Smackdown

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Lanai
Posts: 254
Joined: 3 years ago

Smackdown

Post by Lanai » 9 months ago

Advertising a Tanzanite Smackdown for Saturday. Don't understand why there has to be a Smackdown every single weekend with the same old products shown over and over. Rarely any new items or actual discounted prices on the Neverending Saturday Smackdown shows. Noticed that several of the items being advertised as New or an acquired acquisition from JCK
are the same old recycled merchandise. The Tuesday TLV featuring the Turkish Inspired Mosaic Lamps had reviews dating back to 2018. Item number started with the number 2 which signified item was several years old but merchandise from 2018, really??? Maybe the company should think about having a " Old Merchandise Smackdown Weekend" with actual real clearance pricing and allow the standard 30 day return policy, to clear things out of there and get actual new merchandise. Don't know if anyone else noticed that the majority of items currently shown under Clearance are actually priced at a considerably higher price than originally sold at. Several hosts have commented numerous times that their competitors, not just the televised shopping networks but online and retail stores mark items up in price before a sale but they are doing the exact same thing they accuse others of doing. The No Return Policy on Clearance Items has to actually have a significant reduction in possible sales. I know I certainly will not purchase any of the higher end items because of this policy. It makes the Company look shady, dishonest and untrustworthy, as if they are selling products that have actually been returned and/or they know are poor quality just to dump it off on their customers. Not the way to keep or attract new business. I know that I have purchased too many items that were not as advertised when not in clearance and have had to return for a refund, that btw always takes way to long to process, while if using Budget Pay option, I have had payments continue to be charged after items have been returned and having to complain numerous times until it has gotten to the point of having to threaten to file a report for fraudulent charges to my credit card company to finally get refunded, this alone gives me just cause to not trust purchasing clearance items. It would be great if those who manage this Company would actually listen to the concerns and complaints of those who purchase merchandise and essentially keep them employed. In my opinion: The bigger you are the harder you fall analogy is eventually going to happen, as it has came very close to happening in the past, if some positive changes aren't made.
10 x

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FarmMom
Posts: 687
Joined: 1 year ago

Re: Smackdown

Post by FarmMom » 9 months ago

I did notice they are promoting a rainbow moonstone event . . . as a very intense student of feldspar stones and gemstones, it has my curiosity piqued.

I'll be waiting like a vulture behind a pack of coyotes to see how they present it.

There also have been reports from GIA and IGA of vendors taking quartz and injecting it so that it glows similar to moonstone. The problem is, it would be very hard to catch unless you are looking under a microscope or using chemical testing. Obviously their moonshine moonstone is dyed, but is it quartz or feldspar? Honestly they don't have to say since they made their own tradename for a dyed stone and could call it a blue diamond if they wanted. Considering white moonstone is pretty expensive, I doubt they are taking white and dying it as that would surely drop it's value... or maybe it's some sort of triplet . . .

But I think they are just going to present what they already have . . .
4 x

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Gypsy
Posts: 4045
Joined: 4 years ago

