HELP!!! What do I do!?!?!

[togal]

Hi Suemann,

I'm very sorry to hear about your troubles.

I just wanted to chime in and say that my mother's diamond engagement ring, which me or my sister would have inherited, also cracked. It was a round brilliant cut, and she has no clue how she did it, but it happened nonetheless. In addition, she had another diamond right hand ring, which my father gave her many years later, set in a bezel setting no less, which also cracked. I have no idea why this happened to both her rings, but evidently, this is something that does happen.

I sincerely hope things work out for you one way or another on this.

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 9/27/2007 2:34:35 PM
Author: suemann

I spoke with my husband last night, and he informed me that he was told about whiteflash's 'fantastic lifetime warranty' when he purchased my stone. He decided to purchase from whiteflash as opposed to the large local chain where we first looked and eventual had the stone set. The warranty from whiteflash was one of the deciding factors as the local store offered a lifetime stone guarantee.

Suemann - Your case was forwarded to me today and I wanted to reply here (I sent email too). First, we are sorry that you’re going through this stressful time.Damage to jewelry, especially something as meaningful as your diamond, can be traumatic and we sympathize with you.I reviewed our records from your first contact through purchase but I can find no discussion about diamond warranty.We have never offered this service, but I wanted to be thorough on your behalf.We have always offered a lifetime warranty on settings which sounds like what your husband may be thinking of: From our FAQ.

In your first post you said you took out an insurance policy on the diamond for the first three months. Is it possible a diamond warranty was mentioned by the store who worked on your stone/setting?There are stores who offer such a warranty for extra, or build that cost into the diamond’s price.We choose to price diamonds competitively and allow clients to select the insurance option which best suits them.

Date: 9/26/2007 12:39:35 PM
Author:suemann

...The ring is not on my homeowner's insurance because it appraised for over $25,000--making it too high for coverage. It cost about $8500 for the stone and setting. What frustrates me most is that we canceled the independent insurance we took out on the ring after the first three months. Insurance was $250 a month, and we figured we have enough to replace the stone if I were ever to lose the ring so the monthly payment just didn't seem to make a lot of financial sense.

I’m sorry to hear about the inflated appraisal.Your appraiser may have thought highly of the stone but that valuation sounds like an obstacle that contributed to your decision to cancel the insurance.

Our rep said you told her you would be posting on Pricescope about our unwillingness to help you.I would like to assure you that we stand by to suggest practical options; from re-cutting to sourcing a new diamond.We will assist any valued client within policy as best we can.We sympathize with what you are going through and regret any negative impression that has been received. Please let me know if we can offer input or advice.

 

[Shay37]

John, you are such a total sweetheart, but then I think you know that I love all of you guys at WF. I have done business with you any number of times, and I will always consider you my go-to guys for diamonds.

That said, It was a stone bought two years ago and set by someone besides WF.

What is the question here? Is WF forever responsible for stones that they sell. If my diamond cracks ten years from now, is it your fault? Something that just happens is my answer. Hence the other thing talked about on here ad infinitum ad nauseum: INSURANCE!!!!!!

You stick around to find a diamond. You know that it should be insured. How do you miss the part about appraising for realistic versus inflated value and using a reputable appraiser?

Just some questions that make Shay go HMMMMMM.

shay

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 9/27/2007 5:08:52 PM
Author: Shay37

What is the question here? Is WF forever responsible for stones that they sell. If my diamond cracks ten years from now, is it your fault? Something that just happens is my answer. Hence the other thing talked about on here ad infinitum ad nauseum: INSURANCE!!!!!!

I agree. Saying that there is a lifetime diamond warranty (whether there was one or not) and that if your diamond cracks it should be replaced by the vendor is like saying that if you buy a Volkswagon that has a warranty and you crash the car, they should replace it for you for free. Uh, that's not how it works.

