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Whitehall Jewelers

reviewed by fashun3

Whitehall Jewellers, Inc. was founded in 1895 and boasts more than 350 retail locations in 38 American states. The company also operates stores under the Lundstrom Jewelers and Marks Brothers Jewelers brands.

fashun3
07/15/2009

Whitehall Jewelers 1

Has anyone checked their diamond to see if it is fake. Found out my stone was fake when I went to have it reset at another jewelers. I have put in a complaint with my bank, the police, and the better busines bureau.

Whitehall was hoping people would think they had no options after they purchased a fake diamond stone. But I refused to buy that. I sued them and won, even though my receipt stated "no returns". The judge thought it was outrageous that a major jewelry chain would sell moisanite (a man made diamond) as a diamond. I than filed by claim with the company's bankruptcy.

I also found out that my city has a program to reimburse you if you were cheated by a corporation and can prove it and were denied payment. So if I don't get my money back from the claim, I will be applying for this.

Check with your local Consumer Protection Agency. Here we have 4 years to file a claim (Los Angeles, CA). I showed all the actions I took to retrieve my money. I sent Whitehall headquarters a letter requesting a refund. I filed a complaint with the BBB. I filed for a refund with my bank.

DO NOT TAKE THIS LYING DOWN! If you are dissatisfied with your purchased, take action.

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marisha commented 247 days ago.
Hello,
I have exactly the same problem as you are. My husband bought me a dimond ring at Whitehall Jewelers in November 2008. A couple of days ago we took it to jeweler to put it in a pendent and when he measured the stone and weithed it he found out that is a fake. I went to a couple of jewelers to get an apprisal and was told that the stone is not a real dimond. The size and weigt of the stone do not math what is said on certificate and the stone does not have the certificate nuber that should be engraved there. It is a fake stone.
I got my ring from Greenwood store in Indianapolis. Where did you get yours?
Were you able to recover you money? I do not even know what to do now about this since they are out of business. Could you, please, give me an advise?

fashun3 commented 245 days ago.
I am now in the process of suing them in small claims court. I found that the corporate office in Chicago is still open and they have a local office that accepts proof of service for them. So I was told I could sue them locally. I have been checking on bait and switch and false advertising. I think I have them for both. I saw an ad on the internet and they were advertising diamonds, not man made diamonds which are called moisanite.

Don't know how a judge will rule. But I am not giving up without a fight. So you might want to check your local small claims court. They usually have free advisors (we do here in California). By the way, I purchased my stone in Las Vegas.

marisha commented 228 days ago.
Hello again,

Thank you very much for your answer.

We are sorry that we are replying with such a delay. We were out on vocation.

We finally got the official report for this stone signed by certified gemologist. It is moissanite. Now we are ready to sue the Whitehall Jewelers.

We have several questions:

1. Could you please tell us where we may find the address and phone number of the Corporate Office in Chicago? We tried to find it on the Internet, but didn’t get any results.

2. What did you mean by saying ‘they have a local office that accepts proof of service for them?’

Where is that local office: in each city where they had stores or in Chicago only?

3. Did we understand you correctly that you were able to sue them in a small claim court where you live? Didn’t you have to go to Chicago to file a claim?

4. Could you please also clarify what charges exactly you are pressing against them?

5. What do you mean ‘by bait and switch’?

6. Assuming (and hoping!) you win the case, how would you be able to collect money from the company that is bankrupt?

7. Maybe it's worth exploring to sue the liquidation company that is still in business?

We are sorry for questions that may sound stupid to you. We are not very familiar with the legal system.

If this is possible, could you please give us your phone number so we could call you and ask questions? Or you may call us at 317-570-9075 after 6:30 P.M. Eastern Time. We have 3 hours time difference. You may also write directly to us at mbermant@yahoo.com.

Thank you very much for your help!

Sincerely yours,
Marina and Mike

marisha commented 228 days ago.
Hello again,

Thank you very much for your answer.

We are sorry that we are replying with such a delay. We were out on vocation.

