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experience with Gary Weiss Jewelry47



 
 
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  #1  
Old August 14th 04, 05:41 PM
VC
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default experience with Gary Weiss Jewelry47

Hello,

I wanted to post my experience purchasing from Gary Weiss Jewelry /
Jeweler in NYC, also called Jewelry47 on eBay.

I am a consumer (not a business) who found Gary through eBay. He did
not have the exact ring I wanted listed on eBay so I contacted him
about making a ring.

After several emails with Gary, I purchased a diamond eternity band -
unfortunately, the experience was not as expected. I made sure that
my correspondence with Gary was in writing and he still did not
deliver on the terms we had agreed to:

1) Gary promised a ring of G color diamonds, VS clarity. Upon
receiving the ring, I immediately had it appraised - the diamonds in
the ring turned out to be I and J color and SI clarity - with plenty
of chipped stones, which could easily be seen under a lens.

2) Gary promised a ring of 1.60 total carat weight. The estimated
carat weight from the appraiser was only .9 carats.

3) Gary promised a 7-day return policy with a full refund (exactly the
same as his return policy on eBay). I returned the ring within 7 days
of receiving it, sent via FedEx with proof of signature from his
office. This was on July 9, 2004. I have yet to see my refund.
Since then, I have had numerous emails and calls with Gary - he has
offered excuse after excuse about why he has not gotten to the refund.
He even emailed me that he would process my refund on July 20. He
then said he hadn't been able to do it and that he would do it
"tomorrow" or "next Monday" or "in 4-7 days". Repeated stalling. It
is now August 14 and I no longer have the ring, nor do I have my
money.

On the phone, Gary is very well-mannered, soft-spoken and a seemingly
really nice guy. Even when pressed, he sounds so sweet and
apologetic, almost "fumbling" so that you feel bad for him. Before
purchasing, I checked all of his reviews on eBay - he has hundreds of
positive reviews. I am guessing that these folks are not having the
items they purchase from him appraised. Or possibly I just happened
to get a bad deal from him.

Either way, I am working with my credit card company to dispute the
charges and I expect to be reimbursed for this eventually.

When I did a Google search on Gary Weiss before making my purchase, I
could not find anything about him other than the eBay listings. I am
posting this now for others that might be doing research and
considering purchasing from him.

My advice is, of course, not to buy from Gary Weiss / Jewelry47. But
if you do, I offer the following tips:

1) Have the item appraised. Make sure you are getting what was
represented.
3) Pay by credit card, so that you have a way to dispute the charge if
things don't go well. If you send a money order or cashier's check
and then return the item, you will have a much harder time getting
your money back.
4) Conduct your business in writing as much as possible. If you do
have to dispute the charge on your credit card, you will need
documentation to prove everything.

Best wishes,
Victoria C.
Ads
  #2  
Old August 14th 04, 09:28 PM
Lawrence
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Hi.

I've never purchased anything from that seller. I'm surprised what you
bought was misrepresented, seems like that seller is one of the big boys out
there that plays honest. Just recently I purchased 2, 3-stone diamond rings.
Both were misrepresented, had both certified. I notified the seller, she
immedialtey refunded my payment. Your advice about using your credit card is
correct. Since this seller of yours has a business in NY, maybe you can see
him in person? it's up to you. he'll have a surprise look on his face if you
show up unexpected. you can file a complaint report with the Better Business
Bureau in NY, I would.

Best wishes
Lawrence L.


"VC" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I wanted to post my experience purchasing from Gary Weiss Jewelry /
Jeweler in NYC, also called Jewelry47 on eBay.

I am a consumer (not a business) who found Gary through eBay. He did
not have the exact ring I wanted listed on eBay so I contacted him
about making a ring.

After several emails with Gary, I purchased a diamond eternity band -
unfortunately, the experience was not as expected. I made sure that
my correspondence with Gary was in writing and he still did not
deliver on the terms we had agreed to:

1) Gary promised a ring of G color diamonds, VS clarity. Upon
receiving the ring, I immediately had it appraised - the diamonds in
the ring turned out to be I and J color and SI clarity - with plenty
of chipped stones, which could easily be seen under a lens.

2) Gary promised a ring of 1.60 total carat weight. The estimated
carat weight from the appraiser was only .9 carats.

