Complain about a product or service

Royal Prestige Cookware

Royal Prestige 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 News • Complaints Resolved, Company Claims • Hy Cite Settles Calif. Suit • Texas Settles with Royal Prestige In-Depth Report: A Royal Rip-Off? • Promises, Promises (Espa�ol) • Complaints Resolved? • States Take Action • Tips From the Chef

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 (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 (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 (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 (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 (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!

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 (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 (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 (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 (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.

Cory of Shrewsbury MA (03/16/08)
I purchased a set of their pots and pans and have not had a problem with them. It does take a while to get used to using them. They are not like your mom's pots. They are very expensive, and I don't believe that regular cookware is as bad as they say it is. The gift certificate is junk; and the trip isn't much better, but I do like the pots and pans.

Rob of Mchenry IL (03/09/08)
I understand the complaints about the high pressure sales tactics and the financing issues. My wife and I bought ours ten years ago and went through that stuff (I just used my own financing). However anyone who is having problems using these pots and pans does not know how to read. There are ways of making sure things don't burn like preheating the pots and keeping the flame/temp down. I have had this stuff for ten years and they still look good and work great. Anyone who believes in this day and age that a salesman is telling you the truth and that you will get something for free is deluding themselves. The tactics they use are bad and the prices are high, but there is nothing wrong with my cookware.

Stacey of Westmont IL (03/06/08)
My fiance and I received a call saying we'd won a free trip and $500 gift certificate. They said all we had to do was sit through a presentation about cookware--no pressure to buy. Well, I was stupid enough to believe it wasn't a scam, and we went. The presentation was all about how normal cookware is dangerous to your health and that this Royal Prestige stuff was not going to harm you. We were impressed and decided to sign up for one of their packages. BIG MISTAKE. When we got home later that night, I Googled these people and found out that their presentation was all a lie and that the cookware is terrible. The trips are not really free, and the gift certificate for $500 is to some awful site that only offers a limited selection of plain JUNK. You have to pay astronomical shipping fees just to get something with your certificate. I immediately began to panic and was frantic to find a way to get out of the contract for the bad cookware. Luckily I read the contract thoroughly and saw that since we bought the stuff off site, we had three days to submit something in writing that we did NOT want the stuff.

I read through everything several times to make sure I knew what we needed to do: fill out the form on the back of the contract and send them something in writing that you no longer wish to purchase the cookware. We filled it out that night, and I rushed to the copy place to make copies of everything we had to send to them. In addition to the form, I wrote my own letter stating very specifically and clearly that we did not want their stuff, EVER. Copies of the contract and our finance form accompanied everything. The next day I went to the post office and mailed it all out next-day mail with tracking numbers and everything. The $20 fee at the post office was worth getting out of that contract.

Do not let this happen to you. 21st Century Todays Bride and ROYAL PRESTIGE are a huge scam. Do NOT go to their presentations or believe anything they say. Read the contract completely because they will probably lie to you. I regret ever going to that presentation, but am so grateful that we were able to get out of the mess. We were able to get out of the contract, so the only damage was considerable worry and stress over the whole situation. I just wish that there was some way those people could be stopped forever. No one deserves the hardship they cause.

Nikeda of Hartford CT (03/04/08)
I was called and told I was a prize winner and was never called back about what it was exactly that I won. The information was something about a wedding package.

John of Staten Island NY (02/28/08)
i have also purchased a set of these pots and i think the are amazing. i have owned my pots fot over two years and use them every day.. i think people should learn to cook on stainless steel pots before buying a set of them..i have also had no problems with my financing with hycite finance..i just think people that don't know how to use these pots correctly do not like them and try to get their money back. people fail to realize that these pots are 9 ply construction and vaccuum sealed therefore they hold heat longer so if THEY cannot regulate temp. in a pot its not the pots fault. as far as sticking if you heat the pan to the proper temp. the food won't stick. please feel free to contact me on any aspect of this matter.

Genoveva of Hereford TX (02/27/08)
In early January of 08 I received a phone call from a lady claiming that my husband was a finalist in a contest called Casa de su suenos (House of your dreams) that supposedly had been advertised about on Telemundo and that all we needed to do was to go to the Holiday Inn here in town and that there was nothing to buy. Well come to find out it was a presentation for this cookware. My husband and I are both Hispanic but are not very fluent with Spanish and this meeting was all Spanish.

They claimed that we were killing ourselves with the cookware we were using and kept asking us that didn't we want our children to be healthy...well of course we said yes and were scared and feeling guilty about all of the chemicals that we were supposedly feeding our kids so we signed up for the 10 pc cookware after being persuaded. We had explained to Mr. Alvarado that we didn't have the money for the down payment and that maybe we would try again once we were more financially stable BUT he kept on pushing for us to borrow money or a credit card from a friend or family member all while filling out the application for us, we signed it and he told us that he would call us in a few days to see if we had gotten the money, he gave us some envelopes just in case we got it and we were on our way.

I never heard from him after that. He did tell me that I had until the 24th of January to send the yellow cancellation slip with our signatures and I did just that. Now just yesterday (February 25th) he came to my home asking what had happened. I told him that I had cancelled and he said that I couldn't. He began to talk about my husband and I being people of our word and that our credit was going to be ruined. For one, I never gave him any down payment and second we sent in the cancellation slip on the 24th as he had said. We never got any merchandise or billing statments. So, are we still bound to this application/contract? He is supposed to call me back tomorrow.

I feel that this man is going to keep on harassing me until I give him the money, he kept asking me do you have at least $50.00. I had to explain to him that my husband is a truck driver and that he takes the money with him, which I don't think was any of his business but didn't want to cause any trouble as I had small children in my home.

Elsa of Tampa FL (02/25/08)
My grandmother sent in her initial payment of $200.00, then changed her mind and they are totally dismissing her. She is 87 yrs old, on a fixed income and these people wont help her.

She didn't know what she was getting into and she's on a fixed income so this will hurt her financially.

Tina of Raleigh NC (02/22/08)
I have similar issues as others about Royal Prestige: The free trips and other prizes for sitting in the seminar. The high percentage rates and the cookware that does not do as presented. It was just another bill that I wish my husband and I would have never agreed to because we don't even use the cookware, and it doesn't work as stated in the presentation. I was very disappointed in the whole Royal Prestige presentation. After reading this article, it's making me even angrier. I would not recommend any friends or family to fall for this trick of presentation.

I am a stay at home mom looking for a full time job again. The interest rate is expensive, and they both have us listed on our credit reports when only one of us filled out the application.

Kelly of Lawrenceville GA (02/20/08)
We were basically pressured into purchasing the cookware. We were told it was going to be something we would use forever..however, after further researching a few days later(since we were told we couldn't get the seminar sale if we waited) I am ver yunhappy with what i have found out. i tried to cancel, but i was told i couldn't.

Sheyla of Los Angeles CA (02/19/08)
My mom, my sister and I went to one of those meetings Royal Prestige organizes. My mom was told that she was eligible to win a Car (red truck, i cant recall what brand) so we ended up at the place and we watched the presentation and all the good qualities of their plates. at the end of this orientation, my mom was approached by one of the vendedores and thats when i knew my mom felt shy (intimitaded)and this person (lady) just started to pressure my mom (by talking and talking and trying to convince my mom)next thing we know a manager or supervisor came and stood aside of the lady and he started talking and convincing my mom as well. So my mom was being pressured my by two ppl now)my sister and i didnt say much.

I just watched this person and payed close attention i did butt in to ask my mom if she was sure about it. I knew she wasnt convinced but unfortunately she gave in. what i recall is that they asked for my moms information such as name adress etc. also 3 phone numbers of friends or relatives, and had to leave at least $40-100 dollars. and asked where she worked. i dont recall them saying what was on the contract and they didnt give her time to go over it. the lady did mention that someone will appear at our home to tell my mom how to properly wash the plates (which this person never showed up).

At the end they gave my mom a card to fill out to be eligible for the car and told her to watch the show El gordo y la Flaca to see if we win. Couple days later, her order shows up. my mom wants to return them and makes phone calls but no response. she gets billed for the first payment, she pays it even though she has not used the plates and are still sitting inside the package box up to this day! She does not want those plates and she does not want to have them. she's not using them so then shes not paying. and wants someone to pick them up.

NOW, my mom is being sued by Royal Prestige and is being harrassed (including me) by an attorney and a guy who keeps pressuring my mom to drop of money to some persons account and calling to tell my mom that someone is going to come to our house to pick up the money. i find it all wierd that they are just pressuring and pressuring my mom to give an amount of money to them. i find all of this very tormenting and it gets me mad. i had a bad gut feeling about it from the start and... i was right.

Elizabeth of Alexandria KY (02/17/08)
My fiancee and I went to a seminar at The Courtyard Marriott in Florence, KY in April 2006. We were only going to receive our guaranteed free vacation (that we never ended even taking) but were talked into purchasing pots and pans for a total of $2000.00. Our sales guy Tom went on and on about cancer and diseases and the length of our lives by using regular cookware. We were stunned by the provided information and decided to go through with a purchase. We put no deposit down. After receiving our pots and pans we were very excited to put them to use and start eating healthier and provide our two children with lengthier lives and healthier food.

