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Conclusion to the negative experience with Whiteflash...

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Hahaha...thanks Skippy! But now I really want pie in real life...
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My sweet tooth cannot be quenched by Cadbury Creme eggs alone!
 
I wasn''t attacking the original poster. That richie person was the one who got on my nerves......

Nice how you break the pie out once I have gone to bed!
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I'm going to respond with some of Ebree's comments in mind because she summarized some things well, but my comments aren't directed at or to Ebree or any other individual singly; they are general comments for discussion with no specific recipient. (Put this in red for specific emphasis).

OP didn't use as much tact as he could have when describing his experience. No, he absolutely didn't.....and that initial tone sets the whole tone of the discussion. It's not the message (we were disappointed with our experience) people reacted to; it's seems partly about the way the message was delivered. Had it been delivered differently, I'm certain the reaction would have been different, too. There are several threads in the annals of PS from folks who posted saying (in a non-inflammatory way) 'I'm disappointed in XYZ vendor', and those threads didn't elicit this kind of response.

What I don't understand, however, were the rude replies from members of Pricescope.....they jumped to defend WF when they weren't a part of the experience at all, which I found to be completely unfair. ....It's easy to defend a vendor you've only had pleasant experiences with. How could a company who treated you so fabulously treat someone else so poorly? OP must be overreacting, or be 'too hard to please', right?

How one says something *very much* affects how people interpret it in the reading. Happened just a few posts back in this thread when Ebree said ""Would you have heard the same sarcastic, presumptuous replies had the experience been with, say, Tiffany? I doubt it." That was read by another as implying 'people only defend Whiteflash.'

I find it curious and convenient that those who disagree with a disappointed poster's account are assumed to be 'defending a vendor' or motivated by 'vendor love'. Maybe it's just my age showing, but if I don't agree with someone and I say so, it's nearly always because I don't think he's being reasonable.....has little to nothing to do with the vendor (any vendor) at all.

Life is full of disappointments, and I assume anyone mature enough to be on the brink of marriage is also mature enough to accept that things will not always go as smoothly and perfectly as we hope. I expect that they'll deal with the disappointment and move on.

Crap happens.....even on mind-bendingly important occasions. Rich and I decided that a limo wasn't really a necessary element for our wedding. I knew that he'd really like it, though, and I decided to arrange one anyway and surprise him with it when it came time to go to the reception. My girlfriends knew about it.....and knew it was a secret and a surprise for him. At a cookout a week prior to my wedding, we're all sitting around the table and one friend slipped up in her excitement about the wedding and said "and we're all going to ride in the limo......." in front of him.
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He (who normally tunes out 90% of the hen convos) looked blankly and said "what limo?"
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There went my surprise.....and I was major disappointed. Should it have happened? Nope.....but mistakes happen, and I had to suck it up and accept that it couldn't be undone and move on. Did it ruin my whole wedding? Not on your life.....our wedding was beautiful and magical even though there was no surprise.

Crap happens....Grandma drank too much at the wedding and lost her dentures into the punchbowl. Florist showed up with the wrong color flowers in the bouquet, or limo company sent a black limo instead of the white one specified. Does that mean the wedding is ruined forever in your memory? Heck, no. Would I be disappointed about such events? Sure I would, and I'd likely express that disappointment, but to think such things forever tainted my wedding day? Ridiculous.

What's going to happen the first time your spouse disappoints you? Are you going to spend the rest of your married life lamenting how everything was ruined because of this one event/thing/mistake that cannot be undone? Will your marriage be deemed ruined and tainted? If so, you ain't gonna be married long.

VERY few things in life are so catastrophic that they can't be overcome. Accordingly, I don't have much patience in general for people who parlay an unfortunate disappointment into a huge drama that is unforgiveable or inconsolable. I'd expect to see that in kids like my 4-year-old niece who dropped her cookie on the floor and it broke. Nothing will make it okay ever.....not a new cookie, not a *bigger* cookie, not *two* other cookies, and not even something she prefers over cookies. Nope....she just wants to focus solely on *that* broken cookie and cry that it's broken.

I don't typically expect to see that response in adults, so when I see posts in which the main theme seems to be 'regardless of outcome, it never should have happened (and the fact that it did has now ruined the entire experience for all time)", well.......it ain't 'vendor love or defense' that motivates my response. Rather, it's to say "lamenting that 'it' never should have happened and focusing solely on how it can never be made right just isn't reasonable to me."


Some of the reactions in this thread are why customers (like me, for example) are or were too afraid to voice their less-than-stellar experiences fully.....This board exists to share information, pictures and experiences. If we're afraid to share the poor, what's the point?

PS does exist to share our experiences, positive or not so positive, but it doesn't entitle us to have agreement from everyone reading without contest. With privilege comes responsibility.....we have the privilege to post, and we have the responsibility to accept that some may not agree with how we see it and they may comment on their lack of agreement.

As far as being 'afraid' to post, that honestly doesn't wash to me. If any person is 'afraid' to post lest he (or she) be disagreed with, that's his *own* issue. If you feel passionately about sharing your experience and you believe your recounting to be a fair and accurate representation offered *constructively*, there isn't anything to fear. If you choose to be paralyzed by fear of disagreement, that's your choice.....not someone else's fault. (saying this to all, not specifically to any one person).


