WhiteFlash after sales customer service terrible.

[sevenlas]

long time lurker and just req to ask this question. is it normal to take 3 - 5 weeks to resize a ring that was just pruchased?

I order an engagement ring through whiteflash and was very impress with their customer service (this would be the second order from them in 4-5 years). Emails were very prompt during the order. The CS helped me decide on ring size since i sort of had a clue but wasn't sure. It was a surprise and there was just no way to get a ring size.

I got the ring on friday even and pop the question on sunday. Come to find out that and it was a huge bummer but the ring was too small. off by .5. I emailed CS this morning and no one returned my email asking for sending the ring back to resize. I had to go online to the CS chat to be told that its best that i wait until after new year's to send in the ring and that if i still want to do it i had to contact customer relations. which i did. I didn't get an email until this evening stating that it would be 5 WEEKS but if i pay to rush it it would be 3 weeks.

now i would have been okay with timeline of 3 weeks if they would have emailed me or forward the email to the proper CS but I had to do the footwork. it seems like i'm getting the cold shoulder once they got my money. after sales support really sucks in that regard. The lack of emails and respond times are terrible. maybe i'm being too harsh but after spending a great deal of $$ on the ring i would have expect the same customer service as pre-sale support. It seems like i can order a new ring and have it in less then 5 days but to resize it will take 5 weeks.

can someone explain why it would take so long?

 

[swingirl]

can someone explain why it would take so long?

Why don't you skip the emails, call them and ask why so long?

Since it was your error you will be expected to pay for shipping both ways. It is necessary to have them do the sizing or do you have a good up scale jeweler who could do the work?

 

[Amys Bling]

busy with holiday proposals... could be a hectic time of year anad backed up? Call and inquire!

 

[iota15]

I'd call. Five weeks does seem like a long time. My guess - it's the Christmas/New Year's rush. Everyone's trying to get their ring before the holidays so they can propose. It's no excuse to take five weeks or even three for what should be a relatively simple procedure though (assuming there's nothing outrageously complicated needed to resize your ring), but it might help to explain things.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Calling them sounds like the best solution.

Personally for all jewelry transactions, I think it's best to speak to person rather than corresponding via email...we're talking thousands of dollars. And, FWIW, I call any/every company regardless of what it is, if there is a problem. Even a $50 Amazon order I like to speak to an actual person

Hope you get everything worked out.

 

[sevenlas]

i'm in totally agreement that its best to call them. I was just really busy at work today since i would be out for a couple of days during thanksgiving. And i wanted to get the request in.


I realize that i made the ring size request but at no time did they tell me that if the ring was the wrong side it would take 3 weeks (ideal). I even told the CS person that i wasn't too sure about the ring size and my best guesstimate was what i gave. She never once told me the timeline just "don't worry we can resize for you no problem"

and you would think that since they are in this business they would know better then to suggest you hold onto a ring that don't fit until the holidays to get it done. Their 10 day money back guarantee would be long over then.

anyway my finance isn't upset just a little disappointed that it would take such a long time. so she c.an't even wear or show her family the ring.

I'm just disappointment with whiteflash since they were really good until they got my money.

thanks everyone.

 

[slg47]

I'm really sorry to hear that. I would definitely call them tomorrow and explain the situation. I would expect you to have to pay for shipping and resizing (unless they include a free resize) but it shouldn't take that long. I sent my ring to BGD to be resized and it took 1 week!

 

[february2003bride]

Sorry to hear that the ring was too small!

I would just find a good local jeweler and pay for it to be sized. It can be done in a day and would probably cost the same as the shipping to and from WF.

 

[Gypsy]

Sorry to hear that the ring was too small!

I would just find a good local jeweler and pay for it to be sized. It can be done in a day and would probably cost the same as the shipping to and from WF.

Me too, unless there is a warranty issue. I have no idea what WF's policies are with warranties. If it's a simple metal solitaire, local upscale with a good reputation is what I'd be likely to do. If it's got melee and pave... I'd be calling WF and talking to them.

