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Predatory Practices of Diamonds International
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

NEW YORK, NEW YORK -- I wish I'd known about Diamonds International before I went on my first-ever cruise on the Celebrity Cruise lines to Cozumel, MX. I have been trying to resolve a purchase I made in Cozumel within hours of having purchased it while sailing back from Cozumel to the U.S.

Despite all assurances of the Celebrity Shopping Guide at her seminar that we are 'protected' by the cruise line and that we could all shop with confidence as we would be getting the "absolute best deals" from Diamonds International. It turns out to be all FALSE. Just as the other complaints I have not, unfortunately too late, have read. None of the statements appear to be over-exaggerated because I have been experiencing the same stress as the others. So unfortunate that Diamonds International appears to be getting away with this for years now as I see some date back to 2007. I made my purchase in 2015.

The No Refund practice is so criminally set. What do I mean by this? Diamonds International has my jewelry in their possession now as I was allowed to return them but now they are FORCING me accept a Gift Certificate - Store Credit instead of refunding my money. Royal Media Partners has been of no help, insisting they posted their 'Cruise line Guarantee' in every cabin. SO TOTALLY NOT TRUE! None of us ever saw this document aboard the Celebrity. It was not in all the massive papers they gave us to go shopping.

I contacted TD BANK, Diamonds International's credit card company, and they also would not help. Royal Media and TD Bank kept referring me to Diamonds International for approval of Refund. The customer service representative absolutely refused to give it. She supposedly kept going to her superiors to get me my refund but they are only offering me $1k towards my credit card debt with a gift certificate that I DON'T WANT or NEED and insisting that I'm still fully responsible for the debt now on my TD Bank credit card. She even said that Diamonds International will not go to the trouble to give the money back to TD Bank for their own reasons; so I have to live with the bill of $12,400.00. This is a significant amount of money that everyone got their commissions on, so they would rather try to wear me down than give it back.

I am searching the internet for an attorney that has started a Class Action Suit against them. If anyone out there has started one, I would love to be added to the group. I am totally disappointed with how my first-ever cruise was tainted with such an experience. I am totally turned off to cruising with Royal Media Partners line of cruises and I feel this sort of criminality and predatory behavior needs to be corrected.

I see I'm not the only one which is so unfortunate. But I see business practices that are going unchecked. There's got to be some legal recourse against Diamonds International. I still can't believe that in less than 24 hrs of my purchase, I still couldn't get my Refund. The ink wasn't even dry on the paper I signed.

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Overpricing
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

KING'S WHARF, BERMUDA -- CAVEAT EMPTOR!!!! Never has the phrase "Buyer Beware" been more important than should you ever consider a purchase from Diamonds International. I will summarize my wife's and my experience with them, but first please take my advice if considering such purchase. You MUST Google the Internet for the numerous reviews, complaints, and allegations against DI BEFORE making any purchase from them. Unfortunately, I learned this too late.

My wife and I cruised (Celebrity Line) to Bermuda in August, 2018. We visited the DI store (Dockyard Building Number 9, Mangrove Bay in King's Wharf) and were impressed with the variety of jewelry available, and with what appeared to be somewhat reasonable prices (we've always heard that Bermuda had good diamond prices). My wife found a diamond ring which we decided to purchase. Per the DI invoice, the ring was 18CT white gold, in which was set 5 Forevermark diamonds, each weighing 0.23CT (total CT WT 1.15). Quality varied among the 5 diamonds. Their invoice description was: Color, F and G-H; Clarity, S-1 and S-1-S-3.

The showroom price was absurd but the sales person, being the "consumer advocate" that he was, convinced management to authorize a significant price reduction. Following a couple more negotiations we agreed to a price of $11,900 for the ring. DI even provided me with an appraisal which outlined the ring as described above. Ha! Ha!

Upon returning home I sent the DI appraisal to my insurance carrier so that the ring would be included on my policy. They would not accept the DI appraisal, but would only accept one performed state-side by a certified appraiser. I now understand why the DI appraisal was declined. You will, too, as you read further.

