ComplaintsforJamesAllen.com

• Initial Complaint

  04/24/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My fiancé purchased an engagement right from James Allen. We got engaged in October 2022. In December of that same year, the lab created diamond (pear shaped, 1.03 carat grade F clarity SI 1) shattered. We immediately got in contact with James Allen. James Allen insisted it was our fault, that diamonds do break and shatter. They took no responsibility for the faulty diamond. My fiancé and I were left with no choice but to purchase a whole new diamond. James Allen gave us a lousy 350$ discount. My ring was replaced by January 2023 and we invested in insurance. In April of 2023, the new stone and setting that was purchased in January was damaged. The two left prongs completely broke off and I lost the stone. Prongs do not break off the ring completely. My fiancé and I have now gone through two stones in the past 6 months from James Allen. I am asking for a full refund for the stone that was replaced in January.

  

  Business response

  04/25/2023

  Thank you for reaching out and we are sorry this has been your experience with your jewelry. It is true that diamonds and settings do not spontaneously break on their own. The damage so far encountered has been the result of some type of impact or trauma to the diamond/setting. When you contacted James Allen in December 2022 regarding your chipped diamond, we assisted with the best discount possible since your ring was not insured at the time. We were contacted on April 22nd, informing us that your center stone was missing from your ring and two prongs were also broken off. This is a case in which your insurance would assist with the replacement of the center stone and repairs of the setting. At this time you have spoken with several members of management and have requested to be further escalated to the highest person possible. 

  Customer response

  04/26/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  My ring has not been in contact with trauma. It has been worn for every day use. Tammy from James Allen had the nerve to say maybe I wore a sweater where the prongs got suck in it and ripped out. Diamonds and prongs don’t spontaneously break. Engagement rings last the span of 50 years and my two rings from James Allen didn’t even lasted 6 months. This is the result of James Allen not creating a quality product. James Allen should be ashamed of themselves. I am rejecting this response. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *******

• Initial Complaint

  02/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I paid an engagement ring (order no. *******) with a diamond (Intern Number: sku ********, GIA Certificate: **********) on 9th Feb by James Allen. The diamond is 1879 Euro (tax not included). Then I got the conformation email, and on the website, the estimated ship data was 20th. Feb. But after 20th. Feb. it has not been sipped and the est. Ship data was delayed several times. So I asked them what happened, they just told me need more time to fabricate. On 23rd. Feb they told me by email that, this diamond is not available, and I need to change it. I talked with the service, they can offer me a discount, but I need to select a new diamond and they will see how much they can give (order *******).I selected a same-price diamond. Later they told me will give me 50USD off, but I am still arguing with them by email. This means I still did not accept the solution. However, they did not reply yet. Today, I found this diamond is available again on their website with 550 Euro more expensive price (now 2438 Euro) (****************************************************************************************************-********). I asked them to conduct the original order, but they refused. My request is to either refund my 2438-1879 = 559 Euro money, or follow the original order and give me the stone without extra payment(Intern Number: sku ********, GIA Certificate: **********). I'm in Germany, it's very difficult to defend my rights, please help me. Regards ****

  

  Business response

  02/27/2023

  Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback and we sincerely apologize this has been your experience. Customer service was notified that the diamond in your original order was unavailable due to a glitch. We were not aware of the specifics of the glitch and are currently reviewing the listing with our diamond team for accuracy. We see that you have worked closely with our service team and have selected a beautiful True Hearts diamond in your new order, and best pricing was provided on that selection. We are very happy to confirm that this new diamond is available and currently going through its gemologist inspection stage. The jeweler is also working to have your ring completed and ready for its final quality assurance inspection as quickly as possible. We again apologize that a new diamond was needed to fulfill your order, however we do hope that you will be very happy with your ring once you see it. Please don't hesitate to let us know if there is anything further we can do to assist you. 

  

  Business response

  03/02/2023

  Thank you for your continued feedback. We see that you have worked directly with management today and a positive resolution has been reached and agreed upon. If there is anything else we can assist you with please let us know!

