kay jewelers complaint

kay jewelers complaint

October 21, 2005

People have been telling me to contact you for weeks regarding my situation. It wasn’t until just now that I realized other people would definitely benefit from my terrible ordeal with Kay Jewelers. This really is worth the time to read... MONTHS ago I entered a Kay Jewelers store in Smithfield RI. My intentions were to drop off a watch that needed to be send out for a battery change, and to have a broken gold chain repaired. While one of the employee's filled out my repair slips another offered to clean my rings. She looked at it under a microscope and then came back to tell me that one of my rings appeared to need a prong repaired. The ring appeared fine to me, but figuring they know best, I agreed to have the ring sent out for an estimate. She commented on how unique my ring was and I proceeded to tell her that I received the diamond and platinum ring on my wedding day from my mother in law. It was my husbands Great great grandmothers from Italy and had been in his family forever. While chit chatting with the employees I signed the repair slips and that would be the last I saw of my jewelry. The following day I received a call from the store> I couldn’t believe what she was telling me. My jewelry was missing or stolen, it left their store and now was gone. I was shocked. How would I ever tell my family, I am supposed to pass that down to my children! She gave me limited information and hung up leaving me filled with questions. I called the store back the following day wanting more information but was shocked that they would not provide me with almost ANY information! The manager was short with me and when I asked her for the tracking number of the package she would not give it to me... I had to call back an unbelievable amount of times and was practically hung up on! She kept saying she wasn’t allowed to give me information.... finally on my 6th or 7th phone call they gave me the tracking number. They seemed annoyed that I was insisting on knowing more. This should have been my first warning sign. I called DHL (the shipping company) and was on the phone for hours. No one knew where it was, or what happened. To shorten a long story, I spent DAYS on the phone. In the end I insisted on talking to a DHL investigator who said the package arrived, empty, at its destination. Obviously someone removed its contents along the way. They surveyed video ECT. And came up with nothing. I filled a police report and waited.... AT NO POINT DID KAY JEWELERY contact me to give me an update. I called them constantly. They were rude and short with me. I experienced the worst customer service I have ever had. I had found out more information myself calling DHL than they had. They obviously were taking my situation lightly. Uncompassionate to say the least. MONTHS of my phone calls went by; finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I called and insisted on talking to a manager. TO my amazement I got thru. (Never could before, I always got transferred to someone’s voice mail)

She told me that they would try to replace my ring...BUT the girl that wrote my slip up valued my ring at 1000. MUCH less than it was worth. I was furious. I was the one who signed the slip without looking. My heart sunk. Could this really be happening to me? No only did I loose a family heirloom but now I have to prove that my ring was more than the amount that girl guessed. I tried to come up with photos, the ring was not shown clear enough, and how do you replace an antique heirloom? Sentimental value exceeds all. Countless people told me to get a lawyer. Having 3 jobs and barely having the time to call KAY made me ATTTEMPT to resolve this situation on my own. After COUNTLESS phone calls to Kay, they told me to go into a Kay store and find something comparable to what I had. So I did. I took time out of my day and went into 3 stores and explained to the employees what mine looked like and explained that I would like something similar. They brought me a ring that resembled mine, (as close as I could get) I called back customer service, and told them the item number. They called back a week later and said the ring I picked out was too much money. WHAT! I was infuriated. I could have been dishonest and picked out something of higher value than mine but I honestly picked something that was similar to what I had. The price was 1700. And it wasn’t even platinum (Like mine was) I thought this was fair. The items they want to give me were of MUCH less quality and I felt I was getting pacified with junk jewelry. Not only did I lose an irreplaceable ring, but also now they want to give me this rink dink ring to shut me up?

Frustrated that I had looked all day, and found that there is nothing in any store for less than 1000, that is even somewhat close to what my ring looked like. Lets conceder the mark up of jewelry... 50- maybe 75%? How much do you think that little 1700 ring cost THEM?

Do they want me to get an 800-dollar ring that they paid 200 for and send me on my way? I am NOT out for something greater than what I had. I just want something COMPRABLE or CLOSE to what was mine, so I can pass it down to my children like I was supposed to with the original ring.

As of now I was told that they would send me a picture of rings I could choose from. How are THEY picking something out for ME after all i have been thru? Obviously I am irate with them and stunned at this whole situation.