Whether you recall it or not, there was likely some collision between your stone and something else that caused the crack. I had a round diamond in a 6 prong setting and looked down one morning to find one prong completely bent in half. I had no recollection of banging my ring against anything. Sometimes these things happen whether we're aware of them or not.

However, it's not WF's responsibility to replace your diamond because it came to be 'harmed' in your possession. Sorry. (That's what insurance is for.)

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Sue, I am truly sorry about what happened. This happened to my mother''s original diamond as well. She had no idea how or when it happened.

But I am going to have to side with WhiteFlash on this one. You obviously knew you needed to insure the ring because you did insure it for a short time. And once you take it off the insurance, you are vulnerable to loss. Had you come on here like so many others, we would have told you that $250/mo for $25,000 of coverage is insane. My diamond ring and studs are insured for about $25,000, and my premium is about $275 a YEAR (through Chubb). Not only that, both my homeowners company and Chubb gave me the option of insuring for the purchase price on the sales receipt. So technically, you could have insured that ring for the $8500 that you paid rather than have no coverage at all. You really needed to do some price comparisons on insurance, because what you were quoted it far from normal even if you drastically overinsured the ring for $25,000. I''d estimate that you could have insured it for around $150 a year or less.

I would never, ever count on a jewelry store "warranty", because I don''t think those cover all risks such as losing the ring. You have to have insurance even if you had such a warranty.

Again, I am really sorry. But this is definitely not the responsibility of WF.

 

[suemann]

John,
Thanks for the explanation. Perhaps that was in fact what he was referring to–the warranty on the setting. We called together the first few times we talked to whiteflash about buying the stone, in addition to sevearl back and forth emails, and I too remember discussing warranties. Not sure why it’s in the notes. I do agree though that it very well could have been the warranty on the setting, that’s just not what I recall them referencing considering the fact that we were buying a loose stone.

I don’t think the Volkswagon comparison is on point when you consider the fact that “diamonds are forever.” I know that’s just a marketing ploy, but it’s true....they are built to last, especially when compared to a volkswagon. It’s unfortunate it didn’t work out with this diamond, but I’ve had diamonds purchased for me before that are still going strong years later.

Please know that I will continue to recommend whiteflash to friends and family. It’s unfortunate this happened, but I’m not at a complete loss–my husband has suggested purchasing a bigger and better diamond from WF, this time with a realistic appraisal AND insurance.

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 9/26/2007 1:09:56 PM
Author: WorkingHardforSmallRewards

Date: 9/26/2007 1:04:29 PM
Author: claimsguy
You bought a ring for $8500 and want to insure is for $25,000, why? The replacement value will only be $8500 and you are wasting money by over insuring the ring. Why would a vendor sell you a ring for $8500 if it is worth $25,000, they won''t.

don''t flame the poor woman for that man, totally uncalled for. And for the record, most insurance companies will only insure it for what the appraisal says, and then replace for you what you actually had. Thus, it wasn''t her decision. The appraisal is what the insurance company is interested in, not what she says it is worth. Sure some appraisers give more realistic pricing than others, but that is no reason for you to put it like that when she is, with good reason, obviously very upset.

WHFSR ..... after this post, I''m convinced you need an interpreter.

1. He wasn''t flaming the guy.....he was trying to HELP by explaining that overinsuring the ring doesn''t benefit the the owner if she has a replacement value policy.

2. "The appraisal is what the insurance company is interested in, not what she says it is worth."

WHFSR.....please READ the content. She just said it was that WAS the appraised amount: "The ring is not on my homeowner''s insurance because it appraised for over $25,000.

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 9/27/2007 6:05:19 PM
Author: suemann

I don’t think the Volkswagon comparison is on point when you consider the fact that “diamonds are forever.” I know that’s just a marketing ploy, but it’s true....they are built to last, especially when compared to a volkswagon. It’s unfortunate it didn’t work out with this diamond, but I’ve had diamonds purchased for me before that are still going strong years later.

