Texas woman says Zales ruined $3K engagement ring 3 weeks before her wedding: ‘I’m sobbing’
A TikToker went to a Zales to ask for a custom soldering job. Then, she received a product that made her cry.
Texas TikToker Hailey (@haileystewart1821), who currently resides in Lubbock, Texas, received a $3,000 Zales ring from her fiancé on December 20. Later, she resized the ring with Zales and was happy with the result.
When she got her wedding band, which was a custom ring from another jeweler, she decided she wanted to solder together the two pieces. She went to Zales and asked whether they were up for the project. Then, she finally received the rings back and saw that she got a “horrible” product.
Zales employees allegedly acknowledged that the soldering work was bad and offered to redo the solder. The second result, however, was even worse.
What Happened With Zales?
Hailey dropped off her wedding band and a ring from Zales on April 2 to get soldered together. She asked whether her custom band would still be covered under the Zales warranty. A sales representative let her know that they would cover it and gave her enough assurances to feel confident in the job.
Hailey didn’t get her ring back until April 13. When she went over to pick it up, she immediately noticed that it did not look presentable or correct. She asked the Zales team whether they’d be able to redo the project, and they complied. They promised a “two to three” day turnaround.
She once again didn’t get her ring back in a timely manner. She got a call back on April 22, and she went to pick it up. Contrary to her expectations, the ring looked even worse the second time. Management told her that they couldn’t “see the problem” with the ring. She shared photos of the product they returned, which had visible soldering marks on it that weren’t shaved down for a clean finish. She also said that the metal was visibly discolored in areas where they soldered the ring.
Zales gives her three options
Management offered her three options in-store. She could either get 30% off a new ring with Zales, send the rings back again to get the metal shaved down, or get a free, full replacement of the engagement ring along with a new wedding ring from the company.
The first option meant she would have to pay 70% for a new ring. The second would permanently alter both rings, and the third option did not include a replacement of the wedding band that was soldered to her original engagement ring. None of these options could take away the stress of even needing a new wedding band and engagement ring three weeks away from her wedding.
Hailey opted against these three options initially and said she would file a claim with the company. She mentioned that she didn’t necessarily expect a resolution, though.
Commenters provide new perspectives
Other commenters shared some frightening encounters they had with Zales, which led to even more skepticism. For instance, one commenter claimed that they purchased a $13,000 ring from the company with certified paperwork. Then, they found out the diamond was lab-grown. That commenter mentioned going “back and forth” with the company since August 2025 with no resolution.
Others echoed that sentiment and let Hailey know that she should ensure her diamond isn’t lab-grown. “Make sure your diamond is the same diamond,” a viewer said.
But, Zales left a surprising message in her comments section. It read, “Hey Hailey! We would love to make this right — please send us a DM so we can help you out.” She let her audience know that she had sent Zales a message to resolve the issue.
Hailey’s conversation with Zales
Hailey gave an update to her audience about how Zales responded, but it wasn’t necessarily favorable. The content creator told her viewers that the company did “a lot of apologizing” but took little decisive action regarding her case.
Finally, after speaking to multiple representatives, having Zales contact the store where Hailey got the soldering done, and sending a variety of pictures of her ring, she received information regarding the next steps. Zales would be fully replacing her engagement ring and giving her around $300 of in-store credit for a wedding band.
This wasn’t necessarily a positive resolution, as Hailey was aware that many of Zales’ wedding bands cost more than that. Even if she purchased a band with little to no embellishments, she’d still be paying out of pocket. She mentioned, however, that she didn’t need a pricey wedding band. She just wanted something that fit her style.
Hailey doesn’t end up with a Zales wedding band
Hailey made an effort to look through the bands, but she didn’t end up finding something she liked. She then politely asked for a check so that she could use the money for a band from another company. She purchased one from Pandora for the wedding day and slowly let go of the situation.
Still, Zales asked her for an invoice for her original wedding band. She went ahead and contacted the small business she received it from, but they didn’t get back to her. “ I let Zales know that and she was pretty rude about it over email,” Hailey said. “Basically, if I don’t have that invoice… They have offered to send me a check for $150.”
She’s still working out the situation with Zales and hasn’t described any further concrete plans with the company.
@haileystewart1821 So disappointed ? @Zales Jewelers #weddingring #wedding #zales #bride ♬ original sound – ???Hailey ???
The Mary Sue reached out to Hailey via TikTok direct message and Signet Jewelers, Zales’ parent company, via email for more information.
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