**UPDATE: 4/17/2009: I spoke with a member of the processing team to get a status update because I received an email in March requesting additional documentation. At this time, DeBeers is appealing and as members of the Class Action, we have to wait until a court date is given. If DeBeers loses the appeal, settlements will be calculated and disbursed at that time. They didn’t have an anticipated date for us.
**UPDATE: 1/25/2009: I have nothing new to report and haven’t heard back from anyone regarding this class action suit. Here’s a link to the official site if you’d like to read the most recent information.**
A few months ago, I filed a claim in the DeBeers diamond class action lawsuit for my engagement ring diamond and am currently awaiting Ed McMahon to show up at my door with balloons and a giant faux-check written out to me for an obscenely large amount of money. Ooops, wrong sweepstakes. The Debeers lawsuit has something to do with illegal pricing practices.
I was almost afraid to post this because I was worried you guys would give me flak about how I’m funding blood diamonds–Husbandito proposed in April 2000, long before most of the world was aware of the injustices in the diamond mining industry, so I’ll hide behind my veil of ignorance.
While I wait, I’ve been spending my portion of the lawsuit money in my head. In my imagination, I decided to reset my engagement ring–doesn’t that sound like fun? I spent an hour over at Bluenile.com getting some ideas and this what I came up with.
Left is my current engagement ring style…and right is the one I’m dreaming of…they are both the same metal–I have no idea why ‘dream ring’ is so much darker. So, to add baguettes or not to add baguettes, that is the question. When I got my ring I loved it for the simplicity, but now maybe I want some more sparkle. What would YOU do? (And don’t tell me to put the money into an CD or my IRA–that’s no fun at all!)
Hmm. Well your husband (I am guessing here) selected & purchased your current ring. Therefore I would retain its preciousness, and spend the money on something completely different. John, for instance, has suggested we “renew our vows” in honor of our 10 yr anniversary. So I am thinking you should do like us and spend the money on a trip to Vegas for an Elvis themed kitschy wedding chapel, Texas hold em marathon, all-you-can-eat buffets, and Party like it’s 1999.
Just my 2 cents. Which I don’t even have. So perhaps you’d just like to send a check to yours truly. Be your best friend.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxo
well, husbandito did have some guidance the first time around from little ole’ me on the ring style–we had been together for EIGHT years by the time he got around to asking me…and i had been drawing pictures and ripping them out of magazines for the two years leading up to him popping the question. (granted we were 18 and in college when we met…so i guess he couldn’t have asked me to marry him right away…)
when i recently told him i might want to change the setting, he was cool as long as he didn’t have to sit at the shop and watch me agonize for 4 hours over which setting to pick…like i did when i bought my first car. i just LOVE that man.
as for the vegas idea, hmmm…sounds fun but i just hate buffets. lol.
I was trying to plot out how much more gold (or white gold in my/our case) digging I can do with my check.
I’m figuring I can fill yup Ye Ol’ Trailblazer, once.
ha! i know i’m insane over here–i’ll probably get enough money from the settlement to buy some diamond cleaner and that’s about it.
maybe if we pool our resources we can buy a diamond chip to share.
I adamantly told Chris that I did not want not a diamond on the engagement ring.
Even if they aren’t ‘blood diamonds’, it boggles my mind how third world countries are still getting ripped off of their precious gems by DeBeers. These countries can BARELY feed their people and they have DIAMONDS. Corruption is rampant and I think corporations take full advantage of that.
There are some beautiful lab created diamonds and I was also totally ok with CZ. So what did he show up with? A white gold ring with a sapphire center stone. (lab created) Sure it had some little baguette diamonds on the side, but I felt he did the best he could to honor my wishes.
Not only is blue my favorite color, but it is chemically and physically identical to something ripped out of the ground. Oh, and, by the way, I too signed myself up for the settlement!
I like them both – your engagement is truly beautiful!!!!
thanks kkb!
can’t wait to seeeeee youuuuu!
I like the original just the way it is. Simple says a lot, and it’s all good.
Hi, I filed for my ring as well. I contacted them recently and was told that although we were supposed to get the “settlement” money sometime in May or June, the decision is currently being appealed and that is all the information they have at the moment. I’m no rocket scientist, but it dawned on me, I thought a “settlement” meant no court time or appeal? What’s going on? Any thoughts?
We mailed in the form for money to be received for 2 diamonds sometime in May or June and have not heard a peep. Can anyone fill me in
RJL
from the site, updated 9/17/08:
The Fairness Hearing was held on April 14, 2008. Judge Chesler issued an order approving the Settlement on May 27, 2008. These documents are posted on the “Other Settlement Documents” page which can be accessed by clicking the appropriate link on the left. Appeals have since been filed contesting final approval of the Settlement, and these appeals will postpone resolving claim calculations. No payments will be made on eligible claims until all appeals are resolved. It is uncertain how long these appeals will take to resolve, and the timing of resolving the appeals is not within our control. It is not uncommon for appeals to take several months or even years to resolve.
The lawyers will milk it for months yet, maybe even another year.
I filed my claim form as well back in April/May when it was announced. The total came to 10k that I could actually account for with receipts (mainly engagement ring). Anyway, haven’t heard a thing since then and can’t find any information on where the appeals process is right now. Does anyone out there have any current up-to-date information on where this appeal is, when it might be ruled on? Not that I’m actually planning on ever seeing a dime of the settlement money as they’ve stated. However, if any of us do, based on the payout schedule I’ve seen I might be getting a couple grand back. That would be nice, but I’m pretty skeptical. If anyone knows where we can find more information about the current situation here, I’d appreciate it.
I was wondering where’s the check. I’ve been waiting at least one year and have heard nothing. I am still searching the internet for information.
I, too filed at least a year ago and have yet to hear anything — glad I’m not alone. Was afraid I was just left out. I even had to provide a copy of the receipt for one of the pieces in my claim. My understanding regarding class action suits like this is that it takes FOREVER to get anything — if anything. As with the (mostly unfounded) Dow Corning suit back in the early 90’s regarding the (old-style) silicone breast implants, very few of the claimants saw much – if anything – in the way of a settlement portion. Still……it would be nice to at least have a status update!
I cant wait for my check!!!….but it may never come. I forgot all about it, I was searching for a document on my PC, and came acros the claim form. Hopefully it pans out, if not……, that is life!
I received a letter last week asking to sign a document verifying I was the purchaser of the items sumbitted. It stated my name was not on the receipts… It may be missing from one of ther smaller purchases, but I have the Credit Card info. Anyway, my total purchases were over 16k ( Engagement ring, wedding ring, earrings given for marriage and first child, and other gifts).
I only had 3 weeks to sign and return the form. I thinks this means they may be in the process of splitting the money. I’m sure the lawyers will file more appeals to suck this settlement dry.
From the amount of the settlement and the lawyers HUGE fees, if your claim was less than $9,000, I believe the settlement amount will be less than the $10 minimum amount that checks will be written for. Just an estimate and I have no connection to the deal. Looks like we little guys get toasted again, huh?
thanks for the update. just remembered i did this over a year ago and wondered what was going on. guess i will wait like everyone else.
Hi I came across your posts about the diamond settlement as
I too was skirting the web to see if anyone was paid for there
claim.
Well it looks like a bunch of us are in limbo land with wishfull
thinking.
I too filed a year ago and then thought about it out of the blue. So I thought I would look on line to see if there was any
news. That’s when I came across your discussion.
Well good luck to all of us, but I think we would have
better luck winning a lottery scratch ticket.
Hey maybe I’ll go buy one.