We finally got the official report for this stone signed by certified gemologist. It is moissanite. Now we are ready to sue the Whitehall Jewelers.

We have several questions:

1. Could you please tell us where we may find the address and phone number of the Corporate Office in Chicago? We tried to find it on the Internet, but didn’t get any results.

2. What did you mean by saying ‘they have a local office that accepts proof of service for them?’

Where is that local office: in each city where they had stores or in Chicago only?

3. Did we understand you correctly that you were able to sue them in a small claim court where you live? Didn’t you have to go to Chicago to file a claim?

4. Could you please also clarify what charges exactly you are pressing against them?

5. What do you mean ‘by bait and switch’?

6. Assuming (and hoping!) you win the case, how would you be able to collect money from the company that is bankrupt?

7. Maybe it's worth exploring to sue the liquidation company that is still in business?

We are sorry for questions that may sound stupid to you. We are not very familiar with the legal system.

If this is possible, could you please give us your phone number so we could call you and ask questions? Or you may call us at 317-570-9075 after 6:30 P.M. Eastern Time. We have 3 hours time difference. You may also write directly to us at mbermant@yahoo.com.

Thank you very much for your help!

Sincerely yours,
Marina and Mike

marisha commented 192 days ago.
Hello again,

Thank you very much for your answer.

We just were wandering if you got any resolution in the court.

I am not sure if you recevied our response to your message, but I just would like to write it again.

We finally got the official report for this stone signed by certified gemologist. It is moissanite. Now we are ready to sue the Whitehall Jewelers.

We have several questions:

1. Could you please tell us where we may find the address and phone number of the Corporate Office in Chicago? We tried to find it on the Internet, but didn’t get any results. We found on google a phone number for their corporate office in Chicago and I tried to call their - but the phone is already disconnected.

2. What did you mean by saying ‘they have a local office that accepts proof of service for them?’

Where is that local office: in each city where they had stores or in Chicago only?

3. Did we understand you correctly that you were able to sue them in a small claim court where you live? Didn’t you have to go to Chicago to file a claim?

4. Could you please also clarify what charges exactly you are pressing against them?

5. What do you mean ‘by bait and switch’?

6. Assuming (and hoping!) you win the case, how would you be able to collect money from the company that is bankrupt?

7. Maybe it's worth exploring to sue the liquidation company that is still in business?

We are sorry for questions that may sound stupid to you. We are not very familiar with the legal system.

If this is possible, could you please give us your phone number so we could call you and ask questions? You may write directly to us at mbermant@yahoo.com.

Thank you very much for your help!

Sincerely yours,
Marina and Mike


hoggsgirl commented 192 days ago.
I just sold a Whitehall Jeweler Diamond Solitaire on Ebay for a friend of mine and now we have to send the money back because the ring was a fake!!!!! She got the ring almost 7 1/2 years ago and no longer has any paperwork for it. We had no idea that they had gone out of business. It is such a crock! Now she is going to have a fake ring and no money to show for it.

fashun3 commented 191 days ago.
That is why I took them to court. I won my case and found the bankruptcy lawyer they are using. As soon as I receive my final decision from the court, I am filing a claim with the bankruptcy court. Sorry to hear about your friend. The judge I had thought it was disgraceful that the company was selling lab created diamonds as the real thing. It's a shame they did not get a chance to sue.

marisha commented 172 days ago.
Hello again!

Thank you very much for your post.

I am sorry that I did not write you back before. We were trying to dispute this fraudulent sale with our credit card company. Finally, we received a denial yesterday. Therefore, we are ready to go to court now. We don’t have any other choice.

We never went to court, and, therefore, have no experience with filing official court papers. The legal language sounds crazy to us!

Could you please let me know if it is possible to talk to you over the phone?

Maybe you could give us a copy of the text of the complaint that you filed with the small claim court (of course, without any private information of yours)?

Also, could you please give us the phone number and address of Whitehall Jewelry that you used in court papers?

Once again, thank you very much for all your help!

Mike & Marina

fashun3 commented 172 days ago.
Check with your Secretary of State (which state are you in?) If you small claims court is anything like Calif., they only wanted a very brief explanation of what happened.

