Buyer Beware!!

[retrembl]

Sorry to hear you paid so much for your earings. I have purchased diamonds and gold in the Carribean, specifically St Thomas for 25 years and have never paid more than 37% of the asking price. And all the jewlery has appraised for atleast 50% more than what I paid.

If you paid $3900.00 for Diamond Stud, the asking price should have been around $10,450.00. For that price you should have received 2 carot flawless diamonds. Make sure you know the carot weight, color and clarity if the diamond before you purchase it. Also never let the diamond out of you sight once you have desided to purchase it. I have been asked by the sales person for my credit card and they were going to send it to the sales department with the merchandise. I just to the sale clerk she was crazy and to have the sales department come to the counter.

In you case - if the saking price was $3900.00 - I would not have paid more than $1450.00

I hope some of the tricks help you the next time.

 

 

My husband and I went on our first cruise in April of 2005. We were on the Carribbean Princess and cruised the Eastern Carribbean (St. Thomas, St. Maartin, and Princess Cay). The ship was beautiful, but a little difficult to find your way around. The food was fabulous. The crew was also exceptional, especially our steward, Glenn. He just spoiled us. The ports of call were very beautiful, and for the most part we really enjoyed ourselves.

 

But-we'd like to caution everyone about purchasing jewelry in the Carribbean.

 

I was interested in purchasing diamond stud earrings and had been planning for years to get them when we were in the Carribbean. We attended the talk by Cindy the ship's shopping coordinator about where was the best place to purchase items you were interested in. She said Diamonds International in St. Thomas was the best place to buy diamonds. She also suggested buying Tanzanite on St. Thomas, as it would be about half of what we would pay in the states. She assured us that Princess had a guarantee on all purchases.

 

Well, we found out the hard way that this was not true, at least for us. I purchased diamond studs for $3900.00. We also purchased a Tanzanite stone and had it set. When we got home we had them appraised for insurance purposes. The Tanzanite appraised for close to what we paid for it. I can live with that. The earrings appraised for $1100.00 less that what we paid. We contacted Princess, they said they did not guarantee the price, just that the stones would be the same carat weight, color, cut, etc. as the certificate that came with the earrings. I did some research and found that on the Diamonds International website earrings very close to what I purchased were $2000.00. When we contacted Diamonds International they offered us in store credit if we sent the earrings back. At this point I just wanted my money back, feeling I had been ripped off. Diamonds International did offer us $350.00, but I didn't feel it was reasonable, since their website offered the same earrings for about half of what I paid.

 

So, I contacted Visa and started a dispute.

 

Where this will end I don't know. At this point all I can do is warn others to be careful when purchasing jewelry in the Carribbean.

[LittleBee]

Two years ago, I bought a gold Australian Opal and diamond ring. I had been wanting one and shopped around during the entire cruise. Bought it in Grand Cayman. Two weeks after getting home, I noticed that one of the inlaid Australian Opals had fallen out! I was devastated knowing the I couldn't get back to the store. I couldn't imagine trying to match it at a jewelry store at home. I had had to have the ring resized while we continued our day on Grand Cayman. In our haste to pick up the ring and get back onto the ship, I did not ask for a receipt so I thought this was a total lost cause. I tracked down the jewlery store online (as I still had the box and bag it came in to know the name) and they told me to simply send the ring to a specific jewelry store in New York City. I was reluctant, but sent it off insured. 4 weeks later my ring arrived in the mail with no note or bill and completely repaired! Total satisfaction on my part. I even sent an e-mail back thanking them for such wonderful service but never heard back. Sent an e-mail to RCCL telling them of my experience with the positive ending. I believe the name was Island Companies and I think it was a Grand Switzerland store. I wore that ring yesterday and always think of the good service and backing from the retailer. A great outcome!

[emmak8]

On our first cruise on the Golden Princess last November, I was shocked at the high pressure sales talks given by the ship's "shopping gurus!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing!!!! Example: "In such and such a port, be sure to speak with Mr. ...... He will give you the best deal ." NOT!!! I prefer to purchase important items close to home.

