D. Atlas Estates — Local services in Lower Merion Township

Original review: Very nice gentleman. Easy to work with, gave me a decent price considering the certification wasn't the best. UPDATED REVIEW: His use of charm is deceiving--the check he wrote wasn't good. The price he offered me was $200 less than I had received elsewhere, but I settled with his offer for the sake of time and convenience. Instant sea of regret when I went to the bank that the check is drawn (Wells Fargo) to cash his check and was informed the check was no good! When I called to confront him, he feigned disbelief and then had the audacity to ask me out to dinner in a feeble attempt to use flattery to detract from the situation. By way of background, it's important to note that when he initially wrote the check, he asked me to wait several days before cashing the check, which I refused to do. He then revised his request to my waiting until the following day, which I agreed to (but in retrospect, should not have.) When I went to the bank three times the following day only to be told by the bank that the funds weren't available, he said, "Well if you had waited until Monday like I asked, none of this would have happened." I had to wait two full days after he gave me the check for it to finally be good, and I had to pay a fee to cash the check because he doesn't participate in Wells Fargo's check cashing program, which as a "legitimate" business, he should. So, I went to the bank a total of 4 times and paid a $7.50 fee just to cash the check. Meanwhile, he had my diamond... I followed up to tell him that we could handle this two ways: He could pay me for my time and the inconvenience, or I would revise my review. He objected to my request for $100 and said he would only give me $50 and if I refused it to let him know so that he could be prepared to defend a bad review. I responded to say I would expect a check for the $50, which he did send the following week. But I explicitly didn't agree to keep the positive review because this man is not an honorable businessman. At a minimum, I would caution anyone doing business with him to demand cash or a certified check. Otherwise, who knows when (or if ) you could receive your money, while he holds onto your goods....

Started off by angrily denouncing people who come into his shop, receive feedback about the worth of the jewelry that is being brought in to potentially sell, and leave to sell said items elsewhere. I was taken aback by the anger and accusations. What an odd way to do business. I was already facing emotional difficulty by attempting to sell jewelry from my recently deceased mother. I told him this was the first time I'd even tried to sell any of her jewelry and that despite him pressuring me to sell that day, it didn't make sense for someone to simply accept the first (fairly low) estimate. After that as he appraised, he threw mom's necklace around in what appeared to be contempt and a complete lack of empathy, probably due to my gentle challenges to his abrasive and actually hostile behavior. After hearing about the low offer, I told him I needed to think about it. He said well just go to one more jeweler today and if you come back I "may" decide to buy the item, and he implied that he may buy at the lower end of his offer probably as a way to penalize me for shopping it around. As a veteran I don't take too kindly to aholes pressuring me. You appear to be at the end of your road. Is this how you want to engage the world around you? Is this the energy you want to send off against your fellow humans trying to simply make it in an increasingly hate-fueled civilization? Who hurt you? It wasn't me, I'd...

DO NOT GO HERE! I sold some gold bracelets a week ago; and usually, I get cash for my Gold! Steve wrote me a check; which then turned out to be a bad check, when I went to cash it at branch where it matched on the check! When I went to get this check cashed; the bank teller told me that he couldn’t cash the check; bc Steve’s bank account was way way way overdrawn! I called the phone number listed on the website; and I guess it went straight to Steve’s phone! He hung up on me 3 times! I drove to the store (it was technically open; but Steve wasn’t there yet); I knocked on the window; and I guess his secretary or someone answered… I explained the situation; and told her that I was going to the Police with this bad check… Steve wanted me to come back into the store on his terms; but I explained that the customer is always right; and if I were him; I would be hustling it to the store! I left, went and got some advice from a friend who is a police officer…. Steve will be on their radar for writing bad checks! I went into the store 15 mins before I said I would be back. It took another 15 minutes for him to produce the cash! So with that; always ask this guy for cash! There was no apologies from the store; all Steve wanted was for a bad review! I sat on this all week; on whether or not I should post; but if this happened to me, I am not the first; and definitely not the last!...