We went ring shopping!

[wednes]

Not quite my ring My actual ring is pink, and the row of colored stones goes from light to bright pink, and there is 1/4 carat of diamonds. It's 14 carat gold and the stone is whomping huge. The setting is such that you can see the entire stone and it's cut from the side. I was madly in love with it from the first glance...so there was no point in going to five different stores. But we did.

So flashy it's almost garish...

I have to say that I'm a bit taken aback at how the prospect of an engagement ring turns me into a giggling ridiculous girl. You should(n't) have seen me going from store to store talking about carat wieght and rhodium plating and saying things like "Well, that's very nice, but do you have a bigger one?" Plus, I did not imagine I'd want something from The Mall. It's a mall for cryin' out loud. So my engagement ring is from the same building as dollar shows and cinnabons, and it's freaking beautiful. It's on layaway now so H doesn't have to finance it. He's a master saver, so he's going to go pay for it on Friday and it will be sent out to be sized. I have no idea how long that takes, but then I'll have it.

And can I just say, salespeople at the jewelry stores are often very pushy.
Anyone have a pushy salesman story to share? I bet you do...

Comments

[yshaloo]

that's gorgeous!

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Thank you!!

I was really blown away by the design, even though if you ask me which I prefer, I'd say a round cut. I was just so taken with this one.

Pushy Salesperson Horrors

[madush69.livejournal.com]

The scariest, most horribly pushy sales people I've been subjet to are at appliance stores (ABC Warehouse). They made me go right up to people and try to talk them out of the products they came in for and make them want more expensive crap. They want their sales people to start pushing the minute the customers come in the door. I do however understand the jewelry salespeople being a pain in the ass too. There was a woman one time when my mom was getting her wedding setting cleaned, who tried to talk her into getting a bigger diamond, a more extravagant setting, etc. My mom was like, I've had it since 1959, and I like it. Eventually her old ring did wear out, and she had to get a new one, but she kept that same diamond that my dad gave her in the front seat of the 1950 Mercury.

Re: Pushy Salesperson Horrors

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I know the sales ladies are on commission and all...but it's crazy. They don't even want to let you browse. As soon as they see a couple come in together, they swarm all over them. I went into a store myself and couldn't even get the guy's attention. That makes it all feel like a scam.

But the ring is just so pretty. I know you're a dude and all, but it's just amazing.

Re: Pushy Salesperson Horrors

[madush69.livejournal.com]

I'm not a normal dude though. I appreciate pretty things. Just look at my kitties. They're beautiful!

[princezna.livejournal.com]

I know you already got the ring... but let me tell you- My mother got an antique diamond engagement ring from Tresure Mart. The thing ended up being worth thousands more than what she actually paid! Also, it was magnificent!

[wednes.livejournal.com]

You know, we looked around online at various estate sales and such. I didn't see anything that really grabbed me. I was sort of waiting for one to jump out and impress me. Actually, I was looking at this cool estate ring that had a big black pearl...but all the stones I love are too soft for engagment rings: pearls, opals, star sapphire, moonstone, etc.

I never saw myself as the type who would love a ring from the mall. I was sure I'd have to find an antique or get a custom one made. So I'm quite surprised at this outcome.

[princezna.livejournal.com]

It does look pretty impressive! Who cares that it came from the mall! No one is ever going to know! ha!

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Or nobody would know, if I hadn't just announced it publicly. ;-]

[klynnfrost.livejournal.com]

The most pushy sales experience I had was buying D cologne at "Macy's". I tried to return it and they insisted that everyone just loves it...I guess there's no such thing as an opinion when it comes to cologne.

When I got D a silver ring for the first V-day that we were together, I had to go all over the mall. I couldn't find his exact size, but there was one place that would adjust it timely for me. They also engraved it in a timely fashion too. It was the Goldsmith. I love those guys. They aren't pushy. Actually, they're kind of cute! (In a teddy bear kind of way).

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I must agree that Macy's was very, VERY pushy. The guy didn't want to tell me the truth about pearls (I did the thing where I ask a question I already know the answer to just to see what they say) nor about white gold.

I love that Miracle on 34th Street movie and would have found it most romantic to get a ring from Macy's. But no...'twas not meant to be.

[uterdic.livejournal.com]

Katie and I were looking for wedding bands and needed to get sized, and we were at a mall with my parents. We knew what we wanted and we were just window shopping that day. We told this to the sales woman the moment she said "hi" to us. We were initially taken back at the cost of the platinum bands (her engagement ring is platinum, so we wanted the bands to match), and she started trying to talk us into getting a faux platinum band, which looked pretty much the same, but in our hearts we wanted the real thing. It was a lifetime purchase, so we were going to hold out and not find something close. We thanked her and started leaving and then she started dropping the price. We reminded her that we weren't going to buy today, and she said, "I can only give you this price today." "Well, that's too bad because we aren't going to buy it today." She kept pressing, trying to get us the fake platinum bands at an outrageous price (but a deal for the store), we finally asked her for her card and got the hell out. We then went to another store just to get a price comparison and we found the original bands we wanted at a different jeweler for less than the fake rings at the first place. We bought the rings out of spite and went back and told them that their pressures were what kept us from buying there. Katie also emailed the regional manager of the first store and told our story where he said he would look into it, we may have gotten a couple of coupons, but I don't remember now.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

It's like they don't beleive you when you say you're "just looking." More to the point, they don't even want to let you look and they never stop talking.

