Strange incident at the jewellers...

I'm not sure if the reply I've got from QVC is generic or not, but 'Lesley' has e-mailed to say they are working hard to get to the bottom of my query and will get back to me in the next 72 hours. I'd like a second opinion but I'm tied up now till next week and won't be near a shopping centre. Hardly seems worth posting one ring...I wish I had more scrap but I like my jewellery too much , it's the only piece I've no use for now. It is hallmarked QVC 375 Birmingham, B. 375 Italy MILOR. Very light weight so I guess I'd be lucky to get a fiver for it, however, it's not the value now...it's a question of quality and can I trust QVC again? I've bought loads of their jewellery but now I'm not so sure it's such a good deal.

I'll stick to Lola Rose and the dedicated jewellery channels. So much for their talk of handing it down the generations...it doesn't even have scrap value! Still, I'll wait to see if there is an answer from QVC before I become too cynical...oops, too late :grin:.

Huggles said:

I've found the receipt! Item number: 665992 Description: 9ct Diamond Accent Band Ring Size 0, £52.16
Purchase 03/05/2007

I'll e-mail QVC with the details and wait to see what they do. I'll let you know. It's definitely not Veronese, way too light.

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Here is a picture of the ring
http://images-p.qvc.com/is/image/uk/6/92/665992

Hope QVC get back to you Huggles.

for those of you who wondered if it was veronese they are hallmarked silver because they are plated at least the couple of pieces i have are but i see now as the thread has gone on the ring is marked as gold.

The shop will have got it wrong - it's a legal requirement for it to be gold if it's hallmarked and that is done independently in Birmingham at the Assay office so nothing to do with QVC. It'll be the jewellers error!

Just received this reply from QVC, seems fair enough to me but I think I'll ask the jeweller to write a report for me all the same, and send it off in a letter. I've nothing to lose.

Thank you for contacting QVCUK in relation top the above item.

Please be assured that this item is made by a reputable jewellery manufacture in Italy that we have dealt with for many years. The item is 9ct gold and has been hallmarked by an assay office accordingly. You will be able to see this if you look closely at the item or use a magnifying glass.

We sold this item over several years and have never received any other queries of this nature.

If you however wish to take this matter further we require a written report from a reputable jewellery stating that they believe the item is not gold and at which point we can start an investigation into this.

Please contact our Customer Care team on 0800 51 41 31 if and when a report has been obtain.

If we can provide any other assistance, please do not hesitate to contact QVC UK.

Thank you for your enquiry.

Regards,

Angela
QVCUK Product Information Team

Might be worth asking a 2nd jewellers opinion on this first to see if they think the same as the first jeweller before geeting a report.

Alan

Huggles said:

Just received this reply from QVC, seems fair enough to me but I think I'll ask the jeweller to write a report for me all the same, and send it off in a letter. I've nothing to lose.

Thank you for contacting QVCUK in relation top the above item.

Please be assured that this item is made by a reputable jewellery manufacture in Italy that we have dealt with for many years. The item is 9ct gold and has been hallmarked by an assay office accordingly. You will be able to see this if you look closely at the item or use a magnifying glass.

We sold this item over several years and have never received any other queries of this nature.

If you however wish to take this matter further we require a written report from a reputable jewellery stating that they believe the item is not gold and at which point we can start an investigation into this.

Please contact our Customer Care team on 0800 51 41 31 if and when a report has been obtain.

If we can provide any other assistance, please do not hesitate to contact QVC UK.

Thank you for your enquiry.

Regards,

Angela
QVCUK Product Information Team

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Would be interesting to go back to the same jewellers with this email and ask THEM for a report, see if they will put thier name to thier claims of it not being gold.

9ct gold is of poor quality anyway, due to its low purity. i would not doubt qvc's claims. why would one put so much trust to the opinion of an individual who only gave an opinion according to his intended gain?

I'm in agreement with those here who say it's more of a problem with your 'local jeweller' than it is with QVC. The cynic in me thinks that the jeweller saw the "QVC" initials stamped alongside the hallmark on your ring and got a bit jealous. I know it sounds absurd but the amount of times I've taken rings bought from QVC to be sized/cleaned etc. to my jewellers and got a very frosty reaction in return is bordering on the ridiculous. They seem to hate them :thinking2:

Huggles said:

Just received this reply from QVC, seems fair enough to me but I think I'll ask the jeweller to write a report for me all the same, and send it off in a letter. I've nothing to lose.

