Whitehall Jewelers reviews and complaints

Since 03/21/2008 I have tried to communicate by phone at the store, by phone at the toll free customer service line, and by email regarding a purchase made 12/26/2007. I was left on hold, transferred a couple of times, outsourced to India, based on the accent of the young lady who could not articulate intelligible English, even though I'm sure she meant well. She was also poorly trained and did not even make sense. The customer service line spiked the first call and left me on hold forever the second time I called. I called the local store again and couldn't speak to the manager. WHY! What's her/his shift? Take a message! Then I emailed from the website and not only do I not get a response, but I think I've been taken off their mailing list... no loss. MEANWHILE - I've received as a cherished anniversary/christmas gift from my husband a beautiful blue topaz ring with 1 out of 6 stones now missing. A pretty big one. I think since it occurred before 90 days after purchase it should be replaced. I love the ring. I would pay to replace the stone. I just want my ring fixed and the business that sold it to me has BLOWN ME OFF. I have a lot of nice jewelry and this has never happened. It was the first time I shopped at Whitehall. If they don't take care of my concern, it'll be my last.

DO NOT SHOP AT WHITEHALL JEWELERS NO MATTER WHAT. I purchased a Whitestar Diamond ring from Whitehall. A few months later I upgraded to a 3 stone Whitestar diamond ring from the King Of Prussia Whitehall store in the summer of 2006. Whitestar diamonds are their specialty diamonds and are supposed to be excellent. I paid over $6, 000 dollars for the ring. the retail tag on it stated that it was worth over $9, 200. The jeweler told me the same. A year later I went to get it appraised for insurance purposes at the Whitehall in Tyson's Corner Northern Virginia. When the appraisal came back with discrepancies in the color, grade, and size of the ring versus what the Legal Diamond certification stated from the jeweler it stated that my wifes ring which already had so much sentimental value was worth ONLY $5, 400. Unacceptable. They then sent it back out to another Whitehall associated jeweler to get it appraised again. They said the mans tools must have been off. The SECOND appraisal came back with discrepancies in the color, grade, and size of the ring versus what the Legal Diamond certification stated again. BUT this time the value of the ring was exactly $9, 200. Thats exactly what I had stated to the manager it should be worth. Don't diamonds go up in price usually? We I asked to speak with someone higher they led me to the district manager. I then went in to the Tyson's Corner store to catch him while he was there. When I went in, he was "conveniently" not there. I work in the same mall so I went back more than 3 times during the day. Each time he had "just stepped out" the last time I went in, they told me he was gone for the day. I called in at least 5 different times over the next 2 weeks and never heard a response back. I called customer service and filed a complaint. (to this day i have never heard back from a customer service person about this and my complaint mysteriously was closed as "resolved") I finally was able to make an appointment with the D.M. through the manager of the store. When I went in and asked why he didn't call me he stated that he ignored my phone calls. He stated that he could not give me a refund. Since I did not buy it there he could not authorize that. He tried to fix the problem by putting the ring in platinum because I had stated my anger that the White gold had turned yellow. This didn't fix the fact that the diamond ring was not worth what I was told or even purchased it for. A month later I drove up to King Of Prussia, pa and tried to return it there. The manager their stated that she was new and has been cleaning up "messes" ever since she started. Not a good sign. She stated that she would take care of it and I would have a refund by the end of the day as long as the Tyson's corner store sent them the ring. 2 days later I went into the Tyson's Corner store to check on the return and I was told they never sent it because the district managers said it could not be refunded. I called and filed another complaint and still no word. When I asked the Tyson's corner DM who was higher than him that I could go to he said that there was nobody higher except the president who would just pass it back to him. WHAT! I searched the company website and found the name of a corporate person. When I called for him I got redirected to someone else. I spoke with him for a few weeks to solve things. We finally came to a solution, about 3 months after the appraisal was returned for a partial refund and my old ring back set in a Platinum setting instead of White Gold. Not what I wanted but I was willing to compromise. When we went to finalize everything he passed me on to someone else who then had problems with what I had mentioned our agreement was. She said she would get back to me. I went another 3 months and still no word. I complained to the BBB and they responded with a compromise similar to the one I came to with the previous guy but still not what we had fully agreed on(No platinum setting) I mean it was the least they could do. At this point I wanted a full refund and it was told it could not happen. I then took it to another Jeweler NOT associated with Whitehall and got it appraised. They ALSO said it was worth $5, 400 as well, due to some flaws in the diamond.

So it was confirmed that I was sold a ring at a higher price than what it was worth and I still have not been refunded. They are neglecting the fact that this was my wifes Engagement ring that is now in all our wedding photos and had lots of sentimental value to it. This is not something that they can just fix. It is now 8 months after the first appraisal and I have heard nothing more from them after the BBB complaint and I am stuck with a ring that is less valuable than what I paid for it and what I was told it was really worth. DO NOT SHOP AT WHITEHALL JEWELERS NO MATTER WHAT.