Trust me when I say THEY DO NOT WORK!! Our food didn't cook correctly and clean up was definitely not as simple as Tom had demonstrated (another one of the reasons we even wanted them. Clean up was to be a breeze!) The food we prepared or tried to anyway would stick and burn. There were nights I would have to pull out my old cookware and start dinner all over again just so we could still have dinner.

Within a week of trying to use these great pots and pans we decided to call Tom and explain our situation. He said there was nothing he could do. I tried calling the so called customer service line and ask if we could return the merchandise and stop payments. They said no, of course. After about nine or so months of keeping up our payments we decided we weren't going to pay anymore. The pots and pans have been on my porch in a box for almost a year. I refuse to bring them back in my house. I get calls and letters threatening to get sued for non-payment. Oh and on our invoices would be a total balance that never went down from the original balance of $2000.00 and when I asked Tom about that he said it was because the 9 months that we did make payments was for the interest, not the pots and pans. We feel very manipulated and even a little stupid for believing Tom's sales pitch. BUYER BEWARE!

We have two small children, one of which has been sick since birth. The months that we did pay for the merchandise could have been used towards more important bills such as our child's medical problems. Now I may be getting sued for merchandise that doesn't work and is pretty much junk. It's a scary thought!

Mercedes of Lawrence MA (02/15/08)
The sales person signed my name in the contract for Royal Prestige. I didn't know that it was a contract. I stopped paying Royal Prestige, and the salesperson took me to court under Royal Prestiges name and claimed I did not keep the promise in the contract which I did not sign. She did for me.

She put my name in the small claims court, and the judge is making me paying to her personally.

Alisha of Montgomery LA (01/31/08)
I see alot of negative remarks about Royal Prestige Cookware parties. My husband and I were invited to a showing for Royal Prestige Cookware in January 2006. Six years later, they are still using the same statments saying the Teflon in Wal-Mart pots and pans will harm your family and/or pets. My husband and I did not make a purchase that day. We brought the paperwork home and mulled it over. We decided it was really not worth it at the time because it was so expensive.

I have a nice set of Aluminum pots and pans that work wonders!

Christina of Hiawatha IA (01/29/08)
I have not yet had a good or bad experience with Royal Prestige, but recently attended a Bridal Showcase in Coralville, IA to begin planning my wedding scheduled for July 2009 where they had a booth set up. They had a drawing which I understood to be for a $50 gift card to use towards any of their products. My mom and I did not stay for the entire show, but I was contacted yesterday, and told that I had won their drawing. All I needed to do to collect my prize was to bring my fiance to one of their private informational conferences. I was also told that I had won a mini vacation which included hotel accomodations at many destinations. My fiance, skeptic as always, went on line to 'look into this'. He discovered this website, and was interested to find out that we could be getting set up for a 'scam'. We are thinking of going to see if things are still the way they were, but it sounds like this company may be up to the same old tricks.

@

J of Brooklyn NY (01/19/08)
I was told that I had won a trip all inclusive and all I had to pay for was the flight. Once I agreed to the session, she was talking at a fast pace about the sickness other pots cause, what can we afford. Etc. Etc. After the video we watched was over, the lady got furious because we didn't buy the cookware. She tried so hard to convince us. After three times I guess she said forget about it and she quickly packed up her stuff in her suitcase and left. We could tell in her face that she was disgusted that we didn't budge.

Scott of Hastings NE (01/18/08)
About six months before my wife and I got married we attended one of their presentations of their cookware. We were impressed with how the demonstration worked and were pressured into buying a set of seven pieces. The set cost us about $1800 and we liked them in our old house with an old stove. We bought a new house and it has a brand new stove and everything we try to cook on it burns no matter how low the cook top is set. I have tried to contact a sales representative about the problem and what they would do to take care of the situation. I have left several messages with them and nobody will return a phone call. I also financed it through royal prestige but when I got my statement it was from Hy- Cite finance. I have talked to teir representatives a couple of times and they told me that they would have someone contact me about the cookware. I still haven't heard anything from them. I am still paying on $1800 worth of cookware that doesn't work. The set is only worth about $10 or whatever you can get out of scrap stainless steel.

P

Brewer of Houston TX (01/17/08)
My fiance and I attended a cooking presentation following a bridal show in Houston last year. The cookware was offered by Royal Prestige. During the presentation, food was cooked and offered for sampling. Also, the cookware was passed around and we were encouraged to touch/feel it as much as we wished. At the end, the presenter said that the cookware was available for purchase and that he would be glad to go over pricing options and financing options at our request. It was the complete opposite of what I had read on many websites about the sales tactics from this company.

As for the product itself, it has been everything it was promised to be. We cook the overwhelming majority of our food using their so-called waterless, greaseless method and it tastes great. The cookware does seem to be a bit pricey, but considering how quick the other stuff we had bought from nameless big-box discount retailers wore out, got scratched, and left Teflon pepper in our food, it has been worth the upgrade.

Given that it is expensive, it is not for everyone. But I will say that the cookware is very high-quality (so far) and that I am one person who is VERY happy with my purchase.

Neisha of Bronx NY (12/16/07)
I bought a set of pots and pans from Royal Prestige. They were suposed to deliver the merchandise to my home via UPS. I never got the merchandise so I called the company. The representative fom the company said that the person next door had signed for it. I asked my neighbor about the delivery and he knew nothing about it. I called the company again end explained the situation. The solution from the company was to send a new set of pots and pans and, of couse, I never received it.

The company is now charging me the amount of $1,885.95 and put negative feedback in my credit. I refuse to pay for something that I did not receive and I don't want them to send me a new set.

Georgina of Santa Clara UT (12/16/07)
I had a trainee called me and offer a wonderful opportunity of having a nice meal for free, that I can invite 4 couples to. They will cook and I did not have to do anything, just watch. They were about an hour late, all my friends waited. They cooked, we ate, and then came the sales pitch for very expensive pots and pans to cook in a very healthy way.  There are very heavy for my arthritic hands. They are financed by Hy cite finance so I purchased 8 pots and pans and it was a total of $2149.00.  I was never told about the interest rate being so high at 24%.  

When I received the merchandise every lead had broken valves, I had call few times about the missing and broken valves, they told me they will send some for free with in 5 working days. That was on June 07.2007 and we are now on Dec. 16, 07 and I have not yet received anything. I continue paying the monthly payment of $95.00 per month for some heavy broken pots and pans that I cannot use and they are just taking up space in my cupboards.

I am a widow living off a social security pension with only 2 more years left. This a burden for me because I really don't have the money to pay for something that does not work for me.

Yvonne of Raleigh NC (12/12/07)
My husband and I bought cookware from Jordon at Royal Prestige in 2005. We were given trip vouchers and was told we could pick any destination and the date we wanted to go and Odenza would set it up. Well around 2007 I tried to get a trip to the Bahamas as advertised on my voucher for the follwing July and all they (Tara) could set me up with is a trip to MEXICO in JANUARY 2008. They said the dates were only when it's promotional for Odenza. Basically when they can get it for free. So my husband and I will never be able to take our honneymoon trip in July as planned from day one when we got those vouchers. So today 12/12/2007 I called Tara again and asked about trips to Bahamas, she said all she had was a 10/31/2008 trip to MEXICO...once again. If I had known about the trouble I was going to have with setting up my trips, I would have NEVER bought the cookware. By the way I reported Odenza and Royal Prestige to the better Business Bureau. They both need to be investiged.

It's more frustrating because my husband and I have been married for almost 3 years and haven't taken a honneymoon yet. The trip vouchers were suppose to be the way we would go.

Durane of Williston, VT (12/05/07)
A couple of years ago my fiance and I received a phone call stating that we had won a free trip.  All we had to do was sit through a 1-hour presentation at a hotel in town.  We thought we would get the free stuff and go, but after their claims of Tephlon coated pans causing disease/ birth issues, we were playing with the idea of purchasing the pans.  The kicker for us was the second free trip, and silverware if we bought a set of pots and pans.

We thought we were getting the deal of a lifetime, but everything sticks to the pans.  The +$2000 set of pots and pans sits in storage as we speak.  We couldn't afford the the airfair for the trips so we never used them. 

Nancy of Bronx NY (11/26/07)
On November 10,2007 I spoke to Mr. Jimenez and agree to purchase a set of cookware for the price of $1,600.00. Which were delivered to my on Monday November 19. After viewing and checking the set i realized that this cookware was not worth $1,600. I called Mr. Jimenez to tell him that i will like to return the product and he informed me that i can not return the set. His explonation was that this purchase was done thru a finance company by the name of HY Cite finance. When i purchased them i was not aware that this was going to be done in this way. I called the finacing company and the company that sold me the set. and they told me that i only had three days to return the item. But then again there was a long weeken( Thanksgiving weeken. I will like to return the item and the money to be refunded back to the finance company.