Diamonds are NOT indestructible, no matter WHAT DeBeers'' advertising campaign says, or how it is interpreted by you.

I think my Volkswagon analogy is actually DEAD ON in this case. The warranty provides protection for MANUFACTURER''s DEFECTS, not you crashing the car. The diamond did not crack itself, no matter how much you might wish that was the case. Something came into contact with it. The fact that you have other diamonds that are ''still going strong'' doesn''t mean anything to me other than that you didn''t do to them whatever it is that you did to this one. Not that you did anything on purpose...but clearly, unbeknownst to you, you or someone else did something. I doubt the diamond ''just cracked'' one day.

 

[iheartscience]

I''m sorry to hear about your diamond, suemann. However, I''m also completely with WF on this one. I understand that you''re upset about damaging your diamond, and when many people get upset, they want someone to blame. So you want to blame Whiteflash for selling you a "defective" diamond and not replacing it when you broke it. I think once you aren''t in the thick of this, you''ll realize just how silly blaming WF is. Diamonds are not forever. You knew that, and that''s why you had insurance for a few months.

Again, I really am sorry about your diamond-I''m sure that''s incredibly upsetting. And I''m glad you''re continuing to work with WF on a new stone. They are a great company and they deserve repeat business. I''m sure this time you''ll insure your ring for the actual value with a company that charges reasonable rates and you''ll never have to worry about this happening again. Good luck and please do post pictures of whatever new ring you get!

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 9/27/2007 5:16:00 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
I would never, ever count on a jewelry store ''warranty'', because I don''t think those cover all risks such as losing the ring. You have to have insurance even if you had such a warranty.

This is an EXCELLENT point.

It''s natural to want to place the blame somewhere ... If I were in your shoes, I''d be angry at the appraiser & at the insurance company. Why not back track -- ask the appraiser to back up his claims of 25K?? Or get the original quote/bills from the insurance company & see if there was some kind of misquote by the agent/customer service rep. Maybe they entered into the system wrong $250/month vs $250 PER YEAR ... These are places where this transaction could have gone VERY WRONG.

Did you opt out of the insurance because you thought it was covered under Whiteflash''s "lifetime guarantee" as you''ve mentioned recently ... or, because, as you earlier said ... you thought it just wasn''t WORTH the $$. That you''d replace the stone YOURSELF if anything went wrong.

I don''t recall any cases of people expecting Whiteflash to replace cracked stones unless they cracked while being set AT Whiteflash. And I''ve never heard of any "lifetime warranty" of their stones talked about here. Since people debate FRACTIONS of PERCENTAGE POINTS of angles & such - I imagine something as important as *that* would have come up. In fact, I''ve seen many folks come in talking about B&M''s offering such "coverage" and Pscope members debunking its value as you need insurance anyway for loss & theft!!

Anyway -- I''m sorry you''re in a difficult situation. But I''m a bit wary when I hear "postings" being used as a bargaining chip. Especially when it seems illogical to me that the vendor could have any responsibility AT ALL in this case.

 

[suemann]

I agree many of my comments were in the heat of the moment. At this point, I''m still upset to be completely honest.

I understand your Volkswagon analogy, I just think it misses the point. Volkswagon repairs items under a warranty when they are due to a product defect. If my crack was due to an imperfection or error on the part of whiteflash or their distributor, I would hope it would be corrected by them. I am taking it to an independent jeweler here in town to get his opinion on the ring and what could have caused this. If it was in fact something on my end, and it''s clear there was no fault on the part of whiteflash, I would believe it. But I want to hear it from him first.

I think John has been extremely helpful and I appreciate that. I did speak with two others at whiteflash who could not provide much assistance. However, when purchasing my ring I thought the sales associate was fantastic, which is another reason we went with WF.

