Five Star Home Foods, Incorporated

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
While I don't necessarily agree with all of the comments made by the company in question I do agree with their proposal to "write off his remaining balance with neither party having any further obligation to the other."  As long as the company follows thru with this I am satisfied.
Regards,
[redacted]

Five Star takes great pride in providing excellent service.  Most of our new customers are directly referred to us by our existing customers;  they refer us to their friends, family, neighbors, etc.  When we call a referral, we introduce our service and offer a free sample package so...

they can taste the all natural quality difference of our meats.  If there is interest, we coordinate delivery of their free sample package.   If there is no interested, we don't continue calling.   We take great pride in our company and appreciate our valued customer referrals, and last thing we'd want to do is to irritate a potential customer or our existing customer who gave the referrals.  Furthermore, there is absolutely no reason for us to continue calling anyone who doesn't want to be called and for this reason, we also maintain an internal Do Not Call List.  I've added Mr. [redacted]'s number to our internal DNC list so he is not called again in the future.   We are a very customer focused organization and I only wish Mr. [redacted] would have called us directly and made his request.  We could have resolved his request easily and promptly as there was no need whatsover to file this complaint.

I have had several productive telephone conversations with both Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] since receiving their complaint.  We discussed options to address their concerns and we had hoped to have this matter resolved by today.  However, Mr. [redacted] called me this evening to...

advise that his grandmother was extremely ill and he would understandably need to give his family his full attention over the next few days.  He promised to get back to me as soon as possible (hopefully by 12/9/16) so that we could finalize the best way to address their concerns going forward.

Review: We had been customers of Five Star Home Foods in 2010 after seeing the booth at the PA Home Show. However, due to their high pressure sales practices, we told them we no longer wished to place orders for food with them in 2011. [redacted] in their customer service area continued to call us and leave messages about setting up a next delivery after we requested not to be contacted. We were contacted by their CEO via email who assured us that we would no longer be harassed by the company after we said we were going to file a complaint with the state attorney general's office and the Revdex.com. Several months have passed, however, today [redacted] AGAIN contacted us regarding setting up another delivery of foods from them. We no longer know what to do. We have repeatedly asked to be left alone by this company and they continue to harass us regarding when we will be ordering again after we told them we are no longer interested. Are we going to be forced to change our telephone number simply because this company will not stop harassing us???? Can you please help and get them to stop calling us????Desired Settlement: Five Star Home Foods will NEVER call us again.

Business

Response:

First, I want to apologize to [redacted] that he received calls after he asked us to discontinue them. We strive to provide the very best customer service possible, which includes following up with customers by phone periodically. However, all such calls should have been discontinued when [redacted] requested that we stop further follow-up contacts.

We have coded [redacted]'s account to "Inactive" status so that he will no longer receive follow up calls from Five Star Home Foods.

Again, we apologize for any concern caused by our calls.

Review: My wife and I signed up for a six month delivery of food in March of 2014. In order to get the price for the food that we purchased, we agreed to pay for a freezer warranty at a cost of $70.00 a month. We specifically asked the salesman what would happen if we decided that we would not purchase any additional food. We did not want to be stuck paying for a warranty that we would never use. The salesman specifically told us that Five Star Foods would never hold us to a two year contract because that would be bad business on the part of Five Star Foods. Perhaps I should have checked the Revdex.com site prior to agreeing to this because there are identical complaints about Five Star Foods regarding this issue. The company salespersons are either uninformed or make a standard practice about lying about customer obligations under this warranty contract. Either way, shame on you Five Star Foods. I do not like being lied to, especially when I specifically questioned the salesman about this contract prior to signing it.Desired Settlement: I want this 70.00 a month charge terminated. No other resolution is acceptable. I do not want them calling to explain the so called value of this warranty as I have read about on this website. I do not like being lied to!

Business

Response:

I spoke with [redacted]. [redacted] on July 16th and 17th and agreed to cancel her full service protection plan as requested. She will continue to pay for the foods that were delivered.

We discussed the events leading to **. [redacted]'s complaint with the Revdex.com. It appears that her sales representative was not as responsive as he should have been when they contacted him by phone. I apologized and invited her to reach me directly should she have any customer concerns in the future.

We appreciate the opportunity to be of service to **. and [redacted]. [redacted] and hope that we may continue to serve them in the future.

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Dear Revdex.com,

Review: Sales representative advised us that if we decided at any point to cease business with Five Start Foods we would not suffer any form of penalty or ongoing charges. Following ceasing to purchase food we have been receiving a $74 monthly charge which when I called to ask about a service representative treated both myself and my wife rather harshly stating "you agree do pay for a ten year service warranty on your fridge and there's no way out of it". I then queried if this was in relation to a fridge provided by five star, and she noted this is for everyone. I'm frustrated both because the sales representative was not clear about this as he advised there was no ongoing fee/fine for promptly ceasing service, and at no point did he note that there is a binding two year agreement for me to purchase a warranty on my fridge (of which there are no clauses for me to get out of it).Desired Settlement: Honestly I'm frustrated both with the representative for misrepresenting Five Star, as well as myself for having not reviewed the legal documentation as thorough, had I known about this clause I wouldn't have agreed. Please allow me out of this contract and if possible even refund me for the payments made only on the fridge warranty.

