Progress...and silly question about ERD.

[luckystar112]

Well, my BF finally called ERD!!!

He actually called on Wednesday, and I posted the news in hangout instead of here...(long story short, I was going to start a new thread in here but got lazy.

)

Anyway...I''m thrilled...and NERVOUS!!!

I''m nervous because my boyfriend spoke to Gary and not Mark. I know....it''s silly! It''s just you always hear "Mark...Mark....Mark...." in regards to cushions from everyone, and I heard Gary. LOL!!! But I know he is VERY competent and has a reputation just as good as Mark''s so I''m not too worried about it. I''m sure things will be fine.

My boyfriend has remained hush hush on the subject, so I have no idea what kind of specs he gave for the stone. So really, it''s more of a surprise than I expected! I do know that his budget is $4500-$5500 and I told him I wanted a simple solitaire temp setting for now....but that''s all I know!

It''s weird...it''s almost like I had more control over the situation BEFORE he decided to make it happen. lol.

So here''s a question for any of you that have worked with ERD in the past...
How long did it take for them to find your stone? It''s only been two days and I think my boyfriend is getting more antsy than me! He wants to call them on monday. HAHAHAHA! He won''t though...don''t worry. I expect it takes a while.

 

[neatfreak]

It took Mark about a week to get back to us with a stone. And don''t worry, Gary is just as great as Mark!

 

[luckystar112]

Thanks NF....that''s good to know!

I feel so weird right now! I''ve been coaching my boyfriend on what I like for so long, and now I just have to sit back and hope that he was listening! lol.

 

[Haven]

YAY for progress!

Can''t wait to see your hand pics attached to your "I''M ENGAGED!" post!

 

[Hera]

I just bought a stone from Mark on Thursday. It only took him 1-2 days for him to find me a stone. First I was looking for an oval but decided to get a round instead. He did tell me he was out of the office Friday.

 

[luckystar112]

It''s been 9 days since my BF called them. So, he called them today....and Mark answered. He was really apologetic about not getting in touch with my BF sooner, and said he was going to take over from now on!


My BF said that they had a very brief, friendly conversation. I was kind of freaking out...I was like, "do you think you got Gary in trouble?!? It hasn''t been that long! Were you mean or something? What was your tone like?" My boyfriend is not at all rude or confrontational so I don''t know why I was freaking out. I guess because Mark said he was sorry and he was going to take over. I didn''t think it was that big of a deal...lol.

I hope no one got a stern talking to. But in other news, Mark will be picking out the cushion now.

 

[darkeyesredshoes]

Don''t worry too much, because this is how things went for me. I initially spoke with Mark when I called ERD to set up the appointment, so he picked the cushions out and then Gary showed them to us during our appointment. Gary also handled getting the setting that we wanted and any other questions we had. There are only like three people in the entire office, so I doubt Gary could get in that much trouble - he''s essentially the 2nd in command. Don''t worry!

 

[luckystar112]

Yeah I figured it was all my imagination. I know Gary is one of the big dogs.

I wonder if he forgot about us though? lol

 

[darkeyesredshoes]

I won''t speak ill of the purveyors of the ring that makes me happier than any worldly possession ever has, but I will say that it''s entirely possible he forgot.

 

[sunshine14]

I may be wrong, but maybe he''s on vacation or limited hours? I sent him an email a week ago and haven''t heard back...I just figured he''s spending some time with the fam while it is so nice out!

Good luck...if mark is on the job, you are sure to be pleased!

 

[luckystar112]

Actually Mark got back from vacation on the 17th. I know because I was fricken DYING FOR HIM TO GET BACK FROM VACATION!!!! lol
Seriously...my BF tells me the DAY before that he is going to call ERD...then Mark''s vacation started. My luck. haha. So we had to wait TWO weeks for him to come back. (Which is fine...he''s a hard working man that needs some time off!)

But he''s back now, and my BF called right away. Since then I have been going CRAZY. CRAZY!!! Like, don''t even know what to do with myself. So as you know, a week went by and we hadn''t heard anything so my bf called back, and Mark said he was handling it from now on. Me and my impatientness thought that maybe, *just maybe* Mark would call with a stone today. He hasn''t.