Thank you for contacting QVCUK in relation top the above item.

Please be assured that this item is made by a reputable jewellery manufacture in Italy that we have dealt with for many years. The item is 9ct gold and has been hallmarked by an assay office accordingly. You will be able to see this if you look closely at the item or use a magnifying glass.

We sold this item over several years and have never received any other queries of this nature.

If you however wish to take this matter further we require a written report from a reputable jewellery stating that they believe the item is not gold and at which point we can start an investigation into this.

Please contact our Customer Care team on 0800 51 41 31 if and when a report has been obtain.

If we can provide any other assistance, please do not hesitate to contact QVC UK.

Thank you for your enquiry.

Regards,

Angela
QVCUK Product Information Team

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I do not doubt QVC at all as any gold piece of jewellery in the UK (be it 9ct, 18ct or 24ct) has to be legally hallmarked before it can be sold, this is to safe guard us the consumer.

I suspect the jeweller you took it to is only interested in buying high ct gold as there is more money to be made from it.

I was recently talking to a jeweller and he told me that they are making more money from buying scrap jewellery at the moment as they then sell it on for higher price to a gold refinery, who then melt it down. He was very honest and refused to take an antique 18ct gold ring I wanted to to sell as he said he would be 'ripping me off' giving me just the scrap price and advised me to sell it to an antique jeweller. What a refreshing change!!!!!

AnnaBanana said:

I'm in agreement with those here who say it's more of a problem with your 'local jeweller' than it is with QVC. The cynic in me thinks that the jeweller saw the "QVC" initials stamped alongside the hallmark on your ring and got a bit jealous. I know it sounds absurd but the amount of times I've taken rings bought from QVC to be sized/cleaned etc. to my jewellers and got a very frosty reaction in return is bordering on the ridiculous. They seem to hate them :thinking2:

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This is very true.

A while ago I took a few pieces of jewellery to my local jewellers to be valued for insurance purposes. Most of the jewellery was from places other than QVC - my jeweller was very helpful with those, giving me a good price and certification for it etc. The final piece I wanted valuing was a ring from QVC 9ct White Gold with London Blue Topaz and Aquamarine stones in it. He, at first was very helpful again - took the jewellers loop to it and gave me a price of about 10 times more than I paid for it (as you can imagine I was well chuffed!!) I asked him a question about the ring, he used the jewellers loop on it again - then suddenly asked 'Where did you get this from?' - when I said 'QVC' he literally threw the ring across the counter at me suddenly changing his mind on the valuation. It went from from 10 times more than I paid for it, to just less than double...:cheeky: - needless to say I took my custom elsewhere after that!

my local jeweller was very horrible and very rude about a daimonique watch I took in,for a battery change.

silly really, that's not how to get custom!

in a nutshell, jewlrs are p** off because qvc are seriously undercutting them re price.

watersiren said:

in a nutshell, jewlrs are p** off because qvc are seriously undercutting them re price.

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I am sure you are right, but its not just QVC they are up against. I recently bought a gift piece from an online specialist jeweller. When I first enquired, they had none because they had gone to be hallmarked (They make and engrave the pieces themselves from 9ct gold) so I enquired at local jewellers who wanted more than 3 times the price to supply the same item. In the end the web jewellers got them in stock in time and I was very pleased with the purchase.

But being rude won't get the shop my cleaning, repairs, engraving, watch batteries...all the every day stuff

I'm surprised that QVC didn't offer to replace the stone or whole ring as you say a stone fell out of it? I have an epiphany ring that lost a tiny stone after 14 months and they offered me a replacement,which I took as I wear the ring all the time and love it. I have had the replacement almost 2 years now with no problems.It has stayed a lovely white colour-unlike my far more expensive white gold engagement ring which needs replating every year!

watersiren said:

9ct gold is of poor quality anyway, due to its low purity. i would not doubt qvc's claims. why would one put so much trust to the opinion of an individual who only gave an opinion according to his intended gain?

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Spot on watersiren - on every point you made here!

