CVB LAD Communication?

[marymm]

As most PSers know (and I'm sure this includes DandT), just because you (generic) create a thread, you cannot dictate its flow, and though this thread was initially about communication, it segued into other issues.

To my reading, at least two PS members who purchased from LAD and/or LAD/CvB did post various transaction details about their respective purchases. Once these details were posted on PS, I think it only fair that ericad may post a reply addressing/clarifying those transaction details.

Prices of diamonds and most settings are listed on LAD/CvB's respective sites. Posting the dates of orders and CAD approvals I do not consider to be breaches of personal data, particularly when those customers are posting about length of time for project completion/status updates.

One PSer posting about a substantial discount I think makes it fair play for ericad to clarify the nature of that discount.

Other PSers were confused whether full payment was required, in contravention of the posted policy on LAD's page. Clearly ericad had to address that issue.

No real names or addresses or ID-revealing specifics were posted by anyone in this thread to my knowledge.

Full disclosure: my own transactions/communications with LAD over the last few years have been more than satisfactory but I've never ordered a setting. I'm not a fan of CvB for various reasons so would never entertain ordering anything from/made by her.

I do sympathize with those who are waiting and waiting for status updates and/or finished projects... I have been in that situation with other vendors and other projects, and for me it colors the lovely anticipation of a special piece with some disappointment and worry.

Best wishes to DandT, and everyone really, for more timely communication and receipt of finished pieces that surpass expectations.

 

[ericad]

DandT, you sent us an email yesterday at 12:31pm and Caysie responded within 30 minutes because she had already been on the phone with the jeweler about your band before you emailed. She and I have been contacting the jeweler every week about your job, and doing our best to communicate what we could with you, but when the info we get from the jeweler is "it's almost ready" then I'm afraid that's the best we can tell you, even if you find it to be unhelpful. Yesterday neither of us even saw your PS thread until I noticed it last night - her response to you had nothing whatsoever to do with you posting on PS, though you keep implying that it's the reason why we replied. I only come onto PS once a week or so, as I have spare time - I spend very little time here these days.

Looking at my emails, I see that you emailed me 3 times in total for a status on the Riviera band, which is totally reasonable. The first time I replied that I'd check with the jeweler, the second time was when Caysie responded about the stones (so I didn't respond, because I knew she had discussed it with you), and the third time was yesterday, when you also received a prompt reply.

You implied that I'm wonderful to work with until I get people's money, then I cease to care about my customers, despite us having made a band for you previously with no problems at all, and meeting your expectations of communication and niceness, it would seem, since you ordered a second band. You said that I was holding your money hostage, giving people the impression that I had somehow required you to pay in full, despite my policies being clear, and knowing that I do not require payment in full to start a project - you simply chose to pay in full prior to completion for your own personal reasons. You indicated that you've received almost no communication from us, despite being informed of the french cut problem the moment we knew about it, and despite us replying to your inquiries with the best information we had available. Yes, I fully concede that since the diamonds had to be recut, the completion of your band has taken longer than we anticipated, and we do apologize (and have apologized) for that, but that certainly doesn't excuse the other unkind and unfounded things you've said about us.

At the end of the day, it's positively your right to be unhappy with the length of time your band took and to share that with others - we are also unhappy about it and have taken steps internally to fix this problem for future clients. It's true that our production times got a bit longer around the end of the year/early 2016, when we had a big increase in volume and had to work through some other issues like hiring and vetting additional jewelers (we've added 2 additional bench jewelers now), our main jeweler needing time off due to the sudden illness and death of his father (which caused a little bottleneck of past due jobs that pushed into February), and a few other things that Caysie and I were dealing with, none of which are things that we would typically share with our clients because those are internal problems we have to deal with. Your band got caught in the web, along with a handful of others, during the height of our growing pains, which every small jeweler experiences as business increases. Caysie and I are learning from it as well.

Of the hundreds of setting orders and diamond sales I've processed over the past couple of years, I've had very few unhappy customers, but sometimes things go sideways and expectations aren't met, or we make mistakes. It's what we do to make the situation right that matters. For you, we will deliver a gorgeous band this week, albeit a couple weeks behind schedule and with our apologies, but it will be the same exceptional quality you received with your first order. For SunnyDelta, we remade the ring due to a miscalculation we made resulting in an area of her basket not being what she wanted, and when it was delivered to her she told us she loved it. We refunded her for the band that she wasn't happy with. I'm not sure what more we could have done, or how we are responsible for any current clouds over her engagement, more than 2 months later.

