Why I Am Currently Disappointed With JewelMint...

Update 3/28: I've updated the post to reflect the correct sequence of questioning that occurred over on Facebook.

I'd like to take a moment to speak openly and honestly about my opinions on how JewelMint has handled the current issue with the Golden Ticket Promotion. I took a day off from blogging yesterday to take some time to really think about why this issue with JewelMint was weighing on me. In the past year that I've been blogging about JewelMint, it sometimes feels that their own self-proclaimed "mess-ups" can affect everyone  from their beloved members to fellow bloggers who spend many hours dedicating their time and sharing their love for the brand.

This past weekend, it was brought to JewelMint's attention by many over on Facebook that participants in their Golden Ticket Promotion were receiving 10% off promo code tickets instead of the minimum of one JewelMint credit the promotion that was promised. Based off of the official rules chart (as seen in this post here), it was also possible for all participants to win up to 4 additional credits and a chance at the grand prize: a tablet worth $120 to $300.

JewelMint's response on Facebook to these complaints was for all participants to email JewelMint customer care at customercare@jewelmint.com in order to receive their free credit.

While this was a prompt response, JewelMint members began asking about the remaining 44% of participants who should have received more than one free credit?

Someone by the name of Carl JewelMint responded to this on  Facebook (posted Sunday 3/25):

"Ladies, Please let me start by saying once again how sorry I am for the frustrations you've expressed around the Golden Ticket promotion. We value our amazing members so much and always want to provide you with the best possible experience. Throughout today, several of us at JewelMint have been pouring over all of your feedback and analyzing what's happened. A number of ladies have pointed out that by offering to issue just one credit to ladies who received zero credits previously, we weren't accounting for the possibility of more credits being included with the original Golden Ticket – or a grand prize. Our explanation there (which we apologize for not including) was that based on our analysis, our miscommunication/mess-up was primarily centered around the distribution of the "one free credit" Golden Tickets. In other words, a LOT more of them should have gone out. But regardless of that, it's very clear that we missed the mark and we've simply left too many of you dissatisfied. So here's what we'll do. Any customer who did not receive either a promo code for 1-5 pieces or one of the grand prizes with their original Golden Ticket will get re-entered into the promotion – please just email Customer Care with the subject line "Golden Ticked Redo" and include your order confirmation number in the body of the email. We will then re-enter those members into the promotion and they will receive promo codes for free pieces (and grand prizes) according to the posted breakdown (55% will receive one free piece, 20% will receive two free pieces, etc). For the sake of reaching a quick resolution for frustrated members, we will need all eligible members to send us that email by Tuesday at 11:59pm PT. We will distribute credits/prizes by Thursday at 11:59pm PT. On Friday, we will also email those members with a special gift. I sincerely apologize again for all of the frustrations around this promotion. We are working to make this right and appreciate your help and feedback, as always. We promise to continue improving and will definitely incorporate learnings/feedback from this into future promotions."

While this was another prompt response, but other concerns arose including variations of the following:

1. For those whose packages shipped late and may not receive their package before the Tuesday redo deadline, should they submit an email for the redo without knowing the contents of their package?
2. If a customer receives their package after Tuesday, did not receive their free credit(s), and wasn't aware of this redo, what will be the plan for this customer in honoring the rules of the promo?
3. Will this same information you just shared here be send out by email, which is the same method that was used to communicate the original promo?  If not, how will this be communicated to those who do not frequent Facebook?
4. What happens to those who received "XXXXXXXXXXXX" as their Golden Ticket codes?

Carl JewelMint later followed up with the following statement (posted Sunday 3/26):

"For those ladies that received a winning Golden Ticket with the code as all Xs, we are asking those customers to sign the ticket and email us a picture of the signed ticket. We will reply with their correct code. This applies to both JewelMint and StyleMint both. We realize that not all customers that participated in the promotion are on Facebook to see the announcement. We are working with our warehouse and logistics staff to figure out which orders were affected in hopes of reaching out to any other potentially affected customers. Now, for those select few that are not scheduled to receive your shipment until after the Tuesday midnight deadline, please still email customer care with your order number and subject line “Golden Ticket Redo”. We are hoping to figure out which orders are affected so we can be proactive and re-enter those members into the promotion that email us. A number of you made multiple purchases to increase your chances of winning. We plan to treat each one of your orders as individual entries."

