Complaint Review: Starcrest Of California

 I just wanted to toss in my two cents about Starcrest of California.  I am indeed a very satisfied customer with the products and purchases I have made from Starcrest.  I've only learned about the company in the past couple years and am glad I found them.  I've gotten some absolutely great items from them and had only one item that "stopped working."  I contacted the company, offered to send it back but was told not to return it.  They simply sent me another.

As far as working for the company, just like any company/employer--if you aren't happy there, you are free to move on to some place else no matter what the reason.

I will continue to shop with Starcrest as long as I am able to pay them.

It is very strange to see these reports about Starcrest.

I first found them online at this address starcrest.com Phone: 1-800-551-2843.

I will say this. All there things online you can see what they look like before you order. So you would know excatly what your getting.

And I have talked to them live on the phone about something, and they were very helpful.

For 15 years I have been buying things from there.

I only had one thing that had a problem, told them, and they said send it back COD and they replaced it.

I do nort know where you all get your information from.

One thing I always get is free shipping and when I order 20 dollars I get a free gift.

I think one just wants to complain.

K. they have a website, they have a phone number, and a way to contact them.

So your blind or can't figure out how to get to them.

   As I logged on to the website address clearly printed on the cover of a recently obtained copy of the Starcrest catalog, I was bombarded with negative feedback. Needless to say, prior to placing an order, a wise consumer would investigate the situation of a red flag. Therefore I took time to read the comments being made prior to placing an order.

   I found that most of the negative comments were being made by employees or previous employees. While I, a potential customer, am interested in the quality of the products as well as customer service. It seems to me that there is a need for a seperate outlet where employment problems are discussed, then one for the public to learn honestly from other consumers about the quality of the products as well as the service.

   Oddly, I found that even some of the unhappy employees still made positive comments about the products. This made me realise the following...these employees clearly signed on to a job with unrealistic expectations because they neglected to do their homework before hand. If I applied for a warehouse  job filling orders for a discount catalog company, most likely shift positions, then the first thing I would expect is minimum wage.

   This is an entry level job, anyway you look at it. How else would a business like this be able to function? Even if the unhappy workers discover this after the fact, they have two options....stay or quit. Move on, get a different job which will still pay low wages.  Its no different here, or anywhere. Don't get a job expecting more than your qualifications allow, and then become the "victim" when reality hits.

   You want more? Make better choices, go to school, get a degree or certificate, open your own small business, think outside the box instead of complaining about earning what they pay. Sorry but, drives me crazy. Good luck to you all.

For the individual that has first hand knowledge of the company's quality of safety conditions, please contact the nearest OSHA office. Once you explain what you have seen, I'm sure they would be interested in doing a physical safety inspection.  Putting employees at risk of injury is not ok and the company is liable in the event of any injuries incurred.  You are doing a disservice to your fellow ex-coworkers to not step up and complain. There is no retribution - whisleblowers act protects you and those who are in that situation that can speak up for the current events.

As for the working conditions - rally for a union support. Salary workers are subjected to slavery conditions these days.

To all that have complained against Starcrest Catalogue Services, California:

I have been ordering from fliers, Internet, Catalogues on Internet, etc., for I suppose at least

2-3 years and have not one iota of a complaint--maybe their "freebies" with their "over $20.00 orders are somewhat useless to say the very least!, but the quality of ALL their goods, I have found very excellent quality!  Why not some of you try their perfect in quality and directions for use?  You just cannot get any better.  Both mine and my NC brother's desires for rice are really great, so I order him one as soon as I found out the quality and the excellent directions the "contracting company" gives you for cooking the absolute best in just 20 minutes--microwave style--if I remember correctly.  I really do love my rice; I eat it for breakfast, snack, etc., whenever I get in that snacking mood!  I always make enough for at least 3 different snacks or breakfasts!  NOTHING BETTER!!! And I'm sure that I get the cheapest white rice there is--not brown at all.

Those persons degrading Starcrest of California are just dissatisfied with everyone/everything most probably!!!!

In all the many, many products that I have ordered, I have NEVER, EVER been disatisfied but with one and it turns out the insulated cup that I was thinking wasn't too insulated, I was just putting too much cold milk in it.  I now use creamer--Walmart brand for that matter and my coffee stays hot a long, long time!!!

I surely hope that this company taking these complaints will surely pay more attention to the source of the complaint(s)!!!!!

In Christ Jesus and For His Holy Namesake,

Nellie Austin

Leonardtown, MD 20650

nrha37@yahoo.com

II Corinthians 5:9--living for Jesus is my end goal!!!!

February 9, 2012 3:00p.m.  

I saw an ad for Starcrest on Craigslist and I was tempted to drive down to Perris and apply, but since reading these reports I have now reconsidered.  When I read all the previous comments from ex-employees, it actually makes me think of a sweatshop.  I am surprised that no one had compared it to that yet.  But that does not mean that I am not willing to work for minimum wage.  Which brings me to my next subject.

I can't imagine who would have written such a nasty report, on Starcrest Products of California. I have found this company and it's products to be very well thought out and many of the products are ones I have purchased.

It seems a sorry time now, when things are so tough economically, that someone would go after a company who employees individuals who can be proud of the work they do.

Let's stop the bashing of the innocent companies like Starcrest and go after the ones who really do rip you off we consumers.

Those who complain NO PHONE, NO WEBSITE, NO MAIL ADDRESS, or NO FAX need to be more observant. If you recieved a mail piece the website is shown in very large letters on the outside of the envelope. Inside the website is repeated along with the mailing address. If you place an order on the internet you are shown two 800 phone numbers, one for ordering and one for customer service. You are also shown two more numbers for fax, one for orders and one for customer service.

I, have on several occassions, purchased items by calling on their 800 number, instead of placing my order online, and paying with my credit card. I have never had any problems with the merchandise I ordered, or the expectations thereof. I got what I wanted and I have enjoyed books, jewelry for children, educational items for children, decorative items and bifocal sunglasses. I have, especially, enjoyed using my sunglasses, as I don't have to take off my reading glasses to cover up my eyes from the sun, or vice versa.

I believe these people that have complained, have higher expectations for their money's worth. You get what you pay for. No more, no less. These people are not understanding what they are reading and probably are making assumptions.

I like this company and its associate companies and I will continue to purchase from them.

I used to work for Starcrest and I worked there for about 3 months. I do have a few things to say.

1. Starcrest is a valid company. I have never ordered product there, but I have worked in the TOC center. They are valid. I would be careful with cc orders. Just because when I worked there Credit card orders were WRITTEN down on a form that was picked up once an hour. Not inputed in computers, but written down on paper. If Starcrest has changed their procedures good. But at the time it was very risky.

2. I had heard alot of stories about Starcrest. I grew up about 5 miles away. Almost everyone at my high school worked there. I was able to get a job working in the mall, so I never had to apply there in high school like alot of my friends. My brothers also worked there. They were also high school. Most of my friends who worked there were either hs students or 1st year college students. Most of them referred to Starcrest as Slavecrest. But I assumed everyone was young and everybody has something they hate about their jobs. I had just finished my 4 years in the Air Force when I seperated. I was a dental assistant. I had to sit for the state board and during that time I was taking courses to ensure I'd pass the test. In meantime I needed to work. My mother told me to try Starcrest because of their flexible hours. When I applied to Starcrest I was informed about overtime. Thing was I felt the way I was informed wasnt truly accurate. I was told to expect SOME overtime hours during week. A hour here a hour there. Well after my training I was then showed schedule 12 hour days!!! And when you work in evening to accomodate a school schedule in the morning and TOC closes at 10 it was very hard to pull my over time. If I had been informed that was how it would be I would have kept looking. I also had to have an emergency surgery procedure. One thing I can say for my Superviser in TOC he was very understanding about it. Other supervisors would threaten my job but he was understanding and was able to pull strings to not have me let go.

3. Also there weren't just "illiterate" teenagers working in TOC. At the time I was 23 with an AS in dental sciences. Working on a BS in Biology. I had taken job because of "flexibility". There was aslo quite a few older people during that time frame working. Yes we had alot of teenagers which made it hard. But your lead should also be able to see the diffrence between you and teens. Its all attitutude.

4. I cannot condemn or give approval to Starcrest. Ive heard some good and bad things. I know some of the classes I paid for I ended up being dropped from because I wasnt able to attend due to overtime. My thing with Starcrest was the way overtime worked wasnt CLEARLY explained. If your a 7-4 shift and you have lets see a 12 hour over time you can come in early or stay late or split it both ways. But I was a 1230 to 9 and TOC closed at 10. So days (there were ALOT) that they were 12 hour shifts I had to come in at 9am. I set my schedule around 1230 so it was rather difficult to get in my classes. My advice is if your interested in working there make sure you know all that entails of your job, i.e overtime and things. My brothers each worked there and they lasted a year. I was only there for a few months because as soon as I passed my state licensing I went back into dental career field. Think of Starcrest as a lesson

This is in regards to the person who said starcrest had no contact info i have found this information for you, Starcest of California's Web address is http://www.starcest.com and yes they do have a contact phone number, Customer Service 1-800-777-0327.

I was about to order from this company. Thank goodness I found this website. I do have some possible phone numbers and an email address that you may want to check out. (951) 657-2793 OR (951) 943-5574.

Email address: customerservice@starcrestline.com
Website: www.starcrestonline.com

Hope this helps out.

Wow, I worked for Starcrest 1984-1992 and amazed to read through all the above threads from ex-employees that little has changed there.

I too left there with a lot of turmoil: I had 8 years of excellent employee evals (I worked in a dept with good management), but had decided that I needed to move on (there was much employee dissatisfaction there that was starting to affect my own outlook) so turned in my notice on a Friday - I wasn't leaving in anger or anything, didn't have anything lined up, so gave a long 7-week's notice. Being a good employee with a good track record, I was totally taken aback when the head of HR came at the end of the day with a pink slip and had me escorted out of the building like a thief with the words, "When management decides to leave, they have to leave immediately!" So that kind of hurt, considering how I had worked hard for them, putting in frequent overtime and middle-of-the-nighters when the computer jobs didn't run right. But, high levels of paranoia in upper management was the norm, so I guess I was being naive thinking that they would accept my resignation with good grace.

But, all things happen for a purpose. I ended up being very grateful that they asked me to leave that Friday since I had been carrying an ad around in my purse that I was thinking about applying for. As it turned out, I did apply for that job the following Monday - it was the last day to apply - and it ended up being a job that started a career for me that continues positively this day. And after having worked for Starcrest, I truly appreciate every nice thing about my jobs ever since. I don't think I would have the "right attitude" about employment now that I do if it hadn't been for the 8 years there.

As for the products, I bought things while I worked there - I liked the little trinkets and doodads - they were fun. But, given the strife and sadness in the workforce there, and how incredibly well the owners lived on the backs of those poor souls, I will never be their customer again.

I placed an order through Starcrest of California's website: www.starcrest.com. Low and behold, right at the very top of their home page is their toll free phone number.

Realize they don't have a phone nor fax number posted online. If you no longer have packing slips that came with order, try calling the order line at:
1-800-551-2843 and ask for their assistance or transfer to appropriate department.

Those who have never received their orders might call and ask if they can ck on order or perhaps you could be transferred to customer service.

I worked for a call center for number of years and we took orders for over 100 companies. Understand how frustrating things can be when orders not correct.

Don't know if everyone is aware, but there are 2 other companies with same address; Handsome Rewards and Signatures.

I place a phone order few months ago, everything satisfactory although mailed in sev pkgs, but received within 2 days of each other.

Patricia

I have the phone number of Starcrest of California.
Have called and gotten good response.
Number is - (951) 657-2793

Address is:
19465 Brennan Avenue
Parris, CA 92599

I have ordereed from Starcrest of California for many years & have always been completely pleased with my orders! Orders are always expediently shipped & exactly as pictured, which is what I desired.

I'm presuming unhappy customers made a mistake with their order, selection, form of payment, etc.

Pami

Sales are pathetic. The warehouse no longer operates full-time as there are too few orders. The amount taken out of employee paychecks for health insurance has now doubled as the portion formerly contributed by Starcrest has been passed on to the employees. The burglary, theft and vandalism of employees cars continues unabated with the guards miraculously never seeing a thing - of course the big-wigs have a separate and well-guarded parking lot. Annual reviews of employees (required before a raise can be given) are one to two years behind in many departments and raises, when given, are not to exceed five cents per hour. Starcrest products are junk. If you can't find the Starcrest catalog item at your local Walmart then you probably will regret buying it site unseen from Starcrest as both get their junk from China - but unlike Starcrest, Walmart knows that their junk has to pass customer inspection. With Starcrest you just get their description telling you what they want to tell you to make you want to buy their item.