 

[SunnyDelta]

Don't know about anyone else but I'm feeling really uncomfortable about the level of personal detail (exact dates, specifics of orders and cost, who said what when, even problems at home!) about customers being shared on this thread. Pricescope is an open worldwide public forum and such behaviour is unprofessional. I am having a custom ring made right now and assume that any correspondence between my jeweller and I is confidential unless agreed otherwise.

I think this thread and Erica's response to my post, which was purposely chalked full of extraneous personal details, illustrates exactly what PSers will be dealing with if their order with LAD should go south.

It's no surprise to me "she went there" because I've witnessed her do it to other PSers and knew what I might be in for when choosing to publicly emphasize with DandT.

I could defend myself line item by line item, point out all the lies, exaggerations, and dispute all the distorted facts and personal info that was sprinkled into this forum, but that's just feeding into Erica's tantrum and I honestly don't have time to campout on PS and fight. It's exhausting and I'll admit I don't have the stamina to publicly spar all day.

I just urge other PSers to take a good hard look at what happened here. It's kinda nasty, and it can get even nastier in private.

When choosing a vendor sometimes things can go wrong, and if they do, is this really the kind of stress and ugliness you want to deal with while your planning a special piece of jewelry? Someone who on the best of days ignores you, and on the worst of days publicly gaslights you.

Signing off now, I wish all parties involved the best. I hope DandT arrives at a beautiful piece of jewelry and I hope that LAD works through the growing pains.

 

[Laila619]

This thread has definitely been eye-opening, that's for sure. Sorry you had to go through that, sunnyDelta and DandT. DandT, I hope you do get your band soon.

 

[Gypsy]

I agree. Very eye opening.

Erica, I can't imagine recommending you for anything after all the private and personal customer details you spouted and the tone of your posts. This is really made me lose respect for you.

Good luck to all the PSers who are stuck with this duo. I certainly won't be recommending either vendor: Erica or LAD. And will be linking to this as a warning to people who are considering working with them.

 

[mrs-b]

I obviously didn't realize, until I read Sunny's latest post and then reread DanT's earlier posts, that LAD-CvB required you two to pay the full cost of the setting upfront. I have never been expected to pay more than 50% as a deposit for the fabrication of a custom jewelry piece & have paid as little as 20% upfront.

ETA: Just looked at LAD's Settings FAQ page. As it stands now, it speaks only of a 50% deposit, so being charged the full freight would not sit well with me, but perhaps there's Ben a recent policy change. It presently advises the reader not to expect any status updates during the 6-8 weeks between the time you sign off on the CADs & when the piece is ready to ship --and urges you to "sit on your hands" if you are tempted to make a status query before 6 weeks have elapsed:
http://www.loveaffairdiamonds.com/signature-settings-policies/

No policy change, we only ask a 50% deposit and the balance on completion. Sometimes client's opt to pay in full.

DandT sent a deposit, then many small payments over several weeks until she had paid in full, which was her choice - not something that was requested by us.

Sunny paid in full for her diamond, and her solitaire was almost free - she only paid $500 for the upgrade to a pave shank. She loved the diamond and I offered to make her a simple solitaire at my expense in order to keep the project within budget and get her the diamond of her dreams. The simple solitaire eventually morphed into a more complex custom design, however I only charged her for the pave shank, while the CAD revisions, shipping costs, and solitaire expense were all on me. In hindsight, like the switch in production jeweler from the one who made her band, this was a mistake. This is what she is referring to when she mentions the "substantial discount" she received.

As for my policies, yes I insert a fair bit of humor into them. Most people find it funny, though clearly you do not, lol. But that's part of choosing a vendor to do business with - personality fit is very important, and I'm very open about my style. Maybe it's not for everyone, even though I think I'm pretty darned hilarious.

