Casa de Oro Jewelers

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: There is absolutely no resolution in the response we received from [redacted] , from Casa de OroHe has manipulated and fabricated the content of conversations that we had with him, while absolutely disregarding his and his company's responsibility in this matter The biggest complaint that we have about [redacted] and his business, is that he is supposed to be the professionalI do not expect someone with no experience in my field of work to understand all aspects of it, therefore, when a new customer comes to me, it is my duty to explain my service to them to the fullest extent [redacted] did not do that for my fiancee when he purchased my engagement ring from Casa de OroHe made assumptions based on what he later referred to (phone conversations 8/20/14) as current trendsHe treated the design of our ring as final, without fully explaining the degree of difficulty that we would have in finding a wedding band that would fit with itThis fact meant that we would have to either have to have a custom designed wedding band, or work done to the existing ringHe told my fiancee in their phone conversation on the 20th that "a lot of people don't even wear wedding bands anymoreMy wife doesn't wear one." -That was his justification for going through the design of a ring without a thought as to what we, the customers, might wantWhen my fiancee spoke the the jeweler, he told my fiancee that if he had been the one to sit down and discuss the design of the engagement ring, he would have (and should have) discussed with him the specifications of the design and the fact that the ring would not fit with a traditional bandUnfortunately, [redacted] , who is a salesman, not a jeweler, was my fiancee's direct contact when designing the ringOur only fault in the design of the ring was in trusting that my fiancee was speaking to an honest, upfront salesperson; and not requesting to talk to the jeweler himselfI would like to reiterate that the jeweler with Casa de Oro did an excellent job in the building of my engagement ringIt is unfortunate that my fiancee did not deal with him personally so that none of this would have been an issueBut again, [redacted] was the point of contact, which at this point, I am positive is by design, in case of complaints such as ours After speaking with another jeweler, we became aware that the work that needed to be done on the engagement ring in order to have it fitted with a band, was well under the quoted cost from [redacted] and Casa de OroHis comment " I relayed several options to her, one of which included a custom ring for $450, which included about $in labor on the current ring The statement she makes concerning $350, was an alterative to completely redesign and manufacture the current ring at a discounted rate I stated I would not redesign the ring at no charge because [redacted] approved the original design and they had happily enjoyed the ring for eight months." is completely without meritHe also said nothing about ***'s approval of the ring and our enjoyment one way or anotherHe quoted $as a rate for a wedding band and the work on my ring, after giving us a quote of "about $100" days priorSo when I told him that we were only interested in the work for the time being he stated that the work would cost $350, and the wedding band was $At that point, I told him that I did not understand the difference in price and that I wanted to discuss the options with my fianceeI had him pick the ring up and we decided to get a second opinion on the cost of the workWe let [redacted] know that we had received a quote for less than his original quote and MUCH less than his adjusted quoteAt this point, my fiancee talked to the jeweler who stated that it was a misunderstanding and that the work on my existing engagement ring would be $This was completely contrary to what [redacted] told me the previous dayWhen asked if we still wanted to have the work done, my fiancee told the jeweler that, after speaking with another jeweler, that the only way we would have any more work done at Casa de Oro was at no cost to us, as my fiancee was mislead when he when he originally went in to Casa de Oro to have the engagement ring custom designedLeaving out important information because of [redacted] 's assumptions based on his opinion of current trends, is unethical In regards to my request on the 20th for any available certificates for the stones in my ring, [redacted] told me that he would have to double check his records and call me back, but he didn't believe that they were verified stones because of the cost [redacted] was incredibly condescending about the fact that the cost of my ring was an indicator as to the stones not being verifiedI gave [redacted] my cell phone number, which was working all day and did not hear back from himWhen he couldn't get a hold of me, he called my fiancee and left a messageWhen my fiancee called Casa de Oro back, [redacted] informed him that the stones were not certifiable, but if we were looking for information for insurance purposes we would need to have an appraisal doneAt this point [redacted] engaged my fiancee in further conversation about our dissatisfaction with Casa de Oro by stating that he didn't understand what our frustration wasAt which time my fiancee told ***, that he felt that they had done us a disservice by not going over the information I addressed in my previous paragraph [redacted] also told a bold faced lie in his response here with the Revdex.com when he stated that my fiancee "berated him, his business, and his jeweler." [redacted] also lied by saying that my fiancee hung up on himWhen [redacted] asked my fiancee a final time what they could do to fix this situation, my fiancee told him that we were having the work done elsewhere, and the only way to fix it would be for Casa de Oro to reimburse us for work they should have done in the first place, at which point [redacted] told my fiancee that Casa de Oro would not reimburse us for another jewelers work and that he couldn't help us and [redacted] hung up on my fianceeAfter being hung up on, my fiancee did call Casa de Oro back a final time to let [redacted] know that we would be filing a report with the Revdex.com After speaking to another reputable jeweler, I understand the certification process of stonesIt was not something that was ever discussed with my fiancee or explained to me when I called to ask about the subjectFor [redacted] to paint my fiancee and I out as cheap, which he has absolutely done, is libel [redacted] also stated that my fiancee claimed to "be on a tight budget" which is another lieMy fiancee did give [redacted] a budget that we were comfortable with, and ***'s comment about that being a "tight budget" is his personal opinion and one that should not have any bearing on our treatment as paying customers [redacted] 's response to my complaint is no less than what we actually expected, although the lies he told regarding our interactions with him are further proof that it was in our best interest to get the opinion of a second jewelerI stated facts in my complaintThe compilation of events and interactions with [redacted] , along with his response to our complaint, give my fiancee and I more than enough reason to distrust interactions and conversations with [redacted] and Casa de Oro, which is why we requested an appraisal***'s long-winded, or rather long-worded, supercilious business promotion is more of his absolute denial to take any responsibility for his actions, his attitude, and the poor customer service that we received once he realized that we weren't going to be a big saleAnd to me, that speaks volumes about the way that Casa de Oro does business***'s response leaning on the "we've been a family business this long..." spiel leads me to respond with the phrase "thou doth protest too much." I also believe that it is fair to point out that while Casa de Oro has been in business as a jewelry SALES company since 1982, their website states that their jeweler came on in [redacted] is an aggressive salesman and their choice to not right this situations is, again, not more than we expected We will most definitely never being doing business with Casa de Oro again, and while our initial satisfaction with the work done by the jeweler had previously given us reason to recommend Casa de Oro, not only will we NOT be giving them recommendations, but we will be telling people to run the other wayIt is unfortunate that ***'s actions, response, and flat out libel have such a negative impact because the jeweler who works for him deserves better and customers deserve better And while I sincerely hope that his comment "I am confident the custom ring we designed and manufactured will appraise at or above the purchase price, by any respected appraiser..." holds true, we will be having it appraised by an objective, reputable appraiser, as we currently have no reason to trust [redacted] If we find otherwise, we will again, report his underhanded tactics to the Revdex.com and possibly retain legal services if necessary So to ***, I'm sorry that our budget and income bracket gave you cause to treat us as less-than, but I can assure you that I will not stand by and be lied to and about, nor taken advantage of Regards, [redacted] ***

