OXFORD DIAMOND - OXFORD INC - GOLD & DIAM Bait on switch scam with diamonds on EBAY. Torrance California
Steve at Oxford Diamond Co is a scam artist. He advertises very high quality diamonds on EBAY and sends bogus appraisals to make consumers feel as if they got a good deal. In reality the diamonds are very low grade and do not appraise for any where near what Steve claims they will.he
I bought a diamond engagement ring from Oxford Diamond Co on 1/1/08. This ring was listed as having an F color center stone with 88 side diamonds of E/F color. The center stone was advertised as an SI2 and sides VS1/VS2 for clarity. (both color and clarity advertised where very good).
When I received this ring it was yellow to the naked eye, very strange for an F colored center stone. I took it to an appraiser with 20 years experience who is certified by many world leading diamond appraisal groups.
It turns out the diamond is 4 shades off on color, clarity is not even close and 3 of the 88 side stones where missing. The side stones where stated as being VS1/VS2 clarity, they were actually commercial grade diamonds with tons on nasty inclusions. Oxford typed up an appraisal that a kid could have made on Microsoft Word in about 20 minutes. They appraised my yellow diamond at $16,000, it is actually only worth $4,500!
When I contacted Steve at Oxford he said there would be no problem with a return as he refunded over $600,000 in 2007. Seems to be a trend here I guess! He did take the ring back after I threatened him with a lawsuit for consumer fraud. He insists that my appraiser was wrong about the diamond. I'm not a jeweler but I know an F colored diamond should not be yellow to the naked eye!
The bottom line with Oxford Diamond Co is they bait and switch their diamonds. They advertise very high quality diamonds, but send customers low quality, commercial grade diamonds hoping people will not get an appraisal. Obviously a lot of people don't judging by their feedback.
Steve had the nerve to ask for positive feedback after trying to scam me on low grade diamond. He also retaliates negative feedback with a negative of his own.
Please contact me if you have had a similar experience with Oxford Diamond Co, as I am considering legal action against this thief. Interesting enough he is trying to sell the diamond I returned as a G color now. Still about 3 shades off Steve!
Josh
Carol Stream, Illinois
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Satisfied customer
Columbia,South Carolina,
USA
Oxford Diamonds Great bargain and Quality!
#4Consumer Comment
Sun, September 27, 2009
I ordered a bridal set from Oxford Diamond Company. My hometown jeweler has been among the leading jewelers in our region (Southeast US) for over 30 years. Our family has done business with him for 25 years. The bridal set ordered was for my son who could not afford exorbitant prices for a diamond ring for his girlfriend. Although my jeweler was skeptical and scoffed at the idea of ordering from e-bay for quality diamonds at such a low price, he was amazed at the rings we received from Oxford Diamond Company. He examined and appraised the diamonds and found them to be exactly as advertised in ebay. He said that if they were sold from him, he would set the price much higher for the quality. Put us down as very pleased customers of Oxford Diamond Company!
Josh shambaugh
Carol Stream,Illinois,
U.S.A.
Excuses Excuses
#4Author of original report
Tue, January 22, 2008
Steve you still did not address why my I/J color diamond is relisted as G color for $200 more? Can you explain this please? How did this stone change from your original appraisal of F to G once I returned it? Why would a lower grade diamond be $200 more?
How can the diamond I got appraised for $4,500 be worth $16,000, even if my appraiser was wrong....thats a big difference! Why aren't your diamonds certified? How can a F(or G as you claim now) colored diamond be yellow to the naked eye?
Steve is now trying to buy back my negative feedback through a company called Square Trade. Sorry Steve you can't buy me for the $20 fee that company is charging you.
So now Please address these questions instead of making excuses. Be a real business man and list your items for what they are.
Everyone please go to toolhaus.org and enter ID# oxforddiamondco
This will allow you to filter only Oxford's negative feedback.
Steve did refund my money but I am still out $85 for the appraisal and $30 to ship the crap diamond back. Also, Steve you are missing the whole point of this. YOU ARE FLAT OUT LYING ABOUT THE COLOR AND CLARITY OF YOUR DIAMONDS.
In one week I have already been contacted by three people who Steve has tried to RIP OFF. Sad but true Steve, Your Appraisals don't even come close to what your diamonds are. Oxford Diamond Co is betting on people not getting appraisals...Do yourself a favor and AVOID OXFORD DIAMOND AT ALL COST.