P.S. .....hey, any pie left?
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l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-e-m-o-n, please.
 
Well said, aljdewey. I especially like how you put this:

"Life is full of disappointments, and I assume anyone mature enough to be on the brink of marriage is also mature enough to accept that things will not always go as smoothly and perfectly as we hope. I expect that they''ll deal with the disappointment and move on."

I couldn''t agree more-you summed up everything I was thinking perfectly and eloquently in your post.

Now here''s some delish chocolate mousse pie for ya!

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Oops, you wanted lemon! I guess I''ll have to have the chocolate mousse for breakfast!

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Date: 4/14/2007 9:26:47 AM
Author: thing2of2
Oops, you wanted lemon! I guess I''ll have to have the chocolate mousse for breakfast!
the first thing I ate when I got up this am was a cookie my daughter made yesterday.... they are SOOOOOO rich with raspberry chocolate chips and cocoa in the mix AND regular minichips. They''re like a chocolate overload. one little 2" cookie was like okay I''m done. I do think I could finish that chocolate mousse pie though - and its sister slice
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I ended up eating cheetos this morning, but don't tell my sister. My husband told her that the other day and she said "Skippy never eats Cheetos in the morning." I just looked at them, but now I am admitting to it. Cheetos for breakfast. YUM! These aren't just any cheetos, they are Trader Joe's Cheese Crunchies.

MMMMMMmmmmm cookies for breakfast!!! Can I come over tomorrow for breakfast, pretty please Cehra???
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Date: 4/14/2007 3:00:30 AM
Author: aljdewey

As far as being ''afraid'' to post, that honestly doesn''t wash to me. If any person is ''afraid'' to post lest he (or she) be disagreed with, that''s his *own* issue. If you feel passionately about sharing your experience and you believe your recounting to be a fair and accurate representation offered *constructively*, there isn''t anything to fear. If you choose to be paralyzed by fear of disagreement, that''s your choice.....not someone else''s fault. (saying this to all, not specifically to any one person).
nice post alj - thought I would jump off here on a tangent... first of all I agree with everything you said above... and I also think that not everything needs to be said or doesn''t need to be said here. When I had that first misunderstanding with my designer and I came to the board and threw my hand to my head and said, "oh woe is me it is all such the disappointment however can I go on?" I was paying no mind to the feelings OR professional reputation of the person I was working with. I *felt* like I needed to vent and get support and answers etc. and I could still justify my actions based on my "need" aforementioned. Well, everything worked out and my designer wisely said that maybe we should keep everything off the board until it was done and I felt so awful about it all that I quickly agreed. Now, there have been other issues, things where I''m afraid to speak up or disagree, negotiations, fears, whatever and there were times when I thought I "needed" to bring it here to get support or have questions answered, but instead I''ve turned it back to her and it is amazing how things work out without any tarnish to anyone''s reputation or getting a couple dozen other people involved where there really is no place for them, both of us walk away from the conversation satisfied and everything is resolved without being blown up.

Applying this to a whiteflash situation... if I ordered a stone and pendant from whiteflash (which I *very* well just might do in the hopefully not tooooo distant future) and the pendant wasn''t right... I would keep it off the board... maybe call in John for some support or to act as a liaison... and I would get everything worked out to my satisfaction and I would persist until I was satisfied. If there came a time where I felt that there was a deadlock that involved their refusal to remedy a situation that I still felt was in their purview and was unacceptable, then and ONLY then would I bring it to the board and say, "Okay, I''ve done all I could, now what?"

I don''t think it is about whether or not anyone here has the *right* to bring ANY and EVERY issue they have to this board. I think it is more about having the respect and responsibility to employ that right judiciously. And the more someone flails about pointing fingers and casting judgment where there are still untraveled avenues that they have CHOSEN not to pursue, it is very difficult to garner anything other than quit yer whining and dragging their good name through the mud.

If WF ever did anything to truly deserve a good bashing, I don''t think anyone would stand in the way of that. They have their problems, their flaws, their imperfections, and I''m sure they would love (cough cough) to hear them privately so they can continue to attempt to improve their service.
 
Date: 4/14/2007 12:49:41 PM
Author: Skippy123
I ended up eating cheetos this morning, but don''t tell my sister. My husband told her that the other day and she said ''Skippy never eats Cheetos in the morning.'' I just looked at them, but now I am admitting to it. Cheetos for breakfast. YUM! These aren''t just any cheetos, they are Trader Joe''s Cheese Crunchies.

