Anyone used the Better Business Bureau to get money back?

[radiant girl]

I posted on here not long ago (my first post) about finding out that the diamond my bf overpaid for a diamond that was of a lower cut quality than we thought we were buying. I spoke with someone today who suggested I try make a claim against the jeweler at the Better Business Bureau because we were misled about the cut quality.

My story: I had told the lady who sold me the ring that cut was the most important thing to me. She said they only carried the top grades of cut there (and that was how they were a better, safer place to buy diamonds than others). I believed her, and we bought the ring. I have discovered that it is actually a very poorly cut diamond and comparable ones on the internet are judged to be "Fair" versus Ideal, Premium, or Good. The AGA cut guidelines tell me its a 3A at best.

First, has anyone gotten their money back by using the BBB to put pressure on the jeweler?

And second, do I have a case?

 

[strmrdr]

only way you might prevail is to get an independent appraiser to evaluate the stone and say its not a top cut and document the industry standards for saying so.
For example doesn''t make GIA EX or AGS0.
Then you need to know what the $$$ loss was.
If the appraiser determines that you paid the right price for the quality level they likely wont take the case.


What people don''t get is that going to the BBB its almost like a court case but with less stringent evidence rules.
You have too prove your case, just saying blah corp mistreated me wont get you anywhere.
If the BBB is ignored or doesn''t accept the case then the next step is taking it too court.

 

[strmrdr]

What are the numbers on the diamond in question?

 

[door knob solitaire]

Yikes...in rereading your post you seem to lean on speech instead of writing or paperwork. It seems to me that she said what she believed true...if she is not a member of a jewelry association and trained...she may not actually know herself what she sold you. Top cut is a matter of opinion, not fact without documents.

How did you pay? Cash, check, credit card? Where did you buy? I mean is it a jewelry store with any credentials? How long ago?

The BBB is a place where consumers can go to report issues. They will take your written complaint and contact the jeweler for their side of the story. Usually a negative report is enough to make the vendor do something to please you. To what extent they are willing to go to do this, is up to them...not the BBB. The BBB has no power to force them to do anything. (this is very similar to eBay and the feedback system. You can say anything you want about a vendor...and it remains, negative -positive -neutral) the BBB complaint remains open until you contact them and tell them how it was concluded...to your satisfactory or not.

This report helps future consumers make a decision using the BBB as a tool to learn how business practices are handled through this business. If your negative file remains, it may make another consumer wary and not buy from them. A negative BBB claim can cause serious damage to a reputation. But realize all vendors or businesses are under no obligation to remain a member. They can leave anytime...and often do when it gets too heated. They pay a fee each year to be listed as a BBB member. It is a club, pure and simple.

Your city may have an arbitration department to help its citizens. You might call your mayors office and ask for that service. You get a neutral party to examine the facts and help you negotiate some sort of resolution. Many of these are free and handled by retired attorney with this sort of experience.

Lets hope storm can crunch the details of your stone and come up with an opinion. It is possible the persons opinion you obtained is a tad harsh. Without documentation on a stone...it is interpretation...isn't it Stormy?

Don't panic yet...may I point out you had to have liked the stone well enough to buy it. What happened to make you take it to the other person?

 

[strmrdr]

radiant girl, first I''m not a lawyer and this is not legal advise, and this stuff is decided based on state law that varies from state to state but decided to clarify a few things about my first post.

There is a very strong bias that if you saw it, thought it looked good enough to get, and paid what would be considered a fair price there isn''t a case unless its defective in some way under industry standards.

But if someone says its a top cut and you pay $12000 then get an expert opinion that its a bad cut and that its only worth $6k in the same market then you have a case. A weak one if it was all verbal and a strong one if its in writing.

This goes both for the BBB and with the courts.

Generally sellers of mid range goods and up will be more sensitive to the BBB than sellers of primarily low end goods.
For the simple reason that more people in that market will check.

DKS: pretty much any cut other than a round and maybe a princess cut is going to be an interpretation yes and a very hard case too prove because it will come down too a battle of the experts unless there is a very clear defect according too industry standards.

 

[door knob solitaire]

Storm...as her name implies...I bet her stone is a radiant.

I didn''t visit the other thread yet...going there now.

Would it be correct to say using this thread as an example...she did get a top grade of cut. It is possible it is the top grade cut of YahozoDiamondAssciation...which can be below the standards of say EGL. Using the phrase TOPGrade of cut does not represent or misrepresent anything.

This is similar in subject to Gary''s post on terminology that you and I both chimed in on. This thread is the MAIN reason those terms need to be a standard. Non PS consumers need to have a safety net. This consumer is not as savvy as you are. Heck I''m not 1/320th as your diamond/wit savviness. And yet this diamond purchase was made merely on the verbiage of Top Grade Cut. What does that mean exactly? It would sound good to me too. Almost sounds like the description of a steak...(which you know I am not eating...but it is there if you want it.)