3) Gary promised a 7-day return policy with a full refund (exactly the
same as his return policy on eBay). I returned the ring within 7 days
of receiving it, sent via FedEx with proof of signature from his
office. This was on July 9, 2004. I have yet to see my refund.
Since then, I have had numerous emails and calls with Gary - he has
offered excuse after excuse about why he has not gotten to the refund.
He even emailed me that he would process my refund on July 20. He
then said he hadn't been able to do it and that he would do it
"tomorrow" or "next Monday" or "in 4-7 days". Repeated stalling. It
is now August 14 and I no longer have the ring, nor do I have my
money.

On the phone, Gary is very well-mannered, soft-spoken and a seemingly
really nice guy. Even when pressed, he sounds so sweet and
apologetic, almost "fumbling" so that you feel bad for him. Before
purchasing, I checked all of his reviews on eBay - he has hundreds of
positive reviews. I am guessing that these folks are not having the
items they purchase from him appraised. Or possibly I just happened
to get a bad deal from him.

Either way, I am working with my credit card company to dispute the
charges and I expect to be reimbursed for this eventually.

When I did a Google search on Gary Weiss before making my purchase, I
could not find anything about him other than the eBay listings. I am
posting this now for others that might be doing research and
considering purchasing from him.

My advice is, of course, not to buy from Gary Weiss / Jewelry47. But
if you do, I offer the following tips:

1) Have the item appraised. Make sure you are getting what was
represented.
3) Pay by credit card, so that you have a way to dispute the charge if
things don't go well. If you send a money order or cashier's check
and then return the item, you will have a much harder time getting
your money back.
4) Conduct your business in writing as much as possible. If you do
have to dispute the charge on your credit card, you will need
documentation to prove everything.

Best wishes,
Victoria C.


  #3  
Old October 8th 04, 02:01 AM
gary0106
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I have made the ring to the exact specification of Victoria,the stones were
white and clean, she did get a refund,I hope to satisfy all my customers,I
missed with this one.
IF YOU VISIT MY SITE
http://stores.ebay.com/Jewelry47-GAR...S-INC-Diamonds

AND MY FEEDBACK , YOU will see that everybody is happy with the
merchandise that I deliver.
GARY WEISS

  #4  
Old October 8th 04, 02:47 AM
Peter W.. Rowe,
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Thu, 07 Oct 2004 18:01:39 -0700, in ôõ "gary0106" wrote:

I have made the ring to the exact specification of Victoria,the stones were
white and clean, she did get a refund,I hope to satisfy all my customers,I
missed with this one.
IF YOU VISIT MY SITE
http://stores.ebay.com/Jewelry47-GAR...S-INC-Diamonds

AND MY FEEDBACK , YOU will see that everybody is happy with the
merchandise that I deliver.
GARY WEISS


We, at least those of us reading this newsgroup who are jewelers, have no doubt all
had occasions when customers were not happy, and as a graduate gemologist with some
past experience in appraising, I know quite well that a written appraisal can
estimate stones weight and color only within an approximate range once they are
mounted. Nevertheless, I find it of concern that Victoria says she was promised a
ring with 1.60 carats total weight, G color, and VS clarity, and the written
independent appraisal she got estimated .90 carats total weight, I-J color, and SI
stones with numbers of visible chips. That seems to me to suggest that one or more
of of the following situations may be the case. I'd be curious to know which::

1. Victoria's understanding of what she was to recieve was mistaken. This could be
an initial misunderstanding from the beginning, or a case of, when picking up the
ring, remembering a different promise than what was actually made.

2. Gary Weiss erred in how he described what she was to recieve, either
intentionally or by mistake.

3. The appraiser is inept, improperly trained, much too "conservative", or for
some reason the ring makes proper grading unusually difficult, and that the stones
actually were G, VS clairity and weighed the promised 1.60 carats. I can see color
grading being off if the mounting were yellow gold, but the difference between G and
I-J is rather substantial. So is the weight difference. And even if diamonds start
out as VS, if the setter chips half of them, you can't call them VS any more. So
what were the actual grades and weight of the stones? This is a dicey situation,
since there are many fine appraisers who's skills are quite sufficient to allow them
much greater accuracy than this apparent discrepancy would suggest, but there are
also some jewelers out there, not well qualified in appraising and improperly
trained in gemology and appraisal science, who simply are not preparing an accurate
appraisal. Some of the latter do it intentionally to "slam" competitors goods. So
it would be useful to know the qualifications of the appraiser. Is this another
retailer, or a true professional independent appraiser?

