Question about dirtcheap

[b52holly]

Hey guys...so I''ve pretty much decided to go with Dirt Cheap Diamonds for my princess stone purchase. But I have a few questions first...1.)what is the deal with the pscope discount- how much is it and how do you get it? 2.)Do you save money by doing wire transfer? 3.) I really want to go look at a few stones and choose from them (especially since they are princesses and I live right here in Maryland- about 20 mins from frederick) So is that possible? I''ve read on the forum that it is but when I called the first time I was told no? Whats up with that???

Any guidance would be great- thanks!

 

[pearcrazy]

You will save money doing a wire transfer, or pay by cashier's check or even personal check. All of those ways are considered "cash" and therefore get you that price. Keep in mind a wire transfer usually costs you a fee from your bank of $25 to $50 dollars, and most banks charge $5-20 dollars to make up a cashier's check. DirtCheap will hold off sending the diamond for 5-10 days to allow checks to clear (even cashier's checks take about 5 days). Wire transfers go out immediately and are therefore the quickest "cash" payment. A purchase by credit card will add 2% to the price since that is what they must pay VISA or Mastercard as a merchant's fee, but the diamond will go out immediately as well.

Ask about the pricescope discount when you call, I'm not sure what they offer.

As far as looking at the stones goes, I was told that when you have your choices narrowed down to 2 or 3 stones you could ask that they get them in for you to go look at. If they've changed their policy on that I'm not aware of it. They don't keep a large number of stones in stock but rather order them from another source.

 

[b52holly]

Thanks Pear...another question...the only bad thing about being in Maryland is that I'm gonna have to pay sales tax...know anyway of avoiding this??

 

[pearcrazy]

I don't think so unless you have an out of state friend or family member that you could give your money to to make the purchase for you.

 

[pearcrazy]

OK, I gave you some wrong information. Their website does say that you cannot go into the store for personal inspection of the diamonds even though I'd read a review from a customer that said just that. Hmmm curious. They do list an appraiser in area who will get the stones in for you though although I'm sure that you will incur an additional charge.

 

[pearcrazy]

OK here's some more information for you. Go to this site:

www.madisondiamonds.com

See if you find your diamond there at the same price. They say that you CAN go in and inspect the diamond first. They also offer free shipping on orders over $5000

 

[noobie]

b52holly,




Your best bet is to call Jim at DCD and ask him about your concerns. I've always found him to be very accomodating.

 

[hoorray]

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On 9/26/2004 3:09:19 PM noobie wrote:



b52holly,




Your best bet is to call Jim at DCD and ask him about your concerns. I've always found him to be very accomodating.
----------------

So have I. Jim Schultz is the President, and I have found that he will work with you to the best of his ability. Remember that these guys are not operating on high margins to begin with, so they need to keep the costs associated with the sale low. At the same time, you need enough information to make a great decision, so keep both in mind, and see what he can do to accomodate you.

 

[pearcrazy]

I suggested Madison Diamonds.com simply because they ARE DirtCheapDiamonds with a different name and slightly different policies on shipping and diamond inspection. I'm sure Jim will work to make Holly a happy camper!!

 

[Regular Guy]

This is interesting. Jim at DCD did meet with my wife and I back in June, where we went ahead and made a diamond purchase from him. From the point of view that I subscribe to, getting a good result in a diamond purchase is the greater portion of what counts, and in this, we certainly succeeded.

Still, it may be because of customers like us that at the DCD site, Jim decided to report that visitors are not welcome. He did spend in excess of 2 hours with us, and so, was certainly gracious (in effect) with his time, while letting us know that we – as visitors to his store – represented a small fraction (less than 1%) of the business he does. Also, although I felt I was getting a particularly good value for the diamond I was buying, Jim encouraged me to understand this as well. And, he asked pointedly both before and then during the meeting, that since we were spending this time with him, why would we also be seeking to learn more about the stone from an appraiser, in our diamond selection process? Although our intent was to either borrow or pay for the diamond that day we saw it, and then later that day go to the appraiser with the diamond for his evaluation, we took long enough that we bled into the time we would have needed to take it down to the appraiser that same day. After consulting with Martin Fuller on my cell phone, (the appraiser now specifically referenced at the DCD site for locals), it was agreed we’d buy the stone then, have Jim make it into a ring, to be ready in about 10 days, and then he’d ship it to Fuller Associates in VA for our pick up, and confirmation that all was well. To the good, I think Jim allowed that the 10 days for returning it if necessary would start counting once the ring got to Virginia. But, we kept it.

