Clasp on website not clasp I received, and am told it is no longer available...

M

Montacute

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Sep 14, 2013
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I ordered a necklace from a well-known vendor. When I got it, it did not have the clasp pictured (up-close!) on the website. When I e-mailed to ask that the mistake be rectified, I was told the clasp is no longer available and has been taken off the website. I was told I could either accept what was on it or have a smaller version of the advertised clasp. I wrote and said this seemed like false advertising, and the reply I received was to return the strand.

I am really pretty annoyed, as I liked the advertised corrugated ball clasp very much and dislike the plain shiny ball on it now. I think a smaller version would look stupid. Is it really that hard to get corrugated clasps? I don't know, I think if it is their mistake they should work a bit harder to make it right. Has anyone dealt with a similar situation?
 
I can only speak as to how I would do that - We would contact the buyer before sending, rather than preremptorily deciding for them
But all our rules and laws are different in the EU anyway.
 
Well, Montacute,

That is a disappointing situation for sure. I'm not certain I'd react as strongly as you have, although I would certainly have noticed the difference in the clasp and contacted the company about it. BUT how much do you love the pearls themselves? What I would hope would have happened in a situation like this, is that the customer would be advised of the situation and given a choice in clasps; not just have the company substitute a clasp and send out the necklace. Sometimes clasps are out of stock at the wholesaler, or have been discontinued in a certain size. I've had that happen with findings I used and was very pleased with. In general, wholesalers seem to be stocking much less 14k than before the prices climbed so high. So I don't see an easy answer to your predicament.
 
Thanks Wendy. I do think that would have been the thing to do, rather than surprise me. I guess they were hoping I wouldn't notice.

EU consumer laws are much more pro-consumer than in the US, I know. I am married to a Brit.
 
Thanks Pattye. Your thoughts echo Wendy's. I do like the pearls very much and want to keep them. I definitely do not like the clasp they came with. I think I expected more from the company after I contacted them--that they would offer more of an apology and more choice to remedy the situation.

Maybe I could buy my own clasp--not sure where I'd even look though.
 
Hopefully the company has learned through your experience; clearly the situation could have been handled so much better. That is no help to you, of course; spending addl to buy a different clasp, paying to have the pearls reknotted, unless you can do it yourself, ugh.

My only suggestion is that if you would like a more matte finish on the clasp, a goldsmith probably could "remove" some of the shine.
 
If you buy the clasp on your own, perhaps you could return the necklace with the new clasp and ask them to re-knot it with your clasp, then refund you the cost of the original clasp which they would keep.

What size and color was the corrugated ball? I'll look around online.

Also, I think it would be right for the company to pay for your return shipping (or send you a shipping label) as it was their error.
 
I don't see why you should have to go to all that bother of finding a clasp etc. Unless the pearls are something rare and exceptionally fabulous I would return them and look elsewhere. And insist on not just a full refund but a full refund plus return shipping.
If they baulk at that tell them you will report them to your credit card company or paypal. These orgainsations will just take your money back off them and give them a black mark for bad service - too many black marks and they lose credit facilities
They are being highhanded and giving online pearl sellers a bad name. i find that irritating
 
pearlescence said:
I don't see why you should have to go to all that bother of finding a clasp etc. Unless the pearls are something rare and exceptionally fabulous I would return them and look elsewhere. And insist on not just a full refund but a full refund plus return shipping.
If they baulk at that tell them you will report them to your credit card company or paypal. These orgainsations will just take your money back off them and give them a black mark for bad service - too many black marks and they lose credit facilities
They are being highhanded and giving online pearl sellers a bad name. i find that irritating
Click to expand...

Note, PayPal and credit cards cannot force the seller to pay for return shipping. They can only force the return of the original payment, no more.

However since your vendor has told you to return for a refund, no forcing or threatening is called for.
 
Last edited:
Thanks ladies for all chiming in. Special thanks to you Pearl Dreams for offering to look for a clasp for me! Super sweet of you! I have good news to report. I told the vendor that there must be more than the two options they were giving me. They wrote back and offered a matte or laser clasp. I'm said I'd be willing to take the laser clasp. They then offered to send a label for return shipping so they can restring with the new clasp. So, my story has a happy ending. Thanks again for all the help!
 
Glad to hear it all worked out in the end. The laser ball clasp is lovely (I have it on two of my strands) and I am sure you will be happy with it.
 
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