Merchants are trying to get the most for their jewelry and buyers are trying to pay the least. However, in this price tug-of-war, the merchants have the upper hand. Most buyers are not expert enough to compete with the merchant and win on price but you can even the playing field and we’ll show you how. As a comparison test, we asked the stores to price their one-carat round, G colour, VS clarity diamond, a basic diamond that any store would have. Amazingly, we were quoted prices ranging from $5700.00 to almost $10,000.00! Bargaining is important!
Customer service is as important as price. Communicating with a jeweler several thousand miles away is not easy or fun. There are many policies on service after the sale so be sure to inquire about that before and certainly after you purchase.
The real nightmare can be when you want to return the jewelry for some reason and why you must understand their return policy. Many stores have return policies on back of their receipt and NONE of them cover buyer’s remorse! We recommend that buyers understand and request a copy of the return policy before purchasing any jewelry. Do not rely on verbal promises. Virtually all of the stores would take a return or provide an exchange for defective merchandise or damage through no fault of the wearer. In the case of a value discrepancy, they would only take a return if the guest had an appraisal from a gemologist/independent appraiser who is not associated with any retail store and does not sell to the public. Watches are only serviced through the watch manufacturers.
Yantz Bradbury Associates
P.O. Box 10123 – Rockville, Maryland – 20850
Office: (301) 335-6687
Serving MD, VA and DC Metro Area