MMMMMMmmmmm cookies for breakfast!!! Can I come over tomorrow for breakfast, pretty please Cehra???
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HUGE HUGE difference. I will NOT put those kraft macaroni cheese colored puffs in my mouth. I don''t even touch them! I never buy them. The color alone is revolting LOL The taste is.... something is seriously wrong with them LMAO!!!! It doesn''t help that someone I know said her dog''s FEET smelled like cheetos. Yuk!!!! I do however like the ones from TJs They do have a cleaner flavor and I greatly appreciate not having orange fingers! LOL

Come on over - she''s making another batch today... we have about 50 cookies here and we need another 50 or so... we have 40 middle school kids on our property this am for some kind of earth day thing... we thought we''d bring them cookies :)
 
Date: 4/14/2007 12:58:18 PM
Author: Cehrabehra



Date: 4/14/2007 12:49:41 PM
Author: Skippy123
I ended up eating cheetos this morning, but don't tell my sister. My husband told her that the other day and she said 'Skippy never eats Cheetos in the morning.' I just looked at them, but now I am admitting to it. Cheetos for breakfast. YUM! These aren't just any cheetos, they are Trader Joe's Cheese Crunchies.

MMMMMMmmmmm cookies for breakfast!!! Can I come over tomorrow for breakfast, pretty please Cehra???
2.gif
HUGE HUGE difference. I will NOT put those kraft macaroni cheese colored puffs in my mouth. I don't even touch them! I never buy them. The color alone is revolting LOL The taste is.... something is seriously wrong with them LMAO!!!! It doesn't help that someone I know said her dog's FEET smelled like cheetos. Yuk!!!! I do however like the ones from TJs They do have a cleaner flavor and I greatly appreciate not having orange fingers! LOL

Come on over - she's making another batch today... we have about 50 cookies here and we need another 50 or so... we have 40 middle school kids on our property this am for some kind of earth day thing... we thought we'd bring them cookies :)

YIKES! I think I will stay with the Cheese Crunchies. heeheee You aren't scared of the 40 kids???? If you chicken out at the last minute, come to my house for a TJ delight. heeeheee

Okay, seriously I need to stop buying these or else I will never fit into my bathing suit come the end of May. I shouldn't even be eating pie. Deco isn't Kiwi pie light???

piesthelimit.jpg
 
Date: 4/14/2007 1:07:08 PM
Author: Skippy123

YIKES! I think I will stay with the Cheese Crunchies. heeheee You aren''t scared of the 40 kids???? If you chicken out at the last minute, come to my house for a TJ delight. heeeheee

Okay, seriously I need to stop buying these or else I will never fit into my bathing suit come the end of May. I shouldn''t even be eating pie. Deco isn''t Kiwi pie light???
light on fat but not on calories! and you know sugar converts itself into fat if you don''t burn it off LOL

And as for the 40 kids they''re not my problem!! They''re just here LOL
 
Date: 4/14/2007 12:55:31 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

nice post alj - thought I would jump off here on a tangent... first of all I agree with everything you said above... and I also think that not everything needs to be said or doesn''t need to be said here.
Cehra, to be candid, I agree with you. I, too, feel that it''s better to bring concerns to a vendor and work it out offline if possible. If there is something for me to roar over, I feel an obligation to roar to the right party....the vendor, and to be reasonable in my expectations for rectifying the situation. His obligation is to hear my concerns and be responsive and appropriately willing to make me whole. As long as those things happen, I consider it successful.

That said, I do recognize that we are all different personalities, and that some folks process and work through things differently. So, what works best for me and fits best for me may not fit others as well.
Date: 4/14/2007 12:55:31 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

I don''t think it is about whether or not anyone here has the *right* to bring ANY and EVERY issue they have to this board. I think it is more about having the respect and responsibility to employ that right judiciously.
A hearty "amen" to that.......complete agreement. Often, I think some folks are just more emotional in general, and they perhaps have a harder time separating the emotion from the issues. That comes across in how they express themselves. One may say ''My stone appeared a bit tilted in the setting to me, so I sent it in for adjustment.'' Another might respond with "My stone was tilted, and I''m *so* disappointed! I''m so devastated...can''t believe this happened. Every time I look at my ring, all I can do it cry. Even if they fix it, it won''t change the fact that this terrible thing happened to me."

Much goes back to personal styles in handling conflicts and disappointments. I''m not the type to fixate on the "oh, it''s ruined and it will never be right" element. I''m more about ''ok, here''s what IS....now let''s figure out how to make it a good outcome.'' I''m about adaptability....which is why I''m comfortable with the process of custom work. I''m willing to accept a little trial/error if it means I''ll be elated with the end product. Once that outcome is achieved, as long as I feel my vendor did try his hardest to listen to my concerns and please me......well, that''s acceptable to me.

PS is intended to be a place to share positive and negative experiences, and when folks post about experiences post-completion.....when they aren''t in the midst of the emotion of the snafu...... I think it serves that purpose well.

It''s often a different ballgame when folks post in the midst of an issue. I can call to mind several threads (involving various vendors on PS....WF, J/A, GOG, etc. ) where clients have come here to vent in the midst of a problem, and then to find out subsequently they hadn''t even vocalized their concerns or disappointments directly to the vendors prior to laying it all out here. Those instances give me the distinct impression they are serving one of two agendas.....either to extort a vendor into a desired outcome using PS drama as leverage, or to mete out justice/retribution toward the vendor for having disappointed them.

I don''t think those purposes are well served here.
 