In the meantime, I am still waiting for my Golden Ticket promotion to arrive in the mail - it shipped last Friday. I've also made a conscious effort to withhold from emailing JewelMint about the Golden Ticket promotion (at least until the last minute)...

Why? You ask? Well, because I still have not received an official email from JewelMint with official instructions as to the Golden Ticket issue. Additionally, "Carl JewelMint" is a separate account from JewelMint's Facebook page (it could arguably be anyone), and this official announcement did not come directly from JewelMint's Official Facebook page.

This is where my main issue with JewelMint lies right now: I've been waiting to see if JewelMint would hold true to their Facebook response regarding contacting all participants of the Golden Ticket promotion through the same method the promotion was originally announced.

It's currently Tuesday, March 27th. The time is about 1pm PST, and I'm still waiting to receive an official email from JewelMint in regards to this issue, my account, and how I could be affected by their recent mistakes.

This raises some serious questions, such as:

1. What happens after 11:59 pm PST tonight when members who do not frequent Facebook or still have not been contacted via email receive their packages after today only to realize something is wrong with its contents?
2. Is JewelMint still liable for offering those members (who have not yet been contacted) a chance at up to 5 credits after 11:59 pm PST tonight?
3. And finally, why haven't all participants of this promo been contacted yet by JewelMint?

In my opinion, JewelMint could have handled their mistakes much differently. I feel that putting the responsibility on their members to contact them in response to their mistakes is very unfair...especially when there are still some members out there who have not been officially contacted by JewelMint and may miss out the 12:59 pm PST deadline tonight.

Please don't get me wrong. I love JewelMint, and I very rarely get into the negative here on my blog unless I feel the need to speak up. I personally felt that this was bothering me too much to go unaddressed, and I can only hope that future promotions go much smoother than this.

For now, I'll be waiting to see what happens, and I'll be sure to follow-up if anything else related this this issue arises. In the meantime, it's back to JewelMint blogging as usual, and all the reasons why we continue to love their jewelry...

xoxo, Lily

JewelMint's Golden Ticket...Uh-Oh?

Photo: JewelMint

I'm not really sure what to make of what is happening right now over on JewelMint's Facebook Page regarding this so-called 'golden ticket controversy'.

If you're just tuning in, it's being alleged by a few customers who have already received their JewelMint Golden Ticket promos that they received a 10% off promo codes as their free gift with purchase.

I went back to look at the promo email sent out last Friday - as seen in this post here. JewelMint's Golden Ticket Promo email clearly stated the following:


Today's Your Lucky Day!
Get a Bonus Gift with Every Purchase You MakeBonus Gifts Include:
Up at 5 FREE JewelMint Credits
Best-Selling JewelMint Pieces
Popular Name Brand Electronics

As for the official rules? Here's the excerpt stating how the golden tickets and free pieces would be distributed:

Photo: BeachMint

This chart clearly demonstrates that 100% of all purchases should include a Golden Ticket for at least 1 free piece of jewelry.

While I have yet to receive my Golden Ticket JewelMint order, I'm a little concerned about the possibility of receiving only a 10% off promo code as some are alleging.

You see, I've been blogging about JewelMint for over a year now, and I too was clearly under the assumption that I would be receiving at least one Golden Ticket for a free piece as the email and rules state. This deal was too good to pass up!

If it is, in fact, true that some of the free gifts are to only include a 10% off promo code, I can't even begin to imagine the wrath of fury that could follow - in a way, the panic has already started with threats by some of reporting their issues to the Better Business Bureau (yikes)! I personally don't recommend doing this until you've given JewelMint the chance to address and correct your issue.

I would also recommend asking to speak to a manager if you feel you are unhappy with the response you receive from a customer service rep. In my experience, there have been times where I've gone around in circles with online service reps - in one case, I was talking in circles with a service rep for almost an hour. It was only until I gave up on the chat and called in to speak with a manager that my issues were finally resolved. However, If you're still not satisfied with the outcome you receive from any business, then essentially that is what the BBB is for.

Additionally, the email stated that all items would ship on Tuesday 3/20. My item finally shipped yesterday - Friday 3/23. A bit odd though that I received four separate emails stating that my order had shipped. Guess I'll have to see what arrives next week. Until then, I'm crossing my fingers that everyone will still receive their (at least) one free piece that was advertised in the promotion.

If in actuality there has been a mistake made on BeachMint's part, it may be a good idea for them to address it - in email form - before things get out of hand like it did back on September 9th in regards to billing glitches (mentioned in this post here). In that instance, an initial apology was issued on Facebook, and an apology email finally followed a few days later.