You're correct that I don't have ability to field regular status inquiries when I routinely have a dozen rings in production at any given time. It would be impossible to constantly interrupt the jewelers for detailed status updates, which will only cause delays - I don't want them to be sitting on their phones talking to me, when they need to be on the bench finishing orders. Once a ring goes into production, we do keep track of where jobs are in the queue, but we also ask that clients be patient and allow our artisans to do their work without interruption. A few weeks ago a client texted me to say "I know I'm not allowed to ask how my ring is coming, even though it's 9 days until the 6 week mark, but I AM allowed to send you pics of my goddaughter..." and then I got a gorgeous family photo and we had a laugh and friendly chat and her ring actually shipped out a couple days later. That's the spirit in which the humorous portions of my policies are written, in case you are taking it all too literally.

Whoa! Sharing this info is incredibly inappropriate. Wow. Just...wow.

 

[MarionC]

I love CVB designs, have one ring bought directly from Caysie, and have been a customer of LAD several times.
Out of three situations, the first was a simple transaction, the second had such a slow response that I moved on and bought my OEC from another vendor,
and with the third, which was a consignment, I finally had to directly negotiate the sale with the seller who then had to get LAD to respond.

So I decided that a custom job would be a nightmare and sadly gave up on a CVB setting, which was at the top of my list.

When Cassie refers a customer to LAD does she know how discouraging things will be?
I am not trying to diss either of them, but I think they need a manager who is on top of things. They are selling high-end products and the customer should not have to work so hard to get the products.

 

[two_little_birds]

I had someone contact me via Loupe Troop because we both had rings consigned with Erica. Both of us experienced problems with communication, shipping and for myself resetting. It was all resolved in the end, but this particular experience left a poor impression on me. When/if the time ever comes again to consign or upgrade I'll probably use JbG. As for CvB, I never had an issue with communicating with her.

 

[Acinom]

Sorry you had to go through this ladies...

I only dealt with Caysie directly via CVB. She was always super friendly but deadlines kept being postponed and I have heard all the reasons one could imagine. I understand that sometimes life just happens, but it would have been nice if the communication had been more pro-active. It was only after I asked about the status (after another deadline passed) that the explanation and excuses came. Although the result is good (though much daintier than expected, probably because of my inexperience with CAD's) and Caysie was 'friendly as a friend', I am forever put off with working with CvB or LAD. This is not the first time that Erica feels pressured and behaves inapproprate and unprofessional. I also honestly belief her intentions are well. The company just needs a business manager.

 

[Laila619]

For lurkers who may be reading, I don't want to unfairly lump Caysie in with this thing, because many people have remarked that she was communicative and polite and professional in their interactions with her. Seems the issue is mainly with LAD from what I understand. Maybe they are taking on too many clients and can't handle the work load.

 

[ericad]

I love CVB designs, have one ring bought directly from Caysie, and have been a customer of LAD several times.
Out of three situations, the first was a simple transaction, the second had such a slow response that I moved on and bought my OEC from another vendor,
and with the third, which was a consignment, I finally had to directly negotiate the sale with the seller who then had to get LAD to respond.

So I decided that a custom job would be a nightmare and sadly gave up on a CVB setting, which was at the top of my list.

When Cassie refers a customer to LAD does she know how discouraging things will be?
I am not trying to diss either of them, but I think they need a manager who is on top of things. They are selling high-end products and the customer should not have to work so hard to get the products.

Our first transaction was for a 1.20ct OEC ring that you loved, and for which we exchanged many emails and you posted a glowing review here on PS. It was a "simple transaction" I suppose, but you seemed very happy with the ring and with LAD.

Regarding the consignment ring you were interested in, you emailed me on January 1, 2016, a holiday. I replied back on January 2nd. In the meantime you had also contacted the seller via DB or LT, and so I was fielding emails from you both, which was no problem but meant that you got communication from both myself and the seller, and the ring shipped to you on January 5th. On January 4th, in fact, I had to email you a second request for your shipping address, otherwise it would have shipped a day earlier. On January 5th I sent you tracking info. On January 6th I emailed you to make sure the ring arrived safe and sound. On January 7th you replied that you loved the ring.

Regarding your loose diamond search, on Feb 17th 2015 you emailed to let me know that your emails to me kept bouncing back, so you pinged me again to describe what you were looking for and with interest in two stones. On Feb 17th I replied back to offer further info, discussing the facet patterns and personalities of each. We emailed back and forth on Feb 17th, with my last reply being at 9:05pm, discussing fluorescence and metal colors. On Feb 19th you sent me a pic of your 1.20, then I was away traveling on a week long family vacation to Kauai, but I emailed you to let you know I would respond upon my return, which I did on Feb 25th, to discuss my wire discount - we joked about how hard it must have been to leave paradise, so you were well aware that I was away on vacation. I didn't hear back from you after that, which I think is because you purchased a different stone, but our communication ended on a cheerful note, as far as I can tell going through my records.

