Le Vian Corp

Review: I firstly wish to advise I have been corresponding with Le Vian in an effort to resolve my issues for the past 7 months. Unfortunately after all this time, many emails and phone calls I am not satisfied with their proposed solution. Feeling extremely upset and at a loss of what to do next my husband, who is American, suggested I contact the Revdex.com. I made a phone call this morning and spoke to a lovely lady, [redacted], in your Fresno office. I explained my situation and she advised me to complete this form with your branch.

The story so far...

My husband and I are recently married. I had fallen in Love with a Le Vian design engagement & wedding ring set, from a previous visit to the US. After seeking much advise from both Le Vian and [redacted] prior to making this overseas purchase we finally decided to proceed. Then, after a very lengthy process both rings were purchased through [redacted]. These arrived in our possession on October [redacted], just prior to our departure to be married in Australia. We married on November [redacted].

When I received the rings I first noticed there seemed to be a difference in size between the two rings - I ordered both in exactly the same size. The wedding band fits perfectly whereas the engagement ring is too tight. I also noticed a black spot on the center stone, which is a Chocolate diamond. The very next day I took my ring into a jeweler to have the stone inspected and to confirm what I could see. Furthermore, within a week of wearing my engagement ring I experienced an unfortunate reaction to wearing the ring. At the time, I honestly didn't think it was an 'allergic' reaction given I had worn White gold wedding band for 12 years in a previous marriage. I also wear White gold sleepers in my ears 24/7. Never before have I experienced an issue wearing White Gold or any other gold for that matter so at first I thought it was perhaps the shape of the ring or just my finger getting used to wearing a ring again. By the end of the first week my finger was so sore I had to remove my ring and didn't wear it again until the day of our wedding.

We returned from our trip to Australia on November [redacted] and I was in contact with Le Vian within days of our return. I chose to phone Le Vian's customer service and spoke with Elizabeth L** - this is when our correspondence began. Initially I spoke only of the incorrect size and black spot on the diamond. The sores on my finger had settled and I was hopeful that this was no longer going to be a concern so I chose not to address this particular issue at this point in time.

I was having great difficulty getting a resolve with the company on just these two issues. The rings come with a lifetime warranty but this warranty is only valid if Le Vian complete ALL repairs themselves. However, I was unable to return the rings back to Le Vian directly - they would not accept them. I could not return them to [redacted] either because they would not accept them. It was suggested I send them to a jeweler I was unfamiliar with in Australia so they could forward them to LeVian and this was simply unacceptable. I was, later, advised by Le Vian this difficulty occurred because no one would accept the potential import duties & taxes that could be incurred with the return of my rings. After going back and fourth for a number of months I felt as though I was not getting anywhere. In February, Le Vian agreed to allowing the engagement ring to be re-sized locally, here in NZ, without it affecting my lifetime warranty and offered to pay for this service (within reason) by way of cheque in USD upon receipt of a written quote. This still left the issue of the centre stone unresolved.

I approached several jewelers but was having great difficulty finding a jeweler who would accept these terms. During this period there was a break in our communications until I re-contacted the company in April. During which time, I continued to experience further reactions on my finger, which were becoming not only more frequent but worsening each time so I decided I needed to notify Le Vian of this third and most distressing concern.

LeVian suggested that they would need to put a thicker Rhodium plating on the ring. I tried to explain that the first reaction happened within days of wearing the ring - much too early for any Rhodium plating to have worn off. And, given that fact that Rhodium plating does wear off Le Vian agreed that this would be a continuing issue - Sorry, but that is just not good enough.

I have tried to have my complaint escalated within the company. These past few months I have dealt with the manager of their customer service centre (Kathleen P[redacted]) - my initial contact person, Elizabeth, had apparently left the company. I have cc'd Mr Eddy L[redacted] in some of my email correspondence and tried to personally speak with him on several occasions in an effort to get this resolved. To this day no one from head office has even acknowledged my request for assistance with these matters.

Most recently Le Vian customer service have handed my case onto Ray at [redacted]. Ray's first email left me with lots of unanswered questions and I have since tried to get a 'satisfactory' answer to these questions, which I have not. It was the third email I received from Ray this morning that made me reach my breaking point with this whole situation.

I have been more than patient with Le Vian up till now. I had my worst reaction to the rings this week - I am sure my finger is going to have permanent scarring. Even when it is 'at best' healed the redness doesn't go away and my skin is clearly damaged.

In a final attempt to reach an agreeable resolution I asked if Le Vian would consider re-setting the stones into a different metal. The type of response I am now getting is - "this is not a merchandise quality concern, but rather an allergy or skin reaction" - "Please know that is considered an alteration and if there is a charge for that, you would be responsible. We need to have the ring evaluated before we can discuss any other options".

I am so upset, disappointed and disheartened. This is not just any piece of jewelry, these are my engagement and wedding rings. The most sentimental pieces to own and proudly wear. I now am without my rings on my finger more often than I am with them on my finger!

Please understand I am turning to Revdex.com as a last resort. I really didn't want to have to go down this path but feel I have been more than patient and believe that this is the only option available to me to see this situation resolved.

Please can you help?Desired Settlement: I am really torn here.

