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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:
Amanda of Cheyenne, WY March 11, 2009
Amanda of Cheyenne WY (03/11/09)
First they got my husband by saying we will give you a FREE 3 day Cruise. So he had bought This Stainless steel pots and pans along with steak knifes...under the impression that they were lifetime warrantied. That was wrong my steak knife broke and they did not replace it.And that the food would taste better and they were non stick wrong! they got us with payments of 51.32 a month with a21% apr! well the story goes I was taken! I could not get out of my contract nor did they let me send it in if I was not happy!
so After paying All these years I asked if I could make them a deal since I had paid over 3000.00 for these items and had to pay them another 2100.00 to get out of debt to them. Trust me I am letting every one know how bad they treated me! Oh and when they would call all they spoke was spanish to me I am an American that talks English only.
Well now I have to get them paid so I can send my kid to college. and they are no different than a good set of pots and pans from Kmart! But they are sure harder to clean! Ashley of Temple, TX March 8, 2009
Ashley of Temple TX (03/08/09)
My fiance and I attended a bridal show in Austin, Texas and did the sign up for free stuff. We got a call saying we had won a free trip and all we had to do was come back to Austin to listen to a seminar reguarding a healthier lifestyle. So, because we are college students, we attended so taht we could get the trip as our honeymoon. So, soemhow we went from a topic about our heath to pots and pans? So, it was a 2 hr seminar about pots and pans and how fabulous they were. A demonstration was performed and we were given samples of chicken and vegetables to try.
My fiance was sold on the idea, however I was skeptable, nothing in a sales pitch has ever been 100% authenitc, if it was, then why have to pitch your product. So, we were not going to get anything, then we were hounded and hounded and basically werenot allowed to leave more or less. They kept sending sales assoc to us to try to talk us into the product and when we would say, we just want the trip, then another assoc would come talk to us. We did break down after the 3rd assoc, and decided to purchase. 1300 later, we received 3 pots with 3 lids and an incomplete knife set. My fiance was excited to use the stuff as soon as we got it.
It did not work or cook as it did in the presentation. It burned the bottom, stuck, and then discolored after trying to clean it. The knifes are supposed to be rust proff however, the first time one was put into the dishwasher, also suppose to be dishwasher friendlt, they rusted! I called and emailed the company about our displeasure and just wanted to return the stuff. Of course, no returns allowed. R. Perkin called and said he needed to do a cooking session with us to show us how to use the pots adnthat there are no returns ever allowed. And that if there was damage to the pots due to my cooking then they couldnt be returned for new ones under the guidelines of the contract.
I am 32 yrs old and my fiance is 30 yrs old, I have been cooking with pots and pans for over 15 yrs and I have never had a pot burn as bad as these do, over and over and over again, on any heat temp. The cooking spray doesnt even help. Everything sticks and the pots are still discolored from all of the burns and stickings. So we are stuck with these horrible pots and cant do anything to rectify this situation.
We have stopped paying for them. I even tried to send them back to the company and they were refused and sent back to us. It si the nightamre of the never ending pot scam! Renee of North Vancouver, BC March 6, 2009
Renee of North Vancouver BC (03/06/09)
I attended the seminar in Ocotber of 2008. I was excited to receive the free gift and thought that i was I was smart enough to resist a high pressure sales pitch. Boy do i regret it all now! They sold me the 10 peice set plus free gift knife set. i received vouches for 'free gifts'. they all require a 50 or more payment of some kind before you get your free trips. I specifically asked the sales person how much the interest rate was? he said 2%. It is 2% A MONTH! for a total of 24%! i have excellent credit and definitely would normally qualify for a better rate than that.
I called them when the pots would not clean. they are heavy and too expensive and I wanted a refund. The US people said call the Canada sales office. I called Kari in Canada, she said to return the affected pots for review and they would tell me what is wrong with them. I don't want to know what is wrong with them. they burn my food and take 20 mins. per pot to clean and dont' get clean in a dishwasher. I want my money back!!
Kari told me not to send the pots back to the office as they would just send them right back to me. No i can't decide what to do. Do i pay out the balance to my low interest credit card?? do I fight the charges? Do i continue to return the damaged pots over and over? I wish i had all day and all the money in the world to take themn to court for selling crappy products and lying about them. Also, my payments per month are 130. of that 65 is admin fees and interst. I have not seen the remaining balance move yet.
Also, my payments per month are 130. of that 65 is admin fees and interst. I have not seen the remaining balance move yet. TOTAL REMAINING BALANCE ON MARCH 6, 2009 IS 3000 Amber of Des Moines, IA February 21, 2009
Amber of Des Moines IA (02/21/09)
I too was contacted that I had won 3 wonderful prizes. My fiance and I went to the presentation expecting this cheesy and not good product. While there is got on my blackberry and confronted the sales rep with all the questions that people were complaining of. Most all complaints that I read were that people couldnt afford what they had bought in the first place. No one should make a commitment that they are unable to make. I have not yet recieved my cookware that we ordered but I look forward to it.
We spoke with the sales rep, who was very polite and honest. He was thrown off by some of our questions but was honest throughout. He reported that there was no return policy. If you buy them than you are stuck with them. He also told us that depending on our credit is what our interest rate would be. He said the intrest rate is usually between 12 and 27%. Hugely high but he was honest. We asked how things are handled if we have a complaint. He stated that there is an office here in our town that would handle the complaints. Not some foreign country. He said that as long as we watch the DVD and follow it, we should have no problem. If we do have a problem, they will try to fix it over the phone then they will send someone out to try to help us. If something changes after the time we get our cookware I would be glad to post something different but from what I can read from the complaints posted here is that people got in over their heads in the first place or didnt know how to use the product.
Ingrid of Los Angeles, CA February 17, 2009
Ingrid of Los Angeles CA (02/17/09)
they put my account in collections, for non-payment. But I still have the company's representative(the one that sold the product) outside my house Harrassing me for payment. He's always parked outside waiting for me to come home.the other day he saw me and said that the company sent him. I'm already in collections, so I dont understand why they still come by? He tried to work out paymt arrangements, so I gave him a post dated check which I will be cancelling, just so that they will leave me alone.
I'm willing to return the mechandise if they are willing to remove me from collections. all I want is to stop coming to my house and harrassing me. thanks hope you can help.
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