A woman refuses to accept a $38 engagement ring from her fiancé, who earns six figures

On October 24, 2024By Yukito

The woman doubts whether she made the right decision by refusing an engagement ring from her fiancé, because the price was not adequate to his earnings at work.

In a comment on the r/AITAH subreddit, the 27-year-old said she was disappointed with the engagement ring she received due to its poor quality, and decided to tell her fiancé that she didn’t want it at all.

A woman refused to accept Temu’s $38 engagement ring from her fiancé because he could afford something much nicer.

My fiancé proposed to me a few weeks ago. It completely surprised me, but we’ve been together for 3 years and everything is going great. So I was very excited and said yes! – she began in her Reddit post.

She explained that when she first looked at the ring, she thought it was fine, and most of her friends also complimented how “stunning” it was.

a man proposes to a woman with a ring Romantic Studio | Shutterstock

She described it as an oval cutout with “diamonds” on the back.

When the woman initially asked her fiancé where he bought the ring, he seemed reluctant to tell her. However, he assured that he gained a lot from it.

She assumed he bought it from a jeweler who gave him a big discount. But one night, as they lay in bed, she asked him, mostly out of curiosity, whether the stone in the ring was a diamond or a moissanite.

He claimed he didn’t know but would check, and when she glanced at his phone to check, she was shocked to find out he was browsing the Temu app.

Ago is an online marketplace similar to eBay and Etsy, offering deep discounts on many products. However, the company faced a lot of criticism from consumers who complained about undelivered packages, mysterious fees, incorrect orders and poor customer service.

Additionally, many of their products are not always of the highest quality, and purchasing an engagement ring from this site may not have been the best idea.

When the woman confronted her fiancé about purchasing a ring from Temu, he became upset that she was bothered by it.

“I asked him if he got it from there, but he didn’t answer. So I asked again and he replied something like, “Does it matter?” and left the room (to) sleep on the couch,” she continued.

“I spent the whole night confused. Today I decided to download the app and check my ring and I found one that looked identical.”

After finding the ring, she noticed that the price was only $38, which made her even more angry and confused as to why her fiancé would buy something as monumental as an engagement ring from someone like Temu.

She stressed that money had nothing to do with his decision, considering he earns six figures in his job and could have spent a bit more on such an important gift.

While almost everything about purchasing an engagement ring is subjective, according to a 2023 study by theknot, the average cost of an engagement ring for couples buying in the US is $5,500. It was certainly more than the woman’s fiancé spent, but more disturbing than the price was the fact that her future husband had not taken her preferences into account when making such an important purchase.

man choosing an engagement ring in a store Drazen Zigic | Shutterstock

Of course, it’s easy to argue that money shouldn’t really matter when it comes to something like an engagement ring. There’s nothing wrong with spending $38 on this ring or going to a thrift store, vintage store, or even a consignment store to find the perfect ring.

His main concern should have been a ring that would reflect his fiancée’s style and stand the test of time – just like the lifelong commitment they had made.

He didn’t have to spend thousands of dollars on it, but given the importance of the opportunity, he could have chosen something more durable from a reputable dealer.

If he was buying his partner costume jewelry, that’s one thing, but jewelry as important as an engagement ring should require a little more thought.

Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news and lifestyle writer whose work delves into the issues and experiences of modern times.