I am being force to stay with a product that i don't whish to stay with and pay an absured amount of money for a cookware that i don't think is worth the money.

Laura of Whitehall PA (11/20/07)
My husband and I were called after I attended a bridal show and were told we won a vacation. We fell for the sales pitch and the health risks they told us about. Even though we have bad credit, they approved us for $1500 worth of cookware. The gift certificate is also a scam. We would have to pay hundreds of dollars in shipping for a certificate worth $1,000. Now I have fallen behind a payment and they keep calling me and asking me to post-date checks!

Last night Mary from the company, Hy Cite Corp, called at 9:20 PM.  I was angry because it was after 9 PM and I was already in bed. I asked her if she knew what time it was and she started yelling right away so I hung up. She continued to call my home number and when I hung up about 3 times she started repeatedly calling my cell. The last time I answered it and just sat there and said nothing. She then said , "You are a dead beat," and hung up on me. At that point, it was about 9:45 PM. I cannot even cook with the pans because everything sticks to them!

Christina of Harrisburg PA (11/11/07)
After my engagement in 2002 and attending a bridal show, I received a phone call from Royal Prestige telling me I had won a vacation. In order to get the vacation all I had to do was go to a hotel and listen to a presentation on cookware. After two hours of hearing how dangerous other cook ware is and how Royal Prestige cookware is so healthy, I was bullied into purchasing $1800.00 worth of cook ware. I was told that if I did not purchase at the time I would never be able to purchase in the future and would also lose the free trip. I signed up for a payment plan and was not given a copy of the contract. I was told my copy would be mailed to me.

The vacation was a scam, you had to pay for it. The interest rate that I had to pay was enormous--not the 2% told by the salesman, but 21%. When I called to complain I was told that I should have read the contract; I wasn't given the option ot read it. I was 24 years old and not prepared for the bullying tactics of the salesman. He claimed that other cookware would cause cancer or the fumes from Tephlon would kill my pets with repeated exposure. There were over 10 couples who signed up. It has been several years and I am still outraged that this company got away with such a scam.

I was not always able to pay my ridiculous payments on time and therefore had strikes against me on my credit report.

Dawn of Arnold MO (11/04/07)
Our experience with Royal Prestige has been amazing. The pots and pans are great. After I figured out how to cook with the product and what temperature settings to use I have never burnt anyting. I love the cookware and recommed it to everyone. I was never pressured into buying anything. We were told everything up front. We plan on purchasing other produts in the future.

I believe it is well worth the money.

Idalia of North Hollywood CA (10/30/07)
I agreed to purchase a set of dishes. The sale price was $436. With all shipping handling and tax it came to $499. I put down $60 cash and was told that I could cancel within three days. The dishes weren't shipped until three days later, and when they arrived they were just a cheap set of dishes.

Now I have received the first payment notice and discovered that I'm being charged 24% interest. The contract does not specify interest charges at all, and doesn't even have a mention of interest charges , or a field in which to enter them.

When I called the sales representative she told me that I should have known that there would be interest ! I called Hy Cite and was told that their copy of the contract specifies interest !?!? They are now threatening to damage my credit.

Renee of Brooklyn NY (10/27/07)
I am currently engaged to be married in Sept of 2008. On October 23 I received a call from Royal Prestige stating that I won a prize of a 3-night, 4-day trip to Mexico, Bahamas or Dominican Republic. I was told I won a sweepstakes I entered at David's Bridal. I am a registered bride with David's Bridal but have no recollection of entering into a sweepstakes with them. In order to redeem the prize it was a must to bring my fiance, and all we had to do is sit in for a 1-hour presentation on cookware. The presentation lasted nearly three hours and was at a hotel. During the presentation the district manager Gene Confredo made claims that we were basically killing ourselves if we did not use their pots. I decided to purchase the cookware and pay with my credit card but he insisted that I use their finance plan instead.

I have a signed contract that states that I have 3 days from purchase date to make any cancellations. I spoke recently to District Manager Gene Confredo about canceling my order, and he convinced me to take a deferred payment plan that will allow me to make no payments until February of 2008. I some how felt pressured and agreed to those new terms. I then called back again and told him that I wished to cancel my order. He stated that it wouldn't be possible for me to cancel my order because after I got off the phone with him he confirmed my order and that the order is being shipped out to me. I told him that upon receiving the delivery I will simply send back the items unopened and cover the cost of shipping the items back if I have to. His response to me was that the best he can do for me at this time due to the fact the items has already been sent out to me is give me 30% off on my order which will lower the charges down to $899 in place of giving me the free cutlery gift that I originally ordered with my cookware set. I questioned him because if my order has been shipped out cookware, gifts and all how can he possibly make this adjustment?

I am distraught that I just took 2,000 dollars out of our unborn son's mouth and could have used that money towards our wedding or most importantly our baby. I'm angry because it's only been a day since I purchased the cookware and am being forced to commit to purchasing the cookware when I am well within the time span they allow to make cancellations. It almost as if they stripped me of my consumer rights.

Danielle of Beckley WV (10/25/07)
I was selected to attend a bridal showcase at the Stone Lodge in Huntington, WV that was being held by Royal Prestige. Regardless of what the president of the company says, the salesmen DO used scare tactics to sell the products. It is even in their videos that are shown. I can also remember the man clearly saying that Teflon and aluminum pans cause cancer.

And THANK GOD we read the paper work. The interest rates are there...in the fine print on the BACK of the contract!

Ann of Bronx NY (10/16/07)
My fiance and I went to a Royal Prestige bridal show with no intention of buying anything but were talked into buying pots and pans and told that it wouldn't cost more than $2444.99. I did some research, had a change of heart and called them to cancel. I was told I couldn't cancel since we went to the show and weren't approached at home.

We have now a big bill and are scared what damage it may do to my fiance's credit.

Dolores of Bolingbrook IL (10/11/07)
I ran across this website by accident when I was looking for Hy Cite's website to make my monthly payment. I found myself reading all of the articles about Royal Prestige and Hy Cite. I found them all eerily similiar. My husband and I went to one of the hotel presentations in the Chicago area last fall prior to our wedding. I admit that we were naive and after the purchase I realize actually quite stupid.

Our presenter utilized the tactic that was mentioned here, the health factor. He did state that teflon caused cancer and these pans are the safest way to cook for our families. He stated that the teflon pans produced formaldihyde and that was deadly. In hindsight, I absolutely see the reason they do the pitch they do to the people they give it to.

My husband and I had never been married before and looking forward to our life together and for some reason we both fell for the health pitch and how wonderful the pans were supposed to be. We have followed the directions to the letter and still prefer different pans. Everything DOES stick to the pan no matter how you use it. If I was able to go back, I without a second thought, would never have purchased them.

Secondly, the billing is deceptive to say the least. As in other transactions I read about, we were never told of the interest rate besides he did say it would be a competitive one. The statement that I receive every month conveniently does not list additional fees though one would think there weren't any since the payment received is listed.

Any normal bill-paying adult would make the assumption when the payment is listed, any additional additions would be listed as well. But my husband found out that when we were a day late, Hy Cite added on $27.00 fee to a $59.00 monthly payment. We had no idea this was added on since they just tacked it on to the balance owed. It certainly was our fault for getting the payment there late but they hide the fee so consumers are not aware.

Personally I know if I saw the late fee added was $27 I would make a point to not be late. The late fee is totally disproportionate to the payment, but more importantly, they made the conscious decision to hide the fee form the consumer.

I've been rambling on too long. This topic just gets me very heated up and frustrated that we were so stupid to fall for and give our hard earned money to an awful business like Royal Prestige/Hy Cite. I know we will never do so again and will certainly tell anyone who will listen the same.

Bethany of Elbridge NY (10/10/07)
I had just turned 18 and was getting engaged. My fiance and i had gone to a bridal show and won 2 free vacations but we had to go and watch a presentation at a hotel. we got there, they showed us a bunch of pots and pans...stressing there's no pressure to buy. they were in fact, forcefull and not very happy with us asking any questions. i'm a cook and didn't really have any pots and pans of my own so we decided to go for it. we wound up getting roped into just over $2,000 worth of pots and pans.

when we got our package it was missing pieces and we had to wait another week to get the rest. by the time we actually received everything we were supposed to get the return date had passed. we didn't want the pans...we used one of them and it got all foggy looking. we asked the company about it and they said some of the pans get that way but you can buy a cleaner that we make for them i'm already spending 2000 on pots and pans, who in the right mind would want to spend even more money on a cleaning product for them?! i told them i will not use them, and that i don't want them. I was told that there is no possible way for that to happen.

My dad has called them, e-mailed them, and all he's gotten are rude responses basically saying we'll get your daughter's money one way or another.

Jennie of Bronx NY (10/04/07)
In 2002 I purchased a water filter. The represenative Jeovany Jerez, seemed very pleasent he even came to my house to process my purchase. I recieved monthly statements where I had to mail my payments monthly. At the time I was unemployed, I struggled with some payments and at times was not able to make a payment, but I did pay off the balance. I clearly remember saving my final receipt for about 6 mos. (Just in case). All I could remember was Thank God I paid this off and it was alot more expensive than what I expected due to late fees etc.