Because the ring was now uninsured it spent a lot of time in the safe. In January, 2020, we had some other jewelry appraised, which appraisal included the ring. This appraisal was prepared in Virginia by a GG, ICGA Independent Certified Gemologist Appraiser. The attributes of both the setting and the diamonds, as provided by the new appraisal, were relatively consistent with those provided by DI. The significant difference between the two appraisals, though, was the ring's value, which decreased more than 50%, from $11,900 vs $5,225. DI JEWELRY IS OVERPRICED, which is why my insurance carrier would not accept DI's appraisal.

I immediately contacted DI and copied them with their original invoice and with the new appraisal. They, of course, were "very concerned" but said they were not able to do anything becuse of the time lapse since purchase. They even questioned the newly appraised value because it failed to identify the stones as Forevermark diamonds. (I don't know anything about grades, but seems to me that color is color or clarity is clarity, regardless.). Nonetheless, DI did agree to pay for the appraisal and provide me with a $750 gift certificate, which, if accepted, would close the file. I did not agree to this GC, and am considering pursuing other options.

As I said earlier, I did not do my due diligence in a timely fashion but hope that my review will help others avoid the DI trap. THEIR JEWELRY IS OVERPRICED. As you Google the reviews and complaints of others you will quickly see the numerous situations where others have experienced the same unfortunate results that we experienced. GOOGLE FIRST. DON'T MAKE THE SAME DUE DILIGENCE MISTAKE WE MADE AND FALL INTO THE DIAMONDS INTERNATIONAL TRAP.

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Fraudulent business
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

HONDURAS -- My husband and I were celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary aboard Norwegian Breakaway. We were on the way back to the shop and decided to look at a anniversary gift for my husband. We were introduced to the Crown of Light rings for men. My husband fell in love with the uniqueness of the ring. I was hesitant about the ring because it cost $14000.00 and after all it was well over our budget. But stated we could get it for $10400.00. My credit was above 800 credit score to I knew I could handle it for 3 years same as cash with no interest if $10,000. So we agreed.

The entire time something's did not feel right but my husband wanted this ring. I told the salesperson that if it goes through in my name only I would do it for the 3 years same as cash. Later the sales person came back with a form asking for my husband information. I told them no. It was to be in my name only. They attempted to trick us. They even asked for his ID but we refuse.

We finally decided to get the ring but it was near time for our ship to deport so the sales lady promise to have it delivered to the ship with the ship's salesman. The store clerk also promised to send information and authentication of the ring via email. Of course no internet on the ship so I didn't get the email until after the cruise. However, we did get the ring on the ship. The sales person on the ship asked me for a credit stating that the store needed it but I refuse. Because it should be finance 3 years same as cash. We got the ring with giving a credit card.

About a month later I received an email and a form asking me to sign agreeing to 2 years same as cash and that the it would be interest at 29.99% after the 2 years. I was extremely upset because this was not the original agreement. So my husband and I contacted DI and offered to return the ring but were told that we would still have to pay for it and that there is only a store credit. First of all, I don't want to have a store credit with crooks, nor did I agree to pay them for 2 years but my agreement was originally for 3 years same as cash. It appeared that DI sent information in to Synchrony Bank and agreed to 2 years on our behalf oppose to 3 years. I was so frustrated, my credit started to drop, I'm stuck in this fraudulent agreement.

I called the NY headquarters of DI. And they talked as if they could help me but they to later request that I sign this 2 year agreement. I refused and stopped talking with them. My next step was talking with the finance company to see who agreed to 2 years on my behalf because I didn't. After sending the finance company proof of my information and the emails and text from DI begging me to sign an agreement that was not agreed on by me. Synchrony change the loan to 3 years same as cash what it should have been.