There are companies, such as the one where I had my ring set, that do offer to replace cracked or chipped diamonds. It''s not as obscure as you might think. Perhaps they saw something in the crack when looking under the microscope that led them to conclude it was worthy of replacement, who knows. In any event, before they realized my stone wasn''t purchased at their store, they began gathering the paperwork for me to turn in the stone for replacement, no questions asked. I had to correct them.

 

[suemann]

For the record, I never EVER said I was going to post on pricescope about the company’s unwillingness to help me. EVER. I DID say I was going to go back to those I recommended WF to as well as those who recommended WF to me and let them know my situation. Again, I said to the WF customer service agent just as I said here, I LOVE my stone and will continue to recommend WF. I did tell many that they had a lifetime guarantee, and that’s just incorrect info apparently. When she asked where I first heard about WF, I said Pricescope, perhaps that’s where the confusion comes in

 

[WorkingHardforSmallRewards]

On the Volkswagon analogy--it doesn''t really work guys. Like the jewelery store that sold her the setting said--replacing diamonds that crack, chip, etc is common practice. We don''t see it online very often as it is part of why we have such reduced prices, but it is VERY common.

In this case where you are talking about a warranty that says it covers damage that name "warranty" is only a marketing tool. It is not actually the correct word, as the "warranty" in question (and the one that is commonly used in-store) isn''t actually a warranty at all, but is insurance, which makes the car analogy meaningless. Of course, in some cases those in-store jewelers are selling I2-I3''s and it might actually fit the bill of a warranty, but in general it extends beyond that and is technically insurance.

So the only question is, can they prove that there purchase came with this insurance? Probably not, I am guessing somewhere over the years some memories have gotten jumbled, or some miscommunication happened on their end, but if they were in fact told that it came with a warranty on the diamond (which would be inline with common practice) then whiteflash should be responsible for it. But, if they are wrong, then whiteflash shouldn''t be. Either way, don''t forget that the question is not one of "warranties" but about insurance policies and if they were or were not present and if the customer was or was not misinformed by a particular Sales Associate.

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 9/27/2007 6:40:27 PM
Author: suemann
If my crack was due to an imperfection or error on the part of whiteflash or their distributor, I would hope it would be corrected by them.

Take it up with Mother Nature! Imperfection? It was a VS2 ... you had it appraised by an Independant Appraiser ... it was set by someone else ... and you''ve been wearing it for TWO YEARS. Error? Like what? Selling you a wrong, more flawed stone with an existing crack that an appraiser didn''t notice & you didn''t notice for two years??

What could they possibly say? In your wildest fantasy??

"Oh, you didn''t want the "Ticking Time Bomb Stone"? Our mistake ... we thought that''s what you ordered!"

The fact that you''re holding a completely different vendor responsible for DeBeers''s marketing "promise" of A Diamond Is Forever?? What?????????

 

[suemann]

http://www.whiteflash.com/diamonds_info/t/faq.aspx?articleid=374&zoneid=6

I hadn''t seen this before, but I noticed it when I went looking through the website. This isn''t what my husband was referencing, but I figured I would share.

Also, on a side note, I didn’t initially purchase the insurance because I was concerned about cracking or chipping the diamond. I thought WF took care of that. I purchased insurance for replacement in the event of theft or loss.

 

[Harriet]

Suemann,
You have my sympathy for your predicament. However, Whiteflash''s Lifetime Warranty plainly states that "Work by an outside jeweler will void the lifetime warranty." Wasn''t your diamond set by a third-party?

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 9/27/2007 6:40:27 PM
Author: suemann
II understand your Volkswagon analogy, I just think it misses the point. Volkswagon repairs items under a warranty when they are due to a product defect. If my crack was due to an imperfection or error on the part of whiteflash or their distributor, I would hope it would be corrected by them.

Unless you get a FL diamond, they are all imperfect. That does not equate them all with therefore being likely or even prone to chip on their own.

An error on the part of WF or their distributor would, to me, be them chipping the stone during the setting process. But you've been wearing the ring for 2 years, and the chip was large - and not under a prong, correct? And it just happened recently. And WF did not even set the stone.

