Women Accuse Kay Jewelers of Swapping Out Diamonds
Complaints against Kay Jewelers, a popular mall chain, are piling up. Women who have tried to invoke the store’s lifetime diamond or color gemstone guarantee say their precious stones were switched out during repairs. According to a Consumerist.com news report, customers are alleging that their original stones disappeared during repairs and were replaced with inferior diamonds or even fake diamonds.
Stories of Duped Customers
In fact, the Kay Jewelers Facebook page has apparently become an informal gathering place where these allegedly duped customers are banding together. Buzzfeed News has also picked up their cause. Since the website posted its first story on the issue a month ago, more brides have come forward with complaints against Kay. Their stories bear striking similarities.
One customer said she discovered after five years of owning her ring and diligently bringing it for inspection every six months that it wasn’t even the ring she thought it was. The original one-carat diamond, which had an inscription, wasn’t there. She was able to confirm with other jewelry stores. She found out that the stone encrusted in her ring was a moissanite, an inferior stone, set in platinum, and not white gold. The company has responded by saying that they have millions of happy customers. But their Facebook page has hundreds of complaints about swapped-out diamonds, lost stones and even lost rings.
The Value of Jewelry
There’s no question we’re talking about expensive jewelry here. Diamonds are expensive and that’s why those who bought diamond rings at Kay’s followed the store’s recommendations and bought them in every six months for inspections. However, the value of a piece of jewelry goes way beyond its monetary value. An engagement ring or wedding band holds emotions and memories of a couple’s wedding day or engagement proposal. When a ring is tampered with, changed or lost, it becomes something else. It’s not the same ring they received at the wedding or during a proposal.
Potential Class Action Lawsuit
If you believe you have been a victim, please contact an experienced California class action attorney who can help you seek and obtain justice and compensation for your losses, and also hold Kay Jewelers accountable to their customers. The complaints about this store, if justified, are absolutely unacceptable.