So, of course, the interesting thing is MadisonDiamonds.com. The diamonds there are the same, I think, so it wouldn’t seem to be an “old” site, but the policies are different. Here, he’ll allow you to visit the store. Most puzzling, the phone numbers for the two sites are the same, so they shouldn’t know which set of policies you had read before they pick up the phone.

Probably, it’s not too mysterious. Since Josh (?) is a regular writer, I’ll presume he’s a regular reader, too, and so perhaps he or Jim will let us know what’s up. Even when we set up a time to meet with him, we did it based on his availability, and when there was a window of time that was clear. I’m guessing he just needs to keep his options open, which will account for what may be experimentation with the new site, as well.

 

[b52holly]

Hey guys- thanks for all the input...so apparently about 2months ago they stopped doing the in store viewings for security reasons and time issue. Josh said they are a new business and it was taking up a lot of time. So if only I had done it two months ago

It really sucks for me cause I'm a poor medical student with a serious budget- so internet is best and we're right in baltimore, md....But now at the same time I dont know if I feel comfortable buying a princess cut stone sight unseen...from other posts this seems like a bad thing to do. Not sure what we're gonna do now..

Yeah I dont know whats up with the Madison Diamonds...it says you can view them through martin fuller which of course you have to pay a fee for and I can't pay for 3 diamonds or whatever to find "the one"-- Thats too much up front.

It will all be worth it in the end I guess

Brian

 

[hoorray]

I would assume that Madinson/DCD would send the stones to Martin Fuller before you buy them for you to evaluate. You would have to pay for Martin's time (which having the stone appraised is a good thing to have done anyway), and possibly some return shipping. I had DCD ship my earring stones to Rich Sherwood before I purchased them, and I've done the same with other vendors and appraisers. It is a good way to evaluate/validate/appraise and purchase all in one, especially with princess stones tht you want to see in person befor buying.

Call them and discuss your options.

 

[b52holly]

Right...we could do that but like I said we're on a budget...We talked to Josh but I really dont feel comfortable putting forth 8000 on 3 rings when I might not even like one of them. I can't take on that much liability either...Plus shipping would be 60 (30 there and 30 to ship back) for each diamond you dont choose and 30 for the one you do if you find one. Plus...martin fuller isn't cheap at 150/hr...and more stones means more time which means more $$$.

So thats my dilema. Just whining I guess. DCD has been really nice on the phone.

 

[aljdewey]

Holly, I think you're still not understanding Lop's point. You wouldn't have to pay 8000 up front for 3 diamonds.




She's saying you could have them sent to Martin. They would be sent to Martin even though you haven't paid for them. He can rough eyeball them and tell you which of the 3 he thinks is worth your time. If you plan on getting an appraisal anyway for insurance purposes, then he only does a FULL appraisal on the one you select.




All you're out on the other two stones is shipping.

 

[b52holly]

i'm pretty sure he said you do pay up front but maybe I was wrong. Plus thats gonna mean at least 150 bucks taken out of my small budget on shipping alone...that might not seem like a lot to you guys but it is to me. All I am saying is its too bad I was a smidgin too late to see them for free at DCD. But they are being great...I'm gonna try to narrow down my choices with the help of you great Pscopers and Josh. Then we'll see. Thanks for the responses guys. Dont get me wrong DCD has been great so far. I understand they are expanding fast (probably due to their great recommendations here) and trying to accomodate.

 

[Todd07]

Personally, I'd trust the eyes of the expert at DCD/MD to help you pick your stone. They can pull your picks and talk you through them over the phone. The last thing they want is to have one returned so your interests are their interests - they'll help you pick the most beautiful, etc. This saves you shipping multiple stones.




Then use your local independent appraiser for the final sanity check and insurance appraisal: does it match the cert or were there any gotchas that DCD missed.

 

[pearcrazy]

I'm with Ricardo. I say talk to them at DCD and get their guidance on which diamond to choose and have the diamond shipped out. If you get it from Madison diamonds the shipping is free if you are spending over $5000. If not then I think it's $20 or $30. Then take the diamond to be appraised. If you don't like it then return it, they say that they cover the return shipping if you aren't satisfied and would probably make a deal with you on the shipping of another diamond.