I really do understand that mistakes can happen, on the other hand, patience is something that can easily wear thin over time. In the meantime, I'll try not to stress to much about it until we really know what's going on. I'm sure more about this possible issue will unfold in the next few days to come...

My questions to you are:
Did you receive a 10% off Golden Ticket as your Free Gift?
Are you still waiting for your Golden Ticket Promo to arrive?
If so, what is your reaction to this possible issue?
Will you be upset if your Golden Ticket doesn't include at least 1 Free JewelMint Piece?

xoxo, Lily

If you're new to JewelMint, click here to sign up!

Going The Extra Mile

Over the weekend, I shared a blog with all of you in regards to some issues I was experiencing with JewelMint's website. I would first like to start off by giving a super huge thanks to Stephanie, akrodgers, Jen, and an Anonymous poster for your comments.

I was able to contact my bank, and while my billing address was correct, they removed the "plus four" digits that were entered along with the zip code (just in case), and suggested the exact way the information needed to be entered. I was also informed that middle initials (and suffixes) are not necessarily important to include unless prompted.

It was suggested by the telephone banker to attempt a third order while on the phone. I was hesitant, but I was assured that this was most likely the issue.

Sure enough, I did not receive an error for the third order. Subsequently, I followed-up with JewelMint today in regards to first two orders, and the pending charges While the first two orders did not go through, I was assured the pending charges would indeed fall off within 3-5 business days.

JewelMint's customer service rep was extremely helpful - I'm glad I was able to get this all sorted out before placing my first-ever BeautyMint order and for tonight's StyleMint and JewelMint party and orders!

Lastly, I want to give some tips to everyone for placing orders on JewelMint's website based off of my experience:

• Make sure your billing address is written exactly as is registered with your bank account. This includes any periods (.), commas (,), etc.
• Middle initials and suffixes are not necessary.
• Receiving a "Payment error: failed to purchase cart" notice most likely means that your order did not process. However, you may still notice a pending charge on your account that according to JewelMint will "drop from your account within 3-5 days". 
• If you receive a "Payment error: failed to purchase cart" notice, DO NOT continue to place orders or continue to hit "Purchase" without first checking and changing your information as necessary.
• If all else fails, contact your bank to verify your exact billing address or JewelMint for help.

xoxo, Lily

P.S. While the Empress Necklace was originally showing "Almost Sold Out" and then "Sold Out", it looks like more has been restocked. Therefore, I have another chance to purchase the Empress regardless of my purchasing issues over the weekend - woohoo! Silly me for almost waiting too long. :)

Experiencing Issues with JewelMint Website + Two Pending Charges

*Update* Monday, October 31st: Click here for my follow-up in regards to this post. :)

Well, you guys know me. I'm not one to ever really complain that much and if there is ever something that is bothering me, I try to remain as positive as possible. However, I'm currently having a less than favorable experience right now with JewelMint's website.

While taking up the Facebook "B2G1FREE" offer yesterday, I entered all my information correctly on the website only to receive an error message "payment error:failed to purchase cart." with a declined card notice.

Declined? How so? I double checked the numbers - everything was indeed entered correctly, and there was more than enough in the bank account to cover the transaction.

I checked the account online to verify that everything was good, only to notice the $59.98 pending JewelMint charge on the account. Of course, the amount of money in the account was not an issue, and I double-checked the entered card numbers one more time. In addition, I've received no messages or confirmations in regards to the order - or lack thereof.

I've left a message on their after-hours messaging system, and chalked it up to being an isolated glitch that should be taken care of on Monday.

I also didn't plan on posting anything about my issue until, well...it happened again today.

Come today's BeWitchMint Bag deal, I couldn't help but want to purchase a mystery bag of my own.  I figured the first issue may have been a fluke so of course I was a bit hesitant, but I just couldn't resist. Sure enough, I received another "Payment error: failed to purchase cart" notice citing the same issue.

Again, I checked the account which is perfectly fine. Except for the second charge that is now pending on my account along with the first.

Now there are two pending charges/holds on my bank account totaling over $80 and no confirmations. The kicker? The Empress necklace that I purchased yesterday that was showing "almost sold out" is now listed as "sold out".

I'll be sending JewelMint a second after-hours message here shortly. In addition, I'll be following up with this post tomorrow once this gets sorted out. I will at least let everyone know if the situation was corrected which I don't see why it shouldn't be. I do know that JewelMint's customer service is extremely helpful; I've just personally never experienced this issue before.

