I took my engagement ring and wedding band in to Belle Meade Jewelry & Repair to be welded together. I was charged $20 for the service (which was simple and completed within 5 minutes). A few months later, the welding broke apart, and I returned to the jeweler to have it fixed. I was told that to do it again it would be $75 dollars... more than THREE TIMES the amount I was originally charged. Outrageous! But wait, there is more... I was told by the owner that for the ring to be held together properly it needed to be welded on the top and the bottom (previously it had just been done on the bottom), and that is why there is such a cost difference. I asked if he could cut me a break since I am a loyal customer and it is a RETURN visit. Again, he responded, ""The work costs $75. That's That.""
I explained that I am not a jeweler, that I did not know it needed to be connected in two spots, and by his own account the work I paid for was clearly sub-par. It was only because of the lack of quality I was back in the shop to have their work fixed. When I asked how could I be responsible for paying three times as much for a repair that was not completed correctly, I was told flatly, ""That will be $75.""
So BUYER BEWARE. Belle Meade Jewelry & Repair will break your jewelry then charge you three times that amount to get it fixed. Talk about a scam. I am in the process of reporting them to the Better Business Bureau.
Cons: over charging, damaging jewelry
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