Cookworld Cookware and other Products - via Bridal Registry
First and foremost, the vacation/prize portion of this is NOT a scam. HOWEVER, if you decide to go to the 90 minute sales seminar via Bridal Registry to receive the prizes, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES PURCHASE ANY OF THE PRODUCTS. To be quite frank, you get sold on supposed high quality cook ware for a premium price and they're FAR FROM QUALITY. In fact, CookWorld Cookware are the WORST products on the market in my opinion.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
I attended a Bridal Expo and received a call from Bridal Registry a few days later. The woman communicated that I had won my choice of either a 3 day, 2 night all inclusive vacation to Bahamas, DR, or Mexico, a set of wedding bands, or a 4 day, 3 night vacation (hotel only) to a variety of locations nationwide. After reading mixed reviews online, I could not decipher if the offer was legit. My fiancé and I decided to attend the sales seminar, not knowing what product was going to be sold.
Upon arrival we were immediately told that we were about to sit through a 90 minute sales seminar on cookware products and were NOT obligated to purchase any products. During the seminar, we were shown the disadvantages of other cookware (was very informative) and the shown the benefits of CookWorld products. The seminar included a live cooking demo of vegetables and chicken. CookWorld markets themselves as "organically" made pots (meaning the metals are healthier for you), that are non-stick and do not require butter, oil, or water. They claim that their pots have a heat transfer technology that enable your food to cook WITHOUT stirring or flipping your food, and everything will be cooked evenly. The sales woman made it sound easy, that all you do is put food in, turn stove on low, wait for the pot to whistle, and your food is done... claiming that you can cook chicken cutlets in 4 minutes or less (with a demo to prove it). They advertise easy clean up with no need for comet, brillow pads, or heavy scrubbing. THEN, they advertise the ability to stack the pots on top of each other. The bottom pot apparently would cook at the same rate, with the same ease, as the top pot. They claimed that the pots are made in the US and were made using quality machinery and with great precision.
Needless to say, the pitch sounded great and my fiancé decided to purchase the starter kit for $1,600. I was enthusiastic and excited to receive my cookware. After 3 days I received a phone call from the sales department confirming my order. Two weeks later I received the cookware and that is when I realized that I ALL OF WHAT I HAD BEEN TOLD WAS COMPLETELY FALSE. I was ripped off.
NOTHING is ever cooked when the pot whistles. I called to complain and the customer service rep told me, "OH NO, SWEETIE! Once it whistles while on low heat, you have to remove the pot from the burner and let it sit on a cold burner for 10-15 minutes depending on the food"
I tried that and in total it took 40+ minutes. Every piece of food was burnt. Some were over cooked, some cooked fine, some under cooked. The clean up was horrendous. I had to soak for 2 days with comment, then place in the dishwasher, then use the brillow pad to scrub off the rest. THERE ARE STILL BLACK BURN SPOTS. Needless to say, THEY ARE NOT EASY TO CLEAN AND REQUIRE SOME BUTTER/OIL.
In addition, the whistle is similar functionality to a tea pot, the steam causes the whistle. The whistle device is in the lid handle, so if its whistling (AKA literally BOILING hot), you cannot grab the lid off without an oven mitt, otherwise you'll burn your hand. If you close the whistle, the steam comes shooting out of the sides of the lid and the juices/water splatters all over the stove and causes a BIG mess. Clearly not built with quality and precision they promised.
The CookWorld "logo" on the handle is supposedly made from quality materials that are also used to manufacture bowling balls. THIS IS FALSE.I don't think bowling balls are made from stickers. The stickers are already peeling off after the or deal of cleaning and scrubbing them.
Needless to say I have a cheap set of stainless steel cookware from Cuisinart that I bought on sale at Home Goods and that product is 900000000 times better in every aspect. I don't think these CookWorld pots are worth $100, forget $1,600!!!!!!
The final kicker of this whole story is their customer services and their policies. When I called customer service to ask for a return, their response was that I signed a legal binding contract and that my opportunity for a refund was in the first 72 hours of the sales seminar. MIND YOU, I DIDNT GET THE PRODUCT FOR 2 WEEKS! How are you supposed to return a product before you receive it? Also, during the sales seminar, the sales rep did not indicate that the form I was filling out was a legal binding contract. The customer service rep said that I can request an in home consultation and that I need to have more patience and there is a science to using the CookWorld products. THEY'RE POTS. I was not sold on a product that needs an exact science or an in home consultation to use. I was sold on a product that was apparently SO EASY to use and QUALITY. AGANI, they're POTS. I'VE NEVER HEARD OF A FRY PAN OR A SAUCE POT THAT NEEDED A SCIENCE OR A LESSON TO USE! The only time anyone ever needs a lesson on how to use a pot is when they're like 9 and your parents are teaching you how to cook.
This company prowls on young couples who are just starting off and who are excited to start a life together. They count on those couples who are eager to build their own quality home. They steal your money and keep the whole operation a secret, saying that "it's an exclusive product for exclusive members" ITS ALL BULL.
OH and the prizes! The whole reason why you get lured into this scam. The wedding Bands they offer you are not quality. They come from China and they're overprices stainless steal bands (probably the same crap they make the pots from)! They give you cheap champagne flutes, and the vacations are just OK. You still have to pay hundreds of dollars to actually utilize the trips (registration fees, taxes/fees per night, air fare, other 'membership fees')
ALL IN ALL, DO NOT DO IT. STAY FAR AWAY.
Re: Cookworld Cookware and other Products - via Bridal Registry
Keep trying, maybe you'll be convincing enough to rip off other naive brides, like the OP, in the future.
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I read all the reviews in the world about my calphalon set, but I still bought one pan to test out before I committing to the whole set.
This whole thing is ridiculous. The ONLY reason I can think of why they are calling it "organic" aside from obvious marketing reasons, is they're stating their pots are non-stick without the non-stick coating that can flake off without the right care/with age.