Before you buy diamonds and jewelry from a Zales Diamond Store or Zales.com, it is a good idea to read this write up and find out who and what Zales actually are and how safe they are.
It always pays to do ones own due diligence before buying from any diamond dealer or jeweler online.
Who are Zales Diamond StoreThe Zale Corporation are considered the largest specialty retailer of fine jewelry in North America, with over 2,300 locations. The company sells inexpensive jewelry and other items through Zales and other outlets such as, Zales Outlet, Peoples Jewellers, and Gordon’s. Also low-end jewelry and accessories at its Piercing Pagoda kiosks.
Zales was started in the 1920s by Morris (M.B.) and William Zale in Wichita Falls, Texas, on March 29, 1924. There it remained until 1946 when the headquarters were moved from Wichita Falls to Dallas Texas. The corporate offices were housed in the Mercantile Bank Building, the first of several subsequent locations. The company continued to expand and prosper and in 1952, a profit sharing plan was introduced to employees.
In 1957, Zales announced the initial public offering of its stock (ZLC), began trading its public shares on the American Stock Exchange the following year and have continued to do so ever since.
Zales underwent an interesting history of the subsequent years, including filing for bankruptcy in 1992, recovering and increasing sales to over 1 billion dollars in 1994, and eventually grew to its current size of around 2200 retail stores in the US Canada and Puerto Rico, under a diverse range of brand names including, Zales Jewelers, Zales Outlet, Gordon’s Jewelers, Peoples Jewellers, Mappins Jewelers, Piercing Pagoda, Plumb Gold, and Silver & Gold Connection. Zale also has two online sites, www.zales.com and www.gordonsjewelers.com.
The web site went online in 1997 and, as you can see, most visitors come from the US with most other countries in the less than 1 percent range.
United States 89.7%
South Korea 2.4%
Canada 2.2%
India 1.5%
China 0.4%
United Kingdom 0.4%
Germany 0.3%
Indonesia 0.3%
Australia 0.3%
Puerto Rico 0.2%
Mexico 0.2%
Algeria 0.2%
Thailand 0.2%
Portugal 0.1%
Ukraine 0.1%
Israel 0.1%
Other countries 1.8%
President and CEO of Zale Corporation is President and CEO Neal Goldberg . John B. Lowe, Jr., is the Chairman and the current Vice President and Treasurer is David H. Sternblitz. Other recent board members include, Richard Breeden and Jim Cotter.Mr. Breeden served as Chairman of the United States Securities & Exchange Commission. He has served on the boards of numerous public and private companies in the U.S. and Europe. He currently serves as the non-executive Chairman of the Board of H&R Block, Inc., and as a member of the board of BBVA of Spain, one of Europe’s largest banks.
James M. Cotter is a founding partner of Breeden Capital Management and is a Senior Managing Director of Richard C. Breeden & Co. Prior to joining Richard C. Breeden & Co. in 2005, Mr. Cotter was a senior partner and Vice Chairman of the law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. Mr. Cotter joined Simpson Thacher in 1971 and became a partner in 1975.
Currently The Zale Corporation is based in Irving, Texas. The ticker symbol for Zale Corp. is ZLC and it is traded on the New York Stock Exchange. At the time of this write up, the share price was around 21USD and the market capitalization was in the 900 to 920 million US dollar range.
Zales Diamond Store Customer ServiceAll prices listed on the Zales site are in U.S. dollars.
If www.zales.com makes a permanent price reduction on an item, they claim you may request a refund of the difference within 30 days of the date of your original order.
Contacting customer service at Zales.com is easy as it is available twenty- four hours per day, seven days per week. The web site can be used to check order status, find answers to common questions, or to send a direct message to the Zales.com team..
Zales.com, constantly offers special deals to encourage sales. Specials are constantly changing, however, so you need to visit regularly if there is something you have in mind and are waiting for it to come up in a sale.
