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Leon Mege months of bad service and the 5.13 carat Pear

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Acinom

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CharmyPoo|1383414470|3549114 said:
arkieb1|1383033729|3546627 said:
I don't think Leon even realises I am a P/S member to be honest, and I had intended to keep the whole thing off here, but when he posted my personal info on there this morning I made the decision to tell everyone what has happened.

I think he believes he can bully anyone than he perceives is less powerful than he is. In this case, it has backfired.

I honestly believe that you being a PSer would have no bearing on how he treated you. I find Leon's playbook pretty straight forward and if someone wants to work with him - it is rather painless as long as you work within his playbook. This is not to defend his behavior nor to discuss if it is even right that one has to play by his rules when they are paying. It's just the realities of it.

I never bring my personal life into dealings with vendors. I don't see why it has to do with anything - a business deal is a business deal.

I am sorry for the pain you went through and no one deserves that stress.

In my opinion this case goes far beyond artistic behaviour... Holding a stone hostage and not delivering should not be in the playbook of a serious vendor.

Also, Arkieb did not share her personal life. Only after months in which Leon could not deliver (and failed to communicate about it) and when her mother got seriously ill, she shared one personal matter with him. Just to explain why she decided to sell the stone. And moreover: if Leon had delivered within a reasonably timeframe, the ring would have been on her finger by that time.

I think vendors should be absolutely discreet about any information shared during their business deal.
 

arkieb1

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CharmyPoo|1383414470|3549114 said:
arkieb1|1383033729|3546627 said:
I don't think Leon even realises I am a P/S member to be honest, and I had intended to keep the whole thing off here, but when he posted my personal info on there this morning I made the decision to tell everyone what has happened.

I think he believes he can bully anyone than he perceives is less powerful than he is. In this case, it has backfired.

I honestly believe that you being a PSer would have no bearing on how he treated you. I find Leon's playbook pretty straight forward and if someone wants to work with him - it is rather painless as long as you work within his playbook. This is not to defend his behavior nor to discuss if it is even right that one has to play by his rules when they are paying. It's just the realities of it.

I never bring my personal life into dealings with vendors. I don't see why it has to do with anything - a business deal is a business deal.

I am sorry for the pain you went through and no one deserves that stress.

Waiting over half a year to get something from an alleged "creative genius" had nothing to do with my personal life. In fact if anything given I heard every excuse under the sun why Leon was too busy or disorganised to deal with me or to complete my project I would think that speaks volumes about his personal life rather than mine. I believe I had attempted to read from the Leon playbook, I obviously wasn't very good at it.

At the end I told him my mother was in hospital critically ill and I had made the decision to sell the diamond. Half of it was about recovering the money the other half was that my husband was furious I had sent the stone to him in the first place and that it was taking so long to get any result.

Perhaps you are correct I should have left out the part about my mother and just asked for the stone back again. I seriously doubt that would have changed the end result. Leon would still have held the stone in his safe and refused to give it back unless I either sold it to him or paid him a grossly high fee for very little if anything other than stress to show for it. The stone was there over six months and in all that time I was NEVER quoted any amount for anything. The fact Leon tried to extort money out of me at the end when I asked for the stone back again had nothing to do with my personal circumstances and everything to do with the despicable way he operates.

You are suggesting that there is this "imaginary set of golden rules" or some sort of "playbook" that consumers need to either magically understand or be able to work from in order to deal with Leon. I make the observation that he does work under his own set of rules and those rules can also change to suit himself. The fact any business person thinks they can operate in anything less than a clear and transparent manner towards their customers is not only unreasonable but highly unacceptable.
 

kenny

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First, I'm glad your mom's better.

I agree that telling LM aboubt your mom's failing health was not relevant or appropriate.
IMO, doing so weakens your strength of your position in this conflict.

Are sellers to have two polices, one more generous one for customers with sob stories?
How are sellers to know sob stories are not made up when customers are negotiating a transaction?
How many times has a car salesman told me, during price negotiations, about the wife and kids he has to support?

Nobody held a gun to your head to make you spend money on jewelry that you apparently should have set aside for unforeseen emergencies.

I'm not saying LM is not a jerk, he is and I'd never give him a dime or refer anyone to him.
But he is no more of a jerk because telling him about your mom's health issues did not help you get your way.

IMO what you tried to use as ammo against LM has backfired.
Better to not have mentioned it to LM, or to us in this thread.
 

arkieb1

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kenny|1383437833|3549297 said:
First, I'm glad your mom's better.