Business

Response:

I spoke with [redacted] on both 8/4/14 and again on 8/11/14 to address his concerns. I reviewed all the benefits of his Full Service Protection Plan (FSPP) account, including the 15% discount ($221.85) he received on his first food order. Through our conversation, [redacted] shared that he had recently changed jobs resulting in a lower income and that, as a result, he and his wife did not wish to continue with the food service at this time.

After much discussion surrounding options to lower his food service cost, [redacted] still wished to cancel his FSPP. He agreed to repay the $221.85 discount received as a benefit of the Full Service Protection Plan with Five Star agreeing to write off all remaining installments due on the FSPP account.

I appreciate the opportunity to service [redacted] and his wife and hope that they will resume their food service with Five Star Home Foods as soon they are able.

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. We were able to come to a mutual agreement in resolving this issue. Thank you.

Regards,

Review: We purchased six months worth of food from this company and a freezer protection plan for that time. We were told that after the initial purchase we were not obligated to purchase any more food and would only be billed for the initial purchase. We continued to be charged for a freezer protection plan, even though we weren't purchasing their food. When I called the told me that we would be charged for the plan regardless of future purchases. I feel that the salesman was not honest and forthcoming when he sold us this food. I don't think we should have been charged for this plan after the six months expired.Desired Settlement: $685

Business

Response:

On 11/27/2013, I reached **. [redacted] by phone to discuss his concerns. He shared with me that he understood the agreements he had signed with Five Star. He said that he primarily filed the complaint because of the tone of the customer service representative he spoke with when he asked about canceling his agreements.

I apologized sincerely to **. [redacted] and took some time to re-explain the benefits of the Full Service Protection Plans which were the subject of his complaint. He shared with me that he was happy with the food service provided by Five Star. After a fairly lengthy telephone conversation, I shared with him that I hoped that with now having a full understanding of the Full Service Protection Plans he might consider continuing with the food service. I offered to deduct $100 from his next food order as an apology for his earlier customer service experience. He said that he would speak with his wife and contact me back by Monday, 12/2/13.

While I have left two phone messages since 12/2/13, I have not yet heard back from **. [redacted]. This is understandable at this busy time of year. However, I look forward to his call so that we can hopefully continue to serve him and his family.

Review: I have been receiving multiple sales calls from their offices, phone number ###-###-####. Today, it was at 10:48am. I have requested them to stop calling in the past and also advised them I am on the Do Not Call Registry and my phone number has been on the list for over 1 year. It seems to work for about 3 weeks then they start calling again, disconnecting when my voicemail service picks up the call. Also, requesting a supervisor does nothing but to delay the calls for about 3 weeks. The phone number they keep calling is my landline (listed as my evening phone number).Desired Settlement: I want this company to stop calling me. I want this company to adhere to the Do Not Call Registry rules and regulations. I want them fined for their actions.

Business

Response:

Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention. Since the enactment of the Do Not Call Registry, we have taken great care to be certain we are in compliance.After a careful investigation, I have determined that [redacted]'s phone number is not in my calling database. [redacted] lives in [redacted], DE, and this is a very popular area for our service and we have many existing customers there. I can only conclude that my representative mis-dialed a similar phone number as [redacted]'s number and reached [redacted] in error.I have confirmed that [redacted]'s phone number is on our DNC list and he should not be receiving calls from our company. The only exception would be if [redacted] fills out a drawing form at one of the many local events that we attend in the future. (such as home shows or health and wellness events where Five Star is a vendor) In that case, he would be giving us his express permission to contact him by phone.Please express our sincerest apologies to [redacted] for any inconvience. We are a customer focused organization which seeks to provide outstanding customer service at all times. Please assure [redacted] that we work vigorously to comply with the DNC list. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any further assistance to you or [redacted].Sincerely,Bruce H[redacted]

Review: Salesperson verified more than once that the food and freezer insurance would be cancelled if we discontinued the food service program. We discontinued the food service program but they are insisting that we pay $65/month for ~1.5 years for insurance of product we don't have and service we no longer use. At this cost we could buy multiple freezers to replace the one they insured and the food in the freezer is no longer covered since we don't purchase food from them. We were told initially that we had to have the insurance to purchase the food and that we could discontinue both after we paid for the food re received.Desired Settlement: Stop charging us for service no longer used beginning June 1.

