Samara James - www.samarajames.com Reviews
Latest Reviews
★★★★☆
“Hard to trust, but SJ delivers!!”
Written on: 14/05/2013 by LsaLisa (2 reviews written)
I was very wary of trusting the design of my engagement ring to Samara James, I was worried that something would get lost in translation. Ed listened to everything I had to say and totally understood me, first time, off the bat. He made a couple of suggestions, was polite when I rebuffed them and continued to try and make my ring the best that I could afford within my budget. Very pleased with the end result. (read more)
★★★★★
“Thoroughly fantastic.”
Written on: 01/05/2013 by SlurryShopper (1 review written)
Incredibly happy with the customer service, the jewellery we purchased and the price of the entire ensemble. My partner and I bought our engagement and wedding rings from Samara James, the latter of which were made bespoke to our requirements and we've never been more impressed by a purchase. Thoroughly fantastic. (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Appalling! ”
Written on: 19/04/2013 by MartinMcCarthy (1 review written)
Bought a lovely engagement ring (The Candice model) and was told it could be re-sized if necessary (as an after sales freebie.) So on realizing it was too big on the finger we posted it back for a re-size. 2-3 weeks later it came back exactly the same size, just polished up again. Called up to complain and was told to send it back again, without any sort of apology. (It's worth noting at this point that they said they would re-fund the postage - simply didn't happen). They called up and said... (read more)
★★★★★
“Fussy me = no match!”
Written on: 12/04/2013 by JG76b (1 review written)
I had more than a few fussy requests that I knew would make or break this ring. With them in mind, I was expecting to either receive the ring late or find that my instructions had been too complex for the team to follow. Unfortunately both of these came true, but in a fantastic and fortunate way. The delivery was a whopping three minutes late and the jewellers had been forced to use a larger diamond than initially expected to accomodate the design, at no extra charge. Bingo! (read more)
★★★★★
“Unfaultable customer service.”
Written on: 26/03/2013 by ArtlyLately (2 reviews written)
The best customer service I have ever had the pleasure to experience, better even than the car showroom who worship you for your hard earned cash. Samara James and the team (particularly Rosie) helped me find the perfect wedding ring, despite them having never seen one like it. After a number of insightful sessions with Rosie, she asked for a few days to try and source what we were looking for and returned with EXACTLY what we wanted; even though I was sure at this point that it didn't... (read more)
★★★★★
“Recommend”
Written on: 07/03/2013
Send diamond and silver ring back as it had arrived with a few scratches on. Fortunately my (now) wife didn't notice when I proposed and assumed that she'd done it some time after, but I thought I'd try my luck by requesting a polish and touch-up on the ring. Ed insisted that it would be replaced instead, even better! These guys know their stuff and they really care. Ring arrived 2nd Jan, sent back on 6th Jan and the new ring arrived on the 11th Jan. Perfect! (read more)
★★★★☆
“Wife's perpetually changing finger size was no match...”
Written on: 05/02/2013 by AlbyWatts
Got passed around to three different members of staff during my three or four week tenure of decision at Samara. After initially thinking it was awful customer service, I realised that they have experts in each division. Sales, advice, diamond, cut, fit etc. etc. etc. Whilst I'd like to have one person to liaise with, I appreciate the incredible level of knowledge that most of them have. Julian in particular was amazing through the whole process, checking in on our appointments and... (read more)
★★☆☆☆
“Not good if you decide not to buy”
Written on: 21/01/2013
Initial response from Samara James was excellent. I wanted to use their silver sample service as I was proposing whilst away from the UK and they were great in terms of getting it made up beforehand and letting me have it for an extended period of time. However when we got back to the UK we visited a local jeweller (as suggested by Samara James) to look at metal choices and get the ring size. As it worked out, the local jeweller had a ring we preferred, ready there and then and also... (read more)
Samara James's Comment
Written on: 11/02/2013
Thanks for taking the time to give your feedback.
My name Ed Searancke and I am the owner of Samara James - I was very concerned to read your review and so I have investigated the situation with my team to try to find out what happened and to see if I can offer an explanation.
