whiteflash

[sampras]

I think I have decided to not buy from a BM and buy online. The price and selection are just so much better. It looks like whiteflash is one of the better online vendors to deal with. Has anybody had a negative experience with them? Also, does anyone know if I can get both the pricescope and 2% wire transfer discount or is it one or the other?

Thanks for any advice

 

[Psychobroker]

I can''t help you with a negative experience, but I can provide a POSITIVE one. I''m in the midst of getting the ring done, and so far it''s been a great experience. Kudos to Whiteflash!

 

[belle]

only positives from me

you can''t combine discounts. in most cases the ps discount is more than the standard 2%

 

[strmrdr]

Whiteflash has had some problems from time to time like any company.
What sets them and the best of the PS vendors apart is how they deal with it when a problem does come up.
Iv seen WF go far further than I would to make someone happy.
Like the guy that the ring had clearly got slammed in something and bent all up, he claimed it hadnt. Wf replaced it for him under warranty.
I would have told him to get bent the warranty doesnt apply to abuse.
He posted on here boohoo look at what WF did to my ring and they still helped him out after it was proven he had damaged the ring.

Do a search the threads are here.

 

[Kaleigh]

I haven''t bought from WF yet, but would do so in a heart beat. Their customer service is excellent. I also like that they have a trade up policy. I also like how they solve problems going above and beyond what many vendors would do. They truly do all they can to make the customer a happy one. HTH

 

[jcrow]

i could be wrong- but- to have the PS discount, don''t you need to wire the money?

 

[belle]

here is a thread regarding discounts

 

[ame]

I had a mixed experience with them. My ring is gorgeous but it took a while and a lot of back and forth shipping to get it the way I felt it should be. I felt communication was lacking at some points, and felt like their workmanship left a lot to be desired. BUT the customer service (short of some communication issues) to fix my issues was great. They fixed what I had issues with, though I felt it could have been better handled. I have to give them credit for working through the Hurricane Evac. to finish my ring. They should have evacuated instead but I had to be a drill sargeant and make em finish it anyway.

 

[dandoboy]

I'm in the midst of a ring purcahse; the stone from Whiteflash has been to the appraiser and they have nothing but the best things to say about the stone; the idealscope images especially!

I haven't had a problem yet, and don't intend to. If by chance a problem does come up, I'm confident that the Whiteflash team will be there to right the wrong in record time.

I can't comment on their skills and abilities on setting a stone or their setting themselves. I can only comment on the ACA diamond itself (setting the stone has been reserved for Mark Morrell.....feel the excitement!!!).

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 11/3/2005 3:54:58 PM
Author:sampras
I think I have decided to not buy from a BM and buy online. The price and selection are just so much better. It looks like whiteflash is one of the better online vendors to deal with. Has anybody had a negative experience with them? Also, does anyone know if I can get both the pricescope and 2% wire transfer discount or is it one or the other?

Thanks for any advice

I''ve bought from them 5 times now, and had great experiences with them.

No, you can''t get both discounts.....you want the PS discount. In both cases, the transactions has to be bank-wire transfer, but the PS discount is a little better than the everyday bank-wire discount.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 11/3/2005 3:54:58 PM
Author:sampras
I think I have decided to not buy from a BM and buy online. The price and selection are just so much better. It looks like whiteflash is one of the better online vendors to deal with. Has anybody had a negative experience with them? Also, does anyone know if I can get both the pricescope and 2% wire transfer discount or is it one or the other?

Thanks for any advice

... one or the other


But you can always ask them, of course

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 11/3/2005 4:37:03 PM
Author: ame
I had a mixed experience with them. My ring is gorgeous but it took a while and a lot of back and forth shipping to get it the way I felt it should be. I felt communication was lacking at some points, and felt like their workmanship left a lot to be desired. BUT the customer service (short of some communication issues) to fix my issues was great. They fixed what I had issues with, though I felt it could have been better handled. I have to give them credit for working through the Hurricane Evac. to finish my ring. They should have evacuated instead but I had to be a drill sargeant and make em finish it anyway.