Attached you will find the our response on 8/23/ Thank you I have read the recent complaint on Casa de Oro filed by [redacted] with the Revdex.com I have also reviewed the reply by [redacted] and the rebuttal by [redacted] *** I have had no involvement in this issue except to have answered the telephone when [redacted] called a few days ago saying that we had recently made her engagement ring She wished to discuss a wedding band to go with it I referred the phone call to [redacted] who is responsible for the CAD function (computer aided design) since this was the logical place to start [redacted] states that her biggest complaint is that ***’s actions were not professional She feels he did not act in a manner by word or deed that instilled confidence about Casa de Oro It is obvious that there were numerous separate conversations involving four different individuals, between only two people at a time, mostly over the telephone It is not surprising that with this many different conversations there could be miscommunication and misunderstandings I will not attempt to analyze this and can only apologize for these misunderstandings and any words that [redacted] feels offensive The reference to a tight budget is certainly not intended to be offensive as every customer has a budget they would like to follow whether it is $or $30, [redacted] is somewhat confused about Casa de Oro personnel and who has provided what assistance to her and her fiancé [redacted] The person who assisted [redacted] in the design of the original ring was [redacted] not *** [redacted] initially met with [redacted] and [redacted] to discuss the ring [redacted] later sent pictures by email on November 26th to [redacted] to give an indication of what was desired [redacted] sent several pictures from CAD of different approaches in design for the proposed ring The finished ring design closely followed the picture we were furnished [redacted] also discussed by phone and email with [redacted] , the appearance and cost of different size sapphires to determine what size and price point would be appropriate All other dealings were with *** [redacted] has been a jeweler since His training is with the Gemological Institute of America and American Gem Society, receiving designation as a Registered Jeweler in He worked for years on the jeweler’s bench in his family’s business in Colorado before joining Casa de Oro [redacted] dealt with [redacted] later when picking up the ring The original triangle side diamonds were not a satisfactory color [redacted] ordered new diamonds and replaced the stones originally in the ring [redacted] again met with [redacted] on December 21st when he picked up the ring While [redacted] functions as sales manager at Casa de Oro it would not be appropriate to consider him just a salesman [redacted] refers to Casa de Oro as a “sales” company until [redacted] joined us in The beginning of Casa de Oro was actually in the mid 1970s Casa de Oro, Incwas incorporated in We have employed several jewelers over those years and were active in manufacturing on a wholesale and retail level before [redacted] joined us I appreciate [redacted] ***’s compliments of the workmanship in her engagement ring Your nice comments on your ring reflect ***’s credentials, experience, and expertise Production of a quality product often involves more than one individual We take pride in the knowledge and ability of all of our staff members and strive to provide the service to go with our products This is one reason the CAD system allows final pictures for the customer approval before manufacturing Considering the wording and tone of [redacted] ***’s reply it is probable that my apologies will not be well received for the confusion and treatment she feels that she received It is certainly not the impression that my wife and I have attempted to create in the years since Casa de Oro was founded I regret that since she felt [redacted] was a salesman and that the jeweler worked for him, she did not seek a higher management level to voice her complaint or seek satisfaction before seeking out other jewelers [redacted] requested three items as a desired settlement for her complaint Reimbursement for the charges she incurred for adjustments to her ring My understanding is that [redacted] paid $to another jeweler to make adjustments to the original ring Please bring the receipt and the ring to me for reimbursement The ring will be inspected to ensure that any adjustments made did not alter the structural integrity especially before any appraisal is made by a third party Any gemstone certifications for the stones in her ring As previously stated these were not certified stones Regardless of any budget restraints, obtaining laboratory certifications for stones such as these is not a common practice in the industry We rely on our two highly trained and experienced gemologists to pass judgment on stones and to verify the quality assigned by the vendor Jewelers who do not have gemologists on staff rely on the integrity of the vendor Request that Casa de Oro pay for a third party appraisal Casa de Oro will prepare and furnish to you an appraisal of your ring at no cost to you It will be signed by a GIA trained “Graduate Jeweler Gemologist” You should find this document will meet the requirements of any insurance company You will then be able to take your ring and this document to any appraiser, gemologist, or reputable jeweler of your choice for a second opinion For over years Casa de Oro has been creating, selling, and repairing fine jewelry Our satisfied customer list is in the thousands It is not easy to accept the fact that you are not one of them However, you now own a fine piece of jewelry that you have worn proudly for the past months I hope you will continue to enjoy this ring and that it will somewhat overshadow the recent unpleasant circumstances [redacted] Casa de Oro, Inc

