# Has anyone ever gotten Tiffany cleaning fee waived?



## melikemochi

I was in line today at the Tiffany & Co. customer service center and the couple in front of me had a silver ring that was rusting or turning black or something and they had their cleaning fee waived. They said it was the first time its ever been waived for them. Has anyone ever had this fee waived and for what reason?


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## winternight

I have a similar question does Tiffany charge to clean engagement rings? - not polish, just clean?


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## champaign

Included in their customer servuce is free cleaning, checking stones, and polishing.  For the T&Co. premium they charge they ought to make the beds and rotate the tires.    

C.


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## melikemochi

I don't know about other things but they charge for cleaning their silver pieces nowadays. They used to clean silver for free. Now its, $15 to clean a necklace. I'm wondering if I can get the fee waived for my sisters necklace... its been less than a year and it has spots where its turning black!! She has the "Return to Tiffany" Oval Tag necklace that comes on the thick chain. We have so many tiffany pieces (some a good couple years old) and this has never ever happened on a single other one! So I don't know what is going on. So I wonder if they will clean it for free or maybe we just got a bad piece? We take care of all our pieces the same so it's weird. It feels like a rip off to pay $15 to get something cleaned that isnt even out fault. I mean if we wore it A LOT and threw it around then yes, but this piece has been babied.


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## ilzabet

melikemochi said:


> Iits been less than a year and it has spots where its turning black!! She has the "Return to Tiffany" Oval Tag necklace that comes on the thick chain. We have so many tiffany pieces (some a good couple years old) and this has never ever happened on a single other one! I mean if we wore it A LOT and threw it around then yes, but this piece has been babied.


 
sounds like just standard tarnish to me.  it's the silver chemically reacting to the air.  it's actually more likely to happen when you baby a piece (the more you wear silver, the less it tarnishes)  it doesn't actually hurt the piece or mean it's defective, it just looks bad.  

you can buy a tub of silver polish (for jewlery/flatware) or a sterling polish cloth (both are avaliable at any jewelry store/walmart/target/CVS/etc)  for about five dollars that will shine it up just like new.


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## melikemochi

I don't know whats wrong with it. I've always cleaned my silver myself and its always come out looking nice and shiny but with this piece, I've tried everything. It won't come off. =T


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## Junkenpo

I've gotten it waived once... the 1st time I took my sterling heart lariat necklace in.  

The SA told me the price (I had always heard the polishing was free, so I was a little befuddled.) and I nodded... the SA gave me the option of paying when I got it back, so "okay," I said.

The told me 3 business days... I went in on a Friday, they said I'd get it back Wednesday by 5pm.   

Wednesday, I go back in & a different SA is on shift... very friendly, goes into their back room, stays back there for what feels to me like a very long time... comes back out...doesn't look at me & heads to another SA... they both go in back....and at this point, I'm a little concerned!!  

So they come back out & the 2nd SA (mgr?) comes over and starts apologizing....one of the jump rings on my necklace broke(!) and needed to be resoldered... My necklace had been sent to be repaired, and would not be ready until the following week...

They are so sorry...(no one could of called to tell me not drive my happy butt to the boutique that day??)..._of course the cleaning fee is waived_...and they are _happy_ to have the necklace sent to my house if I want, to save me from driving out again. Will someone be home to sign for it? (sigh) 

No, and I don't want it sent to my work. (I work at a high school.)

Lucky me, there is a 2nd boutique closer to where I work, so the they will send the necklace there & call me when it's ready for pick up. 

One of their asst mgrs at the 2nd boutique is a very nice lady I used to work with at another retail location, so I say "Thank you!" and smile and leave the store w/o my necklace for another week...

*whew* Sorry that was kinda long, but the question brought those memories flooding back... it was a little frustrating...


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## A-T-G

If you brought your engagement ring from them, they'll clean it for nothing. Every time I'm in the city, I run in and have it cleaned...so it sparkles. I haven't had any silver cleaned but a friend was browsing with me when the sales clerk noticed some gunk on her engagement ring (NOT a Tiffany ring) and offered to have it spiffed up for grat...
...if you've purchased from them before, you might want to pop in on a weekday and see if they're willing to waive a fee...they MIGHT be willing if it's a slow day...worth a try.


