Complaint Review: Royal Prestige Southern Bridal Registry Of Tennessee Financing Of Madison Wisconsin - Nashville Tennessee

As for Tara who said she had a message saved on her voicemail from a representative who stated she "won" the package, that is not our district so of course we cant control and I PERSONALLY cant listen to everything that is said. But like ms. juliet said feel free to track me down because i would love to hear the voicemail considering it didnt come from our district.

Tara, I would LOVE IT if you had extra time on your hands to call Southern Bridal, track down Stephanie, and play your message for her! She either has not been employed with the company very long, and thus doesn't know the reality of telemarketing, or she is lying/wilfully blind and supporting the company despite the facts.

Telemarketers DO LIE. There is no two ways about it. I worked for a business for 12 years that had a telemarketing division, and even without having worked for one - THEY LIE. Not ALL telemarketers, no! Not even 90%! But enough of them do that anyone who says *their* company's telemarketers don't is just ignorant.

The highest-producing telemarketers that were new were invariably lying, and soon fired. But how much harm did they do our business in their two months or so of lying and deceiving prospects?

I worked in a bank that offered credit card processing services to merchants and they used salespeople to acquire new business. There were one or two salespeople that didn't last long, but they cost the bank a LOT of money due to their deceptive practices. I had stacks of merchant files on my desks that had been deceived by these people, and the bank was doing their best to make it right to the merchants.

Well, that's a happy daydream I'll keep floating around, that you find Stephanie, and play that message lololol. Alternatively, again, if you care to take the time, and if you don't, don't blame you!, but you could also contact Customer Service or Marketing, and play it for them!

To the employees who claim a script is always followed...
Although it is certainly possible, that you always follow the script and that you have never said "you have won", I currently have a voicemail saved on my phone from another employee of your company saying those exact words. Obviously, some people are doing it.

I would love to hear from people who actually took the vacation, what their experience was like, and did they receive the $50 back at checkout? As for the poster who was so excited about the $500 gift card, was it the bonanza you proclaimed it to be? I'd be surprised, so would REALLY love to hear about that gift card.

This post originated in Dec. 2002, and NO ONE has written specifically about the vacation, except as in "ha ha, you were dumb not to do it". No explanation that they did receive all that was promised, or the fees they had to pay, or the quality of the destination, or the ease of scheduling their desired dates.

For the lady whose "best decision" of her life was purchasing COOKWARE - wow, get a life really fast. Purchasing cookware was a better decision than getting married, I guess. I pity any children that might transpire from this blessed union.

Scaring people into $1000+ cookware - how do you all sleep at night?

As for proclaiming no operator EVER SAYS "you WON!" - I highly doubt that. Unless the employee has heard every call ever placed by the company, I won't believe that there aren't appointment setters out there, working for this company, that AREN'T misleading attendees.

EVERY telemarketing company has people who will not adhere to the guidelines. There is no way Southern Bridal has never had a "rogue" telemarketer, violating the script.

If the telemarketers are paid based on attendees "captured", and actual attendance of the people, I guarantee you there ARE telemarketers in this company stating "You WON!".

I have worked for Southern Bridal Registry and some of the comments on here are crazy. Like Caycee said, we have a script to go by and we use it every time we call someone. First when we notify a bride we tell them they are "selected" to receive the vacation package.

I dont know where you people come up with "you have WON"??? And at the product preview show, yes we show our products but we dont stand at the door and keep people from leaving without buying anything. And yes you do have to pay between $50-$75 for the hotel but you will get that back you when check out. Thats like many other hotels. And at the show you are not required to buy anything or pay the hotel fee at that time. And for the woman that said melanie had asked here if she was married or engaged, thats because sometimes there are people that get married before the date they put on the registration form or they called the wedding off. So I dont see what was wrong with that. And if you dont have the money to purchase our products then save yourself the trouble. Like I said nobody is going to threaten you if you refuse to purchase the products.

I received a phone call today from Melanie from Southern Bridal Registry explaining that I had registerd for one of their honeymoon packages and was chosen. I returned her phone call and she went on to ask me if I had remembered registering and if I were getting married or already married. My friend and I both thought it was odd that she was asking such questions. She went on to explain about the package I won. It was a 3 day, 2 night stay at a 4 to 5 star hotel. She also explained to me that this was not a time share or anything like that.