That verbiage is what worried me for her. Whose intrepretation of a top cut grade will she inquire to? She didn''t say what else she knew of the stone. I wonder if there are any papers to substantiate what she bought.

 

[door knob solitaire]

This is what she posted on her other thread:

The specs are .93, VVS2, F, 73% table, 78.7% depth (this is what bothers me the most), P/S VG/G. She mentioned they only had 1A's and 1B's in the store.

Radiant Girl, I should have read your previous thread first. I didn't understand the history well from this OP. You really got some great advice from many of the replies. Lumpkins really stood out for me. And for a reason. I had an incredible stone...(long story it is gone) anyway this stone made women dart right up to me from across the grocery store. I had a woman chase me down in the parking lot. Once one waited for me outside the IMAX theater. Each one had to see my stone. They said it was spectacular. It was a brilliant cut...I SO LOVED THAT STONE!! but my point is this...

When I came to PS I entered the specs and the cut advisor thing wouldn't even do the calculation. It said my something parameters were off. I tried again and again. I changed numbers until it let me in to see how far off my cut was from the advisor loving it. I did this months before I posted the first time. I was so mad and devastated as my stone was so substandard. Well, you couldn't tell all those women I mentioned the stone wasn't up to snuff.

This site is an incredible tool for you the consumer. It has so much wisdom and experience that you can't obtain in any other one place. That advisor will spit you out the most incredible stone on the planet ...but there are still diamonds with a whole lot of spunk and sparkle that don't meet the perfect measurements. As lumpkin mentioned...you have to take this site and THESE NUTTS

(that was meant as a loving poke and was inserted to get a laugh) and their insanias (which is actually storms trademark) and understand that there are and will continue to be very beautiful stones out side of this environment.

The first time you wear it and some NUTT at the gym nearly tackles you...you might agree. Diamonds are wonderful. And I wish you could find some peace about the bottom line here.

PS...is that jeweler even a member of BBB?

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 2/16/2008 2:59:33 AM
Author: door knob solitaire
Storm...as her name implies...I bet her stone is a radiant.

I didn''t visit the other thread yet...going there now.

Would it be correct to say using this thread as an example...she did get a top grade of cut. It is possible it is the top grade cut of YahozoDiamondAssciation...which can be below the standards of say EGL. Using the phrase TOPGrade of cut does not represent or misrepresent anything.

that''s why it would come down too a case of expert vs expert.
With rounds a case could be made that the GIA cut grades should be used and with the right expert the AGS scale.
But if the right price is paid and the stone was seen before purchase its a tough case.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 2/16/2008 3:28:06 AM
Author: door knob solitaire
This is what she posted on her other thread:

The specs are .93, VVS2, F, 73% table, 78.7% depth (this is what bothers me the most), P/S VG/G. She mentioned they only had 1A''s and 1B''s in the store.

Radiant Girl, I should have read your previous thread first. I didn''t understand the history well from this OP. You really got some great advice from many of the replies. Lumpkins really stood out for me. And for a reason. I had an incredible stone...(long story it is gone) anyway this stone made women dart right up to me from across the grocery store. I had a woman chase me down in the parking lot. Once one waited for me outside the IMAX theater. Each one had to see my stone. They said it was spectacular. It was a brilliant cut...I SO LOVED THAT STONE!! but my point is this...

When I came to PS I entered the specs and the cut advisor thing wouldn''t even do the calculation. It said my something parameters were off. I tried again and again. I changed numbers until it let me in to see how far off my cut was from the advisor loving it. I did this months before I posted the first time. I was so mad and devastated as my stone was so substandard. Well, you couldn''t tell all those women I mentioned the stone wasn''t up to snuff.

This site is an incredible tool for you the consumer. It has so much wisdom and experience that you can''t obtain in any other one place. That advisor will spit you out the most incredible stone on the planet ...but there are still diamonds with a whole lot of spunk and sparkle that don''t meet the perfect measurements. As lumpkin mentioned...you have to take this site and THESE NUTTS

(that was meant as a loving poke and was inserted to get a laugh) and their insanias (which is actually storms trademark) and understand that there are and will continue to be very beautiful stones out side of this environment.

The first time you wear it and some NUTT at the gym nearly tackles you...you might agree. Diamonds are wonderful. And I wish you could find some peace about the bottom line here.

PS...is that jeweler even a member of BBB?

The numbers mean next too nothing on fancies, looks make the grade.
With that information there is no one on earth that can say how the stone looks.
As too the depth, deep stones in fancies arent considered a defect but rather a nature of the cut in the trade.
The spread does come into play some with pricing, which brings back the question of was the right price paid?