Help! I think I bought a copy of the ring...not a ring from the actual mfgr!

[jaz464]

I would not even consider working with them again! Get your refund and go elsewhere. I dealt with a jeweler that lied to me in some similar ways and once the trust is gone, it can''t be regained. They were dishonest about basically every aspect of the transaction. Let AC know and find someone you can trust.

 

[nevlossiel]

No way would I work with this place or let them keep a dime of my money. They are dishonest and you can''t trust them --- what more do you need to know?!

 

[Oleander]

I agree with everyone that you should just get a refund, walk away and never look back. Give your business to someone more trustworthy.

 

[CaptAubrey]

At the very least, they were not being honest with you. This:

Date: 10/3/2006 10:10:04 PM
Author: matt8822

''OK, after you called I decided that I needed to get the full story on the ring. ArtCarved does not cast that ring in Platinum, only Palledium (sp?). Because of that, we decided to make the best replica we could, knowing that you wanted the ring in Platinum.

is something they should have called and explained to you the moment it became an issue. For them to go ahead and decide on their own that they would knock off the ring rather than lose the job, then not tell you until you complained, raises serious questions about their ethics in my mind.

This is unfortunately a problem not limited to the jewelry business. I deal with a lot of outside vendors in my job, and too many of them seem to follow the rule, "Never say you can''t do it--say yes and then figure out how after you''ve got the job." When this happens, it''s pretty much a given I will never use them again.

Bottom line, I''d simply demand a full refund and take my business elsewhere.

 

[Diamond*Dana]

I agree with the others, this is very dishonest of them and I would not even consider working with them again. I have a mother''s ring from Artcarved and the workmanship is perfet. Not to mention, I am sure they charged you the Artcarved price so that would more likely than not be higher. I would report them to the BBB and to Artcarved. Good luck.

 

[Mara]

okay if you were that skeptical..enough to come here and post about your suspicions before you even saw the ring in person...why wouldn''t you just take 2 minutes to call up art carved and ask them if this jeweler you are working with is an authorized retailer? if they said NO then you could have had a REAL red flag going up and something to worry about.

and call me cynical but after coming here, posting about how you thought they were going to pass you a knockoff ring...you then go pick up the ring and DONT EVEN LOOK AT IT??? you just take it and leave, taking the 5 minutes to look at it when you get home and the ring is in your possession??

i''m just not feeling this thread at all. to me if you were really skeptical you should have called AC or another retailer who did sell AC and asked some questions. THEN when you got the ring, i would have checked it out RIGHT AWAY at the store. not gotten it home to find out that yes you hate it and it''s not the right thing.

 

[matt8822]

Date: 10/4/2006 1:12:34 PM
Author: Mara
okay if you were that skeptical..enough to come here and post about your suspicions before you even saw the ring in person...why wouldn''t you just take 2 minutes to call up art carved and ask them if this jeweler you are working with is an authorized retailer? if they said NO then you could have had a REAL red flag going up and something to worry about.


and call me cynical but after coming here, posting about how you thought they were going to pass you a knockoff ring...you then go pick up the ring and DONT EVEN LOOK AT IT??? you just take it and leave, taking the 5 minutes to look at it when you get home and the ring is in your possession??

i''m just not feeling this thread at all. to me if you were really skeptical you should have called AC or another retailer who did sell AC and asked some questions. THEN when you got the ring, i would have checked it out RIGHT AWAY at the store. not gotten it home to find out that yes you hate it and it''s not the right thing.

I completely agree that I could have handled the situation differently. The problem was that I was in a time crunch (My fiance was on a scavenger hunt and I needed to get to her next place to put the clue down) and did not even have 5 minutes to look at the place. Any financial loss that comes as a result of my inability to spend the time to look it over is of course my fault, but at the time it was worth more to me to pull the engagement off flawlessly and not disappoint my future fiance.

Now that I am in this situation, I am asking what my best course of action is. I am going to go meet with the lady again and explain that I no longer feel comfortable with them and that I want a full refund for everything (as it''s hard to get some jewelers to set a stone they didn''t sell you).