You can communicate with this company via phone at {951-657-2793 or by mail at: 19465 Brennan Ave. Perris, Ca. 92599 or Online at starcrestofcalifornia.com

I have occasionally made purchases from Starcrest through the years and have generally been happy with the items received. In shopping with a company offering lower priced merchandise you have to use common sense! I am careful about the items I order and I don't expect to get a top quality product for $3 or 4$. However, the things I have ordered have been just about as I expected them to be since I've always tried to order things where it would be difficult to have a real problem.

For instance, I ordered long-handled teaspoons - what can really go wrong with those. It's been more than 5 years and I'm still using them. I also ordered the "shower cap" storage covers for bowls and other containers. I knew they were of a cheaper material but there were hundreds of them in the order. So, if I need to just throw one away - no problem! For a few cents each - I just toss it.

I DO NOT order electrical items as there would be too much of a chance for a problem. With a company like Starcrest you HAVE really think about what you order. As for the treatment of employees - only THEY can do something about their working conditions.

As much as I feel for these people - they have to stand up for their rights and for better and safer working conditions. Customers cannot do that. By the way, one of the items I will be ordering tomorrow is the Volumizing Comb - the item that started these comments about Starcrest. It very clearly says in the description that this is a comb for "backcombing" your hair.

Another word of CAUTION - I NEVER PAY WITH A CREDIT CARD! I order using a check. Since I'm never in a big hurry for my merchandise, the additional time is never a problem. I simply don't trust them to have my credit card number in their possession. I think it's just too tempting to unhappy, overworked teenagers.
I wish the best for the employees of Starcrest - I pray your working conditions will

Ok, I'm an ex-employee and I thank God that I am. While I was in school receiving my masters in Human Resources I took a job in the HR Department, I have never seen so much horrible treatment towards employees until I worked for Starcrest.

God forbid you were 1 min late because you had to park in a dirt parking lot a mile away and run to punch in your card, but they want you to work for 6 hours after your shift with no notice? And they thought they were treating their employees great by giving them a luncheon during Thanksgiving and Christmas and a box of candy...of course some of these individuals had nothing else, they wouldn't have been able to be hired by any other company, they weren't educated enough to know that they were being mistreated. If you had ever been in a union at your previous job, they on purpose would not hire you! And that's the truth!

Individuals writing in saying that Starcrest is great and their products are great, are probably family members of the president or people in management that currently work for this poor excuse of a company!

Starcrest stays within the letter of the law, as far as I can tell. They don't have their employees' or their customers' best interests at heart though.

I believe the local legislators are aware of the problem and the best solution they have come up with is to actively develop the area around Starcrest with more warehouses. So please support Lowe's, Ross and Walgreen's, who are doing the area a huge service by providing Perrisites in manual labor/warehouse skills with better jobs than they would have at Starcrest.

I will come back and tell you the ones under construction too, when I figure out who they are. I am employed with a company headquartered one block from Starcrest.

If this company is indeed working you under such horrific standards. Why haven't you reported them to OSHA, for the dangerous work environs. The Labor board for paying you below the legal pay standard. You should also contact your congressman, to bring light to such a problem, There are others working there and if what you say is true you would be helping them, you can no longer be fired, so you have nothing to lose. I enjoy their products and prices, 4 years and not 1 problem.

Having been employed at Starcrest for over 15 years I have to say I've seen many changes. Many of them have been for the good of the employee and the customer.

Truth of the matter is, Starcrest has been the best thing that ever happened to me. I've had many opportunities and challenges in 15 years.

The trouble is that once someone starts badmouthing a company, it's too easy to keep it going, and then it's pretty much all anyone wants to talk about.

There is no doubt that employees get disgruntled and leave. Most leave for better jobs. No one forced them to work at Starcrest. I say if they don't like it they should leave.

As for the merchandise and whether it is "cheap?" Well, you can go to any store and buy something that ends up defective, or doesn't meet your standards. Starcrest sells products they consider a value to their customers, and at a price they feel their customers will pay.

If you want to return damaged or defective merchandise you can call their customer service # and they will send you a return merchandise label for which they pay the return shipping. You can call 951-943-2011 and the operator will direct your call to the customer service dept.

And there is a website for Starcrest where you can request a catalog or get further contact information. It is www.starcrestonline.com and it has been live for nearly three years.

With all that said, I hope those with product issues will go to the starcrest website shown above.

Remember the saying "sometimes the right hand doesn't always know what the left hand is doing?" Think about it from the owner's point of view. He puts his trust in those he hires as management, that they will act in good faith on behalf of the owner.

If there is an issue with a department, don't be so quick to judge that the owner already knows about it. And don't forget, if management makes a mistake they aren't going to go running to the owner and tell him. Most want to keep their jobs. It's up to the customers to keep the owner informed.

Happily employed,

I see although this thread is now a few years old, it is still very active. I want to keep it that way, as hopefully it will be viewed by potential employees who would use this information to make an INFORMED decision about working there. I also think it is a good thread to be viewed by potential customers, who would know a little better what they are getting into, and how to reach Starcrest if there is a problem.

Please don't dismiss what other former employees have to say just because they don't have perfect spelling and/or grammer on their rebuttals. If spelling or grammer were their strong points, they probably would have found better jobs than working at Starcrest.

I say probably, because I am now employed as a public relations writer, and I was a writer before Starcrest. Last year, I made the mistake of thinking if I could work in customer service for awhile, they would appreciate my contributions and transfer me to their copy writing department. No way. I was completely forgotten about, until a jerk supervisor named Garreth Harris came on board, and decided my superior attitude (yes, I admit it) wasn't what Customer Service needed. And I was fired. Within a very short time, I found my current job. I make more than that job, working 8 hours a day, than I did working 10 hours a day at Starcrest.

I have had quite a few jobs in my 44 years of life. Starcrest was definitely the worst of them all.

I worked at Starcrest from 1990-2000. I had no previous work experience and was only 18. I thought Starcrest was the norm. I accepted it and enjoyed my job. I worked in the Art Department and was paid a very good hourly rate and maybe only worked one Saturday a month (except during inventory - yuck!). Mike and Tim were great to work with. I know it's all largely in part due to the dept I worked in and my position (which was not management) but I am grateful for the experience.

After 10 years I realized I needed more benefits (I wanted 401k and stock options). I posted my resume on Monster, got a few calls and was hired by an awesome company.

By working at Starcrest, I learned what I did and did not want in my next employer. I learned how to be disciplined, play by the rules, and get along with people I didn't always like.

I don't recommend making a career out of Starcrest but I do recommend taking from them as much experience as you can becuz there are some really wonderful employers out there. And once you find them you will value them even more becuz they are nothing like Starcrest. I have been at my second job for 6 years now after leaving Starcrest and couldn't be more happier.

I have read these comments, looking as many others, for a website for this company. What I have found here is that CUSTOMERS of this company have been satisfied overwhelmingly, while former employees are disgruntled.

Let's face it folks, I have been disgruntled by every company I have ever worked for, if I allow myself to be. None of them are perfect, all should be reported at times for certain things that have been allowed to go in inside.

I AM NOT CONSIDERING WORKING for this company. I don't live anywhere close, and already have a job that I could quite honestly tell you many things about which I hate. WHO COULDN'T ? I just wanted to know where their website is, and if they were reputable to DO BUSINESS WITH. That's all! I have found many good things said here about doing business with them as a consumer.

Thank you for the warnings not to work there. If I ever live in California and am needing a job, I will remember your comments, but I couldn't care less what your experiences were as an employee there.

Of course there are not going to be any, or very many if any, GOOD comments here from former employees. Those people are not looking for a website to express their vindictive desire for vengeance against this company for something they didn't like, or got fired for doing that they knew was wrong and are trying to make the company look like the villian to cover their own butt.

That being said, I'm sure there are many legitimate complaints, as there are with ANY company. They are all based on the bottom line.... MONEY and PROFIT, and have little genuine concern for the people who work for them.

If your complaints are legit, and can be proven, don't waste your time here on this website, take action with a legitmate bureau, such as the Labor Board, or an Attorney, and get something DONE ABOUT IT other than shooting off your mouth in vengeance.

I wonder if there were a website for companies to tell the world what certain individuals were like as employees, what Starcrest would have to say about their experience with some of you. I'm certain that much of it would not be flattering.

I'm going forward with my first order from this company based on what I have read here today about their merchandise.

To all former employees of Starcrest... get over it! Go find another job which I'm certain most of you will hate every bit as much as you hated this one.

Why all the nagging about Starcrest, I love to look at their cataloges and have ordered many items and have been extremely satisfied with the quality. Just like Dave from Ohio said " We all need Jesus in our lives" and that you will be satisfied.

Why all the nagging about Starcrest, I love to look at their cataloges and have ordered many items and have been extremely satisfied with the quality. Just like Dave from Ohio said " We all need Jesus in our lives" and that you will be satisfied.

Why all the nagging about Starcrest, I love to look at their cataloges and have ordered many items and have been extremely satisfied with the quality. Just like Dave from Ohio said " We all need Jesus in our lives" and that you will be satisfied.

Why all the nagging about Starcrest, I love to look at their cataloges and have ordered many items and have been extremely satisfied with the quality. Just like Dave from Ohio said " We all need Jesus in our lives" and that you will be satisfied.

Here is all the info you missed.

web address: starcrestonline.com
contact info: starcrestonline.com/cgibin/contact_us.cgi

All the info and more can be found on their website. Yes, I have order from them and like most mail order catalog company they have their junk and good stuff.

So, I ask you what is the difference between this and say a company like fingerhut or even a garage sale or fee market let's not forget about eBay.

Bottom line is you can't please 100% of the people all the time so if you don't like them don't buy the so called junk and ruin the companies name for the ones who do.

Every market sells some form of Junk even Walmart. As for the people that worked at Starcrest be happy to have a job the homeless would love to have it. Man you people need Jesus in your lives, live happy and love one another!

I am out here! Remember to check starcrestonline.com/cgi-bin/contact_us.cgi for more incite to a good company!

I am actually quite pleased with all the "low-end" companies I shop with - Starcrest included. Some of the stuff turns out to be junky, but I don't blame the company.

It's not a "Buyer Beware" case. It's a common sense case. When you receive a catalog or mailings listing their products, do you expect them to play up the good aspects of their product or do you expect them to say, "Here is a piece of junk. That's why it's really cheap."

If you think you're getting a diamond ring for $3 - the rocks are in your head, not on your hand. Use common sense. If you want quality, pay for quality.

"Low-end" companies are great for baby and toddler toys because the toy usually gets outgrown before it breaks. Or the toddler will smash it and you're out $3 instead of $30.

Finally, as to the employee who complained of the heat in the warehouse - for some odd reason (because I am a female with a home office) I have managed to be in a surprising number of warehouses over the last few years and none of them - not a one - was air conditioned. They all had those industrial fans blowing, but can you imagine the cost for cooling a building that size off? And should customers just take the summer off? "Well, it's too hot for them to ship to me, so I'll just wait 3-4 months?" Customers would take their business elsewhere. Hook a water bottle to your belt and drink often. Also, Sharper Image sells a battery-operated personal cooler for $30. You fill it with 2 oz. of water and slip it around your neck and turn it on (high and low buttons) and it keeps you cool for four hours. Then, just add 2 more oz. of water. The batteries will last as long as typical batteries - based on length of use and quality of battery. But two oz. of water will keep you cool for four hours. A small motor keeps it cooling.

Employees have options: get another job if you're unhappy; if you can't find one, keep looking and don't complain because you know you're looking and something will turn up - especially in the Starcrest area - lots of jobs around that area. If you choose to stay, make yourself as comfortable as possible and remember, however small you think it is - the customers pay your salary. Don't complain about them or the company. Either be quiet or move on.

Sheesh! I didn't mean to go on so long. Ok - trivia question!!! Who figured out that in my "home-based office" I'm a freelance writer? LOL!! Sorry about the novel.

I am actually quite pleased with all the "low-end" companies I shop with - Starcrest included. Some of the stuff turns out to be junky, but I don't blame the company.

It's not a "Buyer Beware" case. It's a common sense case. When you receive a catalog or mailings listing their products, do you expect them to play up the good aspects of their product or do you expect them to say, "Here is a piece of junk. That's why it's really cheap."

If you think you're getting a diamond ring for $3 - the rocks are in your head, not on your hand. Use common sense. If you want quality, pay for quality.

"Low-end" companies are great for baby and toddler toys because the toy usually gets outgrown before it breaks. Or the toddler will smash it and you're out $3 instead of $30.

Finally, as to the employee who complained of the heat in the warehouse - for some odd reason (because I am a female with a home office) I have managed to be in a surprising number of warehouses over the last few years and none of them - not a one - was air conditioned. They all had those industrial fans blowing, but can you imagine the cost for cooling a building that size off? And should customers just take the summer off? "Well, it's too hot for them to ship to me, so I'll just wait 3-4 months?" Customers would take their business elsewhere. Hook a water bottle to your belt and drink often. Also, Sharper Image sells a battery-operated personal cooler for $30. You fill it with 2 oz. of water and slip it around your neck and turn it on (high and low buttons) and it keeps you cool for four hours. Then, just add 2 more oz. of water. The batteries will last as long as typical batteries - based on length of use and quality of battery. But two oz. of water will keep you cool for four hours. A small motor keeps it cooling.

