More Odd (Shady?) Behavior from LooseGrownDiamond?

[OboeGal]

Here we go again! Posting this as a warning for folks.

In addition to the problems I had with the 3-stone ring from LooseGrownDiamond that I posted about in another thread - which I'm still working on resolving (so have not yet updated that thread) - and the ongoing nightmare that I'm still in the midst of with Ouros, I have caught LooseGrownDiamond in more potentially shady practices. While I'm trying to settle issues with the prior two projects, I had been looking at loose stones for a different potential project from them and other vendors. Today, while looking at their inventory of a certain cut of stone, I found three stones that were each listed twice - once where the stone was described as uncerted and at a lower price, and again where it was described as IGI certed with a cert coming up that matched their description of the stone and at a higher price. In each case, the carat weight, dimensions, clarity, color, cut grade, and table and depth percentages matched to the number, and looking at the videos, it was clear that both listings were, indeed, the exact same stone.

I opened a chat with customer service to ask why I was seeing that. When I opened the chat, the agent was friendly, but once I typed out my question, they disappeared. I kept poking for an answer for a while, so at some point they replied that "the SKU is what makes a diamond different" - which is utterly nonsensical - and then immediately after said that they were "just customer service and couldn't help me" and cut off the chat.

Now, I could see that perhaps a stone would initially come from cutters and not yet be through the certification process but still be listed for sale at a lower price in case a potential buyer doesn't feel the need to have certification, and then relisted after it came back from certification at a higher price. Perhaps someone just screwed up when they relisted them after certification and forgot to remove the prior uncerted listings for them. But......why not say so then? Or why not say "Oh, wow, thanks for the heads up! I'll send word to my supervisor to look into that and get back with you" or some such. What if I'd been ready to buy one of those stones? I would have had no idea how to proceed.

I would like to think that it's just mistakes/miscommunications, which would totally track with my dealings with them - both their internal communication AND their communication with customers are absolutely horrible - but I'll admit I'm suspicious, because I also had them try to flake out and ghost me when it came time to rectify their mistakes at their cost. I'm concerned that they're taking videos and stats of nice-looking certed stones and reusing them for uncerted stones at a lower price point, since a buyer would have nothing but their listed stats and video to go off of, and then when someone "buys" what they see in the video and listing, they're actually sent something else than the listed/pictured stone - the good old bait and switch.

Obviously, whether this is just reflecting internal screw-ups and miscommunication or outright bait-and-switch, it's not a safe practice to buy an uncerted stone from them based on listed stats and videos, since what you're seeing may not match what you'd actually get.

 

[Karl_K]

No not really.
Like a lot of other sites they list content from different suppliers.
Many suppliers offer stones without reports based on internal grading and a video at lower prices for a time before sending them for reports.
It is extremely common for these type of things to happen because people are sloppy about removing the older listing once its relisted with the report.

The average CS person would have no idea what was going on.
It is something that is way above their pay grade and above their immediate supervisor most likely.
From the system the CS has available in front of him that a different sku makes it a different product is 100% true.
One product is a no report diamond and the other product is a diamond with a report. Even if the diamond is the same one that is 2 different products.
That one of the products should have been removed when the other was added is not something I would expect low level CS to know.
What likely happened is you asked something they did not know and was off script so they asked others if they knew(took a long time).
You were not happy with the answer.
It is standard practice to not argue with customers but rather to disconnect.

Sorry to hear about your other issues with the company but on this one I see the CS agents side.

 

[Karl_K]

I wanted to add that you will find many errors in anyone's listings who lists virtual diamonds including the PS search engine.
Many do not list stones without reports so this specific error might not happen but there will be listing issues.

 

[OboeGal]

No not really.
Like a lot of other sites they list content from different suppliers.
Many suppliers offer stones without reports based on internal grading and a video at lower prices for a time before sending them for reports.
It is extremely common for these type of things to happen because people are sloppy about removing the older listing once its relisted with the report.

The average CS person would have no idea what was going on.
It is something that is way above their pay grade and above their immediate supervisor most likely.
From the system the CS has available in front of him that a different sku makes it a different product is 100% true.
One product is a no report diamond and the other product is a diamond with a report. Even if the diamond is the same one that is 2 different products.
That one of the products should have been removed when the other was added is not something I would expect low level CS to know.
What likely happened is you asked something they did not know and was off script so they asked others if they knew(took a long time).
You were not happy with the answer.
It is standard practice to not argue with customers but rather to disconnect.