Business

Response:

On 5/30/14, I spoke with [redacted] to address her concerns. I reviewed her agreements with Five Star Home Foods as well as the benefits of the Full Service Protection Plan(FSPP) that was the subject of her complaint.

Specifically, I reviewed that she was entitled to a lifetime 25% discount on her foods as a benefit of the FSPP. Under this benefit alone, I reviewed that she had saved $624.75 off her first food order, which was more than she had paid toward the FSPP to date.

We discussed continuing with the food service and addressed options regarding her concern over having enough freezer space. I offered to apply all payments she has made toward her FSPP toward the purchase of any freezer if she wished to continue the food service.

Alternatively, I offered to cancel all remaining payments due on the FSPP if she were to repay the $624.75 food discount she had received as a benefit of the plan.

[redacted] advised that she appreciated my call and appreciated the options that I presented to her to address her concerns. She agreed to consider which option is best for her and to call me back on Monday, 6/2/14.

Review: We are trying to cancel the $68/month "insurance" charge. I have attempted contact 4 different times and by phone or email. No response after 2 weeks.Desired Settlement: I would like the $68/month "insurance" cancelled immediately. And a refund for the last auto pay that occurred after I attempted to contact the company.

Business

Response:

On 1/20/15, the day I received his Revdex.com complaint, I spoke to Mr. [redacted] to address his concerns. I explained that I had not received his emails and had therefore not been aware of his concern. I did apologize, however, as I can understand that this would cause frustration if he had not received a response.

Upon further discussion, I learned that Mr. [redacted] had not been present when his wife first contracted for our service on 11/18/13, nor was he present when she placed a subsequent reorder on 10/3//14. As a result, he was not familiar with the terms of the order nor the benefits of the Full Service Protection Program (FSPP) she had purchased. I was pleased to have the opportunity to review same in detail with Mr. [redacted].

In addition, Mr. [redacted] explained that, due to a recent unfortunate job loss, he needed to lower his monthly expenses. To address this concern, I agreed to extend his remaining 4 monthly food service installments over 8 months. This lowered his monthly billing by approximately $100/mo.

Mr. [redacted] commented that he enjoys the foods he receives from Five Star Home Foods and I hope that we will be able to continue to serve Mr. [redacted] and his family for many years.

Business

Response:

On 2/3/15, I spoke to Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] by telephone. I reminded Mr. [redacted] that after I had agreed to lower his monthly food billing on 1/20/15, I emailed him on 1/21/15 inviting him to call me if he wished to discuss his Full Service Protection Plan (FSPP) account further. I believe in open communication and invited communication. I did, however, ask that he call me and not just email me so that I could fully understand and address his concerns.

As a matter of final resolution and to provide further financial relief after Mr. [redacted]'s job loss, I agreed to write off the remaining balance of their FSPP account effective immediately. Both Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] stated that this resolution fully satisfied their concerns.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me, pending removal of future monthly ACH charges for the protection plan.

Regards,

Review: This company has been calling me using various numbers but never leaving a voicemail message identifying who they are, what business they think they have with me or a return number so that I can address the issue. I receive numerous phone calls throughout the day several days a week. On only one of the many occassions when I called the number back, the gentleman who did answer stated there were many departments and that he would try to find out who it was that was calling me. I indicated to him that I did not have any business with his company and did not know his company. I asked him to have the calls stopped. He said he would try. Other times when I call the numbers back the person on the other end has hung up on me, the phone just rings and rings, there is no message machine to leave a message. It wasn't until I actually Googled the number that I found who it was listed with. At this point in time the calls are unsolicited and unwanted. I feel that I am being harrassed. I want the calls to stop. If you can not resolve this issue then I will file criminal charges and contact the FCC.Desired Settlement: I want a written letter acknowleging the unwanted behavior, an apology for the behavior, cessation of the calls and my number removed from the call list of the company never to be used again.

Business

Response:

[redacted] filled out a drawing form at the Five Star Home Foods booth at the [redacted] on March 4. (see attached) She entered our drawing and provided her contact information for follow up regarding our home food service and our free sample pack offer. The form she filled out and signed gives us permission to call her. One of our marketing representatives called her on the evenings of 3/12, 3.13, 3/14 and 3/16, but did not contact her. [redacted] was upset that she didn't know who was calling. Our telephone carrier does provide our caller ID with our company name and our telephone numbers, but [redacted] says that her telephone did not display our company name. This could be a problem with her cell phone carrier because we do provide the caller ID information.

After receiving her complaint, I immediately investigaged why we were calling her and I immediately added her to our DO NOT CALL list. I then called [redacted] directly to explain that she had provided us her contact information and permission to call her. She was pleased with the explanation and pleased that I removed her from our call list so promptly. She said that she was satisfied with the resolution and I invited her to call me anytime at my direct extension if she had any further questions. I stressed that Five Star Home Foods provides a fantastic product and service and that we certainly have nothing to hide. She had provided her name and telephone number (see attached) and we were simply following up on her request for additional information about our service.

