M & E Sales
reviews and complaints

March 23, 2024, Home Show in Denver, CO, we met Chris Dorner from M&E Sales. After a thorough demonstration and discussion with Chris, we made a purchase totaling $1524.25. This included the umbrella stand, two umbrella canopies, and delivery.

Our decision to invest in this product was driven by genuine concern for my mother's safety and property. Living on a golf course, her home is susceptible to damage from stray golf balls, particularly her windows. Chris was attentive and showcased the features of the umbrella stand, emphasizing its ability to withstand dramatic winds and offering reassurance through a demonstration video.

However, upon receiving the product and attempting to set it up, it became evident that there were crucial elements missing from our understanding. Despite assurances from Chris during the sales process, the umbrella stand failed to stay upright when the umbrella was open, posing a significant risk to property and personal safety. Despite our attempts to stabilize it with additional weight, including 200 lbs of sand, the stand remained unstable and ultimately collapsed, causing injury to one of us.

Our subsequent communication with Chris revealed a startling lack of accountability and customer care. Instead of acknowledging the oversight or offering a solution, he dismissively suggested purchasing pavers, an option that would neither match the aesthetic nor guarantee stability. Furthermore, our inquiry with Vrienden Company, the manufacturer of the umbrella stand, yielded an unsatisfactory return policy that does not align with our expectations for a product that fails to deliver on its promised functionality.

We believe that the product sold to us was misrepresented, and the suggested solutions are inadequate and impractical.

We request a full refund of $1524.25 for the umbrella stand and canopies, and we are willing to return the items promptly.

DONT BUY UMBRELLAS FROM HERE! We got 2 at a show and they looked good and they said they can handle up to 40 mph. We live in Oklahoma so that's good. After 3 months of using it, on a day that was 16mph winds, it broke and twisted the pole so we can't even slide it up and down. We emailed them pics and it took a lot of emails to find out how to get a new one. After the 7th email they said "warranty doesn't cover wind" ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!? They have bad customer service and they charge too much. Don't waste your money. I would give 0 stars if I could.

Don't buy this umbrella! We bought it thinking it would last a long time, but it only lasted one summer. We put it up and when we tried to close it, the top crumpled and all the support joints broke. It looks nice, but it's not good quality. Customer service said they could help us with replacement parts, but they would cost over $500. They don't stand behind their product. I looked at reviews and it seems like this is a common problem with this company. It's too bad because we were thinking of buying another one if they had stood behind their product.

I bought an umbrella from M & E Sales, LLP on 8/5/22 at a show. I was waiting for a stand all summer, but it never showed up. I talked to a lady named Deb or Debbie, and she said it would ship in mid-October, but it still hasn't arrived, and now it's November. I called them, but they didn't answer, and I left a message, but they didn't call me back. When I bought the umbrella and the sidemount for my deck, they didn't tell me about the delay. I wanted to return everything because I couldn't use it, but their return policy is terrible. Thanks to M & E Sales for not communicating with me and not trying to work with me. I know things can get delayed, and people can get busy, but if you're a consumer reading this, you might want to buy an umbrella somewhere else. If the salesman had told me that I wouldn't get my sidemount this summer, I probably wouldn't have bought the umbrella because it's useless in November in Wisconsin.

We got a Vrieden Umbrella at the WI State Fair in August . The sales guy said it's the best in the Midwest and can handle winds up to 60-70 mph. He also said it's cool to put the base in the ground permanently. We put it up in August and it was great in the fall. But in spring 2020, the bearings in the base were stuck and we couldn't move the pole. We called customer service and the person was super rude and said it happens and sent a new base. We put it in and it was okay last summer. But now, the bearings are stuck again and no one is answering my messages. We spent a lot of money on this umbrella and the reviews were good, but I'm tired of calling and not getting any response.

Me and my hubby got two scooters from the Puyallup Fair in Washington 4 years ago. The Raptor from five star scooters is what we got and we are loving it! The sales guy, Stephen ***, was cool and not pushy at all. I even had a good chat with him in person. What's even more impressive is that my sis and bro-in-law got the same scooters from him eight years ago and they haven't had any problems with their purchase. I checked out Steve's reviews and couldn't find any bad ones, which made me happy. You can even fit two scooters in a Toyota Rave 4 with no issues! His website has all the info you need about the scooters, including videos and replacement parts. I haven't had to replace anything yet though. So yeah, go check out his site and you'll be impressed. He takes these scooters in the woods and snow too! WWW.5starscooters.com is the site. I love my black Raptor scooters! I have COPD and was stuck at home because of my breathing problems, but now I'm free! I can go anywhere I want - to the doc, store, lake, vacation, you name it! And it's fun too! Thanks to Steve and my sis, I'm a happy customer. God bless you and have a nice day!