So Please Steve answer the questions about MY DIAMOND...Stop telling us about your "happy" customers who are not smart enough to get appraisals, and tell us about how a Diamond changes Color over night. Tells us how you use retaliation negative feedback. Tell everyone how a diamond ring arrives with 3 stones missing and only appraises for 1/4 what you say it will.
I will be looking forward to your response.
Josh
Oxford Diamond Co
TORRANCE,California,
U.S.A.
Response from Oxford Diamond
#4REBUTTAL Owner of company
Mon, January 21, 2008
We are thankful that we are able to provide more information on this issue. As you may know there are two sides to every story. We are sellers in the retail business for over 25 years and for the past 5 years on Ebay.
We have a 99.8% Postive Feedback rating with over 4600 items SOLD to VERY Happy customers. That is hard to keep up, even for a seller selling socks on Ebay!! =)
As you may know "You can please all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time" but not everyone, and this is the case in point.
First of all we would like to say the customer was given a FULL REFUND, including shipping costs. We are in business to help customers find the perfect diamond for them.
There are many sellers on E-bay who do not offer refunds or charge a 20% restocking fee on all returned items, and believe me a stocking fee is justified for the costs and time associated with auctions and shipping etc.
But We offer full NO HASSLE REFUNDS No Questions asked no problems because customers are purchasing online "a sight unseen" and we want them to feel comforatable and confident purchasing from us.
The customers claim that "He did take the ring back after I threatened him with a lawsuit for consumer fraud" is completley incorrect.
Our feedback on Ebay proves otherwise. Customers mention great value, Higher appraisals by Local Jewelers, Satisfaction with price and quality and Full No Hassle Refunds given with no questions asked.
Also, We ship items to many retailers as a Diamond suppliers. Just a little info on how this works. Diamond parcels go out on "Memo". We send our retailers 15 to 20 loose stones and they take a look at them, to decide which will work for them. The ones they like, the keep and send the others back to us. Sometimes they keep all, sometimes they send all of them back.
Every customer is looking for something different. We treat our customers the same way. We send the Diamond for your inspection or appoval. No commitment and no pushing to keep an item. It is like we are your "realtor"
We have Diamonds that come back maybe 2 times but the 3rd time it sells, the customer is estatic with it.
Just as a Realator shows houses for sale, Each house It is not perfect for everyone but it is perfect for that "ONE Person"
Please let us explain one thing. Appraisals can vary from Jeweler to Jeweler upto 25% and this information is a correct statement. You do have understand that Diamond Grading is not an Exact Science. It is based on the eye of the appraiser. Diamonds do not come out of the ground with appraisals. even Big appraisal houses such as GIA, IGI, and EGL give Different ratings. It is very common in our business for Diamond Retailers to send the Diamond to both houses and they keep the Certificate which comes back with the better rating. Even with both Big houses rating the diamond, the rate it differently.
Every Jeweler has their own opinion and their own motive behind their comments. This is a tough business with an extravagant markup for retailers. When someone cuts out the middle man, the middle man is not happy.
Our Diamonds are High Quality and Not commercial Grade as the customer suggests.
We are Titanium sellers with Ebay (Highly Respected and Honored) and Our Customers are very happy with their purchases, and if in fact we were a SCAM we would not be in business. We have faith in the intelligence of our customers, We actually encourage them to take it their items to a local Jeweler because we know we are giving them well cut, High Quality Diamonds for a Wholesale price.
You will not be able to find ONE CUSTOMER who we scammed out of money, WE GUARANTEE IT.
Do you know why, Because if a customer is not happy, We give them full money back!!! That is our company policy. Even if it has been longer than 30 days we work with our customers. Even if the money is Wire Transfer or Overseas.
So once again I hope anyone who reads this takes into account all the facts, and even though the customer got a full refund the same day without a hassle, he choses to persue us on this forum when he did not even get "RIPPED OFF" becuase he got full money back!
After being business for so many years, I find some people just take their agressions and fustrations out on others. This customer who is obviously very profane and violent has some issues he needs to address.
Neverthless we hope him the best in the future to find the Kohinoor diamond for $5000 Good luck!