In the meantime, I won't be attempting to purchase anything else until this is rectified, and for good reason. I'm hoping they can still fulfill my original order which included one Empress Necklace amongst two other pieces I've been longing for. I guess we'll see what happens...

xoxo, Lily

P.S. Has this happened to anyone else recently? If so, what was the result? Thank you.

JewelMint Addresses Recent Billing Glitch

Photo: Jewelmint

A couple days ago, I wrote about the recent JewelMint billing issues that unfortunately affected members who decided to "skip this month". You can read more about the glitch in this post here.

Well, yesterday we received the following email about my husband's account:

Dear JewelMint Member,

We would like to personally thank you for your patience following a billing error on Tuesday morning, and apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused. The error resulted in a number of loyal customers who had elected to 'Skip the Month' still being charged for one credit. The error was quickly identified and all incorrect charges were immediately voided. At no time was any personal information compromised. We are aware that a number of debit card customers are still seeing the funds 'Pending' on their account. Rest assured the charge has been reversed but unfortunately it can take several days to clear depending on the bank.

As a token of our appreciation, we'd like to offer you $7 off all JewelMint items over the next 48 hours - use promo code LOYAL7. Because we feel so bad about this error, we would like you to enjoy this offer as many times as you want through 09/10/11.

At JewelMint, the trust and satisfaction of our customers is our top priority. Rest assured that steps have been introduced to avoid a recurrence in the future. We truly value your loyalty and look forward to continuing to provide you each month with exciting, exclusive jewelry designed by Kate Bosworth and Cher Coulter.

If you have any additional concerns or questions, please email us at customercare@jewelmint.com or call us at toll-free 888-258-3339.

Sincerely,

JP Barcenas and Jose Martinez
Customer Care 

While the $7 promo code is a nice gesture, I'm just happy that the issue was addressed in a more personal manner (email form). This meant so much more to me than the random acknowledgement hidden amongst a bunch of posts on JewelMint's Facebook page that I just happen to come across.

However, I've had some more time to think about this and I really think JewelMint had everyone's best interest in mind when deciding to immediately acknowledge the issue in an the instant forum that is Facebook. Looking back, the topic was being discussed amongst fans and I believe JewelMint felt it was best to address it before comments got too out of hand (although they still did to some extent).

Putting together an apology post on Facebook is much easier to do than gathering all the required information about the extent of a glitch, the account information of all affected, and using this information to carefully word an apology email and to offer (not to mention authorize) a peace offering a/k/a promotional code to help ease some of the tension.

While a couple of days may have seemed too long for some, I do think this personal acknowledgement was exactly what members wanted from JewelMint, and we got it. While we can only hope this doesn't happen again, we can also hope that any future issues will be addressed via email a little sooner. I'm pretty sure JewelMint has learned that the longer an issue is left unacknowledged on a personal level, the less confident their members may become. But not only is BeachMint/JewelMint still growing (and yes, mistakes will happen along the way), but they are also learning how to deal with them, and you have to at least respect that.

In the interim, I've convinced my husband to keep his account (you know, just in case he ever wants to buy me more JewelMint in the future!), and I'm looking forward to watching JewelMint continue to grow. They are supposedly fixing the issue, it has now been addressed, a peace offering has been made, and if anyone received any overages please know that most banks will reverse fees incurred by an unauthorized charge. Not to mention, I don't believe fees are usually assessed when a pending charge ends up "falling off" anyway. ;)

xoxo, Lily

What do you think about JewelMint's apology email? Are you inclined to forgive and give JewelMint another chance? Do you think the promo code for $7 off was a nice gesture?

Monthly JewelMint Charges - Complaints, etc.

Earlier today, JewelMint released a statement on Facebook at 10:20am regarding a "billing glitch" that seems to have affected the accounts of those who opted to skip this month's automatic billing/credit cycle:

"Hey JewelMint fans, we had a billing glitch this morning that may have affected some of our JewelMint members. We discovered the issue and quickly fixed it for you. JewelMint is dedicated to customer satisfaction. If you have any issues or concerns please contact us at customercare@jewelmint.com." - JewelMint

In addition, JewelMint followed up by saying "We have voided all of these incorrect charges."

While it seems as though this issue is in the process of being rectified, I have received a few emails from readers regarding this inconvenience, and I would like to point out a few things here that have been on my mind today.

