Diamonds International - no mas
 

So last cruise we bit and bought a ring at DI in Cozumel. It had to be sized so there would be a delay. Our "destination shopper" had told us (in a seminar) she would pick up jewelry. The store manager said she would let the DS know there was something to pick - and referred to her by name.

Got back to the ship - no jewelry by dinner. Left a message for the DS after dinner. Called again the next day. DS said the store manager had not called her and DI would be sending us the ring on Monday (it was now Saturday.)

The next Friday we had seen no ring and had not heard from anybody. My wife called DI's 800 number and left a message asking for a tracking number. No response, she called again on Monday - they patched her through to the store. She was told ring had been shipped and they would e-mail a tracking number.

Today (now 13 days out) no word still from anybody. She calls DI again, asks for status. Was told to call back 2 two to get the tracking number. At 2 she was told the item had just arrived i NEW YORK (we don't live there) and they would overnight it from them. At this point my DW is so POed she told them to ship it back and refund her credit card. That is the current fight.

Bottom line: if you think you found a deal and can walk out with it go ahead. I would not advise buying anything you have to wait for.

I think these are wise words. I know you are a veteran traveler, so the store must have been very convincing that they would be able to handle everything for you.

I hate to put this on the cruise line - but this is the exact reason WHY they have these shopping programs - to guarantee your satifaction. Do you want to identify the cruise line?

If it is Royal Caribbean they just announced this week that they are changing shopping program purveyors completely. You may have been lost in the changeover shuffle.

I suggest you contact the credit company yourselves and nullify the purchase.

I would 100% agree..Every time I have had a ring sized I waited for it, no problem...if any shop tells you, a ring needs to be sized, then mailed, tell the clerk, thanks but no thanks, I will find a shop that can size on site...You will be surprised at how fast they will find a jeweler to size your purchase...So sorry your wife is disappointed...

In the past 2 years, I have purchased substantial jewelry items. I have never had to have anything shipped, always had the rings sized and picked up within one hour.

Whenever we have been in a DI store ,in any port its always the same . We had one bad experience many years ago and we will not go back .When we were on HAL in December and on our 2008 cruise a featured event was the DI reps presentation .

Visa or MC
 

I like Paul's advice,
Just call your CC company and request the purchase be cancelled with the stated reason as you did make numerous calls to the original store and manager.
I'd then advise the cruise line involved of your experience with copies to the ships destination shopper.
Credit Card companies offer this service and will watch out for this type of activity.
The best advice is to walk out with what you want or forget it as the next stop will have another similar shop.

All the best

We were on Carnival Freedom - did complete the paperwork for their "protection program" but that seems mostly for when the appraisal of an item doesn't match the vendors claim. We have contracted Carnival PPI but have not heard back directly from them. DI is still holding the ring because my wife told them she doesn't want it any more - because the have her so mad. They have offered her a $100 gift certificate but she is not interested in every buying from DI again (right now) ... and Carnival is on the bubble for her as well. The kicker for Carny is this was the only "shopping" port on the itinerary - so the only port where the Destination Shopper really had anything to do..

We have contacted the credit card company - we'll see what they can do.

Best of luck.. In essence they are going on the basis, ring has been sold
On to the Credit Card company

So, the reason your wife is dissappointed, is they did not live up to the time frame,and being mailed to NY, instead your home..so I would ask you this now.

Does she love the ring?
Did you get a good price?
Is going through all that will come, worth the time, effort and aggrivation?
The $100.00 sure sweetens the pot, for a small bauble the next time.

If she answers yes to all the above, I say let her enjoy the ring, and forget about it:) Just my 2 cents now, after all has been said and done.

Customs
 

I thought the ring was still in transit somewhere or she refused to accept otherwise one cannot cancel the purchase via the CC folks.
Sure, if all the womanly logic prevails , emotions aside , then enjoy but if the ring is still in transit, will the US Customs via US Postal want to charge as their trip is over and I assume a declaration was made. :confused:
In Canada, you would have to declare to void the potential charge if it is a ring vs. a rock.:mrgreen::D

ps" Trip, I miss Boston,,, was a great city to see when we visited my daughter fora week prior to a cruise and we even experienced the price of an unscheduled overnight stay in Brigham and Womans Hospital

Today (now 13 days out) no word still from anybody. She calls DI again, asks for status. Was told to call back 2 two to get the tracking number.

