How Low can you go (Lies and more Lies)

[WinkHPD]

I saw this in an add on another forum.

These stones are NOT 40% below wholesale, the very comment is actually illegal according to FTC regulations which is LIE #1, and more importantly Lie #2 is that these stones may be below the cost of a stone that appears similar that is genuine and untreated, but these stones have had their surface reaching inclusions filled with glass to make them invisible to the eye.

So, yes, the "gem" may be 40% below wholesale for a VS2, but they are priced just about rignt for the I1 one or I2 grade that they would have had before treatment.

GRRRRR!

Wink http://www.betterthandiamond.com/discussion/pictures/19403.jpg

 

[swingirl]

Can''t see the photo.

 

[WinkHPD]

It was an add banner claiming some clarity enhanced diamonds were for sale at 40% below wholesale. Not sure why it is not showing, I will try to re upload it tomorrow.

Wink

 

[WinkHPD]

Okay, I found the ad again and made another copy, this is what got my goat...

Wink

 

[strmrdr]

typical..........

 

[IAmFeralCat]

I see something that says "supersale" below "wholesale" I think, What is wrong with it? Some people see those same words and think, What a great deal! Maybe I'm just a skeptical one...

I have a friend who is always all about price. I couldn't get this person to understand why a 6.25mm diameter 1ct diamond was NOT a great deal....they kept commenting about the "better price" for that deep stone. It took me a while to break through the idea that why not get a 6.25mm 90pointer for even less? For the better part of the conversation, I heard- "Yeah, but its not 1ct!"....uggghhh.

My point- this advertising is horrible. But what is even more horrible is all the people that believe it in these "superdeals". Part of me wants to blame the advertiser, but a small part of me wants to scold the consumer for being so ignorent.

 

[Cleo]

I wouldn''t even click on a banner (let alone buy a diamond) from a company that couldn''t even spell ''Wholesale'' properly in their advert.

That says everything I need to know...

x x x

 

[denverappraiser]

‘Wholesale Prices’ is a scam that continues to work despite the obvious logical problems and despite the specific opposition by the FTC. It sort of amazes me that it continues to work. Even ignoring the legal problems, it just doesn’t make any sense.

Back when I went to business school, selling things one at a time to the end consumer was called retailing. This definition didn’t have anything to do with prices. As far as I can tell, this definition hasn’t changed so this begs the question ‘what are wholesale prices?’

Are they what the dealers pay?
Dealers don’t all pay the same things. ‘Wholesalers’ have costs too so what do we call what THEY pay if what they are charging is now called wholesale? Is it what’s printed on the price tag or some price list? Rapaport puts out a list and calls the numbers on it “High New York cash asking prices”. Does that mean the same thing as wholesale? Is it the price that the manufacturer is trying to get or the price they actually get? Anyone in business will tell you that these things are often VERY different.

Then we get into the issues of the product. Is ‘wholesale’ on a 1.00/VS1/I natural diamond relevant if we’re talking about something else entirely? Saying that a Hundai retails for less than the wholesale price of a Lexus even though it has the same number of wheels and comes in the same colors is surely true but does this mean that a particular Hundai dealer is a good deal? It makes more sense to me to be comparing them against other Hundai dealers and to choose which one is best from that pool. What Ferrari charges is simply irrelevant to the question at hand.

As a consumer, the answer to all of this is pretty easy. Just say no. Evaluate each deal on the basis of the deal, not on the sign in front of the store or the web banner saying that it’s ‘wholesale’. Compare each product against similar products, meaning compare super-ideals against other super ideals, compare fancy colors against similar fancy colors, off-brand labs with similar labs and compare filled and irradiated goods against other filled and irradiated goods. This sort of advertising tells you nothing at all about the merchandise or the deal but it tells you gobs about the dealer. You know they’re liars because they''re deliberately trying to get you to make a comparison that they know in inappropriate. You know they aren’t especially careful about what they are saying in their advertising (because of the spelling error).

Another thing worth paying attention to. This ad, and others like it, are inserted by Google, not by the website management. Not only are they not endorsing the products being promoted there, they aren’t even aware of who the advertisers are. There’s a natural tendency to look at a banner on a particular site and assume that there is some sort implied credibility because of seeing the ad on xxx.com, rather like there is in the magazines, and that the management has applied a filter to weed out the bad eggs. This is not the case. The little blue bar with the sign that says ‘Ads by Google’ should be sufficient evidence to nervous about clicking on it, even if all of the other clues weren’t there. Think of it as a warning label.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[oldminer]

The banner ad is terrible. I decided I''d go visit their website to see what they say. There is nothing on their site like equivalent what is in the banner ad. It is as if the banner ad had nothing to do with their site... Strange.

In truth, if you visit their site, it is oriented toward wholesale transactions with retail jewelers and does not offer diamonds to the consumer. It has some good, gently worded information, about color enhancement and clarity enhancement of the diamonds which they specialize in. They have many grammatical and spelling errors in their text and I am sure English is a second language for them On this count we either can forgive some misuse or hold the fact that they weren''t born here against them. That''s a personal decision. Generally, I help newcomers to get their wording corrected and to learn how to present themselves ethically and legally to their customers. Its a good thing to do instead of create more animosity. Considering the USA is nearly all an immigrant population that had to deal with first generation resentment, being kind to these folks is a better way to live. Most times, my offer of assistance is welcomed. You''d be surprised how much many newcomers, no matter how well educated, have a problem with making their English look "American".

Anyway, I can''t defend the wording of the banner ad. The suggestion not to trust it is excellent. The website of Leshem.com is not offensive or one which will create a consumer problem.

Every time you see a 60% off or a "below wholesale" sale for a retailer you must know how badly they regularly price their goods or that the sale is simply untrue. Don''t shop at places that offer a deal too good to be honest. When you have a problem, a dishonest merchant is the last person to have earned your trust. "Below Wholesale"....stay clear! They would have to advertise "Free" to get me in the door and I''d still be a skeptic.

 

[WinkHPD]

Thanks for weighing in Dave. The banner was so bad it never occured to me to actually go look at their site. I was in a bad mood when I saw it and just went semi-postal from there...

Wink