  Customer response

  03/03/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

  Additionally, I would like to express my grateful to a staff of James Allen.com, whose name is Lorraine.B.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ****

• Initial Complaint

  02/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My order was made two weeks in advance with an estimated ship date of the 13th, for Valentine's Day. The response is ZERO information. This company takes your money, marks paid, and provides no updates for two weeks. I am hard pressed to find any industry where this is standard practice, especially when it comes to large sums. They repeat what is publicly available and have zero knowledge or willingness to provide information. They claim the jeweler has that information but they do not reach out to the jeweler. I called on multiple occasions, on the 8th, the 9th, and the 10th to request the hard deadline (although I understand that cannot be guaranteed, the request can still be made on their end, and if an issue, information would be appreciated. NONE is provided). In addition to the lack of information, they did nothing on those multiple occasions in which outreach to the jeweler was requested. They ignored multiple phone calls and repeated the same refrain all while zero updates are made to the system heading into the last day before Valentines! The unprofessionalism is astounding here.

  

  Business response

  02/13/2023

  Thank you for reaching out in regards to your order. Today, February 13th, has been our goal completion date since your order moved into production. We are happy to confirm that your jewelry just passed the final quality assurance inspection and your order is marked high priority to ship today. Your package will be shipped FedEx Priority Overnight and the tracking details will be emailed to you shortly. We see you have spoken with several members of management and have been happy with our most recent update. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to assist you further. 

  

  Business response

  02/13/2023

  Thank you for reaching out in regards to your order. Today, February 13th, has been our goal completion date since your order moved into production. We are happy to confirm that your jewelry just passed the final quality assurance inspection and your order is marked high priority to ship today. Your package will be shipped FedEx Priority Overnight and the tracking details will be emailed to you shortly. We see you have spoken with several members of management and have been happy with our most recent update. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to assist you further. 

• Initial Complaint

  02/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased an engagement ring from James ***** on January 12th. The ship date noted when I made the purchase was January 24th. On January 24rd I was notified that there was a delay in shipping the ring. The new shipping date was January 27th - 31st. On January 31st I called and spoke with a representative that stated that there again was a delay and it would ship February 1st. I called on February 1st and again was told that there was a delay and it would ship on the 2nd. It is now February 7th and this has been going on for the last 5 days. Everyday I call and they promise that the ring will ship the next day; then it is ultimately delayed another day.

  

  Business response

  02/08/2023

  We sincerely apologize for the delay in completing your order. The jewelers required a recast of the setting to ensure your ring is absolutely perfect before shipment. The team is working to have your ring ready to ship as quickly as possible and we are currently moving through the final stages of production today. Our shipping department and management are aware of the importance to ship your order immediately upon your ring passing the final quality assurance inspection. Management will continue to communicate with you directly with status updates on your order. 

• Initial Complaint

  02/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On Jan 16 I ordered a ring for my wife (10 year anniversary) the ring was supposed to arrive by January 27th at the latest. We are currently residents in Istanbul, Turkey and so I arranged for the ring to be shipped to my company's headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama. I had a trip scheduled from Istanbul to Birmingham (Jan 29 - Feb 2) and my plan was to pick up the ring from my office while I was in the country. Before I left for my trip on January 25th I noticed that the ring still wasn't in production. I reached out to JA on the chat feature of their website and the person on the other end of the chat assured me that the production would be completed and the ring would arrive on the 28th. I explained my travel requirements again and the need to make sure the ring arrived on time. Then on the 26th I logged into the website and noticed that the estimated shipping date changed again to the 29th. I again chatted with JA and was again met with the same reassurances. The estimated shipping date again changed the next day. Once again I reached out through the chat feature of the JA website. The representative from JA said that they were aware of my shipping needs and that the ring would arrive before I left the country. Finally at 7:00pm on Jan 31, JA printed the FedEx shipping label. The ring wasn't picked up from FedEx until the next day Jan 1. It is now Jan 2 and I'm leaving Birmingham, Alabama. I do not have time to find an alternative anniversary present for my wife on our 10 year anniversary. If the JA representatives would have been honest about the production time I would have been able to shop for an alternative. I can no longer do that. I was contacted by phone today (the day I'm leaving). I requested that JA ship my ring to Istanbul directly and was told 'it's not one of the countries we ship to'. Surely they can make an exception after the horrible customer service that I've experienced so far. So disappointing.