 

[Amys Bling]

Sorry to hear that the ring was too small!

I would just find a good local jeweler and pay for it to be sized. It can be done in a day and would probably cost the same as the shipping to and from WF.

agree, if it's a simple WG or platnium plan shank, I would get it done locally and have it sooner...if it's intricate I would send back. I totally understand the disappointment your FI feels not being able to wear it right away

 

[yssie]

sorry to hear this - I hope you have better communcations when you call them.

5 weeks just to size a ring is outrageous regardless of backlog of work - any successful company learns very quickly to plan for more hands on deck during the holiday season.. and I am a happy WF customer.

I agree with PPs - if it's a simple shank just get it insured and then have a local jeweller deal with it. You're going to want to build a relationship with someone local anyway - you don't want to be shipping your ring out every time you need your prongs checked..

 

[Dreamer_D]

There are downsides to working with online vendors, and this is one of them. You need a trusted local vendor for things like this. So find a place and get it done locally, won't cost much and can be done same day.

A phone call is always better than an e-mail when things really matter, that is always my personal policy.

But 5 weeks seems a long time for a resize, even with the holiday rush, though I am not totally surprised. This time of year is the worst for the diamond industry when it comes to the lines.

If the resize would have been free, then perhaps when you call ask for a credit to compensate you if you do it locally.

 

[slg47]

I would get price quotes, when I priced out resizing at some local places it was the same as shipping (and would have taken longer!)

 

[Frenchgirl]

I'd call. Five weeks does seem like a long time. My guess - it's the Christmas/New Year's rush. Everyone's trying to get their ring before the holidays so they can propose. It's no excuse to take five weeks or even three for what should be a relatively simple procedure though (assuming there's nothing outrageously complicated needed to resize your ring), but it might help to explain things.

I agree with you.

 

[Andelain]

I don't mean to sound like a WF apologist, but I will offer a little info that might help this make some sense. I know from conversations with a couple of people that work there that WF is badly shorthanded right now because of illness and family problems of employees. In fact I have two orders in progress with them and emails I sent over the weekend haven't been answered yet, which is a first for me. I'm a regular customer of theirs and have no doubt they will get back to me as soon as they can because I haven't paid for one of the order yet.

I'm not telling that to justify five weeks to size your ring, but to let you know that there's a reason they're behind on answering email. I'm sure it's also contributing to the backlog of orders.

 

[makemepretty]

I would just have it sized locally. Sizing is a fairly simple process. I dropped off a platinum ring to be sized on Saturday. It will be done this week.

 

[Bosie]

I had this problem with my wife's ring, got a local guy who was not busy and was done within a few hours.

 

[sevenlas]

its a simple platinum 6 prong Tiffany ring. I was told by whiteflash that if i take it to a local dealer it would void my warranty and its alot of money to be out of warranty.

I can understand being shorthanded but they were very responsive during the sale. so that don't fly to much. It seems the priority is more getting in the sale.

can anyone recommend at local shop in the NYC area or tri-state.

 

[geckodani]

If you don't want to void the warranty another option is to have her wrap a small piece of a foam bandaid around the bottom of the ring to take care of the temporary sizing issue, show it off over the holidays, and then send it to WF to be sized after everyone has oohed and ahhed.

I may or may not have done this with my engagement ring that was a size too big for about a month until I was ready to part with it.

 

[slg47]

geckodani I think the problem is that the ring is too small, otherwise this would be a great option

I hope you call WF and they come up with a good solution. I am sure your FI is excited to wear her ring!

 

[Steel]

Back when I dealt with Lesley, she offered that I could get my ring repaired locally and that they would honour the warranty despite another bench man working on it. Perhaps my circumstance was special because the repair was small and the cost to ship to and from WF would have been far greater than the little repair job. So perhaps they will allow a local jeweller to size it up? Unless as has been mentioned, the setting is intricate and then I would want WF to be the ones to do the job so you are stuck with the holiday rush.