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## Vegas Long Legs

melikemochi said:


> I don't know whats wrong with it. I've always cleaned my silver myself and its always come out looking nice and shiny but with this piece, I've tried everything. It won't come off. =T



Is it silver plated?


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## Loganz

Yes, I have gotten the fee waived - honestly, she didn't give me a reason - they have the ability to do this, it is on a situational basis that they choose to exercise their power to do so. 

I think I got the fee waived for being nice, and the person in front of me was NOT being nice - so, I guess the rep just decided to make a statement to others in the line: you get more flies with honey, yes


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## melikemochi

Vegas Long Legs said:


> Is it silver plated?


 
No it is solid.  NONE and I mean NONE of my other tiffany's silver has ever done this (I hope it stays this way). But even a necklace I've had for 6 years and not worn in 4 years hasn't done this. I guess I'll give it a try and hope i get a nice SA thats easy going.


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## More lv please

champaign said:


> Included in their customer servuce is free cleaning, checking stones, and polishing.  For the T&Co. premium they charge they ought to make the beds and rotate the tires.
> 
> C.



  I had no idea they ever charged for cleaning.


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## carolinacowboy

this may sound stupid,but why are you gal's complaining about getting your jewelry cleaned for $15.00 ?? from what i have been told on this forum,tiffany is "the best" jewelry money can buy. it's an investment.so what if you have to pay to keep it clean.you don't complain when you take your car to the carwash to get cleaned do ya? come on ladies, show some luv!!!!!


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## Janos614

melikemochi said:


> I was in line today at the Tiffany & Co. customer service center and the couple in front of me had a silver ring that was rusting or turning black or something and they had their cleaning fee waived. They said it was the first time its ever been waived for them. Has anyone ever had this fee waived and for what reason?




I had my bamboo garden silver pocket mirror cleaned for free. The woman who helped me was so nice, too.


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## oo_let_me_see

They do free cleaning for preferred customers.  I got a notice a couple of years ago that listed all these amazing services I could get for free.  Though...I haven't utilized any of them yet.  I assume the SA could do it for you if she wants.


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## Megadane

When I was at their boutique in Toronto last January they cleaned my oval tag necklace and bracelet for free and when I was at T&Co in Florence this past summer the very handsome, Italian SA offered to have my pieces cleaned while I waited and we chatted.  Oh man he was gorgeous, LOL .  There was another guy there at the same time, a customer, who couldn't decide what piece to buy his new gf.  So the SA asked the customer if he wanted my opinion.. and he said yes!  It was so much fun, helping this guy pick out something for his gf!  So no I haven't paid for cleaning, not yet anyway!


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## melikemochi

carolinacowboy said:


> this may sound stupid,but why are you gal's complaining about getting your jewelry cleaned for $15.00 ?? from what i have been told on this forum,tiffany is "the best" jewelry money can buy. it's an investment.so what if you have to pay to keep it clean.you don't complain when you take your car to the carwash to get cleaned do ya? come on ladies, show some luv!!!!!


 
Well frankly, in my experience with Tiffany jewlery... this has never happened EVER. If I used the hell out of this piece, tossed it around, and abused it then of course I'd only feel it fair to pay the fee to have it put back into shape. But this is not the case. This shouldn't have happened in such a short period of time with such a quality piece of jewelry. It is an investment, but a $250 piece of top knotch silver jewelry can _hardly _be compared with a $100,000 top knotch car. It costs $15 to clean this piece and I've seen car washes for $10 but let's just say a car wash is $30, still percentage-wise it doesnt add up to be equal. Let's say you totally baby this car and every time you take it out for a drive, you clean it immediately afterwards and park it back inside but somehow you need to take this relatively-new car in for a wash after less than a year when the 25 other cars you've had for much longer have never needed a wash when taken care of in the same manner. And add that this car wash would cost you $6,000, the percentage equivalent of what it would cost for this silver piece to be cleaned... would you complain?

It wasn't so much a thread to complain, more so to share information to help each other out.


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## coco-nut

$15 seems like a lot for a cleaning!

I've taken quite a few items in to be cleaned recently, and perhaps it's not as thorough as the cleaning you pay for but it's been both free and while I wait. I had my 18K Schlumberger necklace cleaned and it wasn't gone more than ten minutes and came back looking incredibly great.


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## Vegas Long Legs

This is odd for it to get like that. Wonder if it got near some strange chemical that made it do this.


