Complaint Review: UNIWAY OF CHARLESTON INC. - N. CHARLESTON South Carolina

A few days ago, I applied to Uniway of Greenville, SC as an appointment setter. I was told they were not hiring appointment setters (as advertised) and that I would be telemarketing to Tennessee where there is another Uniway location. In addition to refusing to give me a pay scale explaining the company's commission schedule in writing (this is illegal) and asking if I had children in the interview (also illegal) they also told me I would be telling people the membership was twenty-four ninety-nine. The actual price of the membership is $2,499 but the script implied $24.99. When I said I felt this was misleading and unethical, I was told it wasn't my job to worry about it and that I had to say it the way it was written. I was also told that if I contacted someone over 69 to get off the phone because they were not eligible. Also ineligible are those who make under $25,000 per year, selfemployeed and unemployed individuals as well as those on disability or retired. Luckily, I am not yet desperate enough to work for a company who is so blatantly unethical. In my opinion, anyone who does business of any kind with this company, or any other who does business this way, is asking for trouble and I am not surprised to hear that so many of you have had trouble. The sad part of all of this is that this has been going on for over 30 years. In addition, Uniway has done much better than most Furnature stores I can think of. There markup IS the membership fee. Use your head on this one, if they weren't making as much money off of you as a furnature store, wouldn't they just open one?

My experiences have taought me to do my own homework and having done so I am confident you can reproduce the following findings about merchandise mark-ups. Furniture (sofas, chairs, kitchen, mattresses, etc.) have an extremely high retail mark-up. Not only did I work on a regular basis with manufacturers and distributors on a wholesale level, I'm also acquainted with two former furniture store owners of two different market areas. Often a $300 item ordered, shipped and displayed on a retail floor will have 2.5 multiplier. In some cases a 3x markup. What this means to you is the $300 item may be listed as a $900.00 retail product on sale for $699.95 during President's Day. For example, the queen sleeper and dual reclining loveseat in my house is from a common manufacturer. I spent $700.00 at Uniway after a 10% handling fee and freight charges of $150.00. This same Catnapper set was on sale for $2200 in the marketplace. A modest $1500 savings and no high-interest retail financing. Within this report, the cost of a membership is around $1800 then $75/yr. The purchase of our sofa set, a futon set and a King-size mattress set, produced my ROI almost entirely after my first purchase and more than exceeded it within 3 yrs. It's works best for most families to pay cash or as much as possible down toward the initial membership cost. As for other products mentioned on the message board: Jewelry is at least a 3x markup. (I purchased wedding bands and engagement ring, watches and other jewelry for my wife at a significant savings:) Appliances are hit or miss. Best to shop around. Most savings are with the very high end appliances. Electronics are same as above. But, it's best to at least see if you can utilize your membership - try again. Automobiles: hit or miss but in my experience, members have saved anywhere from 1500 to 3000 on most mid to high-end vehicles (that's a yr's worth of payments and your membership costs). If you plan to buy high-cost merchandise in the near future or immediate future, the buying plan can really work well for your family. If you are just looking for a cheap price on cheap department store stuff and mainly interested in electronics for your car or home, then reevaluate your decision to fit with your current situation. A select few are well- qualified prospects for the program and it is human nature to imagine your self in an all around better spot in the future. Do your best to make a decisions based on your Current Situation, Current Income and Current Lifestyle. If you have a membership, try to use it each time you might buy a mid-large ticket item. Give your member store a call and have them do the work for you, and then make an educated decision.

