Amazon, I know they deliver to your house but can we get back to stores? And leave Amazon. Store employees actually send customers to Amazon and tell customers we dont carry that.
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It's an endless cycle with the evidence... they recovered it after insurance covered the cost (after deductible). So they wouldn't return it because it was evidence. She (yes, she! A teenager!) was turned over by her Mom. Since she was a minor, they bargained down the charges. The police kept the evidence in case bigger charges were brought up. Then they kept it because heck, insurance already covered it. So last I heard, it was still "evidence" kept by the police. I'm sure at this point they've sold it off to make money, since we live in a commie state. It's been... geez.. pre-covid. Since she was a minor, we never got any compensation from her or her family, she got off with, I think probation. It was such a pain that we finally had to just let it go. Too many other things we had to do... broken glass, broken door latch, broken showcases, inventory, clean up... we lost a lot of money. The second break in, nothing was ever recovered. we just had to clean up and cover the costs.
That is difficult to take. I hope the insurance company made it worthwhile for the damages (but I'm sure they will/would make it up in premiums. Whenever juveniles are involved it usually becomes a mess.
Nope. Not only did we pay the 5k deductible both times, but our premiums went up. They got all of it back from us!! Between that and employees getting more and more demanding for money and special hours and free things, spending all their time on their phone, and just sucking us dry, it was time to hang it up. Luckily we did before gold and silver went crazy, and before lab diamonds really hit with the force they have now. The store was a wild ride, that I am certainly glad to be off! We still are in touch with the industry, and the stores right now are hurting. They are repricing literally on the spot, and people don't understand that it's not the price the store bought at, but the price it will take to replace the item. It's a rough business.
It certainly sounds like a rough business, that surely sounds like that was a terrible incident that happened to you. What would it take for you to become the Amazon of jewelry? And secondly would it even be worth it? You must have friends/contacts in the business area of startups. The business model is right there, and out of failures come great successes. The best of luck to you, whichever way you need to go!
We have put stuff on Amazon. Since we do custom work.. we cast each ring individually, each one is hand done... it's hard to meet Amazon's deadlines for sending the items out. Plus, their return policy is very easy, and we have to abide by it. People can return all work, even custom work. PLUS, we don't have direct contact with the customers, and we cannot contact the customers, so it's very easy for someone to order a 24k gold ring, then send us back a lump of lead and Amazon will always rule in their favor. We haven't had that happen, but it's always a possibility. We now just sell off our site, talk to our customers, and have a more personal business.
The Amazon of jewelry are those people overseas who get costume jewelry made with cheap metal and labor, or buy it from Temu, and sell it for double or triple what they paid. Make it sparkle, even temporarily, people will buy it. Temu gets a bad rap, but most anything you get from Amazon anymore came from there. I looked up a jacket I liked on Amazon for $40, and it was on Temu for $15. Even the pictures were the same. I actually am talking to my kids about how we can do that too. You really can make some good money there!
Even in the jewelry business, as long as the item is "assembled" in the USA, jewelers can say they are "Made in the USA". We know several sites that say made in the USA, but they actually have it made it Thailand for a LOT cheaper than we can here. They get it to the states, put a file to it or whatever, and say it's Made in the USA.
I think the advent of the internet, cheap metals and lab created stones has made people not care for value and quality. It used to be get a good ring for your wedding because it needs to last as long as your marriage, now people want temporary sparkle in their ring AND their marriage. Both are disposable anymore. So that's where the jewelry business is. When we got into it 15 years ago, it was dignified. Now it's selling itself out! We were and are staying true to our standards, and our customers.
Anyhow, long story got long!!! Disposable society always seems to win!!! There are still people who want quality, but the majority just want a sparkly adornment!