1 /5 Terri Elsberry: Horrible Customer Service and Unauthorized Substitution
I had an extremely disappointing experience with SteakStones. After ordering the SS002 set, the company emailed me saying it was out of stock and asked if it was okay to replace it with a different product. I replied the same day and clearly stated that I wanted the original item I ordered and did not authorize any replacement.
They sent the replacement anyway.
From December 30, 2025 through January 7, 2026 I contacted them repeatedly asking how they planned to resolve the issue. Instead of offering a solution, they kept insisting their Terms & Conditions allowed them to substitute my order - even though I had already declined the substitution before it was shipped.
When I again asked how they intended to fix the situation, they told me I could return the item to an address in the United Kingdom, with no prepaid label or reasonable option offered. This placed the entire burden of international return shipping on me for an item I never agreed to receive.
Under U.S. law, merchandise sent without the recipients consent is considered unsolicited, and the recipient is not obligated to return it or pay for it. I never received the product I paid for. I have already filed a dispute with my credit card company and a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
This is some of the worst customer service Ive ever experienced. I strongly recommend avoiding this company.
1/8/2026 UPDATE: AN ADDITIONAL FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION COMPLAINT SUBMITTED 1/8/2026 as follows: I submitted a 1‑star review to SteakStones.com website on January 7, 2026 after responding to an email the company had previously sent requesting feedback on my purchase. The review successfully posted to their website, and I have a screenshot from early morning on January 8 showing it publicly visible at that time. However, later this morning it had been removed. After receiving an appalling response from SteakStones regarding my review, I saw that it was no longer publicly available. I also have a screenshot documenting its removal.
In further support of misleading practices, on Trustpilot—an independent third‑party review platform where consumers can publicly share verified experiences with businesses—I and others have posted unfavorable reviews. On that same platform, it appears the company posted a 5‑star review on their own behalf on December 15, 2025. The review states: “SteakStones does not Trustpilot -- SteakStones use Loox for their reviews as they are a much better company than TrustPilot, who insist that they start any company with 9 3.5 star reviews. Please view all the delighted and authentic customer reviews on our website.”
I have a screenshot of this review as well, and I have flagged it to Trustpilot for removal because it appears to be written by an employee or representative of the company, which violates Trustpilot’s policies.
SteakStones appears to be selectively deleting unfavorable reviews on their own website while simultaneously attempting to counteract negative feedback on third‑party platforms by posting self‑serving, misleading 5‑star reviews. These actions create a distorted and deceptive impression of customer satisfaction and prevent consumers from accessing honest, balanced information. Because the company actively solicited my review by email, responded negatively to it, removed it, and appears to be manipulating reviews on external platforms, this behavior suggests intentional review suppression and deceptive business practices.
I am reporting this because consumers deserve accurate and complete information when evaluating a product, and companies should not be allowed to manipulate public perception by removing legitimate negative reviews and posting misleading positive ones.