In today's economy, and especially in an area like the highly competative jewelry
district of New York, jewelers are under pressure to make sales and survive in
business despite dealing with a public who belives they should get wholesale pricing
even though they are retail customers. And there is compteition not just from
discounters and internet sellers, but also those who occasionally will tell a
customer whatever is needed to make the sale, even if untrue. So perhaps it's
understandable that there are some retailers and salespeople who may be somewhat
loose with gemological terms in describing the quality of their goods. There is a
vast difference, for example, between promising diamonds that are "white and clean",
(neither of which terms have any formal definitions in diamond grading) and telling
a customer that their diamonds will be G color and VS clarity. In some cases, it's
simply ignorance, where the jeweler making the claims does not actually have
sufficient gemological training to understand that they are making a false promise.

We, reading both the original complaint posting (which I've taken the liberty of
copying at the end of this message, for those readers who's news servers may not
still carry it) and this reply, are left wondering whether we're looking at a simple
misunderstanding between two basically well meaning and reasonable people, or whether
we're looking at the long suffering honest jeweler dealing with the customer from
hell, or whether this is indeed a case of the honest trusting customer finding that
the jeweler has attempted to cheat them. All three scenarios are possible. So which
one, then, is it?

Ebay feedback is all well and good, but it can be skewed a bit. people tend to post
nice things in order to avoid negative feedback in return. And the average ebay
buyer, like the average retail buyer in brick and morter stores, may not be equipped
to know when they've been cheated. In a ring with set stones, how are they to know
the weights are actually less than promised, or the color grade a grade or two lower
than the paperwork says? If they don't pay to get an appraisal, how will they know?
And how can we, reading Gary Weiss's ebay 'about me" page, or reaiding these two
posts, know the truth?

Some starters that would help would be further details. Does Gary Weiss or an
employee have proper gemological training such that the business can actually check
the quality of the goods they sell? Or are the the all too common "learned in the
business" variety of self taught gem experts, who all too often get most of the info
right, but don't quite understand it well enough to get it all. These are the sorts
of folks who'll tell you that the GIA grades assigned by GIA trade labs are wrong or
too strict, or the like, despite the fact that the grades themselves, and indeed the
whole system, is one defined and invented by GIA...

And some more info on who prepared the appraisal upon which the claimed discrepancy
is based. Same questions. What is the training and qualfications, not just in
gemology, but in appraising too (remember that a graduate gemologist diploma attests
to training in gem grading and identification, but NOT in evaluation or pricing)? Is
the appraiser independent, or is it someone who's also a retail jeweler, thus a
competitor of Gary Weiss, with perhaps a vested interest in making the merchandise
seem poorer quality than it is?

And while I'm asking questions, why was the issue of a refund delayed as long as it
was? Or are there aspects to the deal that are not mentioned in the original
complaint posting?

Peter Rowe

here is the original posting to rec.crafts.jewelry by Victoria, to which Gary Weiss's
post replied.

From: (VC)
To:
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.jewelry
Approved: pwrowe AT ix DOT netcom DOT com -- This is a MODERATED NEWSGROUP
Subject: experience with Gary Weiss Jewelry47
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2004 09:41:17 -0700
Organization:
http://groups.google.com
Message-ID:
X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 2.0/32.652
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

Hello,

I wanted to post my experience purchasing from Gary Weiss Jewelry /
Jeweler in NYC, also called Jewelry47 on eBay.

I am a consumer (not a business) who found Gary through eBay. He did
not have the exact ring I wanted listed on eBay so I contacted him
about making a ring.

After several emails with Gary, I purchased a diamond eternity band -
unfortunately, the experience was not as expected. I made sure that
my correspondence with Gary was in writing and he still did not
deliver on the terms we had agreed to:

1) Gary promised a ring of G color diamonds, VS clarity. Upon
receiving the ring, I immediately had it appraised - the diamonds in
the ring turned out to be I and J color and SI clarity - with plenty
of chipped stones, which could easily be seen under a lens.

2) Gary promised a ring of 1.60 total carat weight. The estimated
carat weight from the appraiser was only .9 carats.

