New Era Cookware

Cheri of Spearfish SD writes (5/18/02):
I received a call from Rick telling me I had won a Turkey Roaster from his drawing he held at the Spearfish Home Show and along with that I also won a catered dinner from Pro Health for myself, my husband and 2 other couples. Then I received a letter stating there were no strings attached and "they" would cook, serve and clean up. Little did I know, I was allowing a salesman in my home, unannounced.

I enjoyed the dinner. With all his smooth talking, my husband and I bought the cookware to the tune of $1500.00. We didn't receive all the peices with the shipment, one piece was broke, and then when we did get the rest of our order, it was the wrong items, items that Rick said were out of date and no longer sold by his company. About 8 weeks after we ordered the cookware we received all pieces.

The food processor doesn't stay on its stand, the suction cups don't stay sealed to the counter. The handles on the cookware pieces are always loose and it takes me more time to clean up than it did when we had T-Fal pans. One of Rick guarantees was that this cookware would get me out of the kitchen faster to spend more time with my family. Yeah, it does alright, because I have to let the cookware soak overnight in order to clean it more easily.

Then, I thought maybe I could start cooking and selling this cookware, I was wrong. I attended a few of his dinners for training and what I witnessed was horrible. He cooked for a caterer here in town and she had already purchased the cookware and this was a demo for her friends. When we arrived, she was very sad because the pancake gridle she purchased was charred and she felt like a failing mother because she couldn't cook pancakes for her husband and kids. Rick told her she was doing everything wrong and told her how she should be cooking and then cleaned her pan, which took him a good 15-20 minutes to get all the burnt batter off.

Then after she left the room, he said, "Well, I'm sorry but we don't have a money back guarantee. You buy them and that's it, you have to learn to use them right." Needless to say, I didn't have the drive to sell this cookware anymore. To this day I curse under my breath everytime I use the cookware and sign the check to send to the finance company. I contacted the phone number listed on the help video that is supposed to reach the president of the company, but that phone number goes directly to Equitable Finace Corp, and they can't transfer you to anyone who works in the New Era Office. They won't even have someone call you back. You can't return the pans because they won't take them back!

I have cookware that doesn't work as guaranteed, waterless & oiless. I am paying $1500.00 and it's financed at 21.9%. My husband and I both feel cheated. We cold have gone to Wal-Mart and bought new pans from them and if we weren't satisfied we could have returned them and paid 3% of what New Era charged us.

Susan of St. Charles, MO, writes:
After going to a demo on this cookware, I was impressed and purchased the items. The handles come loose so often, I have a screwdriver in the kitchen. They are extremely hard to clean. Food burns quickly on low heat. The "stack cooking" feature is a joke. Cookware bought at Walmart lasts longer, is better made, and costs a fraction of New Era.

I feel "taken." I get so frustrated when I have to use these for anything.

Ralph of Kissimmee, FL, writes:
We had Tony J. come to our house and demostrate New Era cookware which we decided to purchase. Upon recieving cookware we used them and were not satisfied with them. We contacted Tony who came out to help us use them.

We then used them the following day and still was not satisfied. We then contacted Tony to return items but he said we could not through him and we would have to contact the finance company which I did with no success.

I then contacted the manufacturer which would not accept them back and said I had to go through my salesman. I have had no success.

This cookware was demo'd to me as waterless and oilless cookware which they are not and to also save time on how fast they cook. The clean-up is twice as long all of this for $1,600.

They will not take cookware back and say they are going to charge it off and ruin our credit.

David of Lacombe, LA, agrees:
New Era Cookware was sold to me by someone called Sam, who ran mail order about ten years ago, with claims to be waterless and oilless. I confirm what I have seen posted on the web, that it isn't. It is also hard to clean. And the handles come off, and also break.

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