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## lorihmatthews

I remember when they used to polish the jewelry for free too ... charging for it is fairly new. I guess from now on I'll be polishing it myself! Oh well, it's not that big a deal. A pain, yes, but it's OK.


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## Vintage Leather

The only silverplate that Tiffany sells is their Portfolio line - corporate pieces which are made more cheaply because the company giving them is buying a lot of them.  

My family has been collecting Tiffany for four generations, and so we bring in a lot of pieces.  The cleaning fee is often waived for us, but we pay for a lot of repairs, and know the entire service department.

Some pieces - watches, clocks and diamond engagement rings - are cleaned for free as a part of company policy.  The silver and gold pieces usually have a nominal fee.


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## Lainey

I get my jewelry cleaned for free.  I have this card...have to check what it is called... preferred something...??  It includes a list of free services: cleaning, engraving, personalization, etc...   However if you have bought an engagement ring there the cleaning and maintenance is free/included.


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## butterfly hips

I have never paid to have my jewelry cleaned. I thought it was a service included when you purchase their pieces. They even give me new jewelry pouches.


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## lucida

Every time we (me and my husband) stop by Tiffany's, the sales associates offer to clean our rings and any other Tiffany's jewelry we have on.  However, we drop by the boutique often and so they know the two of us as preferred customers.  We do have a "Tiffany Register Benefit Card" that was given to us, but we never need to show it to them.  

We do have one sales associate at each of the Tiffany's boutiques that we frequent that we always purchase items from.  So, it greatly helps us in obtaining these benefits.


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## melikemochi

So I dropped into Tiffanys today with the necklace and thankfully the kind young man working at customer service polished the necklace for me. It came out looking brand new!! I was very happy and satisfied (aside from the fact that I was very rudely treated by another SA at the jewlery counter-my first bad experience at Tiffany's. I ended up telling him "you know what, you don't have to help me if you don't want to and purchased my item from another SA) 

BTW, thought I should let everyone know, the nice young man told me that the black tarnish marks were probably the result of perfume or lotion coming into contact with it. Aside from that, he agreed that they were unusually deep tarnish marks and that it was rare. So yes, now I know... spray perfume BEFORE wearing my pieces.


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## Lainey

lucida said:


> Every time we (me and my husband) stop by Tiffany's, the sales associates offer to clean our rings and any other Tiffany's jewelry we have on. However, we drop by the boutique often and so they know the two of us as preferred customers. We do have a "Tiffany Register Benefit Card" that was given to us, but we never need to show it to them.
> 
> We do have one sales associate at each of the Tiffany's boutiques that we frequent that we always purchase items from. So, it greatly helps us in obtaining these benefits.


 

Yes, that's the name of the card.  I've never had to show it either since they know us fairly well.


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## alohamariss

It often depends on what store you're going to and how busy they are and the SA you're dealing with to determine if you'll get a free cleaning or not. Personally I think that even $15 is worth it because it makes such a difference in your jewelry. I have had a heart tag bracelet that I got on my 16th birthday for 7 years now and it still looks brand new. I wear it everyday and anytime I have gotten it cleaned it was shined up beautifully but also many light scratches were buffed out. Don't baby your silver, silver doesn't get tarnished if you wear it a lot but it does if it just sits around, even in one of Tiffany's lovely blue pouches.


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## kaylalvc

My friend got it waived once. She had a bracelet that was all tangled (the silver heart with the ropy things on it... can't remember what it is called). She claimed that she had gotten it tangled as a gift, so they untangled it and got it cleaned for free! I had never had my pieces cleaned there before, so I assumed it was always free! I brought some pieces in the next day and they handed me the reciept, and I assumed it was just a "pick up ticket" and shoved it in my purse. I came back four days later, and I was shocked that I had to pay $80 in cleaning! So lesson learned......


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## Fraublucher

Megadane said:


> When I was at their boutique in Toronto last January they cleaned my oval tag necklace and bracelet for free and when I was at T&Co in Florence this past summer the very handsome, Italian SA offered to have my pieces cleaned while I waited and we chatted.  Oh man he was gorgeous, LOL .  There was another guy there at the same time, a customer, who couldn't decide what piece to buy his new gf.  So the SA asked the customer if he wanted my opinion.. and he said yes!  It was so much fun, helping this guy pick out something for his gf!  So no I haven't paid for cleaning, not yet anyway!



