James Allen canceled my order!

[anjay_12]

(This post is quite long. Sorry!)

I had asked JA a few weeks back whether it was okay to pay for a loose diamond using a Malaysian credit card and get it shipped to Singapore (my fiance is working there) and they said it was totally fine, so I decided to pull the trigger last weekend. I even posted 2 days ago on PS asking for suggestions for the side diamonds to go with this diamond. Fast forward 3 days later (today), the status of the order was still 'CONFIRMED' so I chatted with one of their reps asking when will it be shipped and the rep said within 24 hours. No problems there, then.

Well, guess what? I received an email from JA a few minute ago (almost 12 hours after I last chatted with them):

"After reviewing your order, our Order Analysis Department is unable to move forward with your purchase as a credit card purchase. The Visa card you provided has been authorized but not charged, so you will not see a refund. If you would like to pay with a bank wire transfer, you can do so by placing your order online. The order has been determined to be too high risk for us to accept a credit card payment."

From the email, I thought my order was put on hold until I wire transferred the money but imagine my surprise when I realise it was CANCELED! What got me even more annoyed was the fact that they put the diamond back on Diamond Search! Shouldn't they at least have asked me whether I wanted to wire transfer the money before putting it back on Diamond Search?

I know JA has a very good reputation here but after this episode, I rather go through the trouble of international wire transfer for another vendor.

 

[Christina...]

I'm so sorry anjay! I definitely think that the stone should have remained on hold until you were able to make a decision regarding the wire transfer. I would certainly call asap and make sure that they do so. I have no idea what might have happened. I'm wondering though if since JA is so large that the billing department does it's thing with no real idea of what customer service is doing, therefore information didn't get shared? Doesn't matter, it's no excuse. The good news is that Jim works very hard to resolve these issues, so I would call and ask to speak to him directly so that this can be resolved quickly. I hope that things run much more smoothly for you from here forward and I'm looking forward to seeing your new ring!!!

 

[WillyDiamond]

JA should probably have done their homework before accepting your CC drawn on a Malaysian bank. I can understand your dissapointment.
I also frequent a couple of watch enthusiast forums, and there are lots of trouble with scams involving Malaysian transactions. It seems that US banks cannot recover monies from some Malaysian banks or counterparts, I don't claim to have all the info but dealing with Malaysia can be complex. What makes this more complex is that 3 countries are involved (US, Malaysia, and Singapore). You are probably 100% legit, but you have history hurting you. Best of luck.

 

[YoungPapa]

Hi Anjay,

Unfortunately, Malaysia is a hotbed of fraudulent activity and our Order Analysis department was not able to get this order approved. Your card was never charged (nor authorized), despite what it might have said in the email. I agree that we should have given you some window of time to decide if bank wire payment was an option for you, and have asked to have the diamond placed back on hold while you decide if you want to proceed. No obligation, of course, and our apologies for the trouble.

 

[chrono]

I am sorry that Malaysia is unfortunately, listed as a country with a lot of cc fraud given the higher snatching theft rate lately. It is bad enough that my US bank based credit cards refused to allow me to make purchases in that region for my own safety. Nevertheless, your diamond should remain on hold for you until this matter is resolved, not put back in JA's regular sale inventory.

 

[anjay_12]

Thank you all for your reply and Jim for the really swift response. I'll talk to one of the JA reps and ask how long they can put it on hold before deciding. I suppose the main reason I went with JA, apart from its good PS reputation, was its willingness to accept international credit card. I guess I can't avoid paying the wire fees and also the bank's long queues...

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Thank you all for your reply and Jim for the really swift response. I'll talk to one of the JA reps and ask how long they can put it on hold before deciding. I suppose the main reason I went with JA, apart from its good PS reputation, was its willingness to accept international credit card. I guess I can't avoid paying the wire fees and also the bank's long queues...

Actually the diamond costs less when you pay by wire, so that should counteract the wire fees. Be sure that price adjustment is made. You should get a Procescope and wire discount.

 

[Bryson]

JA offers a pricescope discount?

 

[sha4000]

JA offers a pricescope discount?

I believe so but you have to ask them when ordering.

 

[anjay_12]

Just chatted with Marie from JA and they are putting the diamond on hold until Friday. Kudos for JA for rectifying the situation!

 

[himni]

I'm glad it's going to work out for you

 

[anjay_12]

Thank you! And after the (almost) heartbreak, I've decided to go with JA all the way, even the wedding band! The reps are really great even after countless questions and requests so here's hoping everything will turn out fabulous!