Is Cutco A Scam Please Tell Me

C

CUTmynutsCO

Joined
Jun 29, 2003
Messages
6
Please tell me if Cutco is a scam or not. I just started working for them recently and just now started demos. I read another post from a bunch of knife fanatics on here that say they are ripping people off. And its seemed like kindof a scam all along. When I told my boss in the interview it sounded like a pyramid scheme she about **** her pants. But I told her I liked it, and I do, because if the product isn't **** and I can sell it I'd love to be at the top of that pyramid. I realize there is a lot of time and driving involved in selling these knives, but lots of people actually do buy them. I've only talked to a few people so far.. my parents bought them, two demos didn't, one family i called already had them and swore by them, and another family had seen cutco before but lost the reps # and just wanted to buy them with no presentation. But what I want to know, is am I ripping people off? Am I lying when I do our sales pitch? I mean, they're sharp as ****, they look beautiful, they have a lifetime warranty... so are they actually just nice knives that are overpriced or what? If you could tell me specifics about the steel.. the company, the knife .... anything that is a load of bullshit that I could take in to our boss and blast her whole ****ing Rep meeting next time I'd love it if it is a scam. But what I think it is, judging from the number of reps in there that really like working for cutco that have been doing it for a while and are earning good commissions now is that you can sell them, people do want to buy them.

What about Henkel's? They basically convince us that we are superior to Henkels because of our Double-D, Thermo resin handle, full tang, 440a steel, and waranty.. They say that a Henkels knife which needs to be resharpened every time, with a defects only warranty, with 420a steel is $1,016.00 on sale compared to our comprable sized set at $805. Can you shed some light on this specific claim for me?

Also, my parents bought the first set off me... should I let them buy them or not. I still haven't turned in the order, but have to do so tommorrow morning so please reply soon with specifics... websites would be great too.

Peace,
Craig
 
440a is superior to 420a for a using knife(though the 420 would tend to have higher corrosion resistance) neither is a premium steel by a long shot though.

I don't know anything about the particular knives though
 
Cutco's Kitchen Cutlery is not bad quality, in fact it's quite good, just short of Spydercos and Henkels IMO. The problem with Cutco is twofold:

one, they do sell it like a pyramid scheme.
and two, they are vastly overpriced.

But that didn't stop my brother from selling Cutco for a short while, of course, since he was never able to actually SELL any of it (besides to us) we ended up getting what we bought off of him and his demo kit (which of course wasn't free either.)

If you are a good and persistent salesman you CAN make good money by selling Cutco, but it aint easy.
 
Not to sound like Clinton, but it depends on what your definition of the word "scam" is. Strictly speaking, they are not since the customer gets the products he pays for and the salesman gets paid for what he sells.

Their knives are ok quality but WAY overpriced. I know several people who "worked" for them. They advertize their business opportunity as a "job" or at least imply it, which IMO is deceptive. They also use cult-like brainwashing tactics, though milder than an actual cult would use. Most salesmen end up selling stuff tho people they know and then they quit. If their products were so good, they would be in stores competing with other brands. The make their money off their salesmen and their families. They usually target impressionable kids right out of high shcool, "teach" them about knives, and hound them into selling stuff to their frineds and relatives. In short, it has all the negative traits of an MLM but none of the positive traits such as residual income.

I have a few Cutcos, both with their Double-D edge which are "not serrations":rolleyes: and plain edged. My Buck Special cuts far better in the kitchen and it was much cheaper at Wal-Mart ($40.00)than the Cutco knife it replaced. I still use the steak knife but for any real cutting in food preparation I use the Buck Special or my Cold Steel Recon Tanto, both far superior to the Cutcos in cutting ability and edge holding.

I've not heard anything bad about Henkles except from Cutco reps.:rolleyes: One funny thing that happened when a friend of mine was over for his presentation was that he lost one of his manuals that listed the Henkles' prices. He knew I wa sinto knives so he asked for a knife catalog. He continued with his presentation and he got to the point where he was supposed to tell us how Henkles were much more expensive than Cutco but when he looked at my catalog he yelled something like, "What! They're cheaper." :D They probably use the Henkles suggested retail price rather than actual store prices. Another wierd thing is that they charge sales tax on the total order, including shipping. I've not seen any other company do this.
 