I just told them I purchased what was advertised as a diamond and found out it was a man made diamond, I had to show my evidence and explain in detail in front of the judge.

You should look on your court's website for a self help section. We have one on courtinfo.gov. But I don't know if it would help you.

marisha commented 172 days ago.
We are in Indiana.

Couple more questions:

1. What is the phone number and address of Whitehall Jewelry that you used in court papers?

2. You won the case, which is great. However, how could you recover your money when Whitehall Jewelry is in bankruptcy?

Thank you



marisha commented 169 days ago.
Hello again!

Thank you very much for all your answers. I went today to the Small Claims Court and took the application. But they told me that I need to give the court the address and phone number of Whitehall. Could you, please, give me phone number and address of Whitehall Jewelry that you used in court papers.

Were you able to get your money from them after you won the case?

Also, did you buy you ring when they were in the liquidation sale etc. ownd by liquidators or you bought it before they filed for the bancruptcy?

Thank you very much for all your help!

Marina

fashun3 commented 169 days ago.
Corporation
WHITEHALL JEWELERS, INC.
Number: C0625834 Date Filed: 6/7/1971 Status: active
Jurisdiction: DELAWARE
Address
125 S WACKER DR STE 2600
CHICAGO, IL 60606-4475
Agent for Service of Process
C T CORPORATION SYSTEM
818 WEST SEVENTH ST
LOS ANGELES, CA 90017

I used the C T Corp to sue them, but they are in Los Angeles. That is why I told you to contact your secretary of state for your contact. I did not have it delivered to chicago. Here where the company that accepts the service is where you determine which court to file your claim.

I believe they had already filed for bankruptcy when I purchased my ring. I had to wait 30 days after my judgment was entered before I could start seeking my payment. My 30 days was just up last Friday. I am filing a claim against their bankruptcy to get my money back. Also, I found a victims website that refunds your money to you if you have won a judgment against a corporation and cannot get them to repay you. But I do have to proof I did try to get the money back.

marisha commented 163 days ago.
Hello,

Thank you very much for all your answers.

Unfortunately, things don't look easy. We are absolutely clueless when it comes to legal system.

I still have several more questions:

1. When you filed court papers, what company you used as a Defendant: WHITEHALL JEWELERS, INC. or C T CORPORATION SYSTEM?

2. What address did you use in the court papers: WHITEHALL JEWELERS, INC. or C T CORPORATION SYSTEM?

3. How did this C T CORPORATION SYSTEM come to play at all?

4. Should we also use C T CORPORATION SYSTEM, or another company?

5. What Secretary of State has to do with all those bankruptcy procedures and law suites?

6. I didn't understand what you meant by saying "Here where the company that accepts the service is where you determine which court to file your claim"

7. How could you do this: "I am filing a claim against their bankruptcy to get my money back"

Thank you,
Marina

fashun3 commented 163 days ago.
When a corporation is based in one state and does business in other states, they have to appoint a company to accept subpoenas for them in each state. That company has to register with the Secretary of State (each state) that they will be accepting service for the company when it is time for a process servier to serve that corporation (in this case Whitehall). So for me the company they appointed was C T Corp.

So if Whitehall was doing business in Indiana, they had to appoint a company in your state and have them register with your Secretary of State.

I went to my local Consumer Protection Agency and they told me how to word it on my paperwork for the court:

WHITEHALL JEWELERS, INC.
C T CORPORATION SYSTEM, Agent for Service of Process
818 WEST SEVENTH ST
LOS ANGELES, CA 90017

Then they told me when I got to the section that asked why I was filing at the court I used to write "Agent for Service of Process is located in this district". So the court you can file in here in Los Angeles is the Small Claims court close to their agent.

I found their bankruptcy attorneys on the internet and their is a claim form you can print out to send in against bankruptcy case. That website is:

http://chap11.epiqsystems.com/documents.aspx?pk=438 f05e3-8b10-4bd2-a154-3d99fafa4b6d

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