I'm beginning to become a little skeptical about this whole online diamond purchase thing. Don't get me wrong, I really like the idea, but the more I think about dropping close to $8 or $9K on a stone without seeing it first just to save maybe $1K, I start to get a little nervous. THIS IS NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING ANY B&M DEALER HAS TOLD ME. In fact, based on some of the prices I've come to the local dealers with, I've been told to buy from here.
First of all, I've decided I don't want to use any appraisers I've learned about from this website. There's only 3 within driving distance from me that are listed using Pricescopes appraiser locator. There are thousands of jewelers near where I live and I'm confident I can find a qualified appraiser who will give me an unbiased opinion about the stone if I'm willing to pay them for their services. I will simply present the stone to the appraiser as something I've already had for a while and I'm getting it insured, not as something I'm considering buying.
My question is this...
What if I get the stone sent directly to me from a 'Pricescope' recommended dealer (any of them... Whiteflash, James Allen, USA Certed, whichever) and I bring it to an appraiser of MY choosing and I'm told that the diamond doesn't match up with the GIA certification? OK then... maybe my first appraiser isn't right. Let's say (hypothetically) I get it reappraised by a second (and completely unafiliated to the 1st appraiser) and am told the exact same thing as the first appraiser.
Do I then just send it back and get an immediate rerfund or does the seller require the buyer to jump through all sorts of hoops that make it impossible to get a refund? How can either side (buyer or seller) protect themselves from a fraudulent swap? I just don't see how an online dealer can offer any sort of return. You would think that unethical people would swap stones and say they got ripped off. Who's going to decide who's right? The more I think of it, the more I become skeptical. After having gone personally and looked at so many diamonds locally, I can easily imagine certificates incorrectly matched with stones.
Also, I've read here that there have been few if any dissatisfied purchasers from any of the major online dealers listed on this site. But who's to say the buyers used an appraiser that wasn't recommended by PS or a PS dealer? I know names like David Atlas are big on this website, but I've asked about 10 different jewelers (some of who I have had good business dealings in the past having made large purchases fro and have been in business for 25+ years) and they've never heard of him. This is going to sound a little 'conspiracy' crazy, but what if all the dealers and appraisers on this website are in cuhoots with eachother? It's not that far fetched of an idea considering the amount of money to be made in the diamond business.
First of all, I've decided I don't want to use any appraisers I've learned about from this website. There's only 3 within driving distance from me that are listed using Pricescopes appraiser locator. There are thousands of jewelers near where I live and I'm confident I can find a qualified appraiser who will give me an unbiased opinion about the stone if I'm willing to pay them for their services. I will simply present the stone to the appraiser as something I've already had for a while and I'm getting it insured, not as something I'm considering buying.
My question is this...
What if I get the stone sent directly to me from a 'Pricescope' recommended dealer (any of them... Whiteflash, James Allen, USA Certed, whichever) and I bring it to an appraiser of MY choosing and I'm told that the diamond doesn't match up with the GIA certification? OK then... maybe my first appraiser isn't right. Let's say (hypothetically) I get it reappraised by a second (and completely unafiliated to the 1st appraiser) and am told the exact same thing as the first appraiser.
Do I then just send it back and get an immediate rerfund or does the seller require the buyer to jump through all sorts of hoops that make it impossible to get a refund? How can either side (buyer or seller) protect themselves from a fraudulent swap? I just don't see how an online dealer can offer any sort of return. You would think that unethical people would swap stones and say they got ripped off. Who's going to decide who's right? The more I think of it, the more I become skeptical. After having gone personally and looked at so many diamonds locally, I can easily imagine certificates incorrectly matched with stones.
Also, I've read here that there have been few if any dissatisfied purchasers from any of the major online dealers listed on this site. But who's to say the buyers used an appraiser that wasn't recommended by PS or a PS dealer? I know names like David Atlas are big on this website, but I've asked about 10 different jewelers (some of who I have had good business dealings in the past having made large purchases fro and have been in business for 25+ years) and they've never heard of him. This is going to sound a little 'conspiracy' crazy, but what if all the dealers and appraisers on this website are in cuhoots with eachother? It's not that far fetched of an idea considering the amount of money to be made in the diamond business.