Well I'm not here to bad mouth Uniway or say how they rip-off people and what not. I just want to pretty much say that everything would be a lot easier if they extended their 3-day contract to about a week because it's making them look real shammy. I was new in Charleston and I got a key in the mail, so I decided to visit them because I was really looking for bargain items and cheap furniture you know for me and my new born son. I went to the office in Charleston, S.C. and the guy, he gave me the run down and what not, and I was like whoa really. I mean the sell pitch was there for someone who has never experienced something like this before. Anyhow, I signed the contract (silly me), and later decided I did not want it, so I called and told them nevermind and the guy was like your three days has already passed, so on and so forth, and I was like what? But he told me that I only had three days to cancel the contract, which I was unaware of because the guy never told me through the presentation. Now I'm not trying to blame it on him to its whole entirety, all I'm saying is that taking advantage of people is not right. I was not fully competent of what was going on until I took the contract to an attorney. I was like oh my gosh, I couldn't believe that they would do that to people. Uniway is now posted on my credit report because of myself and nobody else, and I accept that, but I also feel if one does not use the services or plan not to use them at all that they should settle to an agreement payment, it's reasonable. But anyhow, people please beware of the many things out there that you are not aware off including contracts because they are easily binding and it's like you can't escape them to an extent.

In reading everyone's response I found I had a few things to add. I am a member of Uniway of Charleston and have been so for about 4 years. So far, my membership has paid for itself and then some. I have furnished every room in my house (2 couches, a chair, 3 sets of mattresses, 3 headboards and foot boards) I paid about 1300 for these items and I know for a fact that I would have paid $4200 for these items. I know that b/c I found what I wanted at the store first and then ordered them. I also purchased wedding rings in 14 karet white gold for $108 for the set. I would have paid about $350 in a jewelery store. These are just some of the things that I have purchased. Uniway does have a hard sell that is annoying. So do car dealers. I personnally can't stand anyone that does a hard sell and know going into it that that is what it is going to be. I mean really even in your 20's a person has already been witness to this activity and should be prepared for it. I understand that some people don't like this and don't like to make decisions like that and I completely respect that but they also have to remember that these are sales people trying to make a living on commission and therefore sometimes act a little desperate. I would be to if I had to depend on selling someone something. I couldn't sell ice in hell to be honest. I have however, never felt that I was taken advantage of and everything that I have ordered was as stated. Yes, there are things that they can't get a good discount but that is only b/c there is not much of a mark up on the first place on these items (ie computers and electronics). The places that sell these don't make their money on these items, they make their money on all the accessories that you need to have them or fix them. On a final note, by law any contract can be null/void within 36 of signature, no matter what the contract is so if you decide you don't like it, cancel it, don't just stop paying your bills. And no, I am not a lawyer, have never and will never work for the company, just a satisfied customer who reads the fine print.

At first, my husband and I were members at Uniway. Being a military, we are among those frequently targeted to JOIN JOIN JOIN. We signed up. Yes, you can save a great deal of money ON SOME THINGS. But not everything. The big gun of course is furniture and the types of things you would find in the mall. You seldom save on things like electronics and appliances. The savings are pretty good on home improvement needs and on large purchases such as swimming pools and hot tubs. Then I became an employee of Uniway as a salesperson or "tour guide". They use the high pressure tactics due to the fact that if you don't maintain a percentage of buyers---the company requires 35% of all tours become members---you are terminated. Another area of pressure is in the down payment. The higher the down payment, the higher the commission. And after the first month, employees earn only commission. I left because I have been in sales for years, but high pressure sales have never been my forte. It can be a good deal if you happen to need furniture, or if you are a young couple. It really depends on your needs. And the reason that there are no locations in N.C. is twofold. First--North Carolina is a haven for factory outlets. The manufacturers do not wish to have competition in that area. Second--there are other buying clubs in the state of North Carolina. There are buying clubs all over the U.S.

What you don't seem to realize, Mr. Uniway Shill, is that your brand of immorality will drive customers to your competitors. This appears to be the new brand of Make-a-quick-buck-any-way-you-can mentality that gets corporations in trouble. This company takes care of a few customers to look good, so they can screw the rest.

ED Magedson
[email protected]

Mr. investor where will you be buying the essential merchandise? You see your going to need at least a chair, desk, flooring, auto, cabinets, appliances, electronics etc., when your counting all this money youv just made! I think you might need some of these items in the 50 years that your waiting for your money to mature. Uniway works I know from being a member for over 20 years!

I posted the comments on investing and have one other comment that I thought of since then.

