Engagement Ring Returns
Because online shopping has grown to be the norm, return policies have become even more important. Unlike visitors that come into our brick-and-mortar jewelry stores, online customers don’t get to physically see and touch the item before they purchase it. Therefore, e-commerce sites have ensured that their return policies are fair and appealing to their customers by offering 30-day return policies with a full refund. Guliani’s does offer a 30-day return policy but I’m always stressed when we sell a young man an engagement ring—what happens it he breaks up with his fiancé and wants to return the ring? Of course we want to keep him happy in the case he decides to propose again in the future…do you have a different kind of policy on loose diamond returns? We do not offer returns on Special Orders or Custom design Orders.
Neil The Jeweler commented:
Return policies can be tricky. One needs to balance the customer's
interest with one's own. Can YOU get 30 days refund from your
diamond supplier particularly if it was a memo sale? Do YOU have
hundreds of prospects a day? I don't believe its a given that a
B&M shop has to have the same policies as an online vendor. One
of the advantages of being a face to face seller is the chance to
make the client feel comfortable with the entire process and
comfortable with the seller. You put real time(and money) into the
presentation. Does the customer really need a thirty day window for
buyer's remorse? Do you really need that kind of exposure? With
shrinking margins the gamble that a sale sticks may be a bit more
palatable with a tighter return policy. If the customer has, say,
ten days to verify the quality stated, shouldn't that be fair
enough since the appearance of the item has already met their
criteria? It may sound tacky but we're here to make money. We don't
have to be philistine about it but we do need to create our
policies toward that end. I'm reminded of that old saying, "Nobody
ever went broke by making money".
Mall Jewelry Boy commented:
For loose diamonds, I imagine you can get away with a 30 day return
policy AS LONG AS you start the 30 days when the customer picks up
mounted diamond if you sell a semimount and loose stone together.
Especially if a store sends their repairs out, and if it takes a
week or more...or if you have to order the correct size head and
don't want to pay for overnighting it...I really don't think it's
fair to say you have 30 day return policy when it takes 7-14 days
for the customer to get the ring!
