Please allow me to share my disappintment with you

[Daniela]

I want to share this sad experience with you folks because Pricescope has been such a big part of my life for the past few months. I read the posts every day, trying to learn as much as I can about being an informed consumer and enjoying all of the pictures of other people’s engagement rings. If there is anyone in the world who will understand how I feel after this story, it’s you guys.

My fiancé and I bought a beautiful diamond ring from a very reputable Pricescope vendor. I will post my positive testimonial about this vendor soon, as soon as I get this out of my system.

My stone is a lovely H SI-1 hearts and arrows stone, and it came in a lovely little ring box that lights up when you open it. The mounting is a platinum Stuler Solstice 4-prong. I couldn’t be happier with the stone, but I discovered the day after my boyfriend proposed that the stone was loose.

I called the seller, and he was very nice, immediately instructing me to take it to someone locally to have the stone secured in its mounting, and he would reimburse me for the repair costs. I thought that this was a fair solution to an honest mistake.

I took my ring to a jeweller here in Kingston to have the stone set properly in the mounting. The stone is now secure, as far as I can tell, thank God. The stone is also MY stone, of that I am certain because I can recognize my stone a mile a way due to the hearts and arrows pattern and the small crystal under the table (SI-1) which I have memorized. I can see it if I light up the stone from the back and look closely at a certain angle. This is thus not a sad story of stone switching, but rather one of a lesser theft.

Unfortunately the experience became a nightmare this morning. See, when I left the store, I had the sense that I was forgetting something. But I looked all around me--I had my purse, I had my ring, what else could I have forgotten? There was nothing of mine left on the counter. In my state of preoccupation over the loose stone, I had forgotten to ask the jeweller for the ring box back, the lovely white one with the light in it. I also discovered when I got home that he had forgotten to give me back my credit card.

 

[Daniela]

I went back first thing this morning. He gave me back my credit card and a ring box. The box he gave me back was not my box. Or rather, it was my box, minus the light bulb mechanism. There was a little hole where the light, etc. would have been attached. I said, "Oh, you must be mistaken. The box I left yesterday had a little light in it that turns on when you open the box." He replied, "Well, it was left on all day since you left it sitting on the counter. The light bulb must be burnt out." I knew that I had not left it on the counter since I looked around me before I left and saw nothing on the counter that belonged to me. I replied that that was impossible that the light bulb had burnt out, since there was NO light bulb in the box he had just handed me, there was only a hole where the light had been. I told him that I understood that he probably had a lot of ring boxes lying around, that he probably just handed the wrong one back, and could he please take a good look around his shop--in doing so, I argued, I'm sure he would find the ring box. He argued that no, I was mistaken, I must not have brought the box that I thought I had brought. I expressed my certainty that the light-up box was the box I left, and explained that perhaps the attachment from the box had been mislaid when he was doing the repair. He said that no, the attachment must have fallen out in my pocket.

I took a very deep breath and I said, "This is very disappointing." Then I started to walk away.

He started yelling at me. "Are you accusing me of stealing your ring box? What would I want with a ring box? I find this offensive." To which I replied, "As do I. I have no idea why you would want to steal a ring box. What I know is that the box you have just given me is either not the box I gave you, or it is missing the part of it that makes it so special."

And then I left, because what else could I do?

My stone is secure. It is my own. Of that I am sure beyond a shadow of a doubt. But the box that I loved has been stolen by a petty jeweller. Why, I have no idea.

I have also cancelled my credit card because in light of the ring box situation, I thought to myself that a jeweller who is dishonest about one thing will surely be dishonest about another. I do not want him to be able to steal more from me than he already has.

I know that it’s just a box, but can I report this type of theft to the jeweller’s vigilance committee? I truly believe is he would lie about and steal something like this, then there really is no guarantee that he would not steal something more important (like someone’s diamond!) from someone else.

 

[niceice]

That is disturbing and unfortunately there is very little that you can probably do about it because it is one of those "he said, she said" type of situations... It drives us nuts any time somebody sends us a ring along with their ring box because we're afraid of losing it, sounds funny, we've never lost a piece of jewelry or a diamond, but ring boxes to us are 'nothing' on a surface level and we're likely to toss out an old box and replace the box with a fresh new box... But we know better, we know that people have sentimental attachments to the ring which their engagement ring or other special jewelry item are presented in so our answer to this dilemma was to implement the use of plastic letter size trays for each customers job in additon to the standard take-in jewelry repair folders, the trays hold the paperwork and notes for each client and their special box if they left it with us... When they come to pick up their ring or when we ship it to them, we place the ring in a new box and give them back their old box...

But what we're really wondering is if the light was left on all day on the counter (1) why didn't the jeweler see it and close the box; and (2) why is there a hole where the light used to be? Sounds to us like somebody was trying to figure out what made that little box tick and they lost the bulb... Oops! Busted...

