Whiteflash doesn''t pricematch?

[aislingmaire]

How is whiteflash allowed to sell the exact same diamond for a higher price than another vendor? This doesn''t make sense. Can someone explain?
Thanks,
Jackie S

 

[Mara]

A virtual diamond?




WhiteFlash is actually willing to negotiate on pricing usually, have you tried it yet? ESP if it means losing the sale to another vendor?

 

[mike04456]

Because it's a free country? When listing a diamond held by a wholesaler, the retailer can charge whatever they choose to, unless there is some contractual agreement with respect to the retail price.

 

[pqcollectibles]

There are lists of diamonds available to the Vendors. Much like a "Multiple Listing" service for Real Estate Agents to find buyers a home. Each Vendor prices "list diamonds" according to their own cost of doing business including the level of service provided, and whatever profit margin. Some Vendors "drop ship" the diamond from the wholesaler directly to the buyer without actually seeing the diamond. Other Vendors have the diamond shipped to them for inspection prior to shipping to the customer. Some Vendors offer lifetime upgrades on any diamond they sell while other Vendors don't. There are any number of factors that come into play regarding any Vendor's price for a "list diamond".

 

[oldminer]

Prices are not fixed and neither is the degree of courtesy and service one might get from different vendors. Each one has their own character and manners. Each has slightly different operations and expenses.... Only a rare vendor will not match a price on an identical stone offered elewhere for less UNER THE SAME TERMS. Sometimes you have to read the fine print to get to the actual terms of sale.

In this compeitive market, price is met head on by most sellers.

 

[Hest88]

Allowed? It's called capitalism. There's greater overhead, more services, and many other reasons why a vendor will sell a diamond at a higher price than another. As a consumer, you then become allowed to pick and choose what characteristics from which vendors are most important to you.

 

[Jaded Gem]

I asked Diamond Bob about Whiteflash's price matching policy before. From what I remember, he said that he could do a price match, but then he couldn't guarantee "free shipment and free appraisal" and that those costs would be charged if he did do a price match. Remember that some vendors do not include the standard free shipping and appraisal that Whiteflash does. Some vendors will have varying prices for either one or both. If you look at Whiteflash's prices on Pricescope then you will see about a 5% discount from their regular website's prices. I think if Whiteflash tried to go any lower then maybe they wouldn't be making any money at all since they do seem to try and be a competitive vendor. I guess it all depends on the vendor. Some vendors do a drop ship, but Whiteflash say they have all their customers' ordered diamonds shipped to them directly for an inspection before they ship it to the customer. So technically, I believe Whiteflash pays for both shipments. First they pay for the diamond to be shipped to them and then they pay for the diamond to be shipped to the customer. Some vendors who do the "drop ship" method may have you pay for the shipping which is direct from the supplier to you. I believe that Whiteflash's policy is better than the "drop ship" method. Some vendors will price match but it won't include their own GG (if they are lucky enough to have an in-house GG) inspect the diamond, and then on top of that they will charge you for shipping. I guess you might be paying a little bit more than the "drop shippers" for Whiteflash's expertise, time, and opinion on whether it is a good quality diamond. However for the prices that I've seen, Whiteflash doesn't seem to charge a whole lot for their extra perks. For whatever the cost to some consumers, this "peace of mind" from an expert is worth the extra cost. Depends on the consumer to decide on what vendor to choose. Not every vendor will do a pricematch. I talked to two vendors, one online and one B&M, before about a pricematch since their websites had advertised it as their policy, but when confronted with competiting prices they complained that their prices were already low as it was and that they had the final discretion of not honoring their own policy if they choose to do that as well. It goes to show you that you really need to talk to the vendor directly and see for yourself what the vendor can do for you. Are they willing to go the extra mile of price matching or will their profits be so slim, given their perks into consideration, not worth the effort for them to win your business? It's hard to tell what a vendor will or will not do for a customer. Not long ago, I went to a very competitive pricing vendor before and that vendor left a bad taste in my mouth. Hopefully you will have better luck with the vendor that you do choose to do business with. Good luck to you. I hope everything works out. Best advice: contact Whiteflash and find out how important it is for them to win your business, but not at the point of slashing their own wrists while doing so.

 

[LesleyH]

Jackie:

I'm not sure where you got your information from, but if a customer asks us to price match, we will certainly consider it. Any reasonable price will be matched. We take into account if the price is a credit card or cash amount and if our competitor charges shipping.

Please remember that Whiteflash NEVER drop ships diamonds from the manufacturers. If we price match a vendor who drop ships diamonds, our customers are actually paying less because of the additional services we provide. Every single diamond that is sold by Whiteflash is checked by one of our in house gemologists and an independent appraiser. The verification letter from the appraiser accompanies the package. In addition all product is packed under camera. We go to great lengths to insure a comfortable and secure experience.

LesleyH
www.whiteflash.com

 

[Rand_alThor]

I have a question about the wholesaler versus retailer bit? Legally speaking alone... what differentiates a wholesaler from a retailer. Can a store be a wholsaler and a retailer? Do they have a different set of licenses? Are the licenses restrictive; i.e. wholesalers sell to retailers alone and retailers sell to the public! Or is it professional courtesy which goes into play between wholesalers and retailers.

 

[pricescope]

Rand_alThor, check this set of articles about wholesale diamonds

 

[Rand_alThor]

Thanks Leonid, this was really helpful!!! BTW I'm planning on writing up another little mini article on the effect of customer satisfaction and the decision making processs. Will post it soon