I asked if they had a website and she informed me that it was broken, but they were working on it. She said that they would in town this weekend for me to come by with my fiance to redeem my honeymoon. Needless to say, I thought it was suspicious and went home and googled it! Word to the wise..google is your best friend! Thankfully, I was able to completely avoid this whole sticky situation! Thank you so much!

I recently stood in my best friends wedding and at her shower she talked to me about Royal Prestige. She said a rep with Southern Bride called telling her she won a vacation and 500 gift card of some sort. Anyway, she agreed to attend the event which was at The Marriot along with her fiancee and claimed it to be one of the best demo experiences in a while.

She never felt pressured and the group of reps that were there werent holding up anyone at the door who were trying to leave without buying. The cooking demonstration was very thorough and easy to understand. She has been using the cookware for 4 months and cookware is performing perfectly. Her and her husband have lost weight because they have stopped eating out so much and are cooking all the time using R.P.

The one thing she did say about the presentation is that the whole Teflon/DuPont link to Alzheimers and Cancer was mentioned. She insisted that with or without that info in no way changed her mind on whether to by the product.

My fiance and I got the call from Southern Bridal Registry, aka Royal Prestige, a few weeks ago. Having never heard of the company, we went to the show. We did not buy anything, since the price seemed scandalously high. I don't like how they lie to you on the phone and tell you you've "won" a prize when you haven't won anything, and they tell you it's a "bridal seminar" when in fact it's nothing of the sort. To the consumer who was having trouble getting in touch with Tony Kron (the owner of the Nashville branch)--he's not so difficult to find...here's a hint: there's only one Tony Kron in Tennessee, and he lives only a few miles from Nashville. I wonder if he'd like a call informing him that he's won a vacation, and all he needs to do is attend a "business ethics seminar."

Here's a catch, the $500.00 in 'free' merchandice costs $160.95 for 'processing and delivery'. None of the products offered are name brand, and their prices are well above what local discounted retail would be. The promotion isn't founded on 'good' science, teflon has been around for fifty years and not one case of any cancer can be attributed to it, however, trace amounts of the chemicals that make up teflon can be found in 95% of Americans. Somewhere someone regeistered for something online or at some show, that these folks sold their contact info as a hot lead to these people, misled them that they 'won' something (you can't win when you don't enter a contest). It is fraud when you promote one thing and it turns into a sales pitch, and the free gifts aren't actually free. Just shop Wal-Mart or even Belks or JC Penney, you'll get a better deal, and will definatly get proper customer service, versus a demo at a hotel convention meeting room.

Thats its for me.

First of all, I have no sympathy for any of you who spent your money on the product, when you knew you couldn't exactly afford it. Use some common sense. These people didn't twist your arm off and force you to sign your income away.

I attended the show last weekend. The demonstrators cooked chicken and vegetables for us to show how the product works. We decided that when we have sufficient income, we will purchase the products. We still received our free vacation voucher and the $500 gift card, even though we refused to buy that day.

This would be a rip-off IF we were required to buy, or if we were lied to. However, we were NOT lied to. Thus, this company is NOT a rip-off. It's ridiculous that people are on here confessing that they did something stupid, and are now blaming the company.

We didn't buy the product knowing we shouldn't. We were told to come as a couple, and we did. We were told there was no obligation, and there wasn't. Yes, we have to send in a $75 deposit for the trip, but we will GET IT BACK. With that $500 gift card, we're going to be able to buy all of our luggage and even some camping gear! Stuff that we need/love to have, yet know it will be too expensive to register for.

If any of you get the call to attend, go ahead and do it. You get a free snack and an interesting little presentation. Plus, who can refuse a free trip and $500 gift card? It's worth the hour of your day. AND the cookware really is amazing. The company does house calls and even pays for the food, so my fiance and I will be calling and buying after we're married.

First of all, I have no sympathy for any of you who spent your money on the product, when you knew you couldn't exactly afford it. Use some common sense. These people didn't twist your arm off and force you to sign your income away.

I attended the show last weekend. The demonstrators cooked chicken and vegetables for us to show how the product works. We decided that when we have sufficient income, we will purchase the products. We still received our free vacation voucher and the $500 gift card, even though we refused to buy that day.

This would be a rip-off IF we were required to buy, or if we were lied to. However, we were NOT lied to. Thus, this company is NOT a rip-off. It's ridiculous that people are on here confessing that they did something stupid, and are now blaming the company.

