If you have jewelry that you are looking to sell or even trade, how do you start your search for a diamond buyer or a jewelry buyer? Do you head to the Internet, thumb through the yellow pages, talk to friends? No matter which route you choose to take to find the perfect person who is going buy your precious goods, it is important that you trust that person before you even allow them to take a look at your jewelry or gold.
Why Should You Trust Your Diamond Buyer?
There are several reasons you should trust your diamond buyer, but the most important reason is this.
They are going to be writing you a check for your goods. What recourse do you have if you go straight to the bank and that check is not good? Okay, so say that happens and you go back to your diamond buyer and he’s gone. The storefront is closed down, or wherever you met him is gone – along with your jewelry. Now what? Call the police and the Better Business Bureau. But, this person never existed. And, your jewelry is now gone. Hopefully you had it insured so you can recoup your losses.
Believe it or not, this happens more times than I care to tell you about. I have heard about it from clients over and over, and it’s a hard lesson to learn. So, how do you protect yourself?
Steps to Take to Make Sure Your Diamond Buyer is Legit
- Contact the Better Business Bureau. In the end, this is the best source of information for any business you are going to encounter, especially for service-based businesses. If the business is legitimate, they will be registered with the BBB. If they are a really good business, they will have no complaints and you will then feel confident when you meet with them.
- Check out the website. It’s true that anyone with an ounce of Internet sense can throw up a website these days, so look around and see if all the links work. Is it written in English that has good grammar and punctuation? Does it make sense? Is there a legitimate way to get in touch with a phone number and address? Does the about page tell you how long they have been in business and is it personable? Does the website have a blog that offers content that shows that this diamond buyer knows what they are talking about? Does this person speak to you and offer confidence that they established and trustworthy? Is there a testimonials page? Is there a picture of the person you are going to be dealing with and do they speak in the first person or the third person or even at all? Do they offer just a sales page or pages of useful content?
- Check out the testimonials. Here’s another thing that can easily be plagiarized. Testimonials should not JUST be listed on a website, but is there a form on the site for people to upload their own testimonials? You can also call the diamond buyer and ask them for references before even meeting them. If they won’t give you names and numbers, then run; don’t walk in the other direction! Remember, testimonials can be found all over the internet, so start a Google search and check out all social media outlets that the diamond buyer has a presence on.
- Social media presence. It’s also a fact that any fool can throw up a Facebook page and a Twitter profile or a Google + business page. But, you still should check them out and look at the content that is placed on these accounts. How active are they? Do they get good feedback and are their followers responding to them? Is their Google + business profile well laid out and is it on Google Maps? How many testimonials show up on their Google + profile? How many people are following their business page? Is all their business information the same on every single social media site and is it laid out plainly and openly for everyone to see?
- Word of Mouth. There is nothing better than word of mouth advertising. Ask your friends if they have ever gone to see someone and who they recommend. This is not a sure bet that you will have the same experience, but it is a good indicator that you will have a good experience and also be meeting with someone who is above board.
No matter who you end up selling your diamonds to or where you end up selling them, in the end, it is imperative that you are comfortable when you hand over your precious gems to a diamond buyer to look at, whether you end up selling them to him or her or not.
If for any reason you feel any kind of discomfort, gather your things, say thank you and keep looking until you find a diamond buyer you are comfortable with!
