Browns Jewellers - The Diamond Store

BUYERS BE WARNED: BROWNS DIAMOND STORE RENEGE ON AN EMPLOYEE’S PROMISES

Unfortunately, I have just had my “Bubble” burst, thinking that Browns the Diamond Store, was something they are most definitely not. For the past 15 Years, my family and I have been under the false impression that if a piece of jewellery did not originate with Browns, that somehow it was inferior to a piece purchased elsewhere. We believed that Browns were the best with quality, service, and ultimately the leader in their trade. We have purchased a few pieces from Browns, and also recommended Browns to our friends, telling them that they could do not better. I am writing this piece to warn any potential customers of Browns Diamond Store that they should take extra care to, when given an undertaking by any member of staff, that there is a huge possibility the Company will not honour their employee’s commitments. I wish to avoid repetition of the unpleasant and expensive experience that I have been subjected to. In early 2016, I purchased from their store in Eastgate, a diamond ring (Princess cut) of slightly more than 1 ct, set in a platinum band. The store manager at the time (Celeste Nelson who was a wonderful lady and gave us excellent service and advice) assured me that the piece was covered by their “buy back” programme, and that should I wish to sell it back to Brown guaranteeing that I would receive at least the purchase price of the item , or I could trade it in on a more expensive piece, after a period of five years. On that basis, I purchased the ring feeling confident I had made the right choice. Recently, in anticipation that the five-year term would shortly be exhausted, I decided to lay the groundwork to seek an upgrade on my current ring. I was told by Browns that any piece I sought to upgrade to would have to be double the purchase price of my ring. I then requested that they buy my ring back, as part of the undertaking they made to me in 2016. I would then pay in the difference, Browns then rep**** that the “buy back” offer was only applicable to their Brilliant cut diamond range, and not the Princess diamond range. I am appalled by the response given me, for the above stipulation had never been a condition of purchase with my current ring, and quite obviously Browns had changed their “Terms and Conditions” subsequent to my purchase in 2016. After this experience, I took time to review comment about this company on various sites, including social media, and found that there was a level of dissatisfaction with Browns that I had hitherto been unaware of. I certainly regret the time and money I have spent with this organisation, and feel that I have been badly misled, company management refusing to honour an undertaking to a client, given by a senior employee who was empowered to act on their behalf. Browns, in my experience are certainly not the company they promise their customers to be. No organisation that loses the trust of its clients deserves to be in business.

BE WARNED!!