UPDATE: Because of this post The Landers Group was forced out of business (or at least has changed names). Our original intent was to shed light on the practices that The Landers Group used, but this post has evolved into a fabulous resource for helping job seekers avoid hiring scams. The tactics that these Multi-Level Marketing companies use are typically the same, so read through the post and check the 200+ comments section to get the latest names these firms are using. This should help you determine whether the company that you’re about to interview with is a scam or not. And if you’re looking for legit entry level jobs, browse around the site—you’ve come to the right place.
One Day, One Job is about helping college students find great entry-level jobs. We’ve always taken this literally by featuring companies that look like great places to work (we can’t ever be 100% on this, but we do our best). Well, a big part of finding a great first job is avoiding the not so great (or really awful) jobs that are out there, so, today, we are going to look at a company called The Landers Group, which has been identified as a scam by people online and in the media. As it gets later in the post-graduation job hunting season, many new grads become desperate. It makes them easy prey for employment scams like those peddled by The Landers Group.
Yeah, that’s what suckers say. How do we know that smart people fall for these scams? We’ve seen it happen. One of my friends is a freshman at an Ivy League school. He was torn between getting a summer job or an internship, so he was looking at all kinds of options. He told me that he had landed an interview with a really cool sports marketing company. Being a reader of One Day, One Internship, he knew to contact us with questions on how to research a potential employer. He had already scheduled an interview with the company for when he returned home, but he sent us the name of the company (The Landers Group) so that we could tell him a little bit more about it. Within seconds we found a number of Google results that indicated he was in for a learning experience (but not the kind you want to get out of your internship). Our friend is a smart kid. He’s proactive and trying to get a Summer internship even though he’s only a freshman. He was about to get burned.
We’ve never had firsthand experience with The Landers Group or any other company that follows similar business practices, but we’ve found enough evidence through our research to indicate that any time spent in contact with one of these companies is wasted. You will usually find these jobs listed on major job boards with titles like “Sports and Entertainment Marketing – Entry Level Positions.” The job description will go into great detail about all of the wonderful things that await those who apply – excellent pay, travel opportunities, learning experiences, and quick advancement. Take a look at all of The Landers Group’s Job Postings on CareerBuilder. They’ll also brag about their amazing client list. From their website:
One by one The Landers Group has added every major sports team in Southern California to its portfolio. No other advertising and marketing firm in the area can make the same claim… Our unparalleled portfolio includes the Los Angeles Dodgers, the LA Clippers, the LA Kings, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, MLS’ Chivas USA, the UCLA Bruins, and also clients such as Crowne Plaza Resorts, Disneyland, and Sea World. Our unique grass-roots marketing approach has given our clients a valuable edge in the marketplace and it places them front and center in the public eye!
Since it seems that Sports and Entertainment Marketing are extremely popular fields with college students, these job listings must get viewed thousands of times. Many of those who read the job descriptions get excited and apply. We don’t have a reference to back this up, but we’re going to guess that everyone who applies gets an interview.
It’s relatively likely that your “interview” with The Landers Group might be your first ever job interview. Whether you realize that something’s fishy depends on how perceptive you are. We’ve heard that their secretary will not refer to the company by name, probably because they operate under multiple names and don’t want you to realize it. Your first interview will most likely be informational, where they’ll continue the pitch that they started in the job posting. Any questions about what the company actually does or what their entry-level jobs are like will probably get a vague response. You’re also likely to hear, “You’ll have to see it to believe it.” Since scammers usually don’t turn away people, we’re going to guess that you’ll get asked back for a second interview too.
The second interview is where you’ll really get to see The Landers Group in action. You will be tagging along with one of the company’s employees. The story usually goes that you end up in a sketchy car with a sketchy person going to a sketchy neighborhood. Once you get there, you find out what The Landers Group does. They sell coupons door to door. Remember that amazing client list? That’s whose coupons you will be selling. You’ll be given one side of the street, and the employee will take the other. You’ll essentially spend the day working for free. How do we know? We’ve found stories from people who have done it like this and this. If you’re lucky, you’ll just end up having wasted a day. If you’re not, you may end up stranded many miles from home or having had a gun pointed at you and with mud all over your only suit.