But am I ripping people off? Am I ripping off my parents? Is 440a the highest grade steel? Will Cutco be around to honor their forever guarantee.. because with the price difference you might be paying a good bit to have those things insured forever.

Can I give the sales pitch they tell us to and feel that I am not lying to my friends and family? Please give me specifics of where Vector is deceptive. Like, the fact that they added up all the individual peices of Henkels to make the price for the set and called it the set price. What else?

I'm waking up in 5 hours, and I'm getting on here and deciding whether I can let my parents buy those knives, and whether I can go give an 8am presentation, and if i want to go to the regional conference at 10am. Please, give advice.

Peace,
Craig
 
440a is hardly the highest quality steel, but in the context of kitchen cutlery, that's not as bad as it sounds.
Most of the really "high-end exotic" steels we like to see in our folders that hold edges forever and yadda yadda are used in relatively small knives, and the bigger ones tend to have thicker grinds.

Alot of high-RC stainlesses wouldn't really stand up well in sizes some Kitchen Cutlery has to be (think of a 9" turkey carver).

IMO the practical limit, with a few exceptions, for stainless steel in a general kitchen cutlery line is 440C, but I think VG-10 would work alright in Kitchen knives as well.

All that said, as I have stated before, what you are selling isn't total garbage, and as Benjamin explained, the scam is more on you than your customers. However, a couple things to realize:
1. the knives you are selling ARE NOT the best there is.
2. the knives you are selling ARE VERY OVERPRICED
3. the knives you are selling ARE DIRECTLY THROUGH CUTCO, meaning that not only are they overpriced to begin with, but then you're socking people for extra MSRP.

As to the non-kitchen cutlery cutcos, they're overpriced ripoffs and their plainedge offerings are anything but spectacular, but I must admit, that "Double-D" serrated edge does cut meat real well.

Will Cutco be around to honor their life guarantee? I can't say for sure... Cutco has been in business for at least 5-10 years (not sure of this) and I expect them to be in business for maybe 5-10 more, but eventually it's almost a sure thing they will disappear... then again... people said that about Amway.

Oh, and a quick note about "forever guarantees"... companies like Buck and Benchmade sell knives as cheap as $20-$40, and they also come with life guarantees, so Cutco's guarantee is really not that special, even if they do honor it.
 
Originally posted by CUTmynutsCO
But am I ripping people off? Am I ripping off my parents?


They are ok quality but overpriced. It would be like selling a Spyderco Endura (a great knife, IMO) for $150.00 (much more than the actual value).


Is 440a the highest grade steel?



440A is ok for kitchen knives where people will leave them in the sink and dishwasher. For Cutco's purpose 440A is fine. I've read the scripts and I know they do say it is the highest grade cutlery steel and that is wrong. You're not selling outdoor sporting knives (for the most part) , so that part is ok.


Will Cutco be around to honor their forever guarantee.. because with the price difference you might be paying a good bit to have those things insured forever.


Probably. I've not broken mine so I've not sent them in.



Can I give the sales pitch they tell us to and feel that I am not lying to my friends and family?


That is something only you can decide. You already have doubts since you posted them here. One thing I've learned is that you really need to believe in what you are selling to sell effectively.



Please give me specifics of where Vector is deceptive. Like, the fact that they added up all the individual peices of Henkels to make the price for the set and called it the set price. What else?


Did they tell you this was a "job" like they did my cousin and a friend? The managers are salesmen, not as much to sell Cutco knives but to sell people on becoming Cutco reps. Do they call you up and try to manipulate you, comparing you to the one person in the group whi is a natural salesperson? Did they have an "interview" and say not everyone will be chosen yet the entire room was "chosen" for the "job?" IMO they are more deceptive and manipulative to their reps than to their customers.
 
Originally posted by YoungCutter
Cutco has been in business for at least 5-10 years (not sure of this) and I expect them to be in business for maybe 5-10 more, but eventually it's almost a sure thing they will disappear... then again... people said that about Amway.
Click to expand...