In 2004 I reviewed my credit report to find this account as a Charged-Off account. I was surprised because I was never aware that the company had a remaining balance on me. Aside, from this I had a $3,000(estimate)available credit with the company and was later able to purchase another item, proving my paying worthiness. I was never notified by mail, and the represenative Jeovani Jerez,knowing where I lived never took the responsibility to drop a note under my door or knock on my door to notify me(Of such balance) like he did when I initially made the purchase with him. I tried to dispute this off my credit report, but it was his word against mine and I no longer had the receipt that I held on to for 6 mos. 3 years ago. In consequence this is affecting my credit score, preventing me from being eligable for mortgages that I was hoping to apply for next year. Today it is posted as Now paying,was a charged of account making this a very inacurate statement with my account with the company and greatly affecting my credit score.

T. of Philadelphia PA (09/30/07)
I gotten a call at work from 21st Century Bride. They informed me that I had won a 3 day 2 night trip to Florida, Las Vegas, Atlantic City, NJ etc. that we could use as a honeymoon package. It was not told that we had to pay for airfare. I was really excited, but also wondered how did they get my name and number. Honestly, I did not give my information to anyone about something like this. I am very leary of this types of scams. My fiance' and I went thinking that all we had to do was listen the a speech about fine china and get our $500 certificate and the trip information. The sales person was telling us how our cookware was killing us and we needed to use 'their system'. I was a little leary once he indicated that there was special price on the pots at that time only. We talked about it and then decided against it. We thought that our credit wasn't a issue when purchasing pot and pans.

Schnese of Appleton WI (09/16/07)
This isn't a complaint. I felt compelled to write after hearing some of the complaints. I have Royal Prestige products and love them. Yes I didn't like some of their sales tactics, but I wasn't forced to get $2000 worth of stuff. A person has to use their head in some instances and also remember that usually when something says it's free there is a catch to that. I have seen the same tactics used in selling time shares etc, and don't believe the amount of people who fall for the speal.

Yes the food sticks, when it is browning. It is supposed to. If you try to turn it before it is browned on one side you can't. You have to wait until it is browned. It has turned out some of the juiciest meats that I have ever tasted, and also cooks the best rice in less than half the time.

I have recieved hundreds of compliments on my dishes and silverware that I recieved from them as well. As far as the nonstick stuff is concerned. You should do more digging on that. I did have a friend whose birds died of that, and also there was a lot of investigation about that a few years back, and think about it. Every time you use cheap non stick cook wear, that stuff comes off the pan. Where is it going? Into your body. YUK that is all I have to say, and I hope that you get this.

P

Lee of Cleveland TN (08/19/07)
When I was 20 and still in college I signed a credit contract for $600 worth of china. I had 24 hours to get out of the contract which I thought I did by calling and returning the china to the company, Royal Prestige. About 5 years later when I paid off my first car, it was taken from me by a collection agency representing Royal Prestige. The sheriff had papers and called a tow truck to take my car when I was leaving for work one morning. I had to pay all court costs and the $600 before I could get my car back.

Never sign a contract for anything! It was a learning experience. I can't even look at nor use the china because as beautiful as it is it just brings back bad memories. Before I sign my name to anything, I just imagine the person on the other end of the table taking my car away and that's all it takes. No dotted lines!

Lorraine of Nutley NJ (08/15/07)
A woman has called me several times at my home. On my caller ID the number and name, Royal Prestige appears. She insists I speak to her in Spanish. She clearly understands English but insists I speak to her in Spanish. She tells me Your last name is Lopez. You should speak to me in Spanish. She will not identify herself. She is extremely rude to me. I do not want her to call me again. I am filing a complaint with my phone company and your company needs to understand you have employed an incompetent, rude person to market your products.

James of Aurora CO (08/14/07)
I ordered the product, via financing, and was educated by the sales person that this is a one time deal, and was given 3 days to try out the product..if not satisfied...send it back...I never opened the package, and sent it back 6 times...via UPS...they continued to call me and say that I could not cancel, unless cancelled with in the 3 days of signing. That is not what the sales person told me the day of the presentation. Found out he quit after selling 12 products that day...and was a faulty sales person.

My credit score is now under 600 because of this...I was at 675 middle score before this, and it has hit my score hard after the fact.

Derrick of Cambridge MD (07/31/07)
Although I'd love to say that I completely agree with everything Hy Cite is saying about their cookware, I cannot. I have had the cookware for several months now thinking I'm going to have to pay for this until it's paid off, and after reading everyone elses complaints, I feel I'm right.

The cookware does work like advertized, but the tactics that were used are exactly what Royal Prestige is claiming that they don't do.

Gail of Toronto Canada (07/17/07)
I got a phone call one night from a company called Table Charm in Toronto, Canada. They had told me that I had won free accomodations for 2 nights for any hotel in North America from a raffle I had entered from a wedding show I attended a few months before. Of course I felt so lucky and excited for the opportunity, All I had to do was to drop in for an information session about their products and at the end I would recieve my voucher. I mentioned it to a couple of my friends and they warned me to be careful and that it may be a scam.

I went along with my boyfriend and immediately we felt pressured by the sales reps and they offered another opportunity to include a free 4-night cruise with a purchase. We both thought it was a great opportunity and went for it. We thought the price was incredibly high for cookware but thought, with the cruise, it's worth it, we can just finance it and we'll be ok. Immediately after we felt uneasy about our purchase and searched any articles we could find about Table Charm and it being a scam. We came across a few articles about people not bothering to got the the session but nothing about it being an actual scam.

3 months later, after receiving 2 bills, I've noticed how ridiculously high the finance charge is at 24%. For a $1700 10 pc. set and paying a minimum of $34 a month I'm basically paying off a mere $2 a month with the finance charge. It'll take me a lifetime to pay off the balance at this rate. I just recently came across this website and read all the different experiences that other people have had with this Royal Prestige cookware and I'm deeply disturbed at this point and I don't know what to do. I haven't even used the pots yet and I already hate them. I need some assistance getting out of this and I don't know where to begin.

Megan of Ventress LA (07/05/07)
My fiance and I received a phone call saying that we had been selected to receive a free vacation and all we had to do was attend a one hour demonstration for pots and pans. I was so excited about the free vacation so I begged my fiance to attend the demo with me. We attended the demo that lasted almost three hours we were so amazed at all the wonderful benefits of this revolutionary cookware that we purchased the 10 piece cookware set along with the cooking utenciles and bakeware for a total of $3700!!

We have had our cookware for almost 3 months and we absolutely hate it! We were told that our cook time would not only be cut in half but clean up would be such a breeze! They led us to believe that teflon was linked to breast cancer and Alzheimer's disease, both of which my grandparents suffer from. They told us that you can cook 2 large frozen chicken breasts in 10 minutes and the cooking health system would help us lose weight and increase our value of life.

This horrible cookware and the accessories do not cook anything in 10 minutes. We did not lose any weight, in fact we have gained weight from having to eat out so much because of the hassel of dealing with the cookware. My clean-up time hasn't been decreased only increased because it takes hours of scrubbing to get the pots clean. It takes a good hour to boil 4 quarts of water on high! We feel as though we were not only misled into believing lies about how bad other cookware was but we also feel as though we were lied to about the quality, performance, and benefits of this so-called health system cookware.

We are having to pay $127 a month for something we hate and cannot use. By the time our loan is paid off we will have paid a total of $3155.64 with an 18% interest rate. We are newlyweds and we have a two year old, this money could be going to pay for Daycare.

Heidi of Cottonwood Heights UT (07/03/07)
I, too, bought the pans shortly after I was married in 2001. It was a high pressure situation - we ended up paying $1800 for it. We were young and newly married - they said these were the best investment. They turned out to be a joke. Everything is burned - and it takes hours to clean them. They have just sat in my cupboard for 6 years now collecting dust.

Economic damage - $1800

Maria of Chesterfield MI (07/01/07)
I made a purchase for their cookware on June 9 2007. My nephew looked up their businesses online and found some bad things. So I decided to cancel on following day. I sent my cancellation.

My rep. still sent the order and I received the cookware which I canceled. I got in contact with Hy Cite Co. and they said I should talk to my rep. I've tried to contact my reps but they don't answer the phone until I used someone else's phone. During the whole conversation they tried to make me look stupid and said I had to pay for it.

During the conversation with Amauri I broke down and cried because he said it was all my fault and I have to pay for it.

Victoria of Los Angeles CA (06/30/07)
They pressured me into buying 2 pots. They lied saying that i have a lot of chances to get a truck in a ruffle and then when they pitched their pots they almost forced me to buy them. The pots do not work, they stick and the burn the food. They are the biggest scam I have been a victim of.

I paid $1100 for 2 skillets and I have never been able to use them and I have to send then a $150 dollars every month from my minimum salary. I have had 2 grandkids in the mean time and I have to use that money every month instead of suing it to help my single mom daughter. I get so angry when I see them and when I have to send that check every month!!!!!