Now, I want to preface this by saying that you guys know I'm a huge advocate of JewelMint, and I've always been pleased with their customer service. I know they will correct this error as they've always made it a habit to go above and beyond for us. However, I have not contacted them about the issue yet as I'm waiting to see how the following continues to unfold...

You see, my husband has a separate JewelMint account for pieces he has purchased for me in the past as gifts - by the way, if there are any men out there reading this...this is one way to a woman's heart! That said, this month's cycle was "skipped", but his our spending account was affected by today's billing glitch. While the account was not at risk of being overdrawn by this issue, I could see how this could be problematic for some. In addition, I was only made aware of the problem when I initially saw JewelMint's Facebook post on the feeds.

As we all know, these charges should only currently be showing as a "pending" status, and I do believe it could take a couple days for these charges to "fall off" as a result of the charges being voided. Regardless of this, I really would have appreciated to see an email in his account with a simple explanation of the problem as soon as it was discovered.

While a lot of us do follow JewelMint on Facebook (almost a million of us to be somewhat exact), I do believe this should have been a secondary forum to address it, but not the primary source. With that, I am very hopeful that JewelMint is just still in the process of gathering the relevant information needed in order to send out a mass email regarding the problem to those affected by it. Therefore, I look forward to the next few days to see how JewelMint handles this as there is still time to do so.

In the meantime, I have to sit the husband down and explain the pending charge to him. In hindsight, maybe it was a good thing a mass email hasn't been sent out out yet, lol. But yeah, in all seriousness, I do think that a simple "sorry" email will suffice. I'm almost sure most of us are more than willing to forgive...you know, things happen. And I am almost willing to bet this glitch occurred as a result of the recent website updates that JewelMint.com underwent recently, but either way JewelMint will fix it, learn from it, and move forward - it's what all (reputable) companies do.

I'll keep you guys updated as more details continue to unfold, etc.

xoxo, Lily

P.S. If you did incur any overdraft fees as a result of today's "glitch", call your bank, and explain the situation. Most banks are nice and will reverse fees incured as a result of an unauthorized charge.

Was your account affected by today's billing glitch? If so, how do you feel about it? Are you inclined to keep or cancel your account? How would you like to see JewelMint correct this issue?

The Downlow on Jewelmint's Ludlow Trio

JewelMint's Ludlow Trio has been quite the topic of discussion this past week. As most of us already know, the photographs of these rings were originally introduced as having black baguette stones on the main gold band. However, the actual production of these rings did not include these stones.

These rings quickly sold out overnight (although they are now available again as of 6/7) and JewelMint released the following statement via email to those who placed an order for the rings:

Hi JewelMinter,

This email is to alert you to a design change to the Ludlow Trio after the pieces were shot by our photography team.  The black rectangles on the gold band are not included in the final product.  Unfortunately, the original pictures were shown yesterday.

We fixed the issue as soon as we noticed, however, your browser may have cached the old pictures. If you are unhappy with the ring set once it arrives, please let us know and we'll gladly issue you a full refund, credit or exchange. Our apologies for this mistake.  It was a complete oversight on our part.

Hope you are enjoying the June collection so far!

Sincerely,

JewelMint

I recently received my Ludlow Trio Set in the mail. After taking a closer look at the gold band, I can actually see why the black stones may have been left out of the final production...

If you try on the ring, you'll see that having black baguette stones surrounding the outer center of the ring could actually have been quite uncomfortable! Being that the gold ring is the chunkier ring of the three, I believe any protruding stones could have been irritating. I've been wearing them for most of the day now, and all I can say is that I really love them. I have the perfect stretchy gold link watch that will pair perfectly with the gold ring, and I actually really like how smooth the gold band is. Also, I love the simplicity of the two other bands that can be worn either alone or stacked together.

Sure, the black baguette stones were beautiful and probably a selling point for some, but realistically I can see why a final decision to leave them out may have been made.

On the other hand, I also think that this photography oversight serves as another reminder as to how helpful JewelMint always is and always has been. Any company worth it's salt will go above and beyond to make sure all their customers are always satisfied. One of the main reasons I created this blog is because I saw just how dedicated JewelMint has been to this mantra. They understand the meaning of true customer service, they can admit when a mistake is made, and they'll do anything within their power to help reasonably resolve it.

This is the exact reason why a lot of us keep coming back to buy the lovely jewelry we continue to enjoy; because we have the peace of mind that if anything is ever dissatisfying, they will always be there to make it right.

xoxo, Lily