Date: 4/14/2007 12:58:18 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

HUGE HUGE difference. I will NOT put those kraft macaroni cheese colored puffs in my mouth. I don''t even touch them! I never buy them. The color alone is revolting LOL The taste is.... something is seriously wrong with them LMAO!!!! It doesn''t help that someone I know said her dog''s FEET smelled like cheetos. Yuk!!!!
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That''s just wrong........
 
Date: 4/14/2007 12:55:31 PM
Author: Cehrabehra
Date: 4/14/2007 3:00:30 AM

Author: aljdewey

Applying this to a whiteflash situation... if I ordered a stone and pendant from whiteflash (which I *very* well just might do in the hopefully not tooooo distant future) and the pendant wasn''t right... I would keep it off the board... maybe call in John for some support or to act as a liaison... and I would get everything worked out to my satisfaction and I would persist until I was satisfied. If there came a time where I felt that there was a deadlock that involved their refusal to remedy a situation that I still felt was in their purview and was unacceptable, then and ONLY then would I bring it to the board and say, ''Okay, I''ve done all I could, now what?''

I have to say I disagree with you on this. As someone who uses this board to help me decide where to make a purchase I would love to hear people decribe issues involved with their buying experience whether they are positive or negitive and whether they are resolved or not. Part of me deciding where to buy will be based on the overall ease of the transaction thus if people encounter difficulty with their purchases I want to know about it. If the situation is resolved satisfactorily then a follow up is in order but it does not undo the original difficulty.

Nobody complains when a poster compliments the outstanding service they received from a vendor so why should the same not hold true when the opposite occurs. I realize vendors work hard to build and maintain a reputation but anyone is entitled to post their impression of a transaction and I appreciate when they do.

Further, I would not have wanted a future discount either if I felt a level of dissatisfaction with a vendor. If I felt (rightly or wrongly) that I had a poor experiece why on earth would I ever want to deal with that vendor again? OK, you spend a good deal of money, were unhappy, now here is 10% off you will only receive if you risk subjecting yourself to the same difficulty all over again -- doesn''t sound too great to me.

I suppose I don''t think that anyone on this board owes a vendor anything other than posting their honest opinion of a transaction. This is, after all, a discussion board not an interactive advertisement for the PS vendors.
 
Iron Mike, a bit of clarification......the comment you''ve attributed to me wasn''t mine; it was actually authored by Cehra.
 
I noticed that too, sorry. I tried to delete the portions of the post that I wasn''t refering too but I guess I chopped out the wrong name.
 
At the risk of repeating myself .......

Nobody has said the poster shouldn''t tell us of their journey with WF. My problem is that they didn''t tell the WHOLE story which I feel was designed to make WF look as bad as possible. I also don''t believe that the story was told to educate us on the process of buying a custom ring. I feel it was told to make WF look like mean spirited, abrupt, unhelpful and disrespectful people.

I am all for hearing complete accounts.
 
Date: 4/14/2007 3:25:29 PM
Author: Maisie
At the risk of repeating myself .......


Nobody has said the poster shouldn't tell us of their journey with WF. My problem is that they didn't tell the WHOLE story which I feel was designed to make WF look as bad as possible. I also don't believe that the story was told to educate us on the process of buying a custom ring. I feel it was told to make WF look like mean spirited, abrupt, unhelpful and disrespectful people.


I am all for hearing complete accounts.

Sure, nobody stated that explicitly but there was (and seems to always be in this type of situation) a negitive tone taken toward the threadstarter. I want complete accounts too but if someone feels that strongly that they had a lousy experience there is probably good reason for it. Absent deceptive messages about a vendor from a competitor, I'm happy to read anything people want to post.

Additionally, as we saw in this case, vendors have the ability to use the forum to explain their side of a situation
 
Date: 4/14/2007 3:00:26 PM
Author: aljdewey


It''s often a different ballgame when folks post in the midst of an issue. I can call to mind several threads (involving various vendors on PS....WF, J/A, GOG, etc. ) where clients have come here to vent in the midst of a problem, and then to find out subsequently they hadn''t even vocalized their concerns or disappointments directly to the vendors prior to laying it all out here. Those instances give me the distinct impression they are serving one of two agendas.....either to extort a vendor into a desired outcome using PS drama as leverage, or to mete out justice/retribution toward the vendor for having disappointed them.

Yes... agreed... though I think there is a 3rd reason people do this and it goes back to what you first said about different personalities... some people feel the need to work out the issues in a group setting. I admit there have been times I wanted to bring things here because I didn''t know who else to turn to and I wanted the opinion of someone other than my designer, but to do so would bring too much information to the board. Now, if it was a board where the designer wasn''t affiliated and no one knew who I was talking about, it would be reasonable to discuss, but *because* we all know each other and the designers, too much dirty laundry gives people the impression that companies or designers or whatever *stink* when really it''s just normal stuff you need to work out.

I''m more about ''ok, here''s what IS....now let''s figure out how to make it a good outcome.'' I''m about adaptability....which is why I''m comfortable with the process of custom work. I''m willing to accept a little trial/error if it means I''ll be elated with the end product. Once that outcome is achieved, as long as I feel my vendor did try his hardest to listen to my concerns and please me......well, that''s acceptable to me.

