cutco--exploitive?

Parent Cafe
21

<p>I bought some this summer. One came with a small defect and the company replaced it at no charge or inconvenience to me. I don’t know of another knife company that would do that. And if you like to support companies that make products in the US, then this is the company for you. </p>

<p>Yes they are expensive, but unless you want another country to benefit from your purchase… Yes, I know that we live in a global economy but that’s a small comfort to someone who loses their job to an overseas company.</p>

22

<p>

</p>

<p>The Cutco knives are roughly comparable to a mid-priced stamped steel German knife. Not the same quality as the forged German knives. I would rather have a mid-priced Japanese stamped knife than the Cutcos. The Japanese make some incredible stamped steel knives. I’m not saying that the Cutcos are junk. They make an OK knife and sell it for ridiculously high prices.</p>

23

<p>I have a few cutco pieces I really like–including a knife I bought more than 20 years ago that I finally sent back to them for sharpening. After listing to a demo from one of my son’s high school friends and buying one expensive knife out of pity, I realized I would like a few more and bought some on ebay, including a couple of sets of steak knives and a carving knife. There are always lots of knives being sold on ebay–you may have to wait a while to get a piece at a reasonable price, but if there’s no rush you can find what you need/want. Some are used, but in good condition, others seem to be dealers who sell only through ebay at a lower price. I assume they are real. They work well.</p>

24

<p>One can debate the quality of the knives; one can debate the cost of the knives; but as for the OP’s original question, I certainly don’t think that Cutco is exploitative at all. It’s my understanding that everything is spelled out in advance, so anyone who sells this product is going into it with eyes wide open.</p>

25

<p>VH: I don’t think that’s true. It’s kind of spelled out, but in exagerated and misleading ways. I’ve sat through the presentation three times. Each time I know what I was getting myself into so it was okay. But I asked the kids what they were promised and it was all very misleading. Not to mention that the kids are then issued a 1099 at the end of the year and must file a schedule C to claim the income. They also pay self employment tax on that money and few are prepared.</p>

26

<p>I’m reviving an old thread, but maybe now that it’s summer it’s relevant again. Neighbor kid called last week to ask if he could “practice” his cutco demo on us. Of course, I had to say yes, although no way I would subject H to it, so it had to be just me. So NK goes though the spiel and then starts in on which set do I like - A or B? </p>

<p>Me: Set A looks nice.</p>

<p>NK: (Calls his “manager” to see if there are any specials on set A.) Ok, you can get Set A for price X (around $900). </p>

<p>Me: No, can’t really spend that much on knives.</p>

<p>NK: We have smaller sets. (Points out several.)</p>

<p>Me: No, not really interested in a set.</p>

<p>NK: Well pick out 5 implements that you like and we can make a “customized set” for you. Just pick some, it’s good for my practicing.</p>

<p>Me: Ok, these 5.</p>

<p>NK: (Calls manager again.) Ok, you could get those for $79.00.</p>

<p>Me: That doesn’t really sound right. Anyways, I don’t really want to invest in knives today. Have to put S through college starting in September, ya know.</p>

<p>NK: Well, everyone needs at least ONE good knife. If you were to get just one, which would it be?</p>

<p>Me: Well, maybe the pairing knife, since mine is 20 years old and bent. (Price folder is open on table, pairing knife priced at $47.)</p>

<p>NK: (Calls manager AGAIN.) You could get that for around $16.00. </p>

<p>Me: (Surprised) Well, ok, then, maybe that one.</p>

<p>NK: Really? Hmm, I think I heard that price wrong, I’d better call her back. (Calls manager AGAIN.) Ok, the price is actually $47 for the pairing knife. </p>

<p>Me: Ok, then. (Buys pairing knife out of pity.)</p>

<p>If this was some kind of tactic, it’s a horrible one. Yes they sold A KNIFE, but I will never buy another one of their products no matter how great it is. Total turn off. Thing is, I know if I called the company to complain they would just blame it on NK and say he made some kind of mistake.</p>

27

<p>AWFUL! Thankfully, my kids have NEVER been interested in direct sales & we are able to avoid folks who do this, for the most part. My SIL did host a party for her S’s GF who was selling Cutco & she did sell quite a bit at it. :(</p>

28

<p>$47 for a stamped steel pairing knife?</p>

29

<p>What is Vector?</p>

30

<p>You’re much nicer than I am - I would have never purchased the knife, especially after the bait and switch of the price, although I would have provided good feedback to the NK that the use of that tactic and the entire sales procedure with the involvement of the ‘manager calling’ wasn’t a good one (although I guess it worked on you :wink: )</p>

31

<p>We have been the recipient of three Cutco sales pitches, and have bought four knives. Sure, they’re expensive, maybe a little overpriced for what they are. But we use them ALL the time. The ‘pitchers’ were friends of D1 & D2–we were happy to do it for them, and never knew (or cared about) the monetary cut for them.</p>

