15 
 
 36 W Main St 
 
 Alhambra , CA 91801 
 
 
 
 (626) 569-7289 
 
 My wife needed the batteries replaced on 3 of her watches that she hadn't worn in a while. I called around and most places charged between 15-20 bucks per pop. I called 58 Facets and they charged about half what others charged for a battery replacement, so this was a no-brainer pick as they've got excellent reviews to top it off. When I walked in the store, Rick asked if I wanted a cup of tea. It caught me off guard and I thought he was being sarcastic. I was about to request a cappuccino. Fortunately I was able to keep my occasional douchebag tendency in check and politely declined. Rick changed the batteries out while we chatted with Karen about all the businesses that have come and gone over the years here on Main St. These folks are really nice, and I felt like an asshole for using their yelp deal to pay for their already ridiculously cheap battery replacement charge. I guess the least I can do is give them a plug about their new engraving service that they're offering. Karen seemed really excited about it, and I'm sure they'll do an awesome job. It's always nice to support a local small business, and you couldn't find a nicer couple in Rick and Karen. 
 
 So sad that this location has closed. I went by today to see if Rick could give a new ring of mine a look and their space was empty, and I came here to see if they had moved, but that doesn't seem so. My experience with this jewler was phenomenal. I went in not knowing what my ring size was (4 1/2)and foolishly purchasing a vintsge size 8 ring for my personal graduation token. Rick did everything in his power to make the ring fit like a dream without giving me an exaggerated price. He was patient, understanding and the entire staff was super sweet. No judgement whatsoever and they always greeted customers with a smile. I got the ring back and it was more beautiful than when I originally got it. I'll never forget my experience at 58 Facets. 
 
 Thank goodness for their new opening. If you follow my reviews of jewelry, you'll know I have become obsessed with Pandora charms. With that being sad, I have been looking for a tea cup charm for a friend's birthday for quite some time. I have been to several Pandora stores nearby and in Vegas in search of this specific charm. However, I got no luck. I finally decided maybe I should just order the charm online or see what's the closest store that has it in store. This idea led me to the website and then to finding that 58 Faucet, right down the street, carries Pandora charms! Right away I call the owner and asked if they had any inventory. He had 3 in stock. I rushed over to pick it up. The owner was extremely nice. He was patient and allowed me to look at other charms as well as made suggestions. Great customer service and the charm I have been looking for. What more can one ask for? 
 
 I just dropped in to get my watch band shortened. I must say, Karen and Rick (the owners) were some of the most down to earth business owners I have ever met. While Rick went to the back to take care of my watch, Karen and I talked about family, rings, etc. From our conversation, their passion for jewelry and gemstones was very apparent. Attention to detail is also something they take pride in. After taking off a number of links on my watch band, it was still slightly loose. But, taking off another link would probably result in it being slightly tight. So they suggested that I wear the watch for a few days and see if the movement is too bothersome. If that was the case, then I could just come back in and they will adjust it accordingly. The personal touch and laid back attitude will make me come back for sure. I also noticed the yelp deal for a free ring cleaning. Karen said during lunch, just drop off the ring and by the time you're finished with lunch it will be ready. I'll have to find a way to get a hold of my wife's engagement ring and get it cleaned as a surprise one of these days. Support this local business! 
 
 I have had very very little experience with jewelry stores, other than making the occasional purchase here and there. I recently sold a piece of jewelry to a store in Pasadena and I was put off by the unfriendly fake service there. By chance a friend had recommended a jewelry store in Alhambra, and I found this place instead. The visit I had to this store was the COMPLETE opposite of what I experienced at the last place. Rick and Karen are both warm, down to earth and welcoming, and immediately put me at ease. I had a piece of sentimental jewelry that I wanted to have assessed and possibly sold, and they both were so helpful and informative. Although I did not sell the jewelry, I walked away having learned much more about the gem and options of where I could sell the piece if I wished to do so. I browsed among the jewelry and found there was a great selection of beautiful pendants, rings, earrings, necklaces and charms. Definitely the place I will be going for my daughter as she gets older. Such a charming little store, definitely a big thumbs up from me! 
 
 This is the best jeweler I've ever experienced working with. Their prices are fair and reasonable, and the customer service is #1. I've gotten 2 Pandora bracelets with them, and they helped my kids create the perfect story in my bracelet for me. 
 
