Austen & BlakeRecensioni 

Me and my partner dropped my ring off on 14th May for resizing and were advised the lead time would be 14–21 working days. It is now 30th June and we still do not have the ring, nor have we received any meaningful communication throughout the process.

We called before the 21 working day period was up and were told the ring was right on schedule. However, once that timeframe passed, we were met with excuse after excuse, with the ring repeatedly going through further “checks”. We were then told it would be dispatched today, only to call for an update and be informed there has now been another delay.

What has been most disappointing is not just the delay itself, but the complete lack of clear and proactive communication. We would have been far more understanding if we had been kept properly informed throughout.

The customer service is, without question, the worst we have experienced. We are deeply saddened, as this was meant to be one of the most exciting times in our lives, but this experience has really taken away from that. Although the ring itself is perfect, we would strongly advise caution when purchasing from here due to the poor customer experience.

We expected more urgency and accountability once complaints were raised, but unfortunately that has not been the case.

An exciting and nervous purchase made stress free, simple and easy by Hannah from start to finish.
Clearly explained every aspect of buying a ring, from store to manufacture to collection.
Thanks for all your help! Will recommend to all! :)

Products brilliant. Staff in store brilliant.
Progress updates very poor. I had to follow up. Website said from order to arrival 2-3 weeks. Took 1 month so plans needed changing

Alyssa was so helpful and found the perfect ring for me. Thanks

Poppy was so patient and helpful whilst we made our decision, she had lots of helpful information and made us feel very comfortable :)

Popped into the Shop in Edinburgh without an appointment & left having purchased our wedding rings…

Shona was yet again absolutely fantastic help in choosing our wedding rings.
Very professional, kind & a great sense of humour as she’ll remember our banter together I’m sure :)

Slàinte Shona!

Cheers
Wendy & Gary x

Made my first ring trying on experience as one I will remember forever. Me and my friends booked an appointment to have a look at engagement rings and Jean looked after us so well. We were taken into their vip room with a glass of Prosecco on arrival. Jean took the time to understand the shape of ring I liked and that suited me. It was such a great experience having my best friends there helping me with my decision. Jean took all my sizing and emailed everything straight over to my boyfriend so he has everything he needs to order the exact ring I want.

I would 100% recommend and to take your best friends with you as we all had an experience we will remember forever.

Thank you Jean and the team!!

I would not recommend this jewelers.
We put a deposit on a ring that was to be custom made. I had to initiate contact on 3 occasions as they had failed to contact us. When they finally got back with a quote for the ring it was much more expensive than promised and the discount that was also promised was not given.
I would not recommend this company.

Austen & Blake in Southampton exceeded my expectations. I felt special from start to finish. Their choice of rings is huge and customizable. So much better than a traditional, high street jewellers. I can definitely recommend them.

We had an appointment today with Poppy, she was so helpful and we had so much fun designing a ring together. We really appreciated how knowledgable she was and how she guided us through the process during our appointment. Would definitely recommend her to anyone!

Simple with no issues

My partner ordered my engagement ring from Austen & Blake nine weeks ago. We received it five weeks ago, but I’ve only actually had the ring in my possession for one week because it has spent the rest of the time being returned to them. What should have been one of the happiest and most memorable moments of our lives has instead become stressful, frustrating, and deeply disappointing.

There are three main reasons for this review:

1. Poor product knowledge and customer service

When we noticed that the cut grade on our purchase order was listed as “Excellent” while the IGI certificate stated “Ideal,” we contacted Austen & Blake for clarification. We visited the store and also called, and their consultant confidently told us that “Excellent” was the highest cut grade. I still have a recording of this conversation.

Based on their advice, they asked us to send the ring back to their technician. A week later, they came back and admitted that “Ideal” is actually the highest cut grade. This is basic diamond knowledge that a consultant selling engagement rings should know. We lost an entire week simply because their staff were unable to answer a straightforward question correctly.

2. Poor quality and extremely slow after-sales service

The ring is platinum, yet it became noticeably scratched after just one week of wearing it at home under normal daily use. Austen & Blake offered to polish it, which we initially appreciated, but advised that it would take four weeks.

It has now been four weeks since we returned the ring, and we still have no update and no ring. We have called multiple times, left voicemail messages, and received no response. For such an important purchase, this level of after-sales service is completely unacceptable. (Photos attached.)

3. Lack of transparency and integrity

Before any further work was carried out, we specifically requested that they discuss the available options with us first.

Instead, they proceeded with polishing the ring without speaking to us. We only realised this during a phone call. Although we were disappointed that they had gone ahead without our agreement, we decided not to make an issue of it because we would likely have agreed to the polishing anyway. However, a few days later, they sent us another email asking for our permission to proceed with the polishing—even though the work had already been completed. This contradictory communication was confusing and did not feel transparent or honest.

Overall, our experience has been incredibly disappointing. Buying an engagement ring should be an exciting and memorable milestone, but Austen & Blake have completely ruined what should have been one of the most special moments of our lives. Between the lack of product knowledge, poor communication, questionable product quality, and unacceptable delays, we cannot recommend Austen & Blake to anyone looking for an engagement ring.

Popped in without an appointment, and despite being busy, Amber graciously made time for us. Her customer service and attention to detail was fantastic and we were so grateful for her expert guidance in helping us choose a ring to celebrate a milestone anniversary. What makes this place stand out is that ot feels like a special experience without any weight of expectation or judgement about budget or choices - thanks Amber for such a quality experience

Had a great appointment with Will. Really appreciated the time and care he took to pick out lots of options for us to try. Was really friendly and patient with 2 indecisive people! Complimentary drinks and ring cleaning too!

Lovely service , me and my partner have the perfect rings for our special day thank you 💓

Wow. Brilliant team in Newcastle, great service to guide you through your purchase, kept updated right through the buying journey through to delivery. Would always recommend, but in the very best way, hoping I won’t need to use them for a ring again.

Alyssa was really nice - she showed my wife all the ring types that would suit her, and gave her professional opinion. Delivery was good, overall really nice environment and approach.

Perfect service in the Liverpool store. Molly was fantastic, very helpful and gave great advice. Would definitely recommend.

Very good service . Would definitely recommend. Got a beautiful ring