I agree that telling LM doubt your mom's failing health was not relevant or appropriate.
IMO, doing so weakens your strength of your position in this conflict.
Are sellers to have two polices, one more generous one for customers with sob stories?
How are sellers to know sob stories are not made up when customers are negotiating a transaction?
How many times has a car salesman told me, during price negotiations, about the wife and kids he has to support?

Nobody held a gun against your head to make you spend money on jewelry that you apparently should have set aside for unforeseen emergencies.

I'm not saying LM is not a jerk, he is and I'd never give him a dime or refer anyone to him.
But he is no more of a jerk because telling him about your mom's health issues did not help you get your way.

IMO what you tried to use as ammo against LM has backfired.
Better to not have mentioned it to LM, or to us.

O.K I accept I shouldn't have mentioned my mother to him. At the time I was stressed and it was the wrong decision. I NEVER intended to post anything about my personal life on here at all but when it was cut and pasted it on Yelp I believe that was unreasonable and have now mention it. I am sorry if mentioning my mother has disturbed anyone. I am not here for sympathy, far from it. I don't think I can tell the full story of what occurred without now mentioning her as it was part of what happened. People asked me to put the FULL account of what went on here, so I have done that, that is all.

I don't see anything as backfiring, the ONLY reason I came on here was to warn other consumers that if you do deal with this vendor then you do have to work by as the others have put it an "imaginary playbook or set of rules". I totally agree with you Kenny he is no more or less of a jerk because of the way he reacted to my mother being ill. Having said that, making this whole post about my mother is missing the point, I don't think it would have mattered WHY I asked for the diamond back again.

The fact is I got crappy non existent service for over 6 months and then when I asked for the diamond back (irrespective of the reason why I wanted it back again) he refused to give it back unless I either sold it to him or paid him $3000 which was and is completely unacceptable bordering on being illegal.

My mother being ill and mentioning it to Leon in no way diminishes his zany behaviour including coming on here several times to abuse me and other P/S members.
 

Niel

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Her mothers health changes nothing about this transaction.

Does it matter if she hated the process AND her mother was dying or of she ONLY hated the process?
Would it be more or less appropriate for him to refuse the release of her stone until payment for no services rendered if she hadnt mentioned her mother?

The story goes, she got terrible service, she decided not to continue with the process, he decided to hold the stone until paid for service she feels he never delivered.

The fact she mentioned her mother adds color, but does not give her more or less fault in this.

And the main reason she mentioned it in this story was that it had connection to the terribly unprofessional actions of LM after the fact.
 

arkieb1

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The main reason I mentioned my mother is a couple of people asked me to give the full account of what happened. I did. You might all recall after I sold the diamond which was over a month ago I said it was sold and I NEVER mentioned any of this on here, I really did not want my private life dumped all over P/S. The fact that it now has been is not because I am seeking sympathy of any kind, quite the opposite given how nutty Leon's behaviour can be the last thing I wanted to do continue to fight with him. I have given you an account of what happened what any of you do with that is up to you.
 

diamondseeker2006

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The issues with her mother are 100% irrelevant. She could have told him about her entire family history for all I care. This train is way off track and it is not fair to start blaming Arkie for anything. She had the right as the stone's owner to ask for her stone back at any time. It was HERS. She was patient for a very long time and I do not blame her one bit for asking for her diamond back, reasons are irrelevant.

The point is he kept her stone WAY too long, made little effort to work with her on the design, and then refused to return the stone when she asked for it back. For the record, I was told by another trade person very recently that Leon had another stone he was holding hostage and refusing to release.

The people who usually have no trouble are the ones who ask him to duplicate one of his existing designs. Maybe 95% of people are satisfied with their experience. I just wouldn't give him my business because his actions are abhorrent in the other 5%.
 

Circe

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Back when my father worked on 47th, he used to say that first, you make your reputation, and then, your reputation makes you.

Leon's reputation is not working in his favor right now.

As for bringing one's personal life into one's business ... sure, it shouldn't get somebody special favors. However, getting your property back isn't a special favor. Arkie's the victim here, so why the nitpicking? Is it just a way for people to indulge their worthier-than-thou justifications of why these things have never happened to them? Pro-tip, folks: luck.
 

momma2boys

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Circe|1383443990|3549338 said:
Back when my father worked on 47th, he used to say that first, you make your reputation, and then, your reputation makes you.

Leon's reputation is not working in his favor right now.

As for bringing one's personal life into one's business ... sure, it shouldn't get somebody special favors. However, getting your property back isn't a special favor. Arkie's the victim here, so why the nitpicking? Is it just a way for people to indulge their worthier-than-thou justifications of why these things have never happened to them? Pro-tip, folks: luck.


