ComplaintsforE. M. Smith Family Jewelers, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  12/03/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  In October of 2021 ***** and I went to E.M. Smith Family Jewelers to start working with them to upgrade *****'s wedding and engagement ring for our 30th wedding anniversary. Our original plans were to work with E.M. Smith to incorporate the stones from her original rings into the design of a new set. We had given some ideas of what she was looking for, and they were going to send some sample designs. On 01/05/22 ***** went to their store alone and purchased a diamond to use in the upgrade. The diamond she purchased was a 1 karat princess cut for a total of $3003.00, this diamond stayed at the store in our folder. On 9/30/22 I went into the store to finish the upgrade as a surprise for our upcoming anniversary, asking what ***** had picked out. They got our records and showed me rings that she liked. They failed to tell me that ***** had already purchased a diamond. Instead, they showed me a different 1 karat princess cut diamond ring and a wedding band which I then bought for$ 5661.07. I gave the set to ***** on 10/8/22. She thought I had the diamond she purchased mounted in a ring. This is how I found out that they failed to tell me about the diamond she had already purchased. I went back to the store to ask for a refund on the diamond she purchased. I told them I would not have bought the other diamond for the exact same occasion had they told me she had already bought a diamond. They refused to refund and only after much dispute, offered an in store credit. I told them that both purchases were charged on VISA and that I could not afford both. Despite repeated attempts, the owner refused to speak to us about the issue. We would just like a refund for the diamond that they have at their store ($3003.00) and that has never left the store. We do not want a refund for the purchase made on 9/30/22 for $5661.07. As of the date of this complaint, we have still failed to hear from the owner. We did not expect to be treated so poorly from a locally owned business.

  Business response

  12/06/2022

  A couple came in in October 2021 and started working on using the Mrs. wedding set to create a new custom set for their anniversary. My employee worked with the Mrs. on getting a CAD image and pricing of what she wanted the new custom to look like. We did not have the stone she wanted for her center in stock so we had our vendor send us stones for her to pick from on memo. It was explained to her that when she bought the stone it was all sales final because it was special ordered for her. She purchased a stone on 1/5/22. She left the stone here and was going to make payments on the custom because we do not make a custom till it is paid in full. We tried multiple times to reach the customer over the next few months and had no luck. She called in to us in May 2022 and spoke with Taylor (the owner) and told Taylor that her husband had told her he did not want her changing her center stone and wanted her to use the original instead. She asked what she could do about the stone she bought. Taylor told her she could pick something else and Taylor would give her full credit towards her purchase. She was fine with that and would be in. From May until the end of September the sales manager Linda made several calls trying to get the customer in to pick up her stone or pick something else and had no luck. Mr. came in on 9/30/22 and spoke to a new employee and asked what was on the Mrs. wishlist. He never once mentioned the stone his wife had already bought or that they had previously been in to work on a custom. He simply asked what was on her wishlist. The employee showed him what had been put on her wishlist in Oct 2021. The Mr. made a purchase from her wishlist and bought a ring that was 40% off. He was told that it was all sales final because it was a discounted item and was fine with that. A few days later he came back in and wanted a refund on the first diamond that the Mrs. bought in January 2022. The owner advised the sales associate that neither item was able to be returned but that she would be happy to issue an in-store credit for the first diamond they bought and issued that credit on 10/17/22. Mr. was not happy and became irate yelling and threatening the sales manager that if he didn't get a full refund he would sue us. His nephew threatened us on social media also. We did not have to do anything at all but to try and help we did issue the in-store credit. Our policies are clearly stated on our receipts and printed and sitting at our registers. The Mr. claimed he did not know she already bought a diamond but they put both charges on the same credit card and the Mrs. admitted to our owner that she told him and he wasn't happy about her buying a new stone. I have attached the receipts of both purchases with our policy at the bottom and a copy of the in-store credit that was issued. 

  Customer response

  12/10/2022

  Simply put, there were multiple items listed in the company's response that were inaccurate and false. Despite those inaccurate statements, the purpose of the entire initial complaint remains that E.M. Smith failed to apply the in-store credit that was agreed upon in May, 2022 (as stated in the company's response) to the purchase that was made by Roger on 09/30/22.  On that same day, I specifically asked about the project that ***** and I had started from our initial visit in October 2021, and stated that wrapping this up was the purpose of my visit to the store that day.  Even after my inquiry, I was still never told of the in-store credit that was given for the purchase of the diamond made by *****.

  
  

  The reference to the company's return/exchange policies are irrelevant in this complaint.  As mentioned in the company's response, when contact was made in May and the offer of an in-store credit was agreed to, that in-store credit should have been honored and applied towards the purchase of the 2nd wedding set made by me on 09/30/22.  Instead, E.M. Smith is trying to force us to make yet another in-store purchase before that credit will be applied.  

  
  

  In summary, we're requesting that the original credit of $3003.00, that should have been applied towards the purchase made on 09/30/22 be applied to our VISA. 

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