Employees have options: get another job if you're unhappy; if you can't find one, keep looking and don't complain because you know you're looking and something will turn up - especially in the Starcrest area - lots of jobs around that area. If you choose to stay, make yourself as comfortable as possible and remember, however small you think it is - the customers pay your salary. Don't complain about them or the company. Either be quiet or move on.

Sheesh! I didn't mean to go on so long. Ok - trivia question!!! Who figured out that in my "home-based office" I'm a freelance writer? LOL!! Sorry about the novel.

I am amazed that any orders can be shipped out during this three week heatwave in Southern California. Temperatures in Perris have been at least 105 degrees everyday and the Starcrest warehouse is not air-conditioned. It must be 120 degrees inside that warehouse. The only way for employees to avoid the heat is to quit. Nobody needs to work in that heat for minimum wage.

I am amazed that any orders can be shipped out during this three week heatwave in Southern California. Temperatures in Perris have been at least 105 degrees everyday and the Starcrest warehouse is not air-conditioned. It must be 120 degrees inside that warehouse. The only way for employees to avoid the heat is to quit. Nobody needs to work in that heat for minimum wage.

I am amazed that any orders can be shipped out during this three week heatwave in Southern California. Temperatures in Perris have been at least 105 degrees everyday and the Starcrest warehouse is not air-conditioned. It must be 120 degrees inside that warehouse. The only way for employees to avoid the heat is to quit. Nobody needs to work in that heat for minimum wage.

I am amazed that any orders can be shipped out during this three week heatwave in Southern California. Temperatures in Perris have been at least 105 degrees everyday and the Starcrest warehouse is not air-conditioned. It must be 120 degrees inside that warehouse. The only way for employees to avoid the heat is to quit. Nobody needs to work in that heat for minimum wage.

I am a current employee of Starcrest Products of California. I agree with those who have posted regarding the deplorable working conditions of the company. To be fair, they pay minimum wage - which is the law, but they pay that to nearly everyone regardless of their years of experience or level of education.

The company is severly understaffed and constantly hiring. The influx of new hires that starts every week is affectionately referred to as the "parade." Most of those don't last. The work is hard. The managers are mean. The equipment is dated and often in disrepair. There is a lot of overtime in every department to make up for the fact that there are never enough bodies to do all of the work that is there.

The merchandise - The merchandise is horrible. You see, I am not only an employee, but a customer as well. One of the "benefits" of working at Starcrest is a discount on merchandise, or so I thought. I bought some things when I started there and 2 out of 4 things did not work at all. As an employee the company will not give me my money back, but rather a credit voucher for more junk.

And for those of you who say move on or its hard everywhere, you have never worked at Starcrest. This place is unlike anywhere I have ever worked. I have an education and in the interview I was lead to believe this would be a place to build a career. Well, now I am just looking to get out and I have only been there 6 weeks.

What does that say about a company?

Starcrest Employee - Perris, Ca.

I've ordered from catalogs for 30 years, and also online for the last ten. As people here have said, you have to be careful what you get, read all the details, and don't expect miracles. The products Starcrest sells are no worse than what you get in catalogs like Walter Drake or Miles Kimball (or at Target). The difference is that in a catalog, you only have a tiny picture and their description to look at, and the product does not always live up to your expectations or their hype.

I have ordered a few times from Starcrest, including recently. Their products are fine. They sell a pan cleaner that works really great--but the bottle is small so it only cleaned a few pans and I have to buy more. But it did work really well. I have been pleased with most of the products I ordered from them. I have to say that with all the years of ordering from catalogs and online, I have only been disappointed a few times and hardly ever felt "ripped-off". I think Starcrest's prices are pretty good, and their shipping is free if you order more than four items, so that's great.

I am sorry to hear they are anti-union or that they treat their workers unfairly, but that is true of most companies nowadays, sadly. If you work there and feel they have broken laws, report them! At the very least, write to your state senator to get the laws changed. Vote Democratic whenever possible because Democrats are more likely to pass fair-wage and employee safety laws. Otherwise you are just whining.

It's disappointing that they still have no website....but not a huge deal.

Amazing! I am a college educated individual, and although I have never worked at Starcrest, I have worked under similar conditions, at a company where good, hardworking people are still being mistreated.

To those who criticized respondents for their spelling and grammar, shame on you for your arrogance! The implication that those who have difficulty with spelling and/or grammar: 1) shouldn??t expect to be considered for any other position than a minimum wage job, and 2) should expect to be treated without common dignity and respect, is outrageous! (I particularly liked the entry criticizing respondents?? spelling and ??grammer??, since the correct spelling of the word is ??grammar??.) The majority of the jobs at an organization such as Starcrest don??t require spelling and grammar, but rather good common sense and a good work ethic. (Oh, and for the record, my brother who cannot spell worth a lick, is a brilliant man, and the owner of a very successful electrical contracting company.) As a rule, the majority of those who wrote in on this thread were well spoken, even with the spelling errors.

(As a note to those who are being criticized, you do have more credibility if you use correct spelling and punctuation, so you might want to first write items in a word processing program which has spell and grammar check. Although the programs aren??t foolproof, they will catch most errors. ??)

For those who don??t know about Perris, California (where Starcrest is located), I would like to give you a little insight. Although in recent years, this area is being developed, this was not always the case. Starcrest was one of, if not the only, major employer in the region. As such, Starcrest had a large pool of local folks to choose from, who were just trying to stay off public support and to keep their heads above water, financially. Those who were unable to commute, for whatever reason, were at the mercy of Starcrest. Also, regarding education, I do not know about Perris, but there are some communities in California where the public education is very poor. How terribly condescending to criticize someone for a situation they did not choose.

Even those who are financially less fortunate have the right to ??life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness??. How is one supposed to pursue happiness if his schedule is completely at the mercy of his employer? I understand overtime every now and then, but how is someone supposed to, for example, raise a family under these conditions, and say, for instance, attend parent/teacher meetings so his children can get the most of their educations?

This company could be even more successful if they treated their employees with dignity and respect, provided safe conditions in which to work, and provided merit based pay. Also, I checked the website that was mentioned before, and what a joke! It is basically informational, telling you where to call or write to place an order. Truly, if this company were to come out of the sweatshop mindset of the 19th century, and come into 21st century technologically, they would be so much more successful.

And, finally, for those consumers who have had a good experience with Starcrest??s products and service, I only offer you this: our consumer power is very great as a group. If we would commit to at least researching other similar companies with which to do business, and if you find better alternatives, use them, we could have an impact on Starcrest. We should at least try to band together to improve the human condition; after all, that is how our great country was born.

Dear K in Haiku
if comb does not make hair fluff;
try moose or hair stuff

more Haiku for you?
have mom buy gift card at wal-mart,
no more returned gifts

I think if I move
I'd pack my Samsonite bags
and sail to Haiku

but like dear K here
I shall buy my bags elsewhere
Starcrest not for me

(wow, that was a lot of work... though this probably won't make it past the "Review Board" I had a lot of fun trying to come up with some haiku.)

I have bought items from Starcrest in the past, but after reading the "Soap Opera" [as Robert from CT called it] drama from former employees, I won't be buying again. Honestly, I can't remember the products I bought, so not sure how 'junky' they were. But I also agree with the term 'you get what you pay for'. This isn't Macy's or Saks Fifth Avenue.

Yes, I am sure there have been some problems with people working at Starcrest. Who hasn't at a job at some point?

The way things have been portrayed in those earlier comments back in 03; hilarious. I don't know how things were then, but if they were anything like they are now... don't be a whimp it's not that bad.

Though it may be repetitive in most of the departments, what else can you expect? Should be happy they pay us 6.75 plus a raise pretty much every three months if you actually do your job correctly because you'd have to be brainless or dead not to be able to do most of the jobs there.

Honestly though, if something is that bad to where you feel like you should write out a whole essay about how much they "beat you" maybe you should have thought about not going and finding another job a lot sooner.


NO ONE IS FORCED TO WORK ANYWHERE.

Keep that in mind.

Oh not to mention...

PS to K: Haha haha can you just look at the description of the combs? Can you honestly believe that in the first place with how cheap that probduct is? Haha. Come on. Who's fault is that really?

What a fascinating compilation of personal experiences by ex-employees! This reads like an online soap opera that soon had me hooked and eagerly scrolling all the way through.

I've been using all four of Starcrest's mail-order lines for years and am generally pleased with what I've come to think of as a kind of gambling casino for useful products: sometimes I win big and receive a fine product at a bargain price, and sometimes I get zonked. More often than not, I'm satisfied; when I'm not, I take a what-did-you-expect attitude. It's all in the game.

One note about all the critical remarks being posted regarding contributors' poor English: It's considered a cardinal rule of Internet communication to never comment on anyone's grammatical errors. Many Online forums permit real-time chat enabling the quick entry of posts in order to participate in ongoing discussions in a timely manner. Because such haste results in a great many typos and other errors, we are expected to overlook these and concentrate on the content only.

Also, as another contributor has noted, poor grammar is not in itself an indication of one's intelligence. As a professional writer and editor, I can assure you that -- were it not for us editors -- many published work by renowned "brainiacs" and other professionals would be peppered with quite laughable grammatical goofs.

DRS

Like many others who have responded to this thread, I was looking for a website for STARCREST of California.

I find it somewhat irritating that there seems to be a need by some people to resort to name calling and commenting on the grammar, spelling, etc. of others who have posted. I have noticed that people who are not great typists frequently have these issues even if they have college degrees. I have received email from individuals with PhDs that have no capital letters or paragraphs and glaring errors in grammar. I feel they are careless but certainly not stupid.

Additionally, it is more difficult to respond when typing into a window on a web page instead of within an email program where we have come to depend on the spell and grammar checkers. While these errors are distracting they should not become so important that the content of the message is totally lost.

I like a bargain as much as anyone else. After reading the email from former employees and other customers and suppliers I threw away the ads from STARCREST. I do not want a bargain badly enough to do business with this company.

I see a lot of people coming here that just do nothing but complain about working at Starcrest. I worked there for 3 or 4 months as a Temp and I almost started to work there as a full time employee.

I was working the night shift, so I was working from 10pm to 6:45am and then I went to school from 7:30am until 12:30pm. So I was mainly stressed from that, but the main reason I decided not to work there was because the overtime would kill me and I did not want to fail school, but also to make a decent wage you have to give yourself carpel tunnel and it still isnt a fair amount for the typing that is done. To make $6.75 you had to do atleast 10,000 keystrokes and hour, any lower and you would be fired. To make $9.75 I believe you had to type more than 22,000 keystokes an hour. The average for many people is 15,000-16,000 and I typed personally about 19,900 + So I did well for myself. But I still would make next to no money for the stress caused on my wrist. They do offer pillows for your wrist but they are all uncomfortable, the keyboards are very old so the keys dont work a lot of the times, and you are not allowed to switch them with a better working computer, so sometimes you had to litearly smash buttons so they would write. Also some of the employees would take off a key and put it on in an akward angle so people wouldnt use their favriote keyboards. When I personaly found a decent keyboard I would draw a heart on it with a highlighter so I could use it again.

Twice a night you would have to stand and do streching exercises so that you didnt wear yourself out. You did arm circles (big and little), back turns, leg streches, neck streches, and wrist rotations. The exercise supriviser I had knew what she was doing so the exercises worked well but we had a replacement one time who made us do the wrist rotations in a way that was actually bad for your wrist... We in the grave yard shift didnt do them that way and just did it our way. The business is far from any restraunts so you have to bring your own food, which isnt bad at night when no one is there but if you go in the day your food disappers just from the sheer amount in the fridges and the food in the vending machines wasnt bad but it tasted old and wasnt very good. Sometimes they would give the employees free doughnuts, which us in the grave yard shift never got because we wouldnt touch them. They had been laying out ALL day and just the thought of eatting them was creepy. The coffee was free, and if you wanted there were stairs or an elevator. Also they have this vending machine where you pay a quarter for over 20oz of soda that was really good. That personaly was my favriote part about working there.

I personaly hated working at Starcrest, I just wanted to list some of the postives for people because so many people complain without saying anything good. So I wanted to even it out a little...

hmmm where to start.

First off the phone number IS (951)943-2011
that will take you DIRECTLY to the main switchboard to the company. the address is 3660 Brennan Ave. Perris Ca. 92570.

I am a former employee of StarCrap, and while I can't say that they treated me badly, I can say that i saw others treated horribly, I worked in they're computer dept (dont really want to be more specific than that) for about 2 1/2 years. and i do know this. they do have decent benefits, you WILL get all the overtime that you want, probably even more than you want. While there i made a few observations.

1. No web presence is due to Calandras security concerns. for some strange reason he is VERY paranoid about nonexistant competition.