3) Gary promised a 7-day return policy with a full refund (exactly the
same as his return policy on eBay). I returned the ring within 7 days
of receiving it, sent via FedEx with proof of signature from his
office. This was on July 9, 2004. I have yet to see my refund.
Since then, I have had numerous emails and calls with Gary - he has
offered excuse after excuse about why he has not gotten to the refund.
He even emailed me that he would process my refund on July 20. He
then said he hadn't been able to do it and that he would do it
"tomorrow" or "next Monday" or "in 4-7 days". Repeated stalling. It
is now August 14 and I no longer have the ring, nor do I have my
money.

On the phone, Gary is very well-mannered, soft-spoken and a seemingly
really nice guy. Even when pressed, he sounds so sweet and
apologetic, almost "fumbling" so that you feel bad for him. Before
purchasing, I checked all of his reviews on eBay - he has hundreds of
positive reviews. I am guessing that these folks are not having the
items they purchase from him appraised. Or possibly I just happened
to get a bad deal from him.

Either way, I am working with my credit card company to dispute the
charges and I expect to be reimbursed for this eventually.

When I did a Google search on Gary Weiss before making my purchase, I
could not find anything about him other than the eBay listings. I am
posting this now for others that might be doing research and
considering purchasing from him.

My advice is, of course, not to buy from Gary Weiss / Jewelry47. But
if you do, I offer the following tips:

1) Have the item appraised. Make sure you are getting what was
represented.
3) Pay by credit card, so that you have a way to dispute the charge if
things don't go well. If you send a money order or cashier's check
and then return the item, you will have a much harder time getting
your money back.
4) Conduct your business in writing as much as possible. If you do
have to dispute the charge on your credit card, you will need
documentation to prove everything.

Best wishes,
Victoria C.

  #5  
Old October 9th 04, 12:32 AM
VC
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I am happy to provide additional details regarding my experience with
Gary Weiss.

---------------------------------
Every promise and specification of the ring I purchased was made in
writing (via email) from Gary to me. I live in Chicago and Gary Weiss
is in New York – I never met him in person nor did I visit his store.
Because of this, I made sure that I had everything in writing and I
saved every email.

These are Gary's exact words from one email dated 6/23/04 – he
provided a list of the specs of the ring:

"shiny platinum"
"the diamonds will be G color
"VS clarity"
"the width will be 2mm"

There is no mistaking that I had all of the specs clearly documented
from him.

---------------------------------
I brought the ring to an independent appraiser in Chicago. Gary Weiss
is in New York. The appraiser was not a retailer or jewelry company
and isn't even in the same city market as Gary Weiss, so I believe he
really had no reason to steer me wrong. I do not have his web site
address on me now, but I recall that he had been in business for
something like 20 years and had some certifications (sorry for being
so un-technical), if that makes any difference. I can definitely get
his web site address and find out his qualifications.

The appraiser admitted to me that it is difficult to be exacting about
specs when stones are in a setting. Even accounting for this leeway,
he said that it was highly unlikely that the stones could be the size
that was in the specs from Gary Weiss. Regarding the color, the
setting was platinum (not yellow gold), so there shouldn't have been a
serious discrepancy in color grading.

He also let me look at the stones under the lens myself and it was
CLEAR to see that multiple stones were chipped. There was no
mistaking that.

---------------------------------
I want to make clear that Gary Weiss did NOT give me my refund
directly. I had to dispute the charge with my credit card company. I
had to answer several questions, fill out forms and provide
documentation to them. Luckily I had the documentation that showed I
shipped the ring back via FedEx on 7/9/04 and it was signed for by
someone at Gary Weiss's company. I also had every email from Gary
promising the ring specs and his 7-day return policy. I even had an
email from him promising that I would receive my refund by 7/20/04. I
had another email from him promising "another 4-7 days".

Once I gave all of this documentation to my credit card company in
August, they investigated and they provided me with a credit on my
account in September. The refund did not come directly from Gary
Weiss – it clearly shows that on my statement and in the documentation
they provided me. Had I not gone through the dispute process with my
credit card company, would Gary have ever given me a refund or would
he have kept my money and the ring? I don't know, but the facts are
that I waited over 6 weeks and received multiple promises of a refund
from him, with no actual refund.

---------------------------------
Sure I was disappointed that the ring wasn't what I had paid for, but
what really bothered me was that I could not get my money back from
Gary Weiss. I specifically made sure he had a return policy (and got
it in writing from him to prove it) before I purchased the ring. It
is frustrating to have been promised a refund and to not receive it,
even after multiple emails of promises. I was left without the
merchandise and without my money. To hang onto both my money and the
merchandise is just wrong.