In all of the above scenarios, I'm not sure I understand how much more responsive I could have been, though I'm definitely open to suggestions.

 

[ericad]

I had someone contact me via Loupe Troop because we both had rings consigned with Erica. Both of us experienced problems with communication, shipping and for myself resetting. It was all resolved in the end, but this particular experience left a poor impression on me. When/if the time ever comes again to consign or upgrade I'll probably use JbG. As for CvB, I never had an issue with communicating with her.

I'm sorry you felt that I wasn't the best consignor for your stone. It's true that I briefly looked into accepting consignments, but quickly realized that it wasn't a good fit for me (I prefer to own my inventory), and have not been taking them in except as occasional favors for former clients, usually for pieces that they originally purchased from LAD.

Your consignment came through during this same very busy time when we were receiving many setting orders and had setting related fires to put out - during late 2015/early 2016. It seems a theme that most of the issues a handful of people are unhappy about fell during this same time frame.

You and I had a lot of correspondence about your ring - how you wanted to list it, I sent the diamond to AGS for you, I unmounted and refurbished your setting, etc. We emailed periodically about pricing, and several times you indicated that you wanted to remove the listing and keep the ring, and we went back and forth about that a bit - at one point you wanted me to ship it to another vendor for a recut, then changed your mind, etc. When you decided to keep the ring, I had it reset and am in full agreement that my local jeweler didn't finish the prongs as well as we wanted them. So I then shipped the ring to our custom jeweler, at my expense, and had the prongs finished. Both times I sent you photos of the ring and prongs prior to shipping. Yes, delivery back to you was delayed due to this, which I apologized for profusely. I then shipped the ring internationally, again at my expense, and waived the consignment cancellation minimum fee that I would normally have charged.

I've known you for many years, and though the resetting of your stone was delayed, at every step of the way I incurred whatever expense was necessary to make it right for you. And I communicated with you.

 

[MarionC]

I am sorry that this thread has gone down to this level. I feel it is unnecessary to go to the length of saying you will warn other PSer. etc
Unless you have had direct experience with this company that is negative you are acting on hearsay.

I think part of the issue is that there are competitive vendors who respond almost immediately. So a lapse in responding is seen more negatively.
I am thinking this business demand has grown so fast that perhaps they are still growing to meet those demands.

 

[ericad]

I am sorry that this thread has gone down to this level. I feel it is unnecessary to go to the length of saying you will warn other PSer. etc
Unless you have had direct experience with this company that is negative you are acting on hearsay.

I think part of the issue is that there are competitive vendors who respond almost immediately. So a lapse in responding is seen more negatively.
I am thinking this business demand has grown so fast that perhaps they are still growing to meet those demands.

I think you're right jimmianne, but the reality is that LAD is one person - me. CvB is one person - Caysie (with me helping her). I'm proud of my reputation but I'm just a human being - imperfect, emotional at times, but with every single client my heart is in the right place. If I overlook an email it's not intentional. And even competing vendors have threads about having slower response times sometimes. I don't have a staff, I don't have a shop, I like to run my business directly and be connected with every client and every sale. That's the part I love about selling antiques and making settings. Sometimes I drop the ball, or my personality style isn't a good fit for certain people - it happens.

For the handful of posters here who have done business with me and found my style not to their liking, there are hundreds of clients who have been thrilled with the service they've received. I can't be everything to everyone, but I try my best. I love what I do and have many repeat clients as a result.

My apologies if any of the info I posted was too personal, and mods are welcome to take the posts down or let me edit that stuff out - however there is so much that happens behind the scenes, so when things are being attributed to me which are patently untrue - that I hold people's money hostage, that I somehow force people to pay in full, or that a ring that a client told me she loves is now casting a shadow over her engagement (when there is a lot more to the story than that) - well these things are being completely misrepresented.

It would be great to have a PR person, an admin assistant, a shipping manager and a social media rep. But then my business wouldn't be what I wanted it to be when I started LAD. But perhaps that's the direction we will need to take in order to handle the growth we are experiencing right now. But it just doesn't feel like "me" - therein lies the conundrum.

