[Jewelry making - Article 01628] - Re: [Orchid] How long do you warrant work?

[gerald livings]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

    Below is some of the items I write in the front of my price list I
    give to my accounts. When I first sign up with them I make sure I
    give them a copy to sign that I can keep on file. most of these have
    been things that at one time I had to cover because it was not
    explicitly spelled out in very small, one syllable words. 

    I have included notes after most describing the situation that made
    me write it down, some funny, some sad. I hope my experience might
    help some one else. 

    my 2 cents, Jerry 

    Before a estimate for repair can be given the item will be cleaned.
    If the item falls apart after removal of the grime,( heads fall off,
    stones fall out, shanks fall apart, etc), and the customer refuses
    all of the work then Livingston Jewelers will not warranty and can
    not be held responsible the condition of the item. 

    *(this ring set had not been off of her finger in over 30 years, a
    fact she was quite proud of.after a week in the ultrasonic with
    several soakings in alcohol and paint thinner[yes there was paint],
    the wedding band fell apart because the only thing holding it the the
    engagement ring was the filth and the paint) 

    Rhodium, gold, and silver plating is very thin, Livingston Jewelers
    will not warranty plating after the customer has picked up their
    jewelry. 

    *( 2 days after a simple sizing of a white gold band I received it
    back with the salesperson and store manager literally screaming at me
    for my shoddy work. I had seen 20 year old bands that did not look
    that beat up so I asked what this guy did for a living. turns out he
    worked for the WI highway department laying concrete.) 

    When a repair estimate is given for work needed and the customer
    refuses all of the work then Livingston Jewelers will not warranty
    and can not be held responsible the condition of the item. 

    *( I had received a small herring bone chain for an estimate that
    had been 'repaired' by the customer with way to much superglue. by
    the time I got it it was again in 4 pieces. the customer freaked out
    and I was out the cost of a 20 inch herring bone.) 

    When a repair estimate is given for work needed and the customer
    refuses part of the work then Livingston Jewelers will not warranty
    any work done and can not be held responsible for any additional work
    after the job is picked up. 

    *( this ring came in for a sizing but needed a half shank due to
    being paper thin, new head/set as well as some re-tips on the side
    melee. after just sizing it like the customer wanted it came back to
    me 4 months later for me to replace the center stone. after much
    discussion back and forth I agreed to pay for the head/ set and other
    work while the store replaced the diamond.) 

    When sending chain repairs do not include pendants unless they have
    to be soldered onto the chain. I will not be held liable for loss or
    damage to pieces that are unnecessary to the repair job. 

    *(received a job envelope with no description written on it. I did
    my normal sketch and description on the back as it was a simple omega
    shortening. I did the work and sent it back, a couple of days later I
    received a call asking where the customers aqua enhancer was,and if
    they sent a copy of the appraisal how fast could I replace it?) (side
    note: this went to the stores loss prevention as the sales person was
    a friend of the customer and the 'Appraisal' was from when the
    enhancer was sold at the 'mine distributor' in the Bahama's) 

    Rings with inlays of any gem or stone will only be repaired at the
    clients risk. 

    *( store was trying to sell an inlaid opal ring, even after I said
    it was a bad idea the manager still wanted me to stretch it up a half
    size. they ended up special ordering the ring and they tried to give
    me a bill for over 800 dollars to replace the inlays on the first
    ring. when I reminded the manager of what I said she looked me in the
    eye and told me that I had never mentioned that before.) 

    Broken or chipped gems will only be set / reset / tightened at the
    clients risk. 

    *( the store wanted a head/set on a princess cut Tiffany. this was a
    botched job from their home office jeweler. when I looked at the
    stone before removing it you could see where the corner was broken
    off. the description on the job envelope said the customer stone was
    chipped. as it was chipped on the one side of the table I made a
    quick plot on the back of the envelope showing the table chip and the
    broken corner and set it. about 6 weeks later I received a bill for
    just under $6000. the original job envelope to their home office had
    no description, the only description said 'chipped' they tried to
    argue that I made the plot after I broke the diamond.) 

    Gems with surface coatings or treatments will only be set / reset /
    tightened at the clients risk. 

    *( I have tightened, re-tipped / set way to many mystic topaz rings
    that were worn for a while before I saw them. many times the sales
    people can not seem to convey to the customer that to tighten a stone
    that I have to actually have prongs in contact with the surface and
    that polishing may remove this 'mystic' layer showing that they have
    a clear stone.) 

    Livingston Jewelers is not responsible for any damage to color
    enhanced, fracture filled or clarity enhanced gems, including
    diamonds, which were not disclosed in writing at the time of order. 

    *(broken prong on a very light blue,clear saph. my estimate was to
    pull the gem and reset but the store did not want to eat that cost so
    when I replaced the prong the stone ended up with a nice greenish
    streak near the prong.) 

    Unless otherwise stated, it is assumed that all colored gems have
    been subjected to a stable and possibly undetectable color
    enhancement process. 

    *(this is pretty self explanatory to us on orchid but try explaining
    this to sale people in a mall store.) 

    Quality of workmanship is guaranteed for 3 months. (Gem tightening
    is warranted for 1 month). 

    Livingston Jewelers will not warranty gem tightening for more then
    one month. Generally, a loose gem is an indication that some type of
    repair work is needed on the mounting or crown, or that the gem is
    damaged. 

    *( this is my 'out' when I am asked to tighten stones in rings that
    need more work. I also refer to this line when I have to explain my
    policy about repair estimates that are given for work needed and the
    customer refuses part of the work[from above].) 

    All jobs submitted for a no-charge redo must be accompanied with the
    original job receipt to receive credit.
____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________