The worst customer service and buying experience of my life

[hotskate]

I’m writing this to caution anyone thinking about purchasing from Jamesallen.com to think twice. I want to make sure no one else has to go through the same awful experience I had.

I have been trying to find the perfect 2.01 carat diamond stone and found what appeared to be a perfect “diamond in the rough” deal on Jamesallen.com. The website advertised a stone that met all my criteria so I decided to move forward with a purchase. I called and spoke with their sales representative, Stacy , who confirmed the stone was in stock and available but needed to be shipped from Israel.

We corresponded back and forth via email ending with her promise that the stone was available still and that I just needed to call and complete the order with payment. I happily obliged and paid the full amount on my credit card. I received a confirmation email that the order was completed and the stone was shipping on May 7th. Four days before the stone was supposed to ship, I received a phone call from Josh who identified himself as a manager and gave me the “unfortunate” news that the stone had already been sold, even though I had received numerous confirmation and status update emails from the company letting me know that the order was moving forward without issue.

When I asked him to resolve the issue by giving me a stone of comparable value, he informed me that they couldn’t give me a stone equal in all respects to the one I had ordered without paying at least $10,000 more. He passed the issue on to his manager Jim Schultz who apologized that the stone isn’t available but then stated that the stone I had ordered would have in fact cost more than advertised once it had arrived in New York anyway and that it would have been a higher price than what I ordered it for.

I was dumbfounded as it seemed like the kind of bait and switch tactics that con men used. He went on to say that had the diamond I had ordered actually came in, I would have had to talk to them about the “pricing issue” anyway (basically pay more). I expressed my extreme displeasure over the issue, that it reeked of false advertisement and a bait and switch move and said the best he could do is offer a $1,000 discount on a near identical stone that listed for $10,000 more than the one I had ordered.

I opted for a refund and will never do business with their organization again and hope this letter serves as a warning to anyone thinking about using jamesallen.com.

 

[kenny]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

BTW, there are two kinds of diamond inventory, what that vendor actually has onsite in their safe and virtual inventory.
Virtual inventory is a huge database of zillions of diamonds that zillions of vendors can sell.
When it sells it has to be shipped from it's actual physical location.

I'm sure James Allen would not try to pull a bait and switch in the magnitude of $10,000.
They are a legit business with a zillion happy customers, myself included.
IMHO their prices are some of the best online, but it is not the most tightly-run ship on the sea of PS vendors.
After reading PS for many years JA seems to slip up in customer service more than Whiteflash, GOG or the other commonly-discussed PS vendors.

I'm sure this is human error in pricing, though a booboo of that magnitude should have been caught if the person doing the website input was using their brain.
But (unless we're talking of a retail price near $100,000) frankly if I came across a diamond that was $10,000 below the competition I'd realize it was too good to be true and a human error.
I'd be confronted with an ethical dilemma - should I TRY to buy it for what is clearly an incorrect price, or would that be taking advantage and even approach stealing on my part?

IMHO you share some responsibility for this mess for even expecting them to sell it for such an obviously incorrect price.
Also your SA should have been experienced and alert enough to immediately catch a $10,000 booboo.
You may feel you have a legal leg to stand on but IMHO you don't have an ethical one.
Some businesses have disclaimers that all prices are subject to verification, though I could not find such a statement on JA's site.
They should add one.

This is embarrassing for JA, but I'm sure they are NOT criminal, as you suggest.

Below is a screen capture from JA's website's FAQ.
I think JA should reword it since with virtual inventory no vendor can be certain that someone else at any of a zillion retailers around the world didn't buy that same diamond one second before you clicked on the Buy Now button.

 

[Christina...]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

That is a truly unfortunate and frustrating experience and I feel bad for you, I know that you have been searching for the perfect 2ct. However I don't believe that JA intentional tricked you or tried to bait and switch you. They are a highly recommended pricescope vendorand have made several thousand successful and happy transactions with Pricescope members. All online vendors have theright to correct advertised pricing if it is listed incorrectly on their website, in fact I just read on a thread last week that this happened with a stone from whiteflash. though frustrating to the consumer this is not an common practice. I dont understand the confusiin about the availability of the stone however and that would have disappointed me as well, but I think its important to remember that we are all human and therefore likely to make mistakes. I dont believe they we4e out to con you or anyone else who had attempted to purchase this stone, !nd i also think that Jims offer to dicount a similar stone by a thousand dollars for the error was kind. Online vendors do not have large mark ups on their inventory so a thousand dollar discount on top of I assume your pricescope discount is significant if you ask me.