They say you have to sign up that night because of the manufacturer's restrictions on them. Part of this restriction is that they are not allowed to advertise. My salesment said, "You will never see a billboard that says: 'Uniway'!" It seems to me that the internet is probably a very close second to television in advertising power. Take a moment to go to your favorite search engine and simply type in Uniway. Then decide for yourself if they are not allowed to advertise! Yet another big red flag!

I posted the comments on investing and have one other comment that I thought of since then.

They say you have to sign up that night because of the manufacturer's restrictions on them. Part of this restriction is that they are not allowed to advertise. My salesment said, "You will never see a billboard that says: 'Uniway'!" It seems to me that the internet is probably a very close second to television in advertising power. Take a moment to go to your favorite search engine and simply type in Uniway. Then decide for yourself if they are not allowed to advertise! Yet another big red flag!

I posted the comments on investing and have one other comment that I thought of since then.

They say you have to sign up that night because of the manufacturer's restrictions on them. Part of this restriction is that they are not allowed to advertise. My salesment said, "You will never see a billboard that says: 'Uniway'!" It seems to me that the internet is probably a very close second to television in advertising power. Take a moment to go to your favorite search engine and simply type in Uniway. Then decide for yourself if they are not allowed to advertise! Yet another big red flag!

My wife and I recently received one of the cold calls and went to Uniway. I concur with much of the criticism expressed thus far. Their sales techniques are actually rude. They treated me as if I were stupid for not signing up. And I also echo and applaud everyone who will not under any circumstance pay for something so large that day. Having said all that I want to talk money for a moment. Uniway is a fine system if it does what it says and I'm glad for all of you out there who did sign up and are enyoying it. The salespersons there kept insisting to me that I should view this as an investment, yes it might take time to get a good ROI, but assured me it would be well worth the up front cost. They are flat wrong. And I will tell you why.

They ask for an initial $1800 and then $75/year after that. Now, I'm 24. From what I hear many of the avid supporters also bought in their early twenties as well. Because they can then use it for a long time and get a good ROI, so they think. Let's say I die in 50 years. Let's say instead of Uniway I actually invested the aforementioned money. And let's also say I'm not very good at investing. I could pretty easily turn that money into $130,000 before I die by investing it!

Now, the average retail mark-up is about 30% (and you can actually do MUCH better if you are willing to shop around). But, we're still assuming the worst here. That would mean you would need to spend about $430,000 on big purchases in your life in order to even break even with what you could have made otherwise!!! And this should not take into account cars and homes. While Uniway 'claims' to get you a great deal on these I would have to disagree. The one I visited in Rock Hill, SC testimonials up from people buying cars and how much they saved. I get much better deals looking around on my own, thanks anyway.

So, it's actually a very poor investment, but I have a bigger concern here. I live in Charlotte, NC. I found it curious that they had a store front right accross the border down in SC but not one in the booming metropolis of Charlotte? Then they showed me a map of all of their locations. I found it very curious of how many they had in SC but none in the much larger and wealthier state of NC. I asked why they had not moved to NC. They quickly brushed over the topic by mentioning some legality that they didn't understand that prohibited them from setting up camp in NC. Way too many Red Flags for me thanks anway!

Justin, I understand that you say you were not shown proof as in the way of a catalog, but the entire presentation is proof in itself. The items you are shown on the initial presentation are actual items that are available for purchase through Uniway.

They are set in a showroom with prices listed on them as well as testimonials of members who have saved money by shopping through Uniway. The location you visited would have been happy to show a catalog since they are able to do so.

I am not sure if you asked or not, but this was the case with myself and friends who are also members. I am not posting these comments to argue with anyone about joining this club, that is a decision that one must make for their family and themselves.

And while this is a spectacular opportunity for just about anyone, it is NOT for everyone. I do regret that your experience could not have been better.

I did not wish to use the services while I contemplated rather I would join or not, I would never expect such a thing. Of couyrse as a non-member I should not be able to buy, I should be able to see proof though, for example by looking at a (singular) catalog so i could se ethe deals No actual proof was shown to me. As for being a member of an exclusive club, If I was a fool hard consumer I could have done so, but i am not.

NO. I have not been prompted to defend Uniway. I am in no way an attorney. I am not a decoy.

