Complaint Review: Make Life Easier

I too received one of Make Life Easier's catalogs and ordered three items via mail.  After waiting two weeks I attempted to access their website but couldn't get it.  I Googled it and found the Rip-Off Reports against it and figured I might be in trouble.  So I went back to the catalog, noted that the shipping time was three weeks, and had it on the calendar to file a stop pay complaint with my credit card company in four more days when I received the merchandise as ordered.  I did not however try their phone number as I read the Rip-Off Report about the recording when the reporter called and thought it wouldn't do any good.  They're not a total rip-off but I sure don't get the bad website address- you'd think they'd fix that if they want to be a competent business.  You can't do it by mail order alone these days- Internet's a lot faster and more convenient.

Glad this site exists- it's warned me off a few operations, notably a certain major rustproofer that doesn't even rustproof the car but charges for it!  This was at two locations- one where I had the original "rustproofing" and one "yearly touchup" and done another that did the second "yearly touchup" required by the agreement.  They were owned by two different franchises so it's not just one isolated example of crookedness.  And they cleverly had a little rustproofing "dribbling out of the fender" for me to see like they did the job!  The manufacturer's rustprrof warranty is voided by their merely drilling holes in it and inserting plugs and here you're not protected by the bogus rustproofing either- sure they might pay if it rusts but you dn't it to rust- that's what you pay for!  They're just gambling that you'll sell the car before they have to pay for any rust repair.  I got my money back by threatening small claims court and triple damages under our state code (I even had the old body pasrts for evidence!), but promised not to reveal their name.  Only way I found out was having someone hit my car- the body shop showed me the passenger door and right rear quarter panel were never rustproofed!

As are Signatures, Traditions, Gavilan's and Handsome Rewards. (Gavilan Hills, where Gavilan's theoretically is located is a village next to Perris and Good Hope or wherever it is Traditions is supposed to be is so small I don't know where it is.) They have one warehouse for all in Perris and another one for all on the other side of Riverside.

Faxing orders is probably not a good idea, because they have been known to lose them. Not to mention even if they do get to the right place, they go in with the mail orders - which takes Starcrest days to process after they've arrived.

Here is what you can do. Check with your credit card company to see if a charge is made. If so, and you want the order, all is good. That order is most likely on a slow mail truck to you and you should get within three weeks of the date of the charge, provided 1)they aren't having delivery problems in your area and 2) the warehouse isn't more shorthanded and it's taking longer than when I worked there in 2005-06 to get the new orders loaded onto delivery trucks. Problem is, Perris is building new warehouses in the area, and well, Starcrest is needless to say, not the best employer to work for - so a lot of people are moving up to the other warehouses.

If your card has not been charged, let your credit card company you will not accept THAT charge. Then, if you still want the order, place it again over the phone.

You can call customer service at 1-800-777-0327 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Pacific Time to check on the status of the order, but do it when you have time to be on hold 10 minutes to a half hour or more. You can also ask to be transferred to the order department from this number, if you don't mind being on hold twice.