I have purchased many items from Carat over the years and always been reasonably happy with the product and service however; this year I feel compelled to warn others of their appalling customer service. I ordered two sets of earring as xmas gifts on the 13 Dec in good time for these to be delivered as xmas presents. There was no indication on the site or in any correspondence that the order was facing stock issues. On the afternoon of the 23rd Dec, having chased the order, I was informed that one of the earring sets would not be delivered until the 17th Jan! Whilst I fully accept that stocks do run out, Carat must realise that an order placed in Mid Dec is likely to be a Xmas present and if stock is an issue they should warn customers or inform them as soon as they know there is an issue in satisfying that order in time. Leaving it until it is too late for someone to source an alternative xmas present (when they have sat on an order for 10 days) is unacceptable customer service. My advice is to stay clear of Carat if you are ordering a gift against an important date. There are many other jewellery providers who are more caring of their customer needs and service. This has spoiled a Xmas present for a very special person and is the last time I will ever use Carat. I would also add that I have seen a sharp increase in complaints against Carat in recent months so I see this as a trend and not a one-off. Be careful.