 

[ericad]

SunnyDelta, looking through my email records, you and I exchanged approximately 290 emails over a 6 month period (this includes my replies and all the back and forth, and excludes the emails you sent to Caysie directly), from September through the delivery of your rings. Some of my clients require very little communication, and others require a lot, and I always try to be accommodating with whatever people need, to the best of my abilities. For example, DandT and I only exchanged a handful of emails in total, while you and I emailed extensively every week. Yet you say that on the best of days I ignored you. I can't reconcile 290 emails exchanged with being ignored.

 

[SunnyDelta]

SunnyDelta, looking through my email records, you and I exchanged approximately 290 emails over a 6 month period (this includes my replies and all the back and forth, and excludes the emails you sent to Caysie directly), from September through the delivery of your rings. Some of my clients require very little communication, and others require a lot, and I always try to be accommodating with whatever people need, to the best of my abilities. For example, DandT and I only exchanged a handful of emails in total, while you and I emailed extensively every week. Yet you say that on the best of days I ignored you. I can't reconcile 290 emails exchanged with being ignored.

I’m not sure why you are referencing the exact number of emails we exchanged. If you’re trying to make me look like a nuisance customer because we exchanged 290 emails, this is the same tactic you employed with the unhappy PSer I referenced earlier. Please see link below.
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/unhappy-lad-chloe-customer.217877/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/unhappy-lad-chloe-customer.217877/[/URL]

If you are trying to claim that you did a good job communicating with me because we exchanged 290 emails. Then that’s kind of laughable. Quantity is not the same thing as quality.

Erica,
I bought a diamond, a custom setting, and a custom band from you. Our communications began in September and didn’t stop until February. 6 months…. 6 months of details, “holidays”, seconds rounds of CADs, recasts, mismatching rings, returns, and complete and utter dysfunction. Many of my emails went unanswered, and a large percentage of those emails were one word or one sentence confirmations of receipt of information. While 290 emails may seem like a lot to the passive reader, quite frankly I’m surprised it’s not more! I think the only thing that kept the email count down was that after all the 2015 deadlines were missed, I just became resigned to the fact that I couldn’t control the disaster stopped caring to contact you.

Since your offering to stop drudging up customer’s personal information, I am respectfully requesting you stop posting mine.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I think when complaints are aired, the vendor either remains silent and is assumed guilty or they try to defend themselves and people get mad. So they are kind of damned if they do and damned if they don't. I do feel vendors have the right to reply to public complaints, though.

SD, I didn't take it that Erica was trying to make you look like a nuisance customer. I think she is addressing the problems you expressed regarding communication and is trying to show that there was plenty of communication. But bottom line, I am truly sorry there were problems with your order and the ring had to be remade delaying it's arrival to you. I know that must have been a disappointment. I am sure Erica and Caysie were and are sincerely sorry, too. That is certainly not their desire since they are in this business by choice as it is what they love. You apparently accepted the remake when it arrived, yet now you are expressing that you are very unhappy, and Erica has offered to take the ring back and refund your money. I think that is very generous, and I hope you get the label quickly so you can send the ring back, get your money back, and move on and get the ring of your dreams. I look forward to seeing it!

 

[Bonfire]

Let me start by saying I love Caysie! I communicated directly with her for my latest ring project. I have two other rings that I worked with LAD (Erica). I'm thrilled for them that their business is thriving. A lot of PSers are clients because of this forum. The take away here is that good communication is vital for any customer service business, period. Growing pains are understandable BUT, open, honest and preemptive communication is imperative. For example quoting a 6-8 week time frame post CAD that extends to 9 or 10 wks needs to be communicated in an on going manner. As unexpected issues come up please pass it on to your clients. It would go a long way to alleviate frustration. No one is asking you to call the jeweler every 10 minutes, but periodic updates shows personal commitment and involvement in our projects.
I hope everything resolves itself for the betterment of everyone.

 

[susief]

Diamondseeker I'm not sure I agree that a vendor is damned if they do and damned if they don't. Most well-regarded PS vendors would reply along the lines of "I'm so sorry about the problems you experienced. We dropped the ball and let you down. We'll do our best to make it right. I'll send you an email within 24 hours with a full explanation of the problem and what we can do to make it up to you". And then take it off the public boards and keep their word. Usually followed by the OP posting a happy resolution a few weeks later.