 

[Blackpaw]

Five weeks is too long for a resize, it does sound like now your transaction is complete its not worth the effort. That's the two-edged sword of stuff like this, they say it will take X long, so you say you'll take it to a local jeweller, then they say that voids your warranty definitely a PITA. Id call and express your disappointment. I think its warranted given the response you got when you werent sure on the size...

 

[Maisie]

I would hope that WF would work with you to make sure you are happy. The setting is plain so having another bench resize it shouldn't affect the integrity of the ring. Perhaps they will agree to let you go ahead and have someone local resize for you. If you don't ask you will never know

 

[geckodani]

geckodani I think the problem is that the ring is too small, otherwise this would be a great option

I hope you call WF and they come up with a good solution. I am sure your FI is excited to wear her ring!

Oh boo. I tried.

 

[cjaama]

i just completed a transaction with WF and their email response was really slow, to the point that i almost gave up on them and went elsewhere. the (custom) ring also took a week longer than the time they quoted.
hopefully when you voice your concern they should be understanding and either get it in quicker or let you do it locally. good luck.

 

[bright&shiny]

I agree with going local. My e-ring is from GOG, but I needed it resized when I lost weight - so I had it done locally. I'm sure GOG would have been fine - but I have a jewler that I trust and he did it for me in 30 minutes.

 

[Gypsy]

I want to clarify something. You said there's a lot of money at risk to take it to a local jeweler. To my knowledge as long as the setting is sound, you aren't risking that much at all, unless there is something wonky (which I am completely ignorant of their policies) with their polices. You are only risking the one year warranty on the setting. Not your warranty on on the stone or the trade in policy. I'm pretty sure that as long as you go to a good bench you'll be okay. But if not, I like gecko's idea.

 

[rtuttle]

I just purchased a ring from Whiteflash. The setting I ordered, when they received it from who they get it from was cracked, and they had to request a new one, well, that didn't get me the ring on time for my proposal. So, they put it in a temp setting and got the ring to me, and I was able to make a succesful proposal. They paid for the shipping both ways, so , so far I'm happy, though, best care would have been to have the original ring as I ordered it on time, as I made my time an important part of the purchase.

They went out of their way to deal with the crack setting, so , I hope I can report back in a couple of weeks, that I have recieved my ring back with the correct setting. I'm going to keep the ring until after Thanksgiving, as I can't get it off her finger before than, and not sure WF has received the replacement setting.

 

[sevenlas]

I spoke with the CS and i'm having it shipped back to them. I asked about getting it fixed locally but she was pretty insistent that i send it back since i would lose out on the warranty if "something" happen to the rock. So i'm sending it back tomorrow. She won't quote on me how long it would take to get it back to me. She said something to the extent that it would take a couple of days to verify/look over the ring before they do the work. i have to paying for shipping and insurance ($120) both ways even though I feel that they should have been more upfront about the timeline for ring re-sizes during the purchase since that was my concern and was express repeatedly knowing that it would be an engagement ring and not something else.


so hopefully i will get it back sooner then the quoted 3 weeks and there wasn't much WF was willing to do to accommodate this situation.


After this transaction I would have to look else or think about recommending it to others. When i purchase an ring a few years ago and recommended them to my brother i really thought their CS was great but i guess its dropped where it doesn't really which e-vendor you purchase from.

 

[Steel]

I am sorry you are not so happy about the timeline and the shipping. I suppose this is one of the situations that you have to look on the bright side. Hopefully the ring will comeback perfect in a timely fashion and you guys will love it forever more. No point on dwelling on the frustration.

But I would send off a little whining letter/e-mail to Debi if I felt the situation warranted it. But that is me - I'm a moaner and I believe if Ronald doesn't know about it he can't make it better for the next person - if indeed they believe there is anything to be made better.