Horrible experience with Ed Bristol Wildfish Gems

[lovedogs]

Aha. I figured out where OPs claims Ed "fraudulently" taking about refunds from a total of 10.5k come from. In the emails between him and Ed that he copy and pasted, Ed specifically says that the sapphire will come in at 8.5k, due to size, clarity, etc. 8.5k plus 2k = 10.5k. so that's my guess about where the 10.5 comes from.

Overall, I suspect the sapphire either isn't loose, or that there was an agreement about how eye clean it had to be to qualify for a refund given the circumstances.

 

[chroman]

Edit: tangentially related, whatever happened to that one poster that was promoting him at every turn? Something in the sky with sapphires, I think, was the username? This thread made me realize we haven’t seen him around in awhile...

Norman(intheskywithsapphires)!

 

[the_mother_thing]

Entertaining thread. I sure hope Ed tacked on a killer up-charge to the gems’ price tag to have suffered through this kind of abuse and outrageousness from a customer. God bless him!

A couple of thoughts from someone who is also NOT Ed or his Wife ...

Website policies come and go as these policies do change. IMO, it’s what is on the contract/agreement/receipt that matters when it comes to returns. So I would not bank on this transaction being returnable solely because of what is on a website. There are several vendors who have a “no refund” policy for (as example) custom work, yet they have and do - at times - offer a refund in unique circumstances. To the contrary, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if - in his direct communications with this person - Ed didn’t advise that given the rarity of the stones sought and the time & effort it’d take to find them, he would accept a return but less a certain %/amount as a “finders fee” or something so he wasn’t working for nothing on something nearly impossible, and that OP conveniently left that out. I could be wrong, but given what I read here, it’d understandably be called for.

Secondly, I’m the least “feminist” chic you’ll likely ever meet, and even I am put off by your “feminine emotion” comment. Assuming you’re a guy, perhaps it should serve as a wake-up call to you (OP) that most of the “emotional females” on here haven’t had the negative experiences you have, haven’t had trouble communicating with & doing business with multiple gemstone/diamond vendors (even males, gasp!), and have quite admirable, lovely collections of very fine gems and diamonds. Maybe it’s actually your testosterone that has whipped you into a frenzy and earned you a well-deserved, humbling, good old fashioned karma-kick-in-the-pants.

 

[mdi]

Also, please don't call women over-emotional and illogical when you clearly have an extremely tenuous grasp on how science works.

 

[familynurse]

Rh + does not mean you are part monkey!

 

[Gussie]

Wow, I just googled some of this stuff. Rh negative, Rhesus monkey, Aryan, etc. I don't feel enlightened; I feel yucky.

 

[lovedogs]

Wow, I just googled some of this stuff. Rh negative, Rhesus monkey, Aryan, etc. I don't feel enlightened; I feel yucky.

Yup. It seems to be white supremacy racist nonsense mixed with some other random stuff about aliens? I regret ever learning about it.

 

[Gussie]

Yup. It seems to be white supremacy racist nonsense mixed with some other random stuff about aliens? I regret ever learning about it.

Me too. I need a shower.

 

[mdi]

Me too. I need a shower.

Or a therapeutic gemstone. I hear rose quartz is popular these days.

 

[StarRHnegative]

Look. I was never trying to be rude. But people who say things like "he probably didn't get a loose stone"... Are absolute idiots. I told you I recieved a loose stone. Now you are just saying ridiculous things. Actually, slander. False accusations. And it's idiotic stupidity.
100% uncalled for. It's extremely negative energy being projected onto me - thus you have received a reflection of yourself in my responses. Idiots deserve to be spoken to like idiots.

 

[whitewave]

Terrible picture but it looks gorgeous. What’s wrong with it again?

 

[Slickk]

... never mind

 

[lovedogs]

Look. I was never trying to be rude. But people who say things like "he probably didn't get a loose stone"... Are absolute idiots. I told you I recieved a loose stone. Now you are just saying ridiculous things. Actually, slander. False accusations. And it's idiotic stupidity.
100% uncalled for. It's extremely negative energy being projected onto me - thus you have received a reflection of yourself in my responses. Idiots deserve to be spoken to like idiots.

1. You are continuing to insult people and name call. Which you've already been warned about.
2. Ok. Thank you for finally showing that you did in fact receive a loose stone. Obviously we can't see anything about clarity in that photo.
3. You haven't answered any of the questions that people have asked about your communication with Ed in terms of changes to the return policy.

Edit. You seem confused about what "slander' means.

 

[Gussie]

Wonder how many of those shots he's had!

 

[Rfisher]

painting with very broad strokes, but astrology can be viewed as a form of prejudice, no?
And any belief taken to extremes can become harmful to oneself or to another.
All this to say at first I was suprised, but no not really.
This was fun at first - but no longer.

