Saks Fifth Avenue return problem: Why won't they accept this $10,854 gold ring?

Saks Fifth Avenue refuses to accept a $10,854 gold ring as a return. The reason: The company says it's damaged. Is Thomas Gunderson stuck with this purchase?

I ordered an Origami Crossover Ring In 18K Yellow Gold With Diamonds from Saks Fifth Avenue for $10,854.

The ring was too large for my wife. She had it out of the box for literally two minutes. We returned the ring the next day. Saks received the ring, but they sent it back to us, saying it was damaged.

We did not damage the ring. We are in our 60s and 70s, and our eyesight is not the best. We did not see any damage, but after taking photos of the returned ring, we could see scratches when enlarging the photos.

We have been trying to get a refund from Saks for a long time, but they refuse. We can't prove we did not damage the ring, and they can't prove that they sent us an undamaged ring. The scratches in the gold band appear to be very superficial and can probably be buffed out. Can you help me get my money back?

Thomas Gunderson, Los Alamos, N.M.

If you had the ring out of the box for two minutes and your wife did nothing more than try it on, then you couldn't have possibly caused the damage.

But you're right. How do you prove something like that?

Saks says it accepts returns via mail or through the store. Earlier this year, it began charging a $9.95 return shipping fee, which it deducts from your refund. According to the Saks Fifth Avenue refund policy, returns are eligible for a refund if they are made within 30 days of delivery. They must be presented in the same condition as when they were received: unworn, undamaged, unaltered, and with the original tags and proof of purchase.

It says, "Returns that do not meet this policy will not be accepted and will be sent back to you. "

Saks didn't assume you damaged the ring. It said you were responsible for the damage. Saks believes it sent you an undamaged ring and that it was damaged between the time it was sent out and received.

Based on the correspondence between you and Saks, it looks as if a few things were overlooked. Initially, Saks referred you to a third party, which sold the ring through Saks. The vendor referred you back to Saks. At that point, Saks might have filed a claim through its insurance or shipping company. Instead, it just told you that you had to accept a ring that didn't fit your wife.

Is there a way to prove you didn't do it? Kind of. You could have taken a picture of the ring when you received it. Presumably, the ring was damaged during the return, so you could have used the initial photo to prove you didn't scratch the jewelry.

In the end, a brief, polite email to one of Saks Fifth Avenue's executive contacts might have helped. I publish them on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.

I contacted Saks Fifth Avenue on your behalf. A corporate escalation specialist contacted you and agreed to accept the return.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (https://elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at [email protected] or get help by contacting him at https://elliottadvocacy.org/help/

© 2024 Christopher Elliott