Belden Jewelers, Crystal Mall, CT - delay in custom ring modifications - cancelled order and got refund

# 10 for August 24, 2003

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on August 23, 2003:

From:

RE: Belden Jewelers, Crystal Mall, CT - delay in custom ring modifications - cancelled order and got refund

I am writing to complain about terrible service I received from this store. My fiance and I originally purchased a white gold engagement ring in February. In May we decided to upgrade to platinum. We picked out two rings, that were in white gold. They were to be sent away to Beldens custom jewelry maker to be made platinum.

We were told it would take 4-6 weeks and that if they were not made to our specifications it would be no problem to get a refund. After leaving the store we realized we were charged about $200 more than they had said we would. I brought it back up to them and they said they would take care of it when we went back to pick the rings up. Of course I was an idiot and said fine. Eight weeks later we went back to the store only to find the rings had been sitting there because their jeweler was to busy to do them.

We were never notified of this. Keep in mind I live in New York so I was making the trip to Connecticut to find this out. They said they were so sorry and they would send them out that Monday to another guy they had. This was to take another 4-6 weeks. Rachel, the assistant manager said she would call and give me weekly updates.

Five or six weeks later we went back to the store, nobody had called to tell me anything, to find that Rachel was not working that day, she was getting married, and the manager Rick had no idea what was going on. I told him I wanted a refund that day. He said that was probably not possible because it was a custom order but to have my fiance drive out there on Tuesday when Rachel would be back to discuss what was going on. So my fiance made the trip, 35 minutes from his home, to find out they had no idea where the rings were.

They were definetly not made but the ones that had been sent out were sent to a repair shop instead of the maker and the repair shop was saying they never got them even though Belden had a form of some sort saying they had. It was just a big mess. Anyways we were told we could have a refund but my fiance had to drive back out that night because they needed time to figure out some paperwork.

So he went and they then told him it was going to take 5 days or so before it could be credited. They took our phone numbers and said they would call. Two weeks later and about 6 phone calls to them no refund. I waited another week and then called my Belden account to figure out what my balance was. A credit had been made but not the full amount and I had already sent in about $300 for monthly minimum charges.

I was told I could receive a check from their main office but I can never get a hold of anyone who knows anything and they don't call us back. I am sure I also have to eat the $100 finance charge I accrued while waiting for this mess to be cleaned up.

Basically my fiance and I got the run around from these people and we ended up going somewhere else for our rings. Amanda Longtin