I hear what you are saying, believe me I do. And I really feel for your situation. However, as with the Volkswagon, it is INSURANCE that would have covered this type of damage to the stone....not a warranty (particularly one that does not actually exist).

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 9/27/2007 6:49:41 PM
Author: WorkingHardforSmallRewards
On the Volkswagon analogy--it doesn't really work guys. Like the jewelery store that sold her the setting said--replacing diamonds that crack, chip, etc is common practice. We don't see it online very often as it is part of why we have such reduced prices, but it is VERY common.

Really? I'd love to see some real examples (ETA: and I don't mean of stores that offer a stone warranty, I mean examples of stores that offer a stone warranty and ACTUALLY HONORED IT). As a matter of fact, in my several YEARS on this board I have seen several threads with respect to consumers that bought stones at B&M stores where there was a 'lifetime warranty' on the ring and stone, only to have the stone chip, and the store balk at exchanging ANYthing, particularly the stone.

IF a setter chips the stone, yes, they should be liable for it. But otherwise? There is no way, after 2 years of wearing a ring, and it gets cracked, that anyone should be paying for it except for an insurance policy, or the uninsured customer. And I AM A customer. I FEEL for the OP. But this line of reasoning that the vendor is responsible 2 years later is...preposterous to me.

 

[suemann]

Harriett- That was my point above. This would mean that none of WF’s loose stones are under warranty, unless the buyer doesn’t ever plan on setting it for whatever reason. When we purchased they KNEW we weren’t purchasing a setting, KNEW we just wanted the loose stone, and KNEW we were having it set by a 3rd party, yet we were still told about and referred to their warranty as the “benefits” of purchasing with WF.

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 9/27/2007 7:13:50 PM
Author: FireGoddess

Date: 9/27/2007 6:49:41 PM
Author: WorkingHardforSmallRewards
On the Volkswagon analogy--it doesn''t really work guys. Like the jewelery store that sold her the setting said--replacing diamonds that crack, chip, etc is common practice. We don''t see it online very often as it is part of why we have such reduced prices, but it is VERY common.

Really? I''d love to see some real examples. As a matter of fact, in my several YEARS on this board I have seen several threads with respect to consumers that bought stones at B&M stores where there was a ''lifetime warranty'' on the ring and stone, only to have the stone chip, and the store balk at exchanging ANYthing, particularly the stone.

EXACTLY!!!! The B&M''s who hard-sell such plans don''t tell you about the fine print ... where you have to bring the ring in for inspections every 6 months & not let anyone else work on the stone or else that "warranty" is null & void. They COUNT on you not abiding by their rules & voiding out. SO they can CHARGE for the "service" in the super-high markups but never pay up to consumers!

 

[FireGoddess]

"Lifetime Warranty
Every piece of jewelry we produce meets our strict standards for quality control. Though warranted, the normal examination period is an ideal time for you to become assured of the quality of the workmanship.

If you need to return an item after your purchase is complete it will be fully inspected. If it is found to be defective due to manufacturing we will cover the charges. However, if work is required due to wear and tear or after the item has been worked on by an outside jeweler (other than Whiteflash) you may incur a charge for the repair and shipping.

Work by an outside jeweler will void the lifetime warranty."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I copied this from the link above that suemann posted. This is from WF''s website. Please excuse me if it was inappropriate to copy/paste the actual text here.

There is no reference to stones in their statement - only jewelry pieces, manufacturing, work, etc.

Suemann, I''m sorry for your problems - and if the stone had spontaneously combusted, believe me, I''d be in your corner here.

 

[Harriet]

Date: 9/27/2007 7:15:38 PM
Author: suemann
Harriett- That was my point above. This would mean that none of WF’s loose stones are under warranty, unless the buyer doesn’t ever plan on setting it for whatever reason. When we purchased they KNEW we weren’t purchasing a setting, KNEW we just wanted the loose stone, and KNEW we were having it set by a 3rd party, yet we were still told about and referred to their warranty as the “benefits” of purchasing with WF.