In fairness to the original poster, it bears pointing out that Ame''s experience was on a custom ring where the setting was built specifically.

Custom work has its own set of challenges and isn''t necessarily representative for folks who are contemplating an off-the-shelf, standard setting.

 

[Shay37]

I don''t have a bad thing to say about them. They are terrific!! You can see my ring from them in my avatar. As far as the discount, it''s one or the other.

shay

 

[portoar]

I just ordered some earrings from WF. They arrived yesterday, and I really didn''t care for them. There was nothing wrong with them, they just didn''t make my heart sing. I notified them, they sent me a return authorization immediately, with a suggestion that I carry them with me while I go look at B&M stores to compare. I opted to just send them back registered mail this a.m. While I didn''t love this particular pair of earrings, I think the quality was probably exactly what I ordered -- they just weren''t the diamonds for me.

So far, the customer service has been great. If I ever buy a larger diamond that would warrant being sent to an appraiser for approval first, I would definitely consider trying them again. I did go to a B&M today and looked at several pair of Hearts on Fire earrings -- now those did make my heart sing. But at a considerably higher price than the WF earrings. Not sure what my next step is, whether it''s another go at internet purchase or just go to Tiffany''s, a HOF dealer, or a B&M and pay the extra markup.

But, to sum up, I don''t think you''ll go wrong with the customer service at WF and many many people on this forum, way more knowledgeable than me, have been thrilled with their WF diamonds.

 

[Jelly]

I''ve been very happy with my WF purchase and I plan to get my wedding band with them down the road.

Portoar, I''m sorry to hear you didn''t like your earrings. I remember you saying this was your one chance at diamonds...good luck in finding the "right" match!

 

[jennalyns]

Hi! I agree with Ame, I had a mixed experience with them too. The ring turned out great in the end, but it was a stressful process. Their customer service and stones are incredible, but I had a few snags in the custom process. I do absolutely love my ring, so that's what's important!

The stones from WF are incredible. I own a .33 (now in a pendant) and .558 (in my ring) from them, plus the melees in my ring. I can honestly say that I haven't yet found diamonds that out-sparkle mine, and the price was very reasonable. They were very honest with me about the stones, and sent pictures and answered all my questions. I've even compared my ring to Tiffany stones (which I know get mixed reviews on here but I think they're beautiful) and my stone outsparkles them.

The setting was where I had the troubles. Mine was custom made. It was supposed to be a copy in platinum of my white gold ring engagement ring. I was very specific that I wanted it exactly the same and was told repeatedly that this would be no problem. I sent the old ring to them to copy. It was supposed to take 7-10 days once they received it; it took three weeks, and when the ring was finished it looked significantly different from my old ring, in the pictures. They convinced me to try it, and shipped it to me. I got it, and it was extremely beautiful but not like my old ring. Perfect workmanship, beautiful stones, but it was significantly different and not what I wanted. So I sent it back... and it took another month for them to remake it.

When I finally did get the rings (started the process around March 20, got the final finished product May 30, and the whole process was originally supposed to take no more than 10 days, or up to three weeks including shipping time), there were problems with the workmanship- the edges of the bezel opening were jagged, and sort of unfinished-looking; there was also some (very minor) pitting in the platinum. I was too exhausted from the whole back-and-forth process by that point, that I just sent it to Wink to clean up for me, which he did beautifully. To WF's credit, they probably would've fixed it for me for free if I had said anything, but I was just too tired of dealing with it and I'd had a ring fixed by Wink's company before and knew the quality of his repair work.

