“These things should last a lifetime; they are meant to be precious, an investment that will stand the test of time and one day be an antique,” the woman said.
“My husband is a tradie and, when I added up the hours he had to work to buy me these items, it actually stunned me that they can be so ignorant to blow people off when they have put their faith in them as professionals.”
She said she went into Michael Hill Porirua at the weekend, as soon as she noticed the diamonds in both rings had dropped out, to seek a replacement. Staff told her they would send them away for a quote.
“I said, ‘No, I don’t want to do that’ because I don’t feel like I should pay.
“We are not loaded with cash, they are special gifts that I would like to hand down to our daughters and granddaughter, but I feel so shocked and hurt at the lack of responsibility that they are taking.
“We’ve been extremely loyal customers. It’s been our go-to for every anniversary and birthday for the past 17 years, and I’ve just told my husband not to go anymore.”
She was told that, because one of the rings was 12 years old, it had been “quite a long time” and the store could not offer a free replacement.
She said her engagement ring, crafted by hand by her stepfather, had lasted 31 years so far.
In late 2025, a woman won a landmark Disputes Tribunal case against Michael Hill after the diamond fell out of her 12-year-old ring. The jeweller argued about a ring’s “lifetime” and cited national divorce statistics; however, the tribunal found the ring was not of “acceptable quality” under the Consumer Guarantees Act.
New lifetime warranty rules offered by Michael Hill mean customers now have to bring in products every six months for mandatory inspection. Not doing so could void the warranty.
“That’s a ball-ache, but I’d do it if it meant this would be sorted,” the woman said.
“The staff asked me if I had brought it in in the past 12 months, but I hadn’t needed to.
“I really wonder why there’s a six-month check-in process … do they expect common problems?”
Both rings were still with the jeweller.
Michael Hill did not answer the Herald’s questions about its warranty process.