The exception entails that WF''s stones are under warranty only if they are not worked on by a third-party. It does not entail that WF''s stones are under warranty only if they are not worked on simpliciter. I don''t know what was said to you. I''m merely discussing their written policy.

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 9/27/2007 7:03:52 PM
Author: Harriet
Suemann,
You have my sympathy for your predicament. However, Whiteflash's Lifetime Warranty plainly states that 'Work by an outside jeweler will void the lifetime warranty.' Wasn't your diamond set by a third-party?

I think that that is irrelevant! The warranty IS ON JEWELRY and it is LIMITED TO WORKMANSHIP and MANUFACTURING warranty. A diamond is not manufactured by WF, as for workmanship... unless you can prove it was a defect in the WAY IT WAS CUT. Not the design, not the princess facetting, but that the actual workmanship of the cutting was the source of this problem, this doesn't cover you at all. Plus it refers SPECIFICALLY to "jewlery"... not to loose stones, but manufactured pieces. For me, that warranty doesn't cover a loose diamond at all, unless the workmanship of the actual CUTTING of the diamond is the flaw. And your own appraiser gave this diamond a ridiculously high appraisal because the diamond was so incredible, including incredibly cut.

I COMPLETELY ditto FG and Deco, and have to add that... Suemann, sometimes you really have to read things carefully, ask questions if you don't understand something, and not assume things, and ( I mean this in the best possible way) engage your brain.

YOU insured the diamond. Then ( you said that) you cancelled the insurance because YOU CHOSE not to pay a high premium, and to take the risk of having it uninsured because the premiums were too high, NOT because of whatever random interpretation of WF's warranty you had in mind. The fact that you GOT INSURANCE IN THE FIRST PLACE tells me that you understood that the diamond was NOT covered by whiteflash's lifetime warranty.

You're losing credibility here. Sorry.

 

[suemann]

I got insurance because I was worried about the ring getting lost or stolen. I''ve said that several times here.

 

[WorkingHardforSmallRewards]

Date: 9/27/2007 7:13:50 PM
Author: FireGoddess

Date: 9/27/2007 6:49:41 PM

Author: WorkingHardforSmallRewards

On the Volkswagon analogy--it doesn''t really work guys. Like the jewelery store that sold her the setting said--replacing diamonds that crack, chip, etc is common practice. We don''t see it online very often as it is part of why we have such reduced prices, but it is VERY common.

Really? I''d love to see some real examples (ETA: and I don''t mean of stores that offer a stone warranty, I mean examples of stores that offer a stone warranty and ACTUALLY HONORED IT). As a matter of fact, in my several YEARS on this board I have seen several threads with respect to consumers that bought stones at B&M stores where there was a ''lifetime warranty'' on the ring and stone, only to have the stone chip, and the store balk at exchanging ANYthing, particularly the stone.


IF a setter chips the stone, yes, they should be liable for it. But otherwise? There is no way, after 2 years of wearing a ring, and it gets cracked, that anyone should be paying for it except for an insurance policy, or the uninsured customer. And I AM A customer. I FEEL for the OP. But this line of reasoning that the vendor is responsible 2 years later is...preposterous to me.

Well, don''t forget, most of the people who bought diamonds in-store, chipped it and then sucessfully had it replaced probably aren''t members of PS

but on the other hand, if the company didn''t honor the warranty probably just about 100% of those people would wind up one lonely night searching online for some comfort or weapons to bring back with them--and they would of course end up on PS, since its clearly the best place online to talk about diamonds. So, sure there are a few, but there aren''t very many people complaining about stores not honoring their insurance policy. The shortage of such complaints makes me think those policies are upheld fairly frequently.

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 9/27/2007 7:44:52 PM
Author: suemann
I got insurance because I was worried about the ring getting lost or stolen. I''ve said that several times here.

