Let's talk about my experience with Michael. My fiancée (who also left a review), was actually the one who ordered the custom ring. I actually had limited interaction with him. When I received the ring, it was beautiful, but a little big. My fiancee informed me that she told Michael the correct size. When she asked him about it, he actually questioned if she told him the wrong size (she didn't). What happened was he ordered the correct size and they sent him the wrong size. So we brought it back and asked him to resize the ring. He insisted that the ring actually wasn't up to his standards and would be better with the bigger prongs (why wasn't it up to your standards in the 1st place?). We were very nice and said, absolutely no problem.
When that was done, he called us back in. My fiancee picked it up, as I was working. Initially she thought it looked ok, but upon closer inspection in the car, she noticed it didn't quite look the same. The center stone was elevated and the thicker prongs completely changed the design. It wasn't until we put it on my finger, that we noticed there was a gap in the stones. Obviously we were frustrated as we loved the original ring and this wasn't even close. Once again, my fiancee called Michael and respectfully explained that we weren't happy with the bigger prongs. He said he had complete confidence he could fix it and make it look like the original. When my fiancee returned the ring to him, he once again said that he should have shaved it down previously. Again, we JUST wanted the original resized. This was his choice to redo it.
Michael called a few days later saying he had to order a brand new setting, because the prongs broke and he had chipped one of our original gems. He contacted us about a week later and said shipping was delayed. Our response was that the entire process had been disappointing and that we needed the ring no later than Dec 17 or we'd need to talk about a refund (that was an additional 2-3 weeks of time for him to get the order and place the stones). So, no, it wasn't shocking when we heard from him Dec 1, as we had waited several weeks already and Dec 17 was our final deadline before we traveled home for the holidays to see family. So, when he says he "got it to us early," there's your reference.
The only words of dissatisfaction spoken to Michael at this point were from my fiancee and she respectfully told him that this isn't the process she envisioned. When picking up the ring, Michael was in the back on the phone. Since in his response to my fiancees review he noted my nonverbal... I'll explain that I took a seat and crossed my arms while waiting for him (I have major back problems... this isn't unusual for me). When he brought out the ring, I stood up and walked over to look at it. I checked out the ring and made sure it looked like the original. I said nothing, other than "ok looks good." He proceeded to blurt out at me "you're pissed." I said nothing in response. He repeated it. I replied... I'm pissed the whole process went this way, yes. He proceeded to spend the next 5 mins mansplaining how I don't know the industry and am not the expert on jewelry and how I don't understand how this works. I didn't engage and avoided an argument, even agreeing that the final ring looked good.
I don't give out bad reviews, especially to small businesses. I support them. In fact, on the way to picking up the ring, I contemplated how to handle this situation and decided to just leave it alone since Michael made us another ring. But, after his lecture and rude demeanor that came out of nowhere, because he decided I looked "pissed," this review is completely deserved.
If you're thinking of going with Michael, I hope you have a different experience. Michael says he shows quality and care to his clients, and yet I feel he treated me as less than because I'm a woman, and still doesn't even know my name or how to spell it correctly (he edited his response to remove my misspelled name). So, you be the judge. read more