I only wanted to use this site to provide factual information on Uniway so others may gain something they may have missed. I do not claim to know all facts of Uniway, but in my interest of how the company operates, I asked questions. I did not know that in submitting this I would so upset the EDITORS of the site - this is an outlet for comments, complaints, etc. I have not bashed others who commented on my responses, I have not been rude or called them liars. I feel that the way employees of the RIPOFFREPORT have reacted show their lack of following guidelines.

I did not intend to get into an ongoing argument of sorts when I submitted what I know of Uniway. This is a unique membership club that offers its members a great opportunity. Yes, some reps may use "sales tactics" that offend or seem overbearing, but this is not the company as a whole. If you (Mr./Ms. Editors) were paying a membership fee for something, wouldn't you be mad if a non-member was able to have the same priveleges? Then why would a company who offers memberships let the general public come in and use their services? Come on, it's not that hard to figure out...

As for the Lucifer comment, well that shows the lack of not knowing what to say - but wanting to argue about something.... (and EDitors, where did BETSY come from? It's Elizabeth.)

Again, I only hope that I have helped others understand a little more about the company, that was my initial purpose. THANK YOU FOR THE SPACE TO DO SO!

Betsy, you still do not deny your corporate subornation by UNIWAY, or that you are not an attorney. Come on, answer the questions.

Now, for your ridiculous arguments:
Can you imagine paying an entrance fee to a car lot for the priviledge of seeing what you might or might not buy?

You also assert that UNIWAY is NOT open to the public. GIVE US A BREAK! So who do you sell to, Lucifer and each other? Please help us understand, you well-paid UNIWAY missionary.

[email protected]

Ok i understand, possibly, the once chance deal if i had actually seen a catalog. I never saw a catalog as i sat through the salesmans pitch. Maybe if I had it would have cemented my willingness to pay for the membership. All i heard was pie in the sky prices from his mouth, no actual on paper deals.

And to be honest I am glad that Uniway works for you, and I hope that it continues to do so. I only wish that I had been given the oppurtunity to make an enlightened choice. As I stated before I saw no actual proof. However from what i have seen Uniway is run much like a frachise, so maybe this owners sales pitch is differant from others.

It is too bad that I went to the Columbia Uniway, rather than the Atlanta Uniway.

In response to the editor's comments regarding my rebuttal "Uniway Facts", I remain a loyal and committed member to Uniway. I feel in no way do the comments I made make me seem to be some type of insider or shill. I understand the concept of Uniway and stand behind the company 100%. I will stand up for them or any other company that I feel deserves the time and effort devoted to commenting on their behalf. The Home page to this website claimed to be an avenue for consumers to voice their opinions or comments UNEDITED, and that is all I was simply doing.

As far as the "sales tactic" Uniway uses, anyone who has set through a presentation and listened KNOWS why they only allow you the one chance to join and will NEVER offer you the chance again. Uniway is NOT open to the general public because of the agreement it has with their vendors. They cannot let people view their catalogs and come and go as they please because of this agreement. This is explained during the initial visit to Uniway. Just to fill you in on how many people have been able to make this decision - there are over 1/2 million members combined who have joined within the 30 years Uniway has been operating.

There is a cancellation procedure (as I mentioned before) that would give a new member time to check out the company and make a decision as to whether they should go through with the membership. If they read through the agreement or even ask a representative they will be told of this. Nothing is hidden, it is all printed and given to EACH new member.

My intention is to help those who do not understand the concept of Uniway. I have learned a lot about this company and feel that the negative comments come from those who simply did not understand or pay attention to the representative.

Angie,

You sound like you are either a major stockholder or one of their corporate shills. Come clean. You can't JUST be a satisfied customer.

Betsy,

It is also our experience that most people are too apathetic to respond with the levels of vigor you two exhibited unless you had something to gain or lose. Truth?

It is also our experience that corporations usually use the excuse, "You, signed the contract - so pay up." They carefully avoid the issues raised, like incomplete disclosure or misleading statements, or out-in-out fraud.

In fact, the arguments you present sound most like those of an attorney. Are we close?