Re: Smackdown

Post by Gypsy » 9 months ago

Lanai wrote:
9 months ago
Advertising a Tanzanite Smackdown for Saturday. Don't understand why there has to be a Smackdown every single weekend with the same old products shown over and over. Rarely any new items or actual discounted prices on the Neverending Saturday Smackdown shows. Noticed that several of the items being advertised as New or an acquired acquisition from JCK
are the same old recycled merchandise. The Tuesday TLV featuring the Turkish Inspired Mosaic Lamps had reviews dating back to 2018. Item number started with the number 2 which signified item was several years old but merchandise from 2018, really??? Maybe the company should think about having a " Old Merchandise Smackdown Weekend" with actual real clearance pricing and allow the standard 30 day return policy, to clear things out of there and get actual new merchandise. Don't know if anyone else noticed that the majority of items currently shown under Clearance are actually priced at a considerably higher price than originally sold at. Several hosts have commented numerous times that their competitors, not just the televised shopping networks but online and retail stores mark items up in price before a sale but they are doing the exact same thing they accuse others of doing. The No Return Policy on Clearance Items has to actually have a significant reduction in possible sales. I know I certainly will not purchase any of the higher end items because of this policy. It makes the Company look shady, dishonest and untrustworthy, as if they are selling products that have actually been returned and/or they know are poor quality just to dump it off on their customers. Not the way to keep or attract new business. I know that I have purchased too many items that were not as advertised when not in clearance and have had to return for a refund, that btw always takes way to long to process, while if using Budget Pay option, I have had payments continue to be charged after items have been returned and having to complain numerous times until it has gotten to the point of having to threaten to file a report for fraudulent charges to my credit card company to finally get refunded, this alone gives me just cause to not trust purchasing clearance items. It would be great if those who manage this Company would actually listen to the concerns and complaints of those who purchase merchandise and essentially keep them employed. In my opinion: The bigger you are the harder you fall analogy is eventually going to happen, as it has came very close to happening in the past, if some positive changes aren't made.
Very well stated !

-Gypsy
6 x

joshuatheemerald
Posts: 146
Joined: 10 months ago

Re: Smackdown

Post by joshuatheemerald » 9 months ago

Lanai,

So glad you mentioned the aspect of the “JCK” show and the purchasing LC advertises it is doing at that event.

I find this to be a total hypocrisy on LC’s behalf, as they very often claim that their prices are so slow because there is NO “middle man”… They even have that screen they show with all of the stages of jewelry manufacturing they cut out in order to give these “Smackdown” prices. They tout that they buy gems and metals “direct from the mine”, then take their own supply of raw materials and create the pieces, and sell them to LC customers directly or to other retailers who will then mark it up. I am realistic enough to know that not every single piece they show is going to be cultivated this way but still… their main pitch on why their pieces are such a value is because they own each step of the process.
I understand the ballyhoo around when they go to the Tucson Gemstone Show where they show the bulk stones and gems they are sitting and sorting through… but the videos they show from the “JCK” show look like they are buying premade pieces from vendors/designers, which means we as the customers are still paying a MARK UP as if we would anywhere else in our shopping.
8 x

Bella
Posts: 809
Joined: 4 years ago

Re: Smackdown

Post by Bella » 9 months ago

How nice to hear from Gypsy again! Hope you have a great day, don’t be a stranger!
5 x

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FarmMom
Posts: 687
Joined: 1 year ago

Re: Smackdown

Post by FarmMom » 9 months ago

IGS (International gem Society) had a nice article about TV jewelry shopping, lol.

They too stated that TV programs "claimed" items were well below cost, but most items were actually average pricing because the quality is lower. They said on the very rare occasion you can find something for a great value, but most of their pricing claims are bogus, lol.

You guys hit the nail on the head ;)
5 x

MaeWest1953
Posts: 863
Joined: 3 years ago

Re: Smackdown

Post by MaeWest1953 » 9 months ago

Hi Lanai.....

I love what you posted about the Tanzanite and what I don't understand is they keep on saying this stone is rare and not being mined anymore so where in the heck is all of this inventory coming from?
FarmMom....my gosh your comments keep me entertained, and of course I learn from them too :) :)
5 x

MaeWest1953
Posts: 863
Joined: 3 years ago

Re: Smackdown

Post by MaeWest1953 » 9 months ago

Well said Joshuatheemerald.....