 

[marymm]

To other posters, regardless of your opinion of OP, it does sound like Ed freely and knowingly committed to the transaction. It seems to me OP was very clear in the required parameters of the stones. I am unable to determine the clarity of the sapphire based on the one photo provided by the OP. I don't know if the coral is flat on both sides, but based on the one side shown in the one photo it is not pure color but has obvious white specks. It seems very likely Ed was unable to deliver a 10x clean sapphire and certainly he did not deliver a pure color coral.

OP - if you paid via credit card, then contact them and tell them you are disputing the charge because the vendor delivered items not as described.

Before doing so, you may want to reach out one more time to the vendor, and tell him you wish to return the loose stone for full refund and the coral pendant for a 67% refund. Let the vendor know if he refuses, you will be disputing the charge with the credit card company.

Meanwhile, ensure you have high-quality photos that clearly show the stones do not meet the stated descriptions so that you can submit them to the credit card company if need be.

Good luck resolving your situation.

 

[mdi]

To other posters, regardless of your opinion of OP, it does sound like Ed freely and knowingly committed to the transaction.

I think this is very sensible advice and I hope it is not discounted (since you seem to be a woman, after all!) I don't think anyone is objecting to the OP taking this course of action.

Personally I find it in poor taste to trash someone's professional reputation without providing photographic evidence of an apparent transactional failure. That's all.

 

[the_mother_thing]

To other posters, regardless of your opinion of OP, it does sound like Ed freely and knowingly committed to the transaction.

According to OP, sure ... but that’s one side of the story, and OP is quite belligerent unnecessarily toward the very people he is seeking help which leads me to think there IS more to the story/transaction he isn’t sharing. As I opined above, just because a policy is stated on a website doesn’t mean it applies to every single transaction, and given the complexities of this one (even putting the OP’s obnoxiousness aside), it would not be out of the realm of reason that this transaction had different parameters for potential returns. Sure, OP can go down the chargeback path, and if there was a separate agreement for returns, it’ll likely come up in the course of that process when the CC company reaches out to the vendor.

 

[StarRHnegative]

Seems I am missing a lot of messages that show up later.

I have truly been nothing but cordial with Ed this whole time. Vividly transparent, honest, and straight forward with what I desired. He said he would do it and took my money. If it was impossible to do, he should have just said no. But Yes, another wholesale gem stone dealer I took it to locally in Austin, TX (if anyone was in this area id prove its truly not loupe clean. Not even eye clean, as ive been saying) and another guy who cuts emeralds and other stones from the rough both say it was not loupe clean and whoever sold it to me, if what I say about loupe clean is true, I was deceived.

Also, the cut is very out of alignment. I saw this and they mentioned it. The wholesale dealer, who is also a one man show, said if it was his stone, he would recut it due to its asymmetrical backside.

I would, and will prove all of this with pictures when I get the chance. I work 6 days a week and at the moment only have a phone to take pics, and that was the best photo I can even get of the sapphire without it being blurry.

I believe what happened with Ed was he got in over his head, mentioning he destroyed many corals in this process and doesn't want to lose so much $. But I can't be responsible for that. We agreed to a certain amount and after the first failed coral he told me about ( I asked him after that if he even wanted to continue... Only Later after he says he found a flawless one does he tell me he destroyed many corals.) But again. I never asked him to destroy them. I only agreed that for a flawless coral I would pay $2000. I was never consulted on any destruction. Told about it Later, yes... And he was in over his head. Probably couldn't find the desired sapphire either so it seems he was like screw it. I have your flawless items. When sadly, they are not.
And I've recently seen and was told by the local seller that yes corals do come cleaner than his. And its chipped.. And that $2000 for a 4ct red coral is way too much.

Here's the thing. I dont care about the price. I'll gladly double pay for the true items we agreed to. But these are not them. And as I told Ed, 'Ed I'm so very sorry to inform you, but I cannot accept these items as they are not what we agreed to"
Then he starts flaming me with insults.
And that is the 1000% truth.

 

[StarRHnegative]

I do not seek anyones council. I came here to express what happened. Actually my legal advice said to stop talking on here but later I will post the court documents.

Btw. I wasnt being derogatory towards women. For those spiritually evolved we know the function of female anatomy. (Sacred). Even men, also possess the woman within. And vice versa.

It is not about women personally, but the feminine lives in certain chakras and men in another.

You are not able to understand, therefor you insult.

Ed has conducted business in the State of Texas regardless of where he lives. If he refuses to show up to court he will default. If he shows up, all I will have to do is prove the coral was faulty. The sapphire was loose, there are no questions asked concerning it.

But yea.. I will follow up with this after I provide court documents. That will speak. My words are clearly misrepresented here.

 

[mrs-b]

@StarRHnegative -

Can you pls take a photo of the front of the coral? And - I'm sorry to deviate here but...that color is insanely gorgeous! Was the coral not set? If so - how were you able to get this photo?

Just curious....

