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Partylite - Unhappy Hostesses

Partylite • No merchandise! • Defective products • Unhappy hostesses • Miffed consultants • Apologists --- • More abour Multi-Level Marketing

Erin of Bow, WA (10/6/05)
I hosted a very successful Partylite show on Sept.27th totaling about $600. The consultant will not return my calls, the home office will not return my e-mails and I have yet to receive any of my ordered merchandise.

Some of my guests ordered $150-$200 worth of Partylite products. These are my friends and co-workers who trusted me to have an honest party and they are now disappointed. I am furious at the negligence this business has put on me as a hostess. I have contacted the home office FOUR times with no response.

Penelope of Cedar Falls, IA (10/12/05)
I had a party in July with friend and then decided that I wanted to have a "book party" so the consultant came to my house one day when she was in the area. My order was extended when my consultant cancelled her pick-up, so I assumed I had one more day to get one or two more orders.

However when I had called to let her know that all the money was in, she refused to come get it. She expected me to deliver the order to her home (in the next city), but I don't even have a car. Plus it not my responsibility to deliver the order to her - that's her job.

I have very angry friends who wanted Christmas gifts and can't get them.

Melissa of Westminster CO (10/4/03): When I attended a Partylite party at my mom's I was pretty impressed with the product and what the consultant showed herself as. Moving into a new home I signed up that night and became a full consultant in two weeks. During training I thought it kind of odd that the company did not want me to open a business account and would not accept my customers' checks but wanted me to take them, cash them into my own account and then write them a check from my account.

Doing as I was told I had my first $1200 show. When I called my leader she explained to me that I had to take my check and order forms to another leader's house, pay her $2.00 and leave my $1200.00 check in a cooler on her front porch! I was not comfortable leaving my check in a cooler on someone's porch open to the whole world! So I took the money and purchased a money order instead of a check and put it where I was told.

I reported my sales to my leader and thought all was good. WRONG! Two weeks later I received a message on my machine from my leader's secretary saying that the home office never received the money and that if I did not come up with $1200.00 in 24 hours and overnight it to home office that I would be arrested for stealing! I {very angry} called the secretary back and told her that it was a money order left, not a check, in that lady's box and that I would track it before I ever sent them more money!

I then called the lady that I was told to leave the money with and asked her if maybe she had it or if something happened. She yelled at me for blaming her and said she had already sent that cooler of orders and my order had never been put in there! She then called my leader and told her that I was harassing her! So with time ticking, I quickly contacted the bank that I got the money order from and tracked it. It was cashed two days after I put it in the cooler, in my home state. All other checks are sent and cashed at home office on the east coast.

So once I figured that out I called back my leader who refused to speak with me and just yelled into the phone over and over THIEF!!! Crying hysterically I called my dad who is a business owner, explained to him what was going on. He got a lawyer. We sent another order in with a check for $1200.00 from my dad's shop with a tracking number. Exactly 24 hours later I checked my sales on the computer and had not only the order I sent from my dad's shop but, amazingly, the original order as showing paid in full. This was exactly two days after I spoke with the lady that I left the money order with!

Once the show's shipped I accepted one of them and denied the other. This was two years ago and my lawyer is still fighting them for the second check back and for my commission off of the show. My lawyer also found out that the Rep that I left my money order with used it for her own personal shopping use! When confronted either she or my leader fronted up the money to cover themselves! She never was asked questions and home office told me that it was my fault and to never defy a leader above, especially as a new consultant!

I now have a new sales position with another company! Happy to say my income was double last year to my leader's income -- the one who would not help me and called me a thief! I will NEVER buy a Partylite product again. To those of you thinking about becoming a consultant, when they make it sound so easy and that you are joining not only a great company but a family, remember -- if it sounds too good it probably is!

Amy of Springfield PA (10/3/03):
I had a Partylite show on 4/9/2003. After a total of over $100 in orders were placed, the items were never received. Finally in June I persued my leader, Holly, about this. She said she had no idea where the orders were and she would call the company. Well, I called the company and they said Holly never placed any orders with my name as the hostess. So I called Holly up and demanded my money and my friends' and family's money back. After several weeks of that I finally got some money back but I am short $50. I have contacted Partylite and they don't respond.

Kate of Cleveland OH (9/29/03):
I had a sucessful party. I sold about $700.00 for my consultant. When I put in my order for my "free" items and "hostess specials" I forgot to type (we did everything e-mail, no personal conversations) or she forgot to order my hostess special sconces for a discount price. I asked her if she could order them and she said no, once the order is in I would have to pay full price.

I asked why, I was a hostess and they are hostess specials so what is the problem? I asked couldn't she call Partylite tell them what happened and give them to me for the hostess price. She said no, then sent me snotty emails about how I asked her to do something against Partylite's rules.

She sent back an email that I have a rude tone (on the emails - how is that possible?) and I need to find a new consultant. She also happens to be my boss' wife. She was so rude and inconsiderate. I had a high-money party for her, I made her money and she talked to me like I was not worth het time.

Robin of Avella PA (8/9/03):
I held a party for Partylite with Tammy Horst on May 4, 2003. The party totaled nearly $800! I have not received my free merchandise (almost $200 worth) and it is now August 8. I have tried contacting Tammy weekly but no one answers the phone or returns my messages. I contacted Partylite headquarters and they were nothing less than rude.

Tammy's manager contacted me soon after with the intentions of solving the problem but I have not heard from her in 3 weeks. How hard can it be to sell and distribute candles? Not only did Tammy make a 25% commission on this party, 2 other parties were booked and I also spent over $100 with the initial party order. I would like what I am entitled to. What a scam.

Lisa of Phoenix (8/1/02):
I attended a Partylite party almost a year ago, and Angie Day made hosting a party sound like such fun. She told us about all the free stuff we would receive and how beneficial it was to generate as many sales as possible prior to my party because of all the additional free products we would get.

Well I booked a party with Angie to help the current hostess boost her party revenues. I held my party on September 27, 2001. At my party, Angie got 4 more bookings to add to her pocketbook. After my party was over, she and I sat down and went over all the paperwork. What the sales had been and the parties that were booked. Angie told me that after all my bookings held, I would receive an additional $25.00 worth of free product for each of those 4 parties.(the last held just after Christmas)

In late January, after not hearing from Angie to finalize my account, I called her and left a message asking her to call me. She did NOT call. A couple weeks later I called again, and again the same response, NOTHING! I sent her a letter which she did respond to, however she called me at work (a cafe) right in the middle of lunch and it was impossible for me to talk because we were so busy. I asked her if she would call again in a couple hours when I would have the time to spend. She agreed, but she might just as well have fallen off the face of the earth, because I never heard from her again.

I called repeatedly for about a week then sent another letter. I was entitled to an additional $100.00 of free product because all four of my parties held and they were high dollar parties. In my last letter to Angie I told her that if she didn't contact me I would be forced to contact Partylite and complain about her. Well, it must be common knowledge that all my complaints would fall on deaf ears because even the thought of me contacting her employer didn't get her to call me.

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