We didn't buy the product knowing we shouldn't. We were told to come as a couple, and we did. We were told there was no obligation, and there wasn't. Yes, we have to send in a $75 deposit for the trip, but we will GET IT BACK. With that $500 gift card, we're going to be able to buy all of our luggage and even some camping gear! Stuff that we need/love to have, yet know it will be too expensive to register for.

If any of you get the call to attend, go ahead and do it. You get a free snack and an interesting little presentation. Plus, who can refuse a free trip and $500 gift card? It's worth the hour of your day. AND the cookware really is amazing. The company does house calls and even pays for the food, so my fiance and I will be calling and buying after we're married.

First of all, I have no sympathy for any of you who spent your money on the product, when you knew you couldn't exactly afford it. Use some common sense. These people didn't twist your arm off and force you to sign your income away.

I attended the show last weekend. The demonstrators cooked chicken and vegetables for us to show how the product works. We decided that when we have sufficient income, we will purchase the products. We still received our free vacation voucher and the $500 gift card, even though we refused to buy that day.

This would be a rip-off IF we were required to buy, or if we were lied to. However, we were NOT lied to. Thus, this company is NOT a rip-off. It's ridiculous that people are on here confessing that they did something stupid, and are now blaming the company.

We didn't buy the product knowing we shouldn't. We were told to come as a couple, and we did. We were told there was no obligation, and there wasn't. Yes, we have to send in a $75 deposit for the trip, but we will GET IT BACK. With that $500 gift card, we're going to be able to buy all of our luggage and even some camping gear! Stuff that we need/love to have, yet know it will be too expensive to register for.

If any of you get the call to attend, go ahead and do it. You get a free snack and an interesting little presentation. Plus, who can refuse a free trip and $500 gift card? It's worth the hour of your day. AND the cookware really is amazing. The company does house calls and even pays for the food, so my fiance and I will be calling and buying after we're married.

First of all, I have no sympathy for any of you who spent your money on the product, when you knew you couldn't exactly afford it. Use some common sense. These people didn't twist your arm off and force you to sign your income away.

I attended the show last weekend. The demonstrators cooked chicken and vegetables for us to show how the product works. We decided that when we have sufficient income, we will purchase the products. We still received our free vacation voucher and the $500 gift card, even though we refused to buy that day.

This would be a rip-off IF we were required to buy, or if we were lied to. However, we were NOT lied to. Thus, this company is NOT a rip-off. It's ridiculous that people are on here confessing that they did something stupid, and are now blaming the company.

We didn't buy the product knowing we shouldn't. We were told to come as a couple, and we did. We were told there was no obligation, and there wasn't. Yes, we have to send in a $75 deposit for the trip, but we will GET IT BACK. With that $500 gift card, we're going to be able to buy all of our luggage and even some camping gear! Stuff that we need/love to have, yet know it will be too expensive to register for.

If any of you get the call to attend, go ahead and do it. You get a free snack and an interesting little presentation. Plus, who can refuse a free trip and $500 gift card? It's worth the hour of your day. AND the cookware really is amazing. The company does house calls and even pays for the food, so my fiance and I will be calling and buying after we're married.

Jessica,

As a person who has been ripped off by this company but was given the "free" vacations, let me make a suggestion to you: Don't waste your time. Free is a word that Royal Prestige/Southern Bridal uses to confuse you and keep you busy while they try to figure out how they can Rip You Off. First, the vacations aren't free. You still have to pay a $50.00 "reservation fee" per person. Also, you don't pick the dates you get to go, basically they say "off peak". Furthermore, you still have to pay your own airfare, food, activities, and a daily rate to be paid to the resort. Ours was only for three days and then any additional time you wanted was to be paid at an outlandish rate. I don't know about you, but after I pay $600.00 in airfare, I am not staying for just 3 days! The "free" cookware, utensils, wineglasses, or whatever you pick, is not really free. Because, when you make your selection of the "free" item, they just jack up the rate of something else, including a highly inflated monthly interest rate.

If you want to know something about this company, let me tell you: STAY AWAY. They're crooks and liars. It's been a year and a half since we were swindled (not just by our rep but by the company as a whole) and we were finally able to receive a refund but not without calling the news, calling a lawyer, writing more than 15 letters, and suffering verbal harrassment from the rep and Royal Prestige/Southern Bridal.

Your first year of marriage is hard enough without dealing with criminals, so don't let the "free" vacations fool you!

