Moh 10
Brilliant_Rock
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2008
- Messages
- 1,004
online diamond vendors - credit card service fee Nonrefundable?
- Thread starter greysca1e
- Start date
- Status
If this really goes bad, contact your credit card company, contact the Better Business Bureau, tell as many people on the forum. But first give him a chance to apologize and make things right.
And Neat, alot of people listen to you so I hope you do not recommend this vendor until you hear what happens.
And Neat, alot of people listen to you so I hope you do not recommend this vendor until you hear what happens.
hi, well the package is on its way now. I did try to square this away with mark over the phone and mentioned none of these fees were listed in his return policy but he said it may be because he doesn''t deal with returns that often because customers hardly ever return the diamond.... pretty much saying the policy may not be stated in great detail but as it stands there will be fees and since he has spent time helping me search for a diamond it''s not fair if he''s stuck with credit card service fees at the end. on the flip side i don''t think it''s fair i get stuck with fees that weren''t disclosed..... I will take it up with CC company if it doesn''t get resolved directly. thanks everyone!
neatfreak
Super_Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2007
- Messages
- 14,174
Which is why I also want to hear both sides of the story before making a major judgement about a vendor whom I have worked with personally three times and many many people have had very good experiences with. One issue does not a bad vendor make, but I do want to know what happens here because if Mark is changing policies he needs to make them clear as crystal on all his literature and needs to follow them. Or else he will lose customers here.
Very often though (and OP this is nothing against you, but it happens frequently here so I am drawing from other experiences on this forum) there are two sides to a story, which is why I want to hear both first before making judgement about not recommending a vendor in the future.
Moh 10
Brilliant_Rock
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2008
- Messages
- 1,004
Hi, I had to use 2 day it was the only option USPS had in order to fully insure the diamond. Overnight (express mail) covers up to $5K and I needed more coverage so had to go with registered mail with priority (2-day) shipment. basically, you can''t do overnight with that type of insurance coverage.
I suggested UPS to mark so I could overnight it with insurance but he said from past experience they don''t like taking UPS or fedex because the package is damaged by the time they receive it (he''s right in the jewelry district). they prefer Usps registered mail which is more secure.
I hope this vendor comes through. I was hoping to buy a cushion pendant one day and heard Mark''s the best. Have you considered disputing these fees etc with your credit card if you cannot receive satisfaction from the vendor? I would HATE to go that route, but it seems you may have been backed into a corner.
And this is why I think he is not taking it well. Ego is hurt and shows how he responds to adversity. No problem selling but puts up a big wall when returning. Kinda sad but this actually happens alot. The best companies smile and say hope to see you soon, and the others... well........ this happens
- Joined
- May 3, 2001
- Messages
- 7,516
I see that this is a long thread and I do not have time to read it so I will make a quick comment as a merchant.
When we send out a ring that we have taken a cc number on, there is a proceedure that we can use called an authorization. This actualy ties up the amount needed from your credit line so that I am guaranteed the money is there if you approve the transaction, but does not cost me anything if I allow the authorization to expire. Master Card and Amex hold this for 30 days. Visa is only for three, so obviously we do not like to do this on Visa.
It sounds like your merchant actually ran the card, which did indeed cost him a percentage of the sale, but by the terms that he posted and you relied upon I would expect him to eat that. It is not your fault he did not do the transaction properly.
This is of course assuming that you asked to see the stone on approval and did not approach him as if this was a rock solid sale, which in my experience is VERY rare for an internet shopper. You want to, or at least should want to, see the diamond before finalizing the sale, and this is the whole reason we vendors have a return polich, so that you will feel comfortable dealing with us. It does not sound like your vendor fully gets this part of the deal, but then I do not have all of the facts at my disposal.
I wish you well, and you can contest this with your CC company if the vendor does not voluntarily do this.