Dealtime.com have 45 reviews of customer service at Zales and an average rating of 2 ticks out of 3. A variety of reviews, some very good and some very poor with many in between.
The problem with reviews such as this is that people rarely mention good service but are very quick to mention bad. Any company with such a high volume turn over are going to get their fair share of complaints, some may be valid but likely some will not be, so it is difficult to judge the quality of customer service except by ones own personal experience. As was stated above, it is always a good idea to do one’s own due diligence when buying online.
Zales Diamond Store ProductsZales have perhaps one of the largest ranges of diamond jewelry and accessories ranges including gifts, watches etc.
Here is just an idea of the products Zales markets and sells. The full range is available on site.
Rings
Earrings
Bracelets
Necklaces
Charms
Accessories
Loose Diamonds
Jewelry Boxes
Popular Collections
Birthstones
Shop By Material
Men’s jewelry
Children’s jewelry
Online Exclusives
Personalized jewelry
Wedding
Engagement Rings
Three Stone Rings
Promise Rings
Wedding Bands
Anniversary
Bridal Sets
Loose Diamonds
Wedding Gifts
Bridal Catalog
Watches
Seiko
Citizen
ESQ
Movadov Wittnauer
Bulova
Caravelle by Bulova
Online Exclusives
Gifts
Gifts for Dad
Graduation Gifts
Gift Cards
Reminder Service
Gifts for Mom
Birthstones
Wedding Gifts
Baby Gifts
Jewelry Boxes
Zales Diamond Store Payment OptionsZales will accept the following payment options.
Credit cards:
Visa
MasterCard
American Express
Discover
Zales Diamond Card (Zales have their own credit card available also)
Other forms of payment
Zales Gift Card
Zales.com e-Gift Card
PayPal
Zales do not accept
CODs
Personal checks
Layaway plans
Further Information About Zale Diamond Store Payment.Zales do not charge your credit card until the product ordered has been shipped but Debit and Bank Check Cards may reflect deduction of funds immediately upon order. As part of the security with credit card payments Zales will be comparing your billing name, address and phone number to your credit card monthly billing statement. And will likely cancel any order that does not match this criteria.Zales.com also supports Verified by Visa (VbV), a security technology that authenticates your Visa card and ensures that only the authorized cardholder is placing the order. If the bank that issued your Visa card supports VbV, you may be prompted to enter your password or to sign up for VbV as you check out.
PayPal is an alternate method for purchasing your order. It enables any individual or business with an email address to securely send payments online. With a PayPal account, you can choose to pay with your credit card, debit card, bank account, or PayPal account balance for any purchase you make. Your credit card and bank numbers are not seen by Zales or any of it’s staff.
Zales Diamond Card. Zales Diamond Store also have their own credit card which you can apply for. There are financial charges to the card of course, as is with any store credit card. You can buy jewelry with your Zales Diamond Card as it is accepted at all stores nationwide as well as online at Zales.com.
Charges, with credit approval for purchases made on the Zale Diamond Card. As of May 1, 2008 APR for Purchases are 23.73%; Default Rate APR 27.73% (Rates may vary). Minimum Finance Charge $1.50. See card agreement for details including when the default rate applies.
How to Buy from Zales Diamond StoreBuying online is a matter of opening an account, selecting what you want from the range of products and simply ordering it and going through the usual process. When you have chosen what you would like to buy you will be directed to a page to enter your personal details, name address etc. IF you are paying by credit card , these details MUST match what is on the credit card statement otherwise Zales will likely refuse the order. Once this is done you will be sent to a page to select your shipping options. After you have selected how you would like your purchase to be shipped you will then be transported to the payment selection page. Payment can be by gift card, Zales credit card, standard credit card or PayPal.
Once you have selected and entered the information on your payment this will be confirmed and, with the exception of the gift card and PayPal which will be charged instantly, your payment will be deducted from the card when the product has been shipped. You should keep the receipt that you are sent to you email as well as the one the screen.