This did reveal some important information and I think there may have been a misunderstanding which has contributed to the problem you experienced.
I believe you were discussing with Julian (one of our sales people) various diamond ring options and that you had decided to make a £400 deposit for a particular ring design. Because you were travelling to Australia, you requested that we make a silver sample of the design first, in the correct finger size and diamond size for your fiancée, which you could take to Australia to propose with, in advance of us making the actual engagement ring. We agreed via email that we would offer a full refund even though the sample was made bespoke, if it was returned in an unworn condition.
We then specially made a silver version of the ring and we were hoping for you to confirm that we could make the actual engagement ring for you on your return. However, we received the silver ring in the post around two months later together with your request for a full refund as you had found your ideal ring from another company.
We were conscious that you had decided to purchase a ring elsewhere and you no longer wanted the silver sample. However, the silver sample had been quite heavily worn so, as a compromise, we suggested refunding your £400 deposit, minus £40 to cover the costs of refurbishing/re-making the silver ring. We genuinely believed that this was a reasonable suggestion in light of the circumstances that we thought was acceptable to you.
I probably should also clarify that our regular silver sample service works in quite a different way. It involves us sending one of our existing silver samples, made in a standard finger size, with a standard diamond size for a 5 day evaluation period. The idea is to allow prospective customers to view the ring design in the comfort of their own home at no cost (we pay the return postage and the £50 deposit is fully refundable).
In terms of the price comparison, we offer exceptional value for money and I do understand it can be difficult to compare exactly on a like for like basis. I believe the diamond Julian was recommending to you was beautiful Canadian origin diamond, which had ideal cut with perfect hearts and arrows and which was certified by the GIA. Sometimes when price comparing, some jewellers use 'self-certified' diamonds or grading labs which offer a less strict grading standards, or are less well cut and of course this makes the diamond cheaper, but I don’t know the details of of the diamond that you purchased so I can’t be sure if that is what happened in this case.
I am sorry that you felt we let you down. I'm glad though that you found your perfect engagement ring and I wish you well with your wedding.
As a suggestion, if and when you are considering purchasing your wedding rings, please do let me know as we have a superb range of hand-made rings and I will do my very best to help, particularly in light of your feedback. My email address is ed@samarajames.com and my direct line telephone number is 01932 260106.
Best Regards,
Ed Searancke
Director
Samara James
www.samarajames.com
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★★★★☆
“Very helpful even without a sale/.”
Written on: 08/01/2013 by SidHostetler1950 (1 review written)
Awesome website, I haven’t bought anything from Samara James but I used their website for a lot of research and even called them up for advice. They didn’t withhold information or try to force sales on, the team are obviously passionate about their trade. Probably won themselves a customer here! (read more)
★★★★☆
“100% Happy”
Written on: 03/12/2012 by KennethTaylor1969 (3 reviews written)
I can honestly say that I was 100% happy with every part of the service. From the initial consultation down to the final delivery and re-sizing, perfect. Ed and the team earn every penny. (read more)
See next 10 reviews
Showing 1 - 10 of 12 Reviews
★★★★☆
“Experts of their field!”
Written on: 08/11/2012 by lsa05024 (2 reviews written)
Samara James aren't salesmen and women, they're experts on diamonds! Eye-opening experience for me, learnt a lot and left feeling very content that we were working with the right company. (read more)
★★★★☆
“Great service, happy customer.”
Written on: 16/10/2012 by ericreviewer (1 review written)
Very pleased with my experience with Samara James. I was nervous about spending so much money on such a small item, and was looking for a helping hand. My appointment with Julia was comprehensive and she solved all of my queries before helping me decide on a ring. Very pleased with the professional and courteous service. (read more)
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Martinmccarthy's Response to MartinMcCarthy's Review
Written on: 02/05/2013
Since writing this review I've spoken to someone at Samara James who gave me an apology and offered to get the ring totally re-made FOR FREE as the design of the ring doesn't lend itself well to being re-sized. I feel very happy with the way he dealt with the situation and even managed to get the ring resized properly and delivered within one week. And although it looks fine to me, it's good to know that they ensure quality and peace of mind at all costs.