6 replies to this topic

[rosyday]

Hi, I'm looking for a stone on line. Has anyone dealt w Lumera Diamonds?
Good or bad experience?
Rosyday

[jan]

What do they have that you are looking at?

[denverappraiser]

Online diamond dealers come in two general flavors. The first is jewelry stores that happen to be in someone else’s neighborhood and who are expanding their own marketing through the Internet. The second are data driven outfits that are listing stones owned by 3rd parties in what amounts to a consignment deal but where they don’t actually have the stone available until you buy it. How they handle the deal AFTER you buy it varies considerably. There are advantages and disadvantages to each approach and there are lots of hybrids so it's sort of a continuum. I’ve never heard of these people but they seem to be solidly and unapologetically in the latter camp. Their terms and conditions are pretty par for the course except for a $50 restocking fee (which is a bad thing). The selection they offer in terms of stones is pretty much the same as everyone else. To a large degree it's even the same stones. They don’t seem to offer much if anything in terms of jewelry or other 'value added' service and the selling point is a claim of low comparative prices based on the specs from the lab report. So far that’s fair enough and it’s easy to shop them against their competitors (who are numerous by the way) and see how their prices stack up. Chances are good they'll be prepared to negotiate if you find the same stone elsewhere for less. It’s a little harder to decide if a particular stone being offered is the one for you. There’s regularly just not enough information provided but you've given us nothing at all to go on. Is there a stone you have in mind that you can link us to the advertisement?

Some ways to research particular dealers:

Check the BBB record in their hometown. www.bbb.org
Look ‘em up on ripoffreport.com to see if they’ve got any unresolved complaints there.
Google their name and look for sites OTHER than their own that have something to say about them.
Look them up in whois and see who owns the site and how long they’ve been in business. Google the name of the owner/principals that you find here and on the BBB record and see if you dig up any dirt.
Google Earth their address and see what they look like ‘in real life’.
Call them up on the phone and get a feel for how they communicate with their customers.
Show up at their store if they have one and talk to them in person.

Edited by denverappraiser, 27 August 2010 - 09:00 AM.

[GeorgeDI]

Rosyday,

Are they able to answer questions and compare stones for you? They are in MO and list goods that are primarily located in New York City. Will they call in stones and send you actual pictures, even comparison pictures? There are quite a number of us who will give you all the service you need to make an informed and confident decision on-line. You should settle for nothing less. What are you looking for?

[HeartAndStone]

Hi rosyday!

Welcome...

Maybe it's better to start with the stone that you like from Lumera Diamonds.
There's always a first time when buying diamonds online, and if Lumera is your choice
and you're not spending a fortune, it's time to communicate with them and weigh things out.

[FutureFiance]

Hi,

I have just had an EXTREMELY bad experience with Lumera Diamonds. I found the perfect diamond from them at the perfect price only to be told the next day that the diamond did not exist. I was surprised to learn that they had fake listings when it states in their company policy: “We believe in honesty. You will find our diamonds fairly and accurately described”. The customer service was reprehensible and they did not even have the integrity to offer me a diamond of equivalent quality for my original purchase price. This company has lost all credibility to me and I recommend that you do not purchase your diamonds through this retailer.

[LaurieH]

Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience with any online retailer--they make it SO much harder for the good ones

So what was it that you were looking at (and price) and what reason did they give you? Did they said the diamond was already sold? I know sometimes it's hard to get up-to-date inventory online, since they'll update usually once a day and can't update on weekends. If you deal with a company where you can speak to real people (rather than only have the option of just picking it out and paying and never dealing with a human being), you'll likely get better results.

So are you still shopping for a diamond, and if so, can we help you with any questions? If so, feel free to start a new thread with what you're looking for and we'll all chime in as best we can to help you (btw...I don't work for any diamond stores. I used to work for an e-tailer, but I'd like to think I'm reasonably good with the advice )