It makes you ask WHY? Why wouldn't he just provide the refund on
7/20/04 like he said he would? Why did I have to seek recourse from
my credit card company? It was such a simple thing - he received the
ring back from me on 7/9/04, he promised a refund by 7/20/04 (and
subsequent promises thereafter) – so WHY wouldn't he just process the
refund? That just doesn't make sense to me.

Best wishes,
Victoria
  #6  
Old April 21st 10, 09:34 PM
jayw jayw is offline
Junior Member
 
First recorded activity by CraftBanter: Apr 2010
Posts: 2
Angry

Quote:
Originally Posted by VC View Post
I am happy to provide additional details regarding my experience with
Gary Weiss.



---------------------------------
Every promise and specification of the ring I purchased was made in
writing (via email) from Gary to me. I live in Chicago and Gary Weiss
is in New York – I never met him in person nor did I visit his store.
Because of this, I made sure that I had everything in writing and I
saved every email.

These are Gary's exact words from one email dated 6/23/04 – he
provided a list of the specs of the ring:

"shiny platinum"
"the diamonds will be G color
"VS clarity"
"the width will be 2mm"

There is no mistaking that I had all of the specs clearly documented
from him.

---------------------------------
I brought the ring to an independent appraiser in Chicago. Gary Weiss
is in New York. The appraiser was not a retailer or jewelry company
and isn't even in the same city market as Gary Weiss, so I believe he
really had no reason to steer me wrong. I do not have his web site
address on me now, but I recall that he had been in business for
something like 20 years and had some certifications (sorry for being
so un-technical), if that makes any difference. I can definitely get
his web site address and find out his qualifications.

The appraiser admitted to me that it is difficult to be exacting about
specs when stones are in a setting. Even accounting for this leeway,
he said that it was highly unlikely that the stones could be the size
that was in the specs from Gary Weiss. Regarding the color, the
setting was platinum (not yellow gold), so there shouldn't have been a
serious discrepancy in color grading.

He also let me look at the stones under the lens myself and it was
CLEAR to see that multiple stones were chipped. There was no
mistaking that.

---------------------------------
I want to make clear that Gary Weiss did NOT give me my refund
directly. I had to dispute the charge with my credit card company. I
had to answer several questions, fill out forms and provide
documentation to them. Luckily I had the documentation that showed I
shipped the ring back via FedEx on 7/9/04 and it was signed for by
someone at Gary Weiss's company. I also had every email from Gary
promising the ring specs and his 7-day return policy. I even had an
email from him promising that I would receive my refund by 7/20/04. I
had another email from him promising "another 4-7 days".

Once I gave all of this documentation to my credit card company in
August, they investigated and they provided me with a credit on my
account in September. The refund did not come directly from Gary
Weiss – it clearly shows that on my statement and in the documentation
they provided me. Had I not gone through the dispute process with my
credit card company, would Gary have ever given me a refund or would
he have kept my money and the ring? I don't know, but the facts are
that I waited over 6 weeks and received multiple promises of a refund
from him, with no actual refund.

---------------------------------
Sure I was disappointed that the ring wasn't what I had paid for, but
what really bothered me was that I could not get my money back from
Gary Weiss. I specifically made sure he had a return policy (and got
it in writing from him to prove it) before I purchased the ring. It
is frustrating to have been promised a refund and to not receive it,
even after multiple emails of promises. I was left without the
merchandise and without my money. To hang onto both my money and the
merchandise is just wrong.

It makes you ask WHY? Why wouldn't he just provide the refund on
7/20/04 like he said he would? Why did I have to seek recourse from
my credit card company? It was such a simple thing - he received the
ring back from me on 7/9/04, he promised a refund by 7/20/04 (and
subsequent promises thereafter) – so WHY wouldn't he just process the
refund? That just doesn't make sense to me.

Best wishes,
Victoria
I've known Gary Weiss for almost 30 years. When I first met him, we became friends, and we became business associates. Once in a while, I would wholsale diamonds to him. He was always a slow payer, but, in the jewelry business on the wholesale side, that was expected.

Two years ago, I was working with a very good firm in the wholesale diamond business. This was right around the time just before his firm jewelry 47thst was thrown off ebay.