Me and my hubby bought 2 scooters from M & E Sales, LLP at the Puyallup Fair, Wa, 4 years ago. The Raptor Scooters are so cool, we love them! The sales guy, Stephen, wasn't pushy at all. I liked talking to him in person! What impressed me most is that my sis and bro-in-law bought the same scooters 8 years ago from him and had no problems. I checked out Steve's reviews and couldn't find any bad ones, which made me happy. You can even fit 2 scooters in a Toyota Rave 4 with no issues! His website has lots of info and videos to watch, and you can buy replacement parts if needed. I haven't had to replace anything yet. So go check it out, you'll be impressed! Steve takes these scooters everywhere, even in the woods and snow for fishing. I love my black Raptor scooter! I have COPD and was stuck at home, but now I'm free to go anywhere! I take it to doctor appointments, stores, lakes, vacations, you name it! It's so much fun! Thanks to Steve and my sis, I'm a happy customer and recommend his scooters to everyone! Have a nice day and God bless!

M&E Sales ain't good, don't buy their umbrellas! We got a 10' one at the Norwalk CT boat show in Sep 2021 for $1,099, kept it in the box till Aug 2022. When we put it up for the first time, it broke in two places with a little wind. I talked to the same salesman at the same boat show next month (Sep) and he said it's still under warranty. I called the company, left two messages, no call back. On the third try, a woman answered and said the warranty doesn't cover wind damage. She wouldn't tell me who made the umbrella or give me her boss's email. The salesman won't text me back either. Bad product, bad customer service, don't buy from them.

DO NOT PURCHASE! I purchased an umbrella system from them at the WI state fair after the sales rep (Darren) raved about the sturdiness of the umbrella. I was very hesitant with the price tag, and should have listened to my gut! A part on the umbrella snapped after using it only for a handful of hours with the smallest gust of wind (less than 10mph). Customer service was unhelpful and pretty unapologetic, but hey they did provide me a link to their parts page. (For $89 I can replace the parts.) Customer service also informed me that they have tens of thousands of sales all over the world, and my negative experience wouldn't impact them at all. Overall, for $900+ this is an absolutely beautiful umbrella system that doesn't function outside of a state fair pavilion. Unfortunately, it is NOT functional, practical, or worth the money and their customer service is incredibly rude and dismissive.

Just bought this in January at the boat show and just put the umbrella up 2 weeks ago for the first time and first day. Was told when I bought them it would withstand 30 mile an hour wind we only had it up the first day at 3 mile an hour wind and the umbrella flipped over and broke. I reached out to Jared who insinuated me and insisted I was lying about how it broke despite having sent him a video, pictures and I have witnesses to same to prove it and despite wanting my money back I only asked for the parts to fix it but Jared essentially asked me to pay additional Money For the parts on a brand new umbrella that clearly was defective as the 2 others I bought this did not happen to. Despite a major defect I only asked for the pieces to replace what broke and he refuses to provide them to me without charging me. Will make Ensure the boat shows know that this vendor does not stand by their product or Thier warranty. Now despite my request to have a manager call me no one will respond.

I could not be more disappointed in this product. We bought a 10' by 10' umbrella at the Charlotte home fair in 2018 (?) . I specifically asked about the durability to salt and to wind. I was told the umbrella was built for that environment. (many installed in Fl with zero problems) Less tan three months into using it the ratchet mechanism in the crank came loose and would not stay tight. I finally resorted to tying a rope around it to keep it from unwinding. Pain but not a deal breaker. We had some moderate wind.(12-15mph) and the top support broke and the slide support broke. I ordered new parts and when I took it apart is when I really became upset. They installed stainless steel screws into a steel sleeve. I had to use a small impact gum to break loose the screws. I found that all of the interior parts were steel and most of the exterior parts were stainless. Very deceiving. I also found the crank mechanism was very poor quality and full of corrosion. I am rebuilding this to see how long it will last this time but I do not recommend this product and wish I had bought another brand.