So, now we have to wait at least two more days where I know for sure that we won''t be getting a call because it''s the weekend. I think this is the first time in the history of the universe that I WASN''T looking forward to the weekend. I''m like, "come on....can''t there be just ONE MORE WORK DAY?!" lol. Hopefully he''ll call on Monday. I hope! I beg! I pray!

Seriously though...I''m going nuts. I thought my lady-in-waiting syndrome was bad before my boyfriend was making any progress, but turns out it only gets worse as it gets closer!!

 

[luckystar112]

::OOOHHHHH UPDATE!! UPDATE!!!::

BF said that Mark called him YESTERDAY and left him a message. I can''t believe he kept that from me.

lol.

BF said he called Mark back TODAY and left HIM a message.

We''re playing phone tag!!!

 

[beebrisk]

Deep Breath, LuckyStar!

Back in June, I contacted ERD by email and received a reply from Gary. I told him exactly what I was looking for and he responded (again by email) to every single question, comment, concern, etc...

He asked me to give him a little time, so about 10 days later. I went to meet with him. When I arrived, he had an assortment of stones for me to look at..Everyone of them fit my criteria--perfectly! It was just a matter of picking "the one", which I did that day...Yay!

You are in good hands with Gary--I loved him!...And I know Mark is great too. They are wonderful guys who take lots of time to ensure you are happy with your purchase. No pressure, no rushing, just a great experience all around. It''s a pleasure just hanging in the office with them!

In the meantime, here it is, nearly August, and I still don''t have my ring! No fault of Gary though, my boyfriend told him there was no rush (ARRGHH!). He did speak to Gary, just today, and it looks like it will be shipped MAYBE this week!!!

Good Luck! Can''t wait to see the finished product! Keep us posted

 

[luckystar112]

Thanks Beebrisk! We''re actually working with Mark now, but Gary was very nice in the small bit of time we talked to him. hehe.
Mark found us some stones to look over, and I''m torn between two right now. I posted them on rocky talky.

You decided to go custom, right? Do you think that''s what the hold up is, or is it normal to wait that long? I think we''re just going to put the diamond into a temp setting, which I''m assuming is in house...so hopefully by next week we''ll have the ring, or so I hope! Then I just gotta worry about the BF giving it to me! lol.

 

[monarch64]

Best of luck to you Luckystar! I''m sure you''ll end up with the e-ring of your dreams, from what i understand after educating myself on PS, ERD and mark turnowski are some of the best-of-the-best! You''re defintely "lucky!"

 

[luckystar112]

I should change my name to unluckystar.

BF left me his credit card to pick up some things, since we are going out of town on Wednesday. Well, I''m standing in line at the store, and his card is declined!
So I called him to tell him, and he goes "How did you know?" and I''m all confused....
Turns out, he was trying to purchase the ring today and Mark called to tell him that his card had been declined there as well.

The funds are in his account, I guess the bank is just being stupid. BF said that when he was finally able to get in touch with a "real person" at his bank, that they couldn''t explain what was going on or how to fix it.

I''m so upset. Talk about Murphy''s Law!! I''m not sure what is going to happen now. Not sure why BF decided against wiring the money...or if that would have even made a difference. I''m thinking that maybe his account froze because it is an abnormally large purchase taking place across the country....??? I have no idea. But I hope it''s fixed soon. He can''t even use his card at all until this is all figured out. I haven''t talked to BF in like an hour, so for all I know it could be fixed by now, but if not than I guess his plan to propose in VA (I''m assuming) is null and void.

Stupid banks!

 

[luckystar112]

Okay...it''s handled. PHEW! I almost had a heart attack there. (And I obviously posted too soon. lol. No one had even replied yet.

) Anyway, bf still can''t use his card though...I guess what happened is the fraud protection kicked in. It''s hard to get mad when his bank is just doing it''s job, I guess. But they obviously need to come up with a better system of reversing it when that happens.

BF said he''s going to come up with "something else" when it comes to proposing now though.

lol. I wonder why we don''t hear more about this happening with people buying online? There must be some secret that I wasn''t let in on...

 

[FireGoddess]

It helps if you''re going to make a rather large purchase to call the bank or credit card in advance to let them know it''s going to happen...that way they don''t activate the fraud alert.

That''s what I do.

 

[luckystar112]

I thought he had! Apparently not though. Boys!!!

Hopefully the embaressment of this was enough to teach him a lesson.

 

[DMBsGirl]

lucky....
any updates on the ring??