Wink
- Joined
- May 3, 2001
- Messages
- 7,516
Okay, I read a little further. You have notified him that the ring is being returned, well within the 14 days and the postmark will be within that time. You do NOT want to spend the money for UPS or Fedex as you do not get more than $100 coverage with Fedex, no matter how much they charge you for the insurance. He says he does not accept UPS or Fedex anyway so the time limit must be from the date of receipt until the date of shipment of return. Since you paid by CC you can just handle this with them, be sure to save copies of your registered return receipt that will show proof of shipment and date of signature when it was received.
It may take you a while, but you will get your money from the CC company if he does not give it to you. They do NOT play games and they will take the customer''s side a LOT more often than they will take the vendor''s side.
Wink
glitterata
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2002
- Messages
- 4,507
Collect documents in case you need to contest the sale with your credit card company. Keep all your emails. Print them out. Print out the return policy from the website, in case he changes it. Take notes on all conversations you''ve had with him--write down everything you remember from the conversation immediately.
Hopefully he''ll see reason and you won''t need to go that far. It would be very foolish of him to ruin his reputation here for the sake of a few hundred dollars in credit card fees.
I can understand that he worked hard trying to find you a diamond and doesn''t like to lose money on the transaction. But he should have thought of that when he made his policies. He should have stated that if you returned the stone, you would be out the 3%. If he had stated that policy, you might not have decided to shop with him. I know I wouldn''t. And the business about changing the return window without warning because he happens to have a vacation scheduled is ridiculous.
I hope he shows up on this thread and explains himself.
Hopefully he''ll see reason and you won''t need to go that far. It would be very foolish of him to ruin his reputation here for the sake of a few hundred dollars in credit card fees.
I can understand that he worked hard trying to find you a diamond and doesn''t like to lose money on the transaction. But he should have thought of that when he made his policies. He should have stated that if you returned the stone, you would be out the 3%. If he had stated that policy, you might not have decided to shop with him. I know I wouldn''t. And the business about changing the return window without warning because he happens to have a vacation scheduled is ridiculous.
I hope he shows up on this thread and explains himself.
elmo
Brilliant_Rock
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2003
- Messages
- 1,160
Did you tell Mark you were keeping it then change your mind before the 14 days was up? Mark is normally pretty careful about the CC fee. If you implied you were keeping it, it doesn't completely change things but maybe you could come to some agreement.
If not, then not your responsibility at all IMO, and sounds like he's just having a bad day. He has a really small business and you're not going to have the same experience there as you would with someplace like Blue Nile, for better and for worse
.
Some things to be aware of. Just because you sent the package priority registered doesn't mean it will get there in 2-3 days. Especially things going to 10036, especially during the holidays. Depending on where you are, it may take a week or 10 days. Once the priority package is registered, I've heard that handling is no different than other registered mail. The post office will make multiple delivery attempts (3?) and if nobody is there they will return to you. You can see all this online at usps.com (unlike Fedex and UPS the record doesn't get updated until it reaches the destination post office though). Since you have a paper trail and the stated policy about returns, no problem, you would just mail it again when they're back.
Anyone who tells you they don't get returns especially for fancies is exaggerating
.
If not, then not your responsibility at all IMO, and sounds like he's just having a bad day. He has a really small business and you're not going to have the same experience there as you would with someplace like Blue Nile, for better and for worse
Some things to be aware of. Just because you sent the package priority registered doesn't mean it will get there in 2-3 days. Especially things going to 10036, especially during the holidays. Depending on where you are, it may take a week or 10 days. Once the priority package is registered, I've heard that handling is no different than other registered mail. The post office will make multiple delivery attempts (3?) and if nobody is there they will return to you. You can see all this online at usps.com (unlike Fedex and UPS the record doesn't get updated until it reaches the destination post office though). Since you have a paper trail and the stated policy about returns, no problem, you would just mail it again when they're back.
Anyone who tells you they don't get returns especially for fancies is exaggerating
- Joined
- May 3, 2001
- Messages
- 7,516
UPDATE:
hi everyone, Mark has agreed not to charge return fee/credit card fee and will accept the package next week (I shipped it out yesterday). He is aware it''s registered mail which may or may not take 2 days, especially in light of the busy holiday season. but he felt it is safer with registered mail vs. ups or fedex.
