WHITEFLASH Returns - dispute, please help!

[natstat]

Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone can offer some information/ clarification. I purchased a WF ACA in a semi-custom setting deemed non-returnable and non-refundable.

I have returned the diamond as I didn't love it. The setting I will need to keep given the terms mentioned above.

Here is where it becomes tricky. I had a store credit and needed to make an additional transfer to cover the difference. When requesting a refund, Whiteflash have advised that the store credit can't be used to cover the value of the setting and will be deducted from the refund.

Does anyone know why the store credit cannot be used to pay for the setting? I am from Australia and not too familiar with the consumer law in the US.

Thanks so much!

 

[Texas Leaguer]

Hi natstat,
We are looking into your situation. It appears to be somewhat complicated. We will have some answers for you tomorrow.

 

[gm89uk]

I can't offer any advice about the situation and sorry you didn't love the ring. What was it about the diamond you didn't like?

 

[natstat]

I can't offer any advice about the situation and sorry you didn't love the ring. What was it about the diamond you didn't like?

The only thing I didn't love about the diamond was that it wasn't big enough and we don't have the budget to go bigger. It faced up beautifully white (I colour diamond) and was an absolute firecracker, so distracting when driving. Just not enough finger coverage

 

[Queenie60]

The only thing I didn't love about the diamond was that it wasn't big enough and we don't have the budget to go bigger. It faced up beautifully white (I colour diamond) and was an absolute firecracker, so distracting when driving. Just not enough finger coverage

Then why not keep it and upgrade in the future? It is my understanding that they have a wonderful upgrade policy. Good luck to you.

 

[Dancing Fire]

The only thing I didn't love about the diamond was that it wasn't big enough and we don't have the budget to go bigger. It faced up beautifully white (I colour diamond) and was an absolute firecracker, so distracting when driving. Just not enough finger coverage

If I were you I'd keep the ring and then upgrade in the future. Why waste the setting?...

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Agreed! WF has a fantastic upgrade policy. Are you sure you don’t wanna just hang onto the stone for now and upgrade later?

 

[Crazie4Cuts]

I am sure WF will look into your situation and as TL said will get back to you tomorrow...although my personal opinion is a credit is a credit unless you were using the $25 off for first purchase...if it was a credit for a first item you purchased and then you returned the item (in this case a diamond), I do not think that this credit can be applied to a custom bezel setting.

I hope this make sense.
-C4C

 

[natstat]

I am sure WF will look into your situation and as TL said will get back to you tomorrow...although my personal opinion is a credit is a credit unless you were using the $25 off for first purchase...if it was a credit for a first item you purchased and then you returned the item (in this case a diamond), I do not think that this credit can be applied to a custom bezel setting.

I hope this make sense.
-C4C

This makes sense to me! And just as an FYI it wasn't the $25 off first purchase.

Will wait to hear back from Whiteflash.

 

[doberman]

I'd really consider keeping the diamond and trading up to a larger one when you have the funds. I understand that WF has a very good policy on trade-ins.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

Hi Natstat,
There were an unusual number of moving parts in your account, but I believe we have now sorted it all out.
You should be hearing from Vera today with the details. Please let me know if you have any further concerns or need any additional assistance.

 

[the_mother_thing]

Whether or not the WF response is to the customer’s liking (let’s face it, we don’t know the particulars and it sounds complicated), it IS comforting to see this sort of timeliness & diligence on the part of WF staff in addressing the OP’s concerns.

Makes me glad to have purchased my diamond from them, even though I have no plans of returning it ... ever!

 

[Lorelei]

Whether or not the WF response is to the customer’s liking (let’s face it, we don’t know the particulars and it sounds complicated), it IS comforting to see this sort of timeliness & diligence on the part of WF staff in addressing the OP’s concerns.

Makes me glad to have purchased my diamond from them, even though I have no plans of returning it ... ever!

I agree, it's great to see.

