Cooking Club of America / Scout.com review: cooking club of america is a scam! 165

I joined last year and it has cost me 12 books @ 29.95 and a 50 dollar book. I plan to cancel. I feel they have hyped up the promise of testing cooking materials and insure that they send you overpriced books. Then they try to hook you into a lifetime membership with the promise of cheap ### un-coated stainless steel cookware. A good company would follow through with good faith attempts at fulfilling everything that made joining appealing. Personally, if the books were that good they would send a review and give you the option of receiving the book. From the first day i had to keep calling to get the crap they stated i would get for joining. If you like cook its a far better deal to go to a bookstore or used book outlet and look a book over before you buy it and walk away with any postage or promises. Lawrence

I had joined for free while back I mean this was years ago I did my research and seem legimate. Well didnt pay for nothing they sent me a cheap grater in the mail they came with a container to shred in...Ok well thats cool thought!Oh ya and sent me some recipe cards with it...Then 30 days later got a bill in the mail saying I owe 14.95 for the products in which they told me it was gift for joining. Well anyways I paid it and cancelled my subscription with them. Then about 6 months later they sent something again and said that I still owe the balance...Well I called a number that was on the bill got a lady and she said oh yes mam we have received that and your subscription was cancelled. Then I asked why was I charged for the gifts when they said it was free when I signed up? She told me that it was to try for 30 days free and after that have to pay for the items...I said no way hung up!And needless to say I kept the freakin items screw them...But I had never got anything in the mail or phone calls from them...

I am very disappointed with the Cooking Club. When I was contacted with my 'nomination' I was excited, but I use food network or delish to look up recipes, as the collection on the member page is sadly lacking. The free gifts, are not free, and the product testing that we can keep for free do not exist, or are cheap items that share the quality of Dollar Store items. I received a book to look at, and if I opted to keep it, I would have to pay for it. The $100 in coupons that I was promised, are a joke. After waiting to get them in the mail, only to get a card I would have to send in along with a SASE, I received ANOTHER order form to send in, along with processing fees. I am still getting notices to send in another $350 to become a LIFE member, when the "free" gifts that were promised upon my initial sign up have not been delivered months later. I will be informing all those in my social network of these occurrences and advising them to disregard any notices sent to them by this company. A sucker is born every minute, SHAME ON YOU for taking advantage of people. Cooking is an act of love and of nurturing those around us. This company seems to have missed that point entirely. I will not be renewing my membership at the end of the year, to say the least.

I did not join Cooking Club of America and I got mailings and false billings from Cooking Club of America. Please double check web sites and your emails of bad taste

We had tried the 30-day trial membership for Cooking Club of America and canceled it after 30 days trial. Now we received a notice from a collection agency. We tried calling the agency but got a voice mail to pay and no operator ever came to the phone. Then we tried to look for the Cooking Club of America number on the website to no avail. We got their number from the national 1800 directory listing. Someone called Jason picked up the phone and rudely informed us that the membership was canceled. When we asked why we were getting collection notices, we were told that it was a way to get us to subscribe as Life members. He said that we were not going to be submitted to the collection agency and abruptly hung up!
ITS A SCAM ...

Hey guys. I signed up for Cooking Club of America, but just for their 30-Day Trial. I have now been receiving my notices to pay the $12.00. I was so close to paying it but became skeptical; I did not want them taking money out of my bank account. So, my question is this, does anyone know what I should do? Should I just ignore it? I am going to call the 1-888 number tomorrow but I am afraid that they will not really cancel my account and I will be sent to collections. I am freaking out! Please help! Thank you!

they sent me a life member thing and i have'nt heard from them since is this a scam or not they are to send me some stuff but have'nt recieved it yet

I have been a member of this club for well over 5 years. I had nothing but positive encounters with them. I just recently contacted the club and was met with exceptional customer service. My issue was addressed immediately and resolved before I hung up. I think you should try again. Several of my friends are also life members and have had similiar experiences

I have actually not had bad luck or issues with them. I did receive one product to test and love the magazine. I am not a lifetime member (too expensive) but enjoy the club.

Tried the online cooking school lessons. They were actually really good. Just got the "Lifetime Member" letter. Is toooooooooo expensive. I already have stainless steel waterless cookware and I don't think their product can beat it. Reading 4 pages here is a good reminder to send back the cookbook. It is mediocre w/ glossy pages. Magazine is so-so. Do not plan on renewing. Glad I thought to look them up!