Now that you’ve read about The Landers Group, you will hopefully know to avoid these scams. If you’re not sure whether an employer is legitimate, use what we’ve taught you to do some employer research. Our articles How to Use Google to Find a Job and Turning the Tables: Digging Dirt on Employers are both excellent resources that will teach you what to need to know. And you can always trust us to help you fine real entry level opportunities in sports, entertainment, and marketing. Often, finding out the truth is as easy as doing a Google search with the company name and the word scam – here are the results for “The Landers Group scam.” Also, remember that these companies use major job boards as their main recruiting tool. Don’t think that because something is listed on Monster, Yahoo! HotJobs, or CareerBuilder it is legitimate – anyone can pay to post their jobs on these sites.
Don’t forget that The Landers Group operates under a variety of names. There are also many other companies that use similar business practices to recruit unsuspecting college students into bum jobs. The stories are often different, but the end result is usually the same. In the realm of internet crime, it’s not just about having legal representation; it’s about having the right kind. A comprehensive research approach is essential, and resources like thoroughly researching the most reliable cyber crime lawyers in areas like New Jersey offer invaluable assistance. Such resources provide insights into the lawyers’ experience, case histories, and client feedback, which are crucial for making an informed decision. Remember, the quality of the lawyer can often determine the trajectory of your case. Although The Landers Group is focused quite heavily on selling an actual product, some of these companies are even skeezier. Instead of selling, you’ll be doing their bidding by recruiting more suckers to work for you recruiting more suckers. In general these types of operations are known as Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) operations, and they should be avoided unless you are completely comfortable with what you’re getting into. Here’s a post from the Consumerist on other operations that are using tactics similar to those of The Landers Group.
A List of Companies Known to Have Similar Practices
This is by no means a comprehensive list. If you know of other companies that should be added, please leave a comment with the company’s name and a reference or personal story telling us why they should be included.
Links to Help You Begin Your Research
This was obviously a different kind of post for us. What do you think? Leave a comment. We love to hear feedback.
If you’re still not sold on the fact that MLM “opportunities” aren’t worth your time, check out this in-depth article on how they work and why you’ll end up wasting time and losing money.
We've identified The Landers Group as having career opportunities in the following categories:
| Appointment Setter Marvin Columbus, OH | View |
| Package Sorter - Immediate Hire AD | MatchMeJobs Columbus, OH | View |
| Work from Home Coding Expertise for AI Training (Thai) Outlier Columbus, OH | View |
| DISTRIBUTION SUPERVISOR McLane Company Columbus, OH | View |
| Border Patrol Agent - Entry Level, Up to $30,000 Recruitment Incentive United States Customs and Border Protection Columbus, OH | View |
About three days after posting my resume on Monster.com, I received two recruiting emails from well known companies. After rereading them (in slight disbelief) I realized that they showed many of the signs of your typical phishing scam.
all of you people are idiots you cant think outside the box i have been employed with one of these companies for less than eight months and have since been promoted to owner to run my own office in little rock i have put more than 25,000 in my bank in the last 7 weeks so tell me that is a scam i hope you guys can find a real good job where if you work really really hard you might get promoted to a supervisors position after ten yrs and give it a shot it just might work out for you a wise man once said “we do things today that others wont so we can afford to do things tomorrow that others cant” hey if any of you lame people need a job go ahead and give me a shout or you can live the rest of your life working for someone else you know that 93% of the usa works for the other 7% i hope you are happy being someones flunkie for the rest of your pathetic 9-5 lives..
Where in the hell did you learn how to write!! You were promoted to own your own business? That makes no sense at all. But then again you ARE from Little Rock. That in itself says a lot about your lack of mentality.
DTruth, I’m with you. This Shaun guy is an illiterate tool. Good hell…..
Hmmm I wonder what scam company your a “manager” for? $25,000 in less than 2 months? LOL!!! Did you go door to door 24/7 in Beverly Hills or something?? Hey if you make that much…do you think you could send me a pic of your new BMW while we are throwing numbers around? 25k is NOT a reasonable number in this kind of economy…and especially with that kind of company. Get a real job, some real friends, and stop worrying about others dissing on your “career” if your sooooo happy with it.
Shaun, how do you own your own business when you can’t even type complete sentences? As a business owner, you have to be professional and be able to come across as knowing your stuff. You just sound ignorant.
You also have horrible grammar and horrible speech.
I just want to let you know that I agree with you that a lot of companies out there are scamming people and it is a good thing that you are trying to inform people. I would also like to add that I am employed under one of the companies you believe to be scamming people and i assure you that is not the case. Please do your research before you slander the wrong company. We try to help people, not take advantage.