Denise (the person I worked with) was incredibly nice and I would buy from her again. The problems I had weren't her fault, it was more the designer not following her specific instructions. She did bend over backwards to get the problems fixed and make me happy, and I wasn't charged for them remaking the ring or for shipping the finished product to me the second time. She was extremely patient with me, answering my million emails and she was almost more excited than I was when she was finally able to send me pictures of the final ring, and everything worked out. I know that if I had said anything about the workmanship issues she would have made them fix it, but I didn't want to harass her anymore!

I am in Japan so time zones are a bit of an issue for communication. The back and forth shipping got expensive, since I'm in Japan and it's at least $60 to ship each way; and when the final ring was shipped to me I got a huge bill from FedEx- I discovered that Japan charges a 10% luxury import tax, so I ended up paying that twice (over $700 total for a $3,000 set). Not WF's fault, but it was irritating to have to pay the large tax because the first ring was not correct.

I also have a custom-made pendant from them from last year, and it is beautiful, no problems at all. Not sure what the issue was with my ring, but I do want to be honest about it, because I saw nothing but raves on here and then later found out that a few people had experiences similar to mine. I felt that they came through and fixed the issues in the end, but it was stressful for such an important ring.

Bottom line is I would absolutely, in a second buy another stone from them (their upgrade policy is awesome!), because I have been completely impressed with their diamonds; I get asked all the time "how does your stone sparkle so much?"

I would buy a stock setting from them, but not sure I would do custom again. I got the PS discount both times, and I paid through wire transfer. Sorry this is such a long post!

 

[fatafelice]

I am in the process of getting a custom pendant made through WF and so far, they have been better than great. USPS "misplaced" my stone on its way to Houston...for nearly three weeks...and the folks at WF were so upset about it and so helpful. They even offered to make me up a temporary pendant with a CZ, just so that my sister would have something to wear for her wedding, since our stone was missing...and it wasn''t even their fault that it was lost!

 

[portoar]

Date: 11/3/2005 7:24:51 PM
Author: Jelly
I''ve been very happy with my WF purchase and I plan to get my wedding band with them down the road.

Portoar, I''m sorry to hear you didn''t like your earrings. I remember you saying this was your one chance at diamonds...good luck in finding the ''right'' match!

Jelly, thanks for the kind words! I don''t mind that the WF earrings weren''t "the ones," when you''re buying internet there''s always a chance that they won''t be what you pictured in your mind. I will end up with some gorgeous earrings, as with everyone else who is shopping for diamonds, it''s a process . . .

 

[LadyluvsLuxury]

I recently purchased the set (and stone) in my avatar from Whiteflash. I found their customer service to be superb! My sales consultant addressed all my questions and concerns in a timely fashion, and I felt they went above and beyond to produce exactly what I wanted! The stones are of excellent...no OUTSTANDING quality and so is the worksmanship. I am currently fielding designs for a RHR, pendant, and studs for some future purchases and they will definitely be at the top of my list!

 

[ame]

Date: 11/3/2005 5:02:07 PM
Author: aljdewey

Date: 11/3/2005 4:37:03 PM

Author: ame

I had a mixed experience with them. My ring is gorgeous but it took a while and a lot of back and forth shipping to get it the way I felt it should be. I felt communication was lacking at some points, and felt like their workmanship left a lot to be desired. BUT the customer service (short of some communication issues) to fix my issues was great. They fixed what I had issues with, though I felt it could have been better handled. I have to give them credit for working through the Hurricane Evac. to finish my ring. They should have evacuated instead but I had to be a drill sargeant and make em finish it anyway.

In fairness to the original poster, it bears pointing out that Ame's experience was on a custom ring where the setting was built specifically.


Custom work has its own set of challenges and isn't necessarily representative for folks who are contemplating an off-the-shelf, standard setting.

I *was/am* being fair to the original poster. And I don't really think it's necessary to point that out actually, because while you disagree, I think that custom or stock has nothing to do with it. It was at least 50% terrible communication issues and that has nothing to do with the piece itself. The workmanship issues were the rest of my situationS and before he buys ANYTHING from them, custom or general stock, he should know that there have been issues posted.

