Here ya go Digital, how's this for one of the Guides you're trying to talk me into doing ....
Sterling Silver Buying Guide.
As a jeweller I am often faced with people bringing items they have purchased from various sellers claiming the item to be STERLING SILVER, when in fact the items turn out to be anything but Sterling Silver.
So what is Sterling Silver?
For any item to be claimed as being Sterling Silver it MUST contain a minium of 92% pure solid silver.
The International recognised standard for Sterling Silver jewellery items is noted as being 925, which in fact means the item contains 92.5% solid pure silver.
This standard is set because pure silver, or 99.9% pure silver, is a too soft a material to accept day to day wear and tear, so other alloys are mixed in with the pure silver, usually copper, in order to give the item a better hardness value.
This means that 925 Silver will contain 92.5% pure silver, and 7.5% copper, or other recognised hardening alloy.
Unless the item is in fact a solid mass of the above ratios of materials it CANNOT be legally claimed to be STERLING SILVER.
However, many sellers, and purchasers alike, simply do not understand the meaning of the word STERLING when being applied to silver items.
It in fact means SOLID.
The term Sterling Silver CANNOT be applied to any item that contains less than a minium of 92% pure silver of solid form. Therefore any item which is simply coated in silver using electro plating techniques CANNOT be claimed to be Sterling Silver, only as being silver plated.
Unfortunately, many sellers are being permitted to get away with such illegal activities.
So, how can you test to check if the items you purchased via the internet etc. is in fact STERLING SILVER or not?
There are two methods for doing this, the first is carried out using specialised testing equipment, usually by a jeweller like myself, or in a testing laboratory, but this is time consuming for all concerned, and can be expensive to the purchaser.
The far less expensive method can be carried out in moments in any jeweller’s store, or even in the comfort of your own home. It’s called ‘The Scratch Test’.
You can easily purchase a silver test kit at quite reasonable cost through various methods, the easiest, and often the most convenient being through somewhere such as Ebay just by looking up SILVER TEST KITS.
These test kits will come in two forms, one will include what is known as a ‘Scratch Stone’, and the other will only provide you with the acid solution required to carry out your test.
This test will NOT harm your item, so don’t panic about that part of things.
No matter which kit you use the basics of using them is the same:
You cause a wound to be made (Scratch in layman’s terms) into the surface of the item being tested, and then apply just one single drop of testing solution to that wound, and wait for a few moments.
If the solution turns a cream colour, you have real Sterling Silver on your hands, so you can then simply wash the item off of the solution in warm soapy water and go off happy, and hopefully leave wonderful feedback for the seller of the item if it was purchased through Ebay.
BUT …
If the test area turns green you will not be so happy because it means the item is not Sterling Silver, but is made of a far lesser material, usually merely silver plated.
You have been taken for a ride, or in simple terms, you’ve been conned.
All is not lost though because if the item was sold to you using the wording 925 Silver, you have a solid case against the seller for fraud and deception, even if the item later turns out to be made from say, 50% pure silver, because 50% cannot be claimed as being Sterling Silver anywhere in the world, especially when it was clearly sold to you as being 925 Silver, or Sterling Silver.
So, how do you then go about proving your case to somewhere such as Ebay?
Firstly, photograph the test area to show the green colour of the test area, then the whole item to prove it is the very same item as pictured in the advert offering it for sale.
Ensure you have all the details of the sale so you can forward all your evidence to the Ebay Customer Support people, and do it immediately.
Next, lodge a Paypal dispute for a refund due to the item not being as described, and escalate the dispute into a claim immediately.
Ensure you give all the evidence details to Paypal immediately, even a copy of the photos you took of the item as a whole, and the test area.
Paypal are pretty good when it comes to having that level of evidence given to them and will find in your favour for a full refund, but only if you do things properly, and in time.
You shouldn’t even be expected to return the offending item to the seller at your expense, probably not at all in fact as it could well be required as evidence in court if the case ever gets that far.
However, if you do not receive your refund and have paid using a credit card you have a second shot at things with getting the credit card company to chargeback the sale against the offender.
And finally, there is always the law of the land, as this sort of thing is simple fraud and deception. Very frowned upon in Australia, and it’s Federal Law, not only State Law involved.
The very last resort if all else fails is that you might care to consider calling upon is the Department of Fair Trading Australia.
Yes, even if the item was purchased from an overseas seller via Ebay!
The reason for this is because Ebay is subject to the laws of Australia if it has been fully informed of the fraudster’s actions, and continues to permit that fraudster to continue selling other fraudulent items via Ebay into Australia afterward.
Legally Ebay should suspend the seller’s right to sell further items immediately, pending a total ban of the offender once the case has been proven against them via the evidence that has been lodged.
However, Ebay may require a further test of the offending item be carried out by a certified jeweller such as myself, who will supply a written statement concerning the tested item, or Ebay can simply accept the photographic evidence supplied by the purchaser.
By rights the purchaser should not be required to pay for such an extended test if Ebay requires it carried out, as Ebay then becomes the party requiring the further test and is therefore legally responsible for payment of that test to be performed, but if you have such a test carried out without Ebay requesting it be done, YOU must bear the cost yourself.
The law of the land is far more powerful than anyone realises all too often, so do not be afraid to take your case all the way to the top, and don’t permit anyone to drag things out before you act to do so. Just be reasonable and act politely.
At the end of the day you are making online shopping in places such as Ebay a far safer experience for all concerned.
You are carrying out your legal and civic duty as a citizen. Well done!