2. In order to have web access from your office you must either be a manager, or a supervisor of some form of computer operations.

3. INVENTORY former employees I'm sure remember this, It didnt matter who you were, what dept you worked in or how much you made, inventory was MANDATORY. this is where we would spend up to 5 days (and nights) with virtually no sleep counting every piece of every product in every box in all the warehouses, there were multiple rotating shifts that would do this task and was done by EVERYONE. except of course Calandra himself and his two stooges, Mike Donnely, and Betty can't remember her last name. anyhow this was done twice a year, and it was constantly threatened that if the count was not done properly and the numbers did not match that they would be adding extra days to the process. Now it was mentioned before that the education level of most of the employees was not high, to some extent this is true. so with that in mind take this uneducated employee deprive him/her of sleep for 4 or more days, then ask him to ACCURATELY count millions of little bottle openers at 2:00 a.m. all while Mr. Calandra and sleeps in his little bed. and if for some reason you were unable to be at your assigned 10 hour inventory shift ie: noone to take care of your kids from 10 pm to 8 am, or you were deathly ill. you would be fired, didnt matter if you were a manager or worked on the shipping door.

4. Starcrest Kills
While employed at starcrest I had the misfourtune of seeing some very good hard working people die. A man named robert died in the lunch room of a Massive coronary he was a really great guy, an impeccable dresser, died right there in mr. lee's lunch room on the floor.
Another man who was a manager in the data entry dept died of an anyuerism after leaving work for the day. The last guy i remember vividly, was found dead in the delivery van they used for making deliveries between the various warehouses.

5. bottom line is, I am neither for or against starcrest, i did kinda like working there, but i was by no means an uneducated person, and as such I was treated better than most. while i do not agree at all with the managers and supervisors tactics, it's not really theyre fault (save for the arnell nauden wall incedent) They have to answer to a higher source, Calandra, and when theyre numbers dont match what he wants then they are axed. for most of the managers/supervisors starcrest is a last resort before what could be called total failure in the buisness world. my co workers and i always said that starcrest is the place where management goes when they can't make it in the real world. I guess this came off more as a rant than anything.

I worked at Starcrest at the beginning of 1999. I started after the first big Christmas rush, and was there for the second one they said they usually had in January. I started working in Data Entry. During my months there, they were in the process of moving the Data Entry department (and many others) from the ground floor to upstairs. I was there for when they did it, I helped them move MANY DUMB TERMINALS upstairs, and was one of the first people to do Data Entry on the second floor.

First off, I had to get a drug test. No problem. Perris is famous for meth labs, and growing up in the '80s and '90s, I remember a time when mostly crack heads and speed freaks and whatever lived in Riverside County, before they started building all those new houses, and ripping up all the old crap that was actually quite dear to me. Are the rocks painted like apple pieces still along SR-74 between Perris and Lake Elsinore?

Yes... the computers were old. VERY OLD. I actually asked someone about them... I guess they were bought from Fed-Ex at one point for REALLY CHEAP. They were from the 1970's(!!!) They had IBM servers, and recorded all their data on old 12" reel to reel tapes. They had hard-drives that were the size of small washing machines, and stored about 200? megs on them. The dumb terminals where data entry was done on were really old, and one of the higher supervisors refered to them as "CRTs". (she retired while I was working there) Some were ok, but a lot of them looked like old Apple ][ computers. (they were not though, like I said, they were "dumb terminals") So of course, with the raised keyboards, they were very bad for the wrists. After complaining about using them for 12 hours each day, and the pain I would feel in my wrists, they decided to use me to do other work in other departments here and there, which was kinda fun.

We worked A LOT of overtime. And after working at McDonalds, I didn't think much of being forced to work extra hours, and not being able to go home when I expected to, but as a 19 year old male, I expected that sort of treatment. The hours were long, and there was definately times when I had to work six or seven days a week, and didn't see the sun shine. (except through the windows in the Cafeteria in the front of the building)

Back then, they actually paid people in Data Entry based on how fast they could type, and they always gave reports out everyday on how much work you did. I actually liked that they judged me based on what I actually did, but then again, I was probably one of the few generally positive 19 year olds working there. (FYI, I wasn't their fastest worker... I barely kept above their minimum standards, which would be higher and higher for each month you worked there) I may have complained about my wrists hurting once in a while, and I may have been notorious for being in and out of sleep during some of the longer morning stretches (I was full time day shift) but I didn't get in trouble for it when I was in Data Entry. But then again, I had one of the nicer supervisors, and this was back when DATA ENTRY was still on the ground floor, and the stations had partitions that were high enough to hide behind. The "goofy" looking guy that was mentioned in a previous rebuttal sounds familiar though... I didn't like him at all. He treated the data entry operators disrespectfully. (what was funny, was I met a girl who remembered him before he was a supervisor... she said "he used to be a nice guy")

Right after all the order processing and data-entry departments moved upstairs, I transferred over to the order processing department, or whatever it was called. At times, I had to work in a back room where lots of semi-recent order forms were kept. It was dark and quiet back there. When a lead mentioned that I wasn't supposed to be back there alone, I joked, "What? Are you afraid of me going through these orders, and writing down all the old people's credit card numbers???" I never saw that guy again after that day.

Oh yeah... and this business catered to the elderly. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but their arthritic hand-writing made the job a lot harder, and meant more work to be done. I also remember the "do not call" cards we'd get from former customers... and Starcrest did process quite a bit of those. Half of them explained that their former customers WERE DECEASED. But taking this into consideration if anything, I think that Starcrest was wise in not wanting to do business over the internet, as most senior citizens I know WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH THE INTERNET. And I can't blame them for feeling that way sometimes.

Yes... it's VERY POSSIBLE, and QUITE EASY to get someone's credit card number, address, and all sorts of other info off those order forms, and there were tons of them lying around in those back rooms. There was very little security in those back rooms, and all you had to do was fold up a form and put it in your back pocket. I never did anything like that, but I know that many ex-employees probably did that at some point.

I also remember how they archived their old older forms..... they were bundled up, put into boxes, placed on pallets, wrapped in plastic, and eventually ended up behind the building to get rained on and get soaked and turn into trash.

I was never there for any anti-union activities, but I do remember Starcrest being anti-union. As far as I was concerned, with the way things were run there, and with the prices they charged, I could have never seen Starcrest staying in business with a union... they wouldn't have survived. I know that they probably got away with breaking all sorts of labor laws, and there was a lot of drama going on in that place... but for a place like Riverside County in the '80s and '90s... I'm sure that place kept a lot of kids from starving. It wasn't the worst place I ever worked at... MC DONALDS WAS. But it wasn't exactly the best company I worked for either.

I have used starcraft for a few years now. I have never been disapointed in there service's. Sure there products are cheap, what do you expect, Guchi items.
I guess they could treat there employees better because if they did they wouldn't have a big turn over.
All I can say is be happy that you got a job. There are thousands of people who don't have jobs and they would be happy than he** to have yours. At least you are feeding your family or yourself and maybe paying at least some of your bills. At least your not on the welfare lines.
Have you ever thought of all of you trying to sit down and talk to the bosses and tell him that you are displeased with the working conditions and the pay. If that doesn't do any good then threaten to go on strike. All of you must be willing to do this because if only one person doesn't do it then it will all be invane. As the old saying goes, You can get more flies with honey than you can vinager.
If everyone goes on strike, how will they fill the orders. Also contact the local media and let them know what is going on. One thing any company hates is negative advertising. Maybe, just maybe then they will listen to your complaints.
Like I say, everyone has to go along with this idea. They will have to be willing to face critisim and threats. If you don't stand up for your self then you will fall for anything. I wish you good look in all your deeds and God bless you.

Hello,

I just wanted to share my information with
everyone. I called in to Starcrest's customer service and got some useful information!

First, their website is finally up and running!
It is currently named under their Make Life
Easier company, but I'm sure you can use this site
for all of their companies (Starcrest, Signatures,
Handsome Rewards, Gavilans, and Make Life Easier).
The site address is:

www.make-life-easier.com

I was advised by the rep that that address is not
highly publicized yet. It seems to be more of a
customer service type of site so far, but hopefully, will grow.

Secondly, on all of their phone numbers, with the
exception of the 800 numbers, the area code has
changed from 909 to 951.

Just thought I would share!

I have no particular sentiment for Starcrest one way or another but for one item in particular they offered the "higher quality" version at a lower price. The item: The Bell & Howell Sunlight Lamp... There are two variations being offered by various merchandisers under the Bell & Howell name. The lamps look similar but the "better" model has a "low" and "high" setting. I initially bought one from an offer @ $99. Later I bought two others from separate companies- they were similar looking and bore the Bell & Howell Name...but were inferior. As a last attempt , I tried Starcrest Of California (the picture looked like the better Bell & Howell lamp) and when it arrived it WAS the better model - I am extremly pleased - and it was less than I paid for the inferior models elsewhere!

Oh wow! Where to start? I wouldn't recommend working for Starcrest, especially in the DATA ENTRY department.

I will not use peoples names! You can figure it out if/as soon as you work there!

I began working there in the morning shift quite a while... We have been through a number of supervisors and 2 department managers. The current department manager, J.W., is a Ross Geller meets Goofy looking fellow who "isn't here to make you feel comfortable".. Despite his seemingly shy and quiet personality, he is running the company like a TRUE slave owner - unlike the last department manager who was fired. He actually knew a bit more about running the place than J.W.!

Now we have to do many extra hours because he is making mistakes, or letting A-Group supervisor tell him what to do -so we end up doing ALL the work and not leave any for the other two shifts!

Telephone order center is no mandatory for all operators now - which is ridiculous considering we got hired on to do DATA ENTRY and all other departments were voluntary!

=Supervisors=
T.K. "B-Group".
*She doesn't treat you like an human unless you are also a supervisor, (or if she just ate)!!
*If you are going through a rough patch where you aren't typing 100% perfect (it's almost un-humanlike to achieve this), she will stare at you and make you feel like a horrible employee!
*Her lead (person who hands out work to operators) are her slaves so she doesn't have to get anything done.

H.R. "A-Group"
*J.W. is his puppet
*He only talks to the "pretty operators" like they are human - unless he wants something.
*He will make you do mandatory overtime even if it is voluntary (to stay after to visit with his "girlfriend").
*He will make morning shift do all the days work so he can see his "girlfriend".
*He has sex with some operators (his "girlfriend")... WHICH IS AGAINST COMPANY POLICY!
*He will fire you if you rat on him or if you say something he doesn't like.
*He does NOTHING all day but flirt with girls, act macho, and talk about himself
===============
DRAMA!!!!
Someone recently got fired for ratting on H.R because he was sleeping with a mid-shift operator (aka "girlfriend").
It was made known during our orientation that if "cupid's arrow strikes" we must transfer to another department if the person is above us, or we are above the person.... YET the previous department manager got fired for sleeping with a girl under him in ANOTHER department! BUT H.R. is having sex with an operator (who, I believe, used to be HIS operator before he was switched to morning shift)!!!!!! Now, you can clearly see how Starcrest's "politics" are clearly skewed!!
==================
J Wrote in an earlier post (Who I have a good feeling is J.W.)

"Many of you can't spell or use proper punctuation. Do you really think you can get a job that will pay you more than minimum wage?" then later writing "If you have a problem with that maybe you should address your govenor..."

