Hearts On Fire - Montica Jewelry - Montica.com ripoff does not honor guarantee and does not want to refund Boston Massachusetts
Prestigious HEARTS ON FIRE: does not honor guarantee, Montica.com non reputable retailer
I want to tell as many people I can before they purchase a diamond from Hearts on Fire about my terrible experience. I want them to know that they are paying $ 10,000.00 US more than an actual diamond price elsewhere because of retailer s profit and marketting of the company.
Yes, HOF are WOW if you don t know anything about diamonds, but let me tell you what happened to me.....and THEY DO NOT HONOR THEIR 30 day GUARANTEE !!!!! In a reliability report that I read from BBB about HOF, it states the following as the " nature of business of Hearts on Fire" :
"Hearts On Fire Company is a manufacturer of fine diamonds and diamond jewelry offered to the wholesale market. The company was established and incorporated in 1978 in Massachusetts. There are 100 employees. Mr. Glenn Rothman is the Chief Executive Officer of the company. Ms. Susan Rothman is the President and Mr. William Anderson is the Chief Financial Officer. Any questions or problems should be directed to the attention of Ms. Gailyc C. Sonia, the General Counsel. Company policy states, We offer a 100% money back guarantee to our retailer customers. Should an end consumer lose their diamond - or should the diamond be damaged due to defective workmanship or materials, we will warranty the product for up to one year from the date of purchase. The diamond will be replaced at no charge ."
So here is my story:
Last year ( july 2005) on a trip to Miami with my family we went to Montica store (family we knew from El Salvador) and my husband got impulsive and bought me a 2.47 radiant H SI1 diamond. (over $ 15,000.00) The Montica owner had told me it was a "Lucida ring" for me to find out later on internet that it was a copy because the Lucida ring is from Tiffany. !!
After the purchase of the radiant I sent the GIA report by e-mail to a jeweler friend and he told me I had paid too much for this diamond.
At that time Montica was not a HOF retailer, but several months afterwards the owner let me know she was selling the most beautiful diamonds. She knew I was searching for the ultimate top of the line and I had been learning a little about diamonds, because I did not know anything before the purchase of the radiant. She told me about HOF and I decided for an upgrade. If she was offering upgrade with HOF I must assume that guarantee, etc applied. She never told me that upgrading would interfere with any guarantee at all at the end.
I wanted to upgrade especially to recuperate what I knew now I had overpaid for my radiant. I had read in the HOF site about beeing a tremendous diamond etc.
So after a couple of weeks trying to find the appropiate size, color and clarity that suited my budget I wire her more than $20,000.00 on february 17th,2006 for a HOF 2.20 ct set on HOF setting. The suggested retail price for this diamond by HOF was $45,000.00 !!!!
Due to families issues, before the 30 day guarantee expired I ask Montica to apply the 30 day guarantee and refund me my money. To my amazement she told me she could not, because it had been a special order, her guarantee only applied on her stock items and anyways her business was to sell diamonds, not reimburse them !!!???? I told her that it could not be a special order,that as a retailer she did not have large inventory diamonds from HOF in her store, that HOF had an inventory list where customer choose what suit them and of course she as a HOF retailer had to order them to HOF without being a special order. If there is 100 retailers for HOF, how can each have the inventory in stock from HOF ??
Seeing no results with Montica, I called VP Peter Smith at HOF and send him an e-mail. In my conversation with him he told me that the guarantee had to be asked to the retailer.(Contradictory of what HOF advertises in their nature of business, that they offer a 100% money back guarantee to their retailer customers). Anyways I told him I had spoken to Montica but with no results and commented everything that was said to me. He told me if I had a problem flying AA airlines I could not go to Boieng for a claim !!!! And he then told me that the HOF guarantee only applied on loose stone !!!!???
To which I told him ironically: Then what, if a man wants to get engage, he has to give his fianc a loose diamond and hope the marriage take place (before 30 days) so he does not have to apply the HOF guarantee or if he has to apply for guarantee, his stone must be a loose stone ???? How is his fianc suppose to wear her engagement ring ??
By the way, the loose diamond I purchased at Montica was set on a HOF setting called TIMELESS BRIDAL and set by HOF !!!!! So no one else handled the diamond except them.
One week later I called back and spoke to the owner Susan R. She told me someone was going to call me back because she was in a meeting, and she mentioned this is not right.
This person called G. Strauss did call back and call Montica too.
Do you what to know what HOF , well Mr. Strauss offered me for a HOF listed at a $ 45,000.00 retail price. He offered me to send the diamond back to HOF and they would pay me $ 28,800.00 !!!!! I told him I finally understood that the stone was worth $ 28,800.00 and the extra (more than $ 10,000.00) a customer was paying for the retailer and of course MARKETTING of their BRAND. !!!!!! But what about their 100 % money back guarantee ??? of HOF and of Montica ???
He asked to think about it, because no jeweler would give me even half of what he was offering and it was a super deal they were offering. He told me to call him back if I agreed, that I had his number !!!.
I told him, don t worry I will never call you back, I will not consider that option but I would write to different protection bureaus and of course I would post in the Pricescope forum for people to know what a NON prestigious company HOF and Montica.com was. (losing more than$ 10,000.00 is a very small amount related in my story of what they are offering for a settlement to my situation with Montica compare to the profits HOF generates annually)
Terrible, isnt it ???
If a company advertises "100 % money back guarantee", or "your purchase is risk free, unconditional money back guarantee", or as in their nature of business where HOF displays about themselves, "that they will refund 100% of their retail customers", then they should honor it, no matter what reasons a customer has.