Good Luck,

I got a call today from Southern Bridal Regisrty telling me I WON a 3 day/ 2 night vacation for my choice of 17 US locations, 5 Mexico, 3 Canada and also I won a $500 gift certificate to keshoppingspree.com, and a 40% discount on any products at the show I am to attend at on Wednesday night(1 hr show). (Also she never told me my fiancee has to attend, which I am glad I read on here!)

I was very excited to hear the news, called my mom she said make sure its not a scam!! So I've read everones opinions on this company. I dont have the money for all this cookware which is why I was so excited to hear of a FREE honeymoon! So if I stand my ground and NOT buy any products, and get the free vacation, is it worth it??

I havent read any reports where the couple actually took the vacation!! I am willing to go and listen to all the crap they have to tell me if its a legitimate honeymoon. I have read that you have to pay a $50 or $75 deposit for the vacation and that the money is returned, do you have to pay that the night you receive your voucher?? Also I have read ask the right questions, which questons should I make sure to ask? I guess I will go to the show and report back!

I have read these responses and disagree 100%. I understand that I had a great sales person who did the demonstration that I attended, but all of the other sales people can't be that bad.

We attended the presentation for our trip and were intrigued by the cooking system. Of course, we left our checkbooks in the car, and we made the decision to park at the far end of the parking lot. We purchased the set that evening (despite the long cold walk) and when we got home we had buyer's remorse. So, we called right away and they said they would cancel our order, no problem. They then told us that they could reduce the price some if we wanted to get the cookware and couldn't afford it. So, we took them up on their offer and got it at HALF the price we were quoted.

I agree that consumers must read very carefully over the contract before signing it. The Royal Prestige contract wasn't that long at all. We were at no time pressured and we have it all paid off now. We got our gift certificate for more product and are happy to get it. We love the pots and pans, and if you watch the video or even call your rep, they will help you learn how to use it.

As far as the 2 trips, we haven't even thought about them. And, to tell you the truth we feel that we've already "won" the prize. We generally entertain twice a month, and everyone comments on how great the food tastes (especially the chicken and the vegetables).

So, I say BUY IT. Of course, you must be able to afford it, but it is WELL WORTH the investment. And as I said, read your contract carefully. As a real estate agent, I know that contracts are very important to go over and always go over them very extensively for the hour or two it takes to understand the contract with my seller or buyer. You must protect yourself, so even though it may take quite a bit of time. Be sure to read carefully and ask tons of questions!

Thanks

Aaron you must have a lot of time on your hands. Anyway I have been to a Royal Prestige Show, bought pots and pans and have to say it was the best decision of my life. Not only the guarantee they offer but the quality and all the health benifits. I love coming on sites like this and reading how people were "forced" to buy. They "took" my hand and made me sign. Point is if you can not afford it DONT BUY IT. Any smart consumer knows that. With any company in this world you can always go online and find negative comments or websites like this. It is made for stupid consumers who buy stuff they can not afford, and try to weasle there way out by giving the company a bad name. The company did not MAKE you buy it. No one can talk you into getting something you dont want. So c'mon people really GROW UP and stop blaming the company. DONT BUY!!!

Ps - Just got back from my honeymoon which was one of the trips given to me by this company and it was wonderful

Actually Cayce,

The person who called me said that I had "won" a free honeymoon. They were very misleading from the phone calls to the presentation to the credit apps. These people are very good at what they do. Why else have they been sued in two states (and lost!)? The courts proved they were unethical. Thank you.

I am an ex-employee of Southern Bridal and in my experiences I found that it was usually the customers, not the call representatives who were at fault. EVERYONE who works there goes by a script i.e. a written account of everthing they are to say like it is required of anyone attending a show to have their fiancee present. We didn't get paid if the fiancees were not there, so why would someone tell you they didn't need to be there? Also, we were required to tell everyone not that they had WON but, that they were ELIGIBLE for a honeymoon vacation. So, my question to you is, perhaps you didn't listen completely to what the call rep. had told you? It is possible that it was you, not them, that didn't listen as we all do when so called "telemarketers" call us. Also, no one twisted your arm to make buy the cookware, and that is certainly not the call reps. fault. Anytime, you get on one of these types of websites and name names you are slandering someone that you really know nothing about, next time get more information before you start typing.

Jessica,
I read your response and it was well reasoned and I wish you the best. I did note that you said, "... but if I get my vacation I really don't care!"