 

[Mara]

that's all fine and good, matt, but why didn't you try to call AC or an authorized retailer to ask Q's before you picked the ring up? you already were skeptical enough to come here and spend a bunch of time posting about how freaked out you were that an 'identical copy' was going to be made of the ring? and to get advice on how to tell it was real.

so yeah... i would have taken THIRTY SECONDS to look over the ring, you asked what could tell you if it's an AC ring and people said the mark inside the band. that does not take very long to look for. and wouldn't it have been way easier to check that out in the store? could you have put the proposal off a day to make sure that your fiance's ring WAS what it should have been? i'm just surprised that didn't happen with how concerned you were originally. i would have thought you wanted to check out that ring and have some time just in case anything WAS wrong.

i don't know...sure your story could be on the up and up but something about this just does NOT sit straight with me. we hear a lot of stories here on PS about B&M's screwing up and i know sometimes the facts are all jumbled when emotions are involved.....but this seems just really off to me. that you could take the time to post here but not actually do due diligence with the proper people who could check things out for you. and what is up with your roommmate coming in after 5 months of not posting, just to say 'i just bought my rings there, crap!'???

that's weird.

anyway, if this is a real story, good luck...i'd return the whole thing, and go to an authorized retailer of art carved, which i would have done in the first place. and yeah, tell your roommate to cancel his order.

 

[SoonIHope]

Mara, I think Matt admits that would have been a smart thing to do, but since they told him it was "coming in from the manufacturer" in those exact words, he thought he was overreacting and everything was actually fine. Is that a fair interpretation, Matt?

Regardless, I agree you should go FULL REFUND and take your business elsewhere! I''m so sorry they did this to you

but hopefully your fiancee will end up with a completely perfect NOT-fake ring that she loves in the end!!!

 

[matt8822]

Again, I understand I could have done things differently.

If I had even noticed that the ring was wrong, what would have happened? I was not going to propose without a ring. What was one day''s time going to do? I could not delay the proposal a day anyway, as her family was in town for the weekend and we had plans the following night.

There''s no point in me trying to validate the story, as I know that I am telling the entire truth. Could I have done things differently? Of course! Do I wish that I had? Of course! The problem is that I TRUSTED them all the way through the order process, only afterwards getting second thoughts. My second thoughts turned out to be right for the wrong reasons.

If I was not a knowledgeable consumer I would never have known that the ring is a copy. It makes me wonder if they''ve ever gotten away with doing such a thing.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 10/4/2006 1:12:34 PM
Author: Mara
okay if you were that skeptical..enough to come here and post about your suspicions before you even saw the ring in person...why wouldn''t you just take 2 minutes to call up art carved and ask them if this jeweler you are working with is an authorized retailer? if they said NO then you could have had a REAL red flag going up and something to worry about.

and call me cynical but after coming here, posting about how you thought they were going to pass you a knockoff ring...you then go pick up the ring and DONT EVEN LOOK AT IT??? you just take it and leave, taking the 5 minutes to look at it when you get home and the ring is in your possession??

i''m just not feeling this thread at all. to me if you were really skeptical you should have called AC or another retailer who did sell AC and asked some questions. THEN when you got the ring, i would have checked it out RIGHT AWAY at the store. not gotten it home to find out that yes you hate it and it''s not the right thing.

I dunno, if I were a guy and had a big proposal plan worked up for THAT day, I might employ "selective ignorance" until after it was over...

 

[matt8822]

Date: 10/4/2006 1:33:01 PM
Author: albicocca
Mara, I think Matt admits that would have been a smart thing to do, but since they told him it was ''coming in from the manufacturer'' in those exact words, he thought he was overreacting and everything was actually fine. Is that a fair interpretation, Matt?

You are completely correct. I did not expect a diamond store that is affiliated with the following organizations to lie to me on multiple occasions.

Iowa Jewelers Association
Diamond Council of America
Jewelers Security Alliance
Jewelers of America
Jewelers Vigilance Committee
Better Business Bureau

I''m just really disappointed with the whole situation. I am going to (as soon as possible) ask for a complete refund and go elsewhere. Whether I decide to contact AC or the BBB about it is yet to be determined, I will see how they handle the situation.

 

[Mara]

Date: 10/4/2006 1:37:11 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 10/4/2006 1:12:34 PM
Author: Mara
okay if you were that skeptical..enough to come here and post about your suspicions before you even saw the ring in person...why wouldn't you just take 2 minutes to call up art carved and ask them if this jeweler you are working with is an authorized retailer? if they said NO then you could have had a REAL red flag going up and something to worry about.

and call me cynical but after coming here, posting about how you thought they were going to pass you a knockoff ring...you then go pick up the ring and DONT EVEN LOOK AT IT??? you just take it and leave, taking the 5 minutes to look at it when you get home and the ring is in your possession??

i'm just not feeling this thread at all. to me if you were really skeptical you should have called AC or another retailer who did sell AC and asked some questions. THEN when you got the ring, i would have checked it out RIGHT AWAY at the store. not gotten it home to find out that yes you hate it and it's not the right thing.