 

[lovedogs]

@StarRHnegative -

Can you pls take a photo of the front of the coral? And - I'm sorry to deviate here but...that color is insanely gorgeous! Was the coral not set? If so - how were you able to get this photo?

Just curious....

Photo was from Ed before stone was set. OP agreed to have it set/sent after being sent that photo.

 

[mrs-b]

Photo was from Ed before stone was set. OP agreed to have it set/sent after being sent that photo.

Good lord - I posted, then realized there were 3 more pages. What a nincompoop!** Sorry! Shutting up now....

Thanks for the clarification, @lovedogs!

ETA ** I mean I'm the nincompoop - not anyone else! Not buying into the name calling in this thread. Just a little good ol' self flagellation.

 

[TreeScientist]

Just read through this entire thread on a slow Saturday morning. I must say, I find this all quite entertaining (especially this RH crap. It's like Scientology mixed with a healthy dose of Aryanism. And I thought I'd seen it all...). And, like @lovedogs, I'm assuming there is more to this story than is being told here. Seeing as I've never seen any complaints of this magnitude lobbied against Ed before (other than him being overpriced, which I agree is true) I'm guessing there was some stipulation written into the contract that this custom-sourced gem would be liable to the same 33% re-stocking fee as set jewelry. Many colored stone vendors have re-stocking fees on custom cut/sourced gems, because they have to put a lot of up-front work into acquiring the stone prior to the sale. After all, they need to account for the labor costs somehow (and with all the trouble that you put Ed through over the past year @StarRHnegative, I think a few thousand is the least you could contribute haha).

@StarRHnegative, I'm guessing that you wrote up a contract prior to this sale, or that there was at least some "fine print" written on your $9333 invoice? Would you mind posting ALL of that fine print? Was there any stipulation about a restocking fee for a custom sourced gem mentioned on the invoice. Or was this mentioned ANYWHERE in your e-mail correspondence with Ed?

I am honestly not sure why you're posting this here. If you actually have a legal case against Ed (meaning that a restocking fee was NEVER mentioned in ANY of your communications with Ed or on the invoice) then take it to your cc company or PayPal. If there was something fraudulent about this transaction, then your cc company or PayPal will gladly refund you the full amount, and there may be repercussions for Ed as well.

But if you don't have a case against Ed (meaning that a restocking fee WAS mentioned somewhere in your written correspondence or on the invoice) then you aren't going to get anywhere by starting a slanderous thread here on PriceScope and turning everyone against you by insulting regular posters.

Just wanted to bring my masculine perspective to this thread, since obviously, these silly, petty, emotional females cannot be trusted with anything business related. Honestly, why are you all even posting here? Isn't there something in the kitchen that needs tending to? ...

 

[lissyflo]

OP, I don’t know enough about your situation to comment re: your legal case, returns, etc. But, if you intend to move forward with another vendor, please be aware that stones are grown by nature and won’t come without inclusions. Diamonds, as an example, are clearly graded and sold on a scale of how included they are and even IF diamonds are not free of inclusions. IF merely designated that the diamond is free of inclusions at 10 times magnification. There WILL be inclusions at higher mag. And, in the case of the handful of exceptions that prove the rule, you’d be talking a price so astronomical that they wouldn’t be an option anyway.

I just wanted to warn you that you are likely on a fool’s mission if you are hunting for a genuinely inclusion-free natural stone. You could try some of the more spiritual (for want of a better word) stone vendors referred to above in the thread, but I’d be aware that they may be selling snakeoil if they are promising natural, totally unincluded stones.

Personally, I love the power of nature that any earth-grown stone represents. And I would embrace inclusions as part of that when we’re talking loupe level.

 

[StarRHnegative]

Its ok... Time and time again, the mass has never been right.
Speaking of what they know not. The blind zombies..

But I win. My witness is truth. Only those able to hear will.

 

[TreeScientist]

Its ok... Time and time again, the mass has never been right.
Speaking of what they know not. The blind zombies..

But I win. My witness is truth. Only those able to hear will.

I'm RH - too. Actually, O- to be exact. Do I win too? When do I get to hear? I WANT TO HEAR DARN IT!

But my fiancee is O+. Darn! Will the aliens be upset with me for contaminating the pure bloodline with our monkey offspring?

 

[StarRHnegative]

The inclusions in the sapphire are absolutely beautiful. Like the milky way galaxy. It's clearly worked. Already a pay rause3, its energy transform me in so many different levels. I'm spending the night over at my bossess tonight, after many drinks lol.

For a Saggitarius Ascendant, Jupiter boost by yellow sapphire has been incredible. Stone is gorgeous.

But not what we agreed to.
We agreed to me paying 3-4k more for loupe clean. If that's not what I get. I'll spend 2k on a 2carat vvs with small runtime silk in it.

 

[StarRHnegative]

0-. Congrats. My fellow alien

 

[StarRHnegative]

Rutile*. And.. Its gorgeous, but the cut is off for a 7k 3.5 yellow. Prob should habe paid 4k for this