On April 6
th, 2013. My fiancée and I had purchased a set of Celebrity China including: flat ware, cookware and an 8 piece knife set for a price of $2184.73. My fiancée and I were very unsure about making such a large purchase and did no research on this third party company before making a final decision. The salesman Rik Plumb had sold us this purchase at the Sterling Inn in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Rik was extremely high pressuring and would not let us leave without making a purchase. We received the cookware, knife set, and flat ware on April 29
th 2013.
We had used one pan out of the six pans that we had received. The salesman had told us that the pans were nonstick and everything we cooked on them for the one meal we cooked stuck to the pan. On April 30
th 2013, my fiancée had lost his job making us unable to pay for the cookware set. I had made a phone call to Celebrity China in Lenexa Kansas. I had discussed my concerns with Doug. Who had told me that he was unable to return the un used pans and I was forced to pay for them.
When I had talked to Doug there was minute pause between our conversations making me believe that I was talking to a computer and Doug does not even exist. The Federal Trade Commission representative felt that this company is over seas and they had a fake address when the pans were mailed to them. Rik Plumb is another one that does not exist. After I had the conversation was Doug I was infuriated and decided to send the pans back. They were sent out and returned on (date). My fiancée did some research and the phone number and name given were fake.
I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau , Federal Trade Commission, Attorney General, and the Cosumer Agency of Michigan. Something needs to be done about this. This company is a fraud and is high pressuring. I have done a lot of research on this company and I did not find any good reviews on them. I hope that with all of this negative feedback from this company you think twice for letting them attend Bridal Shows. Please let every bride you know about this company. They are nothing but a scam and innocent young bride and grooms should be aware of them.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
CiaradVee
Battlefield,Missouri,
USA
Celebrity China, Not a Rip-Off, Exactly What They Say They Are.
#3Consumer Comment
Mon, May 02, 2016
First I would like to start out by stating, I am not an employee of Celebrity China's and I never have been. I became a customer of theirs after recieving a phone call to get a 3-day, 2-night hotel stay and two crystal flutes for my wedding toast if my husband and I attended a 90 minute seminar at a hotel here in Springfield MO, held by Celebrity China on 8/20/2015. When my husband and I arrived, we were greeted very politely by a woman who was super sweet and nothing but kind. We ended up being the only couple that showed up so she began pretty quickly. She began by showing us the cookware that Celebrity partnered with and explained everything very throughly. She cooked my husband and I
chicken and vegetables (which were absolutely delicious) than proceeded to explain her company's (Celebrity) products. At the end, she explained pricing and the different packages that were available. My husband and I were super hesitant about the pricing because it was incredibly expensive. However, we decided with all of the "free" stuff we were getting with our cookware and China, we would technically be saving money. Before we agreed to anything or even expressed interest in purchasing anything, (which she never pressured is to do) we asked about the free items we were promised on the phone. She then gave us our 3-Day, 2-Night hotel voucher that was good to use anywhere in the U.S. Then she let us
pick the pair of matching crystal champagne flutes from the table of flutes that were on display during the presentation. After that, we then sat down and told her what we had decided. We had agreed to get the pots & pans set with 4 pans. While technically that is the only thing that we were paying for, (which I agree it was very much over priced because we ended up paying $1,800) we also got a 4-piece beautiful white China set. It came with 4 large dinner plates, 4 medium plates, 4 small plates, 4 coffee mugs and a large matching platter. In addition to that, we received a metal utensil set along with a metal holder. I received my China within a few days of ordering and the pots and pans within 2-3 weeks,
exactly the amount of time I was promised to get them in. My monthly payments started out at $35/month for the first 6 months and after the 6 months, the payment increased to $70. We also received a voucher to freeze our account payment for 3 months, if we ever need it. Which we have yet to use. Now, we were also given a voucher for a free all-inclusive cruise, meaning the cost of the cruise was free but we still had to pay taxes, which the woman who did the presentation completely explained to us. This was not a scam. We went on our honeymoon on January 10th, leaving from Gavelston Texas with port stops in Cozumel Mexico, Montego Bay Jamaica, and Grand Cayman Isles. It was originally
going to cost a total of $300 for the both of us for a 4-Day, 3-Night cruise but we paid $100 extra each to upgrade to a 8-Day, 7-Night. With all of that being said, Celebrity China is not a scam. They give you everything that they promise and if they don't verbally make an agreement with you, it is all in the paperwork and fine print in the contract that you sign and they give you before you leave the presentation. Like I said, I don't and have never worked for Celebrity China. To be honest, I wish I would have never purchased what I did from them just because it was an unnecessary purchase on my end and now I have an extra bill that I can't necessarily afford. However, just because I regret the purchase I made, I
know for 100% fact that I was not scammed and that the company is absolutely not a scam. Just because someone did not verbally mention something, does not mean you were not told. That's why you should always go through the fine print of your contract before you buy if you don't have a good feeling about your purchase. Remember, if you have a complaint about an employees customer service/sales approaches or lack there of, report the employee, not the company. Someone being a forceful salesman does not make the company they are working for a scam. Also remember, you are never forced to purchase anything. If you did not want to buy it, you shouldn't have. They can't hold you hostage if you don't buy something. That would then be a legal issue and again, be something concerning the wrong doing of the salesman, not the company.
maricela
garden city ,Michigan,
Response
#3Author of original report
Tue, September 17, 2013
To Whom this May Concern:
I talked to someone about these pans and everything was worked itself out. :)