Anyone returned a ring to Kay Jewelers?

Re: Anyone returned a ring to Kay Jewelers?

• kvruns member

  

  February 2016

  Knottie1438550527 said:

  I would love to hear how you did it, if anyone has returned an engagement ring to Kay Jewelers outside the 60-day deadline.  Here's my story:
  
  My fiance bought me a beautiful 1-carat solitaire engagement ring back in July 2015.  The stone was gorgeous and sparkly and had no dark spots that you could see with your naked eye.  He had spent hours in the store the day he bought it, painstakingly inspecting diamond after diamond until he found one perfect enough for me.  I wore it for 2 weeks when one of the prongs broke and the stone fell out.
  
  I was devastated, but luckily he had bought the insurance and Kay promised to replace the stone within 6 weeks.  We waited, and didn't hear from the store.  When it became 7 weeks, my fiance called to inquire when the ring would be ready and they said they didn't know, but they would check with their corporate office in Ohio.  This was frustration #1, that it wasn't ready on time.
  
  Finally, around the 8-week mark, they called him in to pick up the ring.  He took one look at the new stone, with his naked eye (not the microscope thing) and said no way.  This stone had a huge inclusion right smack in the middle of it!!  Frustration #2, a diamond not remotely comparable to the original.
  
  So they said they'd send it back again and we'd have to wait another "six weeks".  It's now February 2016 and I still don't have my engagement ring back.  From the time the prong broke, it's been 6 months.  We already got married!  I DIDN'T HAVE MY RING ON MY WEDDING DAY.  The ultimate frustration and reason the ring needs to be returned and a full refund given to my husband.
  
  Neither of us want to deal with Kay Jewelers the rest of my life, so we asked if we could return the ring since at this point we haven't actually held possession of it for more than 60 days.  They said no, the 60-day return policy holds whether you have the ring or not.  My fiance has already paid it off, so I'm thinking there's little chance of getting his hard-earned money back now that they have it in their hands.
  
  There HAS to be some kind of loophole, some way to return this ring?  I plan to try once more calling them myself, and if that doesn't work then I'm calling my lawyer.  Just hoped someone here might have advice?

  I'd look at the sales agreement or other paperwork he received (or if there is info online) and try to point to something specific in it to help your case. Otherwise I'd just go the squeaky wheel route - might be a pain but might also be the only way to get it done. Seems really weird it would take this long to get a replacement of similar grade.
  

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• indigo26 member

  

  February 2016

  I think I'd go with the squeaky wheel theory as well. Go talk to the store manager of the Kay's you've been dealing with and be NICE! If they can't do anything, then ask who to contact above them. Explain that you're just not happy with the product. Just make sure whenever you're speaking to anyone you're firm, but nice. Keep going up as far as you can and be polite the whole way.
  
  I haven't done business with Kay's - my FI prefers Zales but I'll share my story with you anywho since they're both chain jewelers. A year ago we picked out my e-ring  - a cute heart shaped sapphire with diamond accents. Six months of wearing it went fine. Then the sapphire started getting loose. We took it in to get fixed... and two weeks later it was loose again. This went on from June-October. At that point I asked the store manager what could be done since I was tired of only getting to wear my ring two weeks at a time (and only when I was driving, shopping or doing nothing). My store actually called corporate and told them they wanted to push through a return because the ring was faulty. They did this because I was nice to them every time I had to come in. They gave us a full refund and helped us pick out another style sapphire ring to replace the first one. Had they wanted to follow corporate policy to the letter, they could have just told me I'd have to keep sending it in for repairs instead of bending over backwards to help.

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• CMGragain member

  

  February 2016 edited February 2016

  indigo26 said:

  I think I'd go with the squeaky wheel theory as well. Go talk to the store manager of the Kay's you've been dealing with and be NICE! If they can't do anything, then ask who to contact above them. Explain that you're just not happy with the product. Just make sure whenever you're speaking to anyone you're firm, but nice. Keep going up as far as you can and be polite the whole way.
  
  I haven't done business with Kay's - my FI prefers Zales but I'll share my story with you anywho since they're both chain jewelers. A year ago we picked out my e-ring  - a cute heart shaped sapphire with diamond accents. Six months of wearing it went fine. Then the sapphire started getting loose. We took it in to get fixed... and two weeks later it was loose again. This went on from June-October. At that point I asked the store manager what could be done since I was tired of only getting to wear my ring two weeks at a time (and only when I was driving, shopping or doing nothing). My store actually called corporate and told them they wanted to push through a return because the ring was faulty. They did this because I was nice to them every time I had to come in. They gave us a full refund and helped us pick out another style sapphire ring to replace the first one. Had they wanted to follow corporate policy to the letter, they could have just told me I'd have to keep sending it in for repairs instead of bending over backwards to help.

  Signet Corp. owns Zales, Kay's and Jarrods.  Kay's is their budget line mall store.  OP, did your ring come with any papers grading your diamond? 
  

  

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• Knottie1438550527 member

  

  February 2016

  Yes, we have papers with all the specifications.  The diamond they sent back the first time was technically a "better" grade but didn't look as good.  My fiance wasn't happy with the glaring big dark inclusion right in the middle of it, which the original didn't have.
  