Hey Shaun, don’t worry about these unfortunate souls who are posting on this website because they are sitting at home without a job. While you are enjoying your $25,000 in your bank account, they are sitting at the computer applying to job after job and then choosing to be picky about which jobs they accept because they feel like they are over-qualified. They should treat you with more respect, after all, you are paying taxes contributing to their unemployment.
For all those readers out there that are researching companies that have invited them in for an interview, how about be smart? Think about the company’s website, the ad, and appreciate the fact that YOU ARE THE ONE WITHOUT A JOB!!!!!!!!! Be grateful someone is giving you an opportunity… Don’t be one of these people that doesn’t have anything better to do and downs every one else’s accomplishments.
Hey Shaun,
You might want to use that 25K to put something on the web about your “business” because a Google search of your name, marketing, and Little Rock only lists your post as relevant. I’m going to go ahead and guess you’re lying.
it seems you know absolutely nothing about grammar.. and that has got to be the longest run-on sentence i have seen in my entire life. clearly you are an idiot, but your bosses are bigger idiots for “promoting” you to run your own “office”. good luck with that.
Hi Shaun…This sounds really interesteing…… I am in sales and love a good challenge. What do you do? and can you tell me more about this? Thanks
Kristina
Are you kidding me? Don’t ask him questions about his *ahem* business. Unless you’re another employee or “Owner” trying to make Shaun seem legitimate. I’ve worked at one of those companies for a while. It was horrible. The turn-over ratio was probably over 99.9%. They “interview” 10-20 people a day, or however many they can get there. 2-5 people probably fall for the scam, until they get smart and quit. yeah….Find something else if you want a real challenge.
Shaun said that he make 25,000 last month. He may be right. However, 25,000 a month may not be 25K dollars. He could mean 25,000 of the unknown currency with the exchange rate of 1USD = 25,000 Shaun’s currency.
I’m going to go ahead and give this illiterate scrub Shaun Walker the benefit of the doubt and say he’s telling the truth. OK, no I’m not. He’s completely full of sh*t and is just regurgitating something his owner told him in the morning atmosphere meeting (aka: Cram the Cult Down Your Throat 101). In reality, I’m sure this guy is a group leader for one of these MLM-scheme offices and is putting in his 80+ hour weeks in hopes of getting promoted out to run his own office eventually (and is buying the lies that they’ll do it all for him and just put that well-oiled machine in his lap; has no idea he’ll have to save up ~ $15k, find his own office space, assume all legal liability, hire all his own employees….I mean damn, why not just invest in a legitimate franchise or something??). But I digress; let’s play devil’s advocate with our friend Shaun here.
So let’s pretend that Shaun is the first person in the history of MLM-schemes to reach ownership in less than 8 months. Somehow he managed to build a team that is “3+ generations deep”, skipped right through the assistant management phase, somehow managed to put $15k+ in the bank on a 100% commission income (all the while subsidizing his sales crew subordinates out of his own pocket so they won’t quit out of frustration at lack of pay and burn his entire chance to get to ownership), and got promoted right out to run his own office. Let’s say he can still sleep at night because he hasn’t watched countless leaders destroy their lives chasing this dream that “everyone can reach ownership as long as they put in the 80+ hour weeks, cut off contact w/ their friends and family, and buy into the system (or hey, maybe he has seen a few already, but it doesn’t matter as long as his pockets stay lined).
Well guess what, Shaun, even if you did legitimately make it this far (I’m choking back laughter as I write…you’re so full of sh*t), you have NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, do you? Because while the owners have their hands in their leaders pockets, THE VPS HAVE THEIR HANDS IN YOURS. Just wait until you see the actual end result of that residual agreement you bought into. You’ll be kept around long enough to make your promoting owner and his VPs a ton of cash – you might even get to taste a little of it yourself, for a short while. But you’ll then be 1) shafted out of the residuals you just spent 4 yea….er, 8 months selling your soul for by a greedy VP who had a plan for you all along, 2) replaced by someone else coming up through the company first chance they get (because they’ll be cheaper and easier to manipulate than you’ve become), and 3) left holding the bill for legal expenses (yup, they’ll be plenty of them, EVEN IF YOU DON’T RUN INTO LEGAL TROUBLE), a commercial lease you can’t get out of even though your business just got taken away from you (wait, you said financial security? business can be taken away from you at any time = financial security??), etc. etc. And that will pretty much wipe out any savings you set aside, since you didn’t save much. After all, owners don’t just want to live a lavish lifestyle….they are all but REQUIRED to flaunt suits, watches, cars, etc. in front of their office in order to “promote the dream”. Not to mention they almost always have to finance a “merch-house” for their broke, homeless, destitute leaders to live in (ANOTHER lease to be locked into??).
