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Royal Prestige cookware, water filters and other household goods are manufactured by the Hi Cite Corporation and sold through a nationwide network of distributors, who use the "party plan" and "person-to-person" methods -- meaning bridal fairs, "seminars" and so forth.
The company says it has instituted new policies to prevent unsavory practices by its distributors and has submitted a statement explaining its policies and practices (full text of the company's statement).
It's up to consumers to make the right decision. The company says it has improved its practices, but some consumers are still unhappy. Here are a few of the more recent complaints (and compliments) we've received:
Sidney of Biloxi, MS July 8, 2008
Sidney of Biloxi MS (07/08/08)
I submitted one complaint already, but I forgot to mention a false promise. In order to get us to listen to the presentation, my girlfriend and I had to drive to mobile, al with the promise of a free vacation. Naturally we never recieved it.
Sidney of Biloxi, MS July 7, 2008
Sidney of Biloxi MS (07/07/08)
I was 18 at the time, and a Royal Prestige Salesperson showed a demonstration to my girlfriend and I. I cosigned on the account after hearing the long spill about the health problems linked to other products and how much better they are. I was told food wouldn't stick, it was healthier, it wouldn't cause health problems like those associated with teflon. (He went into great detail about the health risk of teflon and other cookware) Being so young I signed a contract after hearing this salesperson tell me how much my health was at risk.
After me and my girlfriend seperated, the pots and pans went out of my mind. Then about two months ago a lawyer contacted me wanting payment for these in excess of 2000.00 dollars. I don't feel like this is right. I was lied to about the product, I was 18, and only a cosigner. I have some lawyer calling me threatning to sue. I have a wife and child now. I tried making payments, but they wanted way more than was possible.
My wife called and tried to arrange payment, since interest was still racking up. They told her that the company wouldn't let us set up any kind of payment plan. That interest (over 20%) would keep compounding until I paid it off. And she also said that I told her that I had the pots and pans and would be solely responsible for paying the debt. I don't have the pots and pans and they are in both mine and my exes name. I never agreed to paying anything fully.
I don't mind paying my debts when the product preforms and I'm not being charged astronomical amounts. I was only a joint on the account. I can't afford to pay huge amounts each month, or to have interest pile up, or have my accounts garnished. I have a family now.
My credit has a black mark on it. I being threatned about being sued. Interest is still compounding and they won't try to work with me in any way. Nicole of Fargo, ND June 26, 2008
Nicole of Fargo ND (06/26/08)
We attended a presentation in June 2006 and were very excited and quite impressed by the presenter and his presentation. He wasn't pushy at all and was very informative. We purchased about 2300 worth of pots and pans and they arrived in a timely manner. Everything works just fine, we have no issues with the product. However, one of the huge reasons we bought this product was because we were told several times that we could set up a payment plan and when we paid everything off we would receive the full interest back to use however we liked. Well it came to the point where I was able to pay off the entire bill and I asked about the interest and when I would receive the money back. HyCite laughed at me and said that the information I received was incorrect and they never refund the finance charge. I really wished I would've kept the sales man's card because I had words for him.
It's very disappointing when you spend that much of your hard earned money only to be told that what you were promised is a lie. If we were told that in the first place we would have never purchased this expensive product. Bryan of Danville, IN June 9, 2008
Bryan of Danville IN (06/09/08)
I feel as though I have been conned by the regional sales representative from Royal Prestige who covers the Indianapolis area. After holding a meeting at the Mariot on Allisonville road, the sales man had me fill out two applications. His reason being so was that I was a student and I would have lower payment rates if I filled out the other contract. So I did, and I have now discovered that he left the other contract on the floor in the hotel. I found this our because somebody had called me and said they had found my contract with my name, address, social security number, date of birth, and phone number on it. Everything needed to steal my identity. I have also called today (the same day I signed the contract) and left a message at their number telling them to cancel my order. However, if it is not cancelled in 72 hours, I will be forced to pay them the 1,700. I am complaining that the salesman lied to me concerning the intrest rate on the contract, and that he left my contract with all of my identity on the floor of a hotel. I want to be sure this never happens again. Carlos of Springfield, MA June 2, 2008
Carlos of Springfield MA (06/02/08)
My mother attended a free Blood Pressure Screening offered at her low income housing building. Besides the free screening, she was pressured into buying a 500.00 water filter by the boyfriend or husband of the lady performing the screening. I may never have found out about this situation had it not been for the next chapter of this unfortunate story.
The salesman that sold her the filter about two months ago called her on May 1, 2008 and asked if he could come visit her to perform a so-called service check on the filter. When he arrived he didn't even so much as ask about the filter, what he proceeded to do was pressure my mother into buying a 700.00 frying pan! She told me about his visit the following day and I immediately proceeded to cancel the purchase according to the terms specified in this lengthy contract that she signed which contained more wording than a recent contract I signed to buy a 17,000.00 car!
I cancelled the order by phone with the customer service department; I used the cancellation form on their contract as well as sending a certified letter in which I also complained about their sales practices. The company never delivered the frying pan but has now billed her for it and despite my requests that they stop soliciting my mother for further sales, they continue attempts to contact her. I am in the process of filing a complaint with the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General and I am also contacting the consumer advocacy division of a local news channel and anybody else who will help put a stop to these con artists.
My mom and many of the other residents of her building are on fixed incomes and can't afford being taken advantage of by these predator sales people. I find it ironically sickening that they are using Blood Pressure Screening as their ticket to access their next victim because when people discover what they are getting into, the screeners are assured repeat visits to monitor the high blood pressure from the sales scams that they are perpetrating!
My mom is apparently bound to paying off a 500.00 filter with 18% interest charges and we are now battling the removal of the unauthorized 700.00 charge for the frying pan that wasn't even delivered!
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