  He's been into the store and on the phone with them several times, trying to reach a solution.  If anything, I think he's being TOO nice... I want to talk to them myself and try a stronger tone.  Then it's lawyer time.

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• littlemushroom member

  

  February 2016

  This happened to my DH and I with his wedding ring. Kays was a nightmare to work with, and I tell everyone I know not to go through them. Every time we went back we were dealing with someone else. Eventually we hit the right combo of employees (not the manager of the store) who returned the original ring and let us get a different ring for my DH. We were refunded the difference. We purchased the original ring sometime in January-February, and returned the original and picked the new one in June or July (I think). We were definitely outside the 60 day return/exchange period.

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• hyechica81 member

  

  February 2016

  omg kays is the worst i got my ring back in 2011 from there sister store beldens. then beldens closes in my local mall and i find out kays owns them so i can continue to get  my rings inspected cleaned with them.
  
  I went for a normal cleaning back in the summer  needed both rings to be sent out and dipped and i needed my e ring resized as it was snug on me. i told him that when i moved i lost my paperwork as i couldn't find it but i later found it safe at my moms house after the fact  i told the guy all the info is in the system i get regular cleanings and sent outs and he says to me im sorry but since the last time we have recorded in the system was this date i have to recharge you for the plan again i said what are you kidding me he said its policy and like a fool i paid the 50 or so dollars to have it sent out. i then found my paperwork with all my stamps on it from the cleanings and sent outs and i was back and forth with corporate for a week first they kept telling me well a diamond was loose and that's why you were charged. I told her no they inspected it fully and nothing was faulty all i needed was both rings redipped and my e ring sized up. they finally refunded me but the whole process was a mess
  
  
  i also have this crack in the band and i kept telling them on my e ring it looks like my ring is going to break in half they kept telling me its scratches from the white gold and when we redip it it will go away. i am so tempted to take it to an independent jeweler and see what they have to say about the quality of my ring 

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• CMGragain member

  

  February 2016 edited February 2016

  Knottie1438550527 said:

  Yes, we have papers with all the specifications.  The diamond they sent back the first time was technically a "better" grade but didn't look as good.  My fiance wasn't happy with the glaring big dark inclusion right in the middle of it, which the original didn't have.
  
  He's been into the store and on the phone with them several times, trying to reach a solution.  If anything, I think he's being TOO nice... I want to talk to them myself and try a stronger tone.  Then it's lawyer time.

  What was the grade of your original diamond?
  
  There are several types of inclusions present in most diamonds.  You may not have noticed the inclusions in your original stone.  What do you have on paper?  This is what your lawyer will want to see,
  
  http://beyond4cs.com/grading/clarity-characteristics/types-of-inclusions/
  
  I have two larger diamond rings.  One is a grade flawless stone, but with poor color.  The other is an imperfect grade stone (the other end of the grading spectrum) with a large crack-like feather across the stone, but with wonderful blue-white color.  I honestly think the second diamond is more beautiful, even though in the sunlight, I can clearly see the flaw.
  

  

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• cowgirl8238 member

  

  February 2016

  OP, I don't really have any experience with Kay, but I would just like to say, that I'm sorry that this happened to you, and it really sucks.

  In general being nice but firm will get you the furthest in dealing with this type of problem.  My husband and I had a similar problem in the past with a company that refused to price match an item we had purchased from them only 2 weeks prior (and they had a damn price match guarantee).  I took two store visits, and three phone calls, but eventually we got the difference refunded to us ($250!!) without having to "return and reorder" the item.

  Good luck!

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• Knottie1462373827 member

  

  May 2016

  did you see this article? so scary http://www.today.com/style/women-accuse-kay-jewelers-losing-or-ruining-their-engagement-rings-t88431

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• ShesSoCold mod

  

  May 2016

  I know this post is super old, but I returned a ring to Jared (I think they're owned by the same company...?) after over a year.

  H (then fiancé) bought my wedding ring from Jared in April 2014. Great. Start wearing it in July. Between then and May of 2015, the ring had been in twice for loose stones and a third time because a small stone had fallen out. In May, 13 months after we bought it, they exchanged it for a brand new one. About a month or two later, we went back in because we noticed huge black carbon spots in a few of the larger stones. Upon inspection, they tell us there's also loose stones. WTFFF.

  They let us return it for 100% in store credit. So unfortunately we still had to get their jewelry, but the customer service was great. We never got mad, were always nice and respectful, but did let them know how frustrated we were.

  
  

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• charlotte989875 member

  

  May 2016

  ShesSoCold said:

  I know this post is super old, but I returned a ring to Jared (I think they're owned by the same company...?) after over a year.

  H (then fiancé) bought my wedding ring from Jared in April 2014. Great. Start wearing it in July. Between then and May of 2015, the ring had been in twice for loose stones and a third time because a small stone had fallen out. In May, 13 months after we bought it, they exchanged it for a brand new one. About a month or two later, we went back in because we noticed huge black carbon spots in a few of the larger stones. Upon inspection, they tell us there's also loose stones. WTFFF.

  They let us return it for 100% in store credit. So unfortunately we still had to get their jewelry, but the customer service was great. We never got mad, were always nice and respectful, but did let them know how frustrated we were.

  We've had the same problem. I've lost two pave stones and have had two others tightened in two years. They offered to replace it last time and we didn't but I think next time we will. 

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