I understand the frustration, I really do and I think i would be upset about the incident too, but I also think that after a few angry minutes I could take a deep breathe and see things from another perspective...mistakes happen, this one just happened to you and given the chance Im sure JA will do everything in their poweer to satisfy you as a customer.

I wrote this on my iphone forgive my typos. Lol

 

[hotskate]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

Things happen yes and I understand that we are all human. I do not think that JA does bait and switches but this is what it felt like. Please keep in mind I’m not upset at the pricing etc. I am upset about the numerous contacts i have had with them Via email and Phone regarding the availability and them telling me it was available and in fact mine to find out later it wasn’t.

From: [email protected]
Date: May 3, 2012 6:51:34 AM PDT
To: Steven
Subject: Hello from Stacy at JamesAllen.com
Hello Confirmation
________________________________________


Hello Steven,

I want to take a quick moment to personally introduce myself and let you know that I am here
to help you with your JamesAllen.com order. Please take this email as confirmation that your order
is now in production. I am sure that your order will exceed your expectations, and want to thank you for
choosing JamesAllen.com for this important purchase.

We are currently estimating that your order 7****6 will ship on May 7, 2012. Please keep in mind that
this is a projected completion date. Our production department makes every effort to ensure
that orders are shipped on the scheduled date; however, it is not unusual for some orders to
require an extra day or two. With that said, I want to check with you to see if you have specific
plans made in the hopes to receive your order on a certain date. If so, please let me know and I may
be able to arrange for your shipment to take place within a specific timeframe to accommodate yo ur schedule.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is anything that you need. Our Customer
Service Department is available to assist you 7 days a week at 1-877-826-9866.

Sincerely,

Stacy| JamesAllen.com | toll-free 877.826.9866 | fax 301.631.1428





From: Stacy <[email protected]>
Date: May 2, 2012 12:09:24 PM PDT
To: STEVEN
Subject: RE: James Allen 1489091 Magnified Image Request
Steven,
 
    The diamond has been placed in the order for you, so you will have to call to complete.  It's a good thing we got the order started when we did, as I just had another customer call in who wanted to complete the purchase as well.  You're getting a great size for the pricing!  When will you be able to call in to make the payment?
 
Regards,
 

Stacy| JamesAllen.com | D: 240.379.8375 | TF: 877.826.9866 | 24/7 Customer Service
 
From: STEVEN
Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 3:07 PM
To: Stacy
Subject: Re: James Allen 1489091 Magnified Image Request
 
Can I put my credit card info online? 

Sent from my iPhone 4s

On May 2, 2012, at 11:50 AM, Stacy <[email protected]> wrote:
Steven,
 
    Yes, this diamond is still available.  Well, now it isn't, since it is in your order!    Call in after you have taken a moment to review the order status that I am about to send.
 
Regards,
 

Stacy | JamesAllen.com | D: 240.379.8375 | TF: 877.826.9866 | 24/7 Customer Service
 
From: STEVEN
Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 2:47 PM
To: Stacy
Subject: Re: James Allen 1489091 Magnified Image Request
 
123-123-1234
 
Can you confirm that you actually had this diamond available? 

Sent from my iPhone 4s

On May 2, 2012, at 11:41 AM, Stacy <[email protected]> wrote:
Steven,
 
    Perfect!  What is your phone number?  I am going to send you the order confirmation after I get your number for you to review and then you can call in to complete the payment.
 
Regards,
 

Stacy | JamesAllen.com | D: 240.379.8375 | TF: 877.826.9866 | 24/7 Customer Service
 

On May 2, 2012, at 11:35 AM, Stacy <[email protected]> wrote:
Steven,
 
    That most definitely makes sense.  Would you like me to get the order started for you and have you call in to complete the purchase?  I'll need your phone number and your billing/shipping address and you can call in to make the payment.
 
Regards,
 

Stacy | JamesAllen.com | D: 240.379.8375 | TF: 877.826.9866 | 24/7 Customer Service
 
From: STEVEN
Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 2:26 PM
To: Stacy
Subject: Re: James Allen 1489091 Magnified Image Request
 
Stacy, 
 
Considering your return policy I would like to purchase this diamond. I feel that regardless of the pictures I need to see this diamond in person to see for my self. 
 