I dunno, if I were a guy and had a big proposal plan worked up for THAT day, I might employ 'selective ignorance' until after it was over...

Well considering that he started this thread over a week ago, worried that his ring might be a knockoff, I can't help but still think it's a tad bit odd he never checked into it with someone who could tell him 'yay or nay' that this place was on the up and up....I mean he had a WEEK to pick up the phone.

But yeah, maybe it was just selective ignorance because he HAD to propose that day. In which case, basically he didn't actually care what he got from the jeweler that day because he was going to propose regardless of what the ring looked like.

Though, if he could have found out that yes this jeweler was bad news, he could have had Plan B going with a temp ring/setting long before the day was entirely ruined with a blobby platinum knockoff.

Que sera sera! Moral of the story is plan ahead! hehe. And choose an authorized retailer!

 

[firebirdgold]

But They have to be an authorized retailer. They have art carved rings and that''s what he picked out, not a copy. They copied it, according the them, because he wanted it in platinum and AC only makes it in palladium.
None of us suggested he called AC and ask if they''re a retailer, did we? (I forget) So we shouldn''t get on his case for not calling AC.

Natrually as someone who told him not to worry, I don''t think you should blame him for trusting them despite his doubts or question the validity of the thread.

mmmm, pie.

 

[indecisive]

Date: 10/4/2006 2:50:43 PM
Author: IndieJones
But They <i>have</i> to be an authorized retailer. They have art carved rings and that''s what he picked out, not a copy. They copied it, according the them, because he wanted it in platinum and AC only makes it in palladium.
None of <i>us</i> suggested he called AC and ask if they''re a retailer, did we? (I forget) So we shouldn''t get on his case for not calling AC.

Natrually as someone who told him not to worry, I don''t think you should blame him for trusting them despite his doubts or question the validity of the thread.

mmmm, pie.

Actually, this is from his origional post "Art Carved does not have this place listed as a local retailer of their products." So apparently they don''t have to be an authorized dealer and he knew this before he picked up the ring. The story seems a little fishy to me too but I think Art Carved should be notified about this.

 

[mrssalvo]

well i must admit that I''m surprised the vendor illegally copying a designer setting and then trying to pass something off as an original. I''d definitely go in and get a complete refund along with reporting to the BBB and whomever. This story still seems to be missing some info for me and all the last minute planning that seems to have transpired adds to the confusion. Good luck Matt, I hope you can get a refund and go somewhere else to purchase your fiancee''s ring.

 

[firebirdgold]

Date: 10/4/2006 2:57:49 PM
Author: indecisive

Date: 10/4/2006 2:50:43 PM
Author: IndieJones
But They <i>have</i> to be an authorized retailer. They have art carved rings and that's what he picked out, not a copy. They copied it, according the them, because he wanted it in platinum and AC only makes it in palladium.
None of <i>us</i> suggested he called AC and ask if they're a retailer, did we? (I forget) So we shouldn't get on his case for not calling AC.

Natrually as someone who told him not to worry, I don't think you should blame him for trusting them despite his doubts or question the validity of the thread.

mmmm, pie.

Actually, this is from his origional post 'Art Carved does not have this place listed as a local retailer of their products.' So apparently they don't have to be an authorized dealer and he knew this before he picked up the ring. The story seems a little fishy to me too but I think Art Carved should be notified about this.

Oops, I missed where he said that. If they're not an authorized retailer then what the heck are they doing with original Art Carved rings in their case? Confused.
What's even more confusing is if he knew the store isn't an authorized retailer then why did he think he was getting an AC in the first place? I mean... well I wouldn't buy a cartier watch from a store that wasn't an authorized cartier retailer and assume it was really a cartier.

ETA: not that that gets the store off illegally copying an AC ring!

 

[rossmort]

The roommate again, they know they screwed up big time. I talked to the salesman I was working with and he was awestruck as to what happened (He talked to the person who was working with Matt). I got a full refund and a huge apology, etc.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Matt, I totally agree with getting a full refund. Don't throw out the BBB stuff unless they refuse to refund your money!

To everyone else, jewelry stores sometimes carry a FEW rings from a certain company. They may not carry enough to be listed on the designer/manufacturer's site as an authroized dealer. I see nothing unusual about this, and I see zero reason that Matt would have called Art Carved. He thought he was dealing with a reputable jeweler. When he first posted, I couldn't imagine that his suspicions were correct. But since they did do this without his full understanding and approval, he certainly has a right to get his money back.

