To not want to pay twice?

[penguinwithasuitcase]

Recently inherited a beautiful ring –family heirloom and much loved.

Took it to a jeweller to be re-sized, as it was too big.

They measured my middle finger and said it was a 16.

I left the ring with them for a couple of days (they sent it to an external craftsman), collected it, paid, and noticed quickly after leaving the shop that it felt pretty big still - it was twisting and moving on my finger.

I immediately went back and mentioned it to them –they said to give it another day and see how it felt, and if I really wasn't happy, to come back.

I did so and still felt it swinging around when I moved my hands, so I brought it back in.

They then measured the ring –it had been resized to a 17.5.

So I left it with them to correct.

Now they want to charge me half the original amount again for the second resizing. They're saying they sent it to their jeweller to fix and he's asking for the money to cover the cost of his work.

AIBU to say since it was wrong the first time, I shouldn't be paying again? In my mind either they told him the wrong size, or he did it wrong –but either way the fault doesn't lie with me.

And if IANBU, what do I do when I go in to collect it?

If they won't give it back, then what? And if they give it to me to check the fit again and I leave without paying when they still want me to, is that theft?

It's their fault for not doing it correctly!
I would contact citizens advise to see where you stand or maybe bring up 'trading standards' to them.

It's their fault for making the mistake. The cost should be theirs to swallow.

They have to pay to correct their mistake. They cannot withhold your ring (assuming you've paid for the initial resizing).

If they return the ring, corrected, the worst they could do is take you to court for not paying - but they would lose.

If they return the ring uncorrected you are entitled to a refund of your original payment. You paid them to make it a different size, they agreed but failed, so you are entitled to your money back. The fact they did some work and it's a different size now is irrelevant - you paid them to make it the correct size.

If they refuse to return the ring, corrected or otherwise, you will need to take them to court, which you'd win.

Have you told them you won’t be paying for their mistake?

@SmolCat

Have you told them you won’t be paying for their mistake?

I told the woman I spoke to over the phone –she's an assistant and has been nice throughout the process.

She said to come in and speak to the manager (who has been a little on the snooty / patronising side throughout and is the one I'm expecting to end up having to have it out with)

Sorry - I haven't been as clear as I could have been –I spoke to the assistant on the phone when she called to let me know it was ready the second time. That's when she told me the second fee and I said to her I wouldn't be paying.

Now I have to go in to collect it and am expecting something of a face-off with the manager (hence sense-checking my position here).

It's their mistake. They didn't do what they were asked to. I would go and collect the ring and once you have it explain that you aren't paying twice.

They presumably quoted you £X to resize your ring to a 16. You agreed to go ahead on that basis. A contract was formed.

Presumably, they didn’t say “the price will be £X if we do it in one go, or £2X if it takes two goes”? In which case you would probably not have gone ahead.

Yanbu don't Pay again

I'd tell them you can't believe they are even suggesting you should pay twice! Why on earth would you have to pay for their mistake?

You shouldn't have to pay twice. They shoupd swallow the cost and address the problem with the 3rd party.

BUT i honestly dont see any scrnario where you physically could walk out without paying, they aren't going to give you the jewellery before you pay and watch you run out the door.

@RealBecca

You shouldn't have to pay twice. They shoupd swallow the cost and address the problem with the 3rd party.

BUT i honestly dont see any scrnario where you physically could walk out without paying, they aren't going to give you the jewellery before you pay and watch you run out the door.

The op would need to try the ring on to check size. They can’t force it off her finger. I’d put the ring on and then argue the toss with the manager. And I definitely wouldn’t pay to correct their error.

@RealBecca this is what I'm thinking. They'll give it to me to try on and check the fit again, but I'm not sure that from there I could just get up and leave with it on my finger while they protested.

I work in this industry. We measure customer’s fingers and write down the size. Sometimes it is tricky to get it right because the sizing rings are different in style from the customer’s ring. Also people sometimes insist they they like their rings loose, and them complain when they fall off their fingers when their hands are cold However, if the ring is not the same size as I wrote down and agreed with the customer, I would absolutely resize it for free and apologise to getting it wrong and the delay.

Oop - cross-posted, @VillanellesOrangeCoat!

Go into shop, try ring on, don't take it off, cheery 'byeeeee' and leave.

@Thingsthatgo

I work in this industry. We measure customer’s fingers and write down the size. Sometimes it is tricky to get it right because the sizing rings are different in style from the customer’s ring. Also people sometimes insist they they like their rings loose, and them complain when they fall off their fingers when their hands are cold However, if the ring is not the same size as I wrote down and agreed with the customer, I would absolutely resize it for free and apologise to getting it wrong and the delay.

Thanks for this, @Thingsthatgo.

The first day I went in was a hot day (I live in a hot country) and I remember the manager trying the test rings on me and saying that it should be on the tighter side. She went through a big explanation about not wanting it falling off while I washed my hands, etc.

The day I picked it up was a colder day –and I talked to the assistant about that when I returned to ask about how loose it was. That's why she said to give it a couple of days and see how it went –but it was still very loose after a few days - hence going back.

I don't remember seeing her write down a number at all –that's the frustrating part. I remember us agreeing '16' –but then she wrote my details on a piece of paper and I don't remember there being a number on that note.

I think it's extortion to tell you you need to pay extra to get your ring when the first re-sizing was wrong. It's between the shop and their jeweller and you as the customer shouldn't be the one to pay more. If it was a case that the sizing rings were different in style from the ring and that's a known potential issue then this should have been mentioned when you took the ring in.

I would just keep reiterating that you agreed it would be a size 16 with the sales assistant the first time that you went into the shop. If they didn’t write anything down they have no comeback at all.
Some people’s fingers are trickier than others; some people have skinny fingers but big knuckles. Some people’s fingers swell up a lot in the heat. Some people hate the feeling of rings being tight. Some people have pads on their fingers that are much wider than their knuckles. It’s a dark art, and my super power is that I can guess a person’s ring size by just looking at their hands!

UPDATE... all a bit of a damp squib in the end!

Went in to pick it up, the only person in the shop was the manager, and she returned it with no mention of paying twice at all.

That'll teach me to get all worked up over something that hasn't happened yet...

Thanks for all your input, though –it helped me walk in feeling strong, even if unnecessarily so in the end!

Glad it all worked out!