Later DI sent me a separated letter requesting the additional $400.00 and threats to charge interest. This company is a rip off, fraudulent, and dishonest, locking people in contracts that are apparently being forged. My next step was to get a lawyer. Since November 2019 all of this has haunted me and disrupted my life. This should have been a joyous experience but it has damaged my credit and caused me nothing but stress. IF YOU SEE A DIAMONDS INTERNATIONAL STORE!!! RUN RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN!!!

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Carnival and Diamonds International Are Running a Crooked Scheme
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

NEW YORK, NEW YORK -- On November 21, 2019 we disembarked off our ship (Carnival-Legend) in Mahogany Bay, Honduras, and were excited to do some jewelry shopping prior to our excursion. We had sat through a seminar on board the ship presented by the "Sales Expert" Debra from Carnival who touted about Diamonds International and how they were only a handful of companies that had rights to purchase diamonds directly from De Beers.

After picking out a ring for my wife's anniversary gift (Korite Ammolite) we left it with the jeweler to be sized and dipped in white gold rather than the yellow that the original setting came in. We financed the ring through Comenity who also gave us 12 months no interest! Everything was taken care of from the initial contact. After returning from our excursion we had 40 minutes left to pickup the ring and get back on board the ship. When we went to our sale rep, she showed us the ring. My wife immediately asked if this was the same stone as it did not look like the original one she had picked out. They assured my wife it was.

At our next stop in Cozumel we went to another Diamonds International and expressed our concerns. My wife also noticed that the stone was slightly loose and the gentleman at this store said that is the way they set this stone. Not knowing otherwise we went along with the lies.

I had no wifi access the remainder of the trip on the cruise line until I got back to work the following Monday. Once at work, I saw that Diamonds International emailed me an appraisal with a picture attached and the receipt of purchase. I sent the picture of the ring to my wife and she called me almost in tears saying that the stone is totally different. The layers of color and the order of them did not match nor did the clarity. My wife then contacted Diamonds International directly. After receiving a return phone call from them, it was told to us that the photo was likely just a stock picture (Who attaches a stock photo to an actual appraisal of a piece of jewelry??) He offered a store credit to my wife. Why would we want a store credit from a company with such fraudulent practices?

My wife told the representative from DI that if the stone was damaged while resetting it she would understand, but why would they not tell us that when we picked it up? After taking the ring to a reputable jeweler here in town, they determined that the gold was in fact 14K but that the stone is very loose, should never have been set the way it was and also had something on the back of the stone to attach the stone to the mount rather than the stone directly set on the mount. Overall some very shady work and fraud is going on between both this company as well as Carnival. Carnival pushes this company with their "Sales event seminars" and talks them up. All I can say is stay away and look up Diamonds International on BBB!! AWFUL! Stay away, and run fast the other direction.

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Crown of Light Diamond
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

BERMUDA, MASSACHUSETTS -- While in Bermuda in May, 2017 we went to Diamonds International to look & possibly purchase something if it caught my eye. We should have stayed clear!! I found a Kabana set I loved & negotiated the price with the store manager. Then things went sideways. They showed my husband their Crown of Light diamond & he was fascinated. Then it was my turn & the hard sell began. And began & began & began...

Husband is elderly with early stage dementia & he was all for replacing the stone in my wedding set with a COL. I loved the way the COL looked & was given a price on the first stone they showed me of $200,000.00! Yes, the zeroes are correct.

Oh well, it was good for a laugh, let's pay for the other items & go. No, no, let me show you this one. The hard sell began & we couldn't seem to get away. I said no they said look at this one. I said no, they said look at this. Husband wanted me to have the beautiful stone and started getting upset. I couldn't seem to get away & before I knew it, I was signing on the dotted line & & the proud owner of a 3.2 ct Color of Light diamond.

Back on the ship, I cried & decided it needed to be returned. Decision made, I finally looked at what was on the back of the paperwork I signed. You guessed it, no return, no exchange. Too bad, so sad, it's yours sucker... When we got home, I contacted the corporate office in New York explaining that I was in way over my head, there was no way I could pay for the diamond, and asked them to accept a return. Diamonds International refused the request.