+1000!
 

ame

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diamondseeker2006|1383442199|3549321 said:
The issues with her mother are 100% irrelevant. She could have told him about her entire family history for all I care. This train is way off track and it is not fair to start blaming Arkie for anything. She had the right as the stone's owner to ask for her stone back at any time. It was HERS. She was patient for a very long time and I do not blame her one bit for asking for her diamond back, reasons are irrelevant.

The point is he kept her stone WAY too long, made little effort to work with her on the design, and then refused to return the stone when she asked for it back. For the record, I was told by another trade person very recently that Leon had another stone he was holding hostage and refusing to release.

The people who usually have no trouble are the ones who ask him to duplicate one of his existing designs. Maybe 95% of people are satisfied with their experience. I just wouldn't give him my business because his actions are abhorrent in the other 5%.


Circe|1383443990|3549338 said:
Back when my father worked on 47th, he used to say that first, you make your reputation, and then, your reputation makes you.

Leon's reputation is not working in his favor right now.

As for bringing one's personal life into one's business ... sure, it shouldn't get somebody special favors. However, getting your property back isn't a special favor. Arkie's the victim here, so why the nitpicking? Is it just a way for people to indulge their worthier-than-thou justifications of why these things have never happened to them? Pro-tip, folks: luck.
+1,000,000 to both of these.
 

CharmyPoo

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I am not here justifying Leon's behavior. Clearly no consumer will be satisfied with the events that occurred. It is unprofessional to share any private emails with a client publicly.

Leon's behavior should be no surprise to many people who frequent PS. There are many occasions of bad customer service that are well documented here and his treatment to other vendors are even publicly posted on his website. It has for many years gone past "artistic" temperament and his popularity on PS has decreased over the years to the point that very few regulars recommend him. This isn't new! That's why I am surprised that PSers would be surprised when they run into trouble working with him. I agree holding a diamond hostage is probably something new which is why arkieb is sharing for public awareness and a warning to others. I am not criticizing this at all nor am I even nit picking!

Leon works best in situations where one know what they want - you place an order (subject to one or two discussions with him around design), make sure the work order reflects every detail that was agreed to, you give him your stone(s), you sign the work order and pay a deposit, and then X months later you pay the balance and get your goods. I have done numerous transactions with him. There was once he made the wrong ring and we just went back to the work order (which I reviewed in great detail before signing) and no fuss .. he remade the ring for me. There was another incident where he assumed what I wanted and quoted me .. then he looked at the picture and saw that I wanted something a bit different but he honored his original quote. I am not worthier-than-thou and had my share of crap in my life. I don't see all bad things in life having to do with luck ... but I digress as I don't even see how that has anything to do with this discussion. What has happened has nothing to do with good luck / bad luck.

With all this said, should the diamond have been returned? Absolutely! Should a design fee be charged? I don't know because from what I have read - he claims he gave design ideas while arkieb claims she did not receive any. None of us know what really happened because we weren't there ... we don't have records of phone conversations (or even if any actually occurred) and we have no proof that any publicly posted emails or forwarded emails haven't been modified. My thoughts shared in this paragraph would apply regardless of who the vendor is or who the consumer is. Heck, if it was me and Steven Kirsch or Victor Canera or Leon Mege or GOG or ERD or whoever .. it would still apply.

And I just want to be VERY VERY CLEAR. I feel really bad that this happened to arkieb and no one should have to go through this for a project that is suppose to be fun. No one should have to go through all this trouble after making a decision to stop the pain and move on. I wasn't even planning to post my views as I know most people here don't share my views or it may appear to be not be sympathetic. I am sympathetic to the situation.

I debated back and forth whether or not I should even post this reply but I wrote it so here goes to hitting submit (ready to dodge stones thrown at me) ....
 

arkieb1

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Charmy & everyone else. I agree we are not on here to attack each other, I feel much the same way you do in that people are tossing stones at me when I honestly had many reasons for not wanting to post anything about this at all. When I posted the review on Yelp a few weeks ago it was two lines and it did not mention my mother or any other personal circumstances. I would have been VERY happy to leave it at that. When Leon started with the personal attacks that is when it got just that - personal.

I have a number of emails from Leon where he goes into personal reasons why this project was not completed in a timely manner. At the time I thought it was fine to tell him about my personal circumstances with my mother when I requested the diamond back again, if others disagree with that then you are all entitled to you own POVs.

I would ask you this, wouldn't it be a logical assumption to make that ALL design fees or fees in general be disclosed upfront before any dealings with any vendor? In this case they were not. There was no work order ever signed and no discussion of any fees for anything disclosed to me at any time. There is also the matter of what is a "fair and reasonable" amount of time a consumer should allow a vendor in order to complete a project, or in this case to even present any ideas.