Here's the reason:
On Wednesday, May 29, 2002 1:35 AM, I sent an e-mail to UNIWAY to let them know there was a problem with complaints about their company. The e-mail address they post is: [email protected]
We have received no response at all to date.

It is our experience that when a company does not want to address the problem generally, it will often try to address the individual complaints on the Internet. I believe that UNIWAY avoids dealing with their problems and ask them to contact us directly to discuss a resolution.

[email protected]
EDitor's Staff
Toronto, Ontario

Elizabeth, i trust your facts as true on uniway,I do believe that the company can save you money, however i do feel that their sales techniques on membership could use some massive revamping. lol, you cannot leave the premisis to think about a membership, if you do so you may never apply for a membership again? lol, what kind of sales technique is that.

According to the better business beureus report on Uniway they are a legit company, however the recommend that you take time to think about it before making a commitment.

Uniway refuses to give you such time. before i make an 1800$ + commitment i plan on thinking about it. I wouldnt make that kind of commitment on anthing right of fthe bat. You woudlnt buy a 1800 car with out thinking about ti, why would you do it with a membership. you should have the right to go and check out the company for yourself to be sure theyw ill remain in business and that they are who they say they are.

Justin
Columbia, SOuth Carolina

Uniway only appears on one's credit report if they fail to make payments on the membership in which they purchased. This same statement is true if you buy a car, boat, etc.

If a financial contract is signed the applicant has obligations and responsibilities just as any other contract. There is a disclosure paragraph which states how one may cancel a contract with Uniway and if this is read, as it should be, then one would know that.

Uniway is a private company which is not open to the general public therefore different promotions are used to invite certain people to tour the company.

The gifts that are offered are 99% rendered to the winner the day they visit Uniway depending on what the gift is, be it a vacation, money, T.V., or whatever.

I have been a member since I was 20 years old and have benefitted from the tremendous savings with this company. I will continue to use the service as it will save my family and I thousands of dollars over the course of our lives. -A Thankful Member

Having recieved a cold call to listen to Uniway's spiel on how to save money, bye not paying retail, I have to admit I fell for it hook line and sinker. However I was lucky enough to not have enough cash on hand at that moment to pay for the down payment for membership. The salesman tried his hardest for to write a check which he would hold for 4 days, my bf and i flat out told him we do not right uncovered checks ever, and that we would be mor ethan willing to come back in 4 days to pay for a membership, his answer was a flat out pay now or no membership ever, you cannot come back ever you have refused the deal.

When someone is this forcesful and seemingly desperate you have to wonder. As for the "gifts" lol, they were what i expected so i was not surpised there.

I can only comment on their sales tactics, and I would have to say I doubt their validity as a company due to them. Please be careful.

Having recieved a cold call to listen to Uniway's spiel on how to save money, bye not paying retail, I have to admit I fell for it hook line and sinker. However I was lucky enough to not have enough cash on hand at that moment to pay for the down payment for membership. The salesman tried his hardest for to write a check which he would hold for 4 days, my bf and i flat out told him we do not right uncovered checks ever, and that we would be mor ethan willing to come back in 4 days to pay for a membership, his answer was a flat out pay now or no membership ever, you cannot come back ever you have refused the deal.

When someone is this forcesful and seemingly desperate you have to wonder. As for the "gifts" lol, they were what i expected so i was not surpised there.

I can only comment on their sales tactics, and I would have to say I doubt their validity as a company due to them. Please be careful.

Couple of months ago, I and my wife was called in for a interview with uniway. We left with the intention of becoming a member, but when we sit down and search our finances we saw we could not afford to become members.

I fax the letter to uniway, and kept a copy for proof, called the finance company to let them know that I have cancel my membership.

But yesterday uniway contacted my wife and I complaining about not being able to cash the check we wrote for the membership, now this is my question. If I have cancel my membership, why would uniway still try and cash the check? I smell a rat.

Every thing I said here is true and if they want to seek legal representation they may do so. I have all the information, and steps I took to cancel this membership. A Crook is a Crook.