Yes, I know I''ve been teased here about being a perfectionist but it''s really not true. Once I went over EVERYTHING with O and purged it out of me I was able to just walk away with an extreme sense of peace that whatever she did with it would be her contribution and I''m okay with that. But as long as I felt like I still had a story to tell or the person I was talking to didn''t get what I was saying (and I admit my early attempts were pretty convoluted LOL) I felt very uneasy about letting go. I mean heck, I was willing to take the somewhat rudimentary quality of my first designer just because that was *her* and what *she* was going to contribute. Now, I''m everso grateful that the intrinsic nature of Os work is graceful, but still, to some extent I not only *have* to let go, but I *want* to let go so that I can get a piece of art and not just a piece of work. Feeling listened to makes all the difference in the world.... and I don''t think WF always succeeds at this aspect and it might be THE one thing they could/should do as a priority. I still thinking picking up a phone even asking that it all be reiterated in email is a good thing.
 
Date: 4/14/2007 3:11:18 PM
Author: IronMikey

I have to say I disagree with you on this. As someone who uses this board to help me decide where to make a purchase I would love to hear people decribe issues involved with their buying experience whether they are positive or negitive and whether they are resolved or not. Part of me deciding where to buy will be based on the overall ease of the transaction thus if people encounter difficulty with their purchases I want to know about it. If the situation is resolved satisfactorily then a follow up is in order but it does not undo the original difficulty.
One negative comment can deter others from using a company. WF''s reputation is on the line with EACH customer and they know this. Particularly amongst those they actually give a *discount* to for participating in this forum LOL Those people have the power to come here and cause a big stink. And sometimes they do! (ie this thread). That''s a lot of power, and my opinion here isn''t to censor or silence people, but that we have a responsibility to use that power with consideration for balance between your disatisfaction and how black the mar you wipe across their name is. I''ve seen situations with other jewelers where the jeweler seriously deserved to be run over the coals. But as long as WF is willing to work with someone, I think they should be allowed to do so without being punished for their lack of perfection.
 
Date: 4/14/2007 4:09:14 PM
Author: Cehrabehra
Date: 4/14/2007 3:11:18 PM

Author: IronMikey


I have to say I disagree with you on this. As someone who uses this board to help me decide where to make a purchase I would love to hear people decribe issues involved with their buying experience whether they are positive or negitive and whether they are resolved or not. Part of me deciding where to buy will be based on the overall ease of the transaction thus if people encounter difficulty with their purchases I want to know about it. If the situation is resolved satisfactorily then a follow up is in order but it does not undo the original difficulty.

One negative comment can deter others from using a company. WF''s reputation is on the line with EACH customer and they know this. Particularly amongst those they actually give a *discount* to for participating in this forum LOL Those people have the power to come here and cause a big stink. And sometimes they do! (ie this thread). That''s a lot of power, and my opinion here isn''t to censor or silence people, but that we have a responsibility to use that power with consideration for balance between your disatisfaction and how black the mar you wipe across their name is. I''ve seen situations with other jewelers where the jeweler seriously deserved to be run over the coals. But as long as WF is willing to work with someone, I think they should be allowed to do so without being punished for their lack of perfection.

One thread like this shouldn''t do damage to someone''s reputation if there is enough positive feedback in place to counteract it. I don''t think anyone expects a vendor to be perfect every time they go through a transaction but what if little (or big) problems like this occur more frequently but aren''t brought to people''s attention? That''s my concern -- I have no loyalty to anyone and I want to make sure I choose the right vendor for 1 HUGE purchase -- therefore any information available is appreciated and since I want to make an informed decision I''m going to read it all, both good and bad.

I''ve used forums like this b/f when making large purchases and I''ve never encountered this type of sticking up for sellers. If you read about a problem someone had with an Audi it''s very rare that anyone would chastize them for their handling of the situation. Whether Audi or WF fixed a problem is quite secondary to the fact that a problem existed to begin with
 
Date: 4/14/2007 4:21:09 PM
Author: IronMikey

Date: 4/14/2007 4:09:14 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 4/14/2007 3:11:18 PM

Author: IronMikey



I have to say I disagree with you on this. As someone who uses this board to help me decide where to make a purchase I would love to hear people decribe issues involved with their buying experience whether they are positive or negitive and whether they are resolved or not. Part of me deciding where to buy will be based on the overall ease of the transaction thus if people encounter difficulty with their purchases I want to know about it. If the situation is resolved satisfactorily then a follow up is in order but it does not undo the original difficulty.

One negative comment can deter others from using a company. WF''s reputation is on the line with EACH customer and they know this. Particularly amongst those they actually give a *discount* to for participating in this forum LOL Those people have the power to come here and cause a big stink. And sometimes they do! (ie this thread). That''s a lot of power, and my opinion here isn''t to censor or silence people, but that we have a responsibility to use that power with consideration for balance between your disatisfaction and how black the mar you wipe across their name is. I''ve seen situations with other jewelers where the jeweler seriously deserved to be run over the coals. But as long as WF is willing to work with someone, I think they should be allowed to do so without being punished for their lack of perfection.