Assuming the stone checks out based on the GIA certificate and the gemologists that I will bring it to I will be happy and know I got a good deal!
 
If not I know that I can get a full refund no questions asked within 60 days of purchase. 

Sent from my iPhone 4s

On May 2, 2012, at 9:05 AM, Stacy <[email protected]> wrote:
Steven,
 
    I assume the same thing can be said without having the magnified image.  Once the magnified image comes in, you can definitely request the ASET image.  Until we have both the lab certificate and the image, I will not be able to request an ASET for you.
 
Regards,
 

Stacy| JamesAllen.com | D: 240.379.8375 | TF: 877.826.9866 | 24/7 Customer Service
 
From: STEVEN
Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 11:13 AM
To: Stacy
Subject: Re: James Allen 1489091 Magnified Image Request
 
It is going to be hard to purchase this diamond that I am interested I with out the ASET image. 

Sent from my iPhone 4s

On May 2, 2012, at 8:04 AM, Stacy <[email protected]> wrote:
Steven,
 
    Since item number 1489091 does not have the magnified image, we cannot request the ASET image for you.  Normally these magnified image requests take 3-5 business days to retrieve for you.
Have a great day,

Stacy | JamesAllen.com | D: 240.379.8375 | TF: 877.826.9866 | 24/7 Customer Service
 
From: STEVEN
Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 10:46 AM
To: Stacy
Subject: Re: James Allen 1489091 Magnified Image Request
 
I am interested in this one can you please order that. I do not have another two diamond I am interested in at this time. 

Sent from my iPhone 4s

On May 2, 2012, at 7:26 AM, Stacy <[email protected]> wrote:
Steven,
 
    We do offer a a total of three ASET images per customer on diamonds that have both their image and reports on the web site.  That said, we would have to place your diamonds on hold for you and request the ASET images at that time.  Since this is a one-time courtesy on your top three diamonds, we recommend choosing only diamonds that you're currently interested in purchasing.
 
Regards,
 

Stacy | JamesAllen.com | D: 240.379.8375 | TF: 877.826.9866 | 24/7 Customer Service
 
From: Steven
Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 9:48 AM
To: Stacy
Subject: Re: James Allen 1489091 Magnified Image Request
 
Thank you so much for the follow up email. Is it possible to get a Aset and DiamXray image of the diamond as well?

Sent from my MacBook Pro
Steven

 
On Wed, May 2, 12 - 4:59:00 AM, at 4:59 AM, Stacy wrote:


Good Morning Steven,
 
    Thank you for your interest in JamesAllen.com.  I just wanted to touch base with you to let you know that I am working on getting the magnified image that you requested.  This may take a few days, but as soon as the information is available, you will be emailed out a link with the magnified image that you have requested .  While I am personally available Monday-Friday from 9am-6pm, our office are open 24-hours a day, 7 d ays a week.
 
Have a great day,
 

Stacy | JamesAllen.com | D: 240.379.8375 | TF: 877.826.9866 | 24/7 Customer Service 

_________________________________________________________________________________
 

 

[kenny]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

Maybe a holiday in Israel prevented JA from communicating with the business in Israel that held the diamond.

Oh, and Kudos to JA for admitting their mistake, apologizing and offering you a thousand dollars off a correctly-priced diamond.

But yeah, the availability-uncertainty of virtual inventory should be revealed to customers on the websites.
Perhaps they are afraid of losing sales to a competitor who reveals less about the subject.

Probably this unfortunate eventuality inherent in the virtual inventory system is so rare that the money the lose on one angry customer is MORE than made up for in the many many virtual sales that go well.

 

[hotskate]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

Maybe a holiday in Israel prevented JA from communicating with the business in Israel that held the diamond.

Oh, and Kudos to JA for admitting their mistake, apologizing and offering you a thousand dollars off a correctly-priced diamond.

But yeah, the availability-uncertainty of virtual inventory should be revealed to customers on the websites.
Perhaps they are afraid of losing sales to a competitor who reveals less about the subject.

Probably this unfortunate eventuality inherent in the virtual inventory system is so rare that the money the lose on one angry customer is MORE than made up for in the many many virtual sales that go well.

The last Jewish holiday was 4/26 Israel Independence day

Once again we never even got to the point of the diamond being priced wrong because they didn't even have the diamond! That is the major problem here.

