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Royal Prestige Cookware

Royal Prestige News • Hy Cite Settles California Consumer Charges ... Again • Complaints Resolved, Company Claims • Hy Cite Settles Calif. Suit • Texas Settles with Royal Prestige In-Depth Report: A Royal Rip-Off? • Promises, Promises (Español) • Complaints Resolved? • States Take Action • Tips From the Chef Consumer Complaints • General Complaints Company Response • A Message from Hy Cite Corp. The Pitch • Bridal Fairs • Cookware "Party" • "Free Prizes" • "Free Trip" • Longtime Owners The Deal • Cancellation Provisions • Contract Language • Returns Policy • Repair Service • Unauthorized Charges

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:

Barry of Mechanicsville, VA May 13, 2008

Barry of Mechanicsville VA (05/13/08)
Well, to use my wife's words, I'm an idiot. I figured when we received a call saying we won a free trip there was going to be somekind of sales pitch, but I gathered my resolve and sat through it. While the salesman is showing chicken and broccoli burning in his pans, he's telling us of the deadly effects of teflon pans. Alas, a miricle in engineering has provided a secure and safe way to feed the family, the Royal Prestige line of cookware. My wife looks at me all glassy eyed and silently indicates her desire. My gut says no, but when she holds her hand to her belly, I have been taken out of the decision all together. Along with every husband/father to be in that room.

The pans: not worth the price, but not complete crap, I'd say 100 at Wal*Mart for a comparable set. The salesman: a complete liar. Number on card, wrong. Warranty: incomplete, inneffective, not as advertised, worthless. Sanitation of pans: Horrendous. The people you see on this site telling you about heating the pan first are people from RP. It's crap, even the video disk they send you doesn't describe this method. And don't get me started about the eggs.

The financing is a joke, but you'd kind of come to expect that nowadays. We paid it off in two months, and just set this story back in our minds as newly-wed idiot decision #23. If you are just coming home from the presentation, return it, cancel it, something but do it now. Send everything by certified letter, and do not ever fall for this stuff again!

Bruce of Fairfax, VA May 11, 2008

Bruce of Fairfax VA (05/11/08)
I bought Royal Prestige Pots and Cutlery over 18 years ago. My wife and I really enjoy using the pots for our everyday cooking needs. The cutlery went with my first wife and I am not sure how they are holding up. The pots do not hold up very well over time. The handles came apart on the frying pan, and the tops pressure top all have broken off. I replaced a pot at one time, about 8 years ago, thinking it was warranted. I had to pay for the replacement (I don't know how I was duped but I thought I did something wrong in returning it). Since then I did not try and replace anything else.

The cost of the replacement was not at 50% as described in the warranty. I paid full price for a replacement 8 quart pot. i do not trust the 50 year warranty and I suggest that you do not either. Stick with the brick and mortar establishments when spending this type of money for a product. You will be happier with the warranty process.

Steph of Mantua, NJ April 6, 2008

Steph of Mantua NJ (04/06/08)
When my now husband and I went to the presentation, the sales man used all these scare tactics about the risks of teflon pans, and my husband being the health nut that he is, walked right into the trap.

So when we were signing papers we were told that is was one year interest free...what i did not ask was what the interest rate was after the year, it ended up being a whopping 25 percent!!

Also I specifically asked the sales man if I could return the items if I was unsatisfied, his answer...yes!

Well in the end I wanted to return the pans because everything burned and stuck to the pan, even if it was really greased!!! But of course I was told I had three days from the signing of the contract to return but it took 3 weeks for us to even get the pans!!! I eventually had to pay the remaining balance in full and they would drop any interest paid when I made treats of reporting their untruthful sales tactics...and the salesman's number on his business card...a wrong number!!!

In the end I had to shell 1800 dollars out at once to avoid anymore interest and I have a whole set of pots that I never use

Sharon of Redmond, OR March 27, 2008

Sharon of Redmond OR (03/27/08)
Woman named Cathy from Gatewaybride.com called to tell us our daughter had won a contest. She never entered a contest. Was told she had won a trip but would have to pay airfare and attend a presentation in Medford, Oregon to claim her prize. I looked this up on consumer affairs.com and found the company they represent (royal prestige cookware) is a scam. How can this be stopped?

Caused emotional distress.

Lesley of Pasadena, CA March 27, 2008

Lesley of Pasadena CA (03/27/08)
My fiance and I went to a presentation and were promised the world and that this was a good product. We bought. We then received our product and when I used the bakeware, the cookie sheets bent all up, popping up in the middle and causing food to fall into the bottom of my stove. The pots were terrible and the food stuck to every pan I had. When I called to return the product I got nothing. I was told someone would be calling me and no one every did.

I refused to pay and it still on my credit report today.

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