HELP! RCCL Guaranteed Shop Milano Diamond Gallery!!

[Rancher Dave]

If you like the ring pay the $75 and get work you know is right.

 

I think buying rings down in the Caribbean is ok when it is a quick size job done where you can see it etc...but getting into a lot of work can be a real pain and because they are rushing to do lots for lots of folks it will not be as good of quality.

 

I also feel that they say whatever to get a sale...they told me they could adjust the watch band on a Tag I picked out, so off I go to come back and pick it up later...nope they weren't able to ever get it sized and tried to convince me to take it to the next port, even the shopping guide (they had alerted her of the problem said she would get it changed at the next port, and she is one we know and trust having sailed with her 3 times)...I decided if they lied to get it sold I wan't going to trust it would be done right in the next port and got my money back...ended up next cruise finding a different watch elsewhere that I really like even better and for less money.

 

So again, if you like the ring, pay and get it fixed locally...maybe you can convince Milano to refund some of the repair bill, if not and you got a great price just consider this part of the overall price. I'd though still be ticked about 3+ hours of your vacation burned up on waiting etc...

[jewopaho]

This is the best advice on this, or any other, thread addessing the topic. I don't know how many times I've posted similar replies. Having spent years in the business, I can state unequivocally that about all you save in the Caribbean is the sales tax ... maybe. If jewelry were priced at pennies on the dollar (which is what they want you to believe), every jeweler in the US would be on the next plane to the Caribbean to buy everything in sight. Another helpful tidbit ... burn the appraisal. If you think for one minute that a $3000 appraisal on a $1000 ring equates to buying it for 1/3 of its value ... I've got this oceanfront property in Kansas (just off the coast of Nebraska) that might interest you.

 

 

 

All diamonds have inclusions (flaws) except those graded as "flawless." You don't want to know what a one-carat stone would cost ... but you could buy a really, really nice car for the money. The more inclusions and other flaws (carbon deposits, "feathers," etc.), the lower the grade. What these little gremlins do is affect the refraction of light through the stone, and thus the sparkle (or lack thereof). VS-2 is decent ... about mid-grade. Judging from what your jeweler told you, you likely purchased an SI-2, the lowest graded diamond ... not necessarily bad, but much less expensive. There's also the matter of color ... again, probably a wild guess in this instance. The closer to the letter "A," the "cleaner" (i.e. less yellow) the stone. Generally speaking, H to J is about where a nice-looking, well-priced SI-2 diamond should be. The mounts are cast (mass-produced), and quality control appears to be non-existent in your case. Hopefully your credit card company can be of assistance.

 

Do your homework, do your homework, do your homwork! If you don't want to go to a local jeweler and waste his time, you'll find nice selections at the warehouse clubs ... everything is clearly marked and graded. You might also want to take a look in a couple of pawn shops ... if you're somewhat savvy and have reasonable negotiating skills, that's where the deals are!

 

And don't forget to do your homework ... there will be a pop quiz next week!

 

Al

 

Sorry ... I've got to correct my own post ... next time I'll read the entire thing. The lowest grade of jewelry diamonds are in the I category (ranges from 1-3). Basically, they're a step away from drill bits ... inclusions are clearly visible with the naked eye. Save for the stratospheric price range, all colored diamonds are enhanced ... heat- or laser-treated ... to make them look better than they actually are ... essentially a different product. Any VS diamond should not be touched ... assuming that it's cut correctly and of good color (G or better), it's a gorgeous stone. Sorry again for the misinformation ... rarely if ever dealt with anything under SI. A mind is a terrible thing to lose!

Edited January 9, 2011 by jewopaho

[BosoxI]

I wouldn't buy anything worth more than a few hundred dollars in the Carib. They're all a bunch of charlatans, as far as I'm concerned. DI is a case in point. DW bought a 3 carat diamond solitaire from them and then decided she wanted to upgrade it. When we tried in St. Maarten, the only bigger stones they had were in the 4 carat range and yellow, a much lower quality diamond than what they claimed it to be. Plus, and this is what really ticked me off, instead of deducting the value of our 3 carat stone from the price of their 4 carat stone, they seemed to add the value of ours to the value of theirs and then subtracted ours out again, arriving at a net change of 0. (A + B-A =0 I know this is hard to believe, but I swear it's true). We made the big mistake of letting them know we wanted to trade a diamond in. Same thing happened in Cozumel and again in the DI shop at the pier in St. Thomas. Clearly, the word had been spread that a 6'5" American with his slender blonde wife wanted to trade a stone in. So we didn't. When we returned to the States, we found a AGI graded stone of much better quality and size, and lower in price right in a local jewelers in Florida. They shipped it to our permanent address and thus we avoided the sales tax. Plus, the original 3 carat stone is now part of a striking 3 diamond pendant. Still, a big lesson was learned. There may be bargains, but you really have to be careful, especially in places like DI

