Beware of Diamond Marquise in Mazatlan

[mginabq]

We have just concluded a months-long ordeal with a merchant in Mazatlan who was "guaranteed" by HAL to be reputable. We were told that if we purchased jewelry that, when appraised, was not worth what we paid, HAL through an outfit in Florida called PPI would make it right. That is, there would be an adjustment or exchange to correct the problem.

 

Not so! The piece, a ring, was appraised at $600 less than we paid for it, and the merchant offered only a $200 adjustment, which left us out $400 not including the $150 cost of the appraisal. We repeatedly refused the offer, had our credit card company reverse the charge and begged for an address to which we could return the ring. This has been ongoing since November of 2005!

 

We just heard today from the credit card company that they are siding with the merchant, but there was no explanation as to why. As a result, we're stuck with a ring we paid $2,000 for that is worth slightly less than $1,400.

 

So, if you shop in Mazatlan, pick a different merchant and don't believe anything you're told by the "port ambassador," because the guarantee is basically worthless.

[SDHALFAN]

So sorry mginabq about your horrendous experience with the merchant and also with HAL's guarantee program. I have no idea what went wrong with the guarantee program in your case, but the sad fact is that those merchants that are guaranteed by HAL actually have to pay a fee to HAL to be recognised as "guaranteed".

 

I only found this out by accident when I recommended a restaurant and a nearby boutique in Puerto Vallarta, both of which I know well and know to be extremely reputable, to the Shopping Ambassador aboard the ship I was travelling on. That's when I was told that HAL would not "guarantee" a merchant unless they paid an up-front fee.

 

However, once that fee has been paid the outfit in Florida: PPI, is supposed to make the guarantee right, but as you say the "guarantee" appears to be worthless anyway.

 

I'm just going to head out and shop where I please and totally ignore HAL's "recommended stores". Once again, I am so sorry for your troubles and hope that you will eventually get just recompensation. Thanks for the warning - I won't be visiting that store in October, that's for sure.

 

Valerie:)

[KAYEF]

Good for you; this has opened a thread upon which I bet we get lots of "stories."

We stopped at a "guaranteed" store while on an HAL Shore Excursion. I know, we pay money for a shore excursion and they take us shopping......

Anyhow, I bought a very long strand of pearls which they switched when bagging..............she insisted I couldn't have the ones I chose because there was a space with no pearls near the clasp. She just indicated this; no English was exchanged. We had a "discussion".............she switched, somehow and took the switched ones to the cashier and quickly put them into a velvet pouch.

When I took them out to wear to dinner that night it was

very obvious.

( Then, during the evening three of them fell right off............probaly more, those were the ones I rescued. (The pearls are long and flat.)

It took me from December until April (or May) to get any satisfaction. They kept making excuses and at one point the person even said she'd sent my new pearls to London with her brother so I'd get them faster. (I live in Oregon.)

I was insistent, persistent, assertive; it took FAR more effort and money than it should have. I believe they just try to wear you down.

In short, the pearls she sent me weighed over 4 ounces where the switched ones weighed just 2 ounces. Each pearl was much shorter and thinner on the switched necklace.

I will avoid any shop guaranteed by a cruise ship in the future. We have always avoided them before. This was my first try and I surely learned my lesson.

My neighbor bought a Tanzanite ring which is loose in the setting. They noticed that when she took it in for an appraisal.

Ah, we should just cruise, relax and not spend on these vacations!!

[serendipity1499]

Unfortunately most passengers do not read the Port Shopping Buyers Guarantee..This (so called) Guarantee does not cover the cost of merchandise or appraisals..On all Port Brochures which you receive in your cabin it includes the Buyers Guarantee which states:

 

"All stores listed on the map have paid a promotional fee & have given Holland American Lines Guests a Buyers Guarantee valid for 30 days after purchase.This guarantee is valid for repair or exchanges. The following conditions apply: Guest Negligence or buyers regret is excluded. Only appraisals from certified, independent gemologists not affiliated with a retail jeweler will be considered. Price paid for merchandise or verbal claims/agreements between merchant & guest will not be grounds for return" etc. etc.. In addition it goes on to state "Guests are responsible for postage & appraisal costs" etc etc....