I spoke to two different jewelers who explained that Diamonds International held a pattern on the COL cut therefore they could set the price. They also advised that they wouldn't touch the stone or attempt to set it because the cut was so different from the standard.

Out of desperation, I contacted Comenity Bank who is their business partner and issues the Diamond International credit card. At the time the transaction took place, my credit score was over 800 which is why they granted me a very large line of credit. It was not large enough however therefore Diamonds International opened an "in house" account for me as well.

Comenity put the account in dispute and the games began. After numerous phone calls & discussions, they agreed to accept the return of the COL diamond and process full credit for the stone to the two accounts. The cost to me was a $10,000.00 "restocking" fee. The fee was my idea, not theirs, & I named the figure. I was desperate & they weren't budging so I took a shot & made the offer. Was it smart, of course not but what were my options? I couldn't afford the monthly payments which, between the two accounts were over $2300/mo!

On July 6, 2017 I signed an agreement with them setting forth the terms of the return & settlement. The stone was returned to them with the FedEx labels they provided and according to the instructions provided. It was received by them on 7/17/2017. What a relief! It was over and I could relax. BUT... The bills kept coming & the late notices started to arrive.

On 11/06/2017, after additional contact with Comenity Bank and numerous, unanswered, calls and emails to the Diamonds International representative I was dealing with, a credit was processed to the Comenity account. Today I received confirmation that the in house account was cleared on 11/08/2017.

My credit score has dropped 150 points. Is it my fault? Yes! I'm past retirement age and certainly old enough to know better. I accept full responsibility for caving to the hard sell & not holding my ground when I said no. That's why I offered & paid the restocking fee. That's the cost to me for being stupid.

Did they do the right thing? I don't think so. They're not upfront about their return policy (or lack thereof) and I believe they intentionally withheld payment until the bank got involved for the second time to punish me & potentially damage my credit rating.

Did they ultimately hurt me? No. It was a bump in the road and I'll survive but I really didn't need them playing me like that. It was childish and unnecessary. I was in possession of their stone for about 6 weeks and paid $10,000.00 for that pleasure (I never removed it from the case it was in & returned it 1 day after receiving the shipping label from them).

It is my opinion that Diamonds International is owned and operated by greedy people and I will never set foot in one of their stores again. If you choose to do so, I hope this has helped you know what you may be getting into. Please don't make the same stupid mistake I made.

Replies
Beware Color of Light diamonds. DI holds the patent & sets the price!!
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

BERMUDA -- While in Bermuda in May, we went to Diamonds international to look & possibly purchase something if it caught my eye. We should have stayed clear!!

I found a Kabana set I loved & negotiated the price with the store manager. Then things went sideways. They showed my husband their Crown of Light diamond & he was fascinated. Then it was my turn & the hard sell began. And began & began & began........

Husband is elderly with early stage dementia & he was all for replacing the stone in my wedding set with a COL. I loved the way the COL looked & was given a price on the first stone they showed me of $200,000.00! Yes, the zeroes are correct.

Oh well, it was good for a laugh, let's pay for the other items & go. No, no, let me show you this one. The hard sell began & we couldn't seem to get away. I said no they said look at this one. I said no, they said look at this. Husband wanted me to have the beautiful stone and started getting upset. I couldn't seem to get away & before I knew it, I was signing on the dotted line & & the proud owner of a 3.2 ct Color of Light diamond.

Back on the ship, I cried & decided it needed to be returned. Decision made, I finally looked at what was on the back of the paperwork I signed. You guessed it, no return, no exchange. Too bad, so sad, it's your sucker..........

When we got home, I contacted the corporate office in New York explaining that I was in way over my head, there was no way I could pay for the diamond, and asked them to accept a return. Diamonds International refused the request.

I spoke to two different jewelers who explained that Diamonds International held a pattern on the COL cut therefore they could set the price. They also advised that they wouldn't touch the stone or attempt to set it because the cut was so different from the standard.