Jessica of Middle Village NY (06/19/07)
I have been called twice now by two different people claiming to be from Royal Prestige offering me a free vacation with Wyndam Resorts. The first time a lady called, I wrote down the info and assumed it was a scam so I did not go to a presentation for some cookware at a local hotel. Now it is a month later and i receive a second call from another lady, this time asking me personal questions that has nothing to do with this so called prize i've won. I was told they got my name from some entry form i filled out, which i didnt.

I was then asked my fiance's name, if we worked full time, do we live with parents or on our own, do we own good cookware...all unneccesary and I feel as if i am being lured out of the house to go to a hotel for a presentation, or a vacation where someone can then conveniently rob me. I am very concerned and wonder if I should bring this phone number to the police.

Erin N. of Harlan IA (05/24/07)
After receiving a phone call that we had won a raffle, we were told that we had won a $50 gift certificate, a $500 gift certificate, and a free vacation, but would have to attend a presentation in order to receive them. My husband (then my fiancé) had to attend with me in order to receive the $500 gift certificate. Both of us attended the presentation where two other couples were present. The salesman pitched that regular pots and pans with a Teflon coating posed extreme health risk and that non-coated pans such as aluminum would contaminate food and cause severe health problems.

As part of his demonstration he wiped a black residue out of an aluminum pan. We were then shown a video which preached the health benefits of cooking with Royal Prestige Cookware and the negatives (particularly the hazards of other cookware such as Teflon) of other cookware. We were informed that prolonged use of other cookware could lead to cancerous tumors, high blood pressure, and birth defects.

What he didn't tell us, was that having to deal with Hy Cite Financing would raise our blood pressure more than anything else. The prices were astoundingly high, even after we forfeited the $50 gift certificate to receive a free set of tableware... which we were charged for. The salesman was very forceful, assailing us and telling us that we should buy these products if we loved our family and didn't want to spend more on other, lesser cookware.

He also told me that I would receive a special 'student discount' in which I would only have to pay $20 a month with a low, 1% interest rate. What he failed to mention, was that it was a $40 payment with a 19% interest rate. We were also uninformed about how long we had to cancel the contract, my husband specifically recalls being told that we could cancel at any time. We signed the contract on a Saturday, meaning that 'IF' we had been informed that Royal Prestige only had a 3-day cancellation period, the only day we could have called them would have been on Monday, the third day from the purchase, because none of the offices would have been open on the weekend.

We didn't receive all of our cookware at once, either. First only a couple pans showed up, and we were told that everything else was on back-order. The first bill did not arrive for at least two (2) months. At which time, I was in the Marshall Island for school and my husband was conducting Army training in another state. I knew our first payment was due in June, so I contacted Royal Prestige. The only way to get ahold of them before the first payment was due was via their customer service email. They replied that they had a possible match for our account number and that we would have to call them. I was unable to call them due to the time difference. I had relayed that information to the customer service office.

In the meantime, my husband was receiving harassing phone calls from Hy Cite Financing while he was training, stating that we needed to get in contact with them. It was apparent that one end was not talking to the other because we already had been in contact with them since before the first payment was due. Afterwards, I finally made a phone call despite the large time difference and demanded that they not only make that payment but the next two (2) monthly payments in one statement via my credit card... which they claimed they don't do, so that I would not have to make a phone call again while I was abroad.

It is increasingly difficult to make on-time payments to a company that doesn't allow for online payments or over-the-phone payments, especially when you must wait on a billing statement that shows up five (5) days before it is due. There were several times in which our bill showed up days before, and sometimes after, the payment was due. That is 'IF' the bill showed up at all. Several times we would make a payment, and then the bill would not show up for the next month, and then we would get yet more harassing phone calls stating that we had missed a months payment.

When we talked to the representatives on the phone, they increasingly tried to pressure us to set up automatic payments through my bank account, but a company that can't even get a bill to me on time will not get anywhere near my routing number. Some of the harassing phone calls were even made to both of our parents, and other relatives that didn't even have the same last name. How this company gets ahold of this information is astonishing, especially since it is illegal to contact them.

Finally, I became so fed up with their collection calls and high interest rates without getting anywhere on the principal amount, that I took out a loan through my bank and sent a check for the full amount stating Paid In Full to Hy Cite. That was just over three (3) months ago, and they are still calling us stating that they have not received any payments and threatening to leave a bad mark on my credit. After checking with the bank, we discovered that Hy Cite has not cashed the check yet. After my husbands parents were contacted AGAIN, they said that our dispute could not be settled through the mail. So, pray tell, how can we settle the account if they don't use mail, internet, or phone? It sounds to me that they just want to get ahold of our bank account.

Nicole of Sturbridge MA (05/21/07)
My finacee (now husband) and I went to a bridal show in Newport and went around filling out forms. When we got to the Royal Prestige table, a free vacation sounded nice, so we filled out the form. A few weeks later, I received a call saying that I had won a free vacation to my choice of three places, just attend this seminar. We discussed it and almost didn't go. I wish that we didn't. My husband went to school for cooking, so he immediatly fell in love with the pans. The presentor talked about health risks if you use other pans. How other pans can cause cancer and altheziers (which really scared me, my grandad had just passed away). But I was really put off by the price. I was already working two jobs and trying to save for our honeymoon and house. I am also a part time college student. I pay my own way, which is quite expensive. My FI was trying to pay off his school loans. But somehow or another, we ended up with $1500.00 with pans and bakewear. The bakewear is horrible and we use my husband's left over from cooking school. Everything sticks to pans! I do't bother cooking vegetables in the pans, it would take too long.

Before we got the pans, within the week of ordering them, we sat down and figured out our budget. The pans didn't fit into the budget. I wrote Royal Prestige a long email explaining the situation. That even though we both work a lot, I am a college student and we think that my education and putting a roof over our heads is more important than some pans. They didn't agree. What they did do, is lower our payments. They contacted my school (against my will) and confirmed my student statis and gave us a student rate. A whooping &68.00 a month! I told them that I didn't want the pans, they were in the box, please take them back. No can do.

So, now as of today, we have had these horrible pans for about a year and a half. And each month, if a bill has to go unpaid, it is the pans. But, if you don't pay them, they call and harass you constantly. We were in a major car accident a year ago, putting my husand out of work for two months, and putting us way behind on everything. We almost lost our house. But they don't understand that, they don't care. They just want their money. My husband has a payment deal with one of the reps, Rob. Rob actually told him that if his contracts didn't get paid on time, he wouldn't get his bonus! I said I hope he never gets a bonus, I want it, for all the trouble they have given us. Even though my husband has the deal with Rob, his employees constantly call us at work and home. My husband has gotten numerous calls at work and his supervisors are starting to get annoyed! Hopefully, we will be able to pay the bill off soon, and along with that, file major complaints against some of their employess. And when that is done, I will package up and send back those pans to them. My husband has even mentioned to Rob in their discussions how horrible the pans are and he just brushed him off. It's like, they don't care about their customers happiness, all they care about is the money!

As most places, they should have a 30 day return policy, not 3. In the 3 days after the show, we were so busy that we didn't have time to think about the pans. 30 days is a better option. But apparently, they want to trap people!

Danielle of Zanesville, OH (05/10/07)
I got a call saying that I was eligible to receive a free cruise if I sat through a short presentation for Royal Prestige. I didn't even know what Royal Prestige was, but hey, for a free cruise and a few hours in the car alone with my fiance and no kids-- I agreed. What could hurt?

I wasn't in need of anything so I knew that whatever they were selling I wouldn't buy. However I didn't know my fiance very well, I guess.  I learned that day that he was excited over cookware and knives and etc. So he was tempted to buy and so we did... $3,000 dollars worth.

The pots and pans had to go in my name because I had better credit and because I was a senior in college, which made me eligible for a "special deal". I didn't have to pay for the first 6 months, plus I got lower payments for a year-- since they understood how difficult it is being a college student. Normally, I wouldn't have fallen for such a scam, but they told us that the Teflon coating on our pots and pans was linked to horrible things and with two children, that scared me.

In a month I received a bill - before I even got the products. I rebutted the bill, saying I wasn't supposed to pay for 6 months. They said that was nowhere in my contract.  I tried to cancel, but they said the package was already in shipment and I could no longer cancel.

I have paid the minimum for almost one year and have only really paid off some $21. That is how high the interest rate is.  I have a $2400 debt to my name for a set of pots and pans that are not any safer than what I bought from Walmart.  They are heavier and more awkward to use, are not easy to clean and my food sticks.

Kristen of Farmingdale NY (05/04/07)
I have received multiple calls from this organization stating that I filled out a pink Card at a bridal Expo and that I have won the carribean vacation. I have asked each phone representative where I filled out the pink card, asserting that I have never been to a Bridal Showcase, and do not recall ever filling out one of these cards. They then explain to me that I have won a free trip, and that I have to do nothing to claim it. Except, come to my house where I will have a china and cookware party for me and all of my friends.

