Ring defilement 2.0

[surfgirl]

Okay, so I know we''ve all vented about this issue before. And I also know I should know better but...Today I went into a new place here in town, Shane & Co. - now, my understanding of Shane is that it''s basically in the same category with Robbin Bros. and Jared''s but I was looking at plain plat bands so I figured I''d take a quick look/see. So I go in, a young woman greets me and I tell her I''m looking for plain plat bands and does she have any. She says "oh we have lots!" and proceeds to go in the back and get them. Why they''re hidden in the back is still a mystery to me...anyway, she comes back with two bands - one 2mm and one 3mm - I guess two choices constitutes "lots!" at Shane. So I carefully remove my ering and place it gently on the pleather presentation pad (and yes I know many of you are saying right about now "Oh NO she di''int!" Well, I''m afraid she did... As I''m putting one of the bands onto my finger this chick grabs my ering, holds it up high enough over the glass counter to make me very nervous, and says in a really loud voice, "OH MY GOD! YOUR RING IS SO BEAUTIFUL. How BIG IS IT? I mean, wow, what SIZE IT THAT THING?!?" Now, you know how I feel about my precious and I know many of you feel the same way...I told Mr. Surfgirl, I dont remember even taking the plat band off my finger - I just went into what can only be described as "Emergency Extractment Mode" (heretofore known as EEM) - I delicately placed my fingers around the shank of my ering, gently pried it from her hands and said, "uh, it''s quite old and delicate.." To which she starts asking, "Is it a family ring?" (again in the loud voice) and even though it isn''t, I just said ''yes'' politely and placed it back on my finger and thought inside my head, "Phew. EEM: Code Name "Precious", mission accomplished!" Then I thanked her and she says, "So which one shall I ring up for you today?" And I''m thinking to myself "Seriously, are you on something? Because there''s no way I''m buying anything from you right now?!?" I said I wasn''t buying today and thanked her and left the store, thinking to myself, "Just get to your car Surf, dont make a scene. Just walk away. Waaaaaalk, Awaaaaaaaay. Good girl!"

When I was telling Mr. Surfgirl this story, as soon as I said I put my ering down, he said, "Oh no she DI''INT?!?" Oh yes, yes she did. And we both remembered that any time we''ve been at Tiffany''s or Cartier looking at plain bands, no salesperson has ever touched my rings if I removed them to try on something else. Not a one.

Oh and just as an FYI to those wondering, all I saw were EGL cert''d stones.

 

[iheartscience]

Yikes. Next time (not that there will be one there, obviously) I would put it on your other hand while you try on!

 

[surfgirl]

Date: 10/28/2007 8:46:05 PM
Author: thing2of2

Yikes. Next time (not that there will be one there, obviously) I would put it on your other hand while you try on!

Yes thing2, I''ve learned my lesson. From now on it goes on my other hand OR Mr. Surfgirl will hold it.

Oh, and when I said above "...Now, you know how I feel about my precious and I know many of you feel the same way..." I meant to say that I know many of you feel the same way about *your* own rings...I read it later and thought, no, that sounds a little weird!

Yeah, no more playing Russian Roulette at chain stores.

 

[somethingshiny]

That''s all i can say.

 

[gailrmv]

Gosh, that''s awful.
I was pleasantly surprised with the service at jareds when I went to try on plain bands the other day. The selection of plain bands was just so so, and the other merchandise I saw was not that impressive either - the name brand stuff was very nice but the "jareds" stuff did not wow me. But the service did. There wasn''t any sales pressure at all, the sales gal was pretty knowledgeable, and they polished and cleaned my rings while I was there for free (which can cost as much as $60/ring to polish the platinum at the store where I bought my ring set!!) Anyway, I was nervous about my rings being in their hands but it was SOOO nice to get them back all polished. So, it was overall a good experience. I ordered my plain band from eweddingbands.com for less than half of the Jareds price for something similar. (I''ll do a thread on it - it just arrived!)

 

[marcy]

Surfgirl, sorry you had such an awful experience at Shane Co. I absolutely hate anyone touching my stones and can''t believe it when it happens in a jewelry store where they should know better. My husband and co-workers know I''ll totally freak out if someone touches my jewelry. I''ve been know to lightly slap their hand saying "don''t touch". Aah, our precious, eh?

I do like the Shane Co near where we live and have never had any issues with them touching my stones. My ering is from there and the stone is AGS0 so I know they sell more than just EGL stones. It does seem like they always have to go in the back and get things to show me though which I find a little strange. Just put one of each in the case so I can look at it myself.

 

[bettymac]

Wow, Surfgirl, I''m sorry to hear about your exeperience at the new Shane Co. here in town. I live in the San Diego area too and was going to take a trip down to Shane Co. just to check it out. I think I''ll pass on that now. Yikes! Sounds like the sales staff hasn''t been trained at all.

 

[Steel]

How did I miss this thread?

I hope you and your ring have recovered from this ordeal.

I had a similar experience but the SA actually got the ring on (happened twice in 2 different shops, to my shame). I appreciate the level of shock you felt as it stunned me; twice.

I will remember your EEM in case I become startled again, though I am almost fully trained to put it on my right hand.

