Holland America’s duty free shop are going to court over a diamond sale that went wrong…
We’re not talking about a heist or a James Bond escapade, just a genuine mistake on Holland America’s part!
The cruise line accidentally sold a 20 carat diamond for $235,000, instead of $4.8 million!
Thomas DePrince, who bought the ring, initially thought the sale price on-board was too good to be true and was advised by his family members not to buy it.
Mr DePrince is a retired antiques and jewellery dealer, and his partner (also on-board the cruise with him) was a certified gemmologist. This combined expertise led Mr DePrince to purchase the gem despite his initial surprise at the price.
After the sale, Starboard (the lines duty free on-board shop) realised that the retailer had intended for the diamond to be sold at $235,000 per carat! This meant that they had sold the diamond for 1/20 of its real value.
Sadly for Mr DePrince, his diamond wasn’t forever.
Five days after the sale, Starboard contacted Mr DePrince to tell him the mistake. They then cancelled the transaction, refunded the money and took the diamond back off him.
However, two years later Mr DePrince is now taking the matter to court, insisting that it is a breach of contract as the sale was non-refundable.
He said: “once you sign a contract a deal is a deal. There’s no buyer’s remorse – or in this case, seller’s remorse.”
Starboard’s attorney said in a statement that: “Starboard remains confident that it will prevail at trial.”
What do you think of the news? We can’t quite believe that this news story is real!
Do you think Mr DePrince is in the right – or do you think Holland America were right to take the gem back? Let us know in the comments below!