  

  Business response

  02/06/2023

  We sincerely apologize that your order did not arrive in time for your travel plans. Our jewelers needed a little more time to complete your ring and then an unexpected weather delay postponed the transit time of the package, which otherwise would have arrived to your work location on time. We see that you had worked directly with management last week in regards to your order and a positive resolution was reached.

  Customer response

  02/07/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Gregory *****

• Initial Complaint

  01/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I called James Allen Diamonds from JamesAllen.com on January 10th, 2023 and ordered a diamond to be delivered. The representative split the payments into two payments on my two credit cards totaling to $5,039.70. The payments were confirmed and my credit cards were charged. On January 11th, 2023 I received the following email: " After careful review of your order , we are unable to move forward with your purchase from JamesAllen.com. Our service ****** that evaluates orders for fulfillment has declined to move forward with your order. They do not tell us the reasons and we have relied on them for years. Please contact your credit card company to complete a CHARGE-BACK in order to get a refund. We will then accept the CHARGE-BACK. While we are unable to accept a credit card payment for your order, we do offer a bank wire option that does not require the same verification. An added bonus of the bank wire payment is the saving of 1.5% off your full order. If you are interested in that option, please contact us in the next 24 hours and we'd be glad to send you our banking information for the transfer. Best Wishes, Lou" I requested that a refund be made and they emailed me back stating they cannot do issue refunds and that a charge-back must be requested. I called JamesAllen.com on January 12, 2023 on the phone and the representative stated "if you do a bank wire with them on the phone we will refund my payments". I asked to speak to a Manager and they said the manager is in meetings and they will cal me back. They did not called me back. On January 16, 2023 I called them back and they said the same thing, "manager is in meetings and they will call back". I searched online and others have experienced similar problems. They should not charge credit cards unless they plan to satisfy the order. If they cancel the order then they should refund the funds immediately.

  

  Business response

  01/18/2023

  Thank you for providing us with your feedback. In response to your feedback, we have made some changes to our policy. We did receive the chargeback from your bank on your payment which we accepted. You should be receiving a refund from your bank. Please contact your bank to confirm that these funds have been credited back to your account. Please feel free to contact our customer service department directly if you have any questions.

  Customer response

  01/19/2023

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  I called the bank and they said they have not received any response from James Allen regarding the charge-back. Please check my account again. Recall that I was charged on 2 credit cards, therefore 2 charge-backs need to be accepted.

  

  Business response

  01/21/2023

  We received two chargebacks and have accepted both. As a merchant, we can only accept the chargebacks or refund the card, but we cannot do both. Therefore, we have accepted the chargebacks. We have also included a copy of our response to both banks accepting the chargeback.
  

• Initial Complaint

  01/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I contacted James Allen Jewelers in July, 2022 to inquire about having my engagement and wedding rings resized. They told me to send the rings in and pay $50 each for the resizing. About a week after they received my rings, I received a call telling me that they had to remake both of my rings because they could not be resized. I paid the ridiculous amount of money they asked for and was reassured that they would be 100% able to remake my rings exactly as they had been because they had made them in the first place. This is when the nightmare began. I started to receive emails from Lauren W***** with CAD drawings that looked nothing like my original engagement ring. I denied several drawings, and then out of desperation, finally approved the one that I thought looked closest to my original ring. I know nothing about CAD drawings since I am a special ed teacher, not a jewelry designer. In August, 2022, I received a ring that was absolutely hideous and looked NOTHING like my original. I immediately contacted James Allen and sent it back along with my band. From there, I have been communicating with Lorraine and receiving totally incorrect CAD drawings. They have now told me that they are unable to remake my ring because my original was made by a jeweler that they no longer do business with and he finished jewelry by hand. They only do CAD drawings and castings now and my ring cannot be duplicated in this manner. It has been 6 months since I sent my rings in and they have now destroyed my original ring and cannot remake mine. All they are offering is my center stone and what I originally paid for the setting. I cannot get the ring remade for what I paid for the setting 7 years ago. Prices have more than tripled now and I have to pay a jeweler to redesign it. I am owed compensation for the loss of my precious ring and for my emotional distress. I also want my eternity band and all of my diamonds and platinum metal back immediately, along with all of the money that JA owes me!