TL;DR – if you’re still enjoying the dream, it’s because 1) it’s all at the expense of your leaders, and 2) you just haven’t been screwed out of it yet by the MLM VPs. Because those VPs started this party, and they only invited you so you’d bring the beer and pay for the clean-up once they move the party somewhere else.
I have some bad news for you.
Everything in life is a scam. Your parents scam you throughout your entire childhood and tell you you’re a great kid and you’re so smart and you’re unique. You aren’t.
Your friends scam you by pretending to like you because you’re interesting and vibrant. You aren’t. You’re pretty much the same as anyone else you think is cool. They met you in high school when everyone was a frightened little rabbit and after all these years, you’re just familiar.
Everyone in your professional career is going to try to take advantage of you one way or another, whether your job is “legitimate” or not. These jobs are no different.
They seem different because they require people skills and less traditional collegiate knowledge. This is why people like yourself come online where anonymity rules and anyone can say anything with no repercussions and you chastise said jobs in response to whatever is really eating at you… possibly a jealously of the extrovert skill set that you lack.
The fact is that unless you are willing to throw all this to the side, smile, and do what you can to try to enjoy what little time you have, you are always going to be as miserable as your post portrays you to be.
This Shaun character, literate or not, made it through the program and now runs his own office (which despite disbelief, is the common practice of these companies, which I am aware of because I was a part of one prior to creating my own current career). Good for him.
Anything said beyond “Good for him” (and this is directed toward all 7 million comments to follow, I’m not going to read them all) is wasted.
You can tell as many people as you want that they’re jobs are scams. As long as they’re getting paid at the end of the week just like you, then I’ll keep telling them the truth. Everyone’s job is a scam.
Whoever is running this website is literally making money doing something that requires no education, no social skills, and degrades other people in similar fields. They want praise or thanks from me? No. This is no better. Everything’s a scam. Deal with it.
I am glad that you are happy putting that 25000 in your bank s 95% of that money you did not work for, thats the money from those new recruit who only got 20% of their sale. they promised you promotion so you took a bite, and now u are enjoying sitting and getting paid,, at other poeple’s expense. thats really good. im glad you feel so accomplished
Ok folks i have done some research on this company Baltimore Event Group and found almost nothing. I am graduating in a month and was looking for a job. I saw on Career builder this company “Baltimore Event Group” for a position in sales and applied. I applied LAST night! They called me this morning and emailed me. I returned their call this afternoon and after reading all about scams i don’t think i am going. I don’t have a good feeling. Also the lady on the phone asked me the strangest questions, she said make sure you dress professional tomorrow for your interview, bring a current copy of your resume and do you have a car? Weird. Anyways i had to put this on here to warn anyone in the DMV area.
Merrissa
I also got an email from them, I called them they asked me to go in tomorrow for an interview. They asked me to bring a recent copy of my resume, to dress professionally…I am glad I saw this page, I am definitely not driving out there to have an interview with them tomorrow.
Dear Mr. Shaun Walker,
No one in their right mind making 25 k in 7 weeks is going to have enough time to sit there and actually look for websites like this to debunk the company. You would actually be SO busy with everything else that you wouldn’t even CARE that there were websites like this since you are NOT the owner of the company (nor would have the time to care). So with that being said…you are either one of the monkey’s that works for that company and your job is to purposely debunk these sorts of things (that YOUR boss told you to do) or you are in fact the owner of the multiple companies that you need to keep your ‘image’ up. The only pathetic one, is the person actually thinking that one bad review and INSULTING people will make a difference. It just goes to show the brain power behind these companies…and that’s that it is in fact a scam. People who run businesses that are successful, don’t need to go online and debunk with insults. That just proves what kind of customer service you must have and ALSO how you treat your employees. If you try convincing people this way with the job…geesh I can only assume how horrible you are as a boss!! I bet you have a LOT of EEOC complaints against you!!! If it walks like a duck…typically it is. ;)
My son just started a new job yesterday and my husband and I are somewhat skeptical. It seems to be similar to all these companies mentioned in this article. Could someone tell me if GSI in Woburn MA is another SCAM job??