Gary asked me for merchandise, and of course, I told my employer that I knew him for 30 years, and that he could be trusted. Mr. Weiss bought $250,000 worth of merchandise on my word to my employer. He started bouncing checks almost immediately, and he never paid us, with the exception of several thousand dollars. Needless to say, he cost me one of the best jobs I ever had. The man does it with a gentle smile, and has no conscience whatsover. Jewelry 47 th was thrown into Chapter 11 first, than chapter 7 after it was determined that the firm had no assets. It's amazing that in less than 60 days, a forensic accountant concluded there were no assets.

Included in the lawsuits flying back and forth were several suppliers that he did not pay, and customers that paid, and never got merchandise, including an attorney from North Carolina through jewelry 47th on ebay.

If you want to do business with Blue Gem or Mr. Weiss, I suggest you read this blog before you do.
  #7  
Old April 21st 10, 09:34 PM
jayw jayw is offline
Junior Member
 
First recorded activity by CraftBanter: Apr 2010
Posts: 2
Angry

Quote:
Originally Posted by VC View Post
I am happy to provide additional details regarding my experience with
Gary Weiss.



---------------------------------
Every promise and specification of the ring I purchased was made in
writing (via email) from Gary to me. I live in Chicago and Gary Weiss
is in New York – I never met him in person nor did I visit his store.
Because of this, I made sure that I had everything in writing and I
saved every email.

These are Gary's exact words from one email dated 6/23/04 – he
provided a list of the specs of the ring:

"shiny platinum"
"the diamonds will be G color
"VS clarity"
"the width will be 2mm"

There is no mistaking that I had all of the specs clearly documented
from him.

---------------------------------
I brought the ring to an independent appraiser in Chicago. Gary Weiss
is in New York. The appraiser was not a retailer or jewelry company
and isn't even in the same city market as Gary Weiss, so I believe he
really had no reason to steer me wrong. I do not have his web site
address on me now, but I recall that he had been in business for
something like 20 years and had some certifications (sorry for being
so un-technical), if that makes any difference. I can definitely get
his web site address and find out his qualifications.

The appraiser admitted to me that it is difficult to be exacting about
specs when stones are in a setting. Even accounting for this leeway,
he said that it was highly unlikely that the stones could be the size
that was in the specs from Gary Weiss. Regarding the color, the
setting was platinum (not yellow gold), so there shouldn't have been a
serious discrepancy in color grading.

He also let me look at the stones under the lens myself and it was
CLEAR to see that multiple stones were chipped. There was no
mistaking that.

---------------------------------
I want to make clear that Gary Weiss did NOT give me my refund
directly. I had to dispute the charge with my credit card company. I
had to answer several questions, fill out forms and provide
documentation to them. Luckily I had the documentation that showed I
shipped the ring back via FedEx on 7/9/04 and it was signed for by
someone at Gary Weiss's company. I also had every email from Gary
promising the ring specs and his 7-day return policy. I even had an
email from him promising that I would receive my refund by 7/20/04. I
had another email from him promising "another 4-7 days".

Once I gave all of this documentation to my credit card company in
August, they investigated and they provided me with a credit on my
account in September. The refund did not come directly from Gary
Weiss – it clearly shows that on my statement and in the documentation
they provided me. Had I not gone through the dispute process with my
credit card company, would Gary have ever given me a refund or would
he have kept my money and the ring? I don't know, but the facts are
that I waited over 6 weeks and received multiple promises of a refund
from him, with no actual refund.

---------------------------------
Sure I was disappointed that the ring wasn't what I had paid for, but
what really bothered me was that I could not get my money back from
Gary Weiss. I specifically made sure he had a return policy (and got
it in writing from him to prove it) before I purchased the ring. It
is frustrating to have been promised a refund and to not receive it,
even after multiple emails of promises. I was left without the
merchandise and without my money. To hang onto both my money and the
merchandise is just wrong.

It makes you ask WHY? Why wouldn't he just provide the refund on
7/20/04 like he said he would? Why did I have to seek recourse from
my credit card company? It was such a simple thing - he received the
ring back from me on 7/9/04, he promised a refund by 7/20/04 (and
subsequent promises thereafter) – so WHY wouldn't he just process the
refund? That just doesn't make sense to me.

