QVC Gold Jewellery Disintergates!!!!???

[donna255]

A lady on QVC facebook put up this post.

I have not put her name but this is the post.

Qvc customers beware of gold jewellery purchased as 4 items of mine disintegrated in their boxes.According to the consumer rights act as qvc kindly informed me because 6 years had elapsed since purchase they were under no obligation to compensate me.This was despite me having supplied an independent jeweller's report along with photographs which stated that in their opinion the disintegration of this jewellery was due to porous casting and bad manufacturing.Today I closed my account after 22 years because I can no longer trust this company.
I once believed that gold would last forever not disintegrate and I once thought that the [Q] in Qvc stood for quality how naive was I.If any customers would like to view these photographs get in touch.

Her main problem is this was bought 6 years ago, so of course the consumer rules won't apply. QVC it seems have brushed her off when when contacted CS.

So how much of QVC gold jewellery is sub standard? Was this a one off happening 6 years ago? Were they buying from a company with substandard products just passing on to QVC?

How does gold disintegrate?

 

[iloveshopping]

I have just sold an Argos gold chain for scrap. The links were hollow and I had already had it resoldered once. I suspect the lady's items were also hollow.
The customer could try unfit for purpose under the sale of goods act but 5 years use tends to be the norm I believe

 

[grovesy]

I am suprised they have not removed the post!

 

[Greg]

If i was buying gold jewelry (which I don't) I would not buy from QVC, Ideal World or Argos. I would buy in person from a reputable jeweller, one can go back to if there are problems.

 

[boffy]

qvc hardly does gold though. mainly plate specially since gold prices rose to an all time high. i have some old qvc gold and the quality is very good but were bought when qvc first aired. i have black hills gold and i never take it off still lovely. odd that gold disintegrates

 

[Petespants]

qvc hardly does gold though. mainly plate specially since gold prices rose to an all time high. i have some old qvc gold and the quality is very good but were bought when qvc first aired. i have black hills gold and i never take it off still lovely. odd that gold disintegrates

It's very odd that gold 'disintegrates'.Wonder how much gold is in these pieces?9ct gold should have 37.5%gold and a mixture of other alloys.18ct is 75% gold with other alloys .Commonly copper is used or zinc or a mixture.Also quality of manufacturing is a factor.Strange that archaeologists are still digging up artefacts made of pure 24 ct gold which are relatively soft due to the nature of pure gold but have survived centuries without disintegrating.Just makes me wonder what is wrong.I also have Q pieces in gold from ages ago which are still intact.Perhaps they will outlive many many generations of my family.Just as I would expect.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

I'd have thought there would have been some warning signs if the problem was porous casting. I've seen it on antique pieces and it starts off like cracks in plaster. And it can be "fixed" if caught in time. Again like repairing a crack in plaster. It doesn't excuse it but I can't imagine any supplier doing anything about damaged jewellery 6 years down the line.

I own, and regularly wear, pieces dating back to as early as 1838. None show any signs of disintegrating. Most are 18ct gold.

 

[Loveinamist]

Makes a mockery of their speil "heirloom pieces."

 

[Tinkerbelle]

Makes a mockery of their speil "heirloom pieces."

Oh that's my pet peeve!! Heirloom piece. What rubbish.

 

[historymystery]

Surely gold jewellery should not just disintegrate if it is made properly and treated properly? QVC are out of order not to entertain the idea of compensating this customer, just outrageous (but frankly no more than I would expect). To be fair to Argos, though, I have a 9ct yellow gold chain, just a box chain to take a smallish pendant, which was bought over 30 years ago and has been worn regularly. I keep checking the chain AND the clasp, as I keep thinking something surely must break soon, but it still looks fine after all that time. I suppose it's like a lot of things, it's down to the luck of the draw, but some of their jewellery was OK back in the day. However, I haven't bought anything in the jewellery line from Argos for at least 10 years, so I wouldn't like to say what the quality is like today.

If i was buying gold jewelry (which I don't) I would not buy from QVC, Ideal World or Argos. I would buy in person from a reputable jeweller, one can go back to if there are problems.

 

[historymystery]

I thought these channels were told not to claim something is an "heirloom piece"? They are still implying that things will increase in value, which they are not qualified to forecast. Seems to me they say and do what they like and the ASA let them carry on. There should be a huge tightening-up of the regulations - and penalties for non-compliance - in my view.

Makes a mockery of their speil "heirloom pieces."