 

As far as I'm concerned this guarantee is not worth the paper it's printed on..It's a disgrace that Port Consultants & the Cruise Lines are not honest about these (so called) guarantees!:mad: I believe you can find some good deals from places such as Little Switzerland, Colombian Emeralds or perhaps Diamonds International but you still must check out the going prices before you leave the U.S...It's the old story of Caveat Empter...:(

 

However if I were you & had an independent appraisal from a gemologist not connected with a retail jeweler, I would send a certified letter to PPI Group in Fort Lauderdale with a copy to HAL demanding that they assist in getting me a $600 refund..I would also report the Port Consultant to HAL, if he/she specifically stated that Hal would honor such an appraisal & the price paid would be protected if the appraisal is lower..

 

Good luck..

[Cruisin Kay D]

Jewelry shopping in the islands is getting to be a rip-off!

Only jewelry I buy while on a cruise is purchased on board ship!! Have purchased rings from Princess & HAL & have never been disappointed.

[zydecocruiser]

I see exchange is an option. Can you exchange it for your cash back? :D Sorry. :)

 

I believe PPI is the org that provides the people that give all the port shopping lectures - certainly most of them.

 

Similar to the art "auctions", I think their take will be that appraisals are to a large extent subjective and it might cost you more to prove them wrong than it is worth. As a comment, I don't think PPI has anything to do with the art auctions but I could be wrong there.

 

PPI - the company that brings you Porthole magazine

http://www.porthole.com/html/CruiseShipJobs.htm

 

and...

http://www.ppigroup.com/html/jobs.htm

 

Might want to check out the pretty picture books in your cabin. Who publishes those?

[Charliesmom]

We never purchase anything that is expensive while we are away from home, because there are too many rip-offs in the world.

 

We once did buy a pendant (for $65.00) that was called obsidine by the merchant. We could find no references for that material. The stone was a yellowish green. Finally, when we were in Las Vegas, a gem expert told us it was "diopside" - truly a genuine stone. Princess guaranteed the stone and they were willing to give us our money back if we desired.

 

My cousins bought "silver" jewelry in Mexico at a store called "Van Cleef and Arpels" (not the real thing) and the silver peeled off within months.

 

Caveat emptor - buyer beware!

 

Roberta

[Krazy Kruizers]

So sorry to hear about your problem. I don't buy diamonds, rings, any kind of jewelry in a foreign country!!

[gizmo]

We never purchase anything that is expensive while we are away from home, because there are too many rip-offs in the world.

 

We once did buy a pendant (for $65.00) that was called obsidine by the merchant. We could find no references for that material. The stone was a yellowish green. Finally, when we were in Las Vegas, a gem expert told us it was "diopside" - truly a genuine stone. Princess guaranteed the stone and they were willing to give us our money back if we desired.

 

My cousins bought "silver" jewelry in Mexico at a store called "Van Cleef and Arpels" (not the real thing) and the silver peeled off within months.

 

Caveat emptor - buyer beware!

 

Roberta

 

Obsidean does exist. You can find a lot of information on the internet on this.

 

Diopside is a different ball game and not even in the same class.

[Crazy]

So sorry to hear about your problem. I don't buy diamonds, rings, any kind of jewelry in a foreign country!!

 

 

I agree -- don't buy diamonds, rings, any kind of jewelry in a foreign country today!!!!

[Stevesan]

Obsidean does exist. You can find a lot of information on the internet on this.

 

Diopside is a different ball game and not even in the same class.

 

Obsidian:

 

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Products/Pglossary/obsidian.html

 

Diopside:

 

http://www.gemstone.org/gem-by-gem/english/diopside.html

[MercedMike]

I am a Diplomate Gemologist of the Gemological Institute of America, and for over twenty years was a retail jewelry appraiser, and have cruised many times to many ports and visited many tourist stores. I feel highly qualified to comment on this question.

 

First -- jewelry appraisal, like art appraisal, is a highly subjective profession. There are many opinions that enter into an appraisal. A difference in appraisers opinions between $1400 and $2000 would not be all that unusual.

 

Second -- therefore, for exactly that reason, so called "guarantees" of value are essentially worthless, as there is no firm figure that will be universally accepted. There is pretty much no evidence you can introduce that will convince a court there is any contract to honor.

 

Third -- As far as HAL or any other cruise line backing the guarantee, to be honest with you I have never heard of a single instance when they were any help to anyone. They receive a promotion fee for their "recommendation," the "on board port advisor" or "company shill" then "recommends" the shop, and that is all they care about it.

 

OK, so much for "guarantees." NOW -- the bigger question. Why in the world did you think that you would get a bargain piece of jewelry at a notorious tourist trap in a major tourist district? Where did you think the common expression "tourist trap" came from?? You saw a store full of junky t-shirts and ashtrays, and right next to it a store full of jewelry, and somehow this convinced you that it was a wise idea to buy jewelry there??