Whilst I would like Le Vian to agree to having the rings set in a different metal, probably Platinum as I do not like yellow or rose gold, I have lost ALL confidence in this company and fear that should, for whatever reason, I experience any further issues, in the future, I do not feel they would be obliging. I am not prepared to take that risk. That leaves me with only one option, to request a full refund for the purchase of both rings.

My desired outcome is to receive a full refund for the purchase of both rings including the costs I incurred to purchase & ship the rings to New Zealand plus a guarantee that all fees & charges, including any import duties and taxes to have the rings returned to the US (please note this amount has not been included in the disputed amount because this fee is unknown) shall be payable by the company.

It breaks my heart it has come to this. These rings were blessed on our Wedding Day. This unfortunate saga has only created bad memories for something which should hold memories of love & joy.

Business

Response:

[redacted]

[redacted] Dear [redacted]: We are in receipt for your complaint to the Revdex.com’s office. We would like to thank you for bringing this matter to our attention and offer you our sincerest apologies that this incident has yet to be resolved. Upon receiving your complaint, we immediately contacted our sales department and other parties necessary to resolve this issue. We understand the importance of your piece of jewelry. As discussed with Kay’s customer care representative, Raymond F[redacted], Le Vian will need to assess your ring in order to accommodate each of your concerns. With regard to the allergic reaction, there are multiple factors that can affect the rate that the rhodium plating wears off a ring. A few solutions include providing you with a ring guard, coating the ring or creating the ring from alternative metal with little or no nickel content. Should you desire a new ring, we can substitute by using a more allergy friendly white gold alloy or platinum at no cost. Additionally, Kay is prepared to reimburse you for any shipping and/or insurance cost. If you find this solution acceptable to you, Mr. F[redacted] will be happy to assist you and we can begin working on your piece immediately. The direct contact information for Raymond is [redacted] . Again, please accept our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience and trouble this may have caused you. We appreciate your business and it is our goal to retain you as a valued customer. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Respectfully, Stephanie R[redacted] Counsel Le Vian Corp.[redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

Dear [redacted], Thank you kindly for your reply. I am most grateful to you and LeVian for responding to my complaint but am sorry it took filing a complaint with the Revdex.com, especially after attempting to escalate my complaint within your company on several occasions, but to no avail.I acknowledge and appreciate your offer but am undecided if I shall accept your proposal or rather pursue my original request for a complete refund. This decision isn't an easy one, for the following reasons; Firstly, after my many dealings with LeVian over the past 7 months, my confidence in both your product and service leaves much to be desired. We feel we have been more than patient, but in the end were pushed to the point where we no longer wished to have any further dealings with your company. Secondly, in the beginning my husband spoke of wanting to purchase the matching eternity ring as a gift on our first wedding anniversary but once again due to our disappointing experience, this is no longer even a consideration. So sadly, I would not get to wear this ring as a symbol of our lasting affection. For my last reason, I wish to share a story with you. I was previously married and shortly after our engagement our house was broken into, after which we decided it would be a good idea to have my engagement ring valued for insurance purposes. The valuation resulted in us finding out that the diamond ring we had bought was in fact nothing more than a worthless cubic zirconia. Words cannot express the devastation and betrayal I felt from learning this news. After a lengthy and very upsetting process the jeweller finally settled and replaced the zirconia with a diamond but sadly I could no longer look at my ring with the same love for it I once did. Instead it seemed to me to be filled with bad memories and became a constant reminder of an awful experience. That feeling never faded or altered in the 15 years I wore that ring. I am an extremely sentimental person and I fear the same will happen with these rings. Whilst this final reason has no direct connection with you, I hope you will accept it in the manner it is meant, which is to simply convey to you all the reasons why this has not been an easy decision for me to make. Had your company provided satisfactory customer care and presented a solution much earlier, I would feel very differently to the unfortunate way I feel now. Stephanie, I do greatly appreciate that LeVian are now offering a solution but sadly it may just be too late. I hope you can understand and respect my wish should I choose to request a complete refund. I would very much appreciate the opportunity to speak with you in person, time difference permitting and I am asking for some time to consider your proposal. I have loved these rings since first setting my eyes on them whilst visiting NJ in 2012...we went to great lengths, and expense to purchase them so please understand this is not a decision I am making lightly. Kind regards[redacted]

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted]:We respect your need to take some time in accepting our proposal. Please understand that if your decision is to receive a refund for your purchases, that request would bedirected to Mr. F[redacted]. This is because Le Vian is not a retailer and your payment for the merchandise was made through [redacted]. Our hope however, is that you do send your rings with Mr. F[redacted]’s assistance to Le Vian so we can evaluate them and restore your faith in Le Vian. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Respectfully, Stephanie R[redacted] Counsel Le Vian Corp. ###-###-####

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

Dear [redacted] R[redacted],Thank you kindly for your response. I am most grateful to you for yourunderstanding and patience concerning this matter. I have given a great deal of thought to the proposal fromLeVian but before making my final decision, wish to speak with youdirectly. I shall be in contact with you shortly.Kindest regards

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

I purchased both the wedding band and engagement wrap for my wife through Le Vian, based on our local jeweler's recommendation. The rings are stunning to look at, and the style is unique - the problem is that the stones fall out of both of her rings so often that in the past four years, both rings have spent more time in the shop being repaired, than they have on her finger. My wife wrote to the company to ask for assistance or suggestions on how to correct the faults, but they never bothered to respond to her. I have to say that I will never recommend Le Vian to anyone.