 

[natstat]

Hi Natstat,
There were an unusual number of moving parts in your account, but I believe we have now sorted it all out.
You should be hearing from Vera today with the details. Please let me know if you have any further concerns or need any additional assistance.

Thank you, you guys are amazing!

Whether or not the WF response is to the customer’s liking (let’s face it, we don’t know the particulars and it sounds complicated), it IS comforting to see this sort of timeliness & diligence on the part of WF staff in addressing the OP’s concerns.

Makes me glad to have purchased my diamond from them, even though I have no plans of returning it ... ever!

Regardless of the outcome, I completely agree. Their Customer Service and Relationship Management has been impeccable.

 

[Lorelei]

Thank you, you guys are amazing!



Regardless of the outcome, I completely agree. Their Customer Service and Relationship Management has been impeccable.

I always think that's the hallmark of a great vendor. Sure, all is hunky dory when things go well, which they usually do. However, on occasion when things go wrong, that the vendor steps up immediately to investigate and make things right goes such a long way, kudos to Bryan and Whiteflash.

 

[MissGotRocks]

I have found them to be a first rate company to deal with and that is reinforced again and again with posts like these. Spending large sums of money can be daunting but being assured that you won't be hung out to dry on something is truly priceless!

 

[GearGirly]

Wow I am appreciating Whiteflash once again! Nice to see a company that offers such wonderful service.

 

[KingKuda]

The more time I spend on this page the more suspicious I become.

Post after post, almost identical, making WF out to be the most ethical company around, above everyone else. Look how many people are chiming in telling him to keep it.

 

[Lorelei]

The more time I spend on this page the more suspicious I become.

Post after post, almost identical, making WF out to be the most ethical company around, above everyone else. Look how many people are chiming in telling him to keep it.

Kuda, there have been various opinions over the years about certain vendors and whether any posters receive any benefits from them but I promise you there's no need to be suspicious. Whiteflash have been popular for many years, deservedly so, but I can tell you they've also been hauled over the coals if things haven't been right!

No one is affiliated with Whiteflash if that's what you're implying, no one to my knowledge receives anything from any of the companies for liking their wares and saying so. Yes, there is possibly some ' fan girl/ fan boy -ism' going on but you find that with any luxury product and or company. Case in point, I frequent well known fragrance forums and there's a niche French brand who has a tremendous following, that's all they wish to discuss or deem worthy. People recommend brands they love or have purchased from and are happy with and it just so happens many of us have purchased from WF and the others over the years and had good experiences. It's the same with resellers of Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Prada handbags, happy buyers encourage others who wish to purchase to go with sellers they've been happy with. Same with cars, high end watches, any expensive purchase.

Stick around and you'll notice a similar pattern with the other vendors, Brian Gavin, Good old Gold, HPD, ERD/ BE, JA etc. People like to encourage others to go with those they've had a great experience with and sometimes it can seem as if one particular vendor is being discussed more than another, it happens.

Also Pricescope insist on complete transparency for those who ARE either in the trade or affiliated with any vendor, this can be seen from their profile.

So you've asked a question which has come up many times over the years and there are those who might always believe to the contrary, but to the best of my knowledge there is nothing untoward going on, unless you want to think some ' fan-ism' is, it's not, just happy buyers wanting others to have the same experience. When you consider the huge amounts of money and emotions at stake, people here want to offer reassurance that the particular company will deal honestly with great customer service because after all, for many the prospect of handing over several thousand dollars - if not more - to a company they've never dealt with before for one of the first major purchases of their life, can be a daunting prospect.

 

[natstat]

The more time I spend on this page the more suspicious I become.

Post after post, almost identical, making WF out to be the most ethical company around, above everyone else. Look how many people are chiming in telling him to keep it.

They are pretty incredible to deal with. This post came out of a place where I was looking for more understanding around consumer policies in the US. Given the time difference, Whiteflash customer relations were signing off for the day and mine was just starting. I had 12+ hours ahead of me to dwell over the situation which is why I came on here.