God bless your ring, I hope it recovers from that ordeal and learns to trust again.

 

[jfo]

Gosh, I''m sorry to hear about this incident, surfgirl. I really don''t understand what possesses people to touch other people''s things especially when they don''t know you...

Date: 11/5/2007 9:27:34 AM
Author: Steel


I had a similar experience but the SA actually got the ring on (happened twice in 2 different shops, to my shame). I appreciate the level of shock you felt as it stunned me; twice.

And this... Steel... WHAAAAAAA? The Sales Associate put your ring ON? And this has happened TWICE?

 

[surfgirl]

Date: 11/5/2007 9:27:34 AM
Author: Steel
How did I miss this thread?

I hope you and your ring have recovered from this ordeal.


I had a similar experience but the SA actually got the ring on (happened twice in 2 different shops, to my shame). I appreciate the level of shock you felt as it stunned me; twice.


I will remember your EEM in case I become startled again, though I am almost fully trained to put it on my right hand.


God bless your ring, I hope it recovers from that ordeal and learns to trust again.

Oh dear Steel! And I thought I was horrified! If someone had actually shoved my ring on their finger? Well, let''s just say I''d be writing this email from prison, where surely my internet time would be very limited...

I''m sorry to hear others have been accosted too, yet it oddly makes me feel a little bit better knowing I am not alone. Perhaps we need to form some sort of 12 Step Program, "Jewel Accoster''s Anonymous"? JAA for short? Steel, thank you for asking about my ring''s mental well being. It certainly was suffering from TTS - Toxic Tapping Syndrome - however, with some time and a little good therapy, it''s feeling a lot better now. We did have a small relapse last week, when I took it back to the shop it was purchased from and it panicked, nearly leaping off my finger because it was sure I was returning it and trading in because it had been defiled by the Shane''s salesgirl. We staged an immediate intervention and made it watch me try on lots of other nice rings while it watched, then I put it back on to show my commitment to it remaining on my finger. I think we''ve passed the darkest days and are on the road to recovery...thanks for asking!

 

[Steel]

Date: 11/5/2007 6:01:35 PM
Author: surfgirl

Date: 11/5/2007 9:27:34 AM
Author: Steel
How did I miss this thread?

I hope you and your ring have recovered from this ordeal.


I had a similar experience but the SA actually got the ring on (happened twice in 2 different shops, to my shame). I appreciate the level of shock you felt as it stunned me; twice.


I will remember your EEM in case I become startled again, though I am almost fully trained to put it on my right hand.


God bless your ring, I hope it recovers from that ordeal and learns to trust again.

Oh dear Steel! And I thought I was horrified! If someone had actually shoved my ring on their finger? Well, let''s just say I''d be writing this email from prison, where surely my internet time would be very limited...

I''m sorry to hear others have been accosted too, yet it oddly makes me feel a little bit better knowing I am not alone. Perhaps we need to form some sort of 12 Step Program, ''Jewel Accoster''s Anonymous''? JAA for short? Steel, thank you for asking about my ring''s mental well being. It certainly was suffering from TTS - Toxic Tapping Syndrome - however, with some time and a little good therapy, it''s feeling a lot better now. We did have a small relapse last week, when I took it back to the shop it was purchased from and it panicked, nearly leaping off my finger because it was sure I was returning it and trading in because it had been defiled by the Shane''s salesgirl. We staged an immediate intervention and made it watch me try on lots of other nice rings while it watched, then I put it back on to show my commitment to it remaining on my finger. I think we''ve passed the darkest days and are on the road to recovery...thanks for asking!

 

[Jypsie]

I''m sorry this happened - I would have freaked out!! No one is going to molest my ring ... I even had a bit of a *GASP* moment when my dad asked me to take it off so he could see it. Horrible, I know. But if a salesperson treated my ring like that... yeah, I have a mouth on me, part of growing up with family in Brooklyn, i think... and she would have heard most, if not all, of the "don''t say it in front of mom" sayings that they taught me back then too. LOL

I''m glad it''s safe and sound again!

 

[scarleta]

Surfgirl: here is what you can say next time before it happens:
DON'T TOUCH WHAT YOU CAN'T AFFORD"
I think anyone will get a message after that.Just remember to say it with a big smile...and then take it away..
eta: take the ring away .

 

[tberube]

Hilarity. I mean - the way you told the story, not the actual exchange...

 

[fisherofmengirly]

I'm all the time hearing the advertisements for Shane and Co. I thought of popping in sometime to have a looksey. Maybe not so much now.

Not that my ring is huge (quite the opposite), but more about how I don't like the lack of respect when a person paws at something personal to you.

When we got our wedding bands, the store we got them from (yes, a chain store) had this salesperson who kept on and on asking about my diamond and the setting, and when we told her where we got it (a couple of the biggies around here--Whiteflash and Wink's), she acted all in a tizzy because it came from the dreaded internet. Then she asked to see it, so we let her. And she didn't say anything else, other than it must have good numbers on it, which it does, particularly compared to most of what we saw in their store. Anyway, since then, I don't like for people to paw my stuff. It kind of felt like she was looking for flaws or something, even though she complimented it, too.