Kay Jewelers - where every kiss-off begins with K.

That sucks. OP should check out Lifehacker!

How to clean your own jewelry

@YoHenYo: Maybe, but it does reflect on her state of mind which, considering her husband has been put into danger for the 3rd time, means she is most likely super stressed, worried, and doesn't need to be ALSO worrying about a stupid jewelry store.

lk hw sh trd t s th fct tht hr hsbnd ws n th mltry t gt sympthy. Tht ws ttlly nncssry.

@YoHenYo: That's a shitty thing to say.

Did it ever occur to you that she's been made to feel helpless and stupid and as if she has no recourse and her husband isn't even there to support her because he's gone? Try it sometime when you're young, you've got no family in the area, no one is helping you, and then you get to move on your own to an even newer town . Then get back to me.

I've been there. It sucks.

@YoHenYo:
Wow, you totally calld her out, what a b!tch for wanting her wedding ring to not be completely destroyed while her husband is doing the most dangerous job in the world.

I feel sympathetic for her, even if she does mention the military thing frequently, I think it's because it is in the front of her mind right now. She could lose her husband at any moment, and while her wedding ring is not her husband, it's a piece of him she wants to have with her at all times. I hope Kay gets their act together quick!

kay sucks - I hope she gets a NEW ring - kay's handling of this is ridiculous

she should take the ring and have the diamonds set in the appropriate Master Craft setting by another jeweler then send the bill to the original Kay that screwed up (along with their "replacement" setting back). Give them a date to expect payment by and then sue if they don't pay up.

@SarcasticDwarf: This isn't just someone she KNOWS. This is her husband. Are you saying military families don't make sacrifices, too?

I agree with the over-dramatization of the "my husband is in the military" thing. How many times did she mention it?

However, she is entitled to have her rings returned to her in as-good-as-new condition... and would be even if her husband was a garbage man, accountant, stock broker or Target cashier.

That absolutely sucks.

However, two important lessons:

1) Always get your rings cleaned by the store you purchased them at. Why? Because usually your warranty requires that and is renewed by doing it at their store, not some other store.

2) Always get your rings repaired by the store you purchased them at. Should have told Kay they will be receiving the bill, but due to their ineptness the original store you purchased it from will be taking care of the ring. Most likely you would have to take it to court, but it would probably have been enforced.

@deadspork: I do agree with you. However, the most dangerous job in the world is not in the military. For a bunch of reasons, one being that the military tries to keep from putting you on the streets as much as possible, and that being an Alaskan Crab Fisherman is the most dangerous job. Don't believe me? Look it up ;). The death statistics per capita in that job market are insane.

@deadspork: No, I am clearly NOT saying that. She makes sacrifices because her husband is in the military. Good for her. But what relevance does it have to this story of her ring being destroyed? None at all. This is no different than a reply from a company posted here where they talk about another issue to gain sympathy (such as their dedication to the environment, families, etc) while obscuring the real issue.

@maztec: Well, and being a firefighter is dangerous too, I should have said "one of" the most dangerous jobs in the world.

@SarcasticDwarf: It makes a difference because her husband is not with her very frequently, and is in a situation of great danger that he may not ever return from. That makes the ring that much more important.
I know she overstated the fact that he serves in the military, but I think she's trying to say, "And I could lose him at any moment, the threat is very real," not, "And i should get preferrential treatment because he is in the military."
Again, as I said, I think the issue is on the front of her mind. She did overtstate it, quite a bit, but I think with a different feeling behind it.

@msbask: How many target cashiers do you know that are seperated from their spouses from months on end?

@SarcasticDwarf: It has to do with why she is so upset. How do you not get that? He is gone. So is her ring. She is alone and wants that connection to her husband. Too much to ask? Apparently so, according to you. It's not as if he's off playing poker in Vegas - he's off risking his life on deployment.

As my 10 year-old son says, get a clue.

I hope the OP is either able to get the original ring returned to its almost new state as that particular ring is the one which her husband placed on her finger and as such is highly sentimental. IF the ring has to be replaced (from the manufacturer and not some bodged copy) then when her husband returns (which I am sure we all hope he does complete with all the limbs he left with) they could re-affirm their vows in a private ceremony with the new ring.