 

My firm advice, as a jewelry professional, is to buy t-shirts and souvenir ashtrays when you are on vacation, and buy your jewelry from a reputable local jeweler in your home town who will be there when a problem arises.

 

Michael J. Hall, Gemologist, GIA

[Lefty Bob]

MercedMike

Good advice.

 

Lefty Bob

[KAYEF]

I bought beautiful real pearls shipside on the way back, from a young couple in one of the stalls............far less money, beautiful and real, and the money went right to them.

I love buying from the creator; that's what I always do when buying Native American jewelry, too.

In Mexico, remember, look for .925 or .950 on the back of Sterling; beware of plastic in place of "stones." That's very common with "amber." Some vendors will take out a lighter to prove to you their wares are not plastic. I click the stone on my front teeth..............plastic sounds much different than stone and yes, I imagine I get germs that way!! I just don't want to pull out a cigarette lighter (since I don't have one.)

I don't think I'll be looking at any more jewelry; I've far too much, so hopefully it's not a concern any longer.;)

Diamonds International gets us in there with their "free" charms in each port and a card to have stamped, somewhat like a Passport, so you visit all of their stores..............lots of glitz and lots of pressure.

Enjoy the beaches instead.:)

[mrskmirolla]

My parents went on a cruise to the Caribbean and my mother was so thrilled she got a good deal on some Ruby's and Emeralds. This was in the early 1980's. After she and my father died I went through her jewelry to distribute to family members and I had a friend in the jewelry business and asked him to check out hers. Well when he got to the Ruly's and the Emeralds they were fake:( I can only say I am soooo glad my mother never found out. I always look but don't buy. I have bought some things on those wonderful DAM ships and have never been unhappy with my purchases. I even have a ring I bought on the MS Neiw Amsterdam in 1984, our first cruise! I love that ring!

 

Kathy

[Charliesmom]

To those who mentioned obsidian - we know that is a genuine stone, but a green colored stone called "obsidine" was obviously not obsidian. However, its appearance (and price) matched diopside. We have since seen it in the Caribbean and the seller is still calling it "obsidine".

 

Roberta

[obriendan]

It never changes: Buyers beware!! Many years ago in the fifties while "cruising" with the US Navy, we visited Naples, Italy. Right there on the dock for only $10 they were selling genuine P. Arker pens. Sure enough, right there on the clasp were the words P. Arker.:rolleyes:

[Scrumpy]

I am a Diplomate Gemologist of the Gemological Institute of America, and for over twenty years was a retail jewelry appraiser, and have cruised many times to many ports and visited many tourist stores. I feel highly qualified to comment on this question...

 

My firm advice, as a jewelry professional, is to buy t-shirts and souvenir ashtrays when you are on vacation, and buy your jewelry from a reputable local jeweler in your home town who will be there when a problem arises.

 

Michael J. Hall, Gemologist, GIA

 

Mike,

our local jeweler (family business) told us they sometimes pick up loose gemstones when they travel. Have you done that? He didn't necessarily advise us to do it, but said that onboard the ship it was sometimes a pretty good deal and not as risky as purchasing in port. I assumed that since they make jewelry that it might be a better deal for he and his family than it would be for me since I'd have to turn around and have the stones set in something - and, of course, we might not choose the nicest stones. In spite of temptation, I haven't bought any gemstones. Just curious what you think of that idea.

[MercedMike]

Mike,

our local jeweler (family business) told us they sometimes pick up loose gemstones when they travel. Have you done that? He didn't necessarily advise us to do it, but said that onboard the ship it was sometimes a pretty good deal and not as risky as purchasing in port.

 

LOL -- a jeweler just up the road from us whom we knew pretty well returned from Colombia with some very nice emeralds -- extremely clean! Since that is so very rare in emeralds, and he was not a qualified gemologist, he brought them in to me "just to check." It was pretty hard for me to break the news to him that gemological testing showed those fine Colombian emeralds were -- you guessed it -- green glass!

 

I assume your jeweler friend is buying a package of inexpensive stones in carat weight lots, and indeed will then proceed to set them himself. I think he is simply taking advantage of the chance to look at a large number of stones on the spot instead of going through the hassle of ordering a memo lot from a wholesaler and sending them back if he doesn't see what he wants.

 

He may also be taking the advantage of being on the spot where things are produced, such as amber. My DW who is also a gemologist bought herself a beautiful watermelon tourmaline in Bar Harbor, simply because they had such a large selection and she saw the one she wanted. Trying to get such a stone from a wholesaler in San Francisco would probably have ended up costing more than it did in Maine! Not only is it a pretty stone, it is a nice souvenir.

