Start price

[Blossom]

My 'community forum' name should be 'confused'. If two different items have the same start price (on-live tv), then why doesn't the purchase price end up being the same on both items?

[Lulu]

There is no explaining the unexplainable except maybe they have more inventory of one item. My question is where in the world do they come up with those start prices?

[Hot4TENER]

There is no explaining the unexplainable except maybe they have more inventory of one item. My question is where in the world do they come up with those start prices?

My guess is that they surf the net to find the highest price that anyone is selling it for and that is what they use for starting value. I don't really think that is an appraisal value, or even a fair retail. Its an overinflated retail price. Well, overinflated is is actually an understatement IMHO

[Catticus]

And not just inflated, but the comparisons are not correct.

The item they show from another seller will have higher grade stones, etc.

So it's not even close to a comparison. Maybe SLC's carat weight will be the same as the gemstone(s) from the other seller, but the SLC carat of WHAT, is the question.

[Lulu]

Yeah, compare like to like. Comparing an oval opaque Burmese ruby to an emerald cut transparent ruby just highlights how bad your product is.

[Moderator_Stephanie]

There is no explaining the unexplainable except maybe they have more inventory of one item. My question is where in the world do they come up with those start prices?

Start prices are based off of the comparable price that you would pay for a similar item at a national retailer. Prices are subject to change based on shifting market values.

[Gem Lover]

I have complained about the start price often. I told shop lc I could ask $4000.00 for a plain old sky blue topaz ring online but does that mean it is worth that price? we all know it is not but that is what they do, they find the most expensive online and use it as a comparison, we are not stupid, I can go to one of the many jewelers in my area and find similar items for much less then their start prices and I have gone to different jewelers to compare so I know this as a fact. Sad to say some do not know and think they are getting an item that is worth so much more then it really is. I like how they tell you that an item sold for millions to make it sound like your getting something special, like the burmese jade for example, such a joke, if it is dyed and polymer filled it is the lowest grade and if you google it a reputable jeweler would not even sell it and it is considered worth hardly anything, so why tell your customers they are getting something worth so much money, they do the same thing with diamonds they are not all created equal but yet even if it is just a diamond chip or accent they make a big deal out of it and charge a higher price if the item contains even crappy diamonds in the item.

[Moderator_Stephanie]

I have complained about the start price often. I told shop lc I could ask $4000.00 for a plain old sky blue topaz ring online but does that mean it is worth that price? we all know it is not but that is what they do, they find the most expensive online and use it as a comparison, we are not stupid, I can go to one of the many jewelers in my area and find similar items for much less then their start prices and I have gone to different jewelers to compare so I know this as a fact. Sad to say some do not know and think they are getting an item that is worth so much more then it really is. I like how they tell you that an item sold for millions to make it sound like your getting something special, like the burmese jade for example, such a joke, if it is dyed and polymer filled it is the lowest grade and if you google it a reputable jeweler would not even sell it and it is considered worth hardly anything, so why tell your customers they are getting something worth so much money, they do the same thing with diamonds they are not all created equal but yet even if it is just a diamond chip or accent they make a big deal out of it and charge a higher price if the item contains even crappy diamonds in the item.

Thank you for your feedback, we will make sure to have this passed on.

[honey]

Greetings, Then there is that one Customer Savings Executive,
her name escapes me - you know which one. Always sayin'
"needless markup" and "Thbbpbpbpbpt!" There are price
comparisons so many times during her segments and honestly,
the comp looks way nicer. Sometimes the host will say that
they realize that the gem they are presenting is not the $$million
dollar gem. Why can't SLC's start price be what it cost them to
create and air for sale? I guess that they are just looking to
present a dramatic drop? Any who, I never buy into that hype.
Does not matter where the price starts, it's where it ends.

May I add - the Mods Stephanie, Danielle and Preston do great
jobs at fielding all the comments - and they are pretty play-
ful back at times - cordially adding the standard statement -
"thank you for your feed back - we'll direct your comments."
Could we just sometimes get a reply from whoever or where
the buck stops? Even via the Mods. They could comeback
and say "just spoke with the Director of Pricing and he's just
sitting at his desk pulling his hair out and babbling!" Or how
bout "I just got back from speaking with Quality Control and
they said "UH?" Or, "I just spoke with the Customer Savings
Executive in question of Thbbpbpbpbpt, and she just laughed
at me and stated that it's giddy up go time!!"
Thank you for this site, many very nice people, I love SLC and
all the good works. Oh!... and something else comes to mind
You are the biggest gem house, no middle men? Surly the
24/7 air time and hosts and Customer Saving Executives and
crews and field trips must figure in to the cost. Maybe the
brick and mortar downtown ain't so bad?
Love ya

[Lulu]

Greetings, Then there is that one Customer Savings Executive,
her name escapes me - you know which one. Always sayin'
"needless markup" and "Thbbpbpbpbpt!" There are price
comparisons so many times during her segments and honestly,
the comp looks way nicer. Sometimes the host will say that
they realize that the gem they are presenting is not the $$million
dollar gem. Why can't SLC's start price be what it cost them to
create and air for sale? I guess that they are just looking to
present a dramatic drop? Any who, I never buy into that hype.
Does not matter where the price starts, it's where it ends.

May I add - the Mods Stephanie, Danielle and Preston do great
jobs at fielding all the comments - and they are pretty play-
ful back at times - cordially adding the standard statement -
"thank you for your feed back - we'll direct your comments."
Could we just sometimes get a reply from whoever or where
the buck stops? Even via the Mods. They could comeback
and say "just spoke with the Director of Pricing and he's just
sitting at his desk pulling his hair out and babbling!" Or how
bout "I just got back from speaking with Quality Control and
they said "UH?" Or, "I just spoke with the Customer Savings
Executive in question of Thbbpbpbpbpt, and she just laughed
at me and stated that it's giddy up go time!!"
Thank you for this site, many very nice people, I love SLC and
all the good works. Oh!... and something else comes to mind
You are the biggest gem house, no middle men? Surly the
24/7 air time and hosts and Customer Saving Executives and
crews and field trips must figure in to the cost. Maybe the
brick and mortar downtown ain't so bad?
Love ya

You're killing me. I know what I would be doing if I were anywhere near where the buck stops - sneaking that little bottle in a paper bag out of my desk drawer and pretending that I'm putting one over on fellow coworkers as I pretend to care about all the little complaints.