Fire & Ice

3.5 stars overall
5 stars for the customer service.
2 stars for the actual products
Every time I fly out of BWI, I always make it a point to stop by this store. I’ve seen dozens of dazzling pieces, but never in my size.
Call it a stroke of pre-​birthday luck, but the last time I visited, I found a stunning blue topaz ring that fit my finger perfectly. I was very happy with my purchase… until it broke a little over a week later. (More on that in a bit).
When I first entered the store, I was greeted by Susie. What a sweetheart! She complimented me on my Larimar ring and noted that my rings could use some routine reshaping. She offered to do so for free while I shopped. Now THAT is customer service! No pressure to buy. No following/​stalking me around the store. Just someone who loves what they do and wants to see a customer happy. Believe or not, that motivated me to want to buy something even more.
Anyway, I found the ring I wanted, and paid for my purchase in cash (big mistake!).
My ring broke not long after I returned home from my trip. I took it to the Westfield Montgomery Mall location and asked for a refund. I didn’t see the point in patching up shoddy work, so I declined the offer for repair. The associate told me that because I had worn the ring, that I was ineligible for a refund. I pushed back and told him that I’d just bought the piece and he said he would go talk it over with his manager. After a few minutes he told me the same story, adding that because I paid in cash, I wouldn’t be able to get a cash refund anyway since «we don’t carry that much cash in the store (not my problem!). Long story short, the associate was incredibly unhelpful so I left in a huff and called the BWI store to inform them of what happened. I spoke to Crystal and she took care of everything. She apologized and informed me that the Westfield Montgomery location was undergoing some personnel «transitions» and that she would call the store and ensure that the associate was retrained. In the meantime, she emailed me a return label and arranged for the defective piece to be picked up from my home the next day. She also informed me that I would receive a refund check from the company as soon as they receive the piece.
I appreciate the thorough commitment to satisfaction and customer service exhibited by the staff at this location. I doubt I will patronize any Fire and Ice location ever again, if for no other reason than the absolutely absurd return policy. (If I buy a piece of jewelry, it can be assumed that I purchased it with the intention of wearing it, and having worn it should not nullify one’s ability to receive a refund in the event that the product is defective.) That said, I do appreciate the staff’s willingness to acknowledge the defectiveness of this item and to help make this situation right.