 

I would pretty much bet you that he is not buying large expensive diamonds, rubies or emeralds that way, though!

[Scrumpy]

Exactly; he can choose what he wants and it isn't the hassle it can be at home. He has had a few nice finds on some rarer and/or lesser-known stones, but no, not diamonds, emeralds etc. You're definitely right about that. I didn't even recognize the name of one stone that had them particularly excited. Many of these are for his wife, so a lot never make the display case in the store :)

[SDHALFAN]

I bought beautiful real pearls shipside on the way back, from a young couple in one of the stalls............far less money, beautiful and real, and the money went right to them.

I love buying from the creator; that's what I always do when buying Native American jewelry, too.

In Mexico, remember, look for .925 or .950 on the back of Sterling; beware of plastic in place of "stones." That's very common with "amber." Some vendors will take out a lighter to prove to you their wares are not plastic. I click the stone on my front teeth..............plastic sounds much different than stone and yes, I imagine I get germs that way!! I just don't want to pull out a cigarette lighter (since I don't have one.)

I don't think I'll be looking at any more jewelry; I've far too much, so hopefully it's not a concern any longer.;)

Diamonds International gets us in there with their "free" charms in each port and a card to have stamped, somewhat like a Passport, so you visit all of their stores..............lots of glitz and lots of pressure.

Enjoy the beaches instead.:)

 

 

I'm just curious KAYEF, where you bought your pearls (i.e. in which country)? I'm going to be in Tahiti and Bora Bora early next year and thought that I would look at some pearls there since I happen to love them so much.

 

Thanks,

 

Valerie:)

[hammybee]

Several years ago, in Istanbul, we took a pre-cruise tour that concluded, as they all do , at a ( non HAL)cruise line approved rug dealer. We were treated to apple tea. Every couple/single bought at least 2 rugs which were to be shipped home for us. ( This story is not going where you think it will).

 

Once back to the hotel, it dawned on me that I had just spent more than the cost of the cruise plus air on two rugs I did not need. ( I swear there was something in the tea) I called the merchant and told him to cancel the order/credit my AMEX. They were wonderful about it and encouraged me to returrn to find something else. I was firm. No more apple tea for me.

 

Next day, while on a cruise on the Bosphforus River, I was paged. Given my husband and daughter were with me, I concluded no one else in the world knew where we were at that moment in time. Wrong. It was the carpert guy hoping to catch us before we boarded. The cruise line had told him which tour we were on.

 

Later that day, we boarded our ship and had messages waiting for us from our freind, the rug dealers.

 

The next day, we disembarked in Kusadasi. There were people with a sign with my name on it, looking for me, hoping to get me into their branch store.

At this point, it became fun.

 

Additional messages followed throughout the cruise.

 

The carpets beat us home as did the Amex bill, which showed 1 debit and 2 credits. I had the carpets and the extra money. Carpet dealer would call us on Turkey time begging us to help straighten his error out. Yeah, I made them sweat it out. Eventually we told Amex to reverse the credit and someone came to our home and got the rugs. Since then, every time we board another ship, DH speculates that the rug guy knows where I am at. DH is probably right.

[KAYEF]

I'm just curious KAYEF, where you bought your pearls (i.e. in which country)? I'm going to be in Tahiti and Bora Bora early next year and thought that I would look at some pearls there since I happen to love them so much.

 

Thanks,

 

Valerie:)

 

Ile de Margarita, Venezuela................small island..............the pearls I bought shipside are really beautiful...........black ones and white ones mixed............round ones and flat ones...........I bought three necklaces and some earrings there.

It IS fun to have a souvenir to remember a cruise or a place but my beautiful necklace (that I finally received) brings back lots of "other" memories as well (and a reminder to NOT support ship-recommended stores).:)

[KAYEF]

hammybee

What a FUN story! Strong apple "tea!"

I know my DH got pretty carried away buying special tequila after sampling all flavors, types, etc. At least tequila (which we've yet to drink) is much cheaper than rugs!;)

[dakrewser]

Ile de Margarita, Venezuela................small island..............the pearls I bought shipside are really beautiful...........black ones and white ones mixed............round ones and flat ones...........I bought three necklaces and some earrings there.

It IS fun to have a souvenir to remember a cruise or a place but my beautiful necklace (that I finally received) brings back lots of "other" memories as well (and a reminder to NOT support ship-recommended stores).:)

 

I well remember the dockside merchants at Isla de Margarita - some of the better ones any where in the Caribbean!