One thread like this shouldn''t do damage to someone''s reputation if there is enough positive feedback in place to counteract it. I don''t think anyone expects a vendor to be perfect every time they go through a transaction but what if little (or big) problems like this occur more frequently but aren''t brought to people''s attention? That''s my concern -- I have no loyalty to anyone and I want to make sure I choose the right vendor for 1 HUGE purchase -- therefore any information available is appreciated and since I want to make an informed decision I''m going to read it all, both good and bad.

I''ve used forums like this b/f when making large purchases and I''ve never encountered this type of sticking up for sellers. If you read about a problem someone had with an Audi it''s very rare that anyone would chastize them for their handling of the situation. Whether Audi or WF fixed a problem is quite secondary to the fact that a problem existed to begin with
It doesn''t exactly work like that - I mean it does BUT... like I was saying in another thread... I took my diamond around to over a score of jewelers and every last one of them said glowing praiseful things about my stone and its all a blur except the ONE person who put it down. That stands out.

When I go to epinions or I read the comments or reviews on a product, I always look at the worst reviews/scores first. It doesn''t always deter me from the purchase, but it gives me a very clear view on what ISN''T good about it. And sometimes it does deter me.
 
Date: 4/14/2007 4:25:45 PM
Author: Cehrabehra
Date: 4/14/2007 4:21:09 PM

Author: IronMikey


Date: 4/14/2007 4:09:14 PM

Author: Cehrabehra


Date: 4/14/2007 3:11:18 PM


Author: IronMikey




I have to say I disagree with you on this. As someone who uses this board to help me decide where to make a purchase I would love to hear people decribe issues involved with their buying experience whether they are positive or negitive and whether they are resolved or not. Part of me deciding where to buy will be based on the overall ease of the transaction thus if people encounter difficulty with their purchases I want to know about it. If the situation is resolved satisfactorily then a follow up is in order but it does not undo the original difficulty.


One negative comment can deter others from using a company. WF''s reputation is on the line with EACH customer and they know this. Particularly amongst those they actually give a *discount* to for participating in this forum LOL Those people have the power to come here and cause a big stink. And sometimes they do! (ie this thread). That''s a lot of power, and my opinion here isn''t to censor or silence people, but that we have a responsibility to use that power with consideration for balance between your disatisfaction and how black the mar you wipe across their name is. I''ve seen situations with other jewelers where the jeweler seriously deserved to be run over the coals. But as long as WF is willing to work with someone, I think they should be allowed to do so without being punished for their lack of perfection.


One thread like this shouldn''t do damage to someone''s reputation if there is enough positive feedback in place to counteract it. I don''t think anyone expects a vendor to be perfect every time they go through a transaction but what if little (or big) problems like this occur more frequently but aren''t brought to people''s attention? That''s my concern -- I have no loyalty to anyone and I want to make sure I choose the right vendor for 1 HUGE purchase -- therefore any information available is appreciated and since I want to make an informed decision I''m going to read it all, both good and bad.


I''ve used forums like this b/f when making large purchases and I''ve never encountered this type of sticking up for sellers. If you read about a problem someone had with an Audi it''s very rare that anyone would chastize them for their handling of the situation. Whether Audi or WF fixed a problem is quite secondary to the fact that a problem existed to begin with

It doesn''t exactly work like that - I mean it does BUT... like I was saying in another thread... I took my diamond around to over a score of jewelers and every last one of them said glowing praiseful things about my stone and its all a blur except the ONE person who put it down. That stands out.


When I go to epinions or I read the comments or reviews on a product, I always look at the worst reviews/scores first. It doesn''t always deter me from the purchase, but it gives me a very clear view on what ISN''T good about it. And sometimes it does deter me.

Well sure, I look for negitive feedback too on say amazon or ebay but that''s not neccessarily a bad thing. If someone gets bad feedback on ebay you get a 1 sentance response as a seller but here you can interact with the forum as much as you desire to get your side of the story out there.

I just don''t see the harm in coming forward with complaints about a vendor no matter how trivial they might be -- it should and will influence a decision on where to buy.

If this forum can be used as a free exchange of negitive experiences (as well as positive) and GOG (just for the sake of argument) has no history of incidents like this and WF has a good handfull that pop up, this should factor into a buyers decision. To assert otherwise seems a bit ridiculous to me. These vendors are able to come on here and get what amounts to free advertising for the good they do, so I feel it''s only fair to point out their shortcomings as well.
 
Date: 4/14/2007 4:21:09 PM
Author: IronMikey

Date: 4/14/2007 4:09:14 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 4/14/2007 3:11:18 PM

Author: IronMikey



I have to say I disagree with you on this. As someone who uses this board to help me decide where to make a purchase I would love to hear people decribe issues involved with their buying experience whether they are positive or negitive and whether they are resolved or not. Part of me deciding where to buy will be based on the overall ease of the transaction thus if people encounter difficulty with their purchases I want to know about it. If the situation is resolved satisfactorily then a follow up is in order but it does not undo the original difficulty.

