Woman Says Kay Jewelers Stole Her Ring

RAPAPORT… A woman has accused Kay Jewelers of stealing her diamond
engagement ring in a Facebook post that went viral and led to many readers responding
with critical reports of its customer service.



Requitta Darshae East brought her engagement and wedding
rings into her local Kay store in July to get the white gold serviced,
according to her September 28 post. The attending employee also checked the
diamond center stone, told her it was fine, and said it would take two weeks to
complete.


Approximately two weeks later, Kay called East to say the center
stone was chipped and needed repairs, she reported. She agreed to the repairs,
which would take another eight to 10 weeks.


However, when East returned to the store to pick up her
ring, she discovered the ring waiting for her did not belong to her, according
to the post.


After three months of back and forth between Kay and East, the
store was unable to locate her actual ring, she claimed. East then took to her
Facebook page to express her displeasure with the chain, a subsidiary of Signet
Jewelers. The post went viral, with more than 1,500 shares, while many
commenters reported that similar cases had occurred to them with Kay’s
servicing.


Kay offered to get the manufacturer to make East another
ring of the same style, but she said she did “not want another diamond made
from Kay Jewelers.”


“There is a way to rectify any and every situation,” she
wrote on Facebook. “Kay Jewelers has failed miserably to do so. This is NOT
OKAY. And they keep insisting that the rings were NOT stolen!! SO where are
they!?!?!!?! What really happened?!?!?!”


Signet said it had resolved East’s case, and noted she was happy
with the outcome.


“Once we become aware of a customer complaint, we run it to
ground until a resolution has been reached,” a Signet spokesperson said in a
statement to Rapaport News Sunday. “We are continuously reevaluating our
policies and practices to ensure we are providing the highest levels of service
at all points of the repair journey.”


The jeweler also contacted commenters on the post, asking
them to be in touch with the company directly to resolve their issues.


East’s post is not the first time Signet has faced
accusations regarding its servicing. In 2016, a BuzzFeed report alleged Kay customers
had complained their diamonds were “replaced” with other stones. While Signet
denied allegations it systematically switched stones, its shares slumped nearly
20% the week after the claims emerged.


Image: Requitta Darshae East and her husband. (Requitta Darshae East/Facebook)