[RDC1]

One other thing to keep in mind with Jewelers, even in the US.

 

Anytime you let a diamond out of your sight you are vulnerable to have the stone swapped out for one of lower quality. It takes very little time for a jeweler to pop out a stone and replace it with a lower quality stone. Keep that in mind anytime you are having work done on something containing an expensive stone. Especially in a place where you are rushed for time, and will soon be gone.

 

So I would never have work done on existing jewelry or take a high quality stone to a store at a cruise port to put into a piece of jewelry.

[CruisesOnMyMind]

Very odd and bad experience!

 

I bought an expensive diamond ring from Diamonds Int'l in St. Thomas on last cruise. Port shopping guide guy was in store and offered to pick up the ring after resizing and give it to me on the ship, so I did not have to wait. Everyone was great and he had lots of ladies picking up Jewerly back on board.

 

I'm sorry for your experience. Pay $75 and enjoy the ring.

 

We also bought a ring for my DH a couple of years back at DI. Transaction went great,,we were happy with the ring and all was well,,,,UNTIL he went to get it resized because of weight lost a year or so later. Our jeweler said he had a heck of a time sizing it because it was HOLLOW,,,,now that is a rip off!:mad: Doubt if anything can be done about it since it was a couple of years back.

[BosoxI]

One other thing to keep in mind with Jewelers, even in the US.

 

Anytime you let a diamond out of your sight you are vulnerable to have the stone swapped out for one of lower quality. It takes very little time for a jeweler to pop out a stone and replace it with a lower quality stone. Keep that in mind anytime you are having work done on something containing an expensive stone. Especially in a place where you are rushed for time, and will soon be gone.

 

So I would never have work done on existing jewelry or take a high quality stone to a store at a cruise port to put into a piece of jewelry.

 

This is wonderful advice. I hovered over the fellow as he put our new diamond in the envelope to mail to our home address. And he was happy that I did, being an honest salesman working for a very reputable company. For insurance purposes only, I took it to a local appraiser who verified its authenticity and said it is a beautiful stone at an excellent price. But again I stress we bought it in the good old USA. The Caribbean is a great place to retreat from the cold, but it's not necessarily a great place to buy expensive trinkets or watches, but that's another story.

[Kellie Poodle]

If this store is guaranteed by RCI, don't they have some liability? I would get in touch with their customer service (if it's possible to be connected to the right person who knows what they're taliking about) and see if they can resolve the issue to your satisfaction. If nothing else, RCI should reimburse you the $75.

 

I was recently told by a cruise director on board an RCI ship that if there is a problem with an RCI recommended store, RCI will go to bat for you. He said it was like insurance.

 

The other thing you can do, if it's not too late is stop the credit card payment and have the credit card company go to bat for you. I did this with a shop in Cozumel who sold me a bracelet that was not at all what they represented. I called my credit card company, got an estimate from a licensed appraiser and the credit card company took it up with the merchant. I got a substantial refund.

[BosoxI]

I was recently told by a cruise director on board an RCI ship that if there is a problem with an RCI recommended store, RCI will go to bat for you. He said it was like insurance.

 

.