One big run-on sentence and he makes up for it by putting two periods at the end. Very nice!
Is that how your company represents itself? You don’t seem very professional. I’ve worked several jobs that have fast advancement opportunities such as magazine sales and Kirby vacuums, etc etc… and just because you get promoted doesn’t mean it’s a good job or worth the trouble, and obviously if they promoted someone like you. And you can say “pathetic 9-5 lives” just like the people in the magazine business used to, but in reality we worked 6 days a week for 10-12 hours a day for almost nothing.
Zeropunctuation rules!!! Sorry for the punctuation though…
I would like to know how much money you had to invest to get this job you talk about?? I prefer to not invest any money, I need to make money been unemployed for 2+ years and homeless now. Need a real job got any suggestions??
Thank you
Gayla
SHEILA!!!! I got the same interview, what ended up happening with your son and the job? I am very curious to see is GSI in WOBURN, MA was a scam.
Here’s the truth. I just did this for a week. I was aware of the whole motivational charade they put on. It is a little bit of brainwashing but what isn’t these days? They’ve got the whole weekend seminar on corporate motivation running strong. Mine was complete with dance music and upbeat, inspirational chants and routines in the morning. As well as acknowledgement and rewards from the group for work well done. If you’re the money-oriented, high-octane people’s person than this scheme CAN REALLY WORK IN YOUR FAVOR. But a lot of people, including myself, can’t see themselves making a career out of this.
You CAN advance fast if you’re good at talking to people and getting their guard down and selling them promotional deals to things like Oakland A’s games or 2 night resort stays. The deals ARE REAL but they just usually have a few ( sometimes extensive ) caveats like like black-out dates or you can’t use them on weekends. But the deals ARE real. You can honestly sell them to people in an honest way if you’re good at talking to people.
The catch is once you get good at selling a handful a day they’ll bump you up to where you’ll likely have to buy a bunch of their coupons up-front at a “discount price” and/or you’ll be trying to recruit, train and motivate new hirees to do that job for you so you can move up the pyramid. You make a cut of all sales below you. Pyramid.
You WILL make a lot more money if you can do this but it involves A LOT OF HARD WORK to keep people motivated when they may be make little or no money on bad days. You only make the cut of what your subordinates sell if they can actually SELL. Which is all based on their attitude and skill with dealing with the public from door to door. As you can well guess it’s gonna be hard to find 4 suave, salesmen types to be GOOD enough to serve you but DULL enough to be content with you taking a cut of their sales…. Smart, good salesmen are gonna want your job. And they can have it if they push.
It’s true American, capitalist, entrepreneur dog-eat-dog training. The question is are you smart enough to see all the ways these sharks around you might try to fool you? And more importantly… do you want to play this game for your livelihood?
These companies are all over many popular job sites. They tout event marketing, public relations opportunities, management training, and more. I worked at SV Marketing in Tampa, Florida (also known as Sloan Vinson Marketing) for one month. I never got stranded, and I never got a gone pulled on me, but I did feel scammed and like I was scamming others.
The deal with this company is ‘updating customer’s Verizon bills’. Basically, it was our job to pull Verizon bills from current customers (or other companies, if you’re really good) and call Verizon to make changes. The job is 100% commission, based on certain changes you are able to make to customer’s bills. A few times this may actually save the customer money, but many times it will in fact be more expensive. The recruiting of other employees is a large part of all these scams. The more people you recruit, the more money you make off their commissions. Once you are in the door and recruiting, they tell you all the techniques they used to get you in. To questions of ‘do you pay for gas’, you either avoid it, or say yes- it’s a tax write-off. Just save your receipts, including those for your suits, shoes, car, etc. and get it all back later!
As soon as you have enough experience and employees under you, you have the ‘opportunity’ to move to another location and start your very own business doing the same thing, or selling something very similar (including Staples.com), hence the sheer number of companies that do this.
Not a fun experience- don’t fall for it!
Rocky Mountain Marketing, Inc. [www.rockymountainmarketinginc.net] est. Jan. 31st, 2011, and Skyline Marketing, Inc.) Oct., 2005, are two very new Scam MLM (multi-level marketing) companies taking over the area around Denver, CO. ADD THEM TO THE LIST ABOVE! They work out of the same office in Greenwood Village, CO and all the jobs are posted as Rocky Mountain Marketing, not Skyline. There is no marketing, just foot soldier selling you must do.