I think the jeweller wanted Huggles' 18ct gold and, relative to this quality, rejected the 9ct piece - ie relative to the 18ct gold, the 9ct wasn't 'gold' to this jeweller: indeed in some countries, 9ct isn't classified as gold because of it's low purity.

As you so rightly say too watersiren, why trust the opinion of this jeweller 'who only gave an opinion according to his intended gain': that is at the root of the 'opinion' from this jeweller! HOWEVER, this jeweller is doing business in the UK where 9ct is allowed to be called 'gold', so I don't think could be allowed to say it wasn't 'gold', not in any written report submitted in the UK anyway!

Choppysocks said:

Would be interesting to go back to the same jewellers with this email and ask THEM for a report, see if they will put thier name to thier claims of it not being gold.

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Yes, Choppysocks you've made a great point here: would the same jeweller who told Huggles verbally that her 9ct gold ring wasn't gold, be prepared to put their name to a written report saying the same thing, given that in the UK 9ct CAN be called gold?! I somehow think there could be legal problems for them if they did!

Hi Huggles - i can fully understand your disappointment - you purchased an item, believing it to be what they said, gold; not silver plated with gold, or any other base metal - but pure gold. I have ceased to buy jewellery from QVC, i havent bought from them now in over 9 years. Two things really, O bought a gold pendant with what was meant to be a ruby on it, the gold turned a very strange colour, it went black in places, the ruby i was told was not a ruby! I was bought a pair of earrings, and was informed that these earrings where topaz and sky blue topaz - they were on silver, the silver made my ears reacted so badly, that the lobes puffed up, became so itchy and weepy, that i couldnt wear the earrings again - gave them to a friend, who of course soaked them for hygienic purposes, the silver came off!!!! and the stones went discoloured, and she only soaked them in warm water with a spot of washing up liquid.

Now here is the thing that made me feel so angry and taken for a ride - i think it was about 1998 - qvc were selling a watch, which they said had a real solid silver sixpence as its face! (if any one can remember) the strap was stainless steel, it was a nice watch, i ordered 2, one for me, one for my sister; they arrived, and they looked beautiful, i wore my everyday, one day, I put it on, as I was doing the click clack strap up, i noticed the hands had stopped, new battery time, i thought to myself, but hey, i hadnt even had the watch 6 months! and as i took it off, it slipped out of my hand, and dropped on my kitchen floor, and the glass covering the face, smashed, and the watch had literally sprung apart, and the dial was contourted, and as i looked, i noticed to my extreme horror, that the so called solid silver sixpence, was in fact a piece of compressed cardboard sprayed to look like an old silver sixpence! i was so angry, and felt totally conned - and stupidly i didnt do anything about it, i didnt contact qvc - i rang my sister and told her - and she couldnt believe it! and she took hers to the jewellers and asked them to open hers up, and believe it or not - she had the same thing!!!

I decided never to purchase from them again . If they are going to make quotes that the watch contained a genuine solid silver sixpence, why on earth didnt there quality control test this case - i felt cheated and still do - and i kick myself everytime i get suckered by another shopping channel - its about time they either genuine with customers. Do you know how i feel I feel like I went to the market, and got suckered in by those whom sell all the goods at stupid prices, and when you get home, you realise you have spent £10 on an empty bag - or been had at Blackbush market (which used to be so envogue 20 years ago, probably still happens! ) xxxx

mariecat said:

Spot on watersiren - on every point you made here!

I think the jeweller wanted Huggles' 18ct gold and, relative to this quality, rejected the 9ct piece - ie relative to the 18ct gold, the 9ct wasn't 'gold' to this jeweller: indeed in some countries, 9ct isn't classified as gold because of it's low purity.

As you so rightly say too watersiren, why trust the opinion of this jeweller 'who only gave an opinion according to his intended gain': that is at the root of the 'opinion' from this jeweller! HOWEVER, this jeweller is doing business in the UK where 9ct is allowed to be called 'gold', so I don't think could be allowed to say it wasn't 'gold', not in any written report submitted in the UK anyway!

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of course. no doubt about that!

qvc do manufacture in italy, but a special license is required. italian government regs do not permit the production of gold jewellery pieces that are less than 18ct (which is still only 75% gold).