Okay, if that''s what prompted you to do it. Still and all, I don''t think that you should blame WF for any of this, it''s just so clearly not their fault. Diamonds break. It happens.

What would you say to someone that came on here and said that they had JUST bought a diamond from WF, unmounted, and dropped it. And it chipped. No insurance. Would you blame WF?

 

[WorkingHardforSmallRewards]

Date: 9/27/2007 6:07:51 PM
Author: aljdewey

Date: 9/26/2007 1:09:56 PM

Author: WorkingHardforSmallRewards

Date: 9/26/2007 1:04:29 PM

Author:

You bought a ring for $8500 and want to insure is for $25,000, why? The replacement value will only be $8500 and you are wasting your money by over insuring the ring. Why would a vendor sell you a ring for $8500 if it is worth $25,000, they won't.

don't flame the poor woman for that man, totally uncalled for. And for the record, most insurance companies will only insure it for what the appraisal says, and then replace for you what you actually had. Thus, it wasn't her decision. The appraisal is what the insurance company is interested in, not what she says it is worth. Sure some appraisers give more realistic pricing than others, but that is no reason for you to put it like that when she is, with good reason, obviously very upset.

WHFSR ..... after this post, I'm convinced you need an interpreter.


1. He wasn't flaming the guy.....he was trying to HELP by explaining that overinsuring the ring doesn't benefit the the owner if she has a replacement value policy.


2. 'The appraisal is what the insurance company is interested in, not what she says it is worth.'



WHFSR.....please READ the content. She just said it was that WAS the appraised amount: 'The ring is not on my homeowner's insurance because it appraised for over $25,000.

NOTE: THE FOLLOWING IS ONLY FOR ALJ, EVERYBODY ELSE FEEL FREE TO IGNORE THIS POST:

Alj, I am going to try to keep cool here, but i really wish you would stop attacking me as you have been doing in so many recent post (for anyone who hasn't noticed, don't feel any need to respond. If you look back up at that post there are a few things to notice.


1) Everything that was said had been said before.


2) there was nothing constructive or useful as to what to do next.


3) the insulting implications were obvious. You might need a quick lesson on understanding implications. Take a moment and look at some of his phrases and terminology, I am going to help you out for a minute.

a) it is very curt, to the point, no words of consideration or condolences made.

b) "You bought a ring for $8500 and want to insure it for $25,000, why?b].

Pay special attention to "why?" Do you honestly think he is asking a question? I don't think so. If it is rhetorical then we can safely assume that he is suggesting that she should have known it was too much and that he felt that she was ridiculous for wanting to insure a ring for so much more than what she paid. Now you tell me Alj, in what way does that help solve anything at all? In what way does that comfort her or help her prepare for the future or the next step of what to do or add on to what had already been said. In fact, it was either a genuine question or he was contributing nothing, and basically implying she was an idiot. It does in fact sound like he is mocking her.

C) "you are wasting your money by over insuring the ring

Here we have a point that would be well taken 1 1/2 years ago, or even a month ago. But lets think about the facts: the diamond is already cracked, and it was not insured. So given that, exactly how do you think that telling her that she was "wasting her money", after mocking her with a nice "why" , is going to help? It doesn't. It doesn't offer any help, any condolences, or create anything productive at all. The only thing it could do is obvious--makes her feel guilty and all around worse.

D)"Why would a vendor sell you a ring for $8500 if it is worth $25,000, they won't."

Why do you, Alj, think he felt the need to tell her that? Do you think he was genuinely concerned that she didn't realize and so he was trying to help out? Hell no. She knew the facts--the appraisal was inflated. She even said that she knew that most appraisals were about twice the actual value (which is quite common, mine was 2X actually) But regardless of whether she had ever said that or not in this line he was CLEARLY suggesting that she was blind to the obvious. So what we have here is a comment meant to degrade and insult her yet again. Why did he feel the need to tell her? If not to genuinely teach her something new, He was obviously implying that she couldn't figure it out for herself, and in implying that he was implying that she was stupid.


