How often do you return your internet purchased stones?

[beaujolais]

Wondering, how often do you return your internet purchased stones? Would you say it is 50 % of the time? More? Less?

I''m finding that they often look different in person than in the photo.

Thanks.

 

[marcy]

I would say about 50% of the time - they are all gemstones and not really expensive to begin with. I also have a loose gemstone dish that I will throw in anything that didn''t cost me over $20 and I don''t like well enough for a piece of jewelry.

 

[Pandora II]

Never

I speak to the vendor before I buy and discuss all the features. I've been very lucky that the people I have bought from I am as happy to trust their eyes as my own.

If I'm buying from Wink I call him and we look at the stone together over video-link to confirm.

The more effort you put in up front and the more specific you can be about what you are after the more likely you are to get what you are looking for - although it might take time.

ETA: I don't tend to buy very cheap stones, plus it has to be worth the hassle and expense of shipping/customs etc so I put quite a lot of research in to start with and look at as many examples as possible so I'm sure about what I'm after.

 

[beaujolais]

I think I''d do alot better if I had your vast knowledge, Pandora (compliment). But, I hear what you are saying about having a pro help you.

---

Pandora, - I just got a lovely tsavorite. It''s a .91 cushion. What do you think of these two settings? I''d use white gold.

http://www.stuller.com/products/product.aspx?gid=8dd212ba-d1e2-4b1d-ad90-d0fe140d868c&cid=8cd3d234-26f9-401b-8d2c-4a4f11733eee
- or -

http://www.stuller.com/products/product.aspx?gid=7cc113e3-63b9-4c9f-a00f-c0e0103f7a5f&cid=187f2a05-686c-4d8e-a1f2-bdc69c28d680

Thanks.

 

[Harriet]

Just once, and only because the vendor received something else I preferred.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I like the scroll design much better if they make it with measurements that will work with your stone.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Don''t have enough of a track record to set a trend.

My diamonds felt looked better than the pics and I loved them...but I understood what I was looking for

I had 2 sapphires brought out once over the internet and ended up returning both of them. I decided to use a B&M, but the main issue with online that I work crazy hours and dealing with packages I need to sign for is really hard for me. I think now that I know more about gems and how to describe what I want, I might be able to do better in buying online.

 

[krisvrn]

I too have returned it half of the time. IRL vs Pics always seem to look very different.

 

[chrono]

My return rate is very low, somewhere around 10% to 20%. I shop very carefully, asking a lot of questions and asking for additional photos. I also shop for rarer and more expensive items so that I don''t waste time shipping things back and forth. I also do a lot of research into the gemstone family itself to decide if it''s something I would want in the first place, then scout excellent examples. I then sometime shop for it myself or send top pictures to the vendor letting him/her know that''s the quality I am looking for.

 

[Rhea]

I''ve never bought a coloured stone before. I''m trying to now and I''m nervous of screwing it up.

Date: 5/26/2008 7:19:51 PM
Author: Pandora II
Never


I speak to the vendor before I buy and discuss all the features. I''ve been very lucky that the people I have bought from I am as happy to trust their eyes as my own.


If I''m buying from Wink I call him and we look at the stone together over video-link to confirm.


The more effort you put in up front and the more specific you can be about what you are after the more likely you are to get what you are looking for - although it might take time.


ETA: I don''t tend to buy very cheap stones, plus it has to be worth the hassle and expense of shipping/customs etc so I put quite a lot of research in to start with and look at as many examples as possible so I''m sure about what I''m after.

This is really great to know! I''m glad you said you''d help me a bit on my garnet purchase. I''m really nervous about not liking it and needing to return it...which is why I haven'' bought anything yet.

 

[eastoutwest]

I''ve had GREAT luck buying online. But then, again, I really, really, really do my homework and I know exactly what I''m looking for, and I''d like to think I have a pretty good eye. Yes, I''ve had some duds -- I''d say I only send back about 10% of what I buy online.

After a while, you get pretty good at spotting trick photography -- hmmm -- why is that blue spinel photographed with a gray/black background? Uh -- probably because it has a giant window that they''re concealing.

There are some amazing deals to be had out there -- I''ve more than once gotten appraisals that are 15-20 times the price I paid for the stone. However, this is a rarity, and you have to know what you''re looking for, know quality when you see it, and HUNT HUNT HUNT HUNT!!!!

 

[Linda W]

only once.

 

[Kismet]

Date: 6/3/2008 4:02:37 PM
Author: Addy
I''ve never bought a coloured stone before. I''m trying to now and I''m nervous of screwing it up.

This is really great to know! I''m glad you said you''d help me a bit on my garnet purchase. I''m really nervous about not liking it and needing to return it...which is why I haven'' bought anything yet.

Don''t be afraid to buy and return. I''ve only returned things twice (to two different places), but I was never made to feel uncomfortable about it. Both places said something along the lines of ''I''m sorry you didn''t like it. I hope you find something you do like from us in the future.''

 

[elmo]

Well I like to window shop. So I''ll tell folks up front how serious I am or not, and unless I keep something I pay round trip shipping, twice if the retailer has something sent in and not from stock. And will keep something only a day or two since time is money. If someone has a problem with this or pressures in any way, I''ll look somewhere else.

 

[Rhea]

Date: 6/7/2008 6:20:17 AM
Author: Kismet

Date: 6/3/2008 4:02:37 PM

Author: Addy

I''ve never bought a coloured stone before. I''m trying to now and I''m nervous of screwing it up.


This is really great to know! I''m glad you said you''d help me a bit on my garnet purchase. I''m really nervous about not liking it and needing to return it...which is why I haven'' bought anything yet.

Don''t be afraid to buy and return. I''ve only returned things twice (to two different places), but I was never made to feel uncomfortable about it. Both places said something along the lines of ''I''m sorry you didn''t like it. I hope you find something you do like from us in the future.''

I''m not so much worried about disappointing the seller as I am about the time and money spent return something - shipping in the UK seems to add up quite quickly. If I''m holding something I tend to talk myself into it knowing I''m probably not happy. It''s easier to say no before you have it in hand.

 

[partgypsy]

I would say about 30, 40% overall. When I first started it was higher. I was trying to buy an emerald over the internet and they would arrive looking completely different from the photo (washed out, big window, etc). I ended up returning all the emeralds I purchased through the internet, for now given up dream of buying emerald over the internet. The percentage of return is lower now since I stick with a few vendors I like, though the number of purchases has gone down as well

.