[caribill]

And as far as the DI guarantee, their response to an appraisal obtained from an independent appraiser (which DI requires):

 

1) Insufficient evidence to support the claim of miss-representation of goods sold.

A) Under the Terms and Conditions of your purchase for diamonds purchased with an International Laboratory Certificate, we will only accept an appraisal from one of the following international laboratories: GIA, AGS, EGL, HRD, IGI

2) Unsubstantiated value discrepancy.

Due to the subjective nature of gemology, pricing opinions of gemologist are not considered bases for monetary compensation. PLEASE NOTE: Per the Terms and Conditions of your purchase: we guarantee the quality of our merchandise. Gemological opinions when it comes to pricing are a very subjective matter therefore we cannot guarantee an appraiser will validate your Jewelry for what you paid at the time of purchase

[Michael Kays]

Frankly, I dont see why you can't get a refund. Was it printed on the receipt that all sales were final????

 

 

 

Just because some one paid over the odds for something why should they be entitled to a refund? If I pay 70 p for a litre of milk then see it for 50 in Asda do I qualify? NO! If I pay 15,000 for a VW then see it on offer somewhere for 14,000, Do I get a refund? NO. Last year we purchased our cruise before Xmas, it was on offer later for much less...............its tough but thats life!!! Some time you win some times you lose !!

 

that's not always the case, if your cruise was offered at a reduced rate after you purchased, contact who you purchased the cruise through and they will try and get you that rate...our TA will ALWAYS call us if the rate changes in our favor..she has and we have gotten the better rate.

[Jospen]

I was interested to read about Price drops on another thread.......This is what was written by a US member......something I would never have thought of or attempted. We Brits tend to accept that if we bought at a high price it's just tough if the item is reduced......Not any more I am going to check the Princess Cruise website regularly to check the cruise I have booked for Oct 09.:)

 

We book through a reputable, discount TA. The day we book, we check and make note of Princess.com for on-line price for our cabin. About twice a week we check Princess.com for the on-line price for our cabin. If the on-line Princess price drops, we call the TA, ask for a reprice and make note of the new Princess on-line price. Since booking our upcoming Panama Canal cruise for next April, the Princess on-line price has dropped twice. We have saved over $300 per person so far. Hopefully, the price continues to drop! For 5 minutes of work twice a week, it is well worth it.

[SheltieLady]

We shopped at Diamonds International in St. Thomas in January 2007 got a very beautiful Tanzanite and Diamond ring in white gold it was a 3/4 carat round cut Tanzanite with 16 Diamonds 8 on each side. There prices listed it at $2,300 I paid just under $900. It's replacement value came in at $2,500 from my jeweler.

 

Sorry that it didn't work out for you, I hated the jewelry in St. Maartin I would not buy any pieces there and a lady on our cruise brought a ring there and two days later the band split and it was not where they sized it the split happened on the side of the ring.

 

I think sometimes you luck out and sometimes you don't. Will I buy jewelry on our next cruise no I think I was lucky.

 

Christine

[chrysalis]

that's not always the case, if your cruise was offered at a reduced rate after you purchased, contact who you purchased the cruise through and they will try and get you that rate...our TA will ALWAYS call us if the rate changes in our favor..she has and we have gotten the better rate.

 

This thread is about jewellry purchases in the Caribbean and not about cruise prices...also, the thread was started about 3 years ogo

[irishj&m]

We had an awful experience with DI, one I hope no one else goes through. They gave us a very difficult time, I was on the phone with Onboard Media several times/day for several weeks and we finally (in desperation) had the money refunded for the setting. There was only one prong holding a very expensive diamond in place. Buyer beware!! I only look now and keep moving.

[Linda74]

If you want to buy diamonds and learn about them, visit the site www.pricescope.com

I recently helped my son purchase and engagement ring and armed with more diamond knowledge than I ever thought I would have, visited Diamond's International in Cozumel. Their prices and quality are highly inflated. Buy from a reputable dealer on Pricescope.

[ISABELLA]

That why I always say - educate yourself before you go and spend your hard earned money. Internet has hundreds of site where you can get an idea of prices, dimonds solitairs in particular.