 

That's exactly what I would expect an employee to say. There have been too many people on these various cruise boards saying the cruise companies wash their hands of any involvement. Take yer cherce

Edited January 29, 2011 by BosoxI

[moes]

I wouldn't buy anything worth more than a few hundred dollars in the Carib. They're all a bunch of charlatans, as far as I'm concerned. DI is a case in point. DW bought a 3 carat diamond solitaire from them and then decided she wanted to upgrade it. When we tried in St. Maarten, the only bigger stones they had were in the 4 carat range and yellow, a much lower quality diamond than what they claimed it to be. Plus, and this is what really ticked me off, instead of deducting the value of our 3 carat stone from the price of their 4 carat stone, they seemed to add the value of ours to the value of theirs and then subtracted ours out again, arriving at a net change of 0. (A + B-A =0 I know this is hard to believe, but I swear it's true). We made the big mistake of letting them know we wanted to trade a diamond in. Same thing happened in Cozumel and again in the DI shop at the pier in St. Thomas. Clearly, the word had been spread that a 6'5" American with his slender blonde wife wanted to trade a stone in. So we didn't. When we returned to the States, we found a AGI graded stone of much better quality and size, and lower in price right in a local jewelers in Florida. They shipped it to our permanent address and thus we avoided the sales tax. Plus, the original 3 carat stone is now part of a striking 3 diamond pendant. Still, a big lesson was learned. There may be bargains, but you really have to be careful, especially in places like DI

We bought a diamond ring in the Milano store, and as it would take some time to resize, the director for shopping brought it to our cabin door before we set sail. In less than a week a diamond fell out. We sent it to New York to get repaired and received it back with the band now cracked in half. Got in contact again and decided (as shipping and insurance cost me $27 the first time), that we'd rather get it properly fixed at home for $50, which we did. Although we had it appraised for 3X what we paid for it, don't buy anything for an amount that you can't afford to lose. As mentioned by others, the cruise people only refer you to the warranty service and won't really do much for you personally, after all they must get paid for advertising these seemingly fly-by-night jewelery shops.

[Esmerelda]

I can't speak for the Milano store but we had the most horrible experience in a Diamonds International store in Cozumel. (it came down to security and all 5 of us certain we were going to jail in Mexico and we had done NOTHING!). When we got back to the ship, I went straight to the guest services desk and told them what happened. They asked that we also speak to the "shopping expert" :rolleyes: onboard. We did that later on and she seemed quite stunned. When I arrived back home, I even wrote to Mr. Fain (who replied within 4 hours of my email on a Sunday). Yes, it was UGLY.

 

This was the worst experience off of a ship we've ever had after 9 cruises. I will never set foot in another Diamonds International again. This whole thing was inexcusable and we weren't even shopping, we were just with the shoppers.:mad:

 

I can't say as I'm surprised at anything of any of these "preferred stores" after what happened to us in Mexico. I will do my shopping for anything expensive in the USA.

 

To the OP: I'm so sorry that you had a bad experience but I cannot say that I'm surprised at all. I hope you get your ring issue straightened out but I would seriously give some thought to mailing it back.

[Bakincakes]

The best advice is to find a good jeweler in the US and stick with them.:)

 

I have bought gold in Italy and Spain but as for precious stones...only the USA.

[Pushka]

The best advice is to find a good jeweler in the US and stick with them.:)

 

I have bought gold in Italy and Spain but as for precious stones...only the USA.

 

The most beautiful stones especially sapphires, are mined in Sri Lanka and if you use an accredited jeweler, you will be amazed at the prices you can buy them for, and have them valued for by your known jeweler. I am talking purchasing a sapphire ring for around $500 that is worth several thousands of dollars in western jewelry stores. You just have to do your own research.

[Bakincakes]

The most beautiful stones especially sapphires, are mined in Sri Lanka and if you use an accredited jeweler, you will be amazed at the prices you can buy them for, and have them valued for by your known jeweler. I am talking purchasing a sapphire ring for around $500 that is worth several thousands of dollars in western jewelry stores. You just have to do your own research.

 

 

Oh I agree that anyone who buys jewelry, even in the US, without doing research is foolish.

 

Used to be reputable jewelers were easy to find, these days no and they will take advantage of uninformed buyers.

 

My engagement ring has Sri Lankan sapphires. But my DH bought it for me when he was in Australia from a friend of his who is a jeweler there.:)

[skandls]

A really old post (2008) getting revisited twice.

[Pushka]

A really old post (2008) getting revisited twice.

 

If the message is the same then the date is irrelevant.

 

Oh I agree that anyone who buys jewelry, even in the US, without doing research is foolish.

 

Used to be reputable jewelers were easy to find, these days no and they will take advantage of uninformed buyers.