Best wishes,
Victoria
I've known Gary Weiss for almost 30 years. When I first met him, we became friends, and we became business associates. Once in a while, I would wholsale diamonds to him. He was always a slow payer, but, in the jewelry business on the wholesale side, that was expected.

Two years ago, I was working with a very good firm in the wholesale diamond business. This was right around the time just before his firm jewelry 47thst was thrown off ebay.

Gary asked me for merchandise, and of course, I told my employer that I knew him for 30 years, and that he could be trusted. Mr. Weiss bought $250,000 worth of merchandise on my word to my employer. He started bouncing checks almost immediately, and he never paid us, with the exception of several thousand dollars. Needless to say, he cost me one of the best jobs I ever had. The man does it with a gentle smile, and has no conscience whatsover. Jewelry 47 th was thrown into Chapter 11 first, than chapter 7 after it was determined that the firm had no assets. It's amazing that in less than 60 days, a forensic accountant concluded there were no assets.

Included in the lawsuits flying back and forth were several suppliers that he did not pay, and customers that paid, and never got merchandise, including an attorney from North Carolina through jewelry 47th on ebay.

If you want to do business with Blue Gem or Mr. Weiss, I suggest you read this blog before you do.
  #8  
Old May 12th 11, 08:22 PM
JulieELGI JulieELGI is offline
Junior Member
 
First recorded activity by CraftBanter: May 2011
Posts: 1
Angry

I purchased a PadParadscha Fancy Sapphire ring from Gary Weiss in 2008 that was listed as being 4.65 Cts. The accompanying appraisal report stating the same; 4.65 Cts. Recently, when seeking another appraisal the PadParadscha Sapphire was determined to be 3.74 Cts. PadParadsha sapphires are very rare/expensive so a difference in almost a ct is substantial. The measurements on the appraisal from Gary Weiss were incorrect also.
Quote:
Originally Posted by VC View Post
Hello,

I wanted to post my experience purchasing from Gary Weiss Jewelry /
Jeweler in NYC, also called Jewelry47 on eBay.

I am a consumer (not a business) who found Gary through eBay. He did
not have the exact ring I wanted listed on eBay so I contacted him
about making a ring.

After several emails with Gary, I purchased a diamond eternity band -
unfortunately, the experience was not as expected. I made sure that
my correspondence with Gary was in writing and he still did not
deliver on the terms we had agreed to:

1) Gary promised a ring of G color diamonds, VS clarity. Upon
receiving the ring, I immediately had it appraised - the diamonds in
the ring turned out to be I and J color and SI clarity - with plenty
of chipped stones, which could easily be seen under a lens.

2) Gary promised a ring of 1.60 total carat weight. The estimated
carat weight from the appraiser was only .9 carats.

3) Gary promised a 7-day return policy with a full refund (exactly the
same as his return policy on eBay). I returned the ring within 7 days
of receiving it, sent via FedEx with proof of signature from his
office. This was on July 9, 2004. I have yet to see my refund.
Since then, I have had numerous emails and calls with Gary - he has
offered excuse after excuse about why he has not gotten to the refund.
He even emailed me that he would process my refund on July 20. He
then said he hadn't been able to do it and that he would do it
"tomorrow" or "next Monday" or "in 4-7 days". Repeated stalling. It
is now August 14 and I no longer have the ring, nor do I have my
money.

On the phone, Gary is very well-mannered, soft-spoken and a seemingly
really nice guy. Even when pressed, he sounds so sweet and
apologetic, almost "fumbling" so that you feel bad for him. Before
purchasing, I checked all of his reviews on eBay - he has hundreds of
positive reviews. I am guessing that these folks are not having the
items they purchase from him appraised. Or possibly I just happened
to get a bad deal from him.

Either way, I am working with my credit card company to dispute the
charges and I expect to be reimbursed for this eventually.

When I did a Google search on Gary Weiss before making my purchase, I
could not find anything about him other than the eBay listings. I am
posting this now for others that might be doing research and
considering purchasing from him.

My advice is, of course, not to buy from Gary Weiss / Jewelry47. But
if you do, I offer the following tips:

1) Have the item appraised. Make sure you are getting what was
represented.
3) Pay by credit card, so that you have a way to dispute the charge if
things don't go well. If you send a money order or cashier's check
and then return the item, you will have a much harder time getting
your money back.
4) Conduct your business in writing as much as possible. If you do
have to dispute the charge on your credit card, you will need
documentation to prove everything.