I am not expecting for there company to crumble because of me trust me I have read thousands of reviews before even considering purchasing with them. I am unfortuently just the 1 in thousands that had a horrible experience, thats all and it just really sucks.

I believe in under promise and over deliver not over promise and not delivering at all.

 

[kenny]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

Maybe a holiday in Israel prevented JA from communicating with the business in Israel that held the diamond.

Oh, and Kudos to JA for admitting their mistake, apologizing and offering you a thousand dollars off a correctly-priced diamond.

But yeah, the availability-uncertainty of virtual inventory should be revealed to customers on the websites.
Perhaps they are afraid of losing sales to a competitor who reveals less about the subject.

Probably this unfortunate eventuality inherent in the virtual inventory system is so rare that the money the lose on one angry customer is MORE than made up for in the many many virtual sales that go well.

The last Jewish holiday was 4/26 Israel Independence day

Once again we never even got to the point of the diamond being priced wrong because they didn't even have the diamond! That is the major problem here.

I am not expecting for there company to crumble because of me trust me I have read thousands of reviews before even considering purchasing with them. I am unfortuently just the 1 in thousands that had a horrible experience, thats all and it just really sucks.

I believe in under promise and over deliver not over promise and not delivering at all.

Yeah I'm sorry you were one of the unlucky participants in the imperfect virtual inventory system.

 

[hotskate]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

And back to the drawing board I go.

 

[vintagelover229]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

I have no clue what your budget is but this one is listed on DB. I'm sorry that you have to start over Just means the perfect diamond for your girl hasn't been found yet!


http://www.diamondbistro.com/category/215/Loose-natural-Diamonds/listings/28176/210-Ct-AGS-Triple-0,-BN-Signature-Diamond,-D-SI-1.html

http://www.diamondbistro.com/category/215/Loose-natural-Diamonds/listings/27816/26-ct-AGS-000-Round-I-Color-VS2-Clarity.html

 

[ame]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

Am I incorrect that this is like the umpteenth time this year alone that this is happen? I mean I could have read the same story over and over, but this seems to be a common theme with this vendor, that stones are double sold and others of higher price are offered in replacement, so I'd feel kind of like I was being baited and switched as well. I feel like I have seen something about a similar sort of situation with that vendor quite a few times now this year alone, and USUALLY it's rectified, but that there have been quite a few that end in the same fashion as this...

 

[MissStepcut]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

I have no clue what your budget is but this one is listed on DB. I'm sorry that you have to start over Just means the perfect diamond for your girl hasn't been found yet!


http://www.diamondbistro.com/category/215/Loose-natural-Diamonds/listings/28176/210-Ct-AGS-Triple-0,-BN-Signature-Diamond,-D-SI-1.html

http://www.diamondbistro.com/category/215/Loose-natural-Diamonds/listings/27816/26-ct-AGS-000-Round-I-Color-VS2-Clarity.html

Good finds. If either of these are even close to the budget ballpark, I'd submit my best offer to them.

 

[YoungPapa]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

Am I incorrect that this is like the umpteenth time this year alone that this is happen?

Yes, Ame, you are incorrect. A similar situation occurred a few months ago and has happened a couple of times over the past thirteen years we've been in business, but is certainly not representative of the usual customer experience.

As Kenny accurately pointed out, we do have more public slip-ups than other vendors on PS. I might add, however, that our sales volume is considerably higher as well.

Hotskate - Once again, sorry for the trouble and confusion. If we can work with you again on another diamond, don't hesitate to call and ask for me directly.

All the best,

 

[Dancing Fire]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

[quote="kenny|1336072184|3186766

Yeah I'm sorry you were one of the unlucky participants in the imperfect virtual inventory system.[/quote]

no wild goose chase for me.that's the reason why i only look for inhouse stones.

 

[kenny]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

Am I incorrect that this is like the umpteenth time this year alone that this is happen?

Yes, Ame, you are incorrect. A similar situation occurred a few months ago and has happened a couple of times over the past thirteen years we've been in business, but is certainly not representative of the usual customer experience.

As Kenny accurately pointed out, we do have more public slip-ups than other vendors on PS. I might add, however, that our sales volume is considerably higher as well.

All the best,

Mr. Allen would you be so kind as to post in the thread I started regarding the virtual inventory system?