IIRC, they've been in business for 40 or 50 years. They are owned by the same company that owns Kabar, so they should know better than to say some of what they do.
 
Hmm, interesting question.

The fact is, anyone who is knowledgeable about knives would'nt buy Cutco. I wouldn't sell them to my friends or family, because I couldn't honestly say they were worth the price.

I also think that their marketimg practices are immoral. They do use you not for your sales skills, but because they know you can sell to your family and family friends.

That said, they are not total crap, just, in my estimation, mediocre. Furthermore, I think Henckels, while not the best either, are of much higher quality.

So I wouldn't do it, because I couldn't go into it with my whole heart. And if you don't do it with your whole heart, you're NOT going to make much money.


Nathan
 
Originally posted by NFMee
Furthermore, I think Henckels, while not the best either, are of much higher quality.
Click to expand...

Not to get too far off topic but I am curious, what, in your opinion, are the best kitchen knives? (and you can't say customs)
 
Alright, I'm quitting Cutco. They were founded in 1949, 54 years ago.. if thats not a lie as well.

Okay, now, tell me how to go into the office tommorrow and pull a Jerry McQuire but bring everybody with me. Just Jan will do, but only if she gives head.

Any web docs I could print out and pass around before I stand on a chair and announce CutCo is a scam?

Thanks and Peace,
Craig
 
Originally posted by YoungCutter
Not to get too far off topic but I am curious, what, in your opinion, are the best kitchen knives? (and you can't say customs)
Click to expand...



Well, I'm about to buy some Messermeister Meridian Elite knives. Chris Reeve says they're the best (and that draws a lot of water with me). I've handled them, and I like them a lot. That's for a standard chef's knife.

I also like the Sabatier carbon steel knives, for a slicer. They are well made, and easy to keep SHARP

That and I may get a Japanese-Style sankotu for chopping.

and a couple $3 Victorinox parers. They are damn sharp, and when they get dull, toss'em
 
Originally posted by CUTmynutsCO
Any web docs I could print out and pass around before I stand on a chair and announce CutCo is a scam?

Thanks and Peace,
Craig
Click to expand...

Just do a search on "cutco" and you'll find pages with the info you seek.
 
I have no experience with Cutco, but they look to me like Henckels, WMF and other kitchen knives. My comments are thus not related to quality or price.

Not everyone can pick and choose what they have to do to put food on the table. so if you CAN'T, then perhaps you should approach the job with a different perspective, say, you're offering people who want the convenience/range/price/availability/realiability/toughness of Cutco.

Unless you're selling junk-bonds, junk-stocks, non-existent goods, defective goods, stolen goods etc....I don't think you're cheating anyone. You don't have to pitch your products as THE BEST IN THE WORLD. NOT EVERYONE WANTS (OR EVEN APPRECIATES) THE SHARPEST KNIFE IN THE WORLD. a product is a product. the value of the product depends on the relative perception of its owner. hey, lots of gear, equipment, knives etc are overpriced too. but there are still buyers for them.

I think that 440A for kitchen knives is actually quite good, apart from carbon steels (which rust). The ones I use are probably 420 or worse.

I'm glad you're going through the integrity/moral issues - I would to. but if I were hungry and had bills to pay (believe me - I'm in that boat now), then I would take the "approach" perspective. I can still do my job without lying. It's really a marketing thing.
 
CUTmynutsCO, with the user name you chose and the way you posted your comments, it looks to me like you had an axe to grind with Cutco from the outset of this thread. You seem to be wanting to start a Cutco bashing session.

I have never used Cutco knives so I can not comment on their quality and I have no idea how they run their company, but there has been something that just doesn't look quite right about this thread right from the get-go.
 
The people working for Cutco full time may or may not be manipulative or they may be doing a job to feed their families, selling a product they can believe is of decent quality.

If you don't want to sell for them, that's cool. Don't play Samson, though, to tear the temple down around them. Go in, make your apologies, explain you decided you're not interested, thanks anyway for the opportunity, goodbye. You don't owe them reasons, or a second chance to convince you. Smile and leave.

Be nice to the people you pass on your way up the ladder, because you'll meet them again on the way down.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top