The Scam of Brilliant Earth

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I had an unpleasant experience with them over the summer.

Contacted them to get a copy of an IGI report for a lab Blue I purchased a few years ago.
Was told that my husband had to contact them and get the OK for them to release the information to me.
When I asked why, I was told because his name was on the credit card.

Just so you know, I created the account, my name is the one that you see when you log in, and it was also shipped to me, my name, not my husbands.
The only reason his name appears at all is because at the time of purchase, I'm guessing his wallet was just closer to me than my own so I used a card in his name. Mind you, we share the same cards so I didn't even think twice.
Either way, they requested he contact them to "allow" me get a copy of the report.

You gotta understand that when a woman is told she needs her husbands permission for something she is entirely responsible for, it makes most of us very angry.

It went to a manager and she reiterated the same thing- "need your husbands permission." Chris was working from home and heard the entire exchange, took the phone from me and was like "WTH, are you serious? My wife bought it!" Still, he had to OK them emailing me a copy of the report.

Can you imagine.. getting divorced and wanting to sell you ring, but you can't get a copy of the cert because your ex purchased it and you now need their approval??

It was a very unpleasant experience and I would never buy from them again.

That is normal as they do not know that this is not part of a divorce proceeding and they can not validate your claims - but they know for sure who owned the CC.

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

I had an unpleasant experience with them over the summer.

Contacted them to get a copy of an IGI report for a lab Blue I purchased a few years ago.
Was told that my husband had to contact them and get the OK for them to release the information to me.
When I asked why, I was told because his name was on the credit card.

Just so you know, I created the account, my name is the one that you see when you log in, and it was also shipped to me, my name, not my husbands.
The only reason his name appears at all is because at the time of purchase, I'm guessing his wallet was just closer to me than my own so I used a card in his name. Mind you, we share the same cards so I didn't even think twice.
Either way, they requested he contact them to "allow" me get a copy of the report.

You gotta understand that when a woman is told she needs her husbands permission for something she is entirely responsible for, it makes most of us very angry.

It went to a manager and she reiterated the same thing- "need your husbands permission." Chris was working from home and heard the entire exchange, took the phone from me and was like "WTH, are you serious? My wife bought it!" Still, he had to OK them emailing me a copy of the report.

Can you imagine.. getting divorced and wanting to sell you ring, but you can't get a copy of the cert because your ex purchased it and you now need their approval??

It was a very unpleasant experience and I would never buy from them again.

holy crap......

usually they don't CARE whose name is on the card as long as the person who made the order is calling... that's bonkers. im so sorry. wow, that would piss me off. i don't need *ANYBODYS* permission to what's rightfully mine!

 

[elle_chris]

holy crap......

usually they don't CARE whose name is on the card as long as the person who made the order is calling... that's bonkers. im so sorry. wow, that would piss me off. i don't need *ANYBODYS* permission to what's rightfully mine!

Exactly.. I mean what do they care? They know it shipped to me and the account itself is in my name. Plus, we share the same last name.

It just felt so... I dunno.. misogynistic maybe?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Exactly.. I mean what do they care? They know it shipped to me and the account itself is in my name. Plus, we share the same last name.

It just felt so... I dunno.. misogynistic maybe?

As a retailer of jewels for 45 years I promise they are trying to avoid being dragged in as court witnesses!

 

[elle_chris]

As a retailer of jewels for 45 years I promise they are trying to avoid being dragged in as court witnesses!

I'm not in the middle of a divorce. I just wanted a copy of the IGI report because I had misplaced it. I purchased the stone, not my husband (his name being on the card is irrelevant to me.)

But regardless of who purchased it, that type of policy implies that the recipient of the diamond/ring is still not the owner. Very bad way to handle it.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I'm not in the middle of a divorce. I just wanted a copy of the IGI report because I had misplaced it. I purchased the stone, not my husband (his name being on the card is irrelevant to me.)

But regardless of who purchased it, that type of policy implies that the recipient of the diamond/ring is still not the owner. Very bad way to handle it.

So why not get your husband to get the copy? I told you they have a perfectly logical business practice reason to not get involved with you.
They do not know if you are getting divorced or madly in love
But most of the time a lady contacts us for info and appraisals when the man is perceived to have made the purchase it is because of a marriage breakdown.

 

[elle_chris]

So why not get your husband to get the copy? I told you they have a perfectly logical business practice reason to not get involved with you.
They do not know if you are getting divorced or madly in love
But most of the time a lady contacts us for info and appraisals when the man is perceived to have made the purchase it is because of a marriage breakdown.

... Because I purchased it.
I can't explain it any other way.. you're not a female.