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/question-for-vendors-who-offer-virtual-inventory.175026/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/question-for-vendors-who-offer-virtual-inventory.175026/[/URL]

 

[kenny]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

Am I incorrect that this is like the umpteenth time this year alone that this is happen?

Yes, Ame, you are incorrect. A similar situation occurred a few months ago and has happened a couple of times over the past thirteen years we've been in business, but is certainly not representative of the usual customer experience.

As Kenny accurately pointed out, we do have more public slip-ups than other vendors on PS. I might add, however, that our sales volume is considerably higher as well.

Hotskate - Once again, sorry for the trouble and confusion. If we can work with you again on another diamond, don't hesitate to call and ask for me directly.

All the best,

AND your prices are very often better - though my impression of the other services, tools and ASET and IS photography at GOG and WF is better than at JA.

 

[Lula]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

hotskate, I've purchased from JA, and I would certainly purchase from them again. I do agree that their low-price, high-volume business model does have some glitches. I do completely understand how frustrated it must have been to find out the stone had already been sold after the shipment of said stone had been "confirmed." If that was my first experience with JA, I'd be a little wary of doing business with them again, too. That said, they are a reputable company. I agree with Kenny that the wording on their website could be improved to better reflect the issues with virtual stones (availability and pricing diffs).

 

[YoungPapa]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

Mr. Allen would you be so kind as to post in the thread I started regarding the virtual inventory system?

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/question-for-vendors-who-offer-virtual-inventory.175026/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/question-for-vendors-who-offer-virtual-inventory.175026/[/URL]

Hi Kenny,

I might post in the thread later on once it's had time to develop, but I can say right now that I don't really believe we have a virtual inventory system, at least in the sense that most people on Pricescope use the term.

While I know that sounds ridiculous, we don't operate like most other online retail companies. We don't list 100,000+ diamonds from all over the world. In fact our inventory is one of the smallest on Pricescope. We only list goods from a handful of suppliers that have agreed to provide us guaranteed availability on all their goods and provide us with real-time status updates on every diamond listed on our website. We do this through integrated technology, developed by us and for our exclusive use. This is quite different than the typical setup, which involves downloading a file once every day or two, then calling the supplier to confirm an item is available. Many of the diamonds listed on our website are also exclusive to us, and won't be found on any other retail website. We also personally inspect every single diamond that is sold, and never ship anything to a customer that hasn't been thoroughly examined by an experienced graduate gemologist. When we put all of this together, I think we work more with an augmented inventory rather than something that is completely virtual and disconnected.

We say in our FAQ every diamond is available because that is how our system is designed to operate. Granted, the system isn't perfect and sometimes we screw-up. 99% of the time, however, it works flawlessly. The other 1%, well, that ends up on Pricescope

 

[MissStepcut]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

I love JA for their photo:prices balance. I spend way too much time on there admiring stones. For fancies, it's a very nice feature: tons of stones with pics.

 

[Christina...]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

I have no clue what your budget is but this one is listed on DB. I'm sorry that you have to start over Just means the perfect diamond for your girl hasn't been found yet!


http://www.diamondbistro.com/category/215/Loose-natural-Diamonds/listings/28176/210-Ct-AGS-Triple-0,-BN-Signature-Diamond,-D-SI-1.html

http://www.diamondbistro.com/category/215/Loose-natural-Diamonds/listings/27816/26-ct-AGS-000-Round-I-Color-VS2-Clarity.html

Good finds. If either of these are even close to the budget ballpark, I'd submit my best offer to them.

He is trying to find a 2ct stone for around 15k, at least according to his last thread...

 

[kenny]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

We say in our FAQ every diamond is available because that is how our system is designed to operate. Granted, the system isn't perfect and sometimes we screw-up.
99% of the time, however, it works flawlessly.
The other 1%, well, that ends up on Pricescope

Ain't that the truth!
I've never had a cop pull me over to tell me how well I'm driving.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

This is an example of the pitfalls of buying from a virtual inventory from ANY vendor. The diamond supplier owns the stone and countless vendors have access. The communication was lacking from the supplier to JA and from JA to you, but this kind of thing happens with virtual stones. The truth is, you had never seen that stone and it could have been a total dog! If you recall, I tried to encourage you to consider in-house stones that you could see pictures of, because I can promise you, all cushions are not beautiful and well cut! I am very sorry you had the frustration, though.

 

[Mico]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

oh no! I'm so sorry!