I like what you stated and it was good to learn something too thanks :)
4 x

Lanai
Posts: 254
Joined: 3 years ago

Re: Smackdown

Post by Lanai » 9 months ago

Hello, Sorry I just now am posting this, I thought I already did before apparently being booted for a time out. Not sure what for and probably will be again but I will always say what I think. I am glad to see I am not the only one tired of the games and the more the Hosts talk the worse it gets. Many times, especially, on the "Saturday Neverending Smackdown" presentations,
some Hosts end up even contradicting the previous Hosts info given. Evidentially there is a gross lack of Management. It actually used to be a pretty good company several years ago but has had constant turnovers in Management to the point of it starting to be a disastrous joke.. Hosts blatantly say and do whatever they want. I mean Adi was actually the Direct Supervisor of the Hosts in Texas prior to him relocating back home to the UK. I'm not sure what his official title is there and although I do like him and find him amusing at times, he is like a large grown man child.
joshuatheemerald great post. I 100% agree.
I have started looking at it as Cheap Entertainment, like Dinner and Show without having to dress up and leave the house but watching while in PJS and eating ice cream straight from the container. Lol. Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey, of course. A bad scripted Reality Show couldn't compete with the multiple questionable personalities and things said and done by certain Hosts, seemingly something no matter what day and/or time watched. If I never watched another Gold Rope Chain being peddled by a Network Shopping Channel again it would still be to soon. The price for gram is not even a good deal. They keep saying Gold is raising daily. Raising minimal after a fall is more like the real truth an that Stock Trade is for 24k Gold. I believe yesterday it was something like $65.47 a gram. They are selling 10k gold for considerable more, consistently, saying what a great deal when they sell for $70 a gram. I am aware that manufacturing, shipping, air time, salaries and numerous other factors have to be figured in. I'm not even saying that it is a bad price but I am saying as I have complained numerous times to the Network about Hosts selling 10k &14k items as investment opportunities. Other gold as well as any less than 20k or 22k is definitely not investment gold. It's pretty, sturdy and wears well but is not investment grade. I get so put out when I hear certain Hosts that claim it's wearable wealth and purchase more than one and resale the other and pay for both plus have some left over.
REALLY!!! If it's that good a deal and so easy to sale then how come a Shopping Televised Network with Sister Networks in the UK, Germany and wherever else they are affiliated can't sell them out at the price asked, how is an average working person, that's not involved in gem/gold/ jewelry trade and business supposed to be able to sell that same product and make enough from one sale to pay for two or more jewelry items with a monetary profit as a nice leftover.
Sorry for the rant, but I get furious to sit and watch people get taken advantage of, and that is exactly what I believe the intent is, not all Hosts, but those of you who watch much at all, know exactly the ones that I am speaking about. I understand that their job is sales but lies don't have to be involved especially when it comes to giving false hope to people just to get more sales. That's a load of Crap and quite
Disgusting.
4 x

User avatar
FarmMom
Posts: 687
Joined: 1 year ago

Re: Smackdown

Post by FarmMom » 9 months ago

MaeWest1953 wrote:
9 months ago
Hi Lanai.....

I love what you posted about the Tanzanite and what I don't understand is they keep on saying this stone is rare and not being mined anymore so where in the heck is all of this inventory coming from?
FarmMom....my gosh your comments keep me entertained, and of course I learn from them too :) :)

The story on tanzanite is that onyl a few minbes are in fact still producing. The Tanzanite One mine (which SLC has a stake in) is no longer mining, hence their obsession saying it's all gone. D-block is still mining from what i remember, but even if ALL BLOCKS SHUT DOWN, there is still enough ROUGH MATERIAL to last another 20 years. So prices will not bump for a while. I'm sure Tony will CLAIM all the GOOD STUFF is gone, like he claimed to have gone to Thailand and "not found any aaaa material there". He must have walked in with his eyes shut because highest color/grade material is STILL EVERYWHERE, and in BIG SIZES TOO.

PLUS there WAS another new location found in Africa with decent quality Tanzanite that is currently being investigated for mining ability. So no one who knows much is going to jump on the "buy all the tanzanite you can" bandwagon JUST yet.


Lanai, were you actually booted or maybe was your browser not working and just needed to be updated?? Glad to see you back though!
3 x

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