On Saturday, October 17 I put down a $300 deposit, which came from a $300 Visa Gift Card, on a black cashmere cape with fox trim and Rhinestones at a booth called Catalina Enterprises www.catalinaleather.com at the Women's Expo at the Phoenix Convention Center. They exhibit at 80 upscale trade shows/year around the country like the Barrett Jackson, Jewelry Shows etc. As they have upscale leathers and furs! They wanted me to put down the entire $1500 for a deposit but they wouldn't let me take the cape home until Sunday because they wanted to be able to show it and let people who were interested try it on as it was their only sample like that! Luckily I didn't put everything down as I had a change of heart that evening and decided that I didn't want to buy it afterall!
I went back to the Expo on Sunday and told them that I changed my mind and wanted my deposit back. They told me "NO" that I signed the invoice which was the contract! I told them that their website said that Customer Satisfaction was Guaranteed on the "About Us" page, and they said that I wasn't a customer because I didn't follow through with my end of the agreement and I didn't have the item! I put 2 calls into the owner, Eva Freud, from Scottsdale and she didn't return my calls or the 2 emails I sent her from her website, and she wouldn't talk to me at the Show on Sunday, and her husband, Cary, asked me to leave their booth!
On Sunday when I asked Cary and Eva where the cashmere was woven and how many ply it was and if the tassels were hand twisted they didn't have the answers but told me that they would get back with me on Monday. They wanted the full payment first though! On Saturday Cary said that he would give me a 5 year warranty on the cape, and on Sunday he said that he would give me a 20 year warranty on the cape as long as they were still in business! In less than 24 hours, I changed my mind and no longer wanted the cape! They ripped me off of $300 which is mine, and I didn't get anything because they asked me to leave their booth! Their website www.catalinaleather.com said that they were a reputable company! You decide if you want to do business with a company like that! Checking with the BBB before making a BIG PURCHASE is always best because most reputable businesses with high-end products are members, and then you can take them to mediation if you're not satisfied with the outcome! Just remember, the customer is always right! I hope that you have learned from my mistake!
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