 I walked in (with my doggie) since I needed my watch repaired. Or its band downsized. The couple was very friendly and very helpful. I wish more people would act the way they do. I would def go back there in case I need a watch for my mom of other family/friends. Kudos. 
 
 If yelp has six stars maxum for rating, I will definitely give this jewery shop a ten. Great service and well round support. Girls really like Pandora charms but it's really hard to make a perfect match n balanced choices. But they are so nice n so patient to provide helpful advices n looks like they have everything on the brochure. so it will never let you down here. we spent nearly a whole afternoon there n keep back n forth for better match but they are awesome to make it a amazing shopping experience. Thank you n Merry X' Max！ I will be back when I find a boyfriend 
 
 Went the other day looking for an engagement ring. Rick was very knowledgeable and laid back. I didn't feel any pressure and he even stayed a little bit after closing to help me look. They even allow custom designs! 
 
 I brought my mother's wedding ring to get a lost diamond replaced and Rick and Karen were so helpful throughout the process. Rick took his time in educating me about diamond quality and found a beautiful diamond that made the wedding ring even more gorgeous. I'm now using this ring as my own wedding ring and my mother is thrilled! Karen was also very helpful and sweet and made me feel like a valued customer. I highly recommend them! 
 
 Went in to buy some jewelry as a gift and Rick and Karen were great. Great selection of jewelry, and they have some amazing watches as well! Very personable, not pushy at all, friendly and their store is beautiful. Will be returning for Christmas gifts. ;) Support local business! 
 
 We were in town for the Rose Parade and discovered a treasure of a jewelry store. Karen and Rick are so gracious, helpful, and knowledgeable. We looked at everything and believe me there is so much to look at, what a treat, plus they were so patient with us. We enjoyed lingering and spending a few hours trying on jewelry and watches. It was so much fun playing with all the different Pandora charms and figuring out which one I wanted most, they make shopping for jewelry such a wonderful experience, I especially love how trustworthy they are. I can't wait to go back, it's just so much fun to talk to Karen and Rick, they're just so friendly and I love Ma & Pa shops, they're the backbone of business. You can tell they love what they do! 
 
 Friendly no pressure store. Good selection, from casual $$ to $$$$. I don't like jewelry shopping, but this was a pleasant experience. 
 
 I really 58 facets jewelry. Rick and Karen are so warm and nice. I always can find something special in there. ||||| Yelp just can't stop living the thug life. 
 
 Five years ago, I asked whether the popular review site was a shakedown racket for merchants. I quoted a number of small-business owners who said Yelp had threatened to run negative reviews more prominently if they didn't pay for advertising. 
 
 Jeremy Stoppelman, Yelp's chief executive, told me at the time that the San Francisco company doesn't strong-arm merchants. He blamed talk of shakedowns on disgruntled business owners spreading "false rumors." 
 
 I guess this is another one of those. 
 
 Rick Fonger, 62, decided a few years ago to end a career in journalism and move from Canada to Alhambra, where he opened a jewelry store. 
 
 "I've always been interested in gemstones and gemology," he said. "It was just something I wanted to do." 
 
 To give his shop, called 58 Facets Jewelry, a little social-media boost, Fonger spent about $300 a month advertising on Yelp. "It worked OK, not great," he said. 
 
 After six months, he decided to shift his limited marketing budget to direct mail. He canceled his Yelp ad in February. 
 
 The very next day, Fonger said, a Yelp employee called to say she wanted to help. She pointed out that competitors' ads were now appearing above the reviews for his store. 
 
 "She said that for $75 a month, she could make those ads go away," Fonger recalled. 
 
 He responded that this sounded a lot like extortion. 
 
 "She said she could understand why I'd think that," Fonger said. "But she said they do it to everyone." 
 
 As if that makes it OK. 
 
 "It certainly sounds like extortion," said Kevin Dean, president of WSI Net Advantage, a Fremont, Calif., Internet marketing firm. 
 
 "If Yelp just sold the ad space to someone else, fine," he said. "But to then call up and offer to make the ad go away for a price, that seems like an unscrupulous business practice." 
 
 I'll pause here to say that I think Yelp is a flawed but valuable consumer tool. I take the reviews on the site with a grain of salt, but it's a great place to get a quick pulse reading of people's opinions about restaurants, stores or other businesses. 
 