If Madison diamonds has changed their viewing policy then they need to change their text under the FAQ section on the website. It still states that you CAN go in to view the diamond before purchase.

 

[fire&ice]

I am very disappointed at this change at DCD. I can certainly understand not having open hours; but, once someone narrows down a few - it's just nice customer service to provide a viewing.

And if security is a reason, they can always ask for a credit card to verify that you exist in good standing.

This change in policy really puts them in the drop ship catagory.

 

[elmo]

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On 9/28/2004 9:58:22 AM fire&ice wrote:

I am very disappointed at this change at DCD. I can certainly understand not having open hours; but, once someone narrows down a few - it's just nice customer service to provide a viewing.


And if security is a reason, they can always ask for a credit card to verify that you exist in good standing.


This change in policy really puts them in the drop ship catagory. ----------------

F&I I agree I'm disappointed with that policy. But to me it just sounds like they're simply "outsourcing" the viewing of stones. When you're operating on single digit margins I think it makes sense...that's the tradeoff you make as opposed to paying a 10-20% margin with the folks here on ps who have a b&m presence where you can go check out several things from stock. On the upside, for the $100-200 you pay Martin or someone else, you're getting an independent opinion...but the downside is that it costs you just to browse. It is a fair tradeoff (dirtcheap price vs customer service) in my mind.

 

[fire&ice]

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On 9/28/2004 10:34:53 AM elmo wrote:

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That's just it. They are charging you to browse. I don't think one should be charged to view diamonds. I'm in their area & have recommended them to many people because they will let you view diamonds on appointment. This will not fly with the people I recommend & I can't recommend that someone pays for only the pleasure to view. For pete's sake, they own some stones. At the very least, it's just not neighborly regardless of the percentage of business.

 

[hoorray]

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On 9/28/2004 9:58:22 AM fire&ice wrote:

I am very disappointed at this change at DCD. I can certainly understand not having open hours; but, once someone narrows down a few - it's just nice customer service to provide a viewing.

And if security is a reason, they can always ask for a credit card to verify that you exist in good standing.

This change in policy really puts them in the drop ship catagory. ----------------

I disagree that this puts them in a drop ship catagory. Being able to view the stones live is only an option to people local to DCD, so a very small percentage. They still get the stones in and view them in person to help evaluate them before just sending them out. They can look at 3 stones and help guide a customer through the tradeoffs. That is the big difference between drop shippers.

This is not a good change for those people who would have been able to view the stones locally, but it sounds to me that they are at least trying to find alternatives through local appraisers.

 

[Regular Guy]

Ummmm....I think this approach (lop proposes) is reasonable, though not ideal. Still...and this may be more a function of challenges in the DC metropolitan area...but it would be good if Jim could find someone he could send his diamonds to locally that has good technology for measuring crown and pavilion angles. Then again, maybe Mr. Fuller has upgraded his shop.

 

[aljdewey]

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On 9/28/2004 9:58:22 AM fire&ice wrote:

I am very disappointed at this change at DCD. I can certainly understand not having open hours; but, once someone narrows down a few - it's just nice customer service to provide a viewing.

And if security is a reason, they can always ask for a credit card to verify that you exist in good standing.

This change in policy really puts them in the drop ship catagory. ----------------

I'm of the same mind as lop....I disagree that this policy change makes them a drop shipper.

Look, people want to have their cake and eat it too. They want the benefit of the internet pricing (which is predicated on not absorbing a lot of overhead/cost), but they want the benefit of being able to go view and spend 2 hours looking at stones (which IS overhead and does cost the vendor).

The buyer in this instance doesn't want to spend the extra $150 on shipping because it puts him/her out of budget range. This buyer, though, doesn't consider that DCD is doing the exact same thing....he doesn't want to incur extra labor costs in providing a customer service without being paid for that service.

To me, that seems fair.

 

[Jim-Schultz]

Hello folks! This is Jim Schultz - president of Dirt Cheap Diamonds, Inc. I wanted to take this moment to clarify a few issues that have come up in this thread.

First, Madison Diamonds. Madison is a website we created years ago. As mentioned in a different thread, we created Madison for those clients that were put-off by the DCD name. Madison really never took off anywhere near the way Dirt Cheap did. We kinda neglected Madison over the years and now it's just recently been brought back to life by the current postings. The policy differences between the two sites are simply errors. Dirt Cheap is current - Madison is old. We'll get those policy discrepancies fixed this week.