  

  Business response

  01/24/2023

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2023/01/06) */ We're sorry to hear that ******** is unhappy with her ring. ******** sent her rings back for resize, however, upon inspection it was determined that the ring needed to be remade. The rings were remade for a fraction of the current price. While ********'s ring is currently available for purchase on our website, there have been some slight changes with the design. Our management team has worked directly with ******** the last several months in an effort to re-create ********'s ring to be as close as possible to her original. Unfortunately, the customer has been unhappy with all our attempts to remake the ring. As a gesture of goodwill, we offered a full refund for the setting purchases, however this was refused, and further legal action was threatened. ******** requested her center diamond from the engagement ring be removed from the ring and shipped back to her immediately along with her eternity wedding band. These items have been shipped back to ******** as requested. We hope to assist ******** with a resolution. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2023/01/09) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) James Allen has refused to find a jeweler who will hand finish my ring as the original was done. Loraine has repeatedly told me that my ring "cannot be duplicated via the CAD process," which is the only way James Allen makes jewelry now. I have a REAL jeweler remaking my ring, but it cannot be remade for the measly $1200 they are offering to refund me for the setting. The price of platinum and diamonds have quadrupled since the original ring was made in 2015. Plus I now have to pay for design services, too. James Allen can make this right by refunding the remake fees for BOTH rings, refunding the original setting price, and paying me $5000 for the additional expense and effort that I am putting out to get my ring remade. This is more than fair, considering the fact the James Allen destroyed a sentimental piece of jewelry and is completely unable to remake it to resemble my original ring because they do not work with a real jeweler who can hand finish. That is my offer before forwarding this on to my attorney. I have also been promised the the legal team would be in touch with us, but they have not reached out. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2023/01/11) */ James Allen casts and hand finishes all rings today, just as we have done previously and just as ********'s ring was made in 2015. The CAD is a computer-aided design, and you cannot see the finishing details in the CAD which are done in the finishing process. There are some designs that ******** loved in her original ring that we consider to be errors/defects (like the pretzel-like twisted prongs). 1. The ring that ******** purchased is a cast ring that was hand finished (just as all our rings are done today). 2. James Allen rings made today are equal to or greater quality than the rings made in the past. 3. Platinum is less expensive than in 2015. 4. Natural diamonds are less expensive than in 2015 5. We no longer work with the previous jeweler due to poor quality control issues. 6. ******** was offered a refund on the cost of her original setting as well a refund that she paid to have the ring remade. ******** refused both refunds and threatened legal action and requested to speak with our legal counsel. This has been sent to our legal team at the request of the customer. Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2023/01/12) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Both Lauren and Lorraine have told me that James Allen no longer uses a real jeweler who finishes by hand. I even have it in writing from both. In November, Lorraine called me and told me that James Allen is not able to make my ring and that we would need to discuss compensation options because my ring simply cannot be duplicated using the CAD and casting process that James Allen currently uses in their cookie cutter jewelry factory. I refused that option and told her that James Allen destroyed my ring without my permission, so they will have to figure out how to remake it. After waiting 6 weeks without any communication with anyone, I did request my center stone back so that I can have a real jeweler make the ring. I have been without my rind since James Allen destroyed it in July, 2022. Yes, I did refuse the tiny refund because I cannot get the ring remade for what they offered. Even on their website, the setting is $900 more now than what I paid for it in 2015. If everything is cheaper now, why is their price so much more? Corporate greed? Shouldn't the price of the setting go down if everything is so much cheaper now? Also, Lauren W***** is sending false information to my insurance company. Once again, I'll settle for a full refund of the setting price in 2015, a full refund of the remake fee, and $5000. That's my offer. FYI: the legal team is just as bad as Lauren W***** and the rest of the James Allen team. They haven't reached out after repeated requests. Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2023/01/14) */ James Allen casts and hand finishes all rings today, as we have previously done. James Allen has provided multiple CAD images with all being refused by the customer. There are many factors that go into the cost of the making a ring including the cost of the alloy being used. There has been a price increase of less than $500 from 2015 to 2023 for this same design. James Allen did not falsify any information provided to the customer's insurance company; the customer service representative merely answered questions raised by the customer's insurance company. This customer has requested to speak with legal counsel and legal counsel has been notified.