They are Child companies of their Parent Co. NEC INC a child of CYDCORE, (listed on the list here) and are taking over the Job Boards and Craigslist Denver. Beware college grads! They tell you they change their company name to become incorporated as an LLC Company [when in reality it is so you cannot trace them up the pyramid to Cydcore (and to NEC Inc. with all its scamming complaints from Braintree, MA)]. They claim they are doing a service for their clients, so it can be hard to find complaints on the BBB because company names change as they branch off, but I want to warn you. It is the child of Cydcore and is looking to spawn more start-up scams around the US (a new Office manager is being molded right now). Do you really want to go door to door trying to convince people to use Quill office supplies because you have coupons and Mrs. Field’s Cookies? They both are soon to get a pilot Comcast account. No sales = no pay, and the days are long and terrible.
There deal is simple: the big company only pays them $$ if they get them customers, you cant blame the big company for using them, but you wont be very happy or well received if you come home without “being on bell” (making a sale and your managers some money – off of your hard tiring work). They dont get paid if you dont sell. I personally wasted too much of my time with this and wanted to shed some of the inside scoop with those who are curious. I’ll chalk it up as a learning experience. Good luck, get out if you are in, and look out for yourself.
Thank you for posting this Tommy, I recently graduated college from Metropolitan State and have been using the college website (Joblink) to apply for jobs. Lo and behold, Skyline Marketing (www.skylinemarketingdenver.com) has a job posted on the college website for Entry Level Account Executive. I applied to the job assuming that all jobs on the college website must be REAL and PROFESSIONAL, however now I know that these so-called “marketing” job scams are ruthless!
As a final word, I love how these companies emphasize wearing professional attire, yet the job consists of driving around town with some stranger and selling coupon books door-to-door or business to business. LOL… Considering how desperate these type of companies are for people to do their dirty work, I bet if someone were to show up in jeans and a white t-shirt they would still get the job!
Anyways, thanks again, I won’t be showing up to the scheduled “interview”.
Sal
I have worked with this company for the last 8 months and so far it’s being great! I’m not saying that we do is easy or anything like that but is not impossible. I don’t understand people like this that post crap just to dishonor other peoples work! This person says that the company hides the company’s website??? I mean come on the only thing you have to do is do a Google search and the first thing that appears in the screen is the company’s website… how is that malicious??? I hate when people that couldn’t get the job done or even worst didn’t even get the job post crap like this!! If you have questions about the company go to the freaking website http://www.skylinemarketingdenver.com or shoot me an email I’ll be more than happy to answer all your questions. Kirk.weishaupt@yahoo.com
Kirk
Kirk… I do hope thats not an email you regularly use.
Posting it on a site like this will get you quite a bit of spam.
Especially if everyone decides to start signing you up for things. ^_^
Errrr… I was researching this job, to see if I should go to the interview, and this comment just cemented that I will not. It seemed disingenuous… the first time I read it on entryleveljobscamblog. Here is the post on there as well. http://entryleveljobscamsblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/skyline-marketing-inc-denver-co.html. It is someone trying to reverse the bad PR they are getting on these sites, which doesn’t sit well with me when you don’t have other employees speaking your praises.
We found a list of more companies that are either the same as the Landers Group or use similar business practices here: http://www.bigbadmusic.com/scams.htm
We can’t vouch for the accuracy of the list, but here it is anyway.
Evincex Enterprises
Smart Circle International
The Landers Group
Ds-max
Cydcor
Granton Marketing
Innovage
Child Safety Enterprises, Inc
Hyphire
HBH Global Promotions
Bullet Marketing Enterprises, Inc. – Fort Worth, TX
CA Enterprises – Menomonee Falls, WI
CA Enterprises – Fort Worth, TX
Aurora Marketing Group
The Advertisment
Crescent International
SC Marketing Group in Louisville, KY
JSTARR Advertising Platinum Marketing (“they are in the process of changing there name to Madison Marketing”)
Emprise
Arsene-Lee Advertising Group
International Marketing Strategies
MJ Promotional Group/Trinity Advertising, both part of grantonmarketing.com
granton marketing/dsmax has three other divisions in massachusetts: JSJ & Associates, the Kaizen Group, and MPMD, Inc
Gemini Communications in Austin, Texas
Playermakerpromo.com
Lear Marketing Group and Black Diamond Solutions are parts of cydcor.com in Columbus, OH.