I wanted to join in order to try new products, etc. so I could decide to buy or not. First I had to send $12 to become a Life Member, then I received a bill for $300+ dollars for pots and pans, I thought at first it was part of the Life Membership. I didn't have that $300+ then and I don't now. I cancelled my membership right away. Today, in the mail, (a year later) I received a letter asking "What can we do to have you come back?" Are they kidding, lies, lies, lies is all you get from this pile of c--p company. Run, don't walk!

cooking club of america is a rip off. i paid 24.00 for 2yrs. membership. i only received a paring knife. they wants you to purchase books. i told them not to send more books after they sent me one. i have plenty of cook books. then they wanted me to send them membership for life with them. ( FOR WHAT? ) they sent me 2 letters about joining the club for life, which they were going to apply the 24.00 dollars on the lifetime membership( bottom line with this company) is that if you are not interested in their books or purchashing their cookware----they are not interested in you!

THANK YOU everyone. Because of your comments, the Cooking Club of America packet that I received just today will be deposited into the trash.

I canceled my membership months ago, and cooking club of America is threatening to turn the $24.00 dollars for membership over to a collection agency! I was only a member maybe 2 months, didn't get anything free except there magazine!

The cookware you sent to me is nothing but cheap crap. I paid 330 dollars for that junk you should be put out of business. I am going to turn you into the Better Business bureau as a scam company. I am going to send your pots and pans back and I want my money back. Also I have gotten nothing to try. EVERYTHING YOU HAVE SENT ME IS TO BUY. You need to be put out of business, YOU ARE A JOKE AND THIEVES CANCEL ME NOW!

My mother paid her life membership dues to Cooking Club of America. She did not receive half of the items listed on that website that were to be sent with her first automated dues payment. In addition, it has been over a year since she paid her lifetime membership dues in full and she has not received the cookware set advertised to be sent when dues are paid in full. She spoke to another representative about the problem today and was told that she will have to pay for the cookware when it is clearly advertised as a lifetime membership gift!

I am having problems getting them to cancel and refund my bank. I was charged again this month after supposedly been cancelled.
Any one have a real number to contact these people?

People, I will just ask you this -- did you really think you'd get anything for nothing? How many gadgets could you test out at a store, and then pay for after being sure they are quality items, for the $300 lifetime membership this club costs? Exactly why would you ever want to be a member of this club? Think, folks, and take care of your money rather than believing you can somehow defeat the laws of e economics.

I returned a piece of jewelry but they want me to pay for it. When I try to get on their site to complain the site will not let me on under my membership number as i forgot my ID. Then when I go to the site where it tells me to go, It says there is no registered e-mail listed for me. I have my member account number but NO way to get in without my ID.

I made a mistake and joined in 2011 with the letter I received from stating yearly fee was $12.00, after giving them my bank visa number they help themselves to $24.00 dollars. I had received nothing other tons of cooking books in my mail box. I returned them as I received them and months went by and they tried to collect for the cook books. I also asked them to cancel my membership and it has been over a year and heard nothing from them. Today upon checking my bank account, there was a pre-auth payment out of account, for another 2 year membership of $24.00. I called them and told them "Don't you understand, cancel my membership" the girl said I couldn't because when you joined I gave them the right to take out the dues when ever due again . I am going to a lawyer, State Better Business Bureau. After telling them to cancel and then them help themselves to my money is ILLEGAL.

Thank you Jennifer Wilson for the phone number and your precise information. Saved me a lot of time and hastle!

Each year they send me a calendar and each year I return it! Now this year calendar for 2014 they said they did not receive, but they are continuing to charge me for something, that I never ordered. The last bill was a 15.00 late charge added to it. This stuff has to stop!

I've been a member for over 15 years, and I've tested hundreds of dollars worth of products.

The magazines alone are worth far more than I paid for my lifetime membership.

Very satisfied.

I have been trying to get ahold of CCA to find out my balance owed on my life membership but can't find out how to contact them with my membership number.

I joined the club a few years ago and at first they were very receptive. Over a year ago I canceled my membership and I am still receiving calls from a collection agency about an item that I did receive and then shipped back. When I left I had made a call to make sure my account was up to date and that I owed them nothing, which they informed me that I did not owe them anything. Now I can't get them to stop sending my name to the collection agencies for this item and I refuse to give them money for something I do not have.

Any one have any idea how to stop the collection agencies, as this also hurts my credit score?