At 2 she was told the item had just arrived i NEW YORK (we don't live there) and they would overnight it from them. At this point my DW is so POed she told them to ship it back and refund her credit card. That is the current fight.

It seems the ring is in NY now..

not inhand
 

Ok
That means she has not physically received it and has revoked her order. Hopefully buyer remorse laws prevail.

She is most upset because they told her the 1) the ring would be sent to the ship, 2) the ring would be shipped to us Monday (2/28), 3) the ring had been shipped and they would e-mail her the tracking number.

She loved the ring but says now it would be a reminder of unmet promises. She has a long fuse but once she gets ticked off she stays that way for a long time.

I told her she might not win on this one but could try to come up with a new definition of a win - right now making a future purchase at DI is not in her plans so a gift certificate is of little value except to sell on eBay.

Gee, I would look at that bauble and think...helloooo gorgeous:):)

But...whatever makes her happy..happy wife, happy life :)

On our last Carnival cruise, we were told that Carnival owns Diamonds International. The port maps that they give out with recommended stores now only show DI, at least in some ports. I don't look at the maps much. But, I asked the Destination Shopper why that was and got this big "because it's such a good deal" sales pitch for my trouble. I just waved my inherited rock at her and walked away.
Marty

Since the thread got revived, I will finish the story.

After my last post my wife called our credit card company and they immediately refunded our purchase price. DI Cozumel protested on the very last possible day, claiming she had received the ring - at the same time we received a letter from DI "customer service" offering a discount to take the ring. We forwarded that letter to our credit card company and they upheld our claim.

At this point I would believe DI if they told me it was raining and I was getting wet.

Its been awhile buts its that time again for the dumb question of the day and here we go what the heck is a DI:confused:

Marty, I was surprised by the info about D.I. being owned by Carnival, since over course of time, I would have thought we would have heard about it, so I asked John Heald....this was his response.

This is 100% false. We do not own Diamonds International, and, that it is just one of many recommended jewelry stores on our onboard shopping program. As far as I know Diamonds International is a privately held company based out of New York.

I'm not doubting your experience at all, just the confused port staff.

did not know they had on board shopping programs.What does that consist of I am sure my wife would be interested in something like that;)

Dh, its a review of shopping in the ports on your itinerary. You will be given a map of the area, with recommended shops. They will show you various items of jewlery, tee shirts, liquor, etc, and have raffles and such, to get you in the shopping mood.....also, when you go to the shops, there will be a cabin winner in each store..and many times a free gift for stopping by...or, should I say buy.:rolleyes:

I think that it is a matter of poor communication between "customer service" and the store location. The credit card company went back to the store.

I got the info that Carnival owns DI from the manager of the on board jewelry shop. They were bragging that that made them the biggest diamond dealers in the world and that therefore they could offer the best price. So, I don't really know, just repeating what I was told. Oh, and this was on the Legend.
Marty

Not only doesn't Carnival own DI, they don't own the shops onboard. All the shops are contracted concessions.

However, all "recommended shops" do pay for the right to be designated "recommended shops".

Kuki, That makes me wonder if maybe the jewelry shops on board are owned by DI. I don't really care, as I find their prices too high no matter what sales pitch they throw at me. But, so many companies are intertwined that anything is "possible".
Marty

Dunno. There is this:
Starboard Cruise Services
Starboard is a wholly owned subsidiary of Louis Vuitton, Moet Hennessey. Starboard is the world’s largest and leading duty free retailer, operating onboard 82 cruise ships worldwide with more than 1,000 employees around the world, and offering cruise ship passengers world-class brands and exclusive merchandise with tax and duty free savings. Together with our cruise line partners (including Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruise, and Holland America) our goal is to provide an unforgettable, exciting shopping experience.