The ridiculous amount of time it took from the start to recovering the diamond half a year later was mostly of Leon's doing not mine. I am sorry if I did not know that there is an imaginary "playbook of rules" when dealing with this vendor, but it is ludicrous that there should be this set of rules from the outset let alone that every consumer who walks in the door is going to know how to follow them.

I have never claimed no ideas were exchanged. Leon took 3 months to send me a link to a ring it took his bench 12 weeks to make (which is why it took so long to send me the link) which was his artistic vision for the stone. I didn't like it. After more disagreement and emails he sent me 2 more badly photoshopped ideas. Because of the time difference we NEVER talked on the phone at all which he claims and is an outright lie. If you wish to read all of the emails from start to finish as specific "proof" of what occurred here you are more than welcome to do so, I have nothing to hide, in fact the tone in the later exchanges from Leon, which I have not posted on here might shock even you....

I requested a three sided halo in pave. Leon didn't like this idea and I do agree from that point onwards I should have stepped up and acted much sooner in recovering the stone from him. The benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing.

P/S members asked me to come forward and write my account of what happened on here, that is what I have done. The whole situation at the time created a great deal of both stress and drama in my life that I really did not need. I do not wish to relive it daily on here, nor do I believe that I should have to continue to defend my actions to any of you. I am over it and have moved on.

I make the observation both to you and to Kenny my mothers condition in this cautionary account is completely irrelevant. No vendor has the right to withhold a consumers diamond and then effectively bully and blackmail them into selling it to them or suddenly without warning charge a large sum of money when no formal or indeed informal agreement was ever made in regards to any such fees. It is simply not a legal or ethical way to do business and that is at the crux of the whole situation.
 

CharmyPoo

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arkieb1|1383461950|3549433 said:
No vendor has the right to withhold a consumers diamond and then effectively bully and blackmail them into selling it to them or suddenly without warning charge a large sum of money when no formal or indeed informal agreement was ever made in regards to any such fees. It is simply not a legal or ethical way to do business and that is at the crux of the whole situation.

I fully agree with this. Thank you for sharing more details of your story.

I too don't want you to relive this daily and hope it will go away soon!
 

kenny

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If anyone thinks I support Leon Mege holding the diamond against the owners will, or that I support him in any way please go back and read my two posts in this thread.
On my computer, in my time zone, PST, they were posted 29 Oct 2013 11:20 and 02 Nov 2013 17:17.

In fact, I'm the only one who had the balls to risk getting banned for challenging admin to fire Leon Mege as an advertiser here.

I've been reading PS for 10 years.
My negative opinion of LM was firmly established long before this thread.
 

bgray

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kenny|1383437833|3549297 said:
First, I'm glad your mom's better.

I agree that telling LM aboubt your mom's failing health was not relevant or appropriate.
IMO, doing so weakens your strength of your position in this conflict.

Are sellers to have two polices, one more generous one for customers with sob stories?
How are sellers to know sob stories are not made up when customers are negotiating a transaction?
How many times has a car salesman told me, during price negotiations, about the wife and kids he has to support?

Nobody held a gun to your head to make you spend money on jewelry that you apparently should have set aside for unforeseen emergencies.

I'm not saying LM is not a jerk, he is and I'd never give him a dime or refer anyone to him.
But he is no more of a jerk because telling him about your mom's health issues did not help you get your way.

IMO what you tried to use as ammo against LM has backfired.
Better to not have mentioned it to LM, or to us in this thread.

Kenny:

Despite your last post declaring that you do not support LM ,I am replying to this post because your declaration is irrelevant. THIS post was highly insulting, condescending and just plain oblivious to the very clearly stated facts regarding Arkieb1's interaction with Leon Mege. I bolded everything I have issue with and I am not going to comment further except to say I think you owe her an apology.
 

Acinom

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bgray|1383486561|3549491 said:
kenny|1383437833|3549297 said:
First, I'm glad your mom's better.

I agree that telling LM aboubt your mom's failing health was not relevant or appropriate.
IMO, doing so weakens your strength of your position in this conflict.

Are sellers to have two polices, one more generous one for customers with sob stories?
How are sellers to know sob stories are not made up when customers are negotiating a transaction?
How many times has a car salesman told me, during price negotiations, about the wife and kids he has to support?

Nobody held a gun to your head to make you spend money on jewelry that you apparently should have set aside for unforeseen emergencies.

I'm not saying LM is not a jerk, he is and I'd never give him a dime or refer anyone to him.
But he is no more of a jerk because telling him about your mom's health issues did not help you get your way.

