Illustration by Dustin Elliott.

by Christopher Elliott
Guest Writer

Saks Fifth Avenue refuses to accept return of $10,854 gold ring. Reason: The company says it is damaged. Is Thomas Gunderson stuck with this acquisition?

Christopher Elliott

I ordered the 18K Yellow Gold and Diamond Origami Cross Ring from Saks Fifth Avenue for $10,854.

The ring was too big for my wife. Literally took it out of the box for two minutes. We returned the ring the next day. Saks bought the ring, but they later sent it back to us, saying it was damaged.

We did not damage the ring. We are in our 60s and 70s and our eyesight is not very good. We did not see any damage, but when we enlarged the photos after taking photos of the returned ring, we could see scratches.

We went back and forth with Saks to get a refund but they refused. We can’t prove that we didn’t damage the ring, and they can’t prove that they sent us an undamaged ring. The scratches on the gold band appear very superficial and can probably be removed by buffing. Can you help me get my money back? —Thomas Gunderson, Los Alamos, New York

If you took the ring out of the box for two minutes and your wife did nothing but try on the ring, then you cannot have caused damage.

But you’re right, how do you prove something like that?

Saks says it accepts returns by mail or in store. Earlier this year, it started charging a $9.95 return shipping fee deducted from your refund. according to Saks Fifth Avenue return policyReturns are eligible for a refund if made within 30 days of delivery. They must be presented in the same condition as when they were received: unworn, undamaged, unaltered and with the original tags and proof of purchase.

“Returns that do not comply with this policy will not be accepted and will be sent back to you,” it says.

Saks didn’t think he damaged the ring. He said you were responsible for the damage. Saks believes that it sent you an undamaged ring and that the ring was damaged between the time it was sent and received.

Judging by the correspondence between you and Saks, it seems like a few things have been overlooked. Initially, Saks referred you to a third party that sold the ring through Saks. The seller referred you to Saks. At this point, Saks may have filed a claim through its insurance company or shipping company. Instead he told you that you should accept a ring that doesn’t fit your wife.

Is there any way to prove you didn’t? A little. You could take a photo of the ring when you received it. Chances are the ring was damaged upon return, so you could use the first photo to prove you didn’t scratch the jewelry.

Finally, a short, polite email to someone Executive contacts at Saks Fifth Avenue It might have helped. I post these on my consumer advocacy area.

I reached out to Saks Fifth Avenue on your behalf. A corporate escalation specialist has contacted you and agreed to accept the return.

Christopher Elliott is the founder. Elliott Advocacyis a non-profit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Send him an e-mail at (email protected) or contact him for help. he.