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It's all going horribly wrong!

Smith1940

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Mar 10, 2011
Messages
427
As some of you know, I'm having a RG DBTY necklace made and also a sapphires by the yard - different vendors. One vendor has shipped to the wrong place (although apaprently has fixed that now, after my initial heart attack) and the other has sent me pictures for approval, thank God. They got the spacing of stones COMPLETELY WRONG despite my drawing a diagram with clear measurements and specifying in writing - so we're talking communication in both words and numbers - that I wanted the 5 stones to start four inches from each side of the clasp and then to be spaced at two-inch intervals. I posted the diagram on here, too. I even called the vendor to be sure that my diagram and instructions had been put into my file. Words, numbers, pictures - what more could I have done? Talked in words of one syllable?

And what have I got? Exactly what I didn't want - 5 stones evenly-spaced! So on the neck shots, you can only see three stones! That was why I drew a DIAGRAM - so that the even spacing wouldn't happen!

I knew I should have stuck to Blue Nile, I knew it. All this talking up these others here - I have NEVER had a good experience with them and now I've paid for it.

Sorry for the vent. Hopefully the sapphire people will fix it.

Of course, now I'm worried that other vendor has merrily ignored my diagram and my instructions and done the even spacing.
 
YIKES!!! but hold on Smith... anything can be fixed. The vendors you are dealing with WANT you to be happy - they will fix it. You have spoken with them already???? Could it be they have your order mixed up with another's??? Resend the original plan and photo ---- that's what your agreement is based on, they will honour it. They can always sell as a stock item the one that is incorrect.

I wish I could just give you a hug and help you calm a bit. This is stressing you out- I don't want you to be stressed when you are so excited about this :blackeye:

Call them and let us know what transpired??? Fingers crossed!
 
Oh, joy. The sapphire people have also put a very shiny, twinkly, sparkly chain on when the stock versions on their website show a non-sparkly cable chain, which is what I thought I was getting. Why would they suddenly give me a sparkly chain? So Eighties and also the chain is suppposed to disappear in DBTY, not shine and compete with the stones.

Never again, never. This has all gone so, so wrong. Blue Nile, I love you even more than I did before, for being so perfect. Why can't all vendors be like you??
 
Enerchi - yes, I'm sure they will fix the spacing. Waiting to hear. Not sure what they'll do about the chain though.

I'm annoyed because it turns what should be a pleasurable transaction into a stressful, horrible nightmare!
 
Do you have both of these DBTY necklaces now? or are they still in production and not yet shipped? If they are wrong -they are wrong - just contact the vendors and they will fix it. As I recall, you went with VERY reputable online PS vendors - they WILL fix it for you.

Oh dear Smith - it will all work out! It WILL just call them....
 
oops - we posted at the same time!

I hear ya on the nightmare thing - i had issues w my upgrade - but in the end, I learned a lot from the whole experience. Hey --- who wants to coast thru life when you can rise to a challenge and get thru it??? (Ok, jewellry is probably the LEAST of our life's challenges, but work with me on this analogy ;)) :lol: )

It will make a funny story in a few months!
 
Thanks Enerchi! I don't have them, but one has shipped and I have the arty, useless glamour shots. They're so close up you can get no sense of scale and the necklace is all curled up into lots of little circles so I can't even see the damn thing to check the spacing. As far as I know, the spacing is OK on that one...but I can't check. And since the other vendor got the spacing wrong, I'm now really nervous about this one. Oh - they did two-day shipping as well. For a $1450 item they could have overnighted it. Blue Nile overnights free with FedEx even when I buy a $40 item!

The sapphire one has not shipped yet. The only good thing about this process so far is that they did send me shots for approval, so I could see it was all wrong.
 
I guess when you receive it, you can look at it, try it on, see if it is at all acceptable, then arrange for a return delivery slip and get it fixed. I guess at this point, they clearly understand that was not the specs you gave them, so it won't be a surprise.

Good thing you caught the sapphire one before shipping so it can be adjusted accordingly. Do you think the chain is extra shiny normally but just in the photos you saw before ordering, it didn't pick up the shine? Can you specify a matte finish on the chain? I have no idea...
 
Enerchi|1334094582|3167857 said:
oops - we posted at the same time!

I hear ya on the nightmare thing - i had issues w my upgrade - but in the end, I learned a lot from the whole experience. Hey --- who wants to coast thru life when you can rise to a challenge and get thru it??? (Ok, jewellry is probably the LEAST of our life's challenges, but work with me on this analogy ;)) :lol: )

It will make a funny story in a few months!

Buying jewellery is supposed to be pleasurable, but this is now work - project management work! People ignoring instructions that are as clear as day, messing up even though you check and check again that they have understood...As if I don't get enough of that kind of grief at my actual work!

I do hope they change the chain...
 
We keep posting at the same time! I'll let you know what they say...the chain looks different to me than the one on the website.
 
Smith-really sorry to hear this. I hope they fix it for you.
 
