Jostens Review

Saturday, January 28th

2023 Class Ring Company Reviews

Jostens

• "A+" Better Business Bureau rating
• Payment plan options
• Lifetime warranty

Jostens originated in 1897 when a jewelry repairman named Otto Josten began helping high school students preserve the memory of their most important events. The company has expanded to offer products for preschool-age kids through college. They work with schools to provide yearbooks, sports championship swag, apparel, photography, class rings, and so much more. Jostens is one of the most comprehensive graduation and commencement retailers in the United States.

Options based on school

Jostens' selection of class rings is just for high school and college students. To view all the products and pricing, you'll have to provide the school you go to. You can sort the options by product, collection, style, metal, stone type, stone cut, stone ornament, and gender. There are hundreds of rings ranging from detailed and ornate to sleek, simple, and modern.

Payment plan options

The least expensive class rings you'll find start at about $250. If you upgrade to a premium metal like 10k, 14k, or 18k white or yellow gold, your ring can easily end up costing nearly $1,200. Periodically Jostens will offer discount codes that can help you save a bit on your class rings. At the time of this review, they were offering $40 off of all college jewelry. If you need to spread the cost of your class ring over a few months, you can sign up for the J-Pay payment plan, which is a credit card without interest, fees, or a required minimum deposit. It allows you to spread the cost of your class ring over 3 or 4 monthly payments.

One-of-a-kind personalizations

When you begin customization of your ring, you'll select the stone color you want, pick from a big list of unique side designs (depending on the chosen style) to represent sports and activities like band, debate, drama, cheerleading, or zodiacs, graduation years, and expressions. All class rings can be engraved and personalized to be one-of-a-kind.

4-6 week production time

Typically, jewelry production at Jostens is 4-6 weeks, but certain customizations may cause it to take slightly longer. Most class rings are delivered through the representative that works with your school and the standard rate shipping for this is $7.99.

No clear return policy

We are disappointed by the lack of information Jostens gives about a return policy. We assume, like with most other retailers, that you can't send back your ring for a full refund simply because you decide you don't like it. However, they just say if you're unsatisfied that you need to contact customer service. You can change your order within 5 business days without a change fee, otherwise you'll be charged $25. If you want to cancel your order, this can be done within 5 business days without a fee, but if you cancel after the 5 days are up it will cost you $100.

Lifetime warranty

Every class ring from Jostens comes with a lifetime warranty. This means that if you need your ring cleaned or polished, need the antique finish re-applied, or need the birthstone replaced, Jostens will take care of it at no cost.

Less than satisfactory reviews

Jostens has a solid "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau, but they have mixed customer reviews. One of the biggest issues seems to be when people need to work with customer service. They are hard to get a hold of and it's not easy to get a straight answer in regards to issues with orders. Some people say that there are quality issues with graduation products and shipping often takes longer than expected. Of course, there are people who have had a seamless experience, but the majority of online reviews are less than satisfactory. Because of this, we've dropped Jostens down in the rankings and given them an average rating for class ring retailers.