MAYBE I SHOULD ADDRESS MY GOVERNOR - otherwise I may not get anything done about Starcrest, Mr. ICanSpell!!!

i apologize for using all lower-case letters. i am a disabled veteran and also have a crushed and immobilized finger. please be patient with me.

i am not an expert in california labour law. however, regardless of the age, level of literacy, or any other personal characteristics of the employees, both past and current, of Starcrest, Signatures, etc...

if they feel they are being:
1. treated less than fairly,
2. paid less that what is reasonable or lawful,
3. asked to work overtime without compensation,
4. concerned about safety issues,
5. aware of fraud or abuse by other employees,
6. suspicious of drug and/or alcohol use while working, especially for employees in potentially dangerous positions such as forklift operators or other WAREHOUSE (not "wharehouse") personnel,

they have an obligation to themselves, to their fellow employees, and, yes, to their employer to report these matters to an official agency. some of the likely agencies to receive and act on these issues of employee mistreatment, workplace safety, etc. follow:

Fair Employment and Housing Dept.
Consumer Affairs Dept.
Industrial Relations Dept. - this includes:
Labor Standards Enforcement,
Bureau of Field Enforcement,
Occupation Safety and Health CALOSHA
State Mediation and Conciliation Service

if you are unable to receive satisfaction from such agencies, you would do well to contact the california state representatives for senate and congress from your district.

spelling and grammar are sadly lacking in some of these letters. but it is the *content* that matters. if these people worked at a fast food restuarant, would we expect them to be perfect or even good spellers? would they likely have a very high rate of contentment with their jobs? would employee turnover be comparatively high? i recall my own days, long ago now, of working in fast food restuarants. griping about one's job is a rule rather than an exception, especially among the young, those performing menial tasks, those with boring, repetetive work, demands for high-speed performance, requirements for constant customer contact, etc. that, ladies and gentlemen, is why older and better educated people don't usually choose to work in either warehouses, mail-order, or fast food companies!

the safety issues concern me very deeply. people working in leaky conditions, with exposure to excess cold or heat without proper protection, exposure to broken equipment or that which is ill-repaired, etc. are NOT permissible by law!

firing an employee for being ill and absent -- even with a doctor's consent -- may be legal in california IF the employee is still working on a "probationary" basis. this is usually 90 days. sadly, the employer can fire the employee at will during this time. for the former employees of the brennan avenue companies who were terminated or asked to sign letters of resignation, it might be worth a call to your local legal consultation hotline or to the state's fair employment and/or OSHA departments.

if people do not take responsibility for themselves and their own conditions, they are consenting not only to continuing abuse, but also are permitting their fellow employees to be subjected to the same treatment. furthermore, the company likely will NOT change unless it is forced to do so, and it is the state and federal employee protection and workplace regulation agencies that must enforce such changes.

if employees are going out (high turnover) like running water, i would suggest that employees are also coming in like running water. thus, there is no REASON for the employer to make changes to its business practices. that would, after all, cost money! so...?

people, please!! - the Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire occurred a century ago. there ARE workplace protection laws, agencies, enforcements, and penalties available. this is a great site for making people aware that problems may exist with a particular employer... but why does it sound as if it begins and ends with on-line, semi-anonymous griping?

if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. for those of you who complained here but did NOT contact any official agencies about your work issues, consider that YOU and your choice to be silent may contribute to the injury or death of someone else. if someone had reported unsafe practices in the warehouse, perhaps the young lady would not have had a head injury.

the agencies i mentioned above are ALL in your local phone book. they are listed in the blue pages at the front of the book under "state" agencies. you might also find city, county, or federal agencies that might be of help in the same blue "government" pages. please!! at least try!

here:

under "United States Government:"
Occupational Safety and Health Information -- NIOSH -- 800-356-4674

and there have been laws against "union-busting" since the early part of the 20th century.

there will always be poor people. it is the way of the world. there will always be people who MUST take low-wage jobs. and there will always be people who either MUST or CHOOSE TO purchase inexpensive merchandise. i am poor, yes, i am disabled, and i CHOOSE to purchase inexpensive items. i also CHOOSE to make a great many of my own things, but not everone is able to do so.

the bottom line is that i would be happy to pay a little more (for example a dollar per item) to a company with safer, healthier, sufficiently compensated, and organized employees.

the company has been doing fine for all these years. what makes any of us think that it will change in the least unless it is FORCED to do so? goodness! it hasn't even got a web site? this is practically beyond belief! so? so REPORT the things you wrote here to an agency that can HELP the company to change! REPORT the dangers, threats, concerns BEFORE someone else gets hurt or, God forbid, someone gets killed!

now we've all read this long strand of comments about all of the "aka" companies at 19465 Brennan Avenue in Perris. which of the employees and former employees, then, will have COURAGE enough to take action? spreading the word is a good start. NOW FINISH IT!

thanks for your patience with me, and please forgive any mistakes i may have made. i have decided that even though i am "less able" than most people, i will never stop doing all that i am able to. the typing of this letter was a tiny example.

Winston Churchill said, "NEVER, NEVER, NEVER QUIT." and until conditions have changed, i beg you to follow his advice.

much respect to all of you.

M.

additionally, the allegation that *any* supervisor would say, imply, or otherwise make known that union contact is "prohibited," is absolutely illegal as far as i know.

I've read all the comments regarding Starcrest from current and ex-employees. Most of you guys can't spell worth a hoot and have no concept of grammer and punctuation. An employer knows this and figures if you can't pay enough attention in school to learn these very basic principles, then you're probably not going to be a good employee.

An employer figures you're part of this generation that assumes they are entitled to everything regardless of their own input. You figure you're entitled to a job with awesome pay even though you can't even write in your own language! Since you are nothing but a joke to them, they don't treat you well.

I know there's no excuse for treating an employee poorly -- I'm just trying to let you know how some employers think. And, personally, I believe their thinking is correct. Granted, their behavior is inexcusable (not letting you know you have to work overtime until the last minute, requiring you to work when you're sick, etc). Yet, their thinking that you are a lazy person who expects something for nothing is very evident in the fact that have no concept of how to communicate in written English. After all, if you can't seem to take instruction in school, how are you going to take any instruction on the job?

My advice? Get yourself a tutor and advance yourself to a better paying job. Being able to write clearly without spelling and puctuation errors will tell an employer that you respect yourself enough to pay attention when it matters most. Believe me, on the job, paying attention matters most!

I have ordered from Starcrest and my do it again but my comment is about packaging. I work for the Postal Service (Thank God!) and the packaging used by Starcrest is just not good enough. Most of the parcels that come into my office from Starcrest, need to be taped together. One strip down the middle just doesn't seal a box that is loosly packed with merchandise. Customer service would improve and parcels could be delivered intact.

Our desire is to deliver all mail in good condition and on time. Starcrest and other mailers (private and professional) can help us by doing a better job of packaging and sealing. Thanks for letting me sound off.

I use to work for Starcrest in the Payroll Department which means I know off hand that yes they hire anyone...but they also give you a chance at a position when they know you are smart enough to handle it. I never did payroll before and they gave me a chance and I was very good at it and they let me know that I did very well at my job too.

I not only worked there and enjoyed it but I was a customer also. I bought a few gadgets and household items and still have them even after I left there over a year ago to move to Las Vegas.
People you have to be over 18 to make a purchase so why not take responsibility as an ADULT to make sensible purchases. It's like someone said in an earlier rebuttal you get what you paid for. Hey, I've shopped in department stores and had something tear or break and paid a hefty price tag. Now that's when you have the right to complain. My point in short, not everything in life is going to be perfect. What you think is junk may not be to another. Everyone has there idea of what "quality" should be. Just be smart when you buy mail order--it's hard to know what's good vs what's not from a picture. It's a risk you take, no one tells you to do it.

And to those of you ex-employees...if you took the time to complain online, maybe you need to take a look at your life. Are you really that un-happy? It's what you make of it people.

my family has bought from starcrest for a while,iam veryy approving of it also.there prices are very cheap,some items are maybe a rip off.They may exagerate about items also,evry bussiness does.If you have a problem write to the company,many people in my family and my friends enjoy starcrest,it is bad too they dont have a website or a number i can find,but thats life and you people need to deal with it

With regard to "Work at Lowes" addressed to J of Riverside. You are lucky you got a job with them. Your typing, spelling and grammer are so bad that I would not hire you.

Second. Anybody who is a shopper knows that you get what you pay for. I would not buy a mink coat from Starcrest but costume jewelry, household articles, etc., are what you expect and great for the price you pay. I can afford the mink coat but I am going to buy from Starcrest.

Thirdly, Starcrest, want to solve your employee problems--think about hiring physically and mentally disadvantaged. Wheel chairs pull up to telephones quite well; mentally disadvantaged can learn to do many things routinely; etc.

To J. in riverside - I don't know why you would like this company. Half the paper pushing work is meanless and costly. People are not treated fairly!
Believe me there is a ton of bias in that company. If you want to be promoted you have to know the right people - not be a good employee. I wish the labor board would get in there and take statments from the employees and fine the company already.
My mom works as a supervisor - and while i cant say to muc - i can say that the supervisors dislike there jobs because they are all paied different amounts and whoever is liked best makes more. Experience doesnt seem to matter to that company - Its all about who you know.

I suggest that everyone go apply at Lowe's where you start at atleast 10.50 an hour. I just started working there and it is so much better than all the crap they pull on you at starcrest. Hell, I make as much as the management at starcrest...
Consumers beware - the employees taking your orders and packing your stuff are not happy people.

I have ordered from Starcrest of California
and I am satisfied with their service as well
as their products. For neat little gadgets you dont always find in stores. For the money, yes
will order again, for the product, yes i will order again.

OK, I wasn't gonna say any more about this subject but a few things said by some of the other writers struck a nerve. First off, not all of us who worked or work there are illiterate idiots. I had experience in retail and decided customer service would be a good position for me. When I lived in Perris way back when, it was a very rural area. Starcrest was by far the largest employer in the area. The car I had wasn't the greatest and commuting would have been impossible. I decided the pay was OK since it was a local job and easy for me to get to. I had no idea of Starcrests high turn over rate at the time. Like I said in my previous comments I actually liked my job. When I became ill I was shocked at their callus attitude. Not only is it morally wrong to treat their employees that way but it's also illegal. An employee can not be fired for an illness or injury while under a doctors care. I was young at the time and didn't realise that I should have persued my rights. Shortly after I recovered I left the area and just chalked it up to experience. It really bothers me that after all this time nothing has changed there. They still treat their employees poorly, it seems there has been no change in the rate of pay in the 15 or so years since I was there. (I was actually making higher than minimum wage back then.)
As for the conditions and them not being a hazard to employees. If what the others have said is true, the conditions are potentially a danger to employees. How can frayed and exposed wires not be a danger to people?! The ceiling leaks but is only a hazard to the equipment?! Does the word electrocution mean anything to you? What if the ceiling caves in with employees present? Is that not potentially dangerous?
Yes many of the employees there have little or no experience and Starcrest does give people the opportunity to gain experience, but it doesn't give the company the right to treat them as slaves or to disregaurd their safety. Many of these peole are in the same boat I was in back then. I was lucky, I didn't have a family to support. Many of the others that were there when I was were single parents, struggling to stay off of welfare. They didn't have nice cars to commute in and took the jobs for much the same reasons I did. It was local and a paycheck.
So, maybe some of the other people responding to this should rethink their opinions. Maybe Starcrest should consider improving conditions and treating their employees better. My guess is that improve business all the way around. Happy employees are good employees. Think about it. Makes sence to me.

I USED to work at starcrest AKA slavecrest. Noticed i said USED to. I worked there for about 3 weeks and was fired. Why because i was in a horrible car accident that left me in the hospital for two days.My mom called starcrest the day after my accident and was told if i didnt come into work within 3 days i was going to be fired.

Like many have said befor overtime was unbelieveable. heck i never saw the sun the whole time. I started work befor the sun came up and finshed work after the sun was down.I was hired to work the prodution line but many times i was sent anywhere they needed me.

Now about there safty, I was sent to work in one area and wasnt tall enough to reach up to use the machien so i was given a box to stand on. Really great safty wouldnt u think.

Now to Anonymous J - Riverside, California, I "can't spell or use proper punctuation. Do you really think you can get a job that will pay you more than minimum wage?" and i now work in a Doctors offices making $12 a hour with benifits, So yes i really DO think i can make more the minimum wage because i am making more.


I was shocked to see starcret was still in business after all these years. I still cant believe people still want to buy there junk.

I USED to work at starcrest AKA slavecrest. Noticed i said USED to. I worked there for about 3 weeks and was fired. Why because i was in a horrible car accident that left me in the hospital for two days.My mom called starcrest the day after my accident and was told if i didnt come into work within 3 days i was going to be fired.

Like many have said befor overtime was unbelieveable. heck i never saw the sun the whole time. I started work befor the sun came up and finshed work after the sun was down.I was hired to work the prodution line but many times i was sent anywhere they needed me.

Now about there safty, I was sent to work in one area and wasnt tall enough to reach up to use the machien so i was given a box to stand on. Really great safty wouldnt u think.

Now to Anonymous J - Riverside, California, I "can't spell or use proper punctuation. Do you really think you can get a job that will pay you more than minimum wage?" and i now work in a Doctors offices making $12 a hour with benifits, So yes i really DO think i can make more the minimum wage because i am making more.


I was shocked to see starcret was still in business after all these years. I still cant believe people still want to buy there junk.

I USED to work at starcrest AKA slavecrest. Noticed i said USED to. I worked there for about 3 weeks and was fired. Why because i was in a horrible car accident that left me in the hospital for two days.My mom called starcrest the day after my accident and was told if i didnt come into work within 3 days i was going to be fired.

Like many have said befor overtime was unbelieveable. heck i never saw the sun the whole time. I started work befor the sun came up and finshed work after the sun was down.I was hired to work the prodution line but many times i was sent anywhere they needed me.

Now about there safty, I was sent to work in one area and wasnt tall enough to reach up to use the machien so i was given a box to stand on. Really great safty wouldnt u think.

Now to Anonymous J - Riverside, California, I "can't spell or use proper punctuation. Do you really think you can get a job that will pay you more than minimum wage?" and i now work in a Doctors offices making $12 a hour with benifits, So yes i really DO think i can make more the minimum wage because i am making more.


I was shocked to see starcret was still in business after all these years. I still cant believe people still want to buy there junk.