IMO what you tried to use as ammo against LM has backfired.
Better to not have mentioned it to LM, or to us in this thread.

Kenny:

Despite your last post declaring that you do not support LM ,I am replying to this post because your declaration is irrelevant. THIS post was highly insulting, condescending and just plain oblivious to the very clearly stated facts regarding Arkieb1's interaction with Leon Mege. I bolded everything I have issue with and I am not going to comment further except to say I think you owe her an apology.

+1
Well said Bgray!
 

dk168

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IMHO, Kenny was bold enough to voice his own opinions as he saw fit.

Afterall, so far, apart from what had been posted on Yelp (and I have not read any of it), we only have one side of the story, and LM had not come and put his side of the story across on PS.

Therefore, let us not degenerate into a mud sling amongst fellow PSers.

DK :shock:
 

Circe

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CharmyPoo said:
I am not here justifying Leon's behavior. Clearly no consumer will be satisfied with the events that occurred. It is unprofessional to share any private emails with a client publicly.

Leon's behavior should be no surprise to many people who frequent PS. There are many occasions of bad customer service that are well documented here and his treatment to other vendors are even publicly posted on his website. It has for many years gone past "artistic" temperament and his popularity on PS has decreased over the years to the point that very few regulars recommend him. This isn't new! That's why I am surprised that PSers would be surprised when they run into trouble working with him. I agree holding a diamond hostage is probably something new which is why arkieb is sharing for public awareness and a warning to others. I am not criticizing this at all nor am I even nit picking!

Leon works best in situations where one know what they want - you place an order (subject to one or two discussions with him around design), make sure the work order reflects every detail that was agreed to, you give him your stone(s), you sign the work order and pay a deposit, and then X months later you pay the balance and get your goods. I have done numerous transactions with him. There was once he made the wrong ring and we just went back to the work order (which I reviewed in great detail before signing) and no fuss .. he remade the ring for me. There was another incident where he assumed what I wanted and quoted me .. then he looked at the picture and saw that I wanted something a bit different but he honored his original quote. I am not worthier-than-thou and had my share of crap in my life. I don't see all bad things in life having to do with luck ... but I digress as I don't even see how that has anything to do with this discussion. What has happened has nothing to do with good luck / bad luck.

With all this said, should the diamond have been returned? Absolutely! Should a design fee be charged? I don't know because from what I have read - he claims he gave design ideas while arkieb claims she did not receive any. None of us know what really happened because we weren't there ... we don't have records of phone conversations (or even if any actually occurred) and we have no proof that any publicly posted emails or forwarded emails haven't been modified. My thoughts shared in this paragraph would apply regardless of who the vendor is or who the consumer is. Heck, if it was me and Steven Kirsch or Victor Canera or Leon Mege or GOG or ERD or whoever .. it would still apply.

And I just want to be VERY VERY CLEAR. I feel really bad that this happened to arkieb and no one should have to go through this for a project that is suppose to be fun. No one should have to go through all this trouble after making a decision to stop the pain and move on. I wasn't even planning to post my views as I know most people here don't share my views or it may appear to be not be sympathetic. I am sympathetic to the situation.

I debated back and forth whether or not I should even post this reply but I wrote it so here goes to hitting submit (ready to dodge stones thrown at me) ....

Thank you for explaining that, Charmypoo - I didn't intend to jump on you, but I was a little incensed by Kenny's comment responding to yours (thanks to Kenny as well for explaining). I know people have had the full range of experiences with Leon: I'm just not sure if this thread is a place to praise/defend him without implying that if the OP had done X, Y, or Z differently, it would have been fine, when what it seems to come down to is that, talent or no talent, Mege is volatile and occasionally unethical.
 

pixgirl

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CharmyPoo|1383458474|3549420 said:
I am not here justifying Leon's behavior. Clearly no consumer will be satisfied with the events that occurred. It is unprofessional to share any private emails with a client publicly.

Leon's behavior should be no surprise to many people who frequent PS. There are many occasions of bad customer service that are well documented here and his treatment to other vendors are even publicly posted on his website. It has for many years gone past "artistic" temperament and his popularity on PS has decreased over the years to the point that very few regulars recommend him. This isn't new! That's why I am surprised that PSers would be surprised when they run into trouble working with him. I agree holding a diamond hostage is probably something new which is why arkieb is sharing for public awareness and a warning to others. I am not criticizing this at all nor am I even nit picking!