When we went to Kay Jewelers, they weren't even listening, and she kept showing me these $3000 rings. As if.

It is funny how they start yakking about bargains as soon as you try to leave.

[diachrony.livejournal.com]

W00t!!! :-D

Awesome ring!

I had one pushy saleslady that I remember, years ago ... trying to get me to buy a certain skincare item. But she couldn't answer any of my questions about it, and got very huffy when I wanted to see the ingredients listing. I told her there was nothing in the product that would deliver the result she claimed for it, and she tried to tell me it was the "combination" of ingredients that worked. But it took an awfully long time to get away from her OMG.

Hm. I've been buying online for a long time ~ and therefore haven't had to deal with pushy salespeople for a long time. But at the MN State Fair in September, there were lots of hard-sell vendors that really pissed the man off. The fact that I'm deaf should make it somewhat easier to get away, 'cause I can just tell them I'm deaf and can't lipread them, but some would still keep trying ~ and they'd turn to the man and try to get their hooks into *him* ... ecch!!

[wednes.livejournal.com]

You really do lipread though, yes?

It does seem like you almost have to be rude to get away sometimes. The lady who ended up helping us was really nice and not pushy--but she still talked our ear off about mundane things. Maybe they're lonely. ;-]

[diachrony.livejournal.com]

Yes, I lipread, but that doesn't mean I can always reliably lipread everyone. 'Cos I can't! Sometimes I just can't figure out what someone is saying (even family members I've lived with for years) and sometimes it takes awhile to get used to the way someone's mouth moves when they talk. I'm still getting used to the man ~ although the more time I spend with him the easier it gets.

So when I tell a salesperson I can't understand them it's often true. But it's a handy escape excuse even if it's not true ... ;)

[wednes.livejournal.com]

LOL

That is awesome.

[thehula.livejournal.com]

PINK RING PINK RING!!!

my precioussssss

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing...

...as I took the ring and ran out of the store, dancing.

[lirrin.livejournal.com]

Beautiful design! :) There's nothing wrong with a ring from the "mall"...beautiful rings are where you find them!
(Didja ever see mine? It's, er, odd.)

The Shane Company is the place to go around here for diamonds and sapphires...the sales staff is NOT on commission. ;0 Okay, I've never actually been in there, but no commissions is a good thing in my book.

My favorite pushy salesguy story was a vacuum salesman who came to my house. On and on and on he droned (I got a free gift for letting him demo the vacuum.) Eventually it got around to price. "And all this for only $20 a month!" "For how long?" I say, immediately. His jaw dropped and he looked at me..."You know, no one ever asks that." He just came apart and told me how much it was, and basically left. Bottom line, it was like an $800 or $900 vacuum, and I was a grad school student. BAHAHAHAHA. Right.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, those Kirby guys are nuts. Who the hell spends nearly $1K on a damn vacuum. That's not even fun!

I do recall seeing your ring when you first got it, back in the day (on that note, it seems crazy how long I've been doing this LJ thing). It's a big ruby with a dragon, no? A custom job as I recall.

H has no love for jewelry, so it's one of the few things he can't pick out on his own. Once he gave me a Texas Chainsaw Massacre lunchbox for Valentines Day. It was awesome. So he's a good gifter, just not for jewelry. ;-]

[ex-jenniepan481.livejournal.com]

did you say PINK?

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Indeed I did.

Speaking of which, I'm having H mail your Thing this week. I was waiting for this other part, but the girl making it is too damn busy...so you'll prolly get that closer to Yule.

[swayworn.livejournal.com]

When I got my desktop computer, the Circuit City dude kept going on and on about extra software and warranties. “Well, what if it breaks? What are you going to do then?” Finally I just had to say “I'm ready to buy my computer now” over and over.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Have you ever heard the audio clip of the guy who's trying to cancel his Dad's AOL account? The "customer service" guy argues with him that:

1. His father is using the account a lot despite his insistence to the contrary.

2. His father really wants the account despite his claims that he doesn't use it.

3. "Everyone" uses AOL, so it's the best service out there.

The poor guy is actually yelling at the rep saying "Cancel the account. Cancel the account." and he won't do it. It's really funny.

[swayworn.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, I've heard that. Appalling.

[ex-jenniepan481.livejournal.com]

THING! yay!

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I gave it to H so he can FedEx it tonight.

[kissdbyagnome.livejournal.com]

We had a guy come out and give us an estimate on gutters once. He started preaching the word of Christ to us. Ian became very upset and the guy wouldn't leave when he was asked to. I started wondering what the hell we would have to do to get him out of our house. The truly upsetting thing was that he was in my house causing all these negative vibes. I smudeged us and the house after he left. Ian loves the smudging now. He use to just poopoo it. Now when something stressful happens in the house he asks me to smudge.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

That's pretty cool about Ian. H and I don't talk much about religion or the practice therein...he just lets me do my thing.

I always marvel at people who just start trying to randomly convert strangers. I had a cabbie like that for awhile, but I think my complaints got him fired. Shame really, but I warned him several times before I called.