I have to be honest and fair and he has to know all angles of this vendor regardless of whether the item is custom or not before he plunks down a lot of money on this ring/stone. As far as I am concerned, EVERYTHING is custom because it has to be fitted to each stone. Period.

I may or may not ever buy anything from Whiteflash besides cleaning solutions after my experience, regardless of them making it right. There were many points where I was thinking "too little, too late" and contemplated a refund. Too many folks don't share their whole stories about negative or mixed experiences with vendors for fear of retaliation or being jumped on by a member who loves that vendor and I decided that I am going to tell him what happened to me, as did Jennalyns. They clearly have or had a SERIOUS quality control failure. And newbies and folks seriously considering using whiteflash for their purchase need to know this to make a fair and balanced decision.

They have great diamonds, that's not really topic for discussion, but people need to hear both sides of the coin: glowing raves from repeat buyers like you and LadyLoves and Mara and from folks who might have a great item now but went through pure frustrating and financial hell to get that far.

 

[radiantlover]

My FI purchased my e-ring from WF and I have stud earrings from them too. I can honestly say that the diamonds are AMAZING!!!

Everyone comments how sparkly they are...I too notice that my earrings and ring out sparkles all of my friends and relatives'' diamonds.

However, when they provided me with pics of the setting (which was a copy of the x-prong DVatche)...I hated it. Even though I specifically asked them to ensure that it looked exactly like the Vatche and that the diamond was set as low as possible. Before you ask me why I didn''t just buy the Vatche, I did ask them. But was told that they can make an exact copy for me (I then assumed they no longer sold Vatche settings because at the time there was some threads on PS that mentioned this). Anyway at the end, WF created a wax for my approval and created a beautiful ring. I LOVE it!!! I would definately buy diamonds from them...heck I purchased my earrings while I was waiting for the e-ring setting to be re-made!!!

I recently found out that because WF had to re-make my setting (which took another week and a half due to the hurricane and other factors)...my FI couldn''t propose to me on our 7yr anniversay (which also happens to be my b-day too)...which he had planned for weeks. I guess it would have been a ''little'' more special if it was on our anniversary/my b-day. Oh well...he proposed 2 weeks later and we''re happy.

Since I want either a semi-eternity or 3/4 eternity w-band, I will either buy my w-ring from WF or SP...but may be leaning towards WF since I really love their diamonds!

Anyways I hope this helps...it''s always good to hear both sides. To be honest with you, I was very surprised to hear negative things about them...and I only learnt about them via PM (which is very unfortunate for new PSers).

On another note, I know a lot of PSers'' that received amazing service from WF...so I guess I was one of the unlucky few.

 

[Demelza]

I agree. I think it''s very important for potential buyers to know the good and the bad. It seems clear that WF has amazing diamonds. I don''t think I''ve ever heard a single complaint about their stones and I wouldn''t hesitate to buy one. It does seem, however, that as of late there have been some problems with custom work. The good news is that they always seem to fix it. But, as radiantlover can attest, that can sometimes cause problems when we''re talking about time sensitive jewelry such as engagement and wedding rings.

 

[fisiogrl]

I have bought from WF and was very happy with my e-ring. Diamond and my custom setting worked out very well!

Now I am buying earrings from them and have found the service to be less prompt (much lower dollar value, can''t help wondering if this affects the service...). I have sent 2 emails which did not get replies which is a bit frustrating.

Also, it would be really nice if their 1-800 number worked in Canada, but that is just one of those things.

Overall, I would - and have - recommended them, but service this time seems a bit less smooth.

 

[Waited2Long]

Great thread! I'm close to pulling the trigger myself, and WF is probably going to get my business.

What's the typical turnaround time on a ring for most e-vendors? Assuming they do have the Vatche x-prong, would a month be enough time to get it to me?

Also, the WF site says size 4 and under rings have any extra cost. How much is it, and why does a smaller ring cost more?