Review: When signing up for five star home foods, we chose to get a insurance policy with them on our freezers. The sales person, [redacted], told us although the contract states 24 months if after te six month food contract we decide not o purchase more product the insurance could be canceled without penalty. Our six month food contract is up and now they are saying we have to pay the $150(2-freezers) for the 24 months and it cannot be canceled. The company also states they informed my wife of this through a call from the service manger, but they could not provide he phone number they called. We have not provided my wife's phone number to them!Desired Settlement: I would like the 2 insurance policy's to be canceled without penalty, as informed by the sales rep.

Business

Response:

Upon receipt of this complaint, I called and spoke to [redacted] on 3/19/13. I carefully reviewed his Five Star contracts and explained the benefits he is receiving under his Full Service Protection Plans.

[redacted] is a valued customer and I encouraged him to continue to use our food service. He advised that he would consider all that we had discussed and would call back with his decision.

[redacted] left me a voice message on 3/21/13 that he appreciated my call, but had decided not to continue the food service at this time. I spoke to [redacted] again on 3/26/13. He said that wanted to take 6 months away from the service and then will decide whether to continue. We then reviewed his current open accounts and I agreed that we would follow up with him in 6 months. He stated that no further action on my part was necessary.

I thank the Revdex.com for your assistance in resolving this valued customer's concerns.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Although I still have to pay the monthly service fee, at least Bruce did apologize for the misleading information and a rude employee.

Regards,

Review: My husband sat down with a Sales Rep from Five Star Home Foods and agreed to a one year contract. The contract is up and we have been told that although we paid for the product we now have to pay $75 a month for another year for insurance on our garage freezer. Five Star did not provide the freezer to us (we have had it for years). The customer service rep said that it is an insurace program in case our freezer breaks. We have no more of the product in our freezer and would have never agreed to spending $75 a month for insurance on a 10 year old freezer. The Sales Rep never told us this. When I asked the customer service lady on the phone she told me to read my contract.Desired Settlement: I would not like to be billed any longer ($75/month).

Business

Response:

I called and spoke with customer, [redacted], on May 15, 2014, immediately upon receipt of her complaint. We discussed her concerns and I took time to explain and clarify all the different benefits of the Full Service Protection Plan that she purchased. She said that her family was generally happy with the food service and I reviewed that our goal is to earn her food service business long term. By doing so, I reviewed how the Full Service Protection Plan is intended to lower her long term food costs while protecting her freezer.

To address her original concerns, I additionally offered $100 off her next food service order. She stated that she wanted to discuss this with her husband and would get back to me within 1 week. To date, I have not heard back from [redacted]. [redacted]. I have left two follow-up messages. One on 5/21/14 and one today, 5/27/14.

I look forward to hearing back from [redacted]. [redacted] and hope to continue to serve her family.

Review: I signed up for a six month food plan with Five Star Home Food. The sales rep stated that, if after the six month period we are not satisfied, we can discontinue the services. We have decided not to continue services with the company now that the six month term is up. I contacted Five Star and spoke with Bruce in customer service and informed him that we are discontinuing service. Bruce said that we must continue to pay for their freezer protection program for 18 more months because that is how long the term is. Our sales rep in no way made that clear and indicated that 24 months is the MAXIMUM that someone would pay if they continued to be a long-term customer. He indicated that we have no obligation with the company after we choose to discontinue services. I would never have agreed to continue with a freezer plan if the sales rep made such a statement that 24 months is required for everyone regardless of the term of food delivery. This is a clear misrepresentation of services. I do no want a freezer protection plan and do not wish to continue any services with Five Star.Desired Settlement: I want the freezer protection plan to end immediately without future required installments or penalty to me and to have no further dealings with Five Star. I filed no claims with their freezer protection plan and certainly do not want to proceed with future protection on my freezer considering I will no longer be a Five Star Home Food customer.

Business

Response:

On 8/15/2015, I spoke with [redacted] regarding her concerns. I reviewed our procedures of putting all agreements in writing and then verbally reviewing the payment terms prior to delivery of any product. While these procedures are in place to avoid any misunderstanding, [redacted] advises that she did not understand the agreement she signed and therefore wanted her agreement canceled. I agreed to honor her request and write off the full remaining balance of her account. We agreed that her account would be closed and that neither party will have any further obligation to the other.

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. I do want to add that there was no confusion on my part regarding what was presented to me during the initial sales presentation. It was clearly stated that I was able to end my services after the first six months of being a customer. I am pleased that we have been able to come to an understanding that my services are cancelled with the company and that there are no further obligations. Thank you to the Revdex.com for your assistance in this matter.

Regards,