To give you a clue as to how long I've been a member of Uniway I was one of the very beginning in Augusta GA to join. I had to pay monthly until my first joining membership was paid for. Then I began paying my yearly membership fee. We are not near a showroom now but I still keep my membership so that I can shop when we visit home. We have enjoyed the savings and will continue to support the Company. Their service has been exceptional and they offer more and more in there showroom catalogs. We feel that the savings not only repay the joining fee but the annual fee is quickly returned through savings. As I said we've been members for many years, thanks Uniway for helping us get things when we were young and every penny mattered a great deal.

I was lured to uniway via phone with promises of free gifts,and a chance at a car should my key open the lock.

I opted out of purchasing a membership was not a victim who lost money to them, still I believe their scam must be revealed to the public.

There are no free gifts. each "free gift" requires a ten dollar shipping fee to claim.
The car key is not tried in an actual vehicle,and is simply a common door lock fastened to a crude wooden box.

Each of the three friends who attended the meeting with me compared keys when the rep left the room. each key was identical.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to air my grievance.
Sincerely Serenade

My6 husband and myself joined Uniway about 4 years ago ---we only paid the monthly fees for the 15 months --to pay off memebership then we pay $75.00 a year to renew our membership fees each year. The program is great and has saved us a lot of money on items. We will continue to use Uniway --and i would like to say the company offers exactly what they represent to offer. The person making this Rip Off Report obviously did not pay off the 15 month payment plan and that is why it is on their credit report --jsut as any unpaid bill would be --they set up a contract with Uniway and obviously did not pay off their bill. I would like to close saying we refer many people to Uniway and will continue to do so.

My6 husband and myself joined Uniway about 4 years ago ---we only paid the monthly fees for the 15 months --to pay off memebership then we pay $75.00 a year to renew our membership fees each year. The program is great and has saved us a lot of money on items. We will continue to use Uniway --and i would like to say the company offers exactly what they represent to offer. The person making this Rip Off Report obviously did not pay off the 15 month payment plan and that is why it is on their credit report --jsut as any unpaid bill would be --they set up a contract with Uniway and obviously did not pay off their bill. I would like to close saying we refer many people to Uniway and will continue to do so.

My6 husband and myself joined Uniway about 4 years ago ---we only paid the monthly fees for the 15 months --to pay off memebership then we pay $75.00 a year to renew our membership fees each year. The program is great and has saved us a lot of money on items. We will continue to use Uniway --and i would like to say the company offers exactly what they represent to offer. The person making this Rip Off Report obviously did not pay off the 15 month payment plan and that is why it is on their credit report --jsut as any unpaid bill would be --they set up a contract with Uniway and obviously did not pay off their bill. I would like to close saying we refer many people to Uniway and will continue to do so.

My6 husband and myself joined Uniway about 4 years ago ---we only paid the monthly fees for the 15 months --to pay off memebership then we pay $75.00 a year to renew our membership fees each year. The program is great and has saved us a lot of money on items. We will continue to use Uniway --and i would like to say the company offers exactly what they represent to offer. The person making this Rip Off Report obviously did not pay off the 15 month payment plan and that is why it is on their credit report --jsut as any unpaid bill would be --they set up a contract with Uniway and obviously did not pay off their bill. I would like to close saying we refer many people to Uniway and will continue to do so.

From:
Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2001 17:44:54 -0700

This email is a rebuttal to RipOff #4819.
It was sent by Larisa Townsend at [email protected].

UNIWAY OF CHARLESTON, INC. LURES YOU FOR MEMBERSHIP & MESSES UP YOUR CREDIT REPORT (#4819)

They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:

Their email: [email protected]
Their name: Larisa Townsend
Their phone number: 8435567041
Their relationship to the company: Supporter

Rebuttal:
The "$150" per month is not correct. The current cost per month is $86 in SC. The deposit was $300. The $86 per month is also only for the first 15 months (the payment plan). After the payment plan there is a yearly fee of $86. According to the contract, you have 30 days from the sign date to change your mind. This is legally binding. Your credit was messed up becuase you did not pay a bill. I have always found that the
fine print is always important to read since there are always catches to things. I have been happy with my membership and have already purchased jewelry and furniture at deep discounts.