Lindsey of Mankato MN (05/02/07)
I was just contacted by a company called Royal Prestige who said that I had won a free trip and all I had to do to redeem it was to go to the Holiday Inn and listen to a short (about an hour) presentation about their cookware. They said we had no obligation to buy and my husband had to come. (It was supposed to be for engaged couples but they were willing to make an exception for us!) After the phone call I looked up this buisness online and was directed to this site. I read all of the horror stories and I immediately called to cancel my appointment with them. The lady on the phone was so rude. When I said I wanted to cancel my appointment because I had read about their scams online she just said bye and hung up the phone! I feel so greatful to have read this site first!

Joyce of Manitowoc WI (04/30/07)
I was contacted several weeks ago by a Royal Prestige rep. stating my fiance and I won 4 nights in any hotel of our choice. All we have to do is go to the Raddison Valley hotel at 7:30 tonight and we can claim our prize to be used on our honemoon. That sounded great, but after reading about this on your web site I am no longer planning on going. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who shared their experiences.

Thanks to you I will not be going.

Maria of Dodge City KS (04/18/07)
I was approached at walmart by a lady that said that by giving my name and number i would be entered in a drawing to win a brand new dodge ram but the only requirement was to be married or living with someone because it was a family truck, so i did i gave her my name and number and the following week a lady called me and said i was one of the finilist of winning the truck and i asked what do i have to do she said on saturday and sunday at 7:00 pm at the dodge house there i will be there to again put your name in the postcard and i asked and what do i do she said all you have to do is put your name and phone# I asked how long does it take she said about 5 minutes and was told but you have to take your husband. I also asked and what are you trying to sell me? she said nothing was going to be sold, so we went and when we got there i was told i needed to fill out a questioner which asked what pots and pans i use, water softner and if i planned on staying in the country for the next 2 years, also they wanted me to put the name and number of the people i knew that would be interested in winning a free 2007 dodge ram truck. After I was done they told me i had to go in the little conference room and that is where i saw all the pots and pans that they had i asked they are you trying to sell me the pots and pans and they said but we just have to give you alittle information from the company that is sponsoring the event and asked how long is it going to take and said that about 30 minutes and after that they will give me my certificate for the drawing but it was false they took 1 hours and still i left and was not done but yes in there dvd they mention about other pans causing you diseases and they are very pushy about you purchasing their product. I is all about lies and with them cooking for you they want you to buy their product which it does not work and the high interest that they offer. I is a bunch of scam and some one has to put a stop to these companies that are lieying to you about the product and also about taking to make you want to purchase their product. I want to let all the people out there know that we are in america and nothing is free. Don't let people fool you with lies. I was one of the lucky people that was able to get out and not buy anything but there where many other that they conviced to purchased the products and are not happy now.

The individuals did not have name. but yes all the recorded previously by other complains are true. If someone will be able to record one of their secions they will be able to prove that yes they do mention about getting disease with other pots and pans.

Vali of Ewa Beach HI (04/16/07)
I thought it was just me who had a problem with Royal Prestige. The lady that pressured me into purchasing $1,200 worth of crappy cook-wear stated I couldn't return the products back and NEVER mentioned anything about a 3day return period if I was not satisfied or didn't want any use of it. I really thought I was getting my money's worth with the free trip that didn't include air and many other bogus promises. The interests rate is uneblievable.

I don't think Royal is the name they should use. One of the pans that were given to me does not work w/out oil (as I was promised) even with oil, I can't really fry anything. It's a disgrace and truly a lie. I would NOT recommend Royal Prestige products to Anyone. I think they should not be selling products that are not high quality. They should be selling this product at the open market places for $1.00.

Evelyn of Lodi NJ (04/03/07)
I purchased a water purifyer and a set of pots from this company and it has been hell since. The water purifyer has not worked since day one. It took me over 4 months to get them to fix the item, I called the sales people and now that they sold me the item the problem is all mine. The company only cares about payment, and as of today I'm not paying for the item anymore until I see results.

I have felt like I got robbed since day 2, but I continued to make all my payments until now. I have seen similar sets like the one I bought way cheaper, and the purifier that I got is a commercial one that I can barely use.

David of Roswell GA (04/02/07)
My fiance and I attended a seminar given by a Royal Prestige distributor under promise of a free cruise and free prizes. We sat there for an hour and watched the couple cook. We also participated in several demos illustrating the filth that comes off of other pots and pans when cooked with. They even offered us food cooked in front of us (Chicken and Broccoli dinner). At the end of the presentation, we were exposed to the highest pressure sales people I've ever encountered. We even went so far as to say We can't afford this right now, and they pushed further with their financing plans. Fortunately I'm a very savvy shopper and know when to force a stern NO. The demonstrators then turned to the next people without even saying thanks.

My fiance asked about the free cruise and they begrudgingly handed us a packet of information. When we looked at the pamphlet, the free part of the cruise was not so free. We would have had to pay for EVERYTHING except getting on the boat. I could easily find better deals on Travelocity. In the end, the only thing we lost was an hour of our time and half a tank of gas. I guess we should be thankful for that.

Megan of Grafton ND (03/28/07)
Royal Prestige had an individual call me and tell me that my fiancee and I had won a 3day 2night honeymoon package from them. I didn't recall ever signing up for anything, so I thought this was kind of odd. So when I called them back, they told me that we had to meet with them and watch their presentation to get the package. Also, we were offered a discount on their products, but were not obligated to buy. I thought it was strange and researched them on your website, and I just want to give others a head up. If they call you, don't fall for it. I didn't meet with them or even purchase anything because I read other peoples stories about how they were ripped off. So I didn't get scammed, but I just want to warn others and also thank the Consumer Affairs website for filling me in!

Shawnda of Albany OR (03/28/07)
My fiance and I attended a promotional get together for Gateway Bride. It was a very high pressured seminar that we had to sit thru, so we thought we would just buy the cheapest set we could and get out of there. The cheapest set was $2100. As a new couple starting out and with a baby on the way this was very hard on us. But we set up a payment plan. When we didn't recieve our pots for two months we didn't pay any of our payments and everytime i tried to call someone at the company nobody would answer or they never returned my calls. All I wanteed to do was cancel my order. But when i finally did recieve my pots in February i decided to try one out and it burnt everything. I followed all the diections and still it burnt everything. I tried to call someone and talk to them and still no return on any of my phone calls. So now i am stuck with dishes and pots and pans that i never use and payments that i refuse to pay!

Joe of Rolling Meadows IL (03/23/07)
My fiance and I went to this meeting after she had attended a wedding expo. We got a call a couple days later saying we had the chance to go on a vacation for free and all we had to do was come and listen to some schpeal. Of course being that we were paying for the wedding ourself we though O! A chance to actually have a honey moon! So we got up real early in the morning for the first show they had promised us breakfast also...which was gone by the time we got there (15 minutes early) we then sat in and watched the schpeal they presented saying how great the pans were and how if we bought them today we would get a set of either knives or plates for free and a vacation cruise to cancun! They showed us how to cook different veggies and had us sample the food when it was done. My fiance was estactic! The veggies tasted great and she wanted to lose some weight. The sales person said it was better that way because the water did not steam out all the nutrients in the veggies. They told us how much it would cost per month but never said how long it would take. When I asked how long it would take they said it would just be the $95 a month until they were all paid off. We bought 3k worth of pots and pans getting extras the more we bought. They had other people there that had told us they were shopping for pots and pans and said that the amount they were looking at was like 5k for a good set of pans. We had never been shopping for pans at all since we still had about 2 years until the wedding! We were also told that if we wanted to change the style of plates we could do that at anytime as long as we sent them back in. We have yet to do that since the wedding is still 7 months away. We have not used the pans yet and from what I have read I am not very excited to break them out! They said if we were not satisified with the product we could return it all as long as we kept the packaging and sent it back. Again from what I have read I am scared to even open them and feel like I should just put them in a show case! We got our first bill and realized that there was interest! They had told us that we would only have to pay until the amount was paid off and did not say anything about it being a credit situation! The APR was 24%!!!

We have been trying to pay off the pans for more then a year and a half! We are paying for our wedding on our own and need about the same amount that we owe for the pans to be able to actually get married. After we got the pans we thought we could return them and get our money back if we did not like them...guess not. So we are out 3k.

Elise of Riverton IL (03/20/07)
In the middle of Feburary I attended a Bridel Expo and signed up to win a free trip to Mexico. A week later I received a call from American Prestige saying I won the drawing. All I had to do was sit threw a presentation on cookware and glassware. When arriving at the hotel (Signature Inn) my fiance and I sat and waited for the presentation to start. After hearing horror stories about other brands of pots and pans and the diseases they cause, my fiance and I decided to purchase the cookware. We had to purchase a 7 pc set (which is only 4 pots and 3 lids) and dishware in order to purchase the pieces. I only wanted one or two but they wouldn't sell it that way. We paid $2099 and the dishware was 'free.' We were told that no one has ever returned their cookware and even the salesperson recommended it to her sons. They claimed food wouldn't stick to the pot and it's a healthier way to cook. When we received the pots 2-3 weeks later, we tested them. I followed all instructions and they worked fine. After the first time the food started to stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. When I called today to return the merchandise I was told I couldn't because the 3-day return policy expired. We didn't have the cookware the first three days! They did say that I could have someone come out and show me how to cook with the pans, but I know how to use them, they just aren't working as advertised. I highly believe that it was a pressured sale and I felt obligated to buy. After reading the complaints on this website, I'm afraid that my credit will be hurt. I just want to return the pots because they were falsely advertised.