True - project management at work when you get paid for it, is one thing. Project managing 'pleasure', just seems .... well... wrong!

I'm on your side, Smith! :bigsmile: I hope it runs smoothly from here on in!

(yeah, we are like USB connected posting at the same time! - or "fire wire" as my DH and I joke when we say the same things. He's a computer geek so I have no idea what that means... but it makes him laugh!)
 
Ugh. I'm sorry Smith, that's a pain!

On the plus side - it's really easy to fix. And like Enerchi said I'm guessing they'll fast-track your project and double- and triple- check that it meets your specifications this time - embarrassing enough to have ignored your instructions once. And I'm glad the other one sorted out the shipping issue okay - hopefully it comes in perfectly!!

As for future projects - well, if they fail to make you happy, then you've learnt something valuable, right? Few of us long-timers have heartwarming experiences with and warm fuzzy feelings for all the vendors we work with - I myself adore one of your vendors and will not work with the other again, so if BN consistently makes you happiest... ::)

Do let us know how things turn out!
 
Thankfully the one that was really wrong had not been sent, so it can easily be fixed! I had something similar happen when I ordered a milgrain bezel pendant from BG. I was very, very specific about wanting inside-only milgrain on the bezel. And when they sent me the glamour shots, it had full milgrain. I, of course, contacted my sales rep and told her it was wrong. She suggested I see it as it is and then they'd send me the label to return it if I still didn't like it. Well, it came, and I absolutely loved it!!! Those magnified pictures really can be deceiving! So the end of my story is..the mistake turned out being the best thing for me! (Since I have heard of several mistakes like that, I wonder if the bench person speaks/reads English because the work order apparently DID specify the change to the pendant!).

Smith, you mentioned a couple of times about how much you love BN. But I really didn't think BN did custom work, do they? I can assure you, when you order a stock item from WhiteFlash, you probably aren't going to have any problems, either! I'd wait and see the chain before deciding if that was one that was finished. Those high magnification pictures can be very deceiving.
 
Mistakes happen with every vendor. Seriously. Not one vendor on here has a spotless record-- including Blue Nile. What sets a good vendor apart from a bad one is how they handle those mistakes. A good vendor will want you to be happy and will be gracious about fixing it. A bad vendor will make lame excuses.

I know it's stressful. But it sounds like they are doing all they can to correct it. That's all you can ask. Stay calm, it will all work out.

You haven't "paid for" anything. You aren't suffering. It's just a hiccup and it will be corrected. Dial back the drama. It's a necklace, not your first born. The chain is just a basic one they can replace and start over with, if it's not the one you wanted they will get you the one you wanted. It's not your grandmother's one of a kind antique chain (which is what my DBY is on and even if that had gotten mucked up, I know it would have been fixed correctly at the end) that she gave you just before she lost her mind to dementia. Just breathe.

Perspective. Hysteria is just not needed or helpful.
 
Yes this sucks, but hardly worth jumping to such extremes! They will fix it on their dime if they are worth their salt. And if in the end you are still annoyed at the trouble, then in future buy elsewhere.
 
Diamondseeker, that's a good thought about the close-up scale of the pics. But the one which shows the shininess of the chain is actually a neck shot of someone at WF modelling it (I asked them for that). So it's not one of their close-up glamour shots...anyway the good news is that the colour of the stones and the quality of the bezels looks great.

They have absolutely said they will fix the spacing, really hope they get it right on the second try, but they haven't yet addressed the chain issue. I also asked them to check the length because it looked a little longer than 16 inches on the model - unless she's just very petite.

I have been project-managing my pleasure tonight, (good phrase, Enerchi!) writing them an email with all these required changes, with the diagrams I drew before, and pictures of the correct chains on the WF website, and a summary of the required changes...all of which I did weeks ago! I'm trying to find different ways to say what I mean in case I'm not saying it right! It really is like being back at work. I mean, it's a simple design...and they never even thought to check the chain type with me throughout the process. Really bad. I realise that to them, it's not their biggest purchase, but I can't have a $900 necklace sitting in a drawer because it isn't right. It's only worth it if I'm going to wear it and love it. So although they've been good about fixing the spacing, I really, really hope they'll fix the chain too, otherwise it will have been a waste of a lot of money.

Yssie, yes all the vendors make mistakes. Apparently they do, since a few have said that. Sure, sometimes I guess, but this is a simple design and I went over and over it...after sending them the diagrams, I even called especially to make sure that my instructions had been placed in my file and given to the right person (because I didn't hear back from them after I sent them my requirements). And still, even after my instructions were given to the correct dept/person, it still went wrong. This process has involved a huge amount of checking and double-checking and following-up on my part. The other vendor managed without me shepherding them all the way. Not impressed.

Diamondseeker - Blue Nile does do custom if you ask them. They ask their suppliers, and the given supplier sometimes can and sometimes can't. They offered to make my rose gold scatter ring, which is not a stock item at all, and their quote was the lowest. I went with a local jeweller though, for other reasons. So yes, BN does sometimes do custom, just not as much as others.