There is provision for personalized jewelry and this is a matter of picking from a range of products and indicating what personalization you require, such as a name, message etc, inscribed on the piece. You can also pick out gemstones you like and where you would like them placed in the piece you have selected.
Some items have free shipping on them and the value of the products offered is no more than 700 US dollars.
Zales.com only accepts orders for the United States, U.S. Territories and APO/FPO. They will not accept order from outside the US. Residents of Canada and Puerto Rico will need to go to a Zales or Zales branded store to buy from them.
Orders shipping to U.S. Territories may only be shipped via FedEx International Priority and may require additional business days for delivery. Likewise, orders to APO/FPO ship via USPS and may also require additional days for delivery.
Returns Policy of Zales Diamond StoreIf you are dissatisfied with your purchase, you can return it within 30 days of the date your order was shipped from Zales.
You will get a full refund of the purchase price, not including shipping & handling, unless you can show the item was damaged or incorrect.
Zales.com provides you with two easy methods of returning an item. Either Returns by Mail or to a Zales Store. If you purchased your item from a store you cannot return it by mail and must return it to that store. If there is damage to an item upon delivery, you should call Zales customer service center immediately.
Please read the information on your original packing slip.
Pack the item securely.
Use the original package, if possible.
Enclose the return portion of the original packing slip with the item.
If you do not have your original packing slip, you will need to provide your name, address, phone number, email address, and order number.
All return shipping charges must be prepaid. Zale will not accept C.O.D. deliveries.
Keep the Return Tracking Number from the package you are returning to ensure that the package is returned to their distribution center.
You can expect a refund within 30 days of receipt of your returned product. Refunda will be credited to the same form of payment used in your original purchase.With regard to Returns to a Zales Retail Store
Place the item securely in the original package.
Enclose the original packing slip with the item.
If you no longer have the packing slip, take a copy of your Ship Confirmation e-mail or your online purchase receipt displayed during checkout.
All products will need to be returned in good condition, in original boxes, and with paperwork and accessories to ensure a full credit.
Take the package to any Zales retail store.
The store associate will process your return. Refund will be credited to the same form of payment in your original purchase.
Allow 30 days for the credit to appear on your billing statement.
Zales Diamond Store WarrantiesIndividual items such as watches for example may carry warranties such as a manufacturers 3 year warranty.
Also Zales offers a Jewelry Protection Plan on your jewelry purchases, with the exception of watches and online clearance items. Additionally, all diamond merchandise over $200 is included in their Lifetime Diamond Commitment, with the exception of online clearance items. If you order an item covered under that guarantee, you will receive a letter detailing the conditions.
You may have your Zales diamond cleaned and inspected as many times as you want, free of charge, for as long as you own it. To maintain your Lifetime Diamond Commitment, you need only take your diamond to Zales every six months for cleaning and inspection, along with your record-keeping card. When you take your diamond to a Zales store for each semi-annual inspection, a Zales associate will verify the inspections on your record-keeping card.
Zales lifetime diamond warranty applies to diamond rings, diamond earrings, diamond bracelets, and diamond necklaces with a retail value of $200 or more. The Lifetime Diamond Commitment does not cover theft, disappearance, loss or damages other than that incurred in normal wear, and only diamonds in their original settings that have been inspected and repaired by Zales are covered under this warranty.
Clearance items are not covered by the Zales Lifetime Diamond Commitment and are not eligible for the Lifetime Jewelry Protection Plan.
More Information on Zales Diamond StoreCORPORATE & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY page and governance guidelines. As Public Company with Shares the Board of Directors and company management have a responsibility to the shareholders to improve profits. Sometimes this takes precedence over the value of the customer. A fine balance, when it comes to the costs of customer service has to be weighed against the profit margins and dividends for shareholders.
If you have bought any diamonds, diamond jewelry or other products from www.zales.com, please feel free to leave your feedback on the quality of service and products including any www.zales.com online complaints and special attention or service given by www.zales.com online.