Now, we've reached an outcome and again they've gone over and above- doing more than what was asked.

I'm not qualified to make out that WF is the most ethical company around but I can say from my experience, that they really are a in a league of their own in terms of service.

I can see why a number of people would recommend WF and their ACA's over and over again.

 

[Tanalasta_01]

Will just chime in here and say that as an unaffiliated, Australian repeat customer who have over years purchased studs, necklaces and custom settings from Whiteflash, I have every compliment to say about Whiteflash and their customer service.

I don't know about "ethics" but I do know that I've always been pleased re their customer service and how they've even provided genuine aftercare, even when they were under no obligation to do so - and and even absorbing the cost.

 

[ac117]

The more time I spend on this page the more suspicious I become.

Post after post, almost identical, making WF out to be the most ethical company around, above everyone else. Look how many people are chiming in telling him to keep it.

Have you ever dealt with WF? Because obviously many of us have and that is why we can attest to their level of customer service. For those who haven't personally purchased through WF but have been around this forum for even a few days, WF's participation on this board is quite evident, consistent, extremely helpful and a reason so many of us enjoy coming here. People can give their opinions and it also doesn't mean that the OP needs to take it. If you don't like these opinions or feel like there's some conspiracy theory, you can certainly go somewhere else.

 

[Karl_K]

I can not comment on WF within the rules.
I will say that Bryan cares deeply about all of his customers.
With some people you can say "heh its all PR" That is not the case with Bryan.
To be honest it drives some of his competitors batty.
Not me, I expect it and hope to do the same when we have issues.
As much as we(and Byran) try we will have an issue from time to time.
For almost 15 years on here, I have been saying you judge a company on how they react when something does go wrong more than anything else.

 

[Maggiemeans]

And if I might add, in this day and age of online shopping, reviews, forums.. companies have to go above and beyond to maintain their customer service levels if that is what's important to them..
It adds an effort to keep a "5 star" rating...

 

[Lorelei]

And if I might add, in this day and age of online shopping, reviews, forums.. companies have to go above and beyond to maintain their customer service levels if that is what's important to them..
It adds an effort to keep a "5 star" rating...

Exactly and great point Maggie.

It's the nature of the internet, whereas before, many would go to the ' family jeweller' when looking for an engagement ring, they'd consult someone who'd served the family for many years perhaps. Providing jewellery for life from Christening gifts, other religious milestone gifts, engagement and wedding gifts, anniversary gifts, Christmas, birthdays and so on. These jewellers relied on word of mouth from the families they served and tradition too, so their clientele was probably much smaller. Now with the enormous growth of the internet vendors, it's a whole different ballgame, bad reviews as well as good reviews spread rapidly and a wise seller will keep an eye on all aspects of their business and keeping a very close eye on what's being said about them and fixing any issues ASAP is what you have to do if you want to survive and prosper in a fiercely competitive environment.

ANYONE anywhere in the world can be a client of any online vendor and keeping a superb reputation essential and that takes a huge amount of work and effort I would imagine. How wonderful for diamond buyers to have such choice!

 

[rockysalamander]

The more time I spend on this page the more suspicious I become.

Post after post, almost identical, making WF out to be the most ethical company around, above everyone else. Look how many people are chiming in telling him to keep it.

I actually appreciate the skeptics among us. So, thanks @KingKuda It allows folks to explain what is behind their support and makes us constantly question our own assumptions. I think for vendors that pay attention to PS (or other online reviewer sources), it can act as a course correction if they are veering a bit. It gives them a chance, if they are open to it, to look at their company and make decisions about quality, staffing, advertisement, etc.

I am actually someone who does and will spend more from a vendor who treats folks well when things go wrong. In the end, a company is nothing without its customers. I will also buy from the most grumpy unhelpful vendors if they have something I want and I don't *need* support from them. So, there is still a place for the curmudgeon's in my world.