Enerchi - thanks as always, you naughty little minx! I don't know why I said that - I just think it suits you, knowing you as I do! :lol:
 
Regarding the chain, I just thought of something. A white gold chain is probably going to be more shiny than a platinum chain since it is rhodium plated. At least my wg chains are shiner than my platinum chain from Tiffany. Or is it not a cable chain at all?
 
There's a particular type of WG chain that is super-super shiny and twinkly and sparkly. It has a name, but I don't know it as I'm not a jewellery seller. It shines so much that from a few yards away it could be a diamond chain. Any idea what type I mean? But what I'm trying to say is, it's a sparkle that's beyond just rhodium plating. Really Eighties!
 
Diamondseeker - can you see it on this? This is the neck shot - it's not me, I don't have the necklace yet. You can see how there are two of the five stones hidden due to the wrong spacing - you'd never know this was a five-stone necklace - but also, can you see the type of chain? It was supposed to be an ordinary non-shiny cable chain.

sapphire necklace.jpg
 
Yes, I do see what you mean about the chain. It doesn't look like a cable chain to me, either! And I remember the threads about the spacing and they definitely just totally missed your instructions! That can very easily be fixed, but I would insist on a cable chain because that is what I thought all their DBY necklaces were made with!

(I believe I have heard of that type of shiny chain being called "diamond cut", ironically.)
 
Smith1940|1334117658|3168192 said:
Yssie, yes all the vendors make mistakes. Apparently they do, since a few have said that. Sure, sometimes I guess, but this is a simple design and I went over and over it...after sending them the diagrams, I even called especially to make sure that my instructions had been placed in my file and given to the right person (because I didn't hear back from them after I sent them my requirements). And still, even after my instructions were given to the correct dept/person, it still went wrong. This process has involved a huge amount of checking and double-checking and following-up on my part. The other vendor managed without me shepherding them all the way. Not impressed.


Smith - I get why you're upset, truly. You did your part. They dropped the ball. The vendor I will no longer work with screwed up my dbty-esque bracelet twice despite, just as in your case, explicit instructions, photos, diagrams, and conversations. The first time I said Okay, this stinks, but they'll make it right. And sure enough they sent me an overnight return label the next day. The second time I said "you've got to be kidding" and called in right from the post office and was not-so-politely told that it was me that was mistaken, not them (it was a chain crossing issue). At that point I called it quits, spent $45 and got it fixed locally, and that was that and I love my bracelet now - no negative associations attached ::)

So yes, all vendors can and do make mistakes, it's how they deal with those mistakes that makes or breaks their reputations. If they say "Oops, we screwed up, please let us fix it and make you happy" and they *do* make you happy then that's a vendor I'd shortlist for sure! I really hope WF lives up to its reputation and does exactly that... I think your plan to move forward is a good one.
 
Smith1940 said:
Diamondseeker - can you see it on this? This is the neck shot - it's not me, I don't have the necklace yet. You can see how there are two of the five stones hidden due to the wrong spacing - you'd never know this was a five-stone necklace - but also, can you see the type of chain? It was supposed to be an ordinary non-shiny cable chain.
I like the way the chain looks. I think the shiny compliments the sapphires.
But I actually hate wearing those types of chain because they pinch my skin and pull the baby hairs at the nape of my neck!
Good luck with your necklaces. They sound like they will be beautiful!
 
Thanks again, Yssie. Nice to know I'm not the only one!

SweetAsscher, I also used to really like the sparkly chains - I had one with a tiny diamond that I wore all the time but that was when I was much younger. I find the non-sparkly ones - for DBTY at least - more classy-looking.

I've explained to them a few times now about the chain, but haven't heard anything back on that score at all yet. Bit nervous - I do hope they'll change it, otherwise I'll have paid $900 for a necklace that I don't really like...
 
No, if you explain a few times and they still get it wrong, you get a refund. There is no doom at the end of the tunnel.
 
I'm sure they'll fix it. Odd that they used a sparkly, diamond cut chain.

Don't worry though, you're the customer and they're in the wrong since they didn't deliver what was promised. It will be fixed!
 
Thanks Laila. Yes, it's odd that they used a diamond-cut chain. They have not replied at all about the chain issue though, only the spacing issue, so I think they won't want to fix it. And custom is always non-returnable.
 
It's really not a big deal to switch out the chain, so I don't see that it would be a problem. The picture of their stock sapphire DBY clearly has a cable chain, so there's no way you could have expected it to be any other kind.
 
Oh, OK. I assumed that changing the chain - and changing the spacing of the stones, for that matter - would be quite a lot of work.

I've sent three emails (yesterday and today) copying the three people I've been dealing with, and there's been no response about the chain. I'll give it until 4pm before calling them.
 
Hey Smith. It's after 4 (way after!) Did you manage to give them a call and get any update?
 
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