Consumerist
-
shiny objects
Faberge.com Sells $7 Mil Baubles To Special People Only
The reborn Faberge has decided that the rich don't shop online like the rest of us. More » -
hard times
OutOfYourLife.Com: The Man Eater's Cash4Gold?
Here's a common problem: we have many ex-lovers, who have put ice on our wrists and given us countless pearl necklaces. But these wealthy suitors have left our hearts broken and in this economy, we're hurting for cash. Thankfully, we discovered Out of Your Life (motto: "It's time to break up with his jewelry, too"), who will buy our tear-stained jewelry back from us! More » -
traveling
Never Pack Your Jewelry In Checked Baggage
This past February, a Delta customer had her expensive heirloom jewelry stolen from her checked bag on a trip from Rochester through Atlanta to Las Vegas:
More »My suitcase had been opened, my jewelry bag unzipped, and my fine jewelry (gold, diamonds, sapphires) had been hand picked out of the jewelry bag and the inexpensive jewelry (plastic, glass, metal) left strewn across my belongings inside my suitcase.
-
how-to
Make Jewelry From Your Discarded Credit Cards
Sure, you could cut up your credit and debit cards and throw them away once they're closed, expired, or the account number has been stolen in a massive data breach. Or, with a few simple tools, you could re-purpose them into lovely pieces of jewelry. More » -
shiny objects
$220,000 Diamond Ring Gets Rave Reviews On Amazon, Sort Of
We're no fans of fake customer reviews here at Consumerist, it's true, but obviously goofy reviews are one of my very favorite things. (The reviews for this gallon of milk are an Internet classic.)
Reader Rob sent us a link to a $220,000 diamond ring for sale on Amazon...marked down from only $338,800. Bargain! More »
-
jewelry
The Consumerist Hive Mind Helps You Buy A Diamond
What are the things you should know when going diamond shopping? Our reader Justin needs to buy one.
More »I'd love to know what to look out for when buying a diamond. Do dealers change the grades of diamonds, lie about carats, etc? Where can I buy reasonably priced diamonds? There may be a huge mark-up in store, but am I going to get scammed online? Maybe just pointing in the direction of reliable user reviews of local or online retailers, since it's so hard to know which reviews are genuine and which are the retailers inflating their stock these days.
-
shopping
5 Big Retail Mark-Ups To Watch Out For
The Lansing State Journal has put together a list of 5 marked-up retail categories to be aware of when you're making purchasing decisions, most of which you hopefully already know. If you can't find wholesale sources or DIY replacements, then at least make sure you do a lot of comparison shopping to get the best deal. More » -
do not do
Do Not Hide An Engagement Ring In A Frosty And Then Hold An Eating Contest
Reed Harris wanted a memorable proposal — but he probably should have thought his plan through a little better. He hid an engagement ring in his girlfriend's Wendy's Frosty — and then he and his friends challenged her to a race to see who could eat their Frosty first. What could go wrong? More » -
-
fortunoff
Fortunoff Files For Bankruptcy (Again)
Regional jeweler Fortunoff has thrown in the towel and filed for bankruptcy today. The retailer cited terrible holiday sales, a "severe liquidity crisis" in January, and the cost of expanding its jewelry line into Lord & Taylor stores as reasons. Fortunoff was brought out of an earlier bankruptcy about a year ago by a private equity firm, but it didn't take.
-
senate
Illinois Jeweler Selling Senate Seats
As Gawker pointed out, a Chicago furniture store is running ads claiming that it "sells more seats than the Governor." Now a local jewelry store is literally selling Senate seats, as beautiful charms! -
markups
Kohl's Marks Up Jewelry, Then Discounts It
A Maryland woman bought some jewelry on sale at the Kohl's in Westminster, then discovered cheaper prices under the price tags. More » -
badvertising
If Jewelry Commercials Annoy You, This Is The Video To Watch
As a female person who doesn't see the need for overpriced allotropes of carbon, I find jewelry commercials annoying. I could explain, but Current TV's Sarah Haskins has done it for me. Enjoy. More » -
zales
Zales Store Receipts Really Don't Mean Anything
Reader Taylor had purchased wedding rings from Zales with a payment plan that allows him to make payments over the course of a year. One day, Taylor went to the store to make a payment of $160 and received his receipt for the cash transaction. A few days later, he received a call from the store manager who said that she believed that Taylor had only paid $60 and cited a surveillance video which, according to the manager, shows their sales representative counting only 3 bills. Even though Taylor was certain that he paid $160 and has a receipt to prove it, he asked to see this intriguing video, but the store manager has been giving him the run-around ever since. Taylor's letter and our advice, inside... More » -
customer service
Target To 80-Year-Old: Yeah, We Sold You The Wrong Watch Battery, But We Won't Take It Back
David cc'd us on a letter he recently sent to Target:
More »My mother in law, recently went to Target to get a battery installed for her watch. The watch was a common Timex model and the associate told her that she would have to buy the battery first. So she purchased that battery, and the associate attempted to install it in the watch. The battery did not fit the watch, so the associate said "sorry, we don't have the right battery" and then refused to take the battery back and refund her money. She was told they don't take back opened battery packages.
-
above and beyond
Tiffany's Dazzling Customer Service More Than Makes Up For Shipping Snafu
Ritzy Fifth Avenue jeweler Tiffany & Co. failed to ship Chris' grandfather a bracelet for his wife in time for Christmas. We expect a certain level of service from high-end stores, but Tiffany's extravagant amends caught us by surprise. More » -
jewelry
Would You Seek Out "Fairtrade" Gold If You Could?
Gold is the latest commodity vying for the ethical "Fairtrade" seal of approval, reports Reuters in a feature on Britsh/Canadian Greg Valerio and his quest to reduce exploitation—both environmental and human—in the jewelry market. He's currently selling "green gold" (that term really needs some marketing help) from a small jewelry store in Chichester, England, but is working with the Fairtrade Foundation and the Association Responsible Mining—a trade group he helped found—to figure out how to certify gold as Fairtrade by 2009. More » -
travel
When Shopping In A Port Of Call, Document Your Purchases
If you find you're on a cruise to, say, the Caribbean, and you decide to buy something expensive—like, say, an emerald ring—then be sure to pay with a credit card, take photos of the item and the person who sold it to you, and get a receipt. It may sound like overkill, but if the "emeralds" in the ring fall out and it turns your finger black once you're back on the boat and have left Antigua, chances are it's not a cursed pirate ring but a fake, and you'll be glad you have some documentation when you start trying to make things right. More »
jewelry
New York, 4:50 AM
Mon Nov 9
6 posts in the last 24 hours
Tip Your Editors:
tips@consumerist.com
Co-Executive Editor:
Ben Popken
Email | AIM | Twitter
Co-Executive Editor:
Meghann Marco
Email | Twitter
Senior Editor:
Chris Walters
Email | Twitter
Weekend Editor:
Carey Greenberg-Berger
Email | AIM
Associate Editor:
Alex Chasick | Email
Assistant Editor:
Laura Northrup
Email | AIM | Twitter
Comments Moderator:
Email | AIM
Contributing Editors:
Lucy Bayly | Email
Phil Villarreal | Email
