Done over by jeweller - anything I can do?

[Puzzledandpissedoff]

Posting here for traffic, and yes I know it's a first world problem but I'd appreciate any advice

My 18ct yellow gold rope chain broke, and the jeweller I took it to for repair has substituted a 9ct chain (very clear just by the weight and colour). Obviously I queried this at the time, and equally obviously he denied it while avoiding my eyes and then scuttling into the back of the shop

The chain was my late mum's so I don't have a receipt, but the 18ct is stamped on the clasp - only now it doesn't match the chain itself
I'm not sure there's much I can do TBH, but if anyone has any suggestions I'd be grateful

I'm certainly going to plaster it all over Facebook and local chat sites though ...

Unless you can prove it, that is a bad idea.

Speak to the police - there was a jeweller in the town I grew up in who was sent to prison for this (he was regularly swapping out gold/jewels for inferior quality).

unbelievable

@Puzzledandpissedoff

Apologies for disappearing for a while - how depressing to learn this seems to be pretty widespread To be clear I do realise Trading Standards don't deal with "individual" cases, but thought it might stop it going on and on

As said in my OP it was pretty clear this guy knew exactly what he'd done, so tempting as it is I'm not sure about going back; he might even try to claim I'd swapped the chain myself after leaving his place, and I'm painfully aware that I can't prove it used to be a fully 18ct item
I've also had a magnifier on it as suggested and I can't see any repair at all (though admittedly I'm no expert)

No surprise to hear the criminals are known by the trade, but this guy's been going for years (it's 17 years just since my mum died) so I honestly didn't expect it

I'm certainly going to plaster it all over Facebook and local chat sites though ...

OP I would really, really advise that you do not go full social media before trying once again to reason with him. You will lose credibility and leverage if you go public too soon as the internet is now used to people with unfounded complaints rushing in to bad mouth businesses and I have seen lots of instances in our local ones where the majority of respondents actually take the side of the business, especially much-loved local ones.

You say you have no evidence that it was 18 carat gold before you took it in. However the law doesn’t need documentary evidence - credible witness evidence can be sufficient. (I am a lawyer). Also, it has an 18ct gold clasp and the other jeweller said they are rarely found on 9ct chains. And the carat in the photos may be distinguishable to an expert.

Why give up so easily when you still have a chance of getting the chain back?

Plus if you challenge him one more time and he stands his ground you will first have more info about his side of the story and second it gives you the moral high ground if you do go to social media.

You can go in and say “can you please show me where it was repaired, I can’t see the join. Flush out his lies a bit before going further.

@WhereverIGoddamnLike

Trading standards isnt going to help you.

Their role is to shut down bad operators. They take close down business etc if a business is breaking the law, and your reports help with that. But they do not help directly with your actual problem. They wont get you a refund or replacement or compensation.

You need to call the police, or get a solicitor (or us a template letter from the internet) or go back down there and give him another chance.

This^

They won't get your chain back for you op.

Police for sure, and report to whatever the jewellery 'trade body' is.

Op, I’m with cheetah

Because it is precious, I’d be giving him one last chance to make it right. I would also involve the police.

If it had been something I’d bought myself only then would I go to SM.

If the chancer doesn’t play the game or the police are unable to help, only then - when all hope was gone - would I sing like a linty on SM.

He should have been honest from the get go. But give him one more chance. Your mum’s necklace may still be there.

There are lovely jewellers about. I’m sorry that this one wasn’t honourable.

Also leave a report with Action Fraud (but don’t expect to hear back soon from them!)

Sorry - if it was something I’d bought myself only then would I go to SM straight away.

I’d want to try everything I could if it was precious before singing like a linty.

I'm painfully aware that I can't prove it used to be a fully 18ct item

The jeweller doesn’t know that, though. You might have many very detailed images which were taken for insurance purposes, and as you are sure this must be a genuine mistake you are going to give him a chance to rectify the error before you involve the police.

I'm sorry this happened,op.

If you don't have any very good photographs of you wearing it, are there any clearer photographs of your mum wearing it? If she wore it as a guest at a family wedding or something , it might show up well, if the photo was professionally taken, even if it was quite a while ago.

If the chain hasn't been repaired anywhere as it says on the receipt it was going to be then that's your proof that the chain has been replaced. Take it to a jeweller again and ask for signs of repair which they will easily find (or not as case may be) That at least proves he is lying about having repaired it and has replaced it instead. Then how likely is it going to be that he would attach a 9 carat chain to an 18ct hallmarked clasp without even mentioning it to you. Apart from anything else its probably against Trading Standards law to do that. On the balance of probability it very much falls towards your version.

I would go back and say (without accusing anyone) that the chain is not the same chain that you brought in and so you are going to report it to the police and to your insurance company. However, you would like to ask him if, perhaps it might have "accidentally" have been mixed up and would he like to check one last time before you do that.

This. Take someone with you as a witness too.

Okay, okay, I'm listening and you've convinced me (and I do like the idea of asking to be shown where the repair is)

I strongly suspect he'll claim "I'm so good you won't see it", and while there are others apart from me who know what it was before he changed it, I still doubt the overburdened police will want to know
However I guess it's worth a go, so while I'm dreading it I'll go back to see him using some of the ideas on here

Wish me luck ...

If he's a member of the National Association of Jewellers you can report him there www.naj.co.uk/.

I'd take someone with you so it's harder to fob you off.

Great. Yes, please take someone with you. Presumably you’ll also be wearing a mask so you can “hide behind” that a bit to put on a brave face.

Good luck. ☘️

Can you go back first to the jeweller who confirmed it was 9ct and ask them (a) if they can see a repair in it and (b) if it’s possible to make a repair completely invisible?

When you speak to him, if he says it’s invisible, ask him if he did it personally. The more lies you make him tell, the more he is likely to give himself away.

Good luck.

cheetahs

I would like you by my side when I need a bit of extra spine

I’d go in and take a friend to witness. Show him the chain, tell him “I’m sure you’ve made a simple mistake and wanted to give you a chance to rectify it. My mother was a long time customer.”

Subtlyy is important here. If you don’t get the reply you want then insist. “I really don’t want to report this”.

He’s a scammer but I’ll bet he will take the chance to undo this if you act like you don’t believe he’d do it on purpose.

I’ve given you a superfluous h again.

Sorry tis autocarrot and lack of checking.

@SheldonesqueIsUnwell

cheetahs

I would like you by my side when I need a bit of extra spine