Carole
Santa Ana
Costa Rica
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Carole
Santa Ana,Central America,
Costa Rica
Montica/ Hearts on Fire agreement failed
#5Author of original report
Fri, February 16, 2007
I did write a response on the new situation with Montica two days ago and it has not been posted yet.
Would you know why?
Santa Ana, I am who put the first thread.
Thank you
Carole
Santa Ana,Central America,
Central America
Hearts On Fire - Montica Jewelry UPDATE
#5Author of original report
Wed, February 14, 2007
My lawyers have been trying to come to a settlement with Montica, but again they have been playing games.
Their lawyer Hugo Arza received the settlement proposed by Thomas Valentine law firm but kept changing their positions or even ignoring the date for the settlement to take place.
They would come up with "I thought the diamond came with the mounting, therefore the price must vary, etc etc.
I will in my next update send the emails sent back and forth.
Since the begining Montica has not honored its policy and guarantee and now again have not honored their agreement to come to a settlement.
Their lawyers have even sent out the proposal of a fair arrangement to a third party not at all involved in the matter!
I am taking them to court for false representation and backing up again.
We will see you in court along with Hearts on Fire.
Santa Ana.
Carole
Santa Ana,Central America,
Costa Rica
HOF are branded diamonds, but the hearts on fire diamond DOES NOT have more facets.
#5Author of original report
Fri, June 30, 2006
Hello Aafes, Europe USA
First of all, thank you for your comments. I have read a lot about branded diamonds.
Let me tell you that the Hearts on Fire diamond has the same amount of facets as a traditional round diamond. The dream from HOF does vary in number of facets.
HOF has market very well its product. This is the reason for so much overprice for their diamonds, they must pay millions in advertising. And they are not the most perfectly cut diamond in the world as they state.
Example: The Eightstar is a much more perfectly cut diamond and existed prior to the HOF but does not use the same advertising strategy or does not pay the same amount. The eightstar was selling alot more in Asia from the States than within the United States at the begining, before being recognized as the first H & A perfect cut. You can read this in the Gems Consumers Labs web site and in many more sites.
I believe in a way yes Montica should be the first responsible, but HOF too. Because when Mr. Strauss contacted me he knew Montica did not want to do anything about it and offer the refund for $ 28,800.00. If I ask for a refund with HOF, I would want it for the total amount of what I paid. HOF can then arrange with Montica for the mark up gained etc. Anyways they will have the diamond back and are going to make again a profit with it, it is not like they will throw away the stone or not be able to do anything with it. So this is between them. And if both companies advertises 100% money back guarantee, they should honor it. Montica will still be a retailer for HOF.
Why did HOF contacted me on my cellular and did an offer like this?? They wanted to make it up for Montica, well they're still going to sell other diamonds with Montica.
I would be willing to lose the money of the setting , but if they are going to get back the diamond and sell it again, they should honor the 100% money back guarantee they advertise, because I was within my 30 day guarantee and they will have the diamond back to sell. Montica states that it was a special order, but this is false too, how can all of HOF?s retailer have in store all of the HOF inventory listed diamonds in their stores? When Montica respond a BBB complaint they altered some invoices. First one exhibit contradicted a second one saying the item had been shiped where I told them too, but the second exhibit shows clearly the signature of the person who picked up the stone at their store!!
And Mr. Strauss should about my complaint filed in BBB and RIPOFF report, because as a consumer I have a right to defend my refund I am entitled too and for them to honor their policy, either the HOF policy or their retailer's policy Montica. They should then force Montica to refund. What can you say about them HOF at first telling me the refund applied only on loose stones?? This is ridiculous. I feel they have been throwing the ball to each other. And today I found out that Mr. Rottmann, owner of HOF has a lot of legal complaints for one or another reasons. It seems they are a conflict company.
Any comments are welcome as much as advise.
Aafes
Viernheim,Europe,
U.S.A.
Buying Diamonds
#5Consumer Comment
Thu, June 29, 2006
There is usually a very healthy markup on diamonds and jewelry ranging from 100% to 400% over cost when you buy a diamond from a retail store.
The HOF diamond is a "branded" diamond, a marketing concept developed several years ago with the goal of instilling "trust" in a name brand diamond to be offered at multiple retailers. The concept is not much different from different department stores carrying branded merchandise.
The HOF diamond, similar to the patented H&A diamond is a particular cut of diamond, utilizing a cut with more facets than normal. This cutting process allows better reflection of light and brilliance of the stone. The polish and symmetry of these diamonds are generally more consistent than those of other precut or mounted stones offered by other wholesalers.
With any diamond you will pay markup. The jeweler first of all must pay overhead and seek a profit. The amount of the profit they seek is a personal choice and one the market will bear. You can find a similar diamond (no two diamonds are exact) from another retailer at a lower price in ALMOST all cases. Especially if you go to the second jeweler and show them a price quote for the diamond you are considering. Most will undercut a competitor to gain a sale. They still make a profit.
GIA certification, or other independent agencies, will provide an "average replacement cost" at retail prices with a certification. This is generally for insurance purposes and does not truly reflect the value of the diamond.
The actual value of any diamond, true value, is wholesale cost or just slightly over. If you try selling it to a pawnshop, for example, you will get wholesale cost. If you find a jeweler interested in buying, you may get slightly over wholesale cost, as he is allowing room for profit after resale or remounting and resale.
You must also consider the cost of the mounting, the material cost (gold or platinum) and the marketing costs. All of these come into the picture with diamond purchases.
The HOF diamond is a specialty diamond or a "premium" brand. You paid more as you purchased a premium.
As for the guarantee HOF offers this to the retailer (Montica) in this case. The price offered to you by HOF is very likely the price that Montica paid for the merchandise. Any additional you paid was for Montica's markup.
It sounds as if your problem is with Montica, not HOF.