I USED to work at starcrest AKA slavecrest. Noticed i said USED to. I worked there for about 3 weeks and was fired. Why because i was in a horrible car accident that left me in the hospital for two days.My mom called starcrest the day after my accident and was told if i didnt come into work within 3 days i was going to be fired.

Like many have said befor overtime was unbelieveable. heck i never saw the sun the whole time. I started work befor the sun came up and finshed work after the sun was down.I was hired to work the prodution line but many times i was sent anywhere they needed me.

Now about there safty, I was sent to work in one area and wasnt tall enough to reach up to use the machien so i was given a box to stand on. Really great safty wouldnt u think.

Now to Anonymous J - Riverside, California, I "can't spell or use proper punctuation. Do you really think you can get a job that will pay you more than minimum wage?" and i now work in a Doctors offices making $12 a hour with benifits, So yes i really DO think i can make more the minimum wage because i am making more.


I was shocked to see starcret was still in business after all these years. I still cant believe people still want to buy there junk.

Hello,
I have posted before and I'd like to add some more points.

First, the website that has been in the works for, what seems like forever, is supposedly close to getting a server and being put online. However, this site will not be for ordering. It will be a general help site...more for customer service related problems I've heard.

For those of you who have wanted to return merchandise...just simply read the back of your packing slips. It gives step by step instructions
on how to return merchandise. If you no longer have your packing slip, then just enclose a note with your name and address and advising the wharehouse/customer service departments whether you want a refund or exchange for anything else.

For people complaing about the time it takes to get an order: the company does allow three weeks for merchandise to arrive before they can do anything with the order. You're always welcome to pay for faster shipping if you don't particularly like this timeframe.

The first complaint I read was about combs to volumize your hair, and would like to say this: These combs are NOT for just combing straight through your hair--no comb will give it added body doing it that way. These combs have a special design to the teeth are super good for BACKcombing (teasing) your hair, just as the catalog states. In case you're too young to remember that method, it's grabbing a handful of hair and running the comb backward through it to tangle it, and depending on how vigorously you do that it will either fluff it out or actually knot it up and then you run the long tines gently over the top to give it a smooth look while leaving the tangles underneath to give it volume. They work great when used right!

I've gotten a few "bad apples" from Starcrest, but many more good-to-great ones! The prices are outstanding compared with similar products from other sources. I just bought two lead-crystal figurines for $4 each that would have cost $25 each (or more) at Hallmark--I know because I collect them and was overjoyed at the quality and beauty of these.

As for Starcrest being "Slavecrest," I wonder why, if they are the only employer in the area, there seems to be such a big turnover. Where are all these ex-employees going for other jobs? I agree, it's too bad if they don't treat their employees right and they should care more, but you don't have to work there if you don't like it--go wherever the other ones went and stop badmouthing the company that gave you a start. I retired from a high-paying job, and I didn't get treated right there either--it's just a fact of life we all must learn to deal with wherever we work. And if they don't treat their suppliers right--well, tell me why the suppliers keep going to them? They go into a contract knowing what it says and apparently it's a risk they're willing to take, so why squeal when it doesn't work out like they want?

Starcrest may have some bad policies, but life isn't perfect. Ultimately it's each person's choice--no one is forcing anyone to deal with them. I will keep buying the items I like from them because overall, I'm a happy customer.

I am an employee at Starcrest and I have to say that anyone who works anywhere will have problems. A lot of the former employees who have written about how bad it is need to consider the following:

Many of you can't spell or use proper punctuation. Do you really think you can get a job that will pay you more than minimum wage? Most jobs starting at Starcrest are entry level positions that pay minimum wage - you knew that when you applied and accepted the job so it's your fault that you were getting paid minimum wage.

Just because you didn't get the job you felt you were qualified for doesn't mean that Starcrest is dumb. The position was probably occupied by another person with just as good of qualifications as you.

Starcrest puts a lot of money into safety. The roof does leak in the rainey season - but it isn't a safety hazard to the people, only to the equipment.

Remember, Starcrest made you sign that overtime paper as a courtesy to you. By law, they can make you work as much overtime with as little notice as they want. If you have a problem with that maybe you should address your govenor...

I'm not saying it's perfect, it sucks sometimes. I am just tired of hearing people blaming the company for their own lack of good sense to choose what they want in life, ie. if you don't want to make minimum wage, why apply for the job and then complain about it? They train you to do something you couldn't do before - hmmm, now you've got a new skill and you got paid to learn it.

Lastly, that guy who said to use the code JUE - incase you didn't know, Starcrest takes orders by computers and if the computer doesn't recognize the code it won't go onto the order. Price charts and shipping they'll waive but a $5 or $10 discount will not be waived.

Happy job hunting!
Anonymous

I used to work at starcrest AKA slavecrest. I worked in the telephone order center for minimum wage. *The Overtime is rediculas* I can see a few hours here and there, but 12 hour shifts of doing the same tedious work, 4 days out of the week can get to you. We had mandatory OT for about a 3 weeks, and as soon at Xmas season comes around, I feel bad for the people that still have jobs there.

A little word of caution about making orders through the phone.

Most of the workers are being paid crap so you never know when they may be tempted to take your Credit card numbers down a second time. With the Mandatory OT, I entered about 50-80 CC#'s a day so its not hard to take one down. I never did it my self, but some of those people just might.

I've heard of people taking CC#'s down for themselves, but it doesnt happen often. Now if you still want to place orders through the phone, Ive got a little gift for you. Tell the phone operator that you have a discount coupon and the COde is *JUE*...ANd has no minimum. Dont worry about the operator being suspioucious. You may have to argue with the superivisor, but you'll get your way.. HeH hEh

~sorry for the spelling and grammer errors~

I used to work at starcrest AKA slavecrest. I worked in the telephone order center for minimum wage. *The Overtime is rediculas* I can see a few hours here and there, but 12 hour shifts of doing the same tedious work, 4 days out of the week can get to you. We had mandatory OT for about a 3 weeks, and as soon at Xmas season comes around, I feel bad for the people that still have jobs there.

A little word of caution about making orders through the phone.

Most of the workers are being paid crap so you never know when they may be tempted to take your Credit card numbers down a second time. With the Mandatory OT, I entered about 50-80 CC#'s a day so its not hard to take one down. I never did it my self, but some of those people just might.

I've heard of people taking CC#'s down for themselves, but it doesnt happen often. Now if you still want to place orders through the phone, Ive got a little gift for you. Tell the phone operator that you have a discount coupon and the COde is *JUE*...ANd has no minimum. Dont worry about the operator being suspioucious. You may have to argue with the superivisor, but you'll get your way.. HeH hEh

~sorry for the spelling and grammer errors~

I used to work at starcrest AKA slavecrest. I worked in the telephone order center for minimum wage. *The Overtime is rediculas* I can see a few hours here and there, but 12 hour shifts of doing the same tedious work, 4 days out of the week can get to you. We had mandatory OT for about a 3 weeks, and as soon at Xmas season comes around, I feel bad for the people that still have jobs there.

A little word of caution about making orders through the phone.

Most of the workers are being paid crap so you never know when they may be tempted to take your Credit card numbers down a second time. With the Mandatory OT, I entered about 50-80 CC#'s a day so its not hard to take one down. I never did it my self, but some of those people just might.

I've heard of people taking CC#'s down for themselves, but it doesnt happen often. Now if you still want to place orders through the phone, Ive got a little gift for you. Tell the phone operator that you have a discount coupon and the COde is *JUE*...ANd has no minimum. Dont worry about the operator being suspioucious. You may have to argue with the superivisor, but you'll get your way.. HeH hEh

~sorry for the spelling and grammer errors~

We are a plastics manufacturer, and somehow our customer ended up working with Starcrest of California as a supplier. I am not sure how the initial contact was made. Our customer did not have a sales force pushing their Penda Shower Shelf product.

Starcrest looked like they could help create real sales for the product. This product - a bathroom shelf that mounts on a towel bar in the shower or bath area is NOT junk - it is sturdy and works as designed. But of course as the manufacturer we are biased...

Yes, Starcrest requested approx $1000 of FREE product to "test market" the product.

After the first "test market" they claimed sales were ZERO.

They asked to lower the asking price and redo the "test market". This was agreed, and again they claimed sales were ZERO.

Then they kept sending bills to our customer requesting payment of approx $400 for this bogus "test market", art work, postage, etc. I think a lot of their profits come from the FREE product supplied to them and the claim that sales were zero. Then see if they can get a cash payment from the supplier on top of that. And suppliers looking for sales outlets agree to the terms.

I was on this site working on another "rip-off" problem when I saw Starcrest & it rang a bell. We are a small company with 16 employees. We care about our employees and our customers. It sounds like Starcrest doesn't care too much about either. I would not recommend working with them.

I received a catalog from Make Life Easier, located in Perris, CA. Since there was no web site information, I began to try to check them out, as is my usual routine before doing business with an unknown. It looks like Make Life Easier is one of the "aka" names for Starcrest of CA. They have the same street address. After reading the various comments, any thoughts I had of ordering anything from them has vanished. Why cause myself a potential problem? It's not like I can't live without their products.

The comments that weighed most heavy on me were the ones from the ex-employees. As a former manager I realize that ex-employees can sometimes stretch their comments. But taking that into consideration, there was still something there that indicated to me this was not a company I wanted to do business with. And why the need for other names?

Thanks for all the comments, and those of you who are happy with this company, I say "Good for you".

as i was reading i seen a comment of how old the computers were AND I COULDNT AGREE MORE! these computers are as old as they get.. i was really amazed on how old they are when i first walked into the "Data Entery Room" never in my life have i seen a computer that old...

An pay... well its minimumm wage which is now about 6.75 in the state of california and for a job as "Data Entery" well that's cheap the average pay for "Data "Entery is around 9.00/hr
this is for most companys i have never seen it go lower the 8.00/hr but starcrest has amazed me once more...

Safety? i didnt know think they know of the word.... i think there safety should be through the floor! as in down! there are loose wire's and the floors sometimes get wet because of the hole's in the cealing.. when it rains the water pours right through... driping on the employees... starcrest should be reported...

bottom line dont work for them unless you are desperate.. and dont order from them unless that is your only option...

The company I work for is considering of selling its products to Starcrest. However, Starcrest requires their suppliers to give them $1000 worth of free goods for each test order. Does anyone know how it is to work with Starcrest as a supplier?

Thanks in advance for sharing any information.

I received a starcrest mailing packet the other day and looked through it. I found a few things that I was willing to spend a few dollars on, but now that I have read all this, I'm really not so sure I want to order anything from them. I know that most of the items a really cheap and I know what I want to order may be "junk", but I thought I was willing to find out just how bad it was. I know I can return the stuff if I want to BUT, I'm really not sure now.

I don't want to cause anyone to work overtime if they don't want to. I thought the government wouldn't allow mandatory overtime, am I wrong?

Hello,

I am a current employee at Starcrest of California. I want to respond to as many of the
topics that I have seen brought up in this report. My comments are not all positive, nor are they all negative.

First of all, about the cheap merchandise...I agree with a few of the level headed people on this forum - you get exactly what you pay for. Don't play stupid and expect to buy a state of the art cleaning device for $3.00 and expect it to take all of your household chores away.

As far as not being able to contact us, for the time we are still able to be contacted by phone: 800-777-0327, and of course by mail. A website
is (finally) currently in the works and it is expected to be completed by the end of the year. It will supposedly be fully interactive.

The next topic I want to address is the treatment of the emplyees. I honestly believe it all depends on which department that you end up working in. But one thing is a desperate need for the company: more in-depth testing for applicants. TOC (Telephone Order Center), for the most part is full of high school kids who are looking for a part time job who really don't care, and therefore, quite lazy. No offense to those of you who work in TOC, but again, this is just the majority. It just seems most of TOC is lucky if employees there can finish a book without pictures.

The wharehouse is the prison of Starcrest. It's very hot - way too hot to work at times with only a swamp cooler (no AC) that has little effect on the temperature. The wharehouse is where most of
the damage happens to the merchandise. Items get thrown, stepped on, and run over by forklifts. Also, after seeing and talking to many of the wharehouse employees regularly, there should be FREQUENT and random drug and alcohol testing. If you don't want to be discriminatory against anyone, I saw do it for the entire company. Granted, it costs money, but I've seen wharehouse employees come to work drunk, high, you name it...and you expect them to get people's orders correct?

Our mail room is our sweatshop. Rows upon rows of tables with people sitting elbow to elbow opening and sorting the mail, having a quota to meet. The first time I set foot in the mail room, my jaw dropped...I just hate even being in the room.

Data entry is the robot room. You enter the room and the sound of keystrokes is so loud, you can't think, with the employees not even looking away from their computer skin for a second. Then they have their "play time" when every so often everyone stands up together and does wrist, neck, and back stretches.

Callbacks will call customers when a size or color is left off of an order, or if there is insufficient/incorrect payment with the order. They leave messages informing the customers that they have 48 hours to get back to us so they can correct the order and process it. The customer calls back later that day and their order has already been pushed through and processed without that item in question.