That, to me, is a professional response.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Diamondseeker I'm not sure I agree that a vendor is damned if they do and damned if they don't. Most well-regarded PS vendors would reply along the lines of "I'm so sorry about the problems you experienced. We dropped the ball and let you down. We'll do our best to make it right. I'll send you an email within 24 hours with a full explanation of the problem and what we can do to make it up to you". And then take it off the public boards and keep their word. Usually followed by the OP posting a happy resolution a few weeks later.

That, to me, is a professional response.

I absolutely agree that your idea works most of the time when there is a problem either during the process or when an item is received and not as ordered, for example. That is the easiest way to deal with simple issues where there is an error that needs to be corrected.

I believe in SD's case, that is exactly what had already happened..an apology for the first ring (which was almost a gift) not being right, remaking it, and the customer accepted it. I think the problem here is that Erica DID try to do right by this customer, but she is still unhappy because the process didn't meet her expectations. I am truly sorry for the customer being so disappointed, and I am sorry for Erica who thought she had done the right thing already to correct the problems. I feel like she was probably a bit blindsided seeing it posted here after she thought it was resolved, and that's why she responded as she did. But now that she has offered to take the whole ring back, that should hopefully bring a good end to this otherwise sad situation.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Let me start by saying I love Caysie! I communicated directly with her for my latest ring project. I have two other rings that I worked with LAD (Erica). I'm thrilled for them that their business is thriving. A lot of PSers are clients because of this forum. The take away here is that good communication is vital for any customer service business, period. Growing pains are understandable BUT, open, honest and preemptive communication is imperative. For example quoting a 6-8 week time frame post CAD that extends to 9 or 10 wks needs to be communicated in an on going manner. As unexpected issues come up please pass it on to your clients. It would go a long way to alleviate frustration. No one is asking you to call the jeweler every 10 minutes, but periodic updates shows personal commitment and involvement in our projects.
I hope everything resolves itself for the betterment of everyone.

+1

An excellent, constructive post.

 

[SunnyDelta]

Diamondseeker I'm not sure I agree that a vendor is damned if they do and damned if they don't. Most well-regarded PS vendors would reply along the lines of "I'm so sorry about the problems you experienced. We dropped the ball and let you down. We'll do our best to make it right. I'll send you an email within 24 hours with a full explanation of the problem and what we can do to make it up to you". And then take it off the public boards and keep their word. Usually followed by the OP posting a happy resolution a few weeks later.

That, to me, is a professional response.

I absolutely agree that your idea works most of the time when there is a problem either during the process or when an item is received and not as ordered, for example. That is the easiest way to deal with simple issues where there is an error that needs to be corrected.

I believe in SD's case, that is exactly what had already happened..an apology for the first ring (which was almost a gift) not being right, remaking it, and the customer accepted it. I think the problem here is that Erica DID try to do right by this customer, but she is still unhappy because the process didn't meet her expectations. I am truly sorry for the customer being so disappointed, and I am sorry for Erica who thought she had done the right thing already to correct the problems. I feel like she was probably a bit blindsided seeing it posted here after she thought it was resolved, and that's why she responded as she did. But now that she has offered to take the whole ring back, that should hopefully bring a good end to this otherwise sad situation.

Diamondseeker, I know that all you have is the information at hand and it is not my intention to argue with you, but some of the facts of my case you referenced are egregiously wrong. This is my fault (not yours) because I did not act to set the record straight.
Earlier in response to all the personal muck Erica slung at me….I responded that I didn’t want to argue with her line by line. That it was exhausting to argue every distorted fact and lie. I still feel that way. This is exhausting, I had a six (technically seven) month transaction history with LAD, and I could write a novel worth of details! However, I can’t let what Erica said be requoted and perpetuated as truths when they are not.

1) Erica has never, not even once, offered a single apology. Not a one. Seems impossible?….it did to me too.

2) The first setting was not a gift or an apology. I paid for the ring in ADDITION to the $500 pave upgrade made to that ring. Erica saying that I paid only $500 for the setting is simply not true and I am very comfortable saying it’s not true because I keep records too. The total cost of the setting was discounted, but was also a negotiated part of the diamond-ring package that I purchased from LAD.

