Zales Faces Suit over Jewelry Repair Plan

RAPAPORT... Zales Jewelers is embroiled in a dispute with a customerover whether the repair program that came with his diamond ring covered thesetting, or just the stone. Gordon Henry Lovette has sued the Signet Jewelers-owned retailer,claiming it failed to honor a lifetime-repair plan. Zales refusedto fix a loose stone in Lovette's ring earlier this year, even though he hadbrought it in for twice-annual servicing in line with the program's stipulations,according to a December 3 filing in a California court. The jeweler claims the plan he was on - the Lifetime Diamond Commitment - didn't cover that type of work. The company never specified that the deal only covered thediamond, Lovette alleged. He felt "ripped off and cheated," and claimed Zaleshad "duped" him into purchasing the service, according to his complaint. He hasfiled the suit as a proposed class action, believing thousands of people have sufferedbecause of the jeweler's service plan. Zales disputes Lovette's claim that he bought a jewelry-repairservice. According to the retailer, the customer's ring carried the LifetimeDiamond Commitment, which comes free with qualifying purchases, and coversrepairs to chipped, broken or lost diamonds. It explicitly excludes settings, orstones that are coming loose, David Bouffard, Signet's vice president ofcorporate affairs, told Rapaport News Monday. Lovette would have beenable to get the prongs tightened under the plan if he had bought the company's additionalLifetime Jewelry Protection Plan, Bouffard added. Lovette's attorney, Todd Friedman, had not responded to arequest for comment at press time. Image: Zales store, Massachusetts. (Shutterstock)