cards even the store receipt is 100% fake.
It would be no trouble to fake a C & C card, so the lack of girdle inscription is a red flag. And not even hallmarked, gosh, the better “fakers” even take the trouble to put a fake 14k or fake 925 inside. I know, I got stung.
Lots of people are now making Moissanite and the prices have dropped dramatically but the C & C, Amora Gem and a few others are better quality and cost a bit more.
The cheaper type is perfectly fine, but as with anything, you want to get what you pay for.
A “fake ring ie not real gold and with a CZ or cheap quality Moissanite stones should cost around $10.

 

[Taurus2313]

Sorry guys, guess I should have posted this in the FJ Forum.. I will know from now on..Please excuse me posting it here..

 

[MollyMalone]

Oh my gosh, I didnt even think of that @StephanieLynn! Thanks so much for mentioning that.. Yes it is a Forever Brilliant ring. I just looked with my jewelers loupe and NOPE, no inscription at all! I am so upset!! I cant believe this! Why is Overstock selling this fake junk? I have no idea if the metal is actually gold or sterling silver.. It was advertised (sold as)14K.. Without any hallmarks or stamps who knows what it is!

The inscription might be there: I've never been able to see -- even I was younger & my eyesight was better -- girdle inscriptions with the "standard" jewelers loupe (10x), I need the aid of a jeweler's microscope with higher magnification. Although the absence of a metal mark is concerning, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

 

[Taurus2313]

The inscription might be there: I've never been able to see -- even I was younger & my eyesight was better -- girdle inscriptions with the "standard" jewelers loupe (10x), I need the aid of a jeweler's microscope with higher magnification. Although the absence of a metal mark is concerning, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

@MollyMalone Hi, I have a loupe that is double sided with a 10X Mag and 20X Mag lens. I just double and triple checked all 4 sides again and nope, no Forever Brilliant inscription at all on the girdle or anywhere on the stone! This coupled with the fact that there are no engravings to indicate the gold hallmark or makers mark make me feel like I have purchased a $600+ bubble gum machine ring! Also still have not heard back from Overstock about this issue either.. At this point I am very upset and will not be purchasing from them again in the future and cannot recommend them. Sad!
This is the listing for the ring: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Charles-Co...und-Forever-Brilliant-Moissanite/302560760278

I would not advise anyone to purchase this ring or anything Moissanite from them that is supposed to be C&C Branded..

 

[MollyMalone]

@MollyMalone Hi, I have a loupe that is double sided with a 10X Mag and 20X Mag lens. I just double and triple checked all 4 sides again and nope, no Forever Brilliant inscription at all on the girdle or anywhere on the stone! This coupled with the fact that there are no engravings to indicate the gold hallmark or makers mark make me feel like I have purchased a $600+ bubble gum machine ring! Also still have not heard back from Overstock about this issue either. * * *
This is the listing for the ring: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Charles-Co...und-Forever-Brilliant-Moissanite/302560760278

I would not advise anyone to purchase this ring or anything Moissanite from them that is supposed to be C&C Branded..

Well, dammit! The good news is that you're well within the 30-day return period for a refund. I recently returned an area rug to Overstock that I'd ordered from their web site & it was easy-peasy (the return merchandise form was emailed to me within minutes of my chat with a customer service rep; my credit card was credited 2 days after putting the rug back in UPS hands). But I see that eBay gives vendors 3 days to respond to your request for a refund. Still, I'm hopeful that my recent, positive experience with Overstock means you too will make out OK. Keep us posted, please

 

[Taurus2313]

Thanks so much @MollyMalone! I had opened a case with Ebay because Overstock did not send me what I paid for. It was not authentic or as described. They never responded to the case but finally responded to my Ebay message to them about it and they did not seem to care at all! This is what they said: "I see that there is an open return case with Ebay. Please reach out to Ebay directly for further resolution."

So as you can see they do not intend to bother with the claim asking me to reach out to Ebay for further assistance to which I called Ebay yesterday to discuss this with them and even the Ebay rep said that this was not good business on the part of Overstock! I told him that I totally agreed but he assured me that I would get my money back but I have to wait until the 8th before we can do anything to get me a return shipping label! This is ridiculous.. I have never dealt with a company that has no lack of consideration or empathy for their customers as this one does. I have no respect for them whatsoever and will never shop with Overstock again based on this experience!
Here are the photos that I submitted for my claim..

 

[YadaYadaYada]

@Taurus2313, very disheartening to hear the response from Overstock but this is essentially fraud if it is not a branded moissanite as described in the listing and of course if the setting is not as described. That's actually how I won my claim with PayPal, I just outright told them the seller essentially sold fraudulent goods and they couldn't argue with that!

Hoping for a speedy resolution and refund so you can get some shiny pretty bling from a reputable vendor!

 

[Bron357]

As you’ve seen all C and C rings are hallmarked. The price though to me is a giveaway. C and C sell just a 9mm Forever Brillant Moissanite for $1,090, in a 14kt ring, closer to $2,000.
So how can someone source a C and C Moissanite and set it in a 14kt gold ring and make a profit after eBay fees for under $700
Only Jtv is selling Moissanite rings around the $700 mark but they are ordinary Moissanite and it is in 925 silver (plated in Platinum) but even their rings are hallmarked.
I suspect Overstock is buying from Asia and passing off cheap copies as real rings. All items with a gold content are required by law to be assayed ie stamped with a gold purity stamp. No stamp = not gold.
Just follow the eBay procedure, ask for a full refund as your desired outcome and wait for eBay to find in your favour and then they’ll tell you to return. It must go back tracked mail as you need to have proof of posting.