Megadane, that's sooo funny! I live in Florence, the gorgeous Tiffany SA (there is only on that could be defined gorgeous male SA in that shop ) is actually a very good friend of mine, has been the fiancee of one of my best friends for a year or so, then they broke up, but everybody is still in friendly terms so I happily continue to go there and get a "special" treatment. I agree with you, he is very handsome, polite and knows *exactly* how to treat ladies to make them feel pampered. Unfortch it must have been much less comfy to be her girlfriend, seeing him being extremely "friendly" with every female buyer that came into the shop... this is one of the main reasons why they broke up. None the less, I get my Tiffany pieces cleaned for free, and get new puches if I ask for them... but of course I cannot say this is a standard service, because we are not in a standard seller/buyer relationship.


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## xoxo_chanel

im confused.. i just went to tiffanys on wedsnesday to get my first tiffany piece-the heart tag neckclace, sliver. and they said cleaning was complementary. i guess ill just have to see next time i go. lol

how often do you all get your pieces cleaned?


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## I LOVE LV

Seriously, I've ALWAYS thought that the cleaning service is complimentary but they do charge for polishing. Since when have they changed their policy?


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## melikemochi

The man at Tiffany's said they changed it about 3 years ago. Personally, I just know that 4 years ago they offered it for free but I was stupid and never bothered to bring my pieces in to be polished (they really look new afterwards!) and now, ... a few months ago, I found out they charge.


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## I LOVE LV

melikemochi said:


> The man at Tiffany's said they changed it about 3 years ago. Personally, I just know that 4 years ago they offered it for free but I was stupid and never bothered to bring my pieces in to be polished (they really look new afterwards!) and now, ... a few months ago, I found out they charge.


3 years ago?! Does it apply internationally or only certain countries? I brought my silver bracelet for cleaning last year, few months ago to be precise, and they didn't charge me nor did they mention anything about their policy change.


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## Megadane

Fraublucher said:


> Megadane, that's sooo funny! I live in Florence, the gorgeous Tiffany SA (there is only on that could be defined gorgeous male SA in that shop ) is actually a very good friend of mine, has been the fiancee of one of my best friends for a year or so, then they broke up, but everybody is still in friendly terms so I happily continue to go there and get a "special" treatment. I agree with you, he is very handsome, polite and knows *exactly* how to treat ladies to make them feel pampered. Unfortch it must have been much less comfy to be her girlfriend, seeing him being extremely "friendly" with every female buyer that came into the shop... this is one of the main reasons why they broke up. None the less, I get my Tiffany pieces cleaned for free, and get new puches if I ask for them... but of course I cannot say this is a standard service, because we are not in a standard seller/buyer relationship.


 

What a small world!!  I feel badly for your best friend who was engaged to him-it would be very difficult to have her fiancee bening so openly friendly with female shoppers:s .  That was my first trip to Florence and I loved it! My sister and mother go every year .  He was really kind though and I certainly can say he was NOT hitting on me at all, just being very nice.  I bought a necklace for myself, a bracelet for my mother and he said if I had my passport I could get the tax exempted on my way home to Canada..so I walked 2 kms back to our apartment that overlooked the Arno , way past the Ponche Vechio, and retrieved it.  Ahhh..memories of Florence!  Thanks for your post!


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## Fraublucher

Megadane said:


> What a small world!!  I feel badly for your best friend who was engaged to him-it would be very difficult to have her fiancee bening so openly friendly with female shoppers:s .  That was my first trip to Florence and I loved it! My sister and mother go every year .  He was really kind though and I certainly can say he was NOT hitting on me at all, just being very nice.  I bought a necklace for myself, a bracelet for my mother and he said if I had my passport I could get the tax exempted on my way home to Canada..so I walked 2 kms back to our apartment that overlooked the Arno , way past the Ponche Vechio, and retrieved it.  Ahhh..memories of Florence!  Thanks for your post!



