BRIDES BEWARE!!! On February 3, 2007 my fiancee and I were invited to attend a demo at a hotel from Heirloom Home Products. They got my name from a draw at a recent Bridal Fair I attended.
We attended the demonstration and were talked in to a very large purchase of cookware by Mr. Eric Cooper and his wife Pauline Cooper. We agreed and signed a purchase agreement because we were told several times that if we didn't by today on Credit Card then we would not get the deal they were offering. (Extra Product) We were defineatly taken in by there very high preasure sales pitch. The payment transaction was put through on my fiancee's Visa immediately.
After leaving the hotel and some discussion we decided that now was not the right time to be making such a large purchase. we called the following afternoon to cancel the order. Not realizing nor ever being told that they did not have a cancellation policy. Had we known we would have never made the purchase so quickly.
First they claimed not to have received the message of the cancellation. We had to send them a phone record to prove the call was placed. Then they claimed not to have a cancelation policy and asked when we would like the product delivered. We refused delivery and still have not accepted the cookware.
Once they refused to give us a refund I started researching the web as I figured there must be some sort of consumer protection. I dicovered the 10 day colling off policy for direct sales. When I brought this information to their attention they claimed not to be direct selling. Even though in my research I found that they do in fact have a license to do direct selling. They claim that they choose not to use this license but pay for it every year?!?! They are also advertised on several bridal fair websites as "Direct Sales Specialists"!!
Apparently they are not legally in the wrong. Even though they have a business address, their normal place of business is in a hotel! I can see this if maybe in the same hotel same conference room etc. But apparently any hotel, anywhere in any city, or in any province is considered their normal place of buisness. As such means that is not direct sales!! They even claimed in their demonstration that they do also go into peoples homes and do demo's. That is definitely direct sales!! So tell me, does this mean that Heirloom Home Products can decide whether or not they are direct sales depending on the situation?!?!?!
After several weeks of correspondense we had still gotten nowhere so I contacted the company Regal Ware Inc. whom Heirloom Home Products are contracted as distributors for. I also discovered that Regal Ware Inc. is a member of the DSA (Direct Sales Association) Regal Wares requires their distributors to follow the rules and guidelines of the DSA which includes providing the 10 day colloing off period. Regal Wares informed Heirloom Home Products that if they did not comply with the rules and guidelines of the DSA then they would terminate their contract to be distributors.
Heirloom Home Products have now adopted the 10 day cooling off policy as of March 1, 2007. They still claim that even though they have adoptesd the policy they are still NOT "Direct Sales"!! They are still not cooperating and have still refuse to give us a refund, and are still wanting to deliver product that we do not want.
Regal Ware Inc. is claiming that there is nothing more that they can do. I know that we are not the only couple taken by this company and have been in contact with them. Pretty much the same situation.
BRIDES BEWARE!!! The products this company sells are: Celebrity China and Crystal and Cordon Bleu Cookware. If you are looking for new pots you can get pots just as good at William Sinoma for much cheaper and a return policy. They come across as very nice people at first but are definitely practicing poor and unethical business. I am hoping by submitting this rip off report that I am helping other brides aviod my situation. Brides really don't need this stress added to the stress of planning a wedding.
Marcy
Calgary, Alberta
Canada
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