Could you do us all a favor and report back to us about the vacation once you have gone?

To all others,
I have made it almost a game with my children (which is a very sad commentary on the business climate we are living in now) to see if we can find the "gotcha" in advertising. We are especially wary of the length of the fine print on tv commercials (they are too small and on for to short of a time really be able to read), the word FREE and "Some conditions may apply."

In our personal relationships, if we cloud the truth it is lying. In business if they cloud the truth it is called advertising.

Nothing is free, so when you get offered a deal that is too good to be true it probably is.

Heck, if you are going into a place that may have high pressure sales tactics (don't they all?) then leave your wallet/purse locking in your glove box when you get there and tell them, "Ooooops, I left my wallet at home." That way you can't give them money or show them the identification they will want to make their sale.

Good Luck,

Jessica,
I read your response and it was well reasoned and I wish you the best. I did note that you said, "... but if I get my vacation I really don't care!"

Could you do us all a favor and report back to us about the vacation once you have gone?

To all others,
I have made it almost a game with my children (which is a very sad commentary on the business climate we are living in now) to see if we can find the "gotcha" in advertising. We are especially wary of the length of the fine print on tv commercials (they are too small and on for to short of a time really be able to read), the word FREE and "Some conditions may apply."

In our personal relationships, if we cloud the truth it is lying. In business if they cloud the truth it is called advertising.

Nothing is free, so when you get offered a deal that is too good to be true it probably is.

Heck, if you are going into a place that may have high pressure sales tactics (don't they all?) then leave your wallet/purse locking in your glove box when you get there and tell them, "Ooooops, I left my wallet at home." That way you can't give them money or show them the identification they will want to make their sale.

Good Luck,

Jessica,
I read your response and it was well reasoned and I wish you the best. I did note that you said, "... but if I get my vacation I really don't care!"

Could you do us all a favor and report back to us about the vacation once you have gone?

To all others,
I have made it almost a game with my children (which is a very sad commentary on the business climate we are living in now) to see if we can find the "gotcha" in advertising. We are especially wary of the length of the fine print on tv commercials (they are too small and on for to short of a time really be able to read), the word FREE and "Some conditions may apply."

In our personal relationships, if we cloud the truth it is lying. In business if they cloud the truth it is called advertising.

Nothing is free, so when you get offered a deal that is too good to be true it probably is.

Heck, if you are going into a place that may have high pressure sales tactics (don't they all?) then leave your wallet/purse locking in your glove box when you get there and tell them, "Ooooops, I left my wallet at home." That way you can't give them money or show them the identification they will want to make their sale.

Good Luck,

Jessica,
I read your response and it was well reasoned and I wish you the best. I did note that you said, "... but if I get my vacation I really don't care!"

Could you do us all a favor and report back to us about the vacation once you have gone?

To all others,
I have made it almost a game with my children (which is a very sad commentary on the business climate we are living in now) to see if we can find the "gotcha" in advertising. We are especially wary of the length of the fine print on tv commercials (they are too small and on for to short of a time really be able to read), the word FREE and "Some conditions may apply."

In our personal relationships, if we cloud the truth it is lying. In business if they cloud the truth it is called advertising.

Nothing is free, so when you get offered a deal that is too good to be true it probably is.

Heck, if you are going into a place that may have high pressure sales tactics (don't they all?) then leave your wallet/purse locking in your glove box when you get there and tell them, "Ooooops, I left my wallet at home." That way you can't give them money or show them the identification they will want to make their sale.

Good Luck,

I have some advice for people being contacted by Southern Bridal. Simply ask all the necessary questions! I did, and I knew from the start that it was not entirely inclusive and that I would have to take my fiancee with me to a bridal show. The customer service rep. even told me that their products were quite expensive but that I would in no way be obligated to buy anything. Also, she did inform me of the $75 deposit I would need to make to reserve my hotel(they would reimburse me). All in all, yes its a pain in the a*s process, but if I get my vacation I really don't care!

My fiancee and I received a similar call about having "won" a 4-day, 3-night vacation if we attended Southern Bridal Registry's Bridal Show.

We attended it and listened to their sales pitch (come on--it's a free vacation) and I must say we were drawn in by their presentation and became very impressed by the cookware.

We told the guy we were interested but that we couldn't afford $2,000 for the 17-piece set. He told us he would throw in an extra vacation voucher if we bought the cheaper 7-piece set (and we'd still receive the "free" china and flatware!).

