Whiteflash repair service - is this normal?

[jill_s]

So this weekend, I was wearing my new 1.97 carat WF legato solitaire ring and I noticed something was rattling. Well, it appears that the stone is loose in the setting. I can turn the stone slightly with my fingers. I just got this ring about 3 months ago, so I''m thinking that it''s a little too early for the diamond to be loose in the setting. And I haven''t banged my hand around, so honestly I don''t think I did something to cause the stone to become loose. The only thing I can think of is that I clean my ring in my US cleaner once every couple of days. Would that cause the stone to become loose?

I called my WF rep to see what my options were. I was told that I could ship the ring to WF and have them look at it. The thing that stinks, however, is that WF *may* make the repair at no charge (again, I''m thinking it shouldn''t be loose after 3 months), but I have to pay for shipping the ring to them and then pay to have the ring shipped back to me. So, I''m looking at probably $80-90 in shipping fees alone, not to mention the actual repair costs should I be responsible for those.

I called around to some local jewelry stores, and the quotes I got for tightening the prongs were for $15-20. So my question is, is it normal for the online jewelry stores to charge for shipping the ring back and forth when, let''s assume, the diamond wasn''t set properly to begin with? Should I just get the ring fixed locally and potentially void the WF warranty? Please don''t think that I''m trying to bash WF, that is not my intent. I am just wondering if this is standard procedure for online jewelry companies.

 

[elle_chris]

I had the exact same thing happen to me a few months after getting my 5 stone from WF. I also asked the same question on this board.

A WF sales rep told me to ship the ring back, but I didn''t pay for it. They emailed me the fedex info (bar code I think) and all i did was print it, pack it and ship it.

In my case I didn''t pay for the repair, but even if I had to, I don''t believe they''d charge more than a local jeweler. I think your best bet is to ship it back. And unless they''re shipping policy changed, I don''t think you''ll need to pay for it.

 

[jill_s]

Date: 11/23/2009 11:30:17 AM
Author: elle_chris
I had the exact same thing happen to me a few months after getting my 5 stone from WF. I also asked the same question on this board.


A WF sales rep told me to ship the ring back, but I didn''t pay for it. They emailed me the fedex info (bar code I think) and all i did was print it, pack it and ship it.


In my case I didn''t pay for the repair, but even if I had to, I don''t believe they''d charge more than a local jeweler. I think your best bet is to ship it back. And unless they''re shipping policy changed, I don''t think you''ll need to pay for it.

elle-chris, thank for your reply. I was told that I would need to send the stone to them via USPS registered mail (so that would definitely be at my cost) and then I''d have to pay for the FedEx shipping and insurance costs for them to ship it back. So when you sent your ring in, you didn''t have to pay for either leg of the shipping or the repair itself? Hmm...

 

[FancyDiamond]

Date: 11/23/2009 11:30:17 AM
Author: elle_chris
I had the exact same thing happen to me a few months after getting my 5 stone from WF. I also asked the same question on this board.

A WF sales rep told me to ship the ring back, but I didn''t pay for it. They emailed me the fedex info (bar code I think) and all i did was print it, pack it and ship it.

In my case I didn''t pay for the repair, but even if I had to, I don''t believe they''d charge more than a local jeweler. I think your best bet is to ship it back. And unless they''re shipping policy changed, I don''t think you''ll need to pay for it.

elle_chris,
Did you send back your 5-stone ring within the 30-day "warranty period"? I know for certainty that my ACA diamond jewelry has a free repair/warranty within the first 30 days with no shipping charge. After that time, I am not sure. However, in the case of OP''s loose diamond problem (within 3 months!!!), it is clearly workmanship related. I am very surprised to hear that WF charges shipping. As a customer, OP already has enough stress from the loose diamond problem. The least Whiteflash can do is to get the problem fixed at their expense. This is what I call "standing behind one''s product".

 

[elle_chris]

Jill- This was about 2 years ago so I''m guessing they may have changed their policy on shipping? Odd though.

FancyDiamond- No, I had the ring for about 5 months when I noticed the loose stone.

 

[Laila619]

No, that doesn''t sound good. I don''t think you should have to pay to ship it to them, especially since you''ve only had the ring 3 months!

 

[jill_s]

So what should I do? Should I try to speak with someone else at WF? I don''t want to go over my rep''s head, but if they''ve offered to pay for shipping for other clients, then I''d like the same treatment.

 

[swingirl]

Registered mail is quite in expensive. WF has no way of knowing whether the ring sustained damage or not. Most people with damaged rings insist they didn't do anything to the ring but let's face it, if the ring sat in a jewelry box for 3 months the stone would not be loose. If you send it to them they can inspect it and refer to the original photos to see what happened.

Whether you whacked your ring or they did a poor job of setting it I'd still rather have WF fix it unless you have an establish relationship with a local jeweler who you trust to do a better job that WF. WF isn't perfect but they do have an established reputation for excellent work. Of course, sometimes they make mistakes.

Their policies change over time so quoting an old policy probably won't help but you could always ask.

 

[elle_chris]

Jill- as this was two years ago, the policy may well have changed like I already said. But, as the ring is only 3 months old, I''d ask them as a courtesy to cover the shipping. I know that WF uses fedex, so the return would be alot more than USPS charges for registered/insured.

Speak to your SA again and if that doesn''t work, go over their head.

 

[jill_s]

Good news - I just got a call from Vera at WF. She said that my rep had misspoken and she is sending me a FedEx label to send the ring back. She said that they will check the ring when they receive it. Depending on whether it appears the loose diamond is due to something I did, then I may or may not have to pay the return shipping. Whew, I''m definitely more comfortable sending the ring back to WF.

 

[vespergirl]

Hi Jill, Vera is great, I''m glad to hear that she worked everything out for you.

The shared prong eternity band I''m wearing in my avatar photo is a custom piece from WF, and while I absolutely love it, I had an 8 pt diamond fall out of the band less than 3 months after I received it.

I contacted Vera, and WF paid to Fedex the ring back & forth both ways, and then they only charged me $40 for the new diamond, but nothing for labor/repair costs. I thought it was a fair deal. I''m glad to hear that it''s working out for you.

 

[FancyDiamond]

Date: 11/23/2009 2:12:03 PM
Author: jill_s
Good news - I just got a call from Vera at WF. She said that my rep had misspoken and she is sending me a FedEx label to send the ring back. She said that they will check the ring when they receive it. Depending on whether it appears the loose diamond is due to something I did, then I may or may not have to pay the return shipping. Whew, I''m definitely more comfortable sending the ring back to WF.

Jill,
I am very happy for you. It is certianly great news. I knew I could count on Whiteflash''s great customer service and their stand behind their products. This is one of the many reasons why I keep going back to them.