Best wishes,
Victoria C.
  #9  
Old May 31st 11, 03:46 PM
jen123 jen123 is offline
Junior Member
 
First recorded activity by CraftBanter: May 2011
Posts: 1
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by JulieELGI View Post
I purchased a PadParadscha Fancy Sapphire ring from Gary Weiss in 2008 that was listed as being 4.65 Cts. The accompanying appraisal report stating the same; 4.65 Cts. Recently, when seeking another appraisal the PadParadscha Sapphire was determined to be 3.74 Cts. PadParadsha sapphires are very rare/expensive so a difference in almost a ct is substantial. The measurements on the appraisal from Gary Weiss were incorrect also.
I do not have any experience but if you are looking for a cheaper way to buy or create jewelry check out the site in my signature.
  #10  
Old June 21st 11, 04:40 PM
john53 john53 is offline
Junior Member
 
First recorded activity by CraftBanter: Jun 2011
Posts: 1
Default

I too had a similar experience with Weiss. He claimed he could make a ring for me which I had shown him from another website and set it with an H-SI1 "white clean diamond." I received the ring and was immediately appalled by the terrible craftsmanship - the setting itself looked like I might have made it myself and the stone had an enormous black inclusion almost centered on the table. I contacted him immediately and he said that I could return the ring for a refund as we had discussed earlier. I sent out the ring and he sent dodgy emails for several weeks - saying the refund was "coming soon" or will be processed "next Tuesday". He finally claimed that there was no diamond in the setting when he received the package and he was not going to refund my money. I've initiated lawsuits to deal with it, but I would recommend all who are considering doing business with Weiss to go elsewhere.
Quote:
Originally Posted by VC View Post
Hello,

I wanted to post my experience purchasing from Gary Weiss Jewelry /
Jeweler in NYC, also called Jewelry47 on eBay.

I am a consumer (not a business) who found Gary through eBay. He did
not have the exact ring I wanted listed on eBay so I contacted him
about making a ring.

After several emails with Gary, I purchased a diamond eternity band -
unfortunately, the experience was not as expected. I made sure that
my correspondence with Gary was in writing and he still did not
deliver on the terms we had agreed to:

1) Gary promised a ring of G color diamonds, VS clarity. Upon
receiving the ring, I immediately had it appraised - the diamonds in
the ring turned out to be I and J color and SI clarity - with plenty
of chipped stones, which could easily be seen under a lens.

2) Gary promised a ring of 1.60 total carat weight. The estimated
carat weight from the appraiser was only .9 carats.

3) Gary promised a 7-day return policy with a full refund (exactly the
same as his return policy on eBay). I returned the ring within 7 days
of receiving it, sent via FedEx with proof of signature from his
office. This was on July 9, 2004. I have yet to see my refund.
Since then, I have had numerous emails and calls with Gary - he has
offered excuse after excuse about why he has not gotten to the refund.
He even emailed me that he would process my refund on July 20. He
then said he hadn't been able to do it and that he would do it
"tomorrow" or "next Monday" or "in 4-7 days". Repeated stalling. It
is now August 14 and I no longer have the ring, nor do I have my
money.

On the phone, Gary is very well-mannered, soft-spoken and a seemingly
really nice guy. Even when pressed, he sounds so sweet and
apologetic, almost "fumbling" so that you feel bad for him. Before
purchasing, I checked all of his reviews on eBay - he has hundreds of
positive reviews. I am guessing that these folks are not having the
items they purchase from him appraised. Or possibly I just happened
to get a bad deal from him.

Either way, I am working with my credit card company to dispute the
charges and I expect to be reimbursed for this eventually.

When I did a Google search on Gary Weiss before making my purchase, I
could not find anything about him other than the eBay listings. I am
posting this now for others that might be doing research and
considering purchasing from him.

My advice is, of course, not to buy from Gary Weiss / Jewelry47. But
if you do, I offer the following tips:

1) Have the item appraised. Make sure you are getting what was
represented.
3) Pay by credit card, so that you have a way to dispute the charge if
things don't go well. If you send a money order or cashier's check
and then return the item, you will have a much harder time getting
your money back.
4) Conduct your business in writing as much as possible. If you do
have to dispute the charge on your credit card, you will need
documentation to prove everything.

Best wishes,
Victoria C.
 




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