ComplaintsforLibutti Jewelers, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  01/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Back in august, I went to this business to have an engagement ring made for my fianc. I put a $200 deposit down. ( I have the bank transaction number for this ) 3 weeks went by and I did not hear anything from the owner, *******. So I went to follow up after not having heard back. She then told me I would need to pay $2,000 up front for a custom setting. I ( I believe nothing was done after the first deposit because she didn't take me seriously for the amount of money I put down, but I was wary of her) So I paid the $2,000. She then came back about a week later with the finalized product. We went to go see it in the store, and my fiance did not like it. So I asked for a refund. the owner refused because she said it was a custom order, However; we never accepted the product, it never left the store. She told me she would try to find a buyer, and would refund me if she got one. I waited for weeks, and then followed up and she said there was no buyer and she can't return it. So at that point, I asked for the stone to be removed, and for her to give me the setting that I paid $2,000 for, but she refused to give it to me without me purchasing the diamond stone for another $12,000 which I refused to do ( I got the ring we wanted from another jeweler ) The setting is my property that I paid for, and I am seeking either a full refund, or the setting to be given to me because she cannot just collect $2,000 and hold my setting hostage. I looked it up, and removing the stone from the setting is an easy process any jeweler can do. If it cannot be resolved through the BBB, then I plan to take them to court. I have my receipts, and several ****** reviews that reference the behavior of the business owner (in addition to stealing my money, she was rude, and threw a fit in the store, slamming the box with the ring in it on the counter when I told her I did not wish to purchase the diamond, which is my right as a consumer.

  Business response

  02/01/2022

  The explanation for not, as yet, refunding the customer is explained as follows in response to a Yelp complaint registered by the fianc, ***** ** regarding this matter. 

  This is simply a situation in which ***** * special ordered a custom made engagement ring and chose a specific diamond from a selection that was brought in from an outside vendor. The non-refundable deposit that was left by the customer is intended to protect the store from at least some degree of loss should the customer walk away from a completed order which was the case here.  Had the outside vendor refunded our money invested in the diamond or had we been able to sell the ring to another individual which has not happened so far, we would have refunded at least part of the deposit as promised to ************** Our receipts clearly state that special orders such as this are non-refundable and due to the cost of the diamond that we paid for, we presently stand to lose quite a bit more than what we collected on deposit.

   

  The complaint registered with BBB is simply not the case as the customer was shown the progress at every step of the way with full approval up until the date that the finished ring was presented to the couple. There was never any suggestion that Libutti Jewelers had not lived up to our obligation. We can only conclude that there was a sudden change of heart. We had hoped that we could sell the ring to someone else to at least minimize or cut our respective losses but that has not happened to date

   

  Customer response

  02/02/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  I am rejecting the response because the money in question is for the setting, which I have a receipt for. She is correct, we did have a change of heart. The $2,000 I paid was for the setting, which is on the receipt. (This is NOT a deposit, it is payment for the setting as stated on the receipt) The setting is my property that I paid for, I am under no obligation to purchase the diamond with it. I have done the research and the stone can simply be removed, and the setting given to me. If either the setting is not returned to me, or refunded (either is an acceptable resolution for me) then my next course of action will be property court, as $2,000 was charged, and I have not been given the setting that I paid for, and in the attachments the receipt shows that the setting was paid in full. 

  I will reiterate 2 facts that are important in this case: 1.) The diamond can easily be removed from the setting, the owner is just refusing to do so because she wants me to buy the diamond from her  2.) the setting has been paid for already, so it must be returned to me, as it is rightfully my property that I paid $2,000 for. 

  If this cannot be resolved through the BBB, then my next course of action will be to *** Libutti Diamond jewelers in property court. 

   

   

  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business response

  02/09/2022

  It is understood by both parties that the intent was to have Libutti Jewelers deliver a completed diamond ring which we were prepared to do. We created a separate receipt for the diamond in addition to the receipt for the mounting. We, as a show of good faith, only required a $200 deposit on the $11,950.00 diamond which we purchased from our vendor and could not return. At this point, we stand to lose thousands of dollars as a result of their admitted change of heart regarding their choice of diamond. I will gladly forward a copy of the receipt for the diamond plus a copy of text messages that went back and forth between ******** and *** if it would be helpful that refute the negative comments that were made regarding delays, etc.

  Regardless, we recognize that we did not protect ourselves adequately from the customer's change of heart and we are prepared give the mounting to the customer that is specified on the subject receipt. We will contact the customer regarding the mounting as soon as it is available.

  ************************* VP, Libutti Jewelers Inc.

*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. ↩