The first ring was remade because it was wrong, AND I was unhappy because it was wrong…. Not because I knit picked them to death. By wrong I mean the ring literally did not match the CADS. We’re not talking micro-measurements here…..It did not match the CADs AND what was explicitly communicated. I have pictures…I can post them if need be.

I purchased the diamond, setting, and band early on, before the process derailed. I think the reason I had such a terrible experience is because there were so many moving parts. Judging by other posters yesterday & today, I get the sense that LAD is struggling on multiple fronts, communication, turnaround times, etc. Because I had multiple orders with custom applications, perhaps it was just more than they could handle.

Please read my original post, I stated that LAD had beautiful diamonds, fair prices, and that Caysie does beautiful work. I’m not throwing the baby out with the bath water here. I happened to have an absolutely terrible experience and am being honest about it. Please give me the benefit of the doubt. I have nothing to gain from this.

 

[Laila619]

SunnyDelta,

I absolutely believe your experience. I had a similar 5 month nightmare with a beloved PS vendor that most people probably wouldn't believe, but these things do happen. No vendor is perfect. I think you should consider taking Erica up on her offer and returning the ring, starting over fresh. Why have your ring/engagement tainted like that? Luckily for me, my vendor basically gave me the same offer and I took it and washed my hands of the entire mess. It was a big relief for me when all was said and done, and they were probably happy to get rid of me too, haha.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I am sorry if I misunderstood something about the price, SunnyDelta. The cost of the setting is not really the issue, so I apologize. You said that you had a discount on the setting and I will correct what I said to just that. Also, Erica acknowledged their error on the first ring right here in this thread, so we all agree on that. They made a mistake. As far as apologies go, I have no idea who talked with you about the first ring being wrong, but it is hard for me to imagine a scenario where they didn't say they were sorry when they said it came in wrong and they would remake it??? We know they remade it, though, right? Was it wrong the second time? I see you are still very upset about the whole thing, and I am truly sorry. I am just happy for you that Erica is willing to take the ring back and you can start over with no negative thoughts!

 

[D&T]

SunnyDelta,

I sincerely apologize that you are getting dragged into this thread. I hope you get taken care soon!

to clarify Erica's comment on my email being answered immediately yesterday, That email was my 3rd attempt after 13 days, of non response from the 1st attempt or 2nd attempt. The timeline started mid January when I said "go". The one CAD I received was just a visual iteration of the band with baguette pictured anyways (I said fine, I get it that you didn't have the ability to change the look to "French" cuts and it was just a picture) it did not have any specs dimensions, mm, nothing on the CAD (I assumed it was just a stock CAD design anyways - not sure why it took 2-3 weeks for that image and for me to 'approve' said image, and again I said there were no changes other than the rise off the finger is all).

Communication like other's have said is key. if you said give me three weeks to sort this out, sure, I would have not bugged you for three weeks, but will ask for update after the three weeks mark, being vague does not give a customer confidence in that you are truly vested in our projects, or being vague almost gives me a sense that you 'haven't yet" started on my project perhaps?

I've had experience with other jewelers that have messed up an order, and they quickly made my order a priority to "fix" the problem earlier than later avoiding this long delay of timeline, not adding me back into que which I have felt happened here or they have given me an option at which point to either continue the project giving me a different timeline or part ways.

Signing off. Thanks all.

 

[SunnyDelta]

I am sorry if I misunderstood something about the price, SunnyDelta. The cost of the setting is not really the issue, so I apologize. You said that you had a discount on the setting and I will correct what I said to just that. Also, Erica acknowledged their error on the first ring right here in this thread, so we all agree on that. They made a mistake. As far as apologies go, I have no idea who talked with you about the first ring being wrong, but it is hard for me to imagine a scenario where they didn't say they were sorry when they said it came in wrong and they would remake it??? We know they remade it, though, right? Was it wrong the second time? I see you are still very upset about the whole thing, and I am truly sorry. I am just happy for you that Erica is willing to take the ring back and you can start over with no negative thoughts!

Hi Diamondseeker…..

Yes, the setting was redone. Of course there is more to the story, but I’ve already asked Erica to stop posting additional personal details so I will stop too. I am more than willing to talk with you (or anyone for that matter) offline. Not to mudsling…just give you the whole story if you’re interested.

