Tresors Jewellers Owner: Alain Filion compromised ethics, lies, pretense, lack of accountability Kingston, Ontario
BOTTOM LINE: I don't recommend shopping here.
SUMMARY: I bought a matching engagement ring and wedding band set in 2006 from Tres Ors owner Alain Filion. The receipt clearly indicated the designer's product number for the ring I specified, however the ring I received was not made by the designer, and did not bear the designer's imprint. I had no experience with designer jewellery, and I have been played for a fool.
THE STORY (2006): I showed Mr. Filion photos of the engagement ring as depicted on the web site of award-winning Montreal designer, Claude Thibaudeau, and told him that I wanted to buy the ring that was pictured. I also purchased a Polar Bear diamond to be set in this Canadian designed setting. (I am both proud to be Canadian, and to serve my country.)
Mr. Filion and I discussed pricing, and narrowing the setting to accommodate a diamond smaller than 1.25 carats, which Mr. Fillion cautioned could detract from the overall look. I was willing to accept the aesthetic difference, and asked him to proceed. As he had a good relationship with the designer, Mr. Filion told me he would talk with him to "see what he could do."
The ring was eventually delivered; I proposed and was soon married. After the dust settled, we questioned Mr. Filion on the authenticity of the ring because we noticed that an inscription that was present on the ring pictured on the Creations Thibaudeau web site was not on the ring I received. Mr. Filion stated that the inscription was for marketing purposes only and does not appear on the delivered product. Mr. Filion should have indicated that we should NOT expect to see any Claude Thibaudeau mark, as the ring he delivered was not a genuine Claude Thibaudeau! Neither my wife nor I knew enough to expect the designer's mark -- for all we knew, Creations Thibaudeau designs jewellery and contracts out the manufacture? This is NOT the case.
With our suspicion temporarily quelled, over the next five years we routinely submitted the ring to Tres Ors for cleaning, buffing, and yearly setting adjustment as the stone would loosen over time. A credible source has informed me that an authentic Claude Thibaudeau ring would not exhibit this defect. Each time either my wife or I entered the store, the ring was referred to by Mr. Filion and his staff as "The Claude Thibaudeau" -- which further reinforced the misconception that we possessed a genuine Claude Thibaudeau design. We were typically treated very well -- not only a good business practice, but perhaps also to the further perpetuate the lie?
THE STORY CONTINUES (2011): Recently, after being complimented on her ring, my wife spoke further with the woman who was familiar with jewellery design and Creations Thibaudeau. The woman exclaimed that there was no way that the ring was genuine. We also called Creations Thibaudeau and told them our story.
I confronted Mr. Filion with the new information during an hour or so of personal and telephone conversation over two days. Aside from admitting his conduct was unethical, the results are as follows:
the ring is not a genuine Claude Thibaudeau, but one that "looks like it",
although Mr. Filion never offered me a replica at a lesser price than the genuine design during negotiation that I should have somehow derived by my discounted purchase price that I was not in receipt of a Thibaudeau design, (recall Mr. Filion's relationship with the designer and talking to him "to see what he could do" about alteration and price?)
the Creations Thibaudeau product number on my receipt did NOT necessarily refer to the genuine ring, but a ring "that resembled" the original Thibaudeau design;
even though I am disappointed to know now that I did not get what I specified then, I should nonetheless be pleased simply by having a platinum ring, and;
after I requested that Mr. Filion provide a replacement made by Creations Thibaudeau, I was going to have to pay for it. Mr. Filion's expected me to be liable for his unethical choice!
Since the erosion of our relationship, I reminded him that all he had left was his reputation and his integrity. As of Wednesday 22 June 2011, Creations Thibaudeau has removed Tres Ors from their list of distributors.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
LedSled7
Ontario,Really?
#3Author of original report
Thu, May 16, 2013
Dear Mr. Filion, slander is defined as a statement which is both false AND damaging. I am not guilty of slander because I am telling the truth. Your rebuttal on this occasion is no better than the falsehood you spun to my wife and I at your store a few years ago.
You know that you never offered a "custom" (read 'replica') ring in place of La Cathédral. You created the ring yourself, then referred to it as "the Claude Thibaudeau" every time my wife brought it to you for cleaning and adjustment. This was an intentional and absolute perpetuation of falsehood. Why else would my wife and I believe we possessed an authentic Claude Thibaudeau design if it were not initially offered by YOU as such, and further reinforced by YOU as such?