[hubofhockey]

Weird thing about Carnival is that they often match or do better than stores in the ports in their own jewelry store. I have had good luck buying jewelry for my wife in Grand Cayman vis a vis price paid versus appraisal. But I do much better at home in Boston in the jewelers bldg (friedman').

[nbsjcruiser]

I was interested in purchasing diamond stud earrings and had been planning for years to get them when we were in the Carribbean. We attended the talk by Cindy the ship's shopping coordinator about where was the best place to purchase items you were interested in. She said Diamonds International in St. Thomas was the best place to buy diamonds. She also suggested buying Tanzanite on St. Thomas, as it would be about half of what we would pay in the states. She assured us that Princess had a guarantee on all purchases.

 

Well, we found out the hard way that this was not true, at least for us. I purchased diamond studs for $3900.00. We also purchased a Tanzanite stone and had it set. When we got home we had them appraised for insurance purposes. The Tanzanite appraised for close to what we paid for it. I can live with that. The earrings appraised for $1100.00 less that what we paid. We contacted Princess, they said they did not guarantee the price, just that the stones would be the same carat weight, color, cut, etc. as the certificate that came with the earrings. I did some research and found that on the Diamonds International website earrings very close to what I purchased were $2000.00. When we contacted Diamonds International they offered us in store credit if we sent the earrings back. At this point I just wanted my money back, feeling I had been ripped off. Diamonds International did offer us $350.00, but I didn't feel it was reasonable, since their website offered the same earrings for about half of what I paid.

 

So, I contacted Visa and started a dispute.

 

Where this will end I don't know. At this point all I can do is warn others to be careful when purchasing jewelry in the Carribbean.

 

We learned the easy way I hate to say. When we were on our second cruise we wandered into a jewelry store - Diamonds International in fact. My wife tried a ring on and we (kiddingly) asked how much. $15,000 he said. We laughed and said no thanks. As we stood up he said, $10,000. By the time we hit the door he was at $7500. That told us all we needed to know about buying diamonds in the Caribbean.

[cbcaper]

My husband and I did that same cruise in March 2005. He bought my engagement ring from DI for $4900.00. When I got home I had it appraised. It came back at $9500.00.

[yorky]

We purchased some diamond and tansanite jewelry from Diamond International in April and one piece of Tansanite has just dropped out of the setting and been lost. We intend speaking with Diamond International on Monday but has anyone had any luck writing to Carnival Corp to complain given they take a cut from every sale and push this company on every cruise?

[Coastaljen]

Three or four years ago I bought a large amelite (or similar spelling) from a recommended store in Grand Cayman. It was maybe $300-400 and was in a thick gold teardrop setting. I seriously lost sleep for about ten months because I don't spend money like that on jewelry. I finally took it to a local jeweler. He said something about the gold, and I said it was l8k. He double checked the necklace and said that is correct. He said even without the stone, the gold would cost that much in the U.S. It was definitely worth more than I paid. However, he also showed me some other jewelry people had bought in the Carribean and had appraised by him. The one he said was bits of glass..not diamonds. Needless to say I thanked my lucky stars as I left, and I vowed never to spend a lot on jewelry again on a cruise.

[cflutist]

If you want to buy diamonds and learn about them, visit the site www.pricescope.com

I recently helped my son purchase and engagement ring and armed with more diamond knowledge than I ever thought I would have, visited Diamond's International in Cozumel. Their prices and quality are highly inflated. Buy from a reputable dealer on Pricescope.

 

As I hold a Gemologist Diploma from the GIA (but work as a VP in the IT biz), I have to agree with Linda's post. There is a wealth of knowledge on Pricescope and I have the upmost trust in the majority of their dealers (especially Wink of Winfield's of Boise ID).