Do I accept something of lesser value just to end this situation?? I am under the impression this is what they want me to do. This will NOT happen. I want to warn other consumers to CHECK the value the store writes down for them. Be CAREFULL where you send your jewelry out too. And if you can drop it off at a place where they DONT send it out. Do you know what happens to that jewelry when you walk out of the store? What would YOU do if they lost YOUR wedding ring and then tried to pacify you with something of lesser value? I consider this "adding salt to a wound” I don’t want anyone to have to go thru what I am. And above all alert them of the Poorest customer service out there... sterling jewelers. (Kay, Belden, and JB Robinson) Even if this email helps one person not be subject to what they are putting me thru than I will be happy I took the time to write it., I wish someone had warned me… Thanks for your time

Melissa P

Rhode island Click this link to e-mail the message author: Email User

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Well I have had my wedding set from Kay for nine years now and it has probably been on my finger about two years of this time. It is constantly having to be sent back for diamonds falling out. It is in the shop now because three diamonds fell out and they are telling me since they dont make this style anymore they arent sure how they wil fix it. Not my problem - I have a lifetime warranty. One manager actually had the nerve to tell me I could turn the ring in and get a credit of 6k which is what it cost in 99 and then I would have to buy at least 12k for the next ring - two problems with this - (1) tjhis is my WEDDING RING - call me sentimental but I kind of want to have the one my husband picked out and asked me to marry him with (2) Why would I want to spend MORE MONEY on their crappy jewelry! I tell everyone I know not to buy from them and only hope no one ever has to go through this with their wedding set.

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I went to kay to get my engagement ring fixed because my pearl had dislodge itself and to actually pick out a band for my wedding ring. The people there were jerks. They actually made fun of my fiance about the ring and refused to fix it they commented "you can get your ring fix at a cheaper place, its not worth it here" WTF? who says that to ANY customer? He was very upset they treated us like we were the poorest people in the world and didn't deserve to be service by them. It was the rudest I've ever seen anyone treated and the girls preceded to laugh and snicker about us as we left the store. I would never ever tell anyone to shop there they're customer service is SHIT and if you wanted to be treated like shit they by all means hop on for the ride...

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I too have had enough of Kay Jewelers. My husband bought my Bridal set at the Ames, Iowa location. I lost one chip diamond and had it replaced for a fee, even though he had bought an extended service agreement. That wasn't the trouble, again I lost one of the chip diamonds and I had it sent away to be replaced and when it was returned they had fixed it yes, but they had also re-sized it to a size 4. Like the lady above I had signed the repair order, and a tiny little #4 was written on it. They were going to charge me to re-size it and they would have to send it away again. I went home crying and my husband called the store, they said they would re-size it at no charge but would have to send it away. He talked me into letting them do it, and now its to big. A year went by and another diamond came out, now I have a ring that doesn't fit, with a chip diamond missing sitting in a box at home and I have been without a ring for more than a year. They will do nothing about it and never claimed any responsibilty. If there is a formal compliant process I would happily go through it. I agree with Melissa P, check your ticket over carefully and ask questions because you never know what grief even a little number on the ticket can cost you.

Thank you, G Tate

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hi melissa. I am an employee of Kay Jewelers and i am SHOCKED to hear this. although we go through vigorous training and testing, not only to make sure that we perform to our best ability but also to assure that we are honest, some dishonest people do make their way though the system. Did you try to contact Sterling? Sterling is the company that owns our line of stores, and in general they seem to be very fair. I just cannot imagine something like this going on in my store and no investigation taking place. I am very sorry to hear your situation but i do urge you to try going to another Kays in another area. Not only do we have a great selection at fair prices, but most of our employees are honest and very kind and more then willing to help you, not hurt you.

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I never expected to be consistently baited, insulted, disrespected and treated so poorly by a household name like Kay�s. Since 2005, 99% of the experiences I�ve had with Kay�s have been sub par at best. Topping the list are the unbelievable and absolutely unacceptable issues below. By reading the continuous problems we have experienced at various Kay Jewelers locations you�ll notice we now have had 3 different wedding bands. Obviously sentimental value has absolutely no validity with these Jewelers.

05/2008: Wedding band was lost when being serviced at Kay�s in Briarwood Mall, Ann Arbor, MI.

05/2008: After waiting 2 weeks for service promised in 1 week, I return to Kay�s in Briarwood Mall, Ann Arbor, MI to find out my ring has had absolutely no service work what-so-ever completed and will now be sent out again for another week.

01/2007: Store Manager insults my wife by refusing to allow her use his loop to look at her diamond after being serviced at Kay�s in Twelve Oaks Mall, Novi, MI.

08/2006: Wedding Band destroyed during service 1 day prior to wedding date at Kay�s in Twelve Oaks Mall, Novi, MI.

04/2006: After purchasing what I was told was a diamond guarantee for $400 from the store manager, I find out later the diamond guarantee is included, what I was sold covers servicing the gold. The manager who I bought from quit 2 weeks after the purchase.

02/2006: My watch band was broken while being serviced at Kay�s in Westland Mall, Westland, MI. The manager says �We are not in the car business, so we don�t give loaners. You�ll get you watch back in 2 � 4 weeks or you can pay someone else to fix it