My issue with the original price was the ring's aesthetic dependance on a one carat diamond, which placed it beyond my means. After purchasing a more humble stone, you informed me that you would speak with Mr. Thibaudeau to see if the ring could be scaled to accommodate the smaller stone. Period. Your account is an outright fabrication, and was a means to further establish the ring as authentic.
My wife is by no means a materialistic woman, and has stated many times that she would have been pleased with costume jewelry, so I am not (and never was) embarrassed by my inability to spend more. You are speculating.
Truthfully, we both like appearance of the ring -- my wife is often complimented on it as well -- it is truly eye-catching, but it was sold to me, and presented to my wife as a genuine Claude Thibaudeau design because YOU -- not I -- said it was.
Finally, I believe that Claude Thibaudeau Designs may have considered the "custom" ring to infringe on it's design patents, which could be the reason why Tres Ors no longer carries it's jewelry? All we asked from you was the truth -- not money, not a new ring -- the truth.
Alain
Kingston,Ontario,
TrèsOrs Jewellers - Setting the Story Straight
#3UPDATE Employee
Thu, May 16, 2013
Setting the Story Straight:
In spring of 2006, one Mr. Tim St-Onge came to TrèsOrs Jewellers with the intention of getting a Creations Thibaudeau platinum diamond ring to propose to his girlfriend. Upon review with the supplier’s information, the platinum mount alone was then priced at $7,000 not including the cost of a diamond purchase and the labour to set the diamond.
Having been turned off by the designer-set price, an alternative had been presented – create a custom made ring to look exactly like the Creations Thibaudeau ring his girlfriend would love so much, at a lower price and at a smaller scale at his request. He accepted the alternative.
On April 12th, 2006, the purchase was finalized and Tim St-Onge paid for a platinum ring mount with a total carat diamond weight of .65ct, total carat sapphire weight of 0.40ct at the modest price of $4,000. The diamond to be mounted was a Polar Bear diamond at .708 carats at an additional $3,000; bringing the gross total of the ring to be $8,050 after taxes.
The fact that it was not done by Creations Thibaudeau was never hidden from the customer.
Once the custom created ring had been completed, Tim St-Onge was immensely pleased with the end result, and even more pleased with an appraisal provided him with of the ring. Having been once again reminded to be the utmost secretive in regards to the nature of the ring, the soon-to-be fiancée must not know anything about the ring.
Jewellers are not able to tell that the ring is not an original Creations Thibaudeau, short of looking inside the band and not being finding the patented Creations Thibaudeau engraved stamp. Again, the fact that it was being created anywhere other than Creations Thibaudeau themselves was never hidden, as the customer was not willing to pay the designer-set price.
After having left the store, the designer of the ring was informed that the engagement was a success and the recipient was immensely pleased with the ring. Some years had passed, and the customer in question as well as his then wife returned to the store and insisted on speaking with the owner and designer of the ring.
A substantial spectacle then occurred. TrèsOrs Jewellers was then questioned not only on a professionalism standpoint, but an ethical one for the authenticity of the ring. Outlandish claims such as promises that the ring was supposed to be a Creations Thibaudeau ring were made, and the company opted to not expose Tim St-Onge’s fraudulent ways.
Throughout the entire creation process, the customer in question was immensely pleased with the process, the price, the negotiations, and the attentive customer service towards it being exactly what he knew his fiancée wanted. Only once the fiancée was informed from another jeweller upon getting her ring cleaned did she get suspicious, as it is a custom ring he agreed to, did any issues occur.
To this day, TrèsOrs Jewellers is willing to give Tim St-Onge $4,000 should he be interested in exchanging the custom ring for the original Creations Thibaudeau that he was originally interested in. A generous offer provided he pay nothing but the difference for the same mount. He continuously refuses the offer, however, insisting the company should take a substantial loss and exchange it without making him pay for the difference. At the time, the mount was priced at $7,000 and is now retailing for $10,000.
We have substantial reason to believe that the aforementioned formal complaint and slander towards the company is a desperate effort to save face from a fiancée (now wife) of said client in order to not be exposed for how little he was willing to spend on an engagement ring.