Utahsailor,
I agree with Clayton. It's not nice to air complaints about a product on a forum like this. Talk to whoever you bought it from.

The person who designed the E-Z Step thought he was doing a good thing to help save sailors' backs. He definitely did not do it to make money for himself, because he has a normal business doing other things.

I always wished we had an E-Z Step, considering the various contraptions and techniques we have used to save Rick's back while raising masts.