We were so impressed, we applied for credit through their company and purchased $1400 worth of their crap.

They were nice to us while we filled out the forms with beads of sweat forming on my forehead as I tried to ignore this nagging feeling that the last thing my fiancee and I needed to add to our new life together was more debt.

But I ignored that inner voice and signed on the dotted lines anyway. (Besides, this whole time they kept reminding us that the interest rate was only 1.75%!)

Two nights later I got online to check out the vacations we had "won". I found out that despite my suspicions they were legitimate (with TONS OF RESTRICTIONS), and I looked at all of the different vacation resorts they had to offer.

Then on a whim, I went to google.com and did the following search: '"Royal Prestige" Ripoff'. That's when I found this website with several posts from people about this company. Then I did more digging and searched: '"Royal Prestige" settlement' and found even more disturbing news.

Royal Prestige has been sued in two different states (California and Texas) and lost both cases. Within half an hour, I found story after story of couples who had been reeled in by this multi-tiered company and taken advantage of. In fact, Good Morning America had done a story on this very company!

I also found in my digging that one of the main statutes to one of the settlement states that the company had to provide legitimate vacations (which apparently they do now), and they must honor a three-day back-out clause for the contract.

Being only the second day after we had signed our contracts, I looked at all of the fine print of our materials. Among other things written in 8-pt. font, the annual percentage rate for our loan was 21%, not 1.75%! The b*stards lied to me and my fiancee.

When I was filling out the paperwork a couple of days before, I specifically asked one guy straight out: "Now what's the annual percentage rate on this again?", he looked me in the eye and said, "1.75%." "Wow, that's really good," I said. "Isn't it?" he said as a smile oozed across his face. The lying sack of feces.

When I saw the fine print stated that the MONTHLY PERCENTAGE RATE WAS 1.75%, I KNEW IT WAS A SCAM! They're intentionally misleading (sometimes flat-out LYING).

Also, the contract is funny the way it's worded. It makes it sound like the company must receive a cancellation notice by midnight of the third day.

However, THAT'S NOT TRUE! It must only be MAILED by that third day. Before I realized this, I was freaking out, thinking I was going to have to drive a round trip of six hours to Nashville just to cancel our $1400 mistake. Then I saw the phrase "regular mail posted" and figured that it only had to be dated by the third day.

The next morning I made copies of our cancellation notice and went to the Post Office and sent it via certified mail with a return/receipt request attached. I also called my bank and had them put a "stop payment" on the two down payment checks (totalling $160.00) that I had given them.

The stop payment and certified mail fees came to $65.00; but at least they weren't getting a dime out of me or my fiancee.

I hope this story will help anybody else who may find themselves in this situation. It's too bad that they're scamming people left and right, but websites like these are helping to stop these crooks.

By the way, Southern Bridal Registry called me Thursday evening--exactly 24 hours AFTER I would have been able to back out.

I can't tell how wonderful it was to tell her that we had cancelled. Slightly taken aback, she snapped in a snooty tone, "Well, when did you send it?" (Obviously preparing to tell me that it was too late had I told her that I had sent the notice earlier that day.)

"Yesterday morning, via certified mail. You should get it soon, and someone will need to sign a return/receipt request and mail it to me for my legal records."

She then told me how I would be contacted in the next two weeks about how I would like to receive reimbursement for my down payment. I wanted so badly to tell her that I had stopped payment on those checks, but I sat there silently, breathing a sigh of relief to myself.

As a side note, I did some more checking yesterday and found that my fiancee and I can use both vacation vouchers we got even though we cancelled our order. I even called Southern Bridal and asked if they would like me to mail back the extra voucher.

"No. Use them both. You can use one for a honeymoon and one as a vacation."

My fiancee and I lived happily ever after.

THE END

My husband and I went to a Royal Prestige show two years ago in Texas but did not purchase. However, when we moved to Tennessee I went to some bridal shows here and I was invited to another one of their "Bridal Showcases" in Nashville. When we went to the show in Texas we really liked the stuff but we could not afford it at the time. At the second show we were both employed and on fine financial ground so we purchased cookware, china, crystal, and the knives. I am very happy with the products and have been for a year now. Neither my husband or I feel as though we were "pressured" or lied to at all, as matter of fact, they never said anything about other cookware other than it's not as durable as theirs, which now we agree. We did not use the vacation so that is irrevelent in our case. Overall, we enjoyed the show very much.