 

My engagement ring has Sri Lankan sapphires. But my DH bought it for me when he was in Australia from a friend of his who is a jeweler there.:)

 

He is a clever man! :) I have a lovely blue Sapphire ring that my husband and son bought me from Sri Lanka (my son was adopted from Sri Lanka at 4 weeks of age and he and hubby returned to Sri Lanka for a visit when he turned 21. This was their present.)

 

Back to the topic - I never even thought about buying expensive stones simply because of the duty free. I only ever tend to buy expensive items like this when I am buying them from the country where the item originated. Except for gold which I guess is very universal.

Edited October 10, 2011 by Pushka

[SusieV]

I can't speak for the Milano store but we had the most horrible experience in a Diamonds International store in Cozumel. (it came down to security and all 5 of us certain we were going to jail in Mexico and we had done NOTHING!). When we got back to the ship, I went straight to the guest services desk and told them what happened. They asked that we also speak to the "shopping expert" :rolleyes: onboard. We did that later on and she seemed quite stunned. When I arrived back home, I even wrote to Mr. Fain (who replied within 4 hours of my email on a Sunday). Yes, it was UGLY.

 

This was the worst experience off of a ship we've ever had after 9 cruises. I will never set foot in another Diamonds International again. This whole thing was inexcusable and we weren't even shopping, we were just with the shoppers.:mad:

 

I can't say as I'm surprised at anything of any of these "preferred stores" after what happened to us in Mexico. I will do my shopping for anything expensive in the USA.

 

To the OP: I'm so sorry that you had a bad experience but I cannot say that I'm surprised at all. I hope you get your ring issue straightened out but I would seriously give some thought to mailing it back.

 

My curiosity is piqued- what happened?

[Bakincakes]

If the message is the same then the date is irrelevant.

 

 

 

He is a clever man! :) I have a lovely blue Sapphire ring that my husband and son bought me from Sri Lanka (my son was adopted from Sri Lanka at 4 weeks of age and he and hubby returned to Sri Lanka for a visit when he turned 21. This was their present.)

 

Back to the topic - I never even thought about buying expensive stones simply because of the duty free. I only ever tend to buy expensive items like this when I am buying them from the country where the item originated. Except for gold which I guess is very universal.

 

 

Gold is the one thing I'll buy when in certain countries.

 

I also have a huge beautiful Opal my DH got me while in OZ. I don't usually wear Opals but this one is exquisite.:)

 

What a nice gift from Sri Lanka!!

[How'sBartCruisin'?]

I sat through that Shoppers Guide show with my wife on our honeymoon and didn't trust it for a minute. They can sugar-coat it any way they want, but the companies advertized in the show are only their because they paid to be advertized, not because they are above repute.

[pandaspu]

Don't mean to rub salt into anyone's wound, but here's my opinion for what it's worth. What I am hearing here (and on some other sites as well) is that the workmanship on the settings is lousy, and cruise lines are getting kickbacks from the "approved" shopping centers. First of all...'duh', I'm not that naive to think the cruise lines offer these talks and coupons out of the generosity of their hearts. I realize they get comissions and kickbacks from customers who make purchases there; why else do you think they take your ship name when you make a purchase. Why else do you think they are willing to wheel and deal with you on prices--because of the poor quality and the high mark-up. The stores know they are trying to pass off $75 worth of stones for $1000. The best thing you can do is be an educated consumer-just like here in the states. Know what you are looking for, and know what it is worth before you buy!

Secondly, I don't go to the Caribbean expecting to buy fabulous pieces of jewelry. I know the ring settings are notoriously bad. I go for the stones. I have an excellent jeweler here at home who resets my stones for me at a very reasonable price. And what I save on the stones, I am still coming out cheaper than purchasing a finished product here. Maybe I have been lucky, or maybe its the stones I buy (I collect pieces of mystic fire topaz for my jewelry), but all my stones have appraised for at least three times what I paid for them!

Anywhere you go expecting a deal that seems too good to be true...usually is. Let's not get started on some of these tv shopping channels. Although the one from Tennessee is pretty good-but again, great deal on quality stones, real lousy settings. That's how/why/where you get the "savings".

Long story short (alright, maybe a little too late for that), just be an educated consumer. The cruise lines do not force you to go to these stores. They don't even say they will back them up-the cuise lines say the STORES are guaranteed to assist you, not them. Sorry!

[mdg1325]

Hi

Our management has recently taken over this company and is trying to resolve all old issues which are in our scope. Please reach out to me if possible.