 

[shopperholic]

I bought a blue Topaz and 9carat gold ring about twenty years ago from QVC and I'm not kidding, the band was that thin if there would've been a strong gust wind the band would've bent and snapped, yes needless to say it went back.

 

[historymystery]

I have some very old gold pieces which show no signs of disintegration, no splits or lines. I wonder if they were using sub-standard gold from abroad for their jewellery at one time - do all countries adhere to quality regulations for precious metals?

It's very odd that gold 'disintegrates'.Wonder how much gold is in these pieces?9ct gold should have 37.5%gold and a mixture of other alloys.18ct is 75% gold with other alloys .Commonly copper is used or zinc or a mixture.Also quality of manufacturing is a factor.Strange that archaeologists are still digging up artefacts made of pure 24 ct gold which are relatively soft due to the nature of pure gold but have survived centuries without disintegrating.Just makes me wonder what is wrong.I also have Q pieces in gold from ages ago which are still intact.Perhaps they will outlive many many generations of my family.Just as I would expect.

 

[maymorganlondon]

I thought these channels were told not to claim something is an "heirloom piece"? They are still implying that things will increase in value, which they are not qualified to forecast. Seems to me they say and do what they like and the ASA let them carry on. There should be a huge tightening-up of the regulations - and penalties for non-compliance - in my view.

I think the powers that be, who draft the laws and regulations... as well as those who enforce them, are not selly telly aficionados.

I bet (given the right expertise in law, as well as our experience on the receiving end of various claims) we could come up with far more effective regulations, and put in place the right kind of policing.

A brief flit across the many different forum areas illustrates that QVC are far from alone in stretching the spirit of the regulations while obeying the letter of them.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

I saw that post and was surprised. Whilst bands can be too thin, links hollow and chains not strong but that is cheap production rather than the composition of the metal. I have loads of gold jewellery from Q (a lot purchased around 6 years ago also) and don't have a problem so I sort of wonder if the poster had perhaps been a wee bit economical with facts.

I once purchased an expensive pendant from a local high end jewellers and it went a bit pitted and they asked me what medication I took.
I'm sure many of us have googled this and apparently it is possible but being totally scientifically dumb I don't understand it!

 

[Tinkerbelle]

Surely gold jewellery should not just disintegrate if it is made properly and treated properly? QVC are out of order not to entertain the idea of compensating this customer, just outrageous (but frankly no more than I would expect). To be fair to Argos, though, I have a 9ct yellow gold chain, just a box chain to take a smallish pendant, which was bought over 30 years ago and has been worn regularly. I keep checking the chain AND the clasp, as I keep thinking something surely must break soon, but it still looks fine after all that time. I suppose it's like a lot of things, it's down to the luck of the draw, but some of their jewellery was OK back in the day. However, I haven't bought anything in the jewellery line from Argos for at least 10 years, so I wouldn't like to say what the quality is like today.

I only have one piece of jewellery from Argos and I have worn it every single day for something like 20 years. It a 9ct gold ring. You'll laugh when I tell you it's a toe ring. ) seriously though it's great quality, it's stayed shiny and bright and I never, ever take it off. I suspect might be welded to my foot by now.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

I thought these channels were told not to claim something is an "heirloom piece"? They are still implying that things will increase in value, which they are not qualified to forecast. Seems to me they say and do what they like and the ASA let them carry on. There should be a huge tightening-up of the regulations - and penalties for non-compliance - in my view.

Picky I know, but you cannot buy something and call it an heirloom. By definition an heirloom is something that is passed down through the generations. A future or potential heirloom maybe but not an heirloom.

And we have absolutely no way of knowing what will or won't become sought after in the future.

 

[boffy]

9 carat gold is very hard wearing due to the mix. 18 carat is soft so is 24 even softer. if she said it bent out of shape because it was thin or hollow that would be believable but desintigrate not so sure

 

[shopperholic]

Maybe the woman uses a lot of beauty products with acid in, obviously I'm just surmising here, but I do know certain acids can break down gold especially with the thin, hollowed out gold that QVC use it wouldn't take long to do, so therefore in effect, making the gold "disintegrate"

 

[donna255]

I have pieces from QVC 9ct gold bought many years ago and even 14ct diamonique still perfectly fine. QVC never told the gold weight of any of their pieces, I remember on the Gems section who did always do the weight. The members there always said never buy below 1.90gram as it was too thin for rings. I love white gold and have been told it has to be redipped but any thing I have from QVC never has.

Its a very weird situation.