I am supposed to be a life member. I have not received anything in months. Not a magazine or anything, nada. I tested a few items then was sent to a site that is not out of business. What gives? Not happy at all. The magazine was good. I want to get what I paid for. Magazine, test products, and so forth. By the way, the test products were all really cheesy. Judith Westbrook

I subscribed to CCA for a few years and then signed up to be a "Life Member with all the benefits" . The first few years were exactly what I expected- magazines arrived as scheduled and I even got to sample a few products and keep them. Nothing big, but I at least participated in the program. At the time I first became a member, in 2007, I received one magazine every other month. Now I receive one magazine every quarter! I am sure this was not mentioned in my Life Membership contract, that the number of magazines would reduce to almost 1/2 after several years. I attempted to reach CCA vial internet, but the only place I could reach them was through FACEBOOK. Well, I do not have a Facebook account, nor am I going to get one. So I guess I'll just go back to the traditional way of contacting a company- good ole US Postal Service. So unless you don't mind getting only a few magazines a year, save your money. Nowadays, you can find ANY type of recipe online or go to PINTEREST, that is where I find and PIN most of my new recipes. Thanks for listening. Have a great day :)

I have been a lifetime member since August 2001. I no longer get magazines in the mail, there is no web site that I can find and I do not see the benefit to myself at this point since there is no way to indicate I would like to participate in any drawings or product test or read magazines. Does anyone know a web address?

I have contacted Scout Cooking.com at {800}663-8810 .. The response to me receiving me cooking set after my live time membership has been (due to the overwhelming response we received they are currently out stock. as soon as it is backing stock they will sent it out. That has been 6 months.

I too is a victim of being ripped off by this so called "READER'S CLUB OF AMERICA"! the things that disturbs me is their 1-877 number is never available to talk with a "live chat" the message is just like my voice mail at work this is the customer service all of our representatives or staff is either helping other customers or unavailable to answer your call please leave your name, telephone number and your account number and someone will return your call as soon as we can. My complaint is every time I call I never get a live human being there is no way this company is so busy the line is never available. I Claudine Bennett is demanding for this account to be "CANCELLED INDEFINITELY" AND DO NOT DEDUCT ANYMORE PAYMENT FROM MY ACCOUNT AS OF NOW! I will put a stop to this withdrawal from my account and I will contact my credit union today to stop these withdrawals.
THANKS,

i have been a life member since 2008, why don't i receive any test products or anything from you in over 3 years

i have been a life member since 2008 why do i not receive anything frome you any more.my membership # is [protected]

In an attempt to give a change of address, I find phone number is not a working number and no good information online. Have not received magazines for a while. Are they out of business?

Suppose to be a member since 01/2011 life time member IDA HILL20462219
plus i only received one survey since i joined i am starting to truly beleave this company is fraud

My name is Rex Cloward. I signed up for life member for cooking AND gardening clubs. OVER 2 1/2 years ago. Cooking club I had 1 more payment & gardening club I am not sure BUT I have heard nothing from the companies? Is this REALLY A SCAM?
Rex Cloward. WAS 3172 Highway V, Seymour, MO BUT NOW 172 Dew Drop Lane, Sparta, MISSOURI, 65753. What gives?

I joined the club as a life member. I received the magazines for about 2 years then they suddenly quit coming. These people will not answer my messages either! I would advise people to steer clear of these jerks!

I joined in 1998 as life time member never had a problem with them. I was wondering why I wasn't receiving the magazine any more. Before they stopped each magazine was half the size as the ones before

As a Member since 08/2009, my last magazine Cooking Club was Winter 2014, I sent my change of address when I moved. Why has it stopped? My member #[protected] Lucy Monge, my address is 667 SW Granadeer St, Port St Lucie, Fl 34983. I am a Life Member, please rectify and continue my magazines, I hope this is not a scam. Thank you.

Do not buy the magazine subscription through this club! You're just opening a door that you will not be able to close. The magazine is a come-on for them to keep trying to sell this and that worthless thing to you. I have asked repeatedly that they not send me anything--and had tried to cancel my subscription after reviewing the first cooking magazine they sent before the 30 day trial-period expired. I didn't receive another magazine until a year later, when I received an invoice stating they would turn me over to collections if I didn't pay the subscription fee--even though I had canceled the subscription the year before! I paid the fee because I didn't want it to affect my credit adversely. I wrote and asked them not to send me anything else. Today I received some type of stupid figurine without ordering it with a bill for $15.98! I've emailed the company asking them not to send me anything again, and stating I will return the figurine. These people do not listen--stay away from them! It is not an honestly run company.