We couldn't be more disappointed with our purchase of a Vrienden umbrella from M&E Sales last February at a home show in Overland Park, KS. $1700 is a lot of money to pay for an umbrella that didn't even make it one year without a major part failure. Like many testimonies on this web site, we too were falsely told that that umbrella could easily withstand wind gusts much higher than what we told the sales rep we would experience on our patio. At one point he even condenscendingly remarked, "the umbrella is made in Minnesota for crying out loud!". We installed the umbrella using the pavers as recommended and never allowed the umbrella to be subjected to any wind greater than 15 mph gusts. We religiously cranked down the canopy anytime the wind appeared to be greater than 15 mph. Unfortunately, while cranking up the canopy last week the smooth runner cracked open (cheap pot metal). I sent a photo to Vrienden and quickly got what appears to be their standard response, "While we do warranty the umbrella we only cover electrical and mechanical functions of the umbrella. This part breaking is an indication of wind stress and has now failed, The umbrellas can withstand winds but aren't windproof. We do however provide parts for replacement. Below are the links for repair and part. Let me know if you have any questions." This is from the manufacturer's web site product description: Heavy Duty Main Frame Canopy: 1 year Warranty Heavy Duty Umbrella weighs 97lbs 60mm/2.0 Gauge Aluminum Alloy Marine Grade Anodized Zinc Aluminum Powder Coated Tough frame with PU Coating - Last for years/you will never need another umbrella (champagne frame color) Ribbed construction main frame is over 25% stronger than standard umbrella frames. 60Mm Main Frame Won't Bend In High Winds Ratchet style crank assembly 8 rib construction for canopy Unique pulley system that is built into the frame $47.00 for a part on a $1700.00 umbrella within the one year warranty is ridiculous. We will not be purchasing from this product again nor will we provide further recommendations to friends and neighbors who always asking us about the umbrella.

LLP and I gotta say, they're pretty legit. I was looking for a good body slimmer and stumbled upon their website, vibabodyslimmer.com. The site was easy to navigate and had all the info I needed. I ended up buying the VibaBody Slimmer and it's been working wonders for me. The transaction was smooth and I got my order in a timely manner. Overall, I'm happy with my purchase and would recommend M&E Sales, LLP to anyone looking for quality fitness equipment.

I got the Viba Body Slimmer from M&E Sales and they told me it would be $80 a month for two years, no interest. But when I got my bill, it was $110 a month! That's way too much! I would never have agreed to that price.

Me and my fam got a VBX Wellness Massage gun from M & E Sales, LLP in Nov 2019. The papers said they'd fix or swap it if it broke from a defect. But in Mar 2020, it stopped working and flashed an E3 error code (I think that means the motor died). I've tried hittin' them up by email and phone, but they ain't hittin' me back. Seems like they ain't keepin' their word on the warranty.

I got me a five-star scooter from a seller. The front tire tube was busted, so I went looking for new ones. I ordered 2X Front Tire Tubes 48vbikes 13, at *** a pop. Early in October, I got one package from *** with only one tube. I tried to get in touch with them four times to fix it, but no luck. I talked to a lady on Monday, October 11th, who said she'd check it out. But now they're ghosting me. It's pretty clear they don't care about their customers. They take your money and don't give you what you paid for. Heads up, folks.

So, I gotta say, I had a bit of a rough time with M & E Sales. I was supposed to get a return ticket for something I bought, but it took a while for me to get it. And then, when I asked about my refund, I only got part of it back. I'm still owed over $500! It's been a bit frustrating, especially since the person I was dealing with isn't even there anymore. I just want the money that's owed to me, you know?

I got a patio set from M&E Sales (*** Bloomington, MN 55420) on April 9. They said it had a 5 year warranty on all frames and wicker. We've had it for 3 years and the wicker is breaking on 2 chairs and the coffee table. I asked for a replacement and Jerrid *** said we have 2 options. Option 1 is we send it to them and they fix it. We pay for shipping to them and they pay for shipping back. It takes 4-6 weeks. Option 2 is we buy new pieces for $75 each and pay for shipping. They didn't say anything about paying for replacements in the warranty. I think it's a scam and they should tell people before they buy.

I bought this thing at a Boat Show with 2 others and the sales guy said it was guaranteed and would replace it if it was broken. He also said it could handle winds up to 30 mph. I put it on my dock on June 7th and it fell over when a little wind came. I contacted the company, but they didn't answer. I finally talked to a guy named Jarrod and he asked for my photos and video. I just wanted a new top or parts to fix it or a refund. Jarrod said I was lying and wanted me to pay for a replacement. I asked for a supervisor or manager, but Jarrod didn't answer me.