I did find a 2.14 ct diamond in boston for 16K I passed on because it was out of budget (we're hoping for 15k total for the ring unless we find a steal) and I saw a tiny inclusion I thought would bother me on table. I can give you the guy's name if you're interested? I think the HCA on that stone was 2.0 - so, borderline. Spread if I remember right was 8.3x8.3

 

[hotskate]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

Am I incorrect that this is like the umpteenth time this year alone that this is happen? I mean I could have read the same story over and over, but this seems to be a common theme with this vendor, that stones are double sold and others of higher price are offered in replacement, so I'd feel kind of like I was being baited and switched as well. I feel like I have seen something about a similar sort of situation with that vendor quite a few times now this year alone, and USUALLY it's rectified, but that there have been quite a few that end in the same fashion as this...

Thank you for your reply it is sad that I am not the only one who has had to go through this recently. Not good, not good.

 

[hotskate]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

Am I incorrect that this is like the umpteenth time this year alone that this is happen? I mean I could have read the same story over and over, but this seems to be a common theme with this vendor, that stones are double sold and others of higher price are offered in replacement, so I'd feel kind of like I was being baited and switched as well. I feel like I have seen something about a similar sort of situation with that vendor quite a few times now this year alone, and USUALLY it's rectified, but that there have been quite a few that end in the same fashion as this...

Thank you for your reply it is sad that I am not the only one who has had to go through this recently. Not good, not good.

 

[Maisie]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

If a vendor agrees to sell a diamond and the customer pays for the diamond... surely thats a contract? How can the vendor then back out of the sale?

 

[hotskate]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

hotskate, I've purchased from JA, and I would certainly purchase from them again. I do agree that their low-price, high-volume business model does have some glitches. I do completely understand how frustrated it must have been to find out the stone had already been sold after the shipment of said stone had been "confirmed." If that was my first experience with JA, I'd be a little wary of doing business with them again, too. That said, they are a reputable company. I agree with Kenny that the wording on their website could be improved to better reflect the issues with virtual stones (availability and pricing diffs).

This unfortunately was my 1st experience with them and I did extensive research on the company and saw several thousand positive feedbacks but NOT mine ;/

 

[hotskate]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

This is an example of the pitfalls of buying from a virtual inventory from ANY vendor. The diamond supplier owns the stone and countless vendors have access. The communication was lacking from the supplier to JA and from JA to you, but this kind of thing happens with virtual stones. The truth is, you had never seen that stone and it could have been a total dog! If you recall, I tried to encourage you to consider in-house stones that you could see pictures of, because I can promise you, all cushions are not beautiful and well cut! I am very sorry you had the frustration, though.

Oh I hear you trust me but unfortunately I didn't even have the opportunity to even see if that was the diamond in the rough I was hoping for.

For all I know I could have hated it once I saw it in person but that would not have been JA fault by any means as long as the diamond was the same in the GIA Cert.

 

[hotskate]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

If a vendor agrees to sell a diamond and the customer pays for the diamond... surely thats a contract? How can the vendor then back out of the sale?

You must have been thinking exactly what I have been.

 

[hotskate]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

oh no! I'm so sorry!

I did find a 2.14 ct diamond in boston for 16K I passed on because it was out of budget (we're hoping for 15k total for the ring unless we find a steal) and I saw a tiny inclusion I thought would bother me on table. I can give you the guy's name if you're interested? I think the HCA on that stone was 2.0 - so, borderline. Spread if I remember right was 8.3x8.3

Please send me the information on this. I am open to all options within budget thanks

 

[Christina...]

Re: The worst customer service and buying experience of my l

Am I incorrect that this is like the umpteenth time this year alone that this is happen? I mean I could have read the same story over and over, but this seems to be a common theme with this vendor, that stones are double sold and others of higher price are offered in replacement, so I'd feel kind of like I was being baited and switched as well. I feel like I have seen something about a similar sort of situation with that vendor quite a few times now this year alone, and USUALLY it's rectified, but that there have been quite a few that end in the same fashion as this...

Thank you for your reply it is sad that I am not the only one who has had to go through this recently. Not good, not good.

It's seems that Jim has corrected this, and stated above that it has happened once this year and has only happened a few times over the course of thirteen years. If Jim is accurate, and I have no reason to believe that he isn't, then it's not fair to continue to responding to Ames post as though it is true.