 

[Taurus2313]

Thank you @StephanieLynn. I sure hope so too!

@Bron357,
I don't know all the hows (maybe they were supposed to be selling returned stock at a discounted price) but I trusted Overstock to sell this as a authentic item. Do you think that I should let Charles and Colvard know that Overstock is selling Fake C&C merchandise? Seems like they need to know this because it doesn't look good for them as a brand to allow a huge vendor like Overstock to sell fake items advertised as the C&C brand..

 

[Bron357]

It’s a sad state of affairs but I suspect neither eBay nor Charles and Colvard will care that Overstock is selling goods of dubious quality and origin.
And “Overstock” won’t care either.
The whole lot of “Overstock” eBay jewellery listings look suspect, their rings whether base metal and CZ for $20 look the same as the supposed Man made diamonds in “unstamped” 14kt gold for $2,000!
Get your money back and run in the other direction.

 

[Taurus2313]

@Bron357, I totally agree! It is very sad indeed!
I purchased this ring on the 25th of May and it has been almost 2 weeks and the fact is that I will probably have to wait another week or so before my money is returned back to me. This whole thing just makes me sick to my stomach and is going to make it very hard for me to trust another seller/vendor of C&C Moissanite Jewelry.

Thanks for your input as it is much appreciated!

 

[Taurus2313]

@Bron357,
You were completely correct! I informed C&C of what was going on with Overstock selling their merchandise as legitimate products when in fact they were Fake even passing along all my photos to show them what I received and this is the response I just got:
Hi,

We have passed along your concern to the appropriate teams.

Warm Regards,
Charles & Colvard

So you are right, they DON'T CARE!

 

[MollyMalone]

@Bron357,
You were completely correct! I informed C&C of what was going on with Overstock selling their merchandise as legitimate products when in fact they were Fake even passing along all my photos to show them what I received and this is the response I just got:
Hi,

We have passed along your concern to the appropriate teams.

Warm Regards,
Charles & Colvard

So you are right, they DON'T CARE!

That sure looks like an automated, "canned" e-mail reply that goes out to everyone, regardless of whatever they wrote to C&C. So you may still hear from a real person, after your email gets routed to someone other than a "robot."

 

[Taurus2313]

@MollyMalone I totally thought that too. I am not going to hold my breath though on hearing anything further from them about it. Why do I say this? Well... Overstock finally responded to the claim today and sent me a pre-paid return label. Guess where it is going back to????
Here's a hint- It's not OverStock!!

Return address label reads:


What if @Bron357 was right about what she said above about OS but it was really C&C that was buying the mass produced rings from Asia and passing them off as cheap copies???? Like I first posted above the box was originally shipped to me from North Carolina which is where C&C is located..

I think that this rabbit hole goes a lot deeper than we know!! All I can say at this point is this..Please everyone that purchases a C&C branded piece of jewelry PLEASE inspect it throughly to make sure that it is marked as advertised to make sure you are receiving an authentic item!

 

[bludiva]

wow that's crazy. i wonder if they are selling their "seconds" at bargain prices to those who don't care or can't tell the difference in the quality. someone on here ordered two identical neil lane rings from kay's and got one that was subpar quality and unbranded and there was a lot of speculation about why they would sell offbrand / second quality stuff that way. lame.... glad you are getting your money back though and thanks for sharing this. i used to shop on overstock a lot and this doesn't inspire confidence. :/

 

[Bron357]

This is appalling.
Firstly, the Charles and Colvard website still says “all C &C Moissanite over 4mm are laser inscribed on the girdle so you can be sure of quality and authenticity” and secondly, why is the ring not hallmarked with its gold content?
It is actually a law that all articles sold with a gold content be assayed and hallmarked accordingly.
If the rings were being made in the US there is no way they wouldn’t be hallmarked. They must be made elsewhere.
So they are either fake gold ie no hallmark or something else is going on.
If you were making rings, say in China, and they were gold, when you import them to the US you will be paying certain taxes to the Govt based on value and gold content. That’s the law.
However if you were importing “costume jewellery” you would say the ring was base metal and worth $10 ie very little tax to pay upon importation.
If you are buying a “premium priced” Charles and Colvard ring you are supposed to be getting a laser inscribed Moissanite and a ring hallmarked C&C and a gold hallmark.
Well, that’s how it used to be.
No doubt with the expiration of their patent meaning anyone and everyone can manufacture Moissanite their business must have taken a huge hit $$$ wise. Other ways to make a quick buck?
You have to wonder why C & C is selling their merchandise through Overstock when they have their own website and when selling through Overstock it is for less than half the price of similar rings ? Why pay Overstock and eBay 10 to 15% in fees to sell old stock when you own an established and “reputable” distribution point - a website?
So many questions and so few answers but something nefarious is going on.

 

[Taurus2313]

@bludiva and @Bron357
Well said my lovelies!! I totally agree.

I am super frustrated and cannot believe that this happened but one thing it does do is show me that C&C has a questionable reputation now. If they are indeed buying up the pre-made rings from Asia or overseas and doing what you mentioned (which totally makes sense as to why there were no hallmarks or markers marks at all) then they have a lot of explaining to do! I wrote them back to their little canned response asking why this ring was shipped out this way to begin with when it is going back to them as a return. I told them I was very frustrated because my time and my money is being held up here and I let them know that I certainly didn't appreciate it! We will see if they even bother to respond..