Is Blue Nile a legitimate company? What are their diamonds so cheap? If your question is “is Blue Nile legit”, then this article will confirm some things you have been wondering, as well as disapprove others.
Is Blue Nile Legit or a Scam?
Going through several consumer reviews, forum discussions, and negative reports among other forums, you will realize that Blue Nile is not as good as it may seem.
This may not really qualify Blue Nile as a scam, but that is open for discussion. Below are some of the negative reviews and complaints raised about Blue Nile:
Credit Card Interest Practices
Some customers who have Comenity Bank Blue Nile credit cards have complained about the ridiculous interest rates charged on their orders as soon as the promotional periods elapse. This may be attributed to some of the customers not reading the fine print carefully before signing up for the credit card policy.
Since the card comes from Comenity Bank and not directly from Blue Nile, the issues raised by customers are not really Blue Nile’s fault and customers should not put the entire blame on Blue Nile.
It is important that your read all the terms and conditions carefully including all the details before you commit to any jewelry financing options before signing any contract. A close look at the majority of the negative reviews raised by customers concerning this issue reveals that the customers did not pay the requisite fees as expected before the promotional period expired.
The terms and conditions of Blue Nile Credit Card from Comenity Bank stipulate that the interest rate rises to 29.99% as soon as the promotional period ends. The same rate applies if the customer fails to pay the minimum payment during the entire promotional period. If the customer does not meet the credit card terms at any point, the interest rate will rise and will not bounce back to the promotional APR of either 0% or 9.99%.
Blue Nile Changes Promotional Prices without Notice
These complaints have been recorded from Blue Nile customers who ordered jewelry from the store during a sales or promotion period but did not submit their orders during the same period. Because of this, most of the customers have ended up paying more than they expected. This is not the fault of Blue Nile, now is it?
There is no reliable proof that Blue Nile failed on its part to give clear instructions to the customers, or that the price on the order is different from what they paid. It is just another case of the customer failing to cross-check everything before completing their order.
Quality of Resizing
Some customers have complained about the rings from Blue Nile appearing like they need resizing right from the point of order. Customers have complained about seeing signs such as paradigm change in the width of the band, the ring having easily seen seams and conspicuous burrs on the band. Some customers even talk about Blue Nile failing to resolve these issues.
You most definitely would love that your ring looks as pretty as it did after a resize before resizing. This is one important area that Blue Nile needs to take a second look at and step up. It is very unfair to offer free resizing only for the ring to get destroyed in the process.
GUIDE: What is Blue Nile Resizing Policy?
Complaints About Particular Policies
Blue Nile return and other policies are explained clearly in their websites and you can get details through links found that the bottom of every page on the website. Despite this, some customers have found reasonable cause to complain about how strictly some policies are followed. In fact, most negative reviews and consumer reports touch on policy issues. Some of the notable complaints include:
Warranty becomes void if works are done elsewhere
Blue Nile serves all their customers online and this makes the process of inspecting and repairing jewelry take long. This is why some customers prefer a local jeweler for all the routine works that may be needed. Blue Nile is within their right to request that all repairs on their jewelry be done by them, but it would be more convenient if such services were offered top-notch. From the previous complaint, it is already noted that their resizing services are not reliable, therefore why should customers trust them with the rest of the metalwork needed.
The warranty is very clear on their website, but customers prefer to void the warranty and seek routine services from local jewelers. As much as this is not the best situation, it is not a secret policy either.
Limited return policy
Of all policies, this is the area that has recorded most of the complaints including:
Length
Blue Nile stipulates that any faulty product should be returned within 30 days of delivery for a customer to get back all their money. Most customers complain about the return period being too short to get a full refund.
The online jeweler, however, has some limitations to this policy like you must have the original receipt of purchase and original GIA report accompanying the jewelry as you return. In addition, customers find it unfavorable that the 30 days start to count as soon as the item is shipped from Blue Nile stores instead of the day that the product reaches the customer.
As expected, this may be a big deal for jewelry that is bought in advance for special occasions like anniversaries, birthdays or weddings.
Requirements
There are several requirements that Blue Nile says you should meet before getting a full refund including timeframe and paperwork among others. However, the requirement that most customers seem to complain about is that which relates to paperwork. Customers have to include all original paperwork plus the original packaging for their returns to be processed.
Most customers report of too much unnecessary paperwork that is shipped together with the jewelry that they end up throwing others away, making them not qualify for a refund.
Eligibility
Blue Nile sells a variety of jewelry types, but not all of them qualify for the return policy. It is quite common for stores to refuse returns for items that were sold during the final sale, but Blue Nile has gone further to not allow the return of engraved jewelry, items bought via their upgrade program, loose diamonds, and particular types of rings like eternity rings, alternative metal rings, and rings that have ornate bands.
You notice that the return policy applies to a small section of their collection. Blue Nile should make it a point to add a safeguard to all the products that do not qualify for a return policy so that customers are made aware of the exceptions before buying.
GUIDE: Does Blue Nile Have Free Returns?
Diamonds Are Not Covered in the Warranty
I was surprised to land on comments highlighting diamonds that got damaged but were not covered by the warranty. The Lifetime warranty offered by Blue Nile is not clear about covering manufacturer’s defects only and whether the same covers every day wear and tear. It is very hard to destroy diamonds.
This issue is quite complicated to handle since a quality cut and polished diamond is not going to break or chip easily. You will never get clear communication concerning this issue from Blue Nile through their website, services, and policies, or their customer service lines.
Is Blue Nile Legit or Are They Ripping You Off?
The general picture painted is that Blue Nile is not keeping its word on some of its hidden guidelines. Every customer complaint has been addressed via their website, be it financing options, credit card services, return policy, and other complaints. Blue Nile cannot be blamed for customers not buying jewelry without all the details on their fingertips and all the terms that come with the buying process.
Most complaints revolve around promotional APR and credit card interest practices, which should be addressed to Comenity Bank and not Blue Nile. If you look for reviews about Comenity bank you will realize that there are several negative reviews. Maybe Blue Nile should start thinking about switching partners and engage another credit card service provider or simply offer financing options for their customers. If that is adopted, the customers can then complain about these issues to the right company.
BLUE NILE GUIDES: Blue Nile Review | Blue Nile Customer Service Reviews | Blue Nile Discount Codes & Promos | Blue Nile Financing | Blue Nile Insurance | Blue Nile Resizing Policy | Are Blue Nile Diamonds Really Conflict Free? | Blue Nile Build Your Own Ring | Is Blue Nile Legit? | Blue Nile Return Policy | Blue Nile Sales Tax