 

[SunnyDelta]

SunnyDelta,

I sincerely apologize that you are getting dragged into this thread. I hope you get taken care soon!

to clarify Erica's comment on my email being answered immediately yesterday, That email was my 3rd attempt after 13 days, of non response from the 1st attempt or 2nd attempt. The timeline started mid January when I said "go". The one CAD I received was just a visual iteration of the band with baguette pictured anyways (I said fine, I get it that you didn't have the ability to change the look to "French" cuts and it was just a picture) it did not have any specs dimensions, mm, nothing on the CAD (I assumed it was just a stock CAD design anyways - not sure why it took 2-3 weeks for that image and for me to 'approve' said image, and again I said there were no changes other than the rise off the finger is all).

Communication like other's have said is key. if you said give me three weeks to sort this out, sure, I would have not bugged you for three weeks, but will ask for update after the three weeks mark, being vague does not give a customer confidence in that you are truly vested in our projects, or being vague almost gives me a sense that you 'haven't yet" started on my project perhaps?

I've had experience with other jewelers that have messed up an order, and they quickly made my order a priority to "fix" the problem earlier than later avoiding this long delay of timeline, not adding me back into que which I have felt happened here or they have given me an option at which point to either continue the project giving me a different timeline or part ways.

Signing off. Thanks all.

It's all very familiar. Like I said before, I could write a novel.
So Sorry DandT, I hope it all gets resolved for you soon!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I am sorry if I misunderstood something about the price, SunnyDelta. The cost of the setting is not really the issue, so I apologize. You said that you had a discount on the setting and I will correct what I said to just that. Also, Erica acknowledged their error on the first ring right here in this thread, so we all agree on that. They made a mistake. As far as apologies go, I have no idea who talked with you about the first ring being wrong, but it is hard for me to imagine a scenario where they didn't say they were sorry when they said it came in wrong and they would remake it??? We know they remade it, though, right? Was it wrong the second time? I see you are still very upset about the whole thing, and I am truly sorry. I am just happy for you that Erica is willing to take the ring back and you can start over with no negative thoughts!

Hi Diamondseeker…..

Yes, the setting was redone. Of course there is more to the story, but I’ve already asked Erica to stop posting additional personal details so I will stop too. I am more than willing to talk with you (or anyone for that matter) offline. Not to mudsling…just give you the whole story if you’re interested.

It is very clear to me that this was a disappointing experience for you, and I am truly just wanting you to be able to move past this so you can get a ring you love and a good experience to go along with it! We've all had some less than perfect experiences with ordering things, even besides jewelry. I would chalk it up as a learning experience, and hopefully you will be able to enjoy finding a new ring!

 

[Bonfire]

This thread makes me so sad, it seems to have really gone off the rails. I feel for each and everyone of you that are or have had these bad experiences with Erica. From my own experience I believe what you say. Not to beat a dead horse but without proper communication and attitude between vendor and client how can one be successful? It's such a shame. Caysie is an amazing artist and cares very much for her clients and bringing stunning jewelry to fruition. I hope this is a learning curve that can be corrected in the near future. Lashing back at your customers as a means to defend your behavior is neither professional or wise.

 

[ericad]

SunnyD,

Please tell me what more you would have liked for me to do for you? We corresponded at length over the duration of your project. I delivered the ring within the quoted amount of time. I remade the ring when we discovered we made a mistake. Then I refunded you for the custom band you didn't like.

I have saved and reviewed every communication we had. My replies to you were never single word answers (I do have one email where I said [I'm paraphrasing] "my apologies for the brief reply, I was at my daughter's sporting event and will respond more thoroughly now"), and your emails were never, ever ignored. Obviously I was so eager to reply to that particular message that I did it right in the middle of my kid's skating competition. I spent a considerable amount of time responding to your emails thoughtfully and thoroughly.

I am very sorry that you have such negative feelings about your ring and my offer to refund you in full stands. I will wait for your email and am standing by to send you a Fed Ex label to return the ring back to me.

It's clear that our personalities were not a good fit for one another. In your earlier post you said I was "too friendly", which I don't completely understand, then you claimed you were ignored completely throughout the process, and now it's that the quality of my replies were not to your expectations. While on the flip side, my perception is that I dedicated more time to your project than most any other client in the years I've been in this business. At the end of the day we simply were not a good fit for one another and I couldn't meet your expectations.

I will be watching for your email and wish you the best of luck in finding your dream ring. I'm sure it's out there.