Mega, don't worry, I was not implying that he flirted with you or you flirted with him (he *is* really very charming, i second that, BUT I am happily married AND a friend's fiancee is untouchable for me, even after they split), it is just difficult to be the girlfriend of a very popular man - especially for a "muy caliente" Italian woman like my friend . 
He does a great job there at Tiffany, because he does not judge you by your look and treats you equally well if you are a teenager with just enough cash to buy a silver chain or a sheikh capable of buying the whole store. I appreciate him a lot for this, I guess I could say this is one of the main reasons why I love shopping at Tiffany, because they are so relaxed compared to all the other jewellers in Florence (Pomellato, Cartier, Damiani, Bulgari... all very snotty and with a really bad attitude towards "normal" people like me).
As for the great memories...  Florence is a beautiful city, but it is rather unpractical to live here. None the less, it is the city in which I fell in love with my husband and where I fulfilled my dream of teaching at the University, so I am certainly very fond of it, although I would prefer to raise my kids somewhere else, in a cleaner environment


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## evychew

yup! as long as the jewelry is platinum they waive the fee!


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## LivinLuxuriously

I had to send my heart tag bracelet away to be sized and engraved - they waived the cleaning/polishing fee.


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## laura613

melikemochi said:


> I don't know whats wrong with it. I've always cleaned my silver myself and its always come out looking nice and shiny but with this piece, I've tried everything. It won't come off. =T


 
I had a similar thing happen to my oval return to tiffany necklace. I tried to clean it myself but it thad those dark areas where it was extra tarnished..so I took it to Tiffany's and paid the $15 and it came back like new.  I then baught their spray silver polish for $10 and works really well.  I clean all my pieces with it!  Good luck!!!


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## xoxo_chanel

^ i never knew that they had a silver spray polish!


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## I LOVE LV

xoxo_chanel said:


> ^ i never knew that they had a silver spray polish!


They have it all this while.   I just didn't bother getting one since the cleaning service is complimentary.


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## SabahA

It could be that the silver is reacting to the skin of the person wearing it.It is not common,but some people will cause silver to turn black just by wearing it.That happened to my grandmother when I gave her a silver Tiffany ring.She thought it was not real and took it to Tiffany where they cleaned it and assured her it was real.When it turned black again someone told her about the reaction some people have.She had it sealed in the same way you can have sterling silver table wear and flat wear sealed and it never happened again.Hope this helps!


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## crazzee_shopper

I've never been charged a cleaning fee. I guess it depends on the person working there, but I have noticed a price list.

I also have the silver spray polish and use it at home. 10 minutes with the polish and a toothbrush and it looks like new. Just be sure to wear gloves.


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## cookie888

A-T-G said:


> If you brought your engagement ring from them, they'll clean it for nothing. Every time I'm in the city, I run in and have it cleaned...so it sparkles. I haven't had any silver cleaned but a friend was browsing with me when the sales clerk noticed some gunk on her engagement ring (NOT a Tiffany ring) and offered to have it spiffed up for grat...
> ...if you've purchased from them before, you might want to pop in on a weekday and see if they're willing to waive a fee...they MIGHT be willing if it's a slow day...worth a try.



Yes, my boss and I went on a business trip from London to US and she had her (MASSIVE) engagement ring cleaned for free. She can get it cleaned at any T&Co. in the world - you would think so with the amount of money spent on that ring!
I've gotten my regular silver ware send away for polish and didn't have to pay for anything but it was a few years ago. Perhaps they're starting to charge now...


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## Sammyjoe

I get my tiffany gold and silver pieces cleaned by them comp. Although the last time was late last year. If they have started charging I think that it is a bit mean of them. I don't know, I do not really like tiffany silver items  I did in the past, now I think they are hanging on and going the same way like Burberry.....


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## kathyinjapan

I've taken my diamond pieces into multiple stores around the world for servicing and it's always complimentary.  This includes checking the prongs, cleaning, polishing, tightening the prongs, etc.

On a few occasions I have taken my ss pieces in at the same time and have never been charged a fee for those either.


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## snowshiro

You know if they do prongs checked on non-solitaire?  My grammy has Tiffany multi-stone band from maybe 1940s I think needs checked... anyone know if Tiffanys check pieces beside solitaire?


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## kathyinjapan

They check my celebration ring and I'm pretty sure they offer it for all diamond pieces


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## creme fraiche

As some have said, free cleaning/post changing of earrings/re-stringing of pearls for registered customers (customers who have purchased high value items like engagement rings, diamond studs, etc).  Not sure what the amount you have to spend is, but deifinitely $30,000.


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