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me
After a response from *** *** ***, I feel much better about the integrity of Casa de OroThere was obviously some miscommunication about who my fiancee originally worked with to design the ring, but again, we were very happy with the finished productIt was the lack of information about the shape/design/fit with a wedding band that was frustrating.
I do better understand the information our current jeweler, and the information from *** in regards to the stone certification processI understand and accept that the integrity of the stones is something that their GIA trained, Graduate Jeweler Gemologist takes very seriouslyOur only doubts in this matter came from our interactions with ***I was under the impression because of his previous statements and his personal presentation that he was the person in charge at Casa de OroI do regret not researching this further before filing a complaint and speaking directly with *** ***I am sure that this would have been a much better resolution and I would have more carefully worded any complaints to be directed towards our interactions with *** instead of blaming Casa de Oro as a wholeAgain, his representation of himself as the *** of Casa de Oro made this confusing, but I am content to work with Casa de Oro as long as any further interactions are with *** ***.
I appreciate ***'s offer to reimburse us for the work done to my ringI will have my fiancee bring it in, along with the receipt, and I believe that you will find that the work done was minimal and has not affected the integrity of the ring itselfI would also appreciate the appraisal done for our insurance policy.
Again, I appreciate *** ***'s professional and kind responseI regret that we did not call him directly when we first felt that we had a problem
Regards,
*** ***

