Online vs. B&M

[ajdubya126]

In your opinion, is it best to buy online or at B&M? My friend received a beautiful .75 carat round cut solitaire from Union Diamond.com for about $3000. Is this a reputable company? What are some reputable companies besides Blue Nile?

I feel like I would be able to get a good deal at a B&M because you can always talk them down, but the ease of online buying is appealing. Also how do repairs and cleanings work with online purchased rings?

 

[oldminer]

Some folks like a face to face deal while others prefer Internet transactions. The best of the Internet dealers make it quite personal even at a distance which sort of bridges the gap between the two methods.

You can ask for a discount from anyone who sells, but only those with an added profit can accept making the deal for less. Internet vendors,m as a generalization, have very little room to mark down any prices on diamonds. The profits are VERY slim. In a B&M store, the profit margin initially asked of you may be a little to a lot greater. Therefore you might succeed in gaining what appears to be a meaningful discount at a B&M store. However, the end rersult likely won''t beat a good Internet price to begin with.

Consumers shop the knowledge and pricing on the Internet and go to B&M stores to do most of their actual buying. They go well armed to negotiate because they have shopped the Internet sites already. B&M store owners are well aware of this effect and many will choose to compete, yet some won''t.

The ball is in your court. You should inform yourself and do the deal in the way you most prefer.