Sorry to hear about your other issues with the company but on this one I see the CS agents side.

Thank you, @Karl_K, for confirming the more benign explanation. I hoped that was the case and that they're still a reasonable source of loose stones, but I'll admit that I've become so jaded by the bad experiences I've had lately with them and other vendors that I'm having a hard time not jumping to the worst conclusions. I appreciate your help in keeping my cynicism reined in!

 

[togal]

I, personally, wouldn’t buy an uncerted stone. I could never feel confident that I received the stone that I ordered. That said, I had a second good experience with LGD. I ordered 5 x .50 ct stones, two of which were not available. The two alternates I was offered were two perfectly proportioned H & A stones that I know retailed at a higher price point point, but we’re offered at the price I paid for the original stones. I was glad to have all 5 certificates, to back-up what I received. Also, all 5 stones were received by me in under a week from the day I placed the order. I understand concerns about honest business practices, but for me, they’ve passed the test. I agree with what Karl wrote.

 

[OboeGal]

I, personally, wouldn’t buy an uncerted stone. I could never feel confident that I received the stone that I ordered. That said, I had a second good experience with LGD. I ordered 5 x .50 ct stones, two of which were not available. The two alternates I was offered were two perfectly proportioned H & A stones that I know retailed at a higher price point point, but we’re offered at the price I paid for the original stones. I was glad to have all 5 certificates, to back-up what I received. Also, all 5 stones were received by me in under a week from the day I placed the order. I understand concerns about honest business practices, but for me, they’ve passed the test. I agree with what Karl wrote.

I'm really glad you've had another good experience! Yes, I tend to agree about not buying an uncerted stone. I'm currently doing that with Ouros and all the doubts about what I'll actually be getting have been horrible. (Although to be fair to myself, it was my understanding that it WAS going to be a certed stone, and I found out partway into the process that, in fact, it WON'T be, which adds into the entirely wretched experience I'm having with them.) I'm totally willing to buy certed loose stones from LGD again.

 

[Natylad]

I've had only good experiences with LGD and I've made many purchases from them.
Once, the following thing happened:
I saw a listing for an uncerted RB diamond and the price was so good. Based on its great numbers, I decided to buy it without the cert but noted down all the details of the specs and I was planning on taking the stone for appraisal at my local appraiser.
Ten days later I received the diamond and it looked wonderful but after my jeweler louped it, he realized that there was, in fact, an IGI serial number on the girdle, which I hadn't noticed previously, even though I had louped it at home, because I was not looking for an IGI number, since I had bought it uncerted.
A week later I go home and find on the mail the original IGI report, which corresponded to my diamond!!!!
The bottom line is that I don't think that they are being shady and trying to misrepresent stones or swap them, etc. In my case, i bought an excellent stone for an extremely low price and profited the difference while, at the end, i also received that grading report, without an extra charge.
I believe that the explanation that @Karl_K gave is accurate.

 

[LilAlex]

I just assumed that they would talk you into the report. Like tire pricing. You get the tore price. Then you get disposal fee and the TPMS reset and...and...the resort fee...

 

[OboeGal]

I've had only good experiences with LGD and I've made many purchases from them.
Once, the following thing happened:
I saw a listing for an uncerted RB diamond and the price was so good. Based on its great numbers, I decided to buy it without the cert but noted down all the details of the specs and I was planning on taking the stone for appraisal at my local appraiser.
Ten days later I received the diamond and it looked wonderful but after my jeweler louped it, he realized that there was, in fact, an IGI serial number on the girdle, which I hadn't noticed previously, even though I had louped it at home, because I was not looking for an IGI number, since I had bought it uncerted.
A week later I go home and find on the mail the original IGI report, which corresponded to my diamond!!!!
The bottom line is that I don't think that they are being shady and trying to misrepresent stones or swap them, etc. In my case, i bought an excellent stone for an extremely low price and profited the difference while, at the end, i also received that grading report, without an extra charge.
I believe that the explanation that @Karl_K gave is accurate.

This is good to hear - further support that they're OK for loose stones! Thank you.

 

[OboeGal]

I just assumed that they would talk you into the report. Like tire pricing. You get the tore price. Then you get disposal fee and the TPMS reset and...and...the resort fee...

Yeah, I kind of thought that as well......