 

[ame]

A smaller ring tends to cost more because it's smaller and generally harder to work with just because it's so small.

Typical turnaround time for custom work is as little as two weeks but I say bank on closer to 3 or 3 and a half weeks. If it's a stock piece you can have it in well under a week.

 

[MissAva]

Date: 11/4/2005 12:02:33 PM
Author: Waited2Long
Great thread! I''m close to pulling the trigger myself, and WF is probably going to get my business.

What''s the typical turnaround time on a ring for most e-vendors? Assuming they do have the Vatche x-prong, would a month be enough time to get it to me?

Also, the WF site says size 4 and under rings have any extra cost. How much is it, and why does a smaller ring cost more?

I think they have to be made diffrent, I think it is the same for most rings, under for over 8 and you have to pay extra. This is pretty standard, not just WF.

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 11/4/2005 12:02:33 PM
Author: Waited2Long
Great thread! I''m close to pulling the trigger myself, and WF is probably going to get my business.

What''s the typical turnaround time on a ring for most e-vendors? Assuming they do have the Vatche x-prong, would a month be enough time to get it to me?

Also, the WF site says size 4 and under rings have any extra cost. How much is it, and why does a smaller ring cost more?

Hello W2L.

Turnaround time depends on the complexity of the project. In-stock settings and diamonds can be turned around very quickly. For custom jobs we are currently quoting a maximum of 20-21 days. The upcharge for a smaller size was a Vatche prerequisite. We no longer carry that line, so there will not be an upcharge if you choose an onsite design (thank you for asking).

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 11/3/2005 11:25:46 PM
Author: ame

I *was/am* being fair to the original poster. And I don't really think it's necessary to point that out actually, because while you disagree, I think that custom or stock has nothing to do with it. It was at least 50% terrible communication issues and that has nothing to do with the piece itself. The workmanship issues were the rest of my situationS and before he buys ANYTHING from them, custom or general stock, he should know that there have been issues posted.

I have to be honest and fair and he has to know all angles of this vendor regardless of whether the item is custom or not before he plunks down a lot of money on this ring/stone. As far as I am concerned, EVERYTHING is custom because it has to be fitted to each stone. Period.

I may or may not ever buy anything from Whiteflash besides cleaning solutions after my experience, regardless of them making it right. There were many points where I was thinking 'too little, too late' and contemplated a refund. Too many folks don't share their whole stories about negative or mixed experiences with vendors for fear of retaliation or being jumped on by a member who loves that vendor and I decided that I am going to tell him what happened to me, as did Jennalyns. They clearly have or had a SERIOUS quality control failure. And newbies and folks seriously considering using whiteflash for their purchase need to know this to make a fair and balanced decision.

They have great diamonds, that's not really topic for discussion, but people need to hear both sides of the coin: glowing raves from repeat buyers like you and LadyLoves and Mara and from folks who might have a great item now but went through pure frustrating and financial hell to get that far.

Ame, chill out. I never said *you* weren't being fair or that you intended to be unfair.

I thought it PRUDENT and right to point out that a custom job experience may not necessarily be reflective of the experience one might expect to have with an off-the-shelf piece. You can disagree all you want, but that's MY opinion. PERIOD.

I don't give a damn who the vendor is....it does not take 10 days of communication to set an off-the-shelf piece. I should know....I've DONE BOTH. I've had my stone set in an off-the-shelf piece and I've gone custom. VAST differences, and I felt that worthy of pointing out. My doing so doesn't say or imply that your experience wasn't applicable or valid, just that it might not be representative of a different form of purchase.

My point isn't to defend Whiteflash or not....again, you people need to get over this whacked notion that I'm a flag-waving, staunch Whiteflash supporter. I've bought from other besides Whiteflash, and I've been been very impressed with the service I got from them, too. I just can't TALK about one of them due to forum rules......rules that I respect and intend to abide by.

I'd be making the same comments if we were talking about a piece from Wink or GOG as well.