We have a total of THREE LINES that consist of three primary elements: Mocking her, making her feel guilty, and calling her stupid. Note what it lacked: not a single mention of condolence or understanding for her feelings, not a word offering any new information than what had already been previously, and not a word offering any adivce for what to do next.

That is what I call flaming.


So please, learn how to read the implications of what people wrote and pay more attention to they actually said--and what they didn't say--before you start jumping down my throat ok?

 

[gontama]

Date: 9/27/2007 7:34:57 PM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 9/27/2007 7:03:52 PM
Author: Harriet
Suemann,
You have my sympathy for your predicament. However, Whiteflash's Lifetime Warranty plainly states that 'Work by an outside jeweler will void the lifetime warranty.' Wasn't your diamond set by a third-party?

I think that that is irrelevant! The warranty IS ON JEWELRY and it is LIMITED TO WORKMANSHIP and MANUFACTURING warranty. A diamond is not manufactured by WF, as for workmanship... unless you can prove it was a defect in the WAY IT WAS CUT. Not the design, not the princess facetting, but that the actual workmanship of the cutting was the source of this problem, this doesn't cover you at all. Plus it refers SPECIFICALLY to 'jewlery'... not to loose stones, but manufactured pieces. For me, that warranty doesn't cover a loose diamond at all, unless the workmanship of the actual CUTTING of the diamond is the flaw. And your own appraiser gave this diamond a ridiculously high appraisal because the diamond was so incredible, including incredibly cut.

I COMPLETELY ditto FG and Deco, and have to add that... Suemann, sometimes you really have to read things carefully, ask questions if you don't understand something, and not assume things, and ( I mean this in the best possible way) engage your brain.

YOU insured the diamond. Then ( you said that) you cancelled the insurance because YOU CHOSE not to pay a high premium, and to take the risk of having it uninsured because the premiums were too high, NOT because of whatever random interpretation of WF's warranty you had in mind. The fact that you GOT INSURANCE IN THE FIRST PLACE tells me that you understood that the diamond was NOT covered by whiteflash's lifetime warranty.

You're losing credibility here. Sorry.

I too think WF is not, and should not be, responsible for this unfortunate incident. Vast majority will not have an assumption that chip/crack of a dimamond after 2 years of wearing will be covered by the seller. However, it may not be fair for Suemann to have to lose her credibility because of the above.

She clearly said that Also, on a side note, I didn’t initially purchase the insurance because I was concerned about cracking or chipping the diamond. I thought WF took care of that. I purchased insurance for replacement in the event of theft or loss.

Edited: the point seems to be discussed while I was editing... In any case this is like expecting a VW to fix a damage to a vehcile caused by an accident with warranty, which may or may not exit (be in effect). It cannot be fixed. It can only be covered by an insurance.... Hope you feel a little better by knowing your vendor (WF) is doing its due diligence as it has been for many years for so many customers and so you can continue to trust WF with high confidence ...

 

[Harriet]

To what does the industry customarily use "jewellery" to refer? I'm not quibbling with anyone. I'm just curious.

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 9/27/2007 7:48:24 PM
Author: WorkingHardforSmallRewards

Well, don''t forget, most of the people who bought diamonds in-store, chipped it and then sucessfully had it replaced probably aren''t members of PS

but on the other hand, if the company didn''t honor the warranty probably just about 100% of those people would wind up one lonely night searching online for some comfort or weapons to bring back with them--and they would of course end up on PS, since its clearly the best place online to talk about diamonds. So, sure there are a few, but there aren''t very many people complaining about stores not honoring their insurance policy.

That is true.

The shortage of such complaints makes me think those policies are upheld fairly frequently.

That...made me snort with hysterical gales of laughter. But keep believing that - cuz your world is a better place than the one I live in. ROFL.