Customer Service has it the best I think. They start off at minimum wage like everyone else, but has a payment incentive plan, where they can make more money each month depending on how much work they put out and the quality of it. They get pretty decent notice on their weekly/daily hours that must be worked.

Many of our customers are elderly, and because of that, many miscalculate their total and overwrite their check accidently. When they receive thier order, the credit is noted at the very bottom of the invoice, kind of hidden among all the other numbers. They are required to submit that slip that notes the credit in order to receive the refund. Now, do you honestly think an elderly person is going to see that small print at the bottom and know to return that slip to us in order to receive their money?

There needs to be more safety training as well, especially in the wharehouse. We had inventory this weekend, with employees working 9.5 hour days, with shifts going 24/7 all weekend. The entire company is required to work it. People from other department do not receive any wharehouse safety training. Because of this lack of training, there was an accident this weekend leaving a girl in the hospital with serious injuries after having a pallett fall from our 5th level (very top) onto her head. the company is attemping to keep this situation under wraps as much as possible, knowing another law suit is coming.

Sorry this was so long, but actually seeing the company first hand, I just wanted to set things straight.

I'm a former employee of Starcrest that's actually found some benefit to having worked there...I now work for Wackenhut as a security guard. (Security work is insanely easy to get into, I should have done this YEARS ago-all you have to do is take the test to get the guard card, and be alive)

It turns out that Wackenhut has a contract with Starcrest, and their main job there is to scare off protesters, (this is from my memory from my time there--security in the parking lots at christmas time and all).

Any how, Wachenhut will not send me to the Starcrest post because of my status as a former employee there. yeee-haw!

And yes, the pay still sucks, even for security, there. They actually use that particular post to "test the meddle" of former welfare recipients. If they can survive the first 90 days, they can get transferred out to another post, and decent wages.

As to the computers that are at the place..we're talking mainframes and quite a few I think were actually from the 70's. I think the management there thinks this whole internet thing is a fad, and will blow away any time now....

As a disability related advocate of the west coast area, I read all these complaints by consumers (happy and angry), employees, and ex-employees. I also had research this company and did not find anything under Starcrest's name anywhere.

There are lots of Rip-Off companies from all over the globe. Moreover, I find this company is a rip-off based upon my experiences.

TO: ex-employees, I think it is a good idea to file complaint with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and/or Department of Fair Employment and Housing against your employer as they treated you as Slavery, but the filing must be made within 180 days.

TO: unhappy consumers, I recommend that you should file complaint to the website at: http://www.ftc.gov . FTC can handle all fraud complaints.

TO: Happy consumers: If I were in your shoes, I would re-do to use my thinking tank about of what you are happy about.

Good luck to all.

As an ex employee considering trying to be rehired I was very interested in these reports. I had come online to do a search to see if there was a website I could submit my resume to. This site has made me rethink my plan. It reminded me why I never went back in the first place and it sounds as though it's only gotten worse since I was there in the early 80's.

I was a customer service rep near the holidays, also with manditory overtime. The pay wasn't great, but I was young and the location was convenient since I lived within a couple of miles and there was nothing else out there. The only reason I left was I got quite sick.

The offices were kept very cold and it was a wet winter. I kept working even though I was ill and finally was sent home by my supervisor who said I looked like crap. Turned out I had pnuemonia. They actually held my job for me for a couple of weeks but then called and said inventory was starting and that if I didn't come in to work I would be fired.

I told them I was still sick and had not been released by my doctor. I was told come in or kiss my job goodbye. Oddly enough I liked my job and drug myself out of bed and showed up on a cold rainy day at 5AM. They promptly sent me to a cold warehouse where they expected me to work for at least 8 hours.

After about an hour of freezing and my chest hurting I walked out. I later spoke to a supervisor who said for me to come in and file a separation agreement so I could be eligable for rehire...... here I am all these years later, desperate for work, but..... I don't think that desperate.... I'd forgotten that they don't care about their employees well being or happiness. Thank you for reminding me!

HI
I work at this place and let me tell you, they are so cheap they have computers from 1980's and they pay us beans and rice! This place Is also known as SLAVECREST!

The only reason people work there is becuase its the only big employer in perris and moreno valley. When we get hired they make us sign a contract saying they can make us work whenever without warning and for as long as they like.

I have only seen the owner like once but i dont know why he doesnt fix things, If you would complain to someone or know anyway to make SLAVECREST make better products and pay employees fair please help! perris and moreno valley are in chains bu this company.

As a former employee, I can tell you that when I was there most positions started at minimum wage.
Supervisor and Management positions had a high turnover just like the minimum wage jobs. I was told that there were no part time management positions, all were full time with the same mandatory overtime as everyone else. Starcrest never informs the new employees of the TRUE amount of overtime expected by everyone.

You will probably be able to make your 1500 a month but will end up miserable or quit. Good Luck, it will not be as it first seems, they put on a different face before they screw you.

Hello,

I am interested in seeking P/T employment with StarCrest in Perris Ca. However, after reading some of the previous comments by ex-employees I am a little concerned. We are starting our own business and I am looking for partime work to bring in about $1500 a month to help supplement my husbands income. I have a BA degree from UCR and will be attending graduate school next year to get my MBA. Nevertheless, I selected StarCrest because it is close to my home and I would not have to commute.

Secondly, I noticed they have job postings every quarter (at the local colleges) for the same positions, which means to me they must have a high turn over rate of employees if they are hiring that frequently (very similiar to call-centers). At any rate, I am asking for some advice from those that are currently employees or previously employed: What is the pay for say Clerical/Custormer Service/Data Entry, will it meet my goals? Is it worth my time to complete their application process? Overall, do the pros out weigh the cons?

Thanks a bunch for you recommendation :-)

It's me again, the initiator of this thread

Hi. Wow, it has been fascinating to see the variety of comments in response to my original complaint. I had no idea anybody would respond.

I was angry when I wrote that because for at lesat the third year in a row, I wanted to send at least one thing back, and I couldn't find any phone number or website on the receipt in the package I got as a gift. I ended up throwing or giving away these items, which seemed like a waste. Then I couldn't find anyway to reach them on the internet either. Now I've learned from this Website that there are numbers to reach them.

I think I was frustrated too because my mom keeps sending me the same gifts from Starcrest that I don't want, as she is very forgetful. Please be aware that I did not express any of this frustration to my mom directly as I love her dearly and understand she cannot help this, and I would never be so rude. Hopefully I am not a "brat" as someone above stated. By Starcrest not having an easy way to return or exchange gifts that I could figure out, I felt this was a ripoff for my mom and me.

Some of their products are fine I gather from the above, for the price. The working conditions sure don't sound good.

Hopefully they have learned a few things from this Website.

Respectfully,

It's me again, the initiator of this thread

Hi. Wow, it has been fascinating to see the variety of comments in response to my original complaint. I had no idea anybody would respond.

I was angry when I wrote that because for at lesat the third year in a row, I wanted to send at least one thing back, and I couldn't find any phone number or website on the receipt in the package I got as a gift. I ended up throwing or giving away these items, which seemed like a waste. Then I couldn't find anyway to reach them on the internet either. Now I've learned from this Website that there are numbers to reach them.

I think I was frustrated too because my mom keeps sending me the same gifts from Starcrest that I don't want, as she is very forgetful. Please be aware that I did not express any of this frustration to my mom directly as I love her dearly and understand she cannot help this, and I would never be so rude. Hopefully I am not a "brat" as someone above stated. By Starcrest not having an easy way to return or exchange gifts that I could figure out, I felt this was a ripoff for my mom and me.

Some of their products are fine I gather from the above, for the price. The working conditions sure don't sound good.

Hopefully they have learned a few things from this Website.

Respectfully,

It's me again, the initiator of this thread

Hi. Wow, it has been fascinating to see the variety of comments in response to my original complaint. I had no idea anybody would respond.

I was angry when I wrote that because for at lesat the third year in a row, I wanted to send at least one thing back, and I couldn't find any phone number or website on the receipt in the package I got as a gift. I ended up throwing or giving away these items, which seemed like a waste. Then I couldn't find anyway to reach them on the internet either. Now I've learned from this Website that there are numbers to reach them.

I think I was frustrated too because my mom keeps sending me the same gifts from Starcrest that I don't want, as she is very forgetful. Please be aware that I did not express any of this frustration to my mom directly as I love her dearly and understand she cannot help this, and I would never be so rude. Hopefully I am not a "brat" as someone above stated. By Starcrest not having an easy way to return or exchange gifts that I could figure out, I felt this was a ripoff for my mom and me.

Some of their products are fine I gather from the above, for the price. The working conditions sure don't sound good.

Hopefully they have learned a few things from this Website.

Respectfully,

It's me again, the initiator of this thread

Hi. Wow, it has been fascinating to see the variety of comments in response to my original complaint. I had no idea anybody would respond.

I was angry when I wrote that because for at lesat the third year in a row, I wanted to send at least one thing back, and I couldn't find any phone number or website on the receipt in the package I got as a gift. I ended up throwing or giving away these items, which seemed like a waste. Then I couldn't find anyway to reach them on the internet either. Now I've learned from this Website that there are numbers to reach them.

I think I was frustrated too because my mom keeps sending me the same gifts from Starcrest that I don't want, as she is very forgetful. Please be aware that I did not express any of this frustration to my mom directly as I love her dearly and understand she cannot help this, and I would never be so rude. Hopefully I am not a "brat" as someone above stated. By Starcrest not having an easy way to return or exchange gifts that I could figure out, I felt this was a ripoff for my mom and me.

Some of their products are fine I gather from the above, for the price. The working conditions sure don't sound good.

Hopefully they have learned a few things from this Website.

Respectfully,

It's quite interesting - since the time I last responded their have been many comments on this thread.

To clarify some issues:

Why Starcrest does not have a website -

Starcrest has considered the creation of a website, but as I last heard, no progress has been made thus far. It is more of a money issue than anything else, as a website necessitates a staff and a new department to create and maintain it.


How Can I be removed from the mailing lists?:

Call Starcrest directly, and ask to be put into contact with the "List Marketing" department. That specific department buys and sells SC mailing lists, and maintain the lists that your names are on.

Is Starcrest merchandise junk?:

Some of it is, but most items are typical mail order fare. Follow the sound advice given on this thread many times over here: Buyer Beware!

How are employees really treated?:

Unless you've had the distinct displeasure of working there, it is hard to understand the depths to which a large company will sink to turn a profit. Yes, safety is a major issue. There are NO background checks run on employees, and hiring standards are minimal (depending upon the department for which one was hired - I was a proofreader for the Promotional Art Department) Mandatory overtime is very difficult - there's practically no advanced warning. Attendence policies are very strict, with no sick leave, and minimal vacation time. Most managers and supervisors have minimal respect for their employees and are quick to blame million dollar (literally) mistakes on their underlings.

On the positive side - it pays the bills. (well almost) Most positions only award minimum wage... but in a tough market, even minimum is better than nothing.

That's all I feel I can add. If you have remaining questions please pose them, as I still have several friends who still are employed there.

I found this site because i wanted the web site
to shop online. boy did i run into a suprise.
if you think your getting ripped off stay away ,
from these companys.for one thing they do have a
phone number.i've never had any problems with star crest or other places i shop thru like them.
no matter where you shop the products are'nt always what you expect. if i don't like something i send it back.

We have contacted a few branches of Starcrest several times - paying postage ourselves - asking to be removed from their mailing lists. Unfortunately, it has been several months, and the mailings from Starcrest and its affiliates persist, including several "new" ones.

Please let us know how to get ourselves OFF this company's lists! Thanks!

We buy from Starcrest regularily, and most of the time we have been satisfied. When we were not, we contacted them and sent the unsatisfactory items back.

There has never been an intentional hassle on their part. Mistakes have been made, but after contacting a supervisor, they were corrected.

It is true that the folks that are usually taking orders seem to be quite inexperienced. I little patience on our part usually rectifies any misunderstanding.

We do not expect first class merchandise, but sometimes we are pleasantly surprised.

The only real complaintswehave are due to the fact that they do nor have an 800 number or a website.

Our advice to those who are dissatisfied is... chill out. Be patient and show a little understanding. The kids we have talked to hav really been tryig hard to please.

I think people are just asking for too much. First, there is a phone number it is (909)657-2793, second..WHAT do you expect for $3.00 or $4.00 anyway! Be real. You get what you pay for, and personally I think some of the products are actually a good value, like their slippers w/magnets for only $6.00,They are a good buy for that price, and are much more elsewhere. The "Pruners" are sharp and work fine and are only $5. and are worth much more, to me..as these can cost up to $30.00 elsewhere. Shipping and handling are free for merchadise over $15.00, find that elsewhere!

Finally, there is an "unconditional money back guarantee if for ANY REASON you find an item less than satisfactory" so get a refund if you're not happy, and blame your Mom, elderly or not for buying "cheap stuff", what an ungrateful child you must be. That's all I have to say.