“R3 Enterprises” winter park, FL
niko-laos in tampa, fl., Niko-Laos in Tampa, FL.
Northside Marketing
Quantum Marketing Group
Strictly Advertising, Inc. (Miami, FL)
Wentworth Marketing in Denver
“Compass Global Network” in Dallas TX
“Greco Marketing” in San Francisco, CA.
The Yasny Group in Irvine CA
Westward Innovations of Phoeniz, AZ.
MJ Promotional Group of Cincinnati, OH
Jenlyn Consulting in Houston TX
Marketing Sessions (chicago area)
SASMarketing Group (also chicago area)
DeFrancesco Aquisitions, Inc. located in Pittsburgh, PA.
The Advertising Group, Inc in SF CA
Gen X Promotions Cincinnati, Ohio “(the writer thinks there’s also subsidary called Bravo Promotions, but they may be out of Indianapolis)”
D.B. Consulting
J.S. & Associates
Darr Innovations
Top Flight Enterprises located in Pittsburgh, PA.
Aspirations, Inc. in Virginia Beach, VA.
Hilltop Solutions, Inc., located in San Diego.
The Everest Group, or Cambridge Communications (also Premier Marketing Concepts from Melville NY)
Atlantic Consulting located in East Rutherford, NJ
Wincor, Inc., Seattle, WA (actually there office is in Renton)
Woodlynn Advertising, Inc. in Houston TX
The Everest Group, Inc. DUNN HILL ENTERPRISES
Yenkro Enterprises, Inc. Greco Marketing
DeFrancesco Acquisitions
Direct Link Marketing
COR Concepts
JM Concepts
Triple Crown Marketing
5 Point Marketing
Elite promotional Group
Does anybody know anything about Level Tech Consulting Group? It sounds like 1 of these jobs but I can’t be sure. – Ben
I think they’re a scam. I went for one interview (my first ever) and I thought it went terribly. I barely could find the building and when I did I went down to some basement office where there were 5 other people waiting. I had an interview with a guy in a cheap suit who bragged on and on about how he worked for Lehman and went to Princeton and asked barely anything about me. It was the strangest experience. The guy told me that I may or may not get a call back because they had lots of applicants and not to take it personally if I didn’t. Less than four hours later though I received a call asking me to come in for the 2nd round interview THE NEXT DAY. They wanted me to clear my schedule to come in and follow someone from 9-5 around White Plains.
I would avoid this place.
Does any one know anything about HDM Marketing Concepts? Im really wondering about them. They seem legit, but it sounds like one of these scams….
That is exactly what happened to me. I researched the company (worldwide vision) some more after my first interview, and decided not to go back for the 2nd extended (2 hour) interview.
So this level tech consulting is a scam after all? they were quite persistent in calling me and have since had “loads” of people to interview. Should I even bother going? I love how the website states the CEO dropped out of college and made billions of dollars or so? advice please
LA Sports Marketing in Sherman Oaks, CA is a similar scam, I think they changed the name of the company multiple times because of the amount of complains they get.
im supposed to be at a second interview with LA Sports Marketing in Sherman Oaks, CA as i write this. Yesterday when i show up at the office the first thing i noticed was somewhere around 6-8 abnormally gorgeous women working there, dressed too provocatively for the setting. As pleased as i was by this red flag, i also noticed the lack of information i had and the bare walls and temporary looking status of the “office”. As i sat to be interviewed i heard the receptionist give two names which roused my suspicion, then tell the person on the phone that they were interviewing today and tomorrow, Two days before hand she told me that it was that day and the next. As the interview started i right off the bat i noticed something odd, the manager was more selling me something than interviewing me, After a few minutes of him talking he said that this full time position was just temporary and is really meant to get us on the right track into to progressing into higher levels of the company. That was the last straw, it just didnt add up. i did slight, and i mean slight search online about the validity of the company and sure enough….
Don’t waste your newly earned educational achievements on backroom companies that aren’t even clever enough to come up with their own scheme(all these companies use the same methods)Good luck and happy job hunting
I have just applied and got a response that they scheduled interviews today and tomorrow by this same group. the receptionist didn’t give me any other information other than that. i called and asked for “Cindra Anderson”. they put me on hold for a few min and then said she was on the phone. she asked if she could help and i told her that im responding to an email to schedule an interview. she immediately opened my email and read the information back to me about the scheduling. my wife told me that she Google the company and was pretty sketchy. After reading about it i decided not to go to the interview.
