United Consumers Club is a private member based consumer buying group. They offer to save members significant saving for items in and around the home. The focus is on furniture, decorating items, flooring, carpet and many other items.
They are a franchise type opperation with locations owned by individual franchisors, and other owned by head office.
Membership fees are in the $2500.00 plus range/plus annual renewals and are paid by members to gain access to the apparent manufactures catalogs.
Membership fees can vary from location to location depending on what the franchisee thinks the market will bear, the length and time of membership, and how the renewal plan is structured.
I am aware of the following related to this organization, based on dealings with the company. The company telephones consumers at random telling them they are 'Finalists' and will win at least two of several gifts for trying a key to a chevy trailblazer, which they are also told they may win to get them to their place of business for a sales pitch.
This is called a 'PR' call, then, a second 'booking' call is made to get the consumer into the showroom to close the sale of a $2,500.00 membership for future club benefits.
My concerns are that Americans and Canadians will continue to be damaged as follows:
UCC is involved with intentional and negligent misrepresentations, false advertising, bad faith, breach of contract, tortious conversion and unjust enrichment in response to a longstanding scheme to defraud.
Consumers are being telemarketed with the company name concealed, in violation of many local and nation ordinances.
The company is selling memberships in its buyers service for $2,500.00 for future services when it is contemplating bankruptcy, which knowingly may not allow it to complete its contracted obligations. However, the owners, specifically instruct their salesmen to state that 'corporate' will take over the franchise if it fails, when they know this will not happen and they will be left without recourse.
Members do not always receive top quality merchandise, in contradiction to the company sales pitch.
Members do not always pay the manufacturer's invoice price as they are guaranteed. Sometimes UCC marks it up in contradiction to what is told prospective memebers. And advertising and promotional fees from manufacturers are not rebated to the members.
Members' orders are not always timely and expeditiously processed as warranted. UCC is not prompt in responding to and rectifying complaints.
Members are over-charged on 'freight charges'.in many cases, the actual amount UCC is charging members for shipping is greater than the actual shipping charges charged by the carrier which shipped it, in contradiction to its statements to consumers during its sales pitch.
Members do not always receive their merchandise direct from the manufacturer as promised in the sales pitch.indeed, many manufacturers which are showcased in the Manufacturer's Showroom Library and which members could order from do not know of any relationship with United Consumers Club or any of its affiliates whatsoever.
The entire product line of all manufacturers is not available to all members, and not all product lines are available at all UCC locations as claimed in the sales pitch.
UCC does not have over 800,000 members nationwide as claimed in its open house sales pitch. Direction Magazine, which is sent to every UCC member in Canada and the U.S. Only has a total circulation of 210,000, according to documents provided by some of the manufacturers.
A NY court found the membership contract 'grossly unconscionable' and that 'Club membership is nothing more than a cleverly disguised method
of selling nothing but hopes and dreams.'
CBC-TV recently did a report on UCC Totalhome's 'astonishing policies' that has blown the lid of the UCC Total home membership scam.
Regards
A
Tampa, Florida
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