The royal wedding is long over, but a B.C. monarchist still waiting for her souvenir of the big event says she's the victim of a royal rip-off.

Susan Greenwood, a transplanted Brit living in Nelson, ordered a ‘Royal Heirloom Ring' from a TV infomercial advertisement last summer and she's still waiting for it to arrive.

The silver ring is a replica of Princess Diana's famous engagement ring, advertised as "a beautiful simulated salon sapphire" which mimics the original quality of the piece.

The ring was selling for around $40. Greenwood was told the ring would arrive in six to eight weeks -- but six months later she's still waiting.

"I called again, she said it would be shipped immediately and it would be about three weeks -- so I waited a month and I called again," she said.

She called again in November, December and again in January. She was promised the ring would arrive no later than Feb. 8, but by March 15 it had still not arrived.

"I think somewhere somebody is going to the bank with bags of money from all these gullible people who want a ring like Kate Middleton," she said.

Items sold through TV infomercials are part of what's called a distance sales contract, according to Consumer Protection BC, who warns buyers to be careful.

"It's so crucial to read the fine print, and obviously when it's on TV you can barely see what's scrolling by," said Tatiana Chabeaux-Smith.

Greenwood waited too long to qualify for a refund on her Visa, so Steele on Your Side contacted the Royal Heirloom Ring vendors on her behalf.

The company claims her ring was delivered last September and suggests it was either lost or stolen. But the company does admit to making several mistakes with her order, and is promising to now make good.

The company said it would ship out a new ring and give her a refund of $10.

When it comes to getting a refund for a long-distance sales deal, the key is not to wait too long.

If you don't get the product within 30 days of when the business said you would -- you have a right to a refund.

Consumer Protection BC offers some tips about buying products from infomercials:

  • When seeing something advertised on TV that you want to purchase, try visiting the website first and reading all the fine print
  • Always reading the fine print in your contract and find out about your cancellation rights
  • Do business with a company you know and trust
  • Research a business before making a purchase
  • Check with your credit card provider to see if they are able to assist you if you don't receive the goods you paid for (on your credit card)
  • Be aware that there may be a time limit offered by your credit card around this so make sure you find out what that is

Watch CTV tonight for a full report from Lynda Steele, plus how to protect yourself when buying products on TV…