Kelly of Emmaus, PA (03/18/07)
I recieved a call from Royal Prestige stating that I won a vacation from a bridal show I had recently attended. I was estatic, being a young engaged college student without money to go on vacations.  Because we are saving money for our wedding, we were thrilled.

The woman I spoke with on the phone listed all the things that were included: airfare, food, drinks, however when we attended the meeting we were told that airfare was not included. We were so furious that we left the meeting.

I would never buy any products associated with this company due to their dishonesty.

Kedrick of Westerly, RI (03/06/07)
A little late to the party, but I just wanted to add one more to the list of unsatisfied customers.

In 2005, my wife and I attended their "scaminar" and believed all the hype.  We bought a set on the spot, and got free gifts of knife sets and travel vouchers.  A month later, the stuff arrived, and we packed it away for our future home.  Fast forward 2 years.  We start using the pans and to my surprise they do not work as promised.

The rep I called said it was too late to return them and couldn't help me.  I began cooking as I always have, with the correct amount of oil and heat for the recipe, not the RP way, and they worked okay. 

The skillet is honestly so heavy that it hurts the wrist to lift.

Maria of Thornton CO (02/27/07)
This product burnt my food and cost $3500.

Cassandra of Colorado Springs, CO (12/21/06)
I am another sucker who has had the misfortune to go to a Royal Prestige Product presentation and purchased items. I received the cookware set and it does not perform as advertised. I have tried to work with this company and have met with resistance at every turn. I am still trying to resolve this matter and will be returning the product to them.

This is something that is on my credit report and may prevent me from obtaining a job.

Tami of Sioux Falls SD (12/18/06)
I received a call from Celebrity China and Crystal indicating that I had won some crystal from a drawing that I signed up for at a bridal show. In order to get the crystal, my fiance and I were asked to sit through a cooking demonstration. I was thinking this would be something helpful for couples who are planning to get married. I was not informed that it was a sales demonstration for ridiculously over-priced cookware. We attended the so called demonstration and there was another couple in attendance, not an overwhelming response.

After an hour of high pressure, we signed up for a basic set of cookware and knives. I had buyer's remorse immediatley following and attempted to cancel the order. Of course, no one was available to take my calls until after the 3 day cancellation window. Now we are stuck with this useless cookware. I paid off the finance company as they were charging $25 a month in interest and I knew we had already been suckered into the purcahse to start with so I was not going to be suckered into paying them another several hundred dollars in interest. All I want is to return the cookware and get my money back. Is this possible? I want to make others aware of this situation as I am appalled at the way this Celebrity Crystal and HyCite finance do business and I am ashamed to have been sucked into it.

The primary consequence is that I paid approximately $1350 for knives and cookware that is useless for practical living.

Cora of Westminster, CO (12/11/06)
A salesman tricked us into buying a set of pots and pans that don't work. I now have to pay over $2000 for cookware that is awful.  I am just married and we don't need to pay for something like this.  Our interest rate is 21%, which is not near what the saleman told us.

They promised it would not stick or burn and it does.  The cookware is also discolored.  I was told I could cook anything, just like an oven.  I tried to cook muffins - they burned.

Also the free vacation that I was promised was only for people 21 and older, so my husband and I did not get our vacation.

Colleen of Aurora CO (10/05/06)
I had numerous messages on my cell phone. The message told me that my fiancee and I have won a fabulous prize. I knew that there are plenty of scams like this out there, so I called them back - not to claim the prize but just to nicely ask that they take my phone number off their list. I was even ready with a story that my fiance and I had to cancel the wedding due to a death in the family! The guy who answered - his name was Robert - started the sales pitch, once he got to the part that we won a free honeymoon at one of 18 different locations - I stopped him to say that we were not interested. He then, very rudely replied, Why did you call then? and then hung up on me.

I called back and said that I must have accidently got cut-off and as I was about to ask him to take me off the list he replied No, that was on purpose. and hung up again. So I called back and asked to speak with a manager, I am he replied and then I said I wish you would stop hanging up on me to that he replied I wish you would stop calling. I was so angry, that someone could be that rude. I knew it was a scam but I never expected such rude treatment - even before they tried to sell me something. My advice to anyone who gets these calls is to ignore them - even though it is frustrating that they leave a ton of messages on your cell phone.

Vanessa of Chicago IL (10/03/06)
My husband and I went to a presentation where they claim how great their products were. They forced us to purchase and just quickly sign the forms and quickly then escorted out. Never did we receive a full explanation about the cancellation policy. A couple of weeks later we had some unfortunate things happen to our family where we have had to extremley cut back on our expenses. I called their customer service to cancel and they said there was nothing they could do. In fact, they said if I were to lose my job, I would still be responsible for paying my mortgage and cars so you may need to look for a second/third job to ensure you pay us off! I couldn't believe how insensitive they were.

It's funny how we can possibly lose our home but guess what, we'll have beautiful cookware to stare at yet no food to cook in it!!! They also made it very clear that if we did not pay, it would extremely hurt our credit. So we needed to ensure those payments were made. So beware!!! Don't ever accept an invitation by Royal Prestige or 21st Century Brides!! They could care less about you, they just want your MONEY!! Even if the product was defective, they said they would replace it but no matter how many times you were disatisfied, you could NEVER receive a refund!!!

This is going to hurt our pockets extremely having to pay $2,400 on cookware when we don't have any money to pay for food. Unfortunatly, becuase it involves our credit, we will have to some how make sure we pay it off. 2nd & 3rd job, here we come!!

Thomas of Lawtey, FL (10/01/06)
My wife sent in the form to cancel the contract before we had received the cookware.  We called them after receiving the shipment and they said nothing was sent in and they would not cancel the contract!  They called my wife a liar and said since we had not done anything, they would not honor the termination.

We figured we were stuck with the cookware so we tried the frying pan.   The food was nasty and the pan had some kind of black dots on it.  The pots do not cook like they were advertised. 

Cheryl of Lebanon NH (09/29/06)
We were told we wouldn't need to use a lot of water and would not lose the nutrients. Thats a crock. Last night I was using the pots, boiled some water and when I went to check on it, the water was gone and there was melted plastic in the bottom of the pan. I wish I had never ever purchased these pots.

Jessica of Arvada ,CO (09/25/06)
I received a phone call from Royal Prestige telling me I won a free trip to Mexico for 3 days/ 4 nights. All I had to do was attend a 90 minute presentation with my fiance with no obligation to buy anything.  I did a search on the internet for the company, and the first result I found was for the ConsumerAffairs website. I read all of the negative things that people had to say about their experiences, and promptly called back to take my name off of the list to attend the presentation.

"Ralph" answered the phone (I see that name is in many of the descriptions on this page), and asked how he could help me. I told him my intentions, he asked me my name, and he immediately hung up on me. I have decided that Royal Prestige is a completely dishonest and malicious company. 

Chris of Savannah, MO (08/29/06)
In June 2005, my fiancee received a phone call telling her she had won a free honeymoon. She was told that all she had to do to claim her prize was attend a cookware demonstration. On July 14, 2005, we attended the show. 

Being young and inexperienced, we fell for the extremely high-pressure sales job and signed a contract to purchase a 7-piece cookware set, plus some extras - for the grand total of $2,045.40. During the 1 1/2 hour drive home that evening, we realized how over-priced this product was. The very next day, I tried to call to cancel, but could never get through. I either got a busy signal or the phone rang without being answered. I finally got an answering machine and left a message telling Royal Prestige that we wanted to cancel.

A week later, someone finally returned my call and told me I could not cancel. On 9/2/05, I talked with my father about the situation and he called the finance company, HyCite Finance, and spoke with a man by the name of Edwing. he told my father there was a 3-day cancellation policy. My father then called Royal Prestige Cookware and spoke to Marty Cox, President of Royal Prestige Cookware. Marty Cox confirmed to my father that there was a 3-day cancellation policy.

We pulled my cell phone bill and it showed that I HAD called Royal Prestige the next day.  I had the merchandise, but had been advised not to open the box if I was still attempting to return it.  I also was advised to make the monthly payment to HyCite Finance in order to avoid having any blemish on my credit - and I have done that. On 12/19/05, I filed a complaint against Royal Prestige Cookware with the Missouri State Attorney General's Office, but I never heard from them.