 

I was recently at a TI store in Alaska (I like to go in there just to see what they have, but never buy). The salesperson showed me a 4ct tanzanite of very nice color. I inspected it without a loupe (with just my naked eyes) to find that it had a chip on the edge of the table facet (the largest facet facing up). I showed this to the salesperson and he said "oh, I didn't know that ... will have to send it back to New York (their corporate headquarters) to repolish". When I finished looking at it, he puts it right back in the case. (Yeah right ... LOL)

 

In the past I found their diamonds to be misgraded. If they say the clarity of a diamond is SI1 or SI2 and you can see the inclusions with your naked eye (without a loupe), then they are I1, I2, or I3. They now use IGI and EGL labs for their grading reports (please don't use the word "certified" as they don't "certify" anything). These two labs are known to be the softest in the industry. Buy a diamond with a GIA or AGS report and you can be assured that it is the quality stated.

 

I also found the Port Talk person giving out misleading information too. He said that DI had "Certified" Gemologist's on staff. That is untrue as one must possess a Graduate Gemologist Diploma from the GIA, and have additional training/pass additional tests, and must work for an AGS (American Gem Society) store to be a "CG". DI is not an AGS store. In fact the only "diploma" I saw on the wall was that one person had completed a "Diamonds" class at the GIA. There are at least 5 classes you need to complete before you can become a Gemologist/Graduate Gemologist.

 

So while at DI in a different Alaskan port, I was looking at diamond tennis bracelets and found none of the quality (not bragging here, just stating the facts) of the bracelet I had custom made by Winfield's. For some reason, the salespeople keep handing me off to their manager's who then proceed to admire the quality (not necessarily size) of my jewelry.

[pungo3]

Sorry about your experience. That really is bad for you. Buying jewelry is always risky if you aren't an expert. It does seem the cruise ships encourage the passengers to buy from certain stores with their 'guarantees' which aren't always what you thought they should be. Sorry you found this out the hard way. I've read the same thing numerous times on these boards and, therefore, don't buy anything expensive while I cruise.

[flvol77]

People should do research in DI before cruising and they wouldn't ever buy from those scam artist.

 

I know some that have had a good experience but I know a larger portion that haven't.

 

I will never forget I was talking to a friend who owns a jewelry store here in fl and a lady walked in that was his customer in the past looking for an appraisal on a $25,000 dolllar ring she bought in St Thomas on a Cruise from DI. She didn't tell him what she paid at first thinking she got a great deal. She had all of the info from DI the weight, the clarity etc - My friend examined the information and the ring and told her to get her money back even before asking what she paid, the look on her face was horrible, she had traded in her diamond ring and paid $8,000 for a piece of junk that my friend apprasied at being MAYBE worth half the price.

 

I felt horrible for her, as she sat down in the floor and cried. He later said that Princess didn't back up their guarantee (as they claim they have with DI when you are on the ship and those diamond shows on the ship) and they were getting a lawyer to help them through the process.

 

Two of my friends that are in the jewelry business both have warned me about DI. The reason I trust them is because I have known them both over 20 years and every piece my wife wears is from one of them and they all have appraised for more than 25 to 30 % of what we paid.

[yorky]

People should do research in DI before cruising and they wouldn't ever buy from those scam artist.

 

I know some that have had a good experience but I know a larger portion that haven't.

 

I will never forget I was talking to a friend who owns a jewelry store here in fl and a lady walked in that was his customer in the past looking for an appraisal on a $25,000 dolllar ring she bought in St Thomas on a Cruise from DI. She didn't tell him what she paid at first thinking she got a great deal. She had all of the info from DI the weight, the clarity etc - My friend examined the information and the ring and told her to get her money back even before asking what she paid, the look on her face was horrible, she had traded in her diamond ring and paid $8,000 for a piece of junk that my friend apprasied at being MAYBE worth half the price.

 

I felt horrible for her, as she sat down in the floor and cried. He later said that Princess didn't back up their guarantee (as they claim they have with DI when you are on the ship and those diamond shows on the ship) and they were getting a lawyer to help them through the process.

 

Two of my friends that are in the jewelry business both have warned me about DI. The reason I trust them is because I have known them both over 20 years and every piece my wife wears is from one of them and they all have appraised for more than 25 to 30 % of what we paid.

 

We were on our honeymoon and decided to treat ourselves, very much a spur of the moment thing that we would not usually do. At the end of the day if it's valued at half what we paid we have lost a few hundred pounds and life goes on. It's something she will always have as a memery and never want to sell so in the end it won't be about the price.