How did a jewellery shop manage to so completely destroy a ring during something as simple as a cleaning. I was under the impression it was a short dip in a light detergent solution with some sonic agitation, the story sounds like it got a bath in boiling nitric acid or similar to remove so much detail. The shop has a duty to sort this out fast and sincerely apologise for their mistake.

@SarcasticDwarf: It has a TON of relevance, because it's her WEDDING RING that is in question. She's not just using it as a sympathy card; him being deployed is truly a major part of why this is so upsetting to her, understandably.

This isn't a place for politics. Whether you agree with the war or not, someone's whose spouse is in danger of being shot or blown up on a daily basis is someone under stress.

And what Kay did - there's a word for it:

DOUCHEBAGGERY

I have to say - I'd even look into the possibility of a full lawsuit against Kay with a cause of action for negligent infliction of emotional distress.

Funeral directors have special insurance for when things like when the bottom of the coffin falls out and they can be sued for that sort of thing. The logic is that disposing of people's loved ones requires a higher duty of care.

A similar theory could be extended to jewelers handling wedding bands. Will it work? Depends on what your definition of work is.

Will she be awarded damages for non-economic loss "pain and suffering" or trebled damages? Probably not. But it will scare the bejeesus out of Kay Jewelers corporate and probably ensure that she doesn't pay a dime for her replacement ring.

Having the store break her ring and then lie to her face is simply disgusting and inexcusable. I'm going to tell a friend who shops there about this - I'm sure she won't after this.

It sounds like Kay Jewelers has no intention of doing the right thing after several months and are just trying to wait her out and hope she goes away.

Where I live, the jewelry stores at the mall advertise specials for military members, so, in addition to suing them, she might also call the local news channel or newspaper if they have a consumer hotline-type thing.

Military members in Jacksonville will want to know how poorly Kay Jewelers treats one of their own, especially with the holidays coming up.

If Lisa is reading: thank you for your sacrifice and for the sacrifice of your husband. I live in a military town and have friends in your position, so I have an idea of how hard it is for all involved.

Sympathy all around for the OP.

We quit dealing with chain jewelry stores when we were engagement ring shopping (looking to move the diamond from grandma's ring into a new setting) and none would do so without us paying a huge amount in insurance. We figured anyone that comfortable suggesting they're gonna mess things up really didn't need to be handling anything we own.

A great little, independent jeweler designed and made a ring around our diamond for less than the chains wanted. They also call every now and again to remind us to come in and get it cleaned, checked for damage (free of charge).

I'll never touch a chain jeweler and I hope after the OP is made whole, she'll do the same.

If you were part of a large block of potential customers you'd be foolish not to mention it when you are trying to get satisfaction from any business's mistake.

Kay Jewelers here reminds me of the guy at the photo lab in Seinfeld who airbrushed Kruger out of the picture instead of George, and then tried to get away with drawing a cartton version of Kruger back into the photo; "Considering I did it from memory, I think that's a pretty good job!"

I would flip if my husband was KIA and I didn't even have my wedding ring to hold onto in my grief. I suppose this could happen to anyone -- people die every day, not just in combat zones -- but it is a very special stress for anyone whose spouse is working a dangerous job, especially one where people are actively trying to harm them on a daily basis.

The shop needs to rectify the situation. If they can't, I hope the OP can find another, qualified shop to take care of the ring, then recoup her losses from Kay.

try working with there parent company Signet who also owns Jared

I would buy a new ring myself and send Kay the bill. Then if they don't pay up, take them to small claims.

@TheName:

I agree, my local Jeweler is absolutely fantastic...

However, I am sure in their case, where they are going to move around a lot as 90%+ of military families do, a chain seemed like a better hedge.

Boy, are they wrong.

My advice to the OP: Call the local TV station that has a hotline. NBC San Diego seems to be local station to go to, says my wife the SD girl.
Bad press will make companies take a second look at their stupidity.

@YHnY: Yp. Jst bcs smn y knw s n th mltry ds nt smhw chng wh Y r. ll th prsn hr s dng s tryng t s hr hsbnd's stts t mk ths mr pltclly tchy ss. t s nt mch bttr thn plyng th rc crd.

The only acceptable solution after the fiasco above is to give Lisa a new identical ring. Hopefully the jeweler realizes this and does the right thing before being dragged into small claims court and getting vilified on the internets. Oops, too late.