 

[Pearl19]

But regardless of who purchased it, that type of policy implies that the recipient of the diamond/ring is still not the owner. Very bad way to handle it.

Garry is correct. It simply comes down to consumer law I'm afraid. It is the purchaser who is considered to be the legal owner of goods (not the recipient) for that transaction, with respect to the provision of goods or services by a business. That would be defined by the named payee as set out if a credit card is used to make the sale, bank transfer from his account, or his Paypal account.

Therefore a business will normally only provide documentation or other services to the person who has 'paid', and only to an address which matches that on the credit card.

Just to say - I am female (and a business owner).

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

... Because I purchased it.
I can't explain it any other way.. you're not a female.

I understand you feeling that this comes across as misogyny Elle, but it is nothing of the kind. It is best business practice plain and simple.
So why not send them an email that you type on your husbands phone and trick them

 

[elle_chris]

Garry is correct. It simply comes down to consumer law I'm afraid. It is the purchaser who is considered to be the legal owner of goods (not the recipient) for that transaction, with respect to the provision of goods or services by a business. That would be defined by the named payee as set out if a credit card is used to make the sale, bank transfer from his account, or his Paypal account.

Therefore a business will normally only provide documentation or other services to the person who has 'paid', and only to an address which matches that on the credit card.

Just to say - I am female (and a business owner).

I don't believe you're correct. State laws vary (in the US), but generally the recipient of a jewelry purchase would be the owner. The engagement ring would also be the recipients, but after the wedding.

I also can't imagine Whiteflash ever saying to me; "sorry, we need Chris to call us before providing you with that information", even though we pay via bank wire through his (not our joint) account for many of my jewelry purchases.
It would sound ludicrous to me.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I don't believe you're correct. State laws vary (in the US), but generally the recipient of a jewelry purchase would be the owner. The engagement ring would also be the recipients, but after the wedding.

I also can't imagine Whiteflash ever saying to me; "sorry, we need Chris to call us before providing you with that information", even though we pay via bank wire through his (not our joint) account for many of my jewelry purchases.
It would sound ludicrous to me.

it does not matter about the law.
It matters about a business not wanting to get embroiled in a nasty divorce proceeding

 

[elle_chris]

I understand you feeling that this comes across as misogyny Elle, but it is nothing of the kind. It is best business practice plain and simple.
So why not send them an email that you type on your husbands phone and trick them

Chris (my husband) heard my side of the conversation so knew what was going on.
He did get on the phone with them and gave them his "permission" to email me the report.

(They wouldn't accept an email, they wanted him to call.)

 

[elle_chris]

Regardless of what anyone thinks- my experience should be a warning to anyone who buys from BE.
If you use a CC other than your own, BE does NOT consider you the owner.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Chris (my husband) heard my side of the conversation so knew what was going on.
He did get on the phone with them and gave them his "permission" to email me the report.

(They wouldn't accept an email, they wanted him to call.)

You could have called with a gruff voice hahahahaa

 

[Pearl19]

I don't believe you're correct. State laws vary (in the US), but generally the recipient of a jewelry purchase would be the owner. The engagement ring would also be the recipients, but after the wedding.

I also can't imagine Whiteflash ever saying to me; "sorry, we need Chris to call us before providing you with that information", even though we pay via bank wire through his (not our joint) account for many of my jewelry purchases.
It would sound ludicrous to me.

I absolutely take your point that laws vary, and I'm not disputing that the item is of course yours.

But the legal aspects of a business transaction are such that the payee is normally the person with whom the contract of sale lies. That is not the person who filled out the online purchase, but the person from whose account the payment was made. Of course there may be cases where a discretionary approach can be taken - this usually involves a simple informal phone call from the payee giving authorisation for the business to deal with the recipient instead (my husband and I have done that) and a note is put on file. To reference your example, if Whiteflash had dealt with both parties (and perhaps more than once) then they would have the assurance that you as the recipient was bona fide.

If you think about it, this is standard consumer protection - since the business won't know your personal circumstances or if the card owner had given permission for it to be used. Imagine if your card were used fraudulently - you would inform your bank and they would presumably recover the loss for you. The person who had scammed you couldn't simply insist that the goods were theirs. There have to be some checks and balances in place, which I'm guessing is why BE insisted that your husband made the request for the paperwork.

I'm wondering if BE put this to you in a rather bullish manner, rather than properly explaining it. I found their last email to me to be a little dismissive given that I had every right to request the refund.

 

[Pearl19]

Quick update - I've just received notice from Brilliant Earth confirming my refund. So top marks to them for doing it quickly.

 

[La2020]

I'm sorry about your experience.

Would love to hear what happened with AV as I'm going to get a ring (and stone) from him.
Thank you.

same here! pls share too!