Leon works best in situations where one know what they want - you place an order (subject to one or two discussions with him around design), make sure the work order reflects every detail that was agreed to, you give him your stone(s), you sign the work order and pay a deposit, and then X months later you pay the balance and get your goods. I have done numerous transactions with him. There was once he made the wrong ring and we just went back to the work order (which I reviewed in great detail before signing) and no fuss .. he remade the ring for me. There was another incident where he assumed what I wanted and quoted me .. then he looked at the picture and saw that I wanted something a bit different but he honored his original quote. I am not worthier-than-thou and had my share of crap in my life. I don't see all bad things in life having to do with luck ... but I digress as I don't even see how that has anything to do with this discussion. What has happened has nothing to do with good luck / bad luck.

With all this said, should the diamond have been returned? Absolutely! Should a design fee be charged? I don't know because from what I have read - he claims he gave design ideas while arkieb claims she did not receive any. None of us know what really happened because we weren't there ... we don't have records of phone conversations (or even if any actually occurred) and we have no proof that any publicly posted emails or forwarded emails haven't been modified. My thoughts shared in this paragraph would apply regardless of who the vendor is or who the consumer is. Heck, if it was me and Steven Kirsch or Victor Canera or Leon Mege or GOG or ERD or whoever .. it would still apply.

And I just want to be VERY VERY CLEAR. I feel really bad that this happened to arkieb and no one should have to go through this for a project that is suppose to be fun. No one should have to go through all this trouble after making a decision to stop the pain and move on. I wasn't even planning to post my views as I know most people here don't share my views or it may appear to be not be sympathetic. I am sympathetic to the situation.

I debated back and forth whether or not I should even post this reply but I wrote it so here goes to hitting submit (ready to dodge stones thrown at me) ....

+1
 

bgray

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pixgirl|1383501481|3549594 said:
CharmyPoo|1383458474|3549420 said:
I am not here justifying Leon's behavior. Clearly no consumer will be satisfied with the events that occurred. It is unprofessional to share any private emails with a client publicly.

Leon's behavior should be no surprise to many people who frequent PS. There are many occasions of bad customer service that are well documented here and his treatment to other vendors are even publicly posted on his website. It has for many years gone past "artistic" temperament and his popularity on PS has decreased over the years to the point that very few regulars recommend him. This isn't new! That's why I am surprised that PSers would be surprised when they run into trouble working with him. I agree holding a diamond hostage is probably something new which is why arkieb is sharing for public awareness and a warning to others. I am not criticizing this at all nor am I even nit picking!

Leon works best in situations where one know what they want - you place an order (subject to one or two discussions with him around design), make sure the work order reflects every detail that was agreed to, you give him your stone(s), you sign the work order and pay a deposit, and then X months later you pay the balance and get your goods. I have done numerous transactions with him. There was once he made the wrong ring and we just went back to the work order (which I reviewed in great detail before signing) and no fuss .. he remade the ring for me. There was another incident where he assumed what I wanted and quoted me .. then he looked at the picture and saw that I wanted something a bit different but he honored his original quote. I am not worthier-than-thou and had my share of crap in my life. I don't see all bad things in life having to do with luck ... but I digress as I don't even see how that has anything to do with this discussion. What has happened has nothing to do with good luck / bad luck.

With all this said, should the diamond have been returned? Absolutely! Should a design fee be charged? I don't know because from what I have read - he claims he gave design ideas while arkieb claims she did not receive any. None of us know what really happened because we weren't there ... we don't have records of phone conversations (or even if any actually occurred) and we have no proof that any publicly posted emails or forwarded emails haven't been modified. My thoughts shared in this paragraph would apply regardless of who the vendor is or who the consumer is. Heck, if it was me and Steven Kirsch or Victor Canera or Leon Mege or GOG or ERD or whoever .. it would still apply.

And I just want to be VERY VERY CLEAR. I feel really bad that this happened to arkieb and no one should have to go through this for a project that is suppose to be fun. No one should have to go through all this trouble after making a decision to stop the pain and move on. I wasn't even planning to post my views as I know most people here don't share my views or it may appear to be not be sympathetic. I am sympathetic to the situation.

I debated back and forth whether or not I should even post this reply but I wrote it so here goes to hitting submit (ready to dodge stones thrown at me) ....