Attached you will find the our response on 8/23/14.
Thank you.
I have read the recent complaint on Casa de Oro filed by [redacted] with the Revdex.com.  I have also reviewed the reply by [redacted] and the rebuttal by [redacted].  I have had no involvement in this issue except to have answered the telephone when [redacted] called a few days ago saying that we had recently made her engagement ring.  She wished to discuss a wedding band to go with it.  I referred the phone call to [redacted] who is responsible for the CAD function (computer aided design) since this was the logical place to start.  [redacted] states that her biggest complaint is that [redacted]’s actions were not professional.  She feels he did not act in a manner by word or deed that instilled confidence about Casa de Oro.  It is obvious that there were numerous separate conversations involving four different individuals, between only two people at a time, mostly over the telephone.  It is not surprising that with this many different conversations there could be miscommunication and misunderstandings.  I will not attempt to analyze this and can only apologize for these misunderstandings and any words that [redacted] feels offensive.  The reference to a tight budget is certainly not intended to be offensive as every customer has a budget they would like to follow whether it is $30.00 or $30,000.
[redacted] is somewhat confused about Casa de Oro personnel and who has provided what assistance to her and her fiancé [redacted].  The person who assisted [redacted] in the design of the original ring was [redacted] not [redacted].  [redacted] initially met with [redacted] and [redacted] to discuss the ring.  [redacted] later sent pictures by email on November 26th to [redacted] to give an indication of what was desired.  [redacted] sent several pictures from CAD of different approaches in design for the proposed ring.  The finished ring design closely followed the picture we were furnished.  [redacted] also discussed by phone and email with [redacted], the appearance and cost of different size sapphires to determine what size and price point would be appropriate.  All other dealings were with [redacted].  [redacted] has been a jeweler since 1980.  His training is with the Gemological Institute of America and American Gem Society, receiving designation as a Registered Jeweler in 1983.  He worked for 18 years on the jeweler’s bench in his family’s business in Colorado before joining Casa de Oro.  [redacted] dealt with [redacted] later when picking up the ring.  The original triangle side diamonds were not a satisfactory color.  [redacted] ordered new diamonds and replaced the stones originally in the ring.  [redacted] again met with [redacted] on December 21st when he picked up the ring.  While [redacted] functions as sales manager at Casa de Oro it would not be appropriate to consider him just a salesman.
[redacted] refers to Casa de Oro as a “sales” company until [redacted] joined us in 1999.  The beginning of Casa de Oro was actually in the mid 1970s.  Casa de Oro, Inc. was incorporated in 1982.  We have employed several jewelers over those years and were active in manufacturing on a wholesale and retail level before [redacted] joined us.  I appreciate [redacted]’s compliments of the workmanship in her engagement ring.  Your nice comments on your ring reflect [redacted]’s credentials, experience, and expertise.  Production of a quality product often involves more than one individual.  We take pride in the knowledge and ability of all of our staff members and strive to provide the service to go with our products.  This is one reason the CAD system allows final pictures for the customer approval before manufacturing.
Considering the wording and tone of [redacted]’s reply it is probable that my apologies will not be well received for the confusion and treatment she feels that she received.  It is certainly not the impression that my wife and I have attempted to create in the years since Casa de Oro was founded.  I regret that since she felt [redacted] was a salesman and that the jeweler worked for him, she did not seek a higher management level to voice her complaint or seek satisfaction before seeking out other jewelers.  [redacted] requested three items as a desired settlement for her complaint.
1. Reimbursement for the charges she incurred for adjustments to her ring.
My understanding is that [redacted] paid $50.00 to another jeweler to make adjustments to the original ring.  Please bring the receipt and the ring to me for reimbursement.  The ring will be inspected to ensure that any adjustments made did not alter the structural integrity especially before any appraisal is made by a third party.
2. Any gemstone certifications for the stones in her ring.
As previously stated these were not certified stones.  Regardless of any budget restraints, obtaining laboratory certifications for stones such as these is not a common practice in the industry.  We rely on our two highly trained and experienced gemologists to pass judgment on stones and to verify the quality assigned by the vendor.  Jewelers who do not have gemologists on staff rely on the integrity of the vendor.
3. Request that Casa de Oro pay for a third party appraisal.
Casa de Oro will prepare and furnish to you an appraisal of your ring at no cost to you.  It will be signed by a GIA trained “Graduate Jeweler Gemologist”.  You should find this document will meet the requirements of any insurance company.  You will then be able to take your ring and this document to any appraiser, gemologist, or reputable jeweler of your choice for a second opinion. 
For over 35 years Casa de Oro has been creating, selling, and repairing fine jewelry.  Our satisfied customer list is in the thousands.  It is not easy to accept the fact that you are not one of them.  However, you now own a fine piece of jewelry that you have worn proudly for the past 8 months.  I hope you will continue to enjoy this ring and that it will somewhat overshadow the recent unpleasant circumstances.
[redacted]
Casa de Oro, Inc.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
There is absolutely no resolution in the response we received from [redacted], from Casa de Oro. He has manipulated and fabricated the content of conversations that we had with him, while absolutely disregarding his and his company's responsibility in this matter. 
 
