Warning - Big Disappointment on Rainbow Sapphire Bracelet

[argeybargey]

How about an e-mail to Scott. Although he never came back to me on the Q & A thing, he's always banging on about how he'll try to help any of us out with problems, and to just send him an e-mail. You never know, he may know exactly where to take the problem - could be worth a try. xxxxxx

 

[Pinkpussycat]

'How do I handle the return' and 'What will Gems TV do?'

You have 180 days warranty and according to the second paragraph their option a) is to replace the product with a product of the same description as the one being returned.

http://www.gemstv.co.uk/About/terms-conditions.jsp#Contents_GemsTV's_Limited_Warranty

They've just auctioned off a yellow gold RS bracelet (20 of them!) that have identical spec to mine (sapphire and gold weight). I stuck one in my basket quickly before the plunge and it went to £599 (I only paid £349 for mine). Everything about the bracelet is identical to mine except the product number, so would it be unreasonable for me to ask them to replace mine with this new one? I must admit I'm on the point of giving up.

Jacqualina the info that Sacha posted from their T&Cs obligates them to provide you with a replacement if one is available, and as the specs of this newer bracelet are exactly the same as yours the item code is irrelevant and they must honour their own statement and uphold the statutory rights to you as a customer. Argue it out with a Manager and take it to the ASA if necessary. There is an important principle at stake here and I wouldn't give them an inch. PC:

 

[Biddie]

You also have rights in Law which supersedes the T&C's of Gems TV or anywhere else where you buy goods from.


See info from the Citizens Advice Bureau "Your legal rights when you buy goods" and "Your rights when things go wrong"


http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index...r_rights.htm#your_rights_when_things_go_wrong


Hope it's of some help.

B

 

[persianglitter]

I have been surfing the www - and came across Gemstv USA, and noted that they have a 30 day return policy! wonder why the gemstv uk has just the 10days? I dont think 10 days is enough, its stange same company, and different policies.

When i think back to when I first orderd from gems (2years 8 months ago) I think the standards have dropped a tad - its only in the last year that the jewellery i have ordered, things have gone wrong. I am touching wood now, as i type this, as i really do not want anything to go wrong with me watch! lol Its disappointing when the items you have ordered break - you dont expect it to give up the ghost after a few weeks of wearing the item. xxx

 

[Sacha]

I have been surfing the www - and came across Gemstv USA, and noted that they have a 30 day return policy! wonder why the gemstv uk has just the 10days? I dont think 10 days is enough, its stange same company, and different policies.

When i think back to when I first orderd from gems (2years 8 months ago) I think the standards have dropped a tad - its only in the last year that the jewellery i have ordered, things have gone wrong. I am touching wood now, as i type this, as i really do not want anything to go wrong with me watch! lol Its disappointing when the items you have ordered break - you dont expect it to give up the ghost after a few weeks of wearing the item. xxx

Realistically, it isn't even ten days.......because of the weekends. Say your ten days ends on a Monday, but because there are no deliveries Sat / Sun, your package has to be back at Gems Towers by the Friday before to fall within that time frame!

But we know they are now very slow at doing refunds so how long is it before the returned packages are checked and are the actual return dates scrutinised......I bet not!

I think a compromise of 15 days would be more appropriate, as its not always so easy for some folks to get
to a post office........now that they are disappearing so rapidly (the post offices....I mean )!

Apologies to Jacqualina for going off track, have you had any further contact with Gems today?

 

[persianglitter]

Realistically, it isn't even ten days.......because of the weekends. Say your ten days ends on a Monday, but because there are no deliveries Sat / Sun, your package has to be back at Gems Towers by the Friday before to fall within that time frame!

But we know they are now very slow at doing refunds so how long is it before the returned packages are checked and are the actual return dates scrutinised......I bet not!

I think a compromise of 15 days would be more appropriate, as its not always so easy for some folks to get
to a post office........now that they are disappearing so rapidly (the post offices....I mean )!

Apologies to Jacqualina for going off track, have you had any further contact with Gems today?

Sacha - you are quite right, it is under 10 days. It is a palaver to get to the post office - sometimes i wish post offices opened on a sunday, and stayed open until 8pm - 15 days return policy would be just about right xxxx

 

[jacqualina]

Yes Sacha, I've spoken to Karl again today and asked to speak to a Manager. Apparently they are very short-staffed and there are no Managers available so I've asked for a call-back. He did say, however, that it will do me no good and that a Manager will tell me excactly the same. The replaced item has to be identical and so one of the new bracelets (even though exactly the same, but with a different product number) cannot replace my broken one. I shall wait to speak to a Manager, but fear there is no flexibility at Gems any more. We'll see.

 

[argeybargey]

If I have it right, ten days is a distance selling legal requirement and not the big-hearted, confident and generous thing they make it out to be. Perhaps 30 days is the US requirement in their own equivalent law. xxxxxxx

 

[Pinkpussycat]

Yes Sacha, I've spoken to Karl again today and asked to speak to a Manager. Apparently they are very short-staffed and there are no Managers available so I've asked for a call-back. He did say, however, that it will do me no good and that a Manager will tell me excactly the same. The replaced item has to be identical and so one of the new bracelets (even though exactly the same, but with a different product number) cannot replace my broken one. I shall wait to speak to a Manager, but fear there is no flexibility at Gems any more. We'll see.

Well I'd say bollox to that statement Jaqualina because that isn't what their own T&Cs say. PC:

 

[jacqualina]

Well, my final update on this debacle. I've just been phoned by the Call Centre Manager and they will not budge an inch. It is difficult to imagine how much a company can change within a few years. I shall be sending the bracelet back for a refund and shall have to look for a new birthday present. I think it's fair to say that won't be with Gemstv. I was so thrilled when I received my bracelet and I feel I've had a smack in the face. It's stupid of me to be so disappointed because I was expecting it really after my previous phone calls. I suppose they just don't give a monkey's.