Maybe the seller can send you a new box? We know it's not the answer that you're looking for, but it's a beginning to resolving the issue. Don't know what JoAnne at the JVC would say about this one

 

[Daniela]

Robin and Todd--thanks for your reply. It's interesting, because your theory on the jeweller breaking the box had occurred to me, too. I guess I just think that if that was the case, he should have owned up to it and apologized and then offered to replace it or something.

Instead I was accused and lied to.

 

[pqcollectibles]

It kinda goes back to the Amazing Things jewelers say when they get caught with their pants down.

Maybe, as Todd said, the Vendor who sold you your ring will send you a new box to replace the damaged one.

 

[Daniela]

PQ,

I just checked my email and had a message from the vendor that sold me the ring. They are reimbursing me for the cost of the repair and sending a new box along with the cheque. It's a good thing, because I really like my box.

I feel a bit better about the situation now. Maybe after a bit of time I'll laugh at this stupid jeweller who, as you put it, got caught with his pants down.

I still got a bad vibe, though, so that's why I cancelled my credit card.

 

[Groovy Chick]

That certainly was a disappointing and upsetting event and i feel for you. I've never heard of a ring box that lights up - it sounds fabulous. I agree that the jeweller was probably poking around with his sticky beak to try and figure our how it worked (probably to copy such a good idea) and either lost or stole the tiny bulb, knowing he could then "play dumb". Either way, it is dishonest and mean. I'm glad you're able to get another box the same. That's brilliant. Just remember to keep everything in perspective and focus on the wonderful fact that you're ENGAGED - YAY! I just got engaged too My boyfriend of eighteen months proposed to me in Florida with a gorgeous solitaire pear (my choice). So, chin up, and on with your wedding plans girl...!




Pear Princess

 

[Giangi]

How sad!!!!! He stole you the ring box!! He must be very poor.

BTW, I'm glad to hear the online jeweler refunded you the money you spent! That's a great service!

 

[pqcollectibles]

Wooohooo! That's great! And I hear ya about the CC. I'd probably worry about that too. If people will lie about little things, what's to stop them from lieing about BIG things!

That's class on the part of your Vendor to replace the box! I am sure they are more than a tad embarassed for having shipped a ring with a loose diamond to begin with. But that happens from time to time to even the best of us. We are, after all, human.

My jeweler uses a local smith to do her work. This guy does quality work! He picks up/delivers to her shop on Tuesday's and Friday's. I had sent in a channel set ring for resizing and arrived to pick it up immediately after the smith made his delivery. The jeweler hadn't even had a chance to check the items he'd delivered when I arrived. When she got my ring out, she was double checking the size on her sizer when she noticed the stones had been loosened in the resizing. She caught him on his cell phone before he'd gotten too far from the shop. He came back by the store and took my ring back to his shop to make the necessary adjustments to tighten the stones.

 

[AGBF]

Hi, Daniela-

I am very glad that I got to read the story's ending right after reading its beginning. It makes me feel bad to hear the story. I hope you can, now, put it behind you.

Hugs,
Deb

 

[DiamondExpert]

Is it possible that another employee may have been involved without the jeweler knowing about it?

Perhaps another employee saw the box, noticed the light wasn't working, took it out and was planning to replace it, but couldn't find a fit.

These kinds of things could happen without each knowing what the other was doing.

Who knows, but an unfortunate incident for both you and the jeweler.

 

[DEVO]

Life is too short... yeah it wasn't a good move by the Jeweller but it's a box... a box with a light... whoopee. I'm sure you can get another box from the place you got the ring. Anyway, I thought worst when I read the title. So if I sound flipped it's because of that.

 

[mike04456]

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On 12/3/2003 2:58:39 PM DiamondExpert wrote:





These kinds of things could happen without each knowing what the other was doing.

Who knows, but an unfortunate incident for both you and the jeweler.
----------------

Gary has a point. Let's not immediately convict the jeweler of fraud. I think this sounds more like having a poor take-in policy. Everything a jeweler accepts from a customer should be tracked, and there should be standard procedures for handling it that all employees follow.

Niceice's post is an example of a good take-in policy.

 

[Mocha]

Hello Daniela, sorry to hear about your jeweller experience, but I am interested in hearing about the actual ring buying experience. I saw that you are from Kingston, and I am in Toronto and would like to know how things went since you live in Ontario and bought from the U.S. I am also interested in a particular vendor listed on Pricescope, but am unsure of the entire ordering process. I would love to know which vendor you dealt with and your thoughts on the experience as a whole- it would really help me out. You can post here or maybe you can message me? thanks, and congratulations on your engagement.
-Mocha

 

[Daniela]

Mocha,

I'm going to PM you so click on "My Profile" and check your personal messages.