It seems to me that trusting a "mall" jeweler with an irreplaceable ring (sentimental value) is the first mistake. We take the few pieces that need cleaning to a trusted private jeweler (not a chain or "brand") where the cleaning takes place in front of us while we wait. The owner thinks this is a good way to keep us as customers and to mitigate risk to his business.

The second mistake was to be trust the same shop to fix their problem
without close, microscopic supervision -- this would be like re-
electing a Republican President after the Bush administration.

While I think it's appropriate to justify the importance of the
problem by saying something to the effect of this "this is a wedding
ring and my husband is away at war" I don't think the repeated
references are necessary, but "Lisa" is not running for office and
shouldn't have to watch her every word to be politically correct.
Having a wedding ring damaged is just one of those "stuff happens"
experiences in life, but reading about how it impacts the families of
the people serving in this war is a reminder that we all need to keep
in perspective as we struggle through our daily lives and sometimes
tend to forget for a moment that other families are suffering. If
someone like Lisa wants to walk down her street and knock on every
door and (politely, even with a tear in her eye) say "I want to be
sure you understand that my husband is away in battle." I think it's a
message we all need to be ready to wake up at 3:00am and think very
clearly about whether US troops should be risking injury or death
overseas or the people of other nations dying in their countries and
does this war justify their sacrifice.

Back to the point, I think the advice to go to small claims is correct
and with a national retail chain, there's a chance they'll cut a check
once they're found at fault. I'd begin that process in parallel with
taking the original ring to a trustworthy jeweler to have the ring
repaired. Whatever that costs (I'd guess around $1000 from my
experience having custom rings made from scratch and then modified)
would be paid and then a letter demanding reimbursement should suffice.

For what it's worth, a similar problem unfolded with my mother's ring,
a very modest wedding ring from leaner times, which she wanted to have
updated to better quality, without changing it, just getting a nice
diamond. Sadly, they modified the ring unwittingly, to "improve" its
strength. It had lasted fifty years on that finger, so we were happy
with its hold on the stone, but that critical factor had been
overlooked. Fortunately, we had a good couple of "before" photos,
which, in an old-fashioned world pre-digital photography, meant we had
literally three little Polaroids for the repair work and then some
iterative time where my mother sat with the jeweler to get the
proportions and details as close as possible. In the end, the
sentimental value was undiminished and the objective of a nice, clear,
brilliant diamond was achieved and the ring had another chapter added
to its story. A bit like have a classic car that gets a scratch or a
dent, you don't have repair work done beyond a minimal effort -- the
car is not the same car once it has been dismantled, stripped and
restored regardless of the talents of the modern day worker, you lose
an important quality, a part of the soul of the thing if you go too
far with a repair.

Everyone:

Please stop the back and forth about the military and politics. Let's focus on the article's content itself, rather than this hijack.

No more military pro/con posts.

Do I believe that families in the military should get preferential treatment? YES, YES, YES, a thousand times, YES. Those in the military are working in horrible situations with little pay in order to defend us. The spouses and children did not sign up for this work and yet they are making sacrifices every day. A few discounts here and there or a replacement ring can't begin to repay them for what they do.

Sorry, Roz, saw your post too late.

Well, I guess there goes Kay getting my business. Since my wife and I got married when we were still in school, we only got cheap gold bands. I was looking at getting her something for our 10 years together and our first child on the way. Of course, now I'm making 8 times what I was making in school, and "two months salary" is enough to by a good new foreign car. tsk tsk.

This looks like a job for: Smaaaall Claaaaaims Coooourt!

Oddly enough it doesn't shock me that it is an issue with Kay. When my grandmother purchased my senior high school class ring it took them three tries to get it right (wrong color stone first, followed by my initials being incorrect, and then the small side etching had the wrong high school mascot). A year later the stone fractured and it took them twice to replace the stone with the proper one. In the process they whacked the setting up so bad that the stone wobbled and fell out less then 6 months later. If you consider buying anything from Kay - please for the sake of your sanity - consider somewhere else.

@bwilliams18: Kay and Jared are brands both owned By Sterling Jewelers, which in turn is owned by Signet. Sterling also owns several other "mall brands" including JB Robinson and a few others that I can't remember.

To be fair, the store employee was trying to do something nice for her by giving her a free cleaning. Some of those Master Craft promotional bridal sets are notoriously cheaply made, and an experienced jeweler will often avoid putting those in an ultrasonic cleaner as the melee sized stones can fall out easily if already loose in the setting.