Out of desperation, I contacted Comenity Bank who is their business partner and issues the Diamond international credit card. At the time the transaction took place, my credit score was over 800 which is why they granted me a very large line of credit. It was not large enough however therefore Diamonds International opened an "in house" account for me as well.

Comenity put the account in dispute and the games began. After numerous phone calls & discussions, they agreed to accept the return of the COL diamond and process full credit for the stone to the two accounts. The cost to me was a $10,000.00 "restocking" fee. The fee was my idea, not theirs, & I named the figure. I was desperate & they weren't budging so I took a shot & made the offer. Was it smart, of course not but what were my options? I couldn't afford the monthly payments which, between the two accounts were over $2300/mo!

On July 6, 2017 I signed an agreement with them setting forth the terms of the return & settlement. The stone was returned to them with the FedEx labels they provided and according to the instructions provided. It was received by them on 7/17/2017.

What a relief! It was over and I could relax. BUT.......... the bills kept coming & the late notices started to arrive.

On 11/06/2017, after additional contact with Comenity Bank and numerous, unanswered, calls and emails to the Diamonds International representative I was dealing with, a credit was processed to the Comenity account. Today I received confirmation that the in house account was cleared on 11/08/2017.

My credit score has dropped 150 points. Is it my fault? Yes! I'm past retirement age and certainly old enough to know better. I accept full responsibility for caving to the hard sell & not holding my ground when I said no. That's why I offered & paid the restocking fee. That's the cost to me for being stupid.

Did they do the right thing? I don't think so. They're not up front about their return policy (or lack thereof) and I believe they intentionally withheld payment until the bank got involved for the second time to punish me & potentially damage my credit rating.

Did they ultimately hurt me? No. It was a bump in the road and I'll survive but I really didn't need them playing me like that. It was childish and unnecessary. I was in possession of their stone for about 6 weeks and paid $10,000.00 for that pleasure (I never removed it from the case it was in & returned it 1 day after receiving the shipping label from them).

It is my opinion that Diamonds International is owned and operated by greedy people and I will never set foot in one of their stores again. If you choose to do so, I hope this has helped you know what you may be getting into. Please don't make the same stupid mistake I made.

Replies
Buyer Beware, they do not honor ANYTHING after you purchase
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

I visited Diamonds International (DI) at 5184 Dronningens Gade on 4/26/17 in St. Thomas. I purchased a new engagement ring and band for a complete set. They had to be sized down. I picked them up later, they looked great and I got back on the ship.

On the morning of 4/28/17, a day and a half later, I glanced at my new rings and was horrified. The tanzanite ring band had turned black and the metal was rough. I was upset!

I contacted DI through email that day and they sent several emails back and I responded. I have sent several emails, and Gener is slow to respond. I have requested in 7 emails, that I want a refund and to return the rings.

They will not refund my money. They said I could return the rings to NY to have them PLATED or a store credit.

The ONLY resolution I will accept, is the one I have been saying in each and every email since April 28, is for me to return these defective rings and receive a full refund.

I do not want to or care to own defective jewelry, to have it plated, to have a replacement one, or to have store credit. I do not wish to do business with Diamonds International after all the negative things I have experienced so far.

They sold me a defective ring and service.

Replies
Attempted Return of Merchandise
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

CARRIBEAN, NEW YORK -- I purchased a pair of Ammolite earrings and received a free pendant to match. I purchased two sets. I asked if the merchandise was returnable if I found an Ammolite that I liked better. I wanted a larger stone. I was informed that there will be no problems in returning the merchandise. The next day I found a pair of Ammolite earrings that I fell in love with. I purchased them.