 

[Sacha]

Bummer........

Sorry Jacqualina to hear that GTV has been so intransigent wrt to exchanging your bracelet. The fact
that it only lasted 6 weeks before it broke implies that it wasn't fit for purpose. A well made piece will last for years!!

Stop press: I do believe that yours or a very similar one is about to be auctioned by Lynn......
there were four left from last night's auction? Last night's price was silly...after all the hype.....
p'haps as a protest, we should all snatch one and then DUMP it after. I feel very miffed on your behalf. mysmilie_1476

 

[gemcherub]

Well i would tell them to shove it where the sun don't shine and spent my money else where!
Sorry this has happened to you and i hope you find a yummy replacement soon x

 

[sweetpea]

So disappointed for you jaqualina,especially as it was a special present.......but I am even more disappionted in GTV,I feel it is a case of cutting their nose off to spite their face!

They may think that they are saving a a couple of hundred quid by just refunding you and not replacing but does it not occur to them how much they will lose in the future due to poor CS:taphead:

A company is not only judged on what they supply but the overall sevice and especially when things go wrong,how they deal with this is a measure of how valued WE feel.

Shortsighted of you Gems,very shortsighted!!:down:

 

[Pinkpussycat]

I will never buy anything else from them again if that's their idea of customer service these days. Right, time to get awkward. They are so clearly in the wrong here and I would make now a complaint to the ASA. It may not change their mind about replacing the bracelet but they will have to defend the complaint and it will cost them time, which equates to money in the business world. In the long run they will lose far more than £66 dealing with the administration an ASA complaint will generate. Stupid *******s. PC:

 

[MissMagpie]

This is just not on, Jacqualina - especially as you've been a good customer of theirs.

Just a thought - have you actually spoken to Outwork about it yourself? It seems most unlikely that they won't repair it; perhaps Gems just didn't want to foot the cost of the repair! If Outwork say they can repair it, you can then use this as ammunition when you speak to Gems again.

If Outwork can repair it, and Gems don't want to play ball, I wonder if you could pay for the repair yourself and then sue Gems for the cost in the small claims court? Or have they fulfilled their legal obligations by offering you a refund?

(My father once sued a garage for £30 in the small claims court - and won! When we were clearing out his papers after he died, we found a thick file relating to the case. As I understand it, there is no need to involve lawyers and so there are no costs; but you do have to be bloody-minded like my father was!)

 

[donna255]

This is just not on, Jacqualina - especially as you've been a good customer of theirs.

Just a thought - have you actually spoken to Outwork about it yourself? It seems most unlikely that they won't repair it; perhaps Gems just didn't want to foot the cost of the repair! If Outwork say they can repair it, you can then use this as ammunition when you speak to Gems again.

If Outwork can repair it, and Gems don't want to play ball, I wonder if you could pay for the repair yourself and then sue Gems for the cost in the small claims court? Or have they fulfilled their legal obligations by offering you a refund?

(My father once sued a garage for £30 in the small claims court - and won! When we were clearing out his papers after he died, we found a thick file relating to the case. As I understand it, there is no need to involve lawyers and so there are no costs; but you do have to be bloody-minded like my father was!)

But Outwork said they would not touch it. So unfortunatley they must think its unrepairable.

Karl was brilliant with me. But then mine was just a simple thing with two payments going through. The money did go back into my account today.

You would think since everything is the same appart from some numbers they would just change it for you.

 

[jacqualina]

Thanks MissM, but I think Gems have probaby fulfilled their legal obligations by offering a refund, though I'm no legal eagle.
I agree Donna, you'd think the two bracelets were similar enough for them to swap them and I'd have been on here singing their praises just as you did in a previous thread. Good CS would go that extra mile (and that's how they win awards), but this has been a real eye opener for me. Just imagine the reaction I would have had from Rockstv.
I've slept on it now for a couple of nights, and I'm just going to send it back, somehow the shine has rather gone off it now.
Just for information, here are the numbers of the two bracelets involved (sorry, I can't do links). I know they are very slightly different (number of sapphires), but I think they would certainly pass as identical twins!
UWW1363 (148022)
UEB5974 (143688)

 

[Meeshoo]

Jacqualina - that's repairable. Take it to a local jewellers. It will need soldering. What will happen is that you will lose the fluidity of those two links because they will be fused but it will be wearable and nobody would know but you. I'm guessing that Outwork don't want to touch it because the fluidity would be lost and perhaps they are thinking that you would object to that (because it won't be exactly the same)? The other thing is that it's a fairly big job and, to do it correctly a certain amount of sapphires would need to be taken out and then put back in again - so it's time consuming.

HTH

 

[Pinkpussycat]

Yes I can see how all this wrangling over something that has in fact proven to be shoddy goods would put you right off it. I'm more bloody minded than most and would keep on bumping this thread up so that as many visitors as possible who visit this site can read about GEMS couldn't give a toss attitude. I certainly wouldn't buy from them again that's for sure. Get your money back asap Jacqualina and spend it with TJC who have by far the more superior jewellery in terms of quality and value for money. PC:

 

[MissMagpie]

When my TJC rainbow sapphire bracelet broke, they managed to repair it "as new" - i.e. without fusing the two links. I've no idea how they did it, but they did!

I think you said, Jacqualina, that Gems had said that Outwork had said they couldn't repair it. If you haven't actually spoken to Outwork yourself, it would be worth checking with them directly, methinks.