• Initial Complaint

  12/22/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I ordered an engagement ring from James Allen, largely because of the "James Allen guarantee" of free resizing for one year. The free resize policy states "we will resize your ring once for free within the first year of your purchase". The policy does mention some rings can't be resized, but I had no indication upon ordering the ring that this one would not be able to be resized. This seems to be deceptive advertising. James Allen should make it more clear that this "guarantee" is not actually a guarantee that any ring purchases will be able to be resized free of charge. The word guarantee seems deceptive and should not be used. Instead it should advertise the reality that the ring *may* be able to resized for free depending on the model, size change needed, etc. Very dissappointed and I feel mislead in my purchase.

  

  Business response

  01/05/2023

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/12/22) */ Hi ****, Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. Our 1 Year free resize policy does indicate that some rings cannot be resized due to sizing restrictions and falling outside of the recommended range for the size which is the case for your size difference that was needed on the ring and requires a remake. Once we are outside of the return period for the ring, there are fees that are involved as we do state on our website. A manager has spoken with you to discuss your order and your concerns and offered a partial credit to you for the costs associated with this. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of any further assistance regarding your order. Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2023/01/04) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

• Initial Complaint

  12/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I attempted to make a purchase with JamesAllen.com on 12/15/22. Later that afternoon their customer service contacted me via email to inform me that my payment was declined. I responded back to let them know that I had been in contact with my bank since and did acknowledge the purchase and asked to make a second attempt and to let me know if the second payment attempt was successful or denied, and that I'd check with them in the morning. On 12/16/22, I received an email that stated the payment was incomplete. During the course of the day I was able to get a pre-approval from my bank for a partial payment, in the order of $10k, and worked with James Allens' customer service reps to bill me for the partial payment to hold my order. I made the payment while on the phone with the agent, Sarah, who informed me it was denied again. We agreed that I would check with my bank and get back to them. I checked my account online, which showed the payment was approved to them. I spoke to my bank's customer service who also confirmed that the payment was made, for $10k, to JamesAllen.com. I called JamesAllen back to let them know the payment had been sent from my bank, they denied any payment attempt had been made and stated that they could bill me again. I explained to the agent, Michelle, that I wouldn't be able to make a second payment because they already credited my account. I offered to send a screen shot of my account to prove the payment was sent, she provided the email as [email protected]. I sent my screenshot that showed a payment of $10k was made and asked them to contact me. I did not receive a call back. I called them back again to see if any progress had been made, and they denied that any payment was made, 4 attempts were all denied, that no $10k payment was ever processed . James Allen reps are unable to refund my payment and will not process my order stating that I did not make a payment, their service team will not respond to my email.

  

  Business response

  01/03/2023

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/12/19) */ Hi ******, Thank you for reaching out to us regarding your order. A manager has reached out to you to discuss your order. There was an error with the payments that were processed and the payment did not post to the order. We have released these funds and you should see this updated on your account within 24-48 hours, if not already. We apologize for the error and inconvenience. Please do not hesitate to reach back out to us with any further questions or concerns.

• Initial Complaint

  12/13/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I bought an emerald engagement ring September 30, 2022 for $6,490. Unfortunately, I ordered the wrong size so my fiancé couldn't wear it. We took it to a local jeweler to be resized, thinking it would be easier than shipping it back to James Allen. That jeweler refused to service it as the emerald had a chip for which they didn't want to blamed. I sent it back to James Allen for the resize and inspection. They confirmed there was a chip but claim it happened after shipping, referencing a video of the loose emerald I picked out. Customer service insisted that the damage had to have come from our end (this is impossible as my fiancé was unable to wear it). I asked if there was video or photo evidence of the completed ring being undamaged prior to shipping and was told none existed (they have stopped doing this recently to speed up the shipping process is what I was told). The embarrassment of being refused at the local jeweler and the accusation that we caused the damage has soured my fiancé on James Allen to the point she does not want this ring anymore. Dealing with this company has ruined what should otherwise be a happy event in our lives.

  

  Business response

  12/21/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/12/14) */ Thank you for reaching out and we are sorry to hear of your experience. When your ring was received for resize our gemologist team noticed evidence of damage which was not present during the quality assurance inspection before shipment. We see you have additional care plan coverage on the ring and have a potential replacement gemstone on hold. Our management team is currently working directly with Jewelers Mutual to assist with a replacement gemstone under your care plan policy. We look forward to continuing to work with you on your ring.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