And to Matt's roommate, I hope you can get your money back as well. I'd contact someone like Bill Pearlman, who has an excellent reputation and see if he can get your wedding bands. http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-designers/
(He carries more brands than are listed on the site, by the way.)

ETA: Matt, congratulations on your engagement!!!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 10/4/2006 4:29:07 PM
Author: rossmort
The roommate again, they know they screwed up big time. I talked to the salesman I was working with and he was awestruck as to what happened (He talked to the person who was working with Matt). I got a full refund and a huge apology, etc.

Oh, yay! I somehow missed this! So glad you got your money back! What brand are your rings, and maybe we can direct you to a reliable jeweler?

 

[matt8822]

Thanks for all the replies. Here''s the update on the situation.

I received a call from the lady I''d been working with, telling me she had a quote for the new ring. I then told her about how I was horrified with the way the situation had been handled (and went into details about the ethics of the situation, etc). I also explained that my issue was not that ArtCarved couldn''t make the ring in Platinum, it was that I was LIED to. I then said that I am looking for my money back so that we can go elsewhere to purchase a new diamond and ring.

She asked if it would be ok if the owner of the store to call me, and I of course said yes I would like to speak with him. He called and immediately offered to refund the entire purchase, and then proceeded to ask if there is any way he can keep my business. He offered to drop his margin to "Nearly nothing" to save me a few hundred bucks on the ring. I told him that it was not about money at this point, but the principle. I also indicated that I do not want to have to be nervous every time we take the ring in to have it polished/cleaned.

He then asked if he could at least buy us (my fiancee and I) dinner when we came back to return the ring, to which I replied that it won''t be necessary, we just want to part ways and find a reputable jeweler.

He continued to apologize and explain how his company does not do this and that he doesn''t stand for it, for probably the next 20 minutes. He told me he''d have a serious come to Jesus talk with the lady (again, his 2nd in command) when she is in tomorrow.

No matter which way you have interpreted my story up to this point, they obviously made a huge mistake and are trying to do everything they can to get me to stop at just a refund. I haven''t decided whether or not I want to report the actions to any organizations, but at this point I have yet to write anything up.

Thanks to all who contributed...I''m glad to get my business away from them. I''m also glad that my roommate was allowed a refund (helps to show a little class on the part of the place, even after such an event).

 

[Kaleigh]

Wow, I am super late in replying but I don''t blame you one bit. I''m glad you will get a full refund, and will go elsewhere. I''m also glad your roomate got his money back as well. What a nightmare. But wish you only the best going forward. Keep us posted, OK???

 

[lizz]

I don''t know. This thread confuses me for a number of reasons. We see stories here every day of how someone had so-and-so jeweler/benchworker replicate a setting at a cheaper cost. No one rants and raves (usually) about the ethics of copying someone else''s design. Occasionally someone will chime in and say the setting has to be at least 20% different in design in order to avoid copyright infringement. Just curious, Matt . . . if the ring looked great, would you have returned it? Because you would''ve paid Art Carved the same amount of money, whether it has their initials in it or not. Yeah, you were lied to. But if the ring looked great, would you have cared?

 

[Mara]

indie, i know it''s confusing to me too!

matt, congrats on getting your cashola back, now take it somewhere else and get that AC ring from an authorized retailer. and in the future if it''s not an AR...don''t spend your $$ there!! that''s a total red flag.

 

[matt8822]

Date: 10/4/2006 9:13:07 PM
Author: lizz
I don't know. This thread confuses me for a number of reasons. We see stories here every day of how someone had so-and-so jeweler/benchworker replicate a setting at a cheaper cost. No one rants and raves (usually) about the ethics of copying someone else's design. Occasionally someone will chime in and say the setting has to be at least 20% different in design in order to avoid copyright infringement. Just curious, Matt . . . if the ring looked great, would you have returned it? Because you would've paid Art Carved the same amount of money, whether it has their initials in it or not. Yeah, you were lied to. But if the ring looked great, would you have cared?

If they were honest the whole way through, I would not have any issue with simply getting the ring touched up (provided I chose to let them make the ring in the first place). The fact that they would lie to me is what really bothers me about the issue. It is not about having an AC ring or not, it is expecting one thing and being deceived into taking something totally different.

 

[sevens one]

glad to hear things got resolved.
Now go find her the ring of her dreams!