Engagement *****ed by American Swiss

After just 4months of use (not daily use, just when leaving the house, which isn’t often) my 9ct white gold ring with 92 diamonds BROKE! A ring that cost R16600 (valued at approximately R32000) was taken care very seriously by me, so when the entire halo fell off- I was utterly devastated and shocked.

My fiancé and I took the ring back to the store of purchase on Sunday the 1/6/2025. It’s located within Chatsworth Center in Durban,KZN.

The first girl who we approached was far better than the manager she asked us to wait for. The quality of service received by said manager was worse than that of the ring. Natassia/Natasha is the most insensitive, insolent service provider we have ever interacted with. She immediately associates the damage with wear and tear, to which we question because I explained to her how and when this ring was used and it’s not possible for it to be wear and tear. She said that’s why it needs to go to the accessor in CPT, who will do testing and send feedback. Okay, that’s fair, I guess.

My fiancé asked her what are our options. She said the accessor will determine repair, replacement or refund. She goes back to her set dialogue of the accessor using chemicals to test what chemicals were used on the ring and she explains to me as if I am clueless how “we women use our rings to wash dishes and do housework, etc”. Let’s get something clear - I live in an environment where I do not wash dishes and seldomly do house c****s. This ring was literally used as a dress ring when going out of the house which was seldom as I am currently unemployed.

In the midst of logging the ring to be sent away and trying to get clarity and assurance from Natassia/ Natasha, she then gives us this horror story of how a lady sent her ring in and the accessor picked up that there was chemical damage and then the lady admitted she’s a nurse and the ring was exposed and there was nothing that American Swiss could do. Firstly- what the hell!? This was the height of her insensitivity because it was a heavy implication from her that this would be the outcome for my ring. At this point I turned away in tears because that ring meant the world to me. My fiancé proposed in Disney World in front of Cinderellas castle! The ring was my pride and joy and that was shattered when it broke.

We pointed out that on the under of the halo, it was only held at 2 points and the “gold” between those points has visibly oxidised and that should not happen with white gold and her response again was “it could be due to chemicals”.

The form to state that the ring is in their position was an utter sham. She casually stated to just sign so that if anything happens to the ring during its transfer to CPT, ASJ insurance will cover it. My fiancé is very thorough and also due to the mistrust we felt with this manager- he read through it properly. There were numerous mistakes, he pointed it out to her and she agreed. He told her he will not sign and she said he should mark off the points that concerned him and she would get her regional to look at it and contact us. Nobody has as yet and I assume that the ring has left on Monday as she stated it would.

When asked again about the outcome, she then says repair or replacement only. We questioned “replacement” to which she says it would be a new same ring (her words, not mine). I then told her that this isn’t a reliable process as how can we (as the customer) be sure if the ring would be new and that this entire process is completely on ASJ side and offers NO comfort or assurance to the customer. She said again automatically that the accessor will decide. Everything we said or asked, she had the same, unbothered, insolent answer.

I have 925 Pandora rings that have lasted years! This was meant to be an heirloom for our future family- this ring didn’t even last 6months, it’s surely not gonna last forever, regardless of repair or replacement.

We’re getting registered next week and I have no engagement ring. We haven’t gotten bands because we have the case of this ring holding us back.

The ring is insured & under warranty. ASJ should really refund the money. R16600 may seem small to this big company but it’s months of savings to my fiancé.

My fear is that this has happened within the warranty time, it shows the ring is of poor quality- what more could go wrong in months and years to come? With this fear, I’d never use that ring again and why should I be forced to keep something I am scared to use?!

Please understand that the very expensive product that you as ASJ sells has caused trauma during my engagement period. And the fact that ASJ can hide behind things like a jewellery assessor and clauses such as “wear and tear” is ludicrous! Even a plastic lucky packet ring would not break within 4 months!