<p>But here’s the other thing–for a 17 or 18 year old, this is REAL good experience for the outside world, stuff you don’t necessarily get in college. I could tell right off the bat who was cut (there’s that word again! :slight_smile: ) out for this type of thing and who was flailing away. But it almost seemed that the inexperienced ones got more out of it, especially when they would warm up as the sales pitch went on.</p>

<p>I have no problem with the Cutco system, pyramid or not.</p>

32

<p>We bought a steak knife set and a couple of others several years ago from a college kid (who we had known since she was in kindergarten). They are very high quality & we really like them. When I see the Vector envelopes come in the mail addressed to our kids, I do put them in the paper shredder though.</p>

33

<p>A few of my friends did this years ago. They never made their money back from the demo set they had to buy. I have a friend with Asperger’s who got roped into this a few months ago and I felt really bad, he thought this was the most brilliant thing he’d ever done and was so pleased that someone had finally given him a job. They told him he was going to make lots of money and that it would be totally easy-- and I am sure they could tell just by looking at him that he was never going to be a salesman, and they took his money for the demo set anyway. As you might imagine it crashed and burned. There are SO MANY better ways to get sales experience than this. I can’t imagine putting in the time and effort when you could get a job in a store and learn the same skills without having to pay anything.</p>

34

<p>The problem is that a lot of this type of marketing (Cutco, Amway, etc.) isn’t real sales experience since in many cases people only do the ‘pitch’ to family and friends. These companies rely on people buying the products as a favor to someone they know more than based on the actual product itself. The experience of selling to someone you know and who might feel some obligation to buy isn’t the same as dealing with a cold call. For the salesperson it’s not the equivalent of selling to and dealing with the general public such as they’d do if they worked in a retail store.</p>

<p>That’s a generalization I just made since some people extend beyond this realm and will attempt to sell to other than people they know and there are some people who really want the product regardless of who’s selling it but it seems to me that the generalization holds water in many cases. I’m sure some people have done okay using this method on a short term basis but I think for most they’re pretty much done once they’ve exhausted their market of family, friends, neighbors. I think the ones that make out the best though are the companies who end up mostly selling the products mostly to their own salespeople and those salespeople’s family/friends.</p>

35

<p>Yes, it is exploitive, but those knives are the best I have. I would not mind getting more. The product is really good, in my opinion. The thing is, the way they are sold, makes it hard to say no to the sales pitch, but if you don’t want the product, don’t buy any. </p>

<p>But I love my Cutco knives.</p>

36

<p>Much like getting the family & friends to buy from the kids’ fundraisers: Girl Scout Cookies, Chocolates, Magazine Subscriptions, Fruit, etc. So glad those days are gone!</p>

37

<p>But at least with fundraisers, your kids are bothering your friends and neighbors for a good cause. I wouldn’t allow my kids to impose on people I know to sell an overpriced product for their own profit. It’s simply rude. And of course they would be nuts to try to sell to strangers. And if these knives are so special, why aren’t they sold in stores? As for the “demonstrations”–how ludicrous. Knives cut–what else is there to see? The whole point of “demonstrations” is just to get inside the home, to pressure people to buy something out of guilt or to get the seller out of the house. It’s all just smacks of skeeviness. I would never allow or encourage my kids to be associated with this sort of thing, and unless they have aspirations of becoming used car salesmen, I don’t think the “experience” is worth anything.</p>

38

<p>The worst part of this scam is that the kids who sell these products have to buy them! It costs at least $140 out of pocket. This is before any demonstration.</p>

<p>The other part is that the kids are directed to use their parent’s contacts.</p>

39

<p>An enterprising kid in my D’s hs class called as many parents as he could from the school directory three years ago (1400 kids). Had guts and worked his butt off. Also worked a booth at a few area county fairs that summer. He knew he needed spending money for college. Kid made over $6000. Sold the next summer also. Wants to get into sales. I think he’ll be successful!<br>
P.S. I did buy two knives from him…expensive, but wow! are they good…my favorite ones in the drawer. Use them many times a day. No regrets now, but sure questioned the cost initially.</p>

40

<p>I have never read a thread about how exploitive Tupperware is to their sales reps. After all, Tupperware reps also have to purchase the products they sell and their product could easily be called over priced. </p>

<p>This is a common issue with sales jobs of this type. You have to buy samples of the product that you are going to sell. It’s hardly a new phenomenon. It’s a great job for a kid who is good at sales. And for those who try it and are not good at sales - well they hopefully learned one profession that is off limits for them. It is good to know your limits, even if you have to learn that the hard way. </p>

<p>I still love my Cutco knives. They are the nicest knives I’ve ever owned - and are much better than the ones I got when I got married. I’m so glad some kid demoed them to me.</p>