Newbie that needs advice on buying online

[Bill_LumbergTPS]

I''m looking to buy a loose diamond and wondered if there''s anything I should look out for if buying online. I''ve been looking on e-bay and other sites but some of the stones and companies look a little shady. Does anyone have any recommendations of companies or places to look at (on ebay or internet in general) that are fairly inexpensive and won''t rip me off.

Thanks

 

[pqcollectibles]

Read the Price Scope Tutorial and browse through the posts in the forum. eBay is a great place to pick up deals, but you'll understand why you don't want to go eBay for this purchase. It's all about Cut, Cut, Cut. And for the most part, eBay sellers don't deal in top quality levels of cut. Plus too, their prices are higher than comparable diamonds listed through Price Scope.

After you've read and learned, click on compare in the top menu bar of Price Scope. You can check inventory (it's always changing) and compare prices.

Check out the Price Scope Vendors. White Flash, Good Old Gold, USA Certified, Superb Cert, Affordable Diamonds and Trade Shop, just to name a few. Go with the one that guides you the most, makes you feel most comfortable, has the best return/exchange/life time trade up policy, etc. From the many posts I've read, the PS vendors are all reputable. They stand behind their diamonds. No one has ever said they weren't given their money back if they weren't satisfied. Several PS vendors will even ship direct to an independent appraiser prior to you having to pay for the diamond.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

 

[dazednconfused]

Don't hesitate about buying online. Here is info from a post I did earlier...

I just bought over the net. First, I did a lot of research. Then I narrowed it down tyoe of cut I wanted (round, emerald, etc). Then I went to a local store and asked to see some diamonds. I had no idea what the color or carat weight looked like in person. Then I did a search for some stones on pricescope. I was a little uneasy about buying over the net. I ended up working with Julie at USACerted. She was excellent and their prices were the best. I highly recommend her. I based my stone selection on the specifications and Julie ran a list of stones that fit my criteria. I selected a few and she obtained the certs. We both looked at the cert to determine if it was a stone worth considering. After I had found 2 I liked, I had them both sent directly to a reputable appraiser (Martin Fuller in VA) in my local area. Please note, that neither stone was paid for since it was being sent directly to an appraiser. When I arrived at the appraiser, we both opened the FedEx boxes and examined the stones. Once I selected the one I liked, I made the payment arrangements with USACerted. The other stone is sent back to the supplier and your stone is kept by the appraiser until your payment is cleared with USACerted. I found this process to be extremely easy. I would not hestitate to recommend this buying strategy to anyone. Your appraiser will be able to recommend a jeweler to set your stone. Also, many people may not feel it necessary to send more than 1 stone to the appraiser. I wanted to compare the 2 side by side.

 

[homer_j]

Excellent advice, pqcollectibles.

I also just finished my online buying experience with Julie at USAcerted. Everything went well and I would recommend them. Don't be dissuaded by there website, it's a mess, but they do great work in helping you get what you want at the best price. But don't stop there, check out everyone you can and read as much as you can, you will be amazed by how much you learn. Good luck.

 

[SkyMonkey]

Bill,

I was in exactly your position last December. After intial reservations about buying online I did the research on vendors and went with Whiteflash. Had a great experience with them and over the moon with the stone. Others have had equally great experiences with other on-line vendors, some of whom are mentioned above - check out the testimonials by searching against vendor names.

Other than that I cannot add to the excellent advice given above! Oh, only to say that one other thing which put me at ease about an on-line purchase was the use of an independent appraiser - definitely use one to confirm you're getting what you've paid for.

SkyMonkey

 

[Bill_LumbergTPS]

Thank you all for your help. I'll definitely check out these great resources. It sounds like buying online is relatively painless and most of you are satisfied customers. I'll follow all of your advice and stay away from ebay and check out the vendor selections here at price scope. I'm really glad I found this message board and Web site.

Thanks.

Bill