One negative comment can deter others from using a company. WF''s reputation is on the line with EACH customer and they know this. Particularly amongst those they actually give a *discount* to for participating in this forum LOL Those people have the power to come here and cause a big stink. And sometimes they do! (ie this thread). That''s a lot of power, and my opinion here isn''t to censor or silence people, but that we have a responsibility to use that power with consideration for balance between your disatisfaction and how black the mar you wipe across their name is. I''ve seen situations with other jewelers where the jeweler seriously deserved to be run over the coals. But as long as WF is willing to work with someone, I think they should be allowed to do so without being punished for their lack of perfection.

One thread like this shouldn''t do damage to someone''s reputation if there is enough positive feedback in place to counteract it. I don''t think anyone expects a vendor to be perfect every time they go through a transaction but what if little (or big) problems like this occur more frequently but aren''t brought to people''s attention? That''s my concern -- I have no loyalty to anyone and I want to make sure I choose the right vendor for 1 HUGE purchase -- therefore any information available is appreciated and since I want to make an informed decision I''m going to read it all, both good and bad.

I''ve used forums like this b/f when making large purchases and I''ve never encountered this type of sticking up for sellers. If you read about a problem someone had with an Audi it''s very rare that anyone would chastize them for their handling of the situation. Whether Audi or WF fixed a problem is quite secondary to the fact that a problem existed to begin with
The difference between Audi and Whiteflash is that WF is more personal to us here on PS. They have become people as opposed to a company through all the educating they do. Its almost like we know them and so its obvious we will chime in if someone is being slightly unfair.
 
Date: 4/14/2007 4:51:39 PM
Author: Maisie
Date: 4/14/2007 4:21:09 PM

Author: IronMikey


Date: 4/14/2007 4:09:14 PM

Author: Cehrabehra


Date: 4/14/2007 3:11:18 PM


Author: IronMikey




I have to say I disagree with you on this. As someone who uses this board to help me decide where to make a purchase I would love to hear people decribe issues involved with their buying experience whether they are positive or negitive and whether they are resolved or not. Part of me deciding where to buy will be based on the overall ease of the transaction thus if people encounter difficulty with their purchases I want to know about it. If the situation is resolved satisfactorily then a follow up is in order but it does not undo the original difficulty.


One negative comment can deter others from using a company. WF''s reputation is on the line with EACH customer and they know this. Particularly amongst those they actually give a *discount* to for participating in this forum LOL Those people have the power to come here and cause a big stink. And sometimes they do! (ie this thread). That''s a lot of power, and my opinion here isn''t to censor or silence people, but that we have a responsibility to use that power with consideration for balance between your disatisfaction and how black the mar you wipe across their name is. I''ve seen situations with other jewelers where the jeweler seriously deserved to be run over the coals. But as long as WF is willing to work with someone, I think they should be allowed to do so without being punished for their lack of perfection.


One thread like this shouldn''t do damage to someone''s reputation if there is enough positive feedback in place to counteract it. I don''t think anyone expects a vendor to be perfect every time they go through a transaction but what if little (or big) problems like this occur more frequently but aren''t brought to people''s attention? That''s my concern -- I have no loyalty to anyone and I want to make sure I choose the right vendor for 1 HUGE purchase -- therefore any information available is appreciated and since I want to make an informed decision I''m going to read it all, both good and bad.


I''ve used forums like this b/f when making large purchases and I''ve never encountered this type of sticking up for sellers. If you read about a problem someone had with an Audi it''s very rare that anyone would chastize them for their handling of the situation. Whether Audi or WF fixed a problem is quite secondary to the fact that a problem existed to begin with

The difference between Audi and Whiteflash is that WF is more personal to us here on PS. They have become people as opposed to a company through all the educating they do. Its almost like we know them and so its obvious we will chime in if someone is being slightly unfair.

I think you summed up exactly what I have a problem with. As far as I''m concerned, WF or any other vendor, is just that -- a vendor. I think for a person like myself, who wants to obtain as much unbiased information as possible and then purchase accordingly, is done a disservice by people defending a vendor since it perhaps deters others from posting similar stories they may have experienced.

I can read all the positive feedback about WF and all the "oohs" and "ahhs" their pieces receive but I''d also like to hear about the times they missed the mark, even if it is just one person''s opinion. WF coming on here and providing education to the users on here is helpfull sure, but it''s also very self serving. There isn''t anything wrong with that but I think it needs to be kept in mind.

PS- when I say WF I could be refering to any of the vendors on here, not just them in particular
 
I have decided to have WF make my ring. I have taken into account all the recent posts about them. The good thing about getting to know the staff via PS is that John Pollard offered to check my ring with another member of staff before it is despatched. I am happy with this. It means I can rest assured that they will make sure I shouldn't have to return it as I live so far away.

I doubt very much this would be happening if they had remained a 'faceless' company.
 
Date: 4/14/2007 5:07:37 PM
Author: Maisie
I have decided to have WF make my ring. I have taken into account all the recent posts about them. The good thing about getting to know the staff via PS is that John Pollard offered to check my ring with another member of staff before it is despatched. I am happy with this. It means I can rest assured that they will make sure I shouldn''t have to return it as I live so far away.


I doubt very much this would be happening if they had remained a ''faceless'' company.