+1

For the few of you that seem to think that Leon's behavior is to be expected/ i.e. predictable and the person should know what to expect and that Leon operates with very specific rules and so on and so on as if to say that Arkieb1 got what she deserved I say that is a glib and irresponsible assertion. Leon has had things in WRITING that he DID NOT HONOR. Leon has REFUSED to put things in minute detail on his paperwork despite having it requested and then thrown a hissy fit when the customer walked. Leon has made mistakes that he refused to acknowledge and blamed the customer. So just because you follow the rules of Leon doesnt mean you will get what you expect. Just because Arkieb1 didnt have everything written down in minute detail and assumed a collaborative interaction would result in a piece of jewelry to her expectation doesnt mean she did anything wrong. Leon can be, as are many sociopaths, very charming. At first blush one might easily feel that heavily detailed written documentation might not be necessary. I have purchased items, had custom projects made and had restoration work done by some of the finest craftsman and jewelers that exist anywhere: David Webb, Carvin French, Van Cleef, Verdura, Fred Leighton, Stephen Russell, McTiegue and McClelland. Most frequently with a scrap of paper and a few words and a sketch documenting the transaction. I have NEVER had such ugly, bizarre and unprofessional experiences as I have had with Leon with anyone else.
 

diamondseeker2006

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Messages
58,547
bgray, I do hope you will record your experience just so that there is no misunderstanding about Leon's strange behavior.

I have already posted that I know of another situation where someone bought a stone from his diamond concierge service and he would not release the stone because he was mad they were having it set elsewhere.

Then there are two cases posted here that I know of where his thin solitaire settings actually came apart. One was Harriet and I can't recall the name of the other. But I know that one of those experiences was not satisfactorily resolved.

People, Leon didn't want a $250 fee like some vendors charge for a CAD, he told her he wanted THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS!!! Umm, she could have bought a SETTING for that much elsewhere! What he did was unethical AND illegal. There was NO agreement at the outset that she'd have to pay a design fee if the stone was not set. And now there is proof of his lying because of what he posted in reply to her review.
 

pixgirl

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Mar 30, 2010
Messages
245
bgray|1383503342|3549606 said:
pixgirl|1383501481|3549594 said:
CharmyPoo|1383458474|3549420 said:
I am not here justifying Leon's behavior. Clearly no consumer will be satisfied with the events that occurred. It is unprofessional to share any private emails with a client publicly.

Leon's behavior should be no surprise to many people who frequent PS. There are many occasions of bad customer service that are well documented here and his treatment to other vendors are even publicly posted on his website. It has for many years gone past "artistic" temperament and his popularity on PS has decreased over the years to the point that very few regulars recommend him. This isn't new! That's why I am surprised that PSers would be surprised when they run into trouble working with him. I agree holding a diamond hostage is probably something new which is why arkieb is sharing for public awareness and a warning to others. I am not criticizing this at all nor am I even nit picking!

Leon works best in situations where one know what they want - you place an order (subject to one or two discussions with him around design), make sure the work order reflects every detail that was agreed to, you give him your stone(s), you sign the work order and pay a deposit, and then X months later you pay the balance and get your goods. I have done numerous transactions with him. There was once he made the wrong ring and we just went back to the work order (which I reviewed in great detail before signing) and no fuss .. he remade the ring for me. There was another incident where he assumed what I wanted and quoted me .. then he looked at the picture and saw that I wanted something a bit different but he honored his original quote. I am not worthier-than-thou and had my share of crap in my life. I don't see all bad things in life having to do with luck ... but I digress as I don't even see how that has anything to do with this discussion. What has happened has nothing to do with good luck / bad luck.

With all this said, should the diamond have been returned? Absolutely! Should a design fee be charged? I don't know because from what I have read - he claims he gave design ideas while arkieb claims she did not receive any. None of us know what really happened because we weren't there ... we don't have records of phone conversations (or even if any actually occurred) and we have no proof that any publicly posted emails or forwarded emails haven't been modified. My thoughts shared in this paragraph would apply regardless of who the vendor is or who the consumer is. Heck, if it was me and Steven Kirsch or Victor Canera or Leon Mege or GOG or ERD or whoever .. it would still apply.

And I just want to be VERY VERY CLEAR. I feel really bad that this happened to arkieb and no one should have to go through this for a project that is suppose to be fun. No one should have to go through all this trouble after making a decision to stop the pain and move on. I wasn't even planning to post my views as I know most people here don't share my views or it may appear to be not be sympathetic. I am sympathetic to the situation.

I debated back and forth whether or not I should even post this reply but I wrote it so here goes to hitting submit (ready to dodge stones thrown at me) ....