I thought I had landed a great opportunity. “Sports” and “marketing” are my interests. Due to time constraints and working my current job, I did not have time to research the company until I was all dressed up and sitting in my car waiting for the engine to warm.
Sure enough, a broad search of the company’s name and the word “scam” came back with more hits than I’d like. After reading them, I decided not to go to the interview, and that was BEFORE I even read the three posts by Noura, William, and Ed.
Like Ed said, I was asked to call a “Cindra Anderson,” and when I did, I was also told that she was on the phone at the time.
Now I have an upcoming interview with a company called American Business Consultants in Westlake Village, CA. Through Google, I haven’t found much that claims the company is a scam, but they show all the signs of one. 40+ job listings on a single site, all used with exclamation marks, use of the words “entry-level” and “training provided,” not to mention they also managed to throw in a sports-related marketing job listing, which is odd considering that they are a “business consultant company” where marketing is not even listed on their career page.
Does anyone know about Cross Country Marketing in Portland OR? Sent in an app 3 hrs later got an email asking for an interview but left no contact information and I couldn’t find the company when I googled it. Could this be a scam?
Time Marketing in Milwaukee sounds like one of these. They must have just changed their name recently because I can’t find ANYTHING about them yet. Anyone here interview with them yet?
Add Galleria marketing, Houston,Tx too. I went for the interview and found 10 people already waiting in the lobby. There was hardly any space most of the people were standing. Almost all got selected for second interview. They called it Field trip, had to sell office supplies for quill. I ditched them after lunch break!
Got two more calls from JDC Marketing,Dallas and ICM Dallas exactly same concept with different clients Staples!
Add Frontline Marketing to your list. I got a call from them a couple days after allegedly applying, I really don’t remember applying to this company. I think they replied to my resume posted on careerbuilder.com. During the 1st interview the owner Justin Hubbard told me that his company was partners with big corporations like AT&T and Verizon Wireless and that I’d be an Account Executive if hired. Then he told me to expect a call by 3:30pm that same day if they like my resume. So the same day they call me for a 2nd interview and schedule it for 9am the next day. When I get there they explain I’m one of the lucky 200 applicants to be chosen, blah blah blah. So it turns out that what they really wanted me to do was sell office supplies for quill door to door. I was there from 9am-5pm and they tried to get me to stay longer! They talked about the 4s, 5s, and 8s and a bunch of other nonsense. The pay does not add up to the work expected. $300 the first week plus 10% of each sale for working 40 hours? Do the math, that adds up to less than $8 an hour! It has scam written all over it.
The location of Frontline Marketing is 9343 Tech Center Dr. Suite 165 Sacramento CA. 95826 so beware! They claim their purpose is to move you up into the company with a manager position. It’s a crock, even the so called managers continue to sell quill office supplies but are just given more responsibilities and expected to spend more hours working. They try their best to sell you the job so you feel as if you have to prove yourself to get it.
Sounds to me that you are saying that literally every marketing
company in the world is a scam, almost to the extent that marketing
it’s self is a scam….
I was looking into a position with Prestige Mtg, in LA which I don’t see
listed, but when I googled them up popped your article.
I know for a fact that many marketing companies are indeed straight up
and great companies to work with and or for, but your article leaves much
to be desired.
Certainly your warning is appreciated, but for sure you can not generalize
as good marketing makes the world go round !!!
He isn’t saying that all marketing groups are scams, but that these marketing groups that advertise in this way are probably not a company worth working for.
These “scam” businesses have the same structure of advertising for job seekers, interviewing, and “persuading” you to be an employee. I’ve been caught up in one of these scams, and after you go through it you can see a clear difference between a marketing group worth working for and a marketing group that is a waste of time.
They try and target recent college grads and people with a few to no work experience because they believe they can trick them to stay for a few months until they can bring in more of these people.
This article is not saying that there are no marketing groups worth working for because there are plenty out there, but there is a growth in “marketing businesses” that are scams, and you have to look out for them. He is simply explaining their process so others do not fall into the trap and are able to weed out the scams from the true marketing groups.
There are good marketing companies out there like zimmerman, but what this article is really tring to say and I know for a