Consumers are far savvier today when it comes to buying products. Media attention on gem enhancements has increased their awareness and heightened skepticism. With that in mind, David Peters, Jewelers of America’s resident education and management expert, says you must provide accurate and timely information at the sales counter in order to ensure customer confidence and loyalty.
Peters says there strong arguments for full and accurate gemstone enhancement disclosure. These include:
- Ethical Reasons: Jewelers must accept personal responsibility for representing their products honestly and accurately. It is simply the right thing to do.
- Legal Reasons: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has published guidelines to the jewelry industry that say any enhancement that is not permanent or any enhancement that creates special handling requirements must be disclosed. Additionally, any enhancement that has an effect on the value of the gemstone must be disclosed.
- Extra Tip: Legal considerations don’t stop with the FTC, as almost every state has consumer protection laws with regard to unfair and deceptive acts and practices by a retailer. Most of these laws are written in broad terms and allow legal action by the consumer if they feel you misrepresented, or omitted, any pertinent information about a product.
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