I was considering placing an order with starcrest and that is how I ended up here at this site. I wanted to check that they really didn't have a website. I so enjoy shopping the internet! after reading the negative & positive comments, I have decided against placing that order.

I firmly believe in "buyer beware" so I am extra careful and research unknown companys before making a purchase.

thanks for great site.

you are so wrong. What are you looking for.? This is an outfit that deals in lesser priced merchandise! I have been dealing with them for at least four years. Actually I call them my "good junk catalogue" The merchandise is always cheape than any where else. When something was wrong, I called the company, and they always sent a replacement.Notice I said called; so what's this about a phone number? They have an 800 number. I'm never looking for expensive items. Just fun things to put in as little gifts. Come on , lighten up people. I look forward to them!

I have ordered several things from this company and have been satisifed with the products I receive. I only purchase very basic items, items that I know I will not be disappointed in when I get them. I mean please, this is not rocket science here people....at these prices what the heck do you expect!

I have ordered several products from Starcrest and Signatures and other AKA's.

I have had no bad products, and have saved alot of time by not having to run all over to find some of the things I purchased.

I am a senior and appreciate shopping from home. Whenever i had a question it was ALWAYS answered promptly and with the utmost courtesy.

I ordered a folding table i could not find anywhere else, and i love it.

Needless to say i am a HAPPY consumer of the products i've ordered.
Thanks OAL

It is too bad that Christopher, of Hemet, CA, felt ill-treated by Starcrest. Perhaps they could have been more considerate of personal schedules when issuing work requirements.

However, looking at the number of errors in Christopher's letter, it is apparent that Starcrest does hire just anyone who walks in.
If, in fact, their employment standards are so low, I wish to commend them for everything they do correctly!

I have had no problems with this company. They replaced an item broken in shipment, issued credit for items shipped twice (which might have been my fault), and have generally responded well to my needs. I have not found their merchandise to be cheap, just inexpensive.

If the young lady from Hawaii expected combs to volumize her hair, she fooled herself.

I was quite surprised/perplexed by the recent influx of comments (mostly negative) regarding Starcrest of California mail order company. Having made countless purchases from on-line websites and mail order companies (to include the subject company on one prior ocassion), I too have experienced both satisfaction and/or disappointment from these purchases. Keeping in mind a consumer's rights/obligations as well any product or service-oriented business', I would like to offer the following UNBIASED insights, tips, and suggestions to consumers, employees (current and ex)as well as this website regarding the above-noted issues/concerns:



CONSUMERS:

1. Re: "Junky Merchandise":



A. "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR" - Please keep in perspective who/what Starcrest's mission is...Starcrest is far from being a Neiman Marcus or Nordstrom's in quality or price, it's more like a Kmart, clearing house or liquidator source. Starcrest can offer good deals because its merchandise is often imported for mass marketing and targets customers who want a deal where "Quality" doesn't have to be "The best".



B. "BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER" Many a times, I have to remind myself "don't expect the cadillac with a penny-pincher's budget" when dealing with companies like Starcrest. I'm sure that for others (most likely a majority being middle-aged/elderly and/or on fixed/low incomes), it means a lot (financially and sentimentally) to make such a purchase. To avoid disappointments in receiving "less than acceptable-to-you" gifts, let us not forget and/or disrespect any giftgiver's true intentions. I was saddened to hear the comb story and how it probably hurt the gift giver's feelings. (I know your comment policy and hope you will consider including the last sentence in my rebuttal and/or rephrase such - the fellow Hawaii resident's statements were appalling, she sounds like a brat - and those "As seen on TV" type of teasing combs she's probably describing. The combs do work if one reads the instructions (or videotape which I had with an infomercial purchase), you need good hairspray, dry hair and have eyes behind your head to do the back.



2. Re: "No web or phone access" - The exact reason why I am at this site! I have the mail order inserts and order form which references telephone numbers and customer service instructions yet no website address was indicated. I wanted to cross-check this company via their website and make an on-line purchase (which seems faster in processing than phone/mail orders). It's true, they may not have a website, but does that mean this company is fraudulent? I would like to hear Starcrest's reason for not having a website. I know of many successful businesses who do not utilize websites because they run a simpler operation, choose not to complicate/expend more expenses by adding more "technology" to their (mail-order) business, yet are still successful with loyal customers.

But in this case, I wonder if part of their reason for Starcrest not having a website is that they've continued to be successful without a website because the majority of their customers do not own/use computers? I can attest that my senior citizen/older neighbors and My 80 year old parent have not kept up with the technological age (can barely understand all functions/codes of a TV remote, follow instructions/use cellulars, computers or would rather take 5 minutes heating food in a pan than use microwave ovens).



3. Re: "False Advertising" - that's a really heavy allegation without hearing the "entire story" with concrete evidence to prove such. "IF IT'S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS." Part of marketing includes making a product look its best and sound appealing without providing false descriptions and/or guaranteed promises of what the product does(unless the product is truly guaranteed), within what the law provides. Since wording may be clever (like Sweepstake mailings "You're a finalist!"), one may need to be read slowly, carefully and repeatedly to fully comprehend what is being sold. A lot of times, products are given descriptors such as "like (another famous brand product)", "may", or "can" and such could be confused with what the product truly represents.



STARCREST:

1. Re: Allegations by your current and former employees. Based on reports from current/former employees, sounds like internal problems need to be taken seriously. But then again, there are two sides to any story. Business ethics include your obligation/duties to your employees and their safety as well as humane treatment of your employees through good/fair management practices. Basic consideration (prior notice of overtime hours, offering incentives/rewards for mandatory overtime in addition to overtime pay(e.g. "comp. time" during non-peak season only and on 1st come basis based on each department's coverage minimums), kind/uplifting words, will probably boost morale, productivity and loyalty. Do you have room to offer optional childcare on premise for those working overtime? Ever consider seasonal temp. employees on a contract basis, no benefits except discounts on products? Starcrest, I anxiously await hearing your side of the story and reading your truthful rebuttals to all the negative/positive comments provided thus far.



EMPLOYEES OF STARCREST:

1. Re: Allegations of unsafe work conditions, maltreatment by management, mandatory overtime.

If your employment is considered "at will", the employer can terminate someone at anytime for any reason and/or change the terms of employment, all within what the law of California provides/mandates...In a competitive market where job stability is shaky, some employers treat their employees like commodities who are dispensable...bottom line: take it or leave it; however no one should be subjected to unsafe work conditions and/or feel threatened with retaliatory and/or arbitrary actions from the powers that be... Christmas season is the biggest money making season and its expected that a mail order company would be inundated with orders and meeting shipping deadlines. Productivity = Profits which allows the company to remain in business, provides your income (and overtime income and benefits). Starcrest needs their staff as much as employees need their jobs/extra money for the holidays. To what extent are they understaffed and overworking their current staff needs to be proven/addressed/resolved. Is there an employee-management program for Starcrest where a committee is formed where a few representative employees meet with management to discuss concerns/issues and work together for better/improved communication and relations with each other?



3. WWW. RIPOFFREPORT.COM

Re: Your purpose

Thank you for this website; it's professionally set-up, clean/neat and easy to read. It was also enlightening to read such diverse comments. I like how you categorize the reports/comments (e.g. consumer, employer, employee, former employee, etc.) It would also be interesting to view other demographics of each commmentor, especially the age and occupational field of each commentor, title/length of employment of commenting current/former employee. Age is a useful determinator regarding the mindset and maturity level of each commentor.



Since your website is simple/neat, are you able to solicit Starcrest to set-up/maintain a website? I see a Great opportunity for your company to diversify its services to include creating websites...(this paragraph can be deleted)



In closing, I wish not to offend anyone and if so, I apologize as such was done without malice. I merely wanted to share my thoughts being both a consumer with high standards as well as one seeing things from a business/management perspective (3-generation family-owned business). My comments were based on prior experiences and published literature/studies regarding business ethics and industrial psychology.



Respectfully submitted, Lei



P.S. I authorize www.ripoffreport.com and/or www.badbusinessbureau.com to delete/edit grammatical errors and inappropriate sentences subject to my prior notification with specifics and authorization of same (so not to sensationalize, compromise or misrepresent the context of my message)

I have ordered many items and only had to return one item and there was absolutely no problem and my money was refunded promptly.



As always, it is buyer beware. Check out refund policies before ordering. I did....and there was no problems encountered.



I recommend Starcrest highly.

I, too worked for Starcrest..and the comments on it being "Slavecrest" is quite correct. I have no happy memories of that place.



First off, I wanted to be in the Art department, but their "pre-employment tests" said that the only job they could offer me was a clerk. At the time, I was desparate, and I accepted. (see my website nav.to/llothcat if you want to see what they passed up)



Anyhow, as a clerk, I was placed in the order correction department, where the orders rejected by their mainframe computers ended up.



My job was to find out what the customer wanted to order by deciphering the numbers filled out on the order form, or the item decription itself. I really could have filled out just anything, in a lot of cases. The pressures of "Mandatory Overtime" made it really tempting, especially when you didn't know about the overtime until about halfway through the shift.



I digress. Anyhow. There really were a varying degree of prices for all the items--I had access to the BIG catalog as a part of my job. The book that I saw spoken of in this posting could have been made a whole lot cheaper, simply by changing a few numbers on the order form, or adding a few more codes that they stick on stickers, as part of their mailers. And I could still probably find it cheaper still, outside of Starcrest. In this internet age, I have gotten really good at researching the prices of things. I can tell you that any Wholesale catalog could probably meet or beat the prices of things you see at Starcrest.



The bottom line is Starcrest IS a rip-off.



They also are very much anti-union. I had gotten pulled aside to be "talked to" by the head manager of my department, because there was some sort of demonstration going on in the parking lot, when we were forced to do mandaory overtime during

Christmas. She wanted to make it very clear that if we so much as said "hi" to them, that we were to be fired. I found out later that day that what she did was quite illegal.



All this drama, for just 4.25 an hour. I only lasted 9 months there, and I know most lasted just a week in my department.



DO NOT SUPPORT STARCREST. If you get their mailer, toss it out.

I just wanted to say, I personally think Starcrest has products for much better prices than other companies with same. A few months ago I bought a Webster's Medial dictionary, delivered, for a mere thirteen dollars. Nearly THIRTY dollars elsewhere (not including shipping & handling).



Also, because I have a keen eye, I remembered seeing a specific boating item in one of my husbands fishing catalogs for eighteen dollars, I have since found it in Starcrest for Three. Quite a marked difference. Keep up the good work Starcrest.

I am pleased with the merchandise I have received from Starcrest and their affiliated companies. I've bought everything from knick-knacks and jewelry to tools and kitchenware. Not all their products are perfect, but their prices are excellent and their merchandise is generally good.

Their service is good and the merchandise comes promptly.

I worked for Starcrest for about a year and a half in the data entry department. I have seen first hand how customer orders are processed and how the product that is kept on site is stored and handled. First as far as the merchandise quality-- all of the reports that i have read compared to what i have seen and know is true. They take a "junky" product and build it up in the catalogs they send out. Also it is very true that they have several subsideries they work under or as some employee have called them "AKA's".



Next the term "Slavecrest" is just not a funny thing to call the company but pretty accurate description. They basically take who ever walks in to apply, rush them through training, and your off to work. (usually in two to three days if that) Once working your subjected to mandatory overtime (meaning if you have family obligations to bad--and 99 percent of the time its with no notice so employee can make arrangements) and if you speek up about it actions is swift and quick.



Lastly i want to talk about their saftey procedures (or lack there of) of the company. I have seen employees working in areas with substandard equipment, most that had been just patched up and put back into service if it broke down. Also i saw equipment in the data entry department that had freyed wires, computer systems that shorted out constantly, and celing pannels that always bursted because of the rain. (however the computer terminals that were under said panels wouldnt be moved.) They would simply put baskets on the desks to catch the rain and back to work you go.



So in this persons opinion they offer a substandard product and working environment. Dont be fooled by their catalogs because there good for nothing more then kindling for your fireplace.

I'm sorry someone feels ripped off by Starcrest, but I'm glad it was reported in this website. I wanted to order another dozen yellow clip-on glasses for eliminating glare from on-coming headlights, and wasn't sure how to reach them.



I'm a very happy customer of theirs. This seems like a great web site, but people have to have a very good idea of what they're buying from ANY mail-order or internet business.



Thanks a lot.

To K,



Sorry that you got ripped off K by Starcrest (affectionately referred to by its employees as 'Slavecrest') Like many mail order companies, their products tend to be... well... not as good as they should be.



Be informed, that if you do not want to purchase from this company in the future, that they also operate many different subsideraries, each having different names, but simply, they are the same company. Their division names include: Handsome Rewards, Gavilans, Traditions, Starcrest, and Make Life Easier.



Starcrest's main desk (its center of operations rather than customer service) can be reached at 909-943-2011. Starcrest does not have a website.



Hope it helps:)