The biggest complaint that we have about [redacted] and his business, is that he is supposed to be the professional. I do not expect someone with no experience in my field of work to understand all aspects of it, therefore, when a new customer comes to me, it is my duty to explain my service to them to the fullest extent. [redacted] did not do that for my fiancee when he purchased my engagement ring from Casa de Oro. He made assumptions based on what he later referred to (phone conversations 8/20/14) as current trends. He treated the design of our ring as final, without fully explaining the degree of difficulty that we would have in finding a wedding band that would fit with it. This fact meant that we would have to either have to have a custom designed wedding band, or work done to the existing ring. He told my fiancee in their phone conversation on the 20th that "a lot of people don't even wear wedding bands anymore. My wife doesn't wear one." -That was his justification for going through the design of a ring without a thought as to what we, the customers, might want. When my fiancee spoke the the jeweler, he told my fiancee that if he had been the one to sit down and discuss the design of the engagement ring, he would have (and should have) discussed with him the specifications of the design and the fact that the ring would not fit with a traditional band. Unfortunately, [redacted], who is a salesman, not a jeweler, was my fiancee's direct contact when designing the ring. Our only fault in the design of the ring was in trusting that my fiancee was speaking to an honest, upfront salesperson; and not requesting to talk to the jeweler himself. I would like to reiterate that the jeweler with Casa de Oro did an excellent job in the building of my engagement ring. It is unfortunate that my fiancee did not deal with him personally so that none of this would have been an issue. But again, [redacted] was the point of contact, which at this point, I am positive is by design, in case of complaints such as ours. 
 
After speaking with another jeweler, we became aware that the work that needed to be done on the engagement ring in order to have it fitted with a band, was well under the quoted cost from [redacted] and Casa de Oro. His comment "
I relayed several options to her, one of which
included a custom ring for $450, which included about $100 in labor on the
current ring.  The statement she makes
concerning $350, was an alterative to completely redesign and manufacture the
current ring at a discounted rate.  I
stated I would not redesign the ring at no charge because [redacted] approved the
original design and they had happily enjoyed the ring for eight months." is completely without merit. He also said nothing about [redacted]'s approval of the ring and our enjoyment one way or another. He quoted $450 as a rate for a wedding band and the work on my ring, after giving us a quote of "about $100" 4 days prior. So when I told him that we were only interested in the work for the time being he stated that the work would cost $350, and the wedding band was $100. At that point, I told him that I did not understand the difference in price and that I wanted to discuss the options with my fiancee. I had him pick the ring up and we decided to get a second opinion on the cost of the work. We let [redacted] know that we had received a quote for less than his original quote and MUCH less than his adjusted quote. At this point, my fiancee talked to the jeweler who stated that it was a misunderstanding and that the work on my existing engagement ring would be $150. This was completely contrary to what [redacted] told me the previous day. When asked if we still wanted to have the work done, my fiancee told the jeweler that, after speaking with another jeweler, that the only way we would have any more work done at Casa de Oro was at no cost to us, as my fiancee was mislead when he when he originally went in to Casa de Oro to have the engagement ring custom designed. Leaving out important information because of [redacted]'s assumptions based on his opinion of current trends, is unethical.
 