On 7/16/06, I filed a complaint against Royal Prestige with the Better Business Bureau. On 8/21/06, the BBB sent an e-mail to me stating they had made numerous attempts to contact the business. On 8/23/06, I received an e-mail from the BBB stating they had received a response from the company. As I read through Royal Prestige Cookware's response, I could not believe they had the audacity to say that I had made false accusations in an attempt to break the sales contract!

My fiancee and I are both college students and will have student loans to pay off. NOW we also will be paying on cookware for the next 4 years.

Matthew of Clifton, CO (08/22/06)
I was told that I was a contest winner of a trip to Hawaii and a $500 shopping spree.  The letter gave me a time and place to pick up my prize, however when I arrived I found that I was mislead into a sales presentation for Royal Prestige cookware and that the claimed prize was only offered if I sat through the two hour sales pitch.

I was lead to believe that I needed the cookware and I was pressured into finacing the $2400 cookware through hy-cite at a promised rate of less then 7.0%.  When I recieved my first bill from hy-cite I was sickend by the high interest rate of 21.00%.  Also the hawaiian trip and the shopping spree turned out to be nothing that could be collected as it was claimed.

John of Selbyville DE (08/03/06)
I attended a seminar at which the Prestige Cookware was demonstrated. I was shown how the pans would not result in sticking from meats and poultry. A mere wipe with a paper napkin would remove any residue from cooking

This is a total misrepresentation. I have used all the pans including the electric pan and each time without fail there is a stricky residue from cooking chicken or beef. The stuff sticks no matter what I do. I have even tried grease/oil which, by the way, this cookware is suppose to negate the use of. When I called to complain, I was told I was not using the cookware properly. When I asked how I found this out, they resent me the same helpful hints that came with the items. Does not work. I am out $1200 for what really amounts to a worthless product. Does not work as claimed, does not work as regular cookware. Most disappointing and frustrating that the manufacturer takes no responsibilty.

Amanda of Candler NC (06/10/06)
I recieved a phone call close to two months before our wedding from a woman saying that we had won a bridal package that included 2 $500 gift certificates and a free vacation valued at over $1600 dollars. My fiance and I, who were both having a hard time with money for the wedding, were pretty excited so we agreed to going to the show to claim our prizes. We got there and we're very impressed with the pots and pans and the food that than man presenting them cooked with them. However, we both knew that we could not  afford them and had no intention of purchasing them.

The man presenting them though insisted that we sit down and talk with him about it. He then pressured my fiance into purchasing an 8 piece set and promised us another vacation worth $1600 for purchasing. My fiance, Donnie, is a student at the Nascar Tech Insitute in Mooresville, NC so the man also promised donnie a student discount. We did receive the discount and our payments have only been $26 a month. We actually just made the first payment and when we got the bill, we were outraged by the interest rate that we were not told about.

When we recieved the pots and pans (3 weeks after we ordered them) we only got 4 pots and pans. They counted the lids as part of the 8 piece set. We also got a letter in our box stating that one of the lids was being dropshipped at a later date and that was almost a month and a half ago. We contacted them a week ago and were told it would be shipped out that next day and we have yet to recieve it.

We are also not impressed with the cookware itself. The man who sold it to us said that it was impossible for anything to stick to it and everything I have cooked has stuck to it and they also burn everything very quickly. It is ridiculous. They refuse to take them back because of their 3 day rule. We signed the contract and understand that it was stated in that but we were not told and we were rushed to sign the contract before we could read it. Their costumer service system is awful and we can't use the gift certificates or the vacations because of how much money they are going to cost us to use.

Paulino of Houston TX (06/10/06)
We purchased the king size royal prestige pots and pans that cost our family over $2500.00 dollars. Food that we cooked using the royal prestige pots and pans stuck to the pans and burned every meal that we cooked making the food completely unedible. Additionally, the cookware handles and steam buttons scoured within three months of scarcely using the royal prestige cookware. The handles broke, within months of light cooking, using the royal prestige pots and pans. Moreover, the steam button wires poped out of place causing the pots and pans to become unusable.

I contacted the Royal Prestige office and could never reach anyone. I left various messages and no one returned my phone calls. It wasn't until my neighbor Aurora received a invitation to attend a Royal Prestige showing at the Mariott Hotel that I was able to reach anyone at Royal Prestige. I called the number and spoke with Edgar, a Royal Prestige Sales Manager and promised him that I would show up at the Mariott Hotel with my burned, unusable 12 inch skillet. I also promised to tell the people not to purchase Royal Prestige Cookware unless, he would replace my cookware as promised and guranteed by Royal Prestige.

Jorgelina, a Royal Prestige sales consultant visited my home immediately and apologized for the inconvenience. She said that she would replace my 12 inch skillet and took the damaged 12 inch skillet with her that day. The next day she returned to my home and stated that the 12 inch skillet was discontinued and that there was only a 10 inch skillet available for me as a replacement. There was an enormous price difference betwern my old 12 inch skillet and the 10 inch skillet (about $200.00) offered as a replacement. I asked if she could instead replace my 12 inch skillett with an electric skillet, with a difference in price being only $50.00. Jorgelina disagreed with me and said she would only replace my 12 inch skillet with the electric one if I paid an additional $160.00 out of pocket.

I could not afford to pay the additional money, so I told Jorgelina to instead replace the 12 inch skillet with the Royal Prestige 12 inch paella pot. To this day, neither Jorgelina nor Edgar returned to my home with a replacement for the 12 inch skillet. Edgar simply sent me four (4) steam buttons and one black handle; which I could not use since I no longer had the skillet that Jorgelina Sanchez took from my home. I've tired reaching them via telephone various times and no one ever returned my phone calls. It has been 1 year since this happened.

I have suffered a tremendous economic loss using the Royal Prestige Cookware. I am out of the $2500 dollars I spent on the unusable cookware. And I have lost a tremendous amount of money buying food to cook in the Royal Prestige pots and pans, that became unedible. Royal Prestige sale consultants and managers, took advantage of my health problems: morbid obesity to scare me into buying their cookware.

Christine of Las Vegas NV (06/09/06)
On 8 Jun 06 I received a phone call from Ralph claiming he worked for Today's Bride. He said my fiance and I won a drawing that entitled us to a free 3 day/2 night stay at one of several hotels (Marriot, Holiday Inn etc.) and a $500/each gift card to KEShoppingSpree.com that carried fine items such luggage, jewelry, leather etc. He said that our names were selected as one of 15 people that were chosen as winners (I NEVER entered a drawing). In order to claim the gifts we had to attend a 90 minute presentation for prestige cookware.

I initially set up an appt but proceeded to do some online research. The EAShoppingSpree.com website appears legitimate, however, you cannot gain full access to the website unless you have the code that is on the voucher you recieve at the presentation. I found many complaints about them online concerning their scam. In one complaint I found a code from another victim that granted me access to the inner website. In there, I found that they were not the quality items Ralph had stated but merely common everyday brands being sold for 3x what you could buy them at a normal store. In addition, they charge ridiculously high P&D fees for handling and postage b/c you are buying direct.

I called the phone number back to ask Ralph additional questions. I did not intially tell him I had done additional research but instead asked him more detailed questions about the gifts. He continued to make it sound like everything was free and did not confirm that there were additional fees until I specifically asked that question. At this point I told him that I had doen some research on the offer and that I found lots of negative feedback. He then proceeded to say, well if you knew all this then why didn't you just call to cancel your meeting instead of wasting time asking questions that you already knew the answers to?

I explained that I just wanted to get answers from him and to find out more about the company. I also asked him more about the vouchers and how they were used at which point I, for the first time, was made aware that they weren't vouchers for the actual hotel but instead vouchers for VIP Vacations in which you had to submit your vouchers and requests and they would arrange your lodging for you. I then asked Ralph why he didn't tell me those things during the first conversation and he said you didn't ask. I told him I didn't appreciate his lack of honesty and he said that if I wanted to know I should have asked the questions. I tried explaing that sometimes people don't know enough to ask the proper questions and that is why I called back. At this point, he said something along the lines of 'so are you going to attend or not, because this conversation is over'. I told him that I was not going to attend and he then hung up on me.

Michael of Scottsdale AZ (05/22/06)
My wife and I recently read an article from Lisa Wade McCormick about Royal Prestige cookware. We had the exact same experience as those mentioned in the article. My wife was suckered into purchasing a crappy set of pots and pans for $2400 at an astounding 24% APR. When I learned about the transaction we did everything possible to negotiate a solution, return the items at a loss, etc. but these folks are well trained in combating this. I would expect that half or more of their jobs is telling people there is nothing they can do.

In Lisa's article, the president states that their cookware is of Williams Sonoma quality or better. As far as I have seen, the top of the line cookware at Williams Sonoma comes in at about $500 and it is beautiful. Nowhere near the $2,400 we were charged. Why would the President cite this as comparable when the price is so far off?

The "world's finest cookware" is anything but fine. We are stuck with a payment of $47 per month when the finance rate of 24% means interest of $51.79 per month. So we would be going further in debt the longer we make the minimum payment. We are newly married and this definately caused us to ramp up arguments about finances very early. The bottom line is that we cannot afford this.

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