Second, local appointments. We made the decision a few months ago to stop seeing local clients. There were many reasons for the decision. Partly security, partly time management, partly economics. It was a hard decision because meeting our customers face to face is one of the highlights of the job! At the end of the day, however, it was right thing for us to do at this stage in the companies growth.

I hope that clears up some of these issues. We still have a gorgeous Signature Series collection "on-hand" that we can intimately describe and photograph for any potential buyer. We still work VERY closely with every one of our suppliers to provide as much information as possible regarding diamonds outside our location. Lastly, and most importantly, we still have the same dedication to serving our clients as we did over five years ago when we started...

Jim Schultz

 

[b52holly]

Hey guys...
Thanks Jim for getting on here and clearing this up- I think its great that you keep current posts on this forum.

To everyone else-- I have talked to Josh...I was just trying to explain to you my dilema. I feel like you guys thought I was trashing DCD- definitely NOT...in fact I plan on buying my princess and side stones from them this week (just have to get from 8 choices to 1 somehow) just because they are hard working people and I'd rather my money go to them than a B&M. Youre right they can help me pick the stones by looking at them first, but only the signature series...which are either too pricey for me and one has an ext thin- med girdle which I dont want to mess with.

So if you guys could help me narrow/eliminate some of my options I would TRULY appreciate it...I put up another post titled "Help me pick my princess" but so far no responses. Just want to get someone elses opinion. Maybe there is something I'm missing you know? Thanks again guys!

 

[fire&ice]

----------------

Since my entire last post disappeared...here's the gist.

I don't think it's fair to pay to view stones. And, while some may disagree, this consumer at the very least thinks it's unneighborly. One of the reasons I would recommend them was because they existed on the ground - not in some virtual space. I think allowing your neighbors to view stones - once in serious mode -creates credibility.

But then, I wouldn't buy a diamond from a store w/o ground prescence of some kind. Again, this is an unfortunate development

 

[aljdewey]

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On 9/28/2004 12:38:56 PM fire&ice wrote:

I don't think it's fair to pay to view stones. And, while some may disagree, this consumer at the very least thinks it's unneighborly. ----------------

I hate to point this out, but everyone who deals with a ground presence *pays* to view stones.....it's called an inflated price. Let's remember that the traditional B&M store costs more for a reason.....because it costs them more to provide those customer service features, and YOU pay for it in the price of the product.

The reason you can get the same stone cheaper through an online vendor is because they don't have to pay someone's salary for two hours while Mr. Consumer angsts and dissects every last facet of a diamond.

If you want that ability, you *do* pay for it one way or the other, and honestly, I don't think that's unneighborly.

DCD has chosen to set up their business model in a way that allows them to offer a certain price and eliminate overhead costs. I don't think he should be called "unneighborly" for choosing to run his business this way.

If Mr. Consumer wants the "touch and feel" experience, he should deal with a vendor that provides that and be willing to pay for that privilege. If he doesn't want to pay for it and doesn't feel it's needed, he can go to DCD and pay for only that which he wants and nothing he doesn't.

 

[elmo]

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On 9/28/2004 11:23:46 AM lop wrote:

They still get the stones in and view them in person to help evaluate them before just sending them out. They can look at 3 stones and help guide a customer through the tradeoffs. That is the big difference between drop shippers.
----------------

That's not the case. I think that's true with their in-stock ideals, but other things on their site come straight from the source. I think DCD is a classic single-digit-margin drop shipper who also has some inventory, and who stands out in the crowd of drop-shippers because of the good customer service they still provide in that category.

 

[b52holly]

i couldn't agree more...DCD is a great company and have been jumping hurdles to help me out. When it comes down to it you gotta do what you gotta do- Although unfortunate I dont think it makes them less of a company. I didn't intend to start a battle here...i was just really confused from all of the older posts.

 

[pearcrazy]

Holly,

I don't think anyone was bashing or faulting DCD as much as we were trying to understand how they were operating. Different customers want and need different levels of service. I'm glad Jim stepped in and offered an explanation. Congratulations to them on the booming business that has caused the required change in policy. We purchased my diamond from DCD back in April and I can honestly say that we are still thrilled with my purchase and would without hesitation buy from them again.

Please check back in and let us know what you decided to buy and post some pictures.