He wrote and phoned me and said after re-reading his policy and discussing it with a dear friend he agreed the policy was not 100% clear. There was also a period of time they were in the middle of renovating their office and website and some details may have been left out on the webpage (this is something he may be revising soon). And since he doesn''t deal with returns that often that part of the website was easily overlooked.
i really appreciate his efforts to make things right and he will update his policies in the future to avoid any confusion.
thanks for everyone''s input! I''m glad it was resolved quickly.
hi everyone, Mark has agreed not to charge return fee/credit card fee and will accept the package next week (I shipped it out yesterday). He is aware it''s registered mail which may or may not take 2 days, especially in light of the busy holiday season. but he felt it is safer with registered mail vs. ups or fedex.
He wrote and phoned me and said after re-reading his policy and discussing it with a dear friend he agreed the policy was not 100% clear. There was also a period of time they were in the middle of renovating their office and website and some details may have been left out on the webpage (this is something he may be revising soon). And since he doesn''t deal with returns that often that part of the website was easily overlooked.
i really appreciate his efforts to make things right and he will update his policies in the future to avoid any confusion.
thanks for everyone''s input! I''m glad it was resolved quickly.
CharmyPoo
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2004
- Messages
- 7,007
Disclaimer: My thoughts below do not take into consideration the actual listed policy.
I guess my question is - should Mark really take the loss of the transaction as the operating cost of doing business? For example, I know Mark usually pays for shipping to you and any other cost required to obtain the diamond. He recovers this through the profits when he closes a deal. The more times he ships diamonds for a single deal - the lower his profit margins are for that deal. In the case where the customer decides to go elsewhere, he is making nothing at all and can''t recover the cost. Perhaps, this is why he is asking for a handling fee. I think it is not right that it is not listed on his website but I don''t think it is unfair. Afterall, the other highly recommend vendors actually charge upfront for the shipping fees.
I guess my question is - should Mark really take the loss of the transaction as the operating cost of doing business? For example, I know Mark usually pays for shipping to you and any other cost required to obtain the diamond. He recovers this through the profits when he closes a deal. The more times he ships diamonds for a single deal - the lower his profit margins are for that deal. In the case where the customer decides to go elsewhere, he is making nothing at all and can''t recover the cost. Perhaps, this is why he is asking for a handling fee. I think it is not right that it is not listed on his website but I don''t think it is unfair. Afterall, the other highly recommend vendors actually charge upfront for the shipping fees.
- Joined
- May 3, 2001
- Messages
- 7,516
Perhaps. On my site it is written as once you tell me it is sold I will run the card and thus incur fees. I am then relying on your word that it is sold and thus any fees incurred are on you in my opinion, especially since it is written in my policy statement.
Looks like all ended well, which is as it should be and as I would have expected it to be once the vendor was named.
Wink
Date: 12/19/2008 4:18:03 PM
Author: beach
Great! I bet I know who the dear friend wasHint: Someone who read this forum and called him
possibly! I''m just glad it''s resolved. i was so troubled i didn''t sleep much.. even though i had the last option of working it out with my CC company i just didn''t want things to go bad... not my intention at all.
Mark was very sincere and made many attempts to reach me (my email to him last night never reached him so he called and emailed several times thinking I didn''t get it or wasn''t getting back to him).
if anyone has a hard time reaching him via email i would call him directly. he''s missed some of my emails in the past -may be a server issue.
oldmancoyote
Brilliant_Rock
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2008
- Messages
- 755
Since the matter is now resolved, perhaps not too much of a point to make, but most if not all "vendors" will shift due dates for payments or deliveries/returns to the next working day if the deadline falls on a holiday. This includes mortgage companies, banks, credit card companies, store cards, mail catalogues, utilities, TV companies, even tax offices (at least in the UK)!
I would think it more reasonable that the deadline is extended to the next working day (however defined), rather than to four calendar days before. In addition, if no-one is there to receive the stone back, then no-one is there to sell it to another customer, so what''s the hurry?
CharmyPoo
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2004
- Messages
- 7,007
- Status
300x240.png)