 That said, Yelp is a for-profit business itself, and it makes the bulk of its money from neighborhood merchants. About 83% of the company's nearly $71 million in revenue in the most recent quarter came from local ads. 
 
 This gives Yelp a powerful incentive to turn the screws on small businesses as much as it can. 
 
 Vince Sollitto, a Yelp spokesman, said that when the company's rep told Fonger that she could make competitors' ads go away for $75 a month, what she meant was that "you could buy out the ad space on your own page." 
 
 He said Yelp is doing the same thing that phone books do: selling ads that accompany related business listings. 
 
 The difference, of course, is that the Yellow Pages never told businesses they could pay extra to get rid of someone else's ad. 
 
 By offering this service, Yelp has introduced a more cutthroat approach to marketing, with itself as the broker for whose pitch is seen first by users of the site. 
 
 When I checked out the Yelp listing for Fonger's shop, an ad for a rival jewelry store appeared near the top of the page, undermining the influence of the nine five-star reviews that had been posted by customers. 
 
 Sollitto said he was surprised that Fonger likened the company's practices to extortion. He said Yelp is "all about connecting local businesses and consumers." 
 
 I asked how offering businesses a chance to pay a monthly fee for erasing a rival's ad was different from websites that post people's mug shots from arrests and then charge a fee to take them down. 
 
 Sollitto seemed offended that I'd even make such a comparison. 
 
 "Yelp has created a platform for sharing information," he said. "It's a discovery engine for small businesses." 
 
 And maybe he believes that. The reality, however, is that Yelp has created an online venue at which a merchant's competitors can post negative reviews and run their own ads. 
 
 Yelp then makes money by charging to downplay others' negative reviews and to keep rivals' ads away. 
 
 You know the old chestnut about succeeding in business by finding a need and filling it? Yelp succeeds by making a problem and then taking people's money to solve it. 
 
 This strikes me as an unfair business practice. But, so far, Yelp has weathered various lawsuits challenging its policies. "Their claims keep getting dismissed for lack of any fact-based evidence," Sollitto wrote last year on Yelp's blog. 
 
 I'm no lawyer, but I know a racket when I see one. Anybody who calls to say that you now have a problem but that they can make that problem go away for $75 a month isn't your friend. 
 
 Dean, the marketing consultant, said that Yelp is a fact of life for small businesses and that challenging the company's policies is going to be "a fight you're not going to win." 
 
 Instead, he advised companies to focus on Google and other online resources, and not lose sleep over any shenanigans Yelp might pull. 
 
 That's probably wise. But it doesn't excuse bad business behavior. 
 
 I asked Fonger how Yelp's tactics differed from, say, Tony Soprano's or Michael Corleone's. 
 
 "Well," he answered, "no one's come by to break my legs." 
 
 Then he thought about it a moment. "At least not yet." 
 
 David Lazarus' column runs Tuesdays and Fridays. He also can be seen daily on KTLA-TV Channel 5 and followed on Twitter @Davidlaz. Send your tips or feedback to david.lazarus@latimes.com.
– Rick Fonger, who owns a California jewelry store, used to advertise on Yelp. The day after he stopped, last month, a Yelp employee called to tell him that his competitors' ads were now showing up above the reviews on his store's Yelp page. "She said that for $75 a month, she could make those ads go away," Fonger tells David Lazarus at the Los Angeles Times. When Fonger told her that sounded like extortion, "She said she could understand why I'd think that. But she said they do it to everyone." A Yelp rep later explained to Lazarus that she was simply offering Fonger the opportunity to "buy out the ad space on [his] own page." The practice does sound like extortion to Lazarus, and to the expert he consulted. The Yelp rep "said Yelp is doing the same thing that phone books do: selling ads that accompany related business listings," Lazarus writes. "The difference, of course, is that the Yellow Pages never told businesses they could pay extra to get rid of someone else's ad." And therein lies the problem. Lazarus points out that other small-business owners have accused Yelp of threatening to make negative reviews more prominent if the owners didn't buy ads on the site. "Yelp succeeds by making a problem and then taking people's money to solve it," Lazarus writes. "I'm no lawyer, but I know a racket when I see one. Anybody who calls to say that you now have a problem but that they can make that problem go away for $75 a month isn't your friend." Click for his full column.