In regards to my request on the 20th for any available certificates for the stones in my ring, [redacted] told me that he would have to double check his records and call me back, but he didn't believe that they were verified stones because of the cost. [redacted] was incredibly condescending about the fact that the cost of my ring was an indicator as to the stones not being verified. I gave [redacted] my cell phone number, which was working all day and did not hear back from him. When he couldn't get a hold of me, he called my fiancee and left a message. When my fiancee called Casa de Oro back, [redacted] informed him that the stones were not certifiable, but if we were looking for information for insurance purposes we would need to have an appraisal done. At this point [redacted] engaged my fiancee in further conversation about our dissatisfaction with Casa de Oro by stating that he didn't understand what our frustration was. At which time my fiancee told [redacted], that he felt that they had done us a disservice by not going over the information I addressed in my previous paragraph. [redacted] also told a bold faced lie in his response here with the Revdex.com when he stated that my fiancee "berated him, his business, and his jeweler." [redacted] also lied by saying that my fiancee hung up on him. When [redacted] asked my fiancee a final time what they could do to fix this situation, my fiancee told him that we were having the work done elsewhere, and the only way to fix it would be for Casa de Oro to reimburse us for work they should have done in the first place, at which point [redacted] told my fiancee that Casa de Oro would not reimburse us for another jewelers work and that he couldn't help us and [redacted] hung up on my fiancee. After being hung up on, my fiancee did call Casa de Oro back a final time to let [redacted] know that we would be filing a report with the Revdex.com. 
 
After speaking to another reputable jeweler, I understand the certification process of stones. It was not something that was ever discussed with my fiancee or explained to me when I called to ask about the subject. For [redacted] to paint my fiancee and I out as cheap, which he has absolutely done, is libel. [redacted] also stated that my fiancee claimed to "be on a tight budget" which is another lie. My fiancee did give [redacted] a budget that we were comfortable with, and [redacted]'s comment about that being a "tight budget" is his personal opinion and one that should not have any bearing on our treatment as paying customers. 
 
[redacted]'s response to my complaint is no less than what we actually expected, although the lies he told regarding our interactions with him are further proof that it was in our best interest to get the opinion of a second jeweler. I stated facts in my complaint. The compilation of events and interactions with [redacted], along with his response to our complaint, give my fiancee and I more than enough reason to distrust interactions and conversations with [redacted] and Casa de Oro, which is why we requested an appraisal. [redacted]'s long-winded, or rather long-worded, supercilious business promotion is more of his absolute denial to take any responsibility for his actions, his attitude, and the poor customer service that we received once he realized that we weren't going to be a big sale. And to me, that speaks volumes about the way that Casa de Oro does business. [redacted]'s response leaning on the "we've been a family business this long..." spiel leads me to respond with the phrase "thou doth protest too much." I also believe that it is fair to point out that while Casa de Oro has been in business as a jewelry SALES company since 1982, their website states that their jeweler came on in 1999. [redacted] is an aggressive salesman and their choice to not right this situations is, again, not more than we expected. 
 
We will most definitely never being doing business with Casa de Oro again, and while our initial satisfaction with the work done by the jeweler had previously given us reason to recommend Casa de Oro, not only will we NOT be giving them recommendations, but we will be telling people to run the other way. It is unfortunate that [redacted]'s actions, response, and flat out libel have such a negative impact because the jeweler who works for him deserves better and customers deserve better. 
 
And while I sincerely hope that his comment "I am confident the custom ring we designed and manufactured
will appraise at or above the purchase price, by any respected appraiser..." holds true, we will be having it appraised by an objective, reputable appraiser, as we currently have no reason to trust [redacted]. If we find otherwise, we will again, report his underhanded tactics to the Revdex.com and possibly retain legal services if necessary. 
 
So to [redacted], I'm sorry that our budget and income bracket gave you cause to treat us as less-than, but I can assure you that I will not stand by and be lied to and about, nor taken advantage of. 
 
Regards,
[redacted]