The jeweler who tried to re-set the stone had trouble working up a bead obviously - it's a painstaking task sometimes, and if you screw up even a little bit it will show - especially when the examiner is very attached to the idea that it had better look exactly the same as it did before.

As an ex-jeweler, I can see how the whole situation transpired, down to trying to cast a replacement from the original - and why they said they "don't deal with Master Craft" (probably not on the store's regular vendor list - the home office probably buys selected item's in quantity for Christmas promotions etc. but don't consider them a regular supplier) - all the while having an irate customer breathing down your neck.

The woman is of course upset, she only wanted the ring cleaned in the first place, and it does have a lot of sentimental value to her. But casting Kay Jewelers as the villain in all this is wrong it seems to me.

The employee who offered to clean the woman's ring made a rookie mistake in not properly examining the setting with a jeweler's loup and testing that the stones were still securely seated before putting it into an ultrasonic bath. That's not malicious, that's a kind gesture gone wrong. That they've made real effort and probably spent 3 times the original cost of the rings to make things right is also apparent.

I don't and never have worked for Kay's, but I was a jeweler (I've set many a diamond over the years) for almost 2 decades and also managed 3 retail stores from mid to high end during that time; and the scenario is all too familiar unfortunately. But there needs to be a little perspective here, this outrage over a simple human error is misplaced, especially when terms such as "pain and suffering" are being tossed about.

The entire jewelry industry, particularly the gemstone industry, is a racket. I'll never understand why otherwise intelligent human beings place such high value on shiny rocks.

Oooo, shiny!

If I say local jewelers are worth there weight in gold will I comment-spanked??

oops..."will I BE comment-spanked"

@PsychicPsycho3: If she was this upset about a pair of earrings she bought for herself, I would be surprised. This is her wedding ring, though. Purchased by her husband. Who is in IRAQ. He's not on vacation in Hawaii, he's not on a business trip, he is in IRAQ during a war. Is the concept of sentimental value completely lost on you people?

She led off her story with her husband, which is enough to get the sympathy vote, as you can see from the thread. If she had stopped there, she probably would have gotten away with it without anyone criticizing her. After the third time, though, I can see why some people would think, "Okay, I GET IT!" ...Art of telling a story, folks. :P

@ideagirl:

Nope, because I was going to say the same thing. Local family-owned jewelers are more expensive, but likely to be properly trained and know a few things before putting jewelery with a high sentimental value in a cleaner from Wal-Mart.

Kay, Osterman's, JB Robinson et al are all the same, and they do an equally lousy job. The added advantage of local family owned jewelers is that you get some very original pieces.

This is why jewelry shops like KAY etc... are crap. You get what you pay for... ineptitude... go with a company which is local, well reputed and stands by their work - dealing with quality... not shit from some craptastic company who probably makes high school class rings.

Who her husband is, his position, or the job he is performing is NOT relevant to the issue at hand.

Kay farked up. Kay owes her. End of story.

With regards to MasterCraft. Kay may do business with the company, but the products that Kay purchases may not include this style ring. Technically the Kay employees are correct (in a manipulate the words kind of way), but regardless of whether Kay does offer this model of ring or not, Kay has an obligation for the same or better. Screwing up, can and should cost Kay a couple bucks.

@YoHenYo:
Actually, you're totally unnecessary but that's never stopped you, has it?

@YHnY:

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Kay is owned by a British company, SIGNET. They will soon be listing their stock in the US, so I'm betting that if brought to the right person's attention, this will be resolved very quickly. The CEO is Terry Burman and their contact info is:

Signet Group plc
15 Golden Square
London, W1F 9JG
United Kingdom - Map
Phone: 44 20 7317 9700
Fax: 44 20 7734 1452
Web Site: [www.signetgroupplc.com]

Zales happens to be their "mortal" enemies, so you could probably get them to help you -- this is the sort of thing they live for. The new CEO of Zale is Neal Goldberg -- he was previously an executive at the Children's Place and is very concerned about keeping people happy. Helping you here would make a customer for life, I'd bet. The contact info for Zale is:

Zale Corporation
901 West Walnut Hill Lane
Irving, TX 75038-1003
United States - Map
Phone: 972-580-4000
Fax: 972-580-5547
Web Site: [www.zalecorp.com]

Good luck -- I am sure this will be resolved for you.