+1

For the few of you that seem to think that Leon's behavior is to be expected/ i.e. predictable and the person should know what to expect and that Leon operates with very specific rules and so on and so on as if to say that Arkieb1 got what she deserved I say that is a glib and irresponsible assertion. Leon has had things in WRITING that he DID NOT HONOR. Leon has REFUSED to put things in minute detail on his paperwork despite having it requested and then thrown a hissy fit when the customer walked. Leon has made mistakes that he refused to acknowledge and blamed the customer. So just because you follow the rules of Leon doesnt mean you will get what you expect. Just because Arkieb1 didnt have everything written down in minute detail and assumed a collaborative interaction would result in a piece of jewelry to her expectation doesnt mean she did anything wrong. Leon can be, as are many sociopaths, very charming. At first blush one might easily feel that heavily detailed written documentation might not be necessary. I have purchased items, had custom projects made and had restoration work done by some of the finest craftsman and jewelers that exist anywhere: David Webb, Carvin French, Van Cleef, Verdura, Fred Leighton, Stephen Russell, McTiegue and McClelland. Most frequently with a scrap of paper and a few words and a sketch documenting the transaction. I have NEVER had such ugly, bizarre and unprofessional experiences as I have had with Leon with anyone else.


bgray - no one is disputing your or Arkieb1's problems with Leon, I am just telling my story which is different. This is not meant as disrespect to or invalidation of either of you. It is just the truthful telling of my experience.
 

smitcompton

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Feb 11, 2006
Messages
3,254
Hi,

Most states have a Consumer Fraud Division. I really suggest you fill out the on line complaint form and relay your experience.
They decide if they wish to pursue this case. It might help future clients of Leon.


While kenny does not need my defense, I will add that the reason the mother's illness was not a good idea,(to me) is that Leon took that as an excuse to get the diamond back. It would have had more power if you just told him to return the diamond as he was not making progress.hard to do , I know. Artistic talent is still never an excuse for this awful behavior. Never, Ever.

Me, I would file a complaint with the NY Consumer Fraud Division, and let it go. Sorry it happened.
I would be off the wall about it.

Annette
 

arkieb1

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
May 11, 2012
Messages
9,786
For all of you that have had positive experiences with Leon I am sincerely happy this was the case, because I do not wish what happened to me on anyone else. For the record Leon has defended himself on the Yelp review and he was more than welcome to come on here in a rational manner and defend himself. Instead, he came on here twice under false usernames called me and other members every name under the sun which got taken off by the moderators. If that seems like normal rational behaviour to any of you then you are obviously living in a totally different reality to me.

I don't think anyone can speculate that it was or wasn't fair or correct for me to mention my mother in this whole sorry saga, because unless you have read the actual emails in which Leon mentions personal things about himself, you cannot judge if that was the right or the wrong call to make.

Since selling the diamond and since posting my account of what occurred on P/S a small number of people have contacted me and told me their ugly Leon stories, most of them do not wish to post their experiences on here for fear of being torn apart or criticised because other people have had wonderful experiences with this vendor. Does this make their stories any less valid? I have no desire to have any part of my personal life posted, analysed and attacked on any public forum. So what is the right or the wrong thing to do in this situation? Be silent about it and let it go, remove this post, or tell others this is what happened to me as a cursory warning to anyone else.

Yes Kenny I agree, it took balls to mention that this person should be named shamed and banned from this forum. It also took balls to detail exactly what happened and allow everyone the opportunity to criticise me in doing so.

I will be requesting that the moderators lock this post so that no more comments can be made. I have given my account. The diamond has been sold. Drama over. I think it is time that we all moved on.
 

AGBF

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 26, 2003
Messages
22,143
arkieb1|1383000815|3546380 said:
Since Leon Mege thinks it is funny to cut and paste my words in Yelp, I have decided that maybe it IS time I did the same, I was not going to put anything on this forum, but if Leon can cut and paste my emails then I think it is fair that I do the same.......

Hi, arkieb1. I have not been on Pricescope for a few days because the father of a very close friend died and I was busy doing things in my off-line life. When I first saw this thread, it already had six pages!

Since you and I have corresponded about this situation by e-mail, you know what I think of Leon. I am glad to have this opportunity to tell the rest of world what I told you: I find him beneath contempt. I am glad that things came to a head only insofar as they finally gave me the chance to say this publicly.

I am very sorry for your suffering with your mother. It would be nice if Leon apologized to you.

Deb/AGBF
 

Ella

Brilliant_Rock
Staff member
Premium
Joined
Jan 18, 2010
Messages
1,621
This thread is being closed at the request of the OP. To avoid any confusion or questions about us stifling a conversation about a vendor on purpose, we want users to know that you are welcome to start a new thread discussing your own experiences with any vendor, including the vendor discussed in this thread.

Please do not bring the OP's situation into the new thread, discussion should be your own experiences.

We also want to take this moment to mention that we do not endorse any vendors, advertisers or not on PS. We do take behavior on and off the forum into consideration with every vendor we allow to advertise here and this situation, both sides, will be noted.
 
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