At the next port, I was on a cruise. I went to Diamonds International to return the original purchase. I was told that I had to wait until I got back to the states. Upon getting home I called the 800-number and explained I wanted to return the merchandise. I was told that I needed to speak to a customer service representative and get a return merchandise number. I spoke to the individual and he told me that the only thing I could get was a store credit. He said I should have read the back of the store receipt. I explained I would not be near any of their stores in the near future. I asked if I could give the store credit to friends that shop at DI. The answer was no.

I went to their website and read their return policy. It's stated that you had up to 30 days to return merchandise. It never said that only a store credit will be issued. I am very disappointed in the way that this is being handled. DI makes it impossible and difficult to return merchandise. This is not good customer service. I told the customer representative that I would go to their executive office and he informed me that if I did the call would go right back to him. DI is only interested in making the sale at whatever the cost.

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Overcharge on My Credit Card
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

ST MAARTEN, TENNESSEE -- After attending a promotional presentation on an E Caribbean Disney cruise, we were enticed to check out Diamonds International in St Maarten where the ship "buyers advocate" met us to assure us of the "best deal". We have come to learn that these buyer advocates work off all the major cruise lines and are in cahoots with DI around the world to swindle vulnerable travelers in a variety of ways. Unbelievable that cruise lines receive hundreds of complaints about this every year and still provide a venue for its happening.

Most scams have to do with quality and pricing. In our case, it was misrepresentation of a quoted price for a Crown of Light necklace/earring set. We were quoted a price of $1900 for the set and discovered upon unpacking when we got home that our credit card was charged $3500! After much difficulty and many emails we were told that the price quoted was for each piece and they rounded it off to give us the "best deal" which they broke down to $1850 and $1650. This was never discussed with us. We were only given the one price and we were very clear that was for the set.

Our package did not even contain a detailed bill of sale or any information on the quality: carat, cut, clarity etc. that normally would give an indication of its value. I have filed a complaint with Disney Cruise Line with no response from them whatsoever. Our credit card company is investigating on our behave but after reading so many other experiences on the internet complaint boards, I'm sure we are in for a long and hard fought battle. Upon looking back on this whole experience, I recognize so many things that should have been a red flag for us. I just hope others will now be aware of these Pirates of the Caribbean.

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Sell Over Valued Diamonds - Carnival Helps Rip You Off
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

COZUMEL-NY -- Let me start off with I have made several purchases from here on previous cruises and my purchases have always appraised higher than what I paid. With that being said, my husband and I were celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and he purchased me a 3.00 carat diamond solitaire ring. It came with an EGL certificate, and we thought we got a good deal. I was so happy, until I got home and started doing some research on EGL Certificates.

What I discovered was that EGL is notorious for over grading their diamonds, so much to the point there are class action lawsuits in the US as well as their diamonds have been banned from RAPNET which is a weekly publication used to value diamonds. My husband insisted that I not worry, as everything we have purchased from there has always been fine. The next day we took it to get appraised from GIA certified gemologist and discovered the diamond that was supposed to be J-K I1 was in fact a K-L I2.

I immediately called Diamonds International and asked for a refund. I was told since I purchased it at a store it would only be a store credit. If I had purchased it online it could be returned with no questions asked. They said according to the back of the receipt they allow for one or more discrepancies in grading and cut and clarity can't be combined. I said "no, I don't trust your store." I was eventually offered $5K to keep as is but when you pay 19K for a diamond that is worth 11K, 5K doesn't even touch it. We have refused to pay for it on our Diamonds International credit card by TD BANK and have contacted the Better Business Bureau.

I will be contacting the Attorney General of NY as well. I contacted Carnival who pretty much sided with Diamonds International. Protect yourself from this company. Don't let your guard down just because you have made purchases from there previously. Don't be unsuspecting tourists who are enjoying your anniversary only to be sold undervalued goods by unscrupulous vendors.

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Diamonds International Rating:
Star Half star Empty star Empty star Empty star
1.3 out of 5, based on 43 ratings and
55 reviews & complaints.
Contact Information:
Diamonds International
10600 W. Charleston Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89135
702-684-8000 (ph)
www.diamondresorts.com
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