The Silver Queen — Local services in Largo

Sold me a ladle (which was a gift to mark a special occasion) and they had mis-identified the pattern. I did not discover the error until I presented the gift. Imagine my shock and embarrassment that this could happen. Especially once I saw that the pattern I was supposed to have gotten has very distinctive features. The ladle pattern I was supposed to receive has a ram's head (a very obvious one) on the handle. The pattern I received is very plain. As a Specialist business who identifies patterns, how can you miss that??? It is not my pattern! I was depending on your expertise!

Contacted them by a carefully worded and detailed email with photos to let them know about the error and there was no response. Contacted a second time and got a 2 sentence response:

"We are sorry that happened. Those patterns sure look alike."

That was the ENTIRE email. No Dear _, Not signed. No offer of any correction of the issue. BUYER BEWARE.

For me this a NEVER AGAIN situation. Once they have your money -- don't expect any service.

EDIT AFTER OWNER RESPONSE: The synopsis of events: Once I realized the ladle was not the pattern it was represented to be, I wrote a very polite and non-accusative email to you on ebay. There was no response to this email. See picture: This ladle should have been the pattern with the ram's head. Because there was no response to my first email, I then wrote a second email asking you to read the first email. I then received a two line response from you without any offer of a solution. (See picture of your response) I was upset at the 2 line response that was not even signed. I then called your store and spoke with a female who informed me (very dismissively) that sometimes your kids identify silver patterns (the insinuation that kids list on ebay is from YOU not me). I advised your representative that I would be leaving a review of this situation. She was again dismissive as it was "only a small ladle." I was offered to return the ladle, but I advised it had been given to my daughter, so was no longer in my possession. It felt to me like she was saying, it is ONLY $72, why are you complaining? I then received the email on ebay offering me to return the ladle which you have referred to in your response. It was too little too late AFTER all of your dismissive poor service. AGAIN, the ladle is with my daughter. YOU are making this personal (you have called me crazy in your first response -- see picture below). I have not made this personal. It is BUSINESS. From the outset of my query about the pattern error, both you and your representative have sought to trivialize my purchase rather than recognizing me as a paying customer. In your words " it is only a little $72 ladle." The purchase for me was important and valuable, and I can now see that to you it did not matter at all except for this review. I am surprised you would let a "little ladle" (your words) impact your business negatively. If I were in your shoes, I would not take that chance. You have now resorted to phoning me repeatedly and trying to bully/guilt/badger me into removing this review. I believe Google will stand behind my experience which is a faithful and honest narrative of my dealings with you. I wish I had never purchased this ladle, but I do believe other potential customers should know of this experience and the horrible service I have received every step of the way. Customer service should go like this: A sincere apology for any errors alongside the offer of your BEST solutions from the first knowledge of an error or oversight. The key word here is SINCERE. The idea should be that you take care of the customer in the best way BEFORE an error becomes a complaint or bad review. The value of the item should NEVER come into play. To the customer EVERY experience is valuable no matter the monetary value. While I agree that this began as an error, it is your poor handling of the matter that is the problem and needs highlighting to those who would...

I came in a few weeks back to buy some junk silver coins to turn into jewelry. I asked the young blonde haired gentleman if they had any foreign silver, to which he happily told me that they did and handed me a yellow tray to browse through. I spent about 30-40 minutes going through picking through the silver asking him the price of the individual coins that I pulled out as I told him about the rings I make, the budget I was working with and went back and forth on the costs and percentages.

At one point I found an odd Italian lira that caught my eye and asked him how much it would be, only for him to tell me that it wasn’t silver after all after checking it with the gun they use and told me that he would just throw it in for free; which I thanked him for because it was a genuinely nice gesture that I appreciated. I then asked him if he knew what his ring size was and we had a little back and forth before I took off one of my rings, had him try it on, then gave it to him as a token of my appreciation for giving me that free coin.

After that I went back to sorting through and finding coins that I thought might work for my jewelry making. I found a few that I thought might work, but I wanted to make sure they would be big enough to work with. I asked him if he had a nickel handy I could use to compare it to, which he didn’t, so I took one out of my pocket and used it to check the sizes. I’d put my nickel on the counter separate from the silver each time I went back to sorting through the silver before comparing sizes again.

Once I’d finally decided on the silver coins I wanted, the tray had been removed and he was getting the paperwork finalized, I then took my nickel and the coin he told me I could keep, then put them in my pocket. I left that day absolutely ecstatic because I’d finally found somewhere with fair prices, a large selection and great customer service.. Or so I’d thought.

I went back today with all the scrap silver I had to trade in and spend more money so I could start making more rings to sell and saw the same gentleman that helped me least time and I was ecstatic! So I went over to him with a smile on my face, only for him to tell me that he needed to talk to me and to follow him to the door. I asked him if there was something wrong, to which he replied saying that they had me on camera sticking a coin in me pocket and that they’re declining to do business with me and that I need to leave! In my absolute shock I asked him what coin was it and if I could see the tape because there had to be some mistake or misunderstanding! He said that they wouldn’t show me the tape, that they didn’t care and that I needed to leave now.

I’m absolutely appalled by what happened today and the way I was treated. Not only was I called a thief, but I was also treated rudely by the same employee who gave me the coin he told me I could take; all because he refused to believe that he could ever make a mistake.

I left absolutely ecstatic on that first visit, was singing their praises and recommending them to all my friends looking for a place to get their precious metals; but now I’ll be telling them what the did to me and to avoid them like the plague.

Shame on you Silver Queen for hiring employees who aren’t willing to consider that there might’ve been a mistake and are calling people...

Went in with my diamond wedding ring and anniversary band for ideas on how to combine the two or possibly have the solitaire reset and do something creative with the other stones. I also had my grandmothers antique ring - not worth much but sentimental - wanted to see if there's anything I can do with that. I waited five minutes to be waited on while the clerk chatted with someone who was apparently not in a hurry to leave. I finally got her attention and hadn't been working together for three minutes before another clerk repeatedly kept asking for her help until she finally just interrupted us. Apparently there was a ring they had put on hold for someone and the person helping me was the only employee in the entire place who could find it. So then she dropped me and started waiting on that customer, including a visit to the manager to get him a deeper discount, and she began ringing up the sale. I guess a $700 sale was more important than my measly $200-500 worth of services. I wanted to lay a Pretty Woman quote on her and tell her big mistake - big. While today I was only looking for some service on existing jewelry she just lost a potential customer who would've spent a heck of a lot more than this kid buying a rinky dink ring for his girlfriend.

Oh - and the way she TOSSED my grandmother's 80-year old wedding ring (broken shank, cheap diamond and all) back at me and told me to "just sell it" didn't sit well with me either. I am fully aware it is not worth much but it was MY GRANDMOTHERS WEDDING RING, lady! What is wrong with...