You don''t think they would make sure they sent you a satisfactory piece of jewelery if you didn''t get to know them on PS? Isn''t that really every company''s aim -- jewelery or not?

In theory shouldn''t they be doing this for everyone regardless of where they live? Best of luck with your purchase but it doesn''t seem like anyone is jumping through hoops for you.

I''m not trying to be negitive but it just seems at times like people on here are brainwashed by PS vendors -- reading through some of the posts on here makes me shake my head
 
Date: 4/14/2007 5:29:57 PM
Author: IronMikey

Date: 4/14/2007 5:07:37 PM
Author: Maisie
I have decided to have WF make my ring. I have taken into account all the recent posts about them. The good thing about getting to know the staff via PS is that John Pollard offered to check my ring with another member of staff before it is despatched. I am happy with this. It means I can rest assured that they will make sure I shouldn''t have to return it as I live so far away.


I doubt very much this would be happening if they had remained a ''faceless'' company.

You don''t think they would make sure they sent you a satisfactory piece of jewelery if you didn''t get to know them on PS? Isn''t that really every company''s aim -- jewelery or not?

In theory shouldn''t they be doing this for everyone regardless of where they live? Best of luck with your purchase but it doesn''t seem like anyone is jumping through hoops for you.

I''m not trying to be negitive but it just seems at times like people on here are brainwashed by PS vendors -- reading through some of the posts on here makes me shake my head

If you were buying a car from a huge company - would you expect that one of the high up management would come along and personally oversee your purchase? I don''t believe you would.
I do think that WF or any other vendor should ensure a straightforward transaction but I still like the idea of having my ring checked before its despatched - probably more so as I live in the UK and am a long way from Texas.

Oh and I am not brainwashed - how offensive! I am quite able to make up my own mind about who I use thank you very much!
 
Date: 4/14/2007 5:29:57 PM
Author: IronMikey

Date: 4/14/2007 5:07:37 PM
Author: Maisie
I have decided to have WF make my ring. I have taken into account all the recent posts about them. The good thing about getting to know the staff via PS is that John Pollard offered to check my ring with another member of staff before it is despatched. I am happy with this. It means I can rest assured that they will make sure I shouldn''t have to return it as I live so far away.


I doubt very much this would be happening if they had remained a ''faceless'' company.

You don''t think they would make sure they sent you a satisfactory piece of jewelery if you didn''t get to know them on PS? Isn''t that really every company''s aim -- jewelery or not?

In theory shouldn''t they be doing this for everyone regardless of where they live? Best of luck with your purchase but it doesn''t seem like anyone is jumping through hoops for you.

I''m not trying to be negitive but it just seems at times like people on here are brainwashed by PS vendors -- reading through some of the posts on here makes me shake my head
Mikey~If you look through some of the threads about vendors, you may find a common theme. People that purchase through these vendors have gotten to know them. They are not hameless, faceless entities somewhere on the internet. This makes the PS experience unique. I would never have imagined making such an important and costly purchase in this manner, yet I did. I became acquainted with my vendor and spoke with him, not not only by phone and email, but by via PS 1-2-1 online appointment system. This is not brainwashing. This is developing a relationship.
 
Date: 4/14/2007 5:44:32 PM
Author: Maisie
Date: 4/14/2007 5:29:57 PM

Author: IronMikey


Date: 4/14/2007 5:07:37 PM

Author: Maisie

I have decided to have WF make my ring. I have taken into account all the recent posts about them. The good thing about getting to know the staff via PS is that John Pollard offered to check my ring with another member of staff before it is despatched. I am happy with this. It means I can rest assured that they will make sure I shouldn''t have to return it as I live so far away.



I doubt very much this would be happening if they had remained a ''faceless'' company.


You don''t think they would make sure they sent you a satisfactory piece of jewelery if you didn''t get to know them on PS? Isn''t that really every company''s aim -- jewelery or not?


In theory shouldn''t they be doing this for everyone regardless of where they live? Best of luck with your purchase but it doesn''t seem like anyone is jumping through hoops for you.


I''m not trying to be negitive but it just seems at times like people on here are brainwashed by PS vendors -- reading through some of the posts on here makes me shake my head


If you were buying a car from a huge company - would you expect that one of the high up management would come along and personally oversee your purchase? I don''t believe you would.

I do think that WF or any other vendor should ensure a straightforward transaction but I still like the idea of having my ring checked before its despatched - probably more so as I live in the UK and am a long way from Texas.


Oh and I am not brainwashed - how offensive! I am quite able to make up my own mind about who I use thank you very much!

Car Company to WF = apples to oranges. Car dealership to WF might be more like it. If you made a purchase of a high end car (or any car for that matter) then yes, the head of the dealership would likely oversee your purchase if you asked him/her to, or at least assure you that they were looking in on things. The CEO of Mercedes Benz couldn''t care less about you I''m sure but I don''t think that you can compare a massive company like Ford, GM, etc to a PS vendor.

I didn''t directly accuse you of being brainwashed either so relax.

All this is beside the point -- I''m just saying PS vendors run businesses just like anyone else. If someone wants to call them out, let them. If this forum is just a means to applaud vendors then what''s it really worth?
 
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