A jewelry company in HCM City allegedly used cheap gold to make wedding rings for a charity group hosting weddings for disadvantaged and blind couples.
The event, in September 2014, was held by cosmetic teachers at the HCMC Association of Vocational Training. Cuu Long Jewelry was a sponsor and provided wedding rings for 20 couples, most of them with disadvantaged backgrounds. More than half the couples are blind.
When one of the couple brought the supposed VND6m (USD285) wedding rings to a jewelry shop to be polished, they were told the rings were worth less than VND10,000.
The couple then took the problem to the event organiser and Cuu Long Jewelry. They were surprised to be informed the pair of rings had a stated worth of VND2.5m, not the VND6m as they had been told.
A pair of cheap wedding rings offered at the charity event.
Cao Thi My Vang, director of Cuu Long Jewelry, said at a meeting with several couples who also came to report the same problems with their rings, "We want to apologise to all the couples. When making the rings, we put much effort into the design so each ring had spiritual value.
"According to our contract, each pair of ring was worth VND2.5m, not VND6m as the organiser had announced. We're willing to exchange VND2.5m for any couple that wants to return their rings," Vang said.
Bui Thi Thap, one of the organisers, said, "We apologise for saying each pair of rings was worth VND6m, as the contract does state each pair was worth VND2.5m. When noticing the mistake, we failed to inform everyone in time because we had changed the phone numbers. This is very regrettable."
A bride returns 'cheap' wedding rings
Hue, one member of an affected couple, said, "I just can't accept this 'mistake'.
"The saddest thing is we were cheated. If the pair of rings was worth VND2.5m then the company should have just made VND2.5m rings. But jewellers at another shop said they would not even buy the rings at VND10,000, let alone VND6m," Hue said.
"I was too embarrassed to tell my family about this. The company and organisers have no respect at all for blind people."
Cuu Long Jewelry met many of the couples and offered to buy back the rings at VND2.5m for each pair, but a number of couples were unable to attended because they lived too far away.
