Whiteflash vs. James Allen

[nishu08]

Hi all,

So I've spent the better part of the past 2 months doing a ton of research while looking for the perfect diamond engagement ring for my girlfriend. So far, I've been focused mainly on using James Allen to search for the right center stone, but as I've found it hard to find good quality cuts there, I've tried using PriceScope's search a few times and it's pointed me to what look like great stones on Whiteflash. It seems like I can get a better cut for about the same money in the size/color/clarity range I'm looking at through Whiteflash.

Are there any reasons to not shop on Whiteflash and instead stick with James Allen? What I'm getting at here is what's the customer service like with Whiteflash, how good are they work with on the non-diamond parts of the ring-making process (i.e. setting, etc.), how good are their money-back guarantees and return policy, how trustworthy are they in general relative to James Allen? On the face of it they seem relatively similar, but any good or bad anecdotes here would help. Has anyone ever had horror stories with Whiteflash? Essentially, is there any reason I should avoid them?

Thanks!

 

[sbfairy]

I have shopped with both and I like both. Both have good customer service. I was looking at a particular setting that was carried by JA but not WF (at the time) but I'd seen an ACA in person and knew I really wanted that stone. I felt like online chatting with the staff at JA was easy and I got all my questions answered. They were also very friendly. So much so that I considered buying the entire ring from them. I found that getting ideal scope pics of their diamonds to be kind of a hassle. WF has them online. I also felt that once I had identified a few stones I was interested in I got almost daily reminder emails about them (which I didn't really care for). I ended up going with WF because they were great about working with me to get what I wanted even though I went back and forth over details. They even sent me pics of my picks compared to other stones so I could see size and color differences. WF spent some time trying to find a setting similar to the one I wanted but ended up contacting the company to get me exactly what I wanted when I was not satisfied with what their vendors offered. Initially I purchased a Scott Kay setting but decided I did not really like it in person. No problem to return it. I liked that I worked with one person during the entire process and never felt any pressure. I am currently working with them to upgrade my stone, they have a 100% lifetime trade up policy on their stones. They have been really easy to contact and work with. I have bought a a few bands from JA and found them to be good quality. I think either way you'll be good but personally I felt that WF was a little more of a personal experience.

 

[Niel]

I like James Allen if you're :
Trying to get a lot for your budget but like to be able to see the photos
Shopping for fancies
Don't want to spend so much on settings

 

[Elepig]

Ugh, my entire comment got eaten...soo...

I have not worked with jamesallen but did just purchase a diamond, for my setting, from whiteflash. Customer service was very great. I like the scope images and specs for each diamond. They do answer each question you asked regarding return policy, tradeups, etc. on their site........http://www.whiteflash.com/confidence/ .........as far as the settings, they carry a variety of designers and if you don't see a particular style on their site, from a particular designer, they can get you a quote and order it for you. Prices for settings are set, so I don't think you can get 'wire' prices on them. They also do custom settings, which I'm considering.

I was very happy with the customer service and the quality of diamonds (you can't go wrong with their ACA), that I am planning on getting a diamond band to match my new diamond ring. They use better quality diamond melees than anyone else I've seen (clarity, color, H&A).

So, I do highly recommend them.

 

[Laila619]

I have purchased from both (JA many times). I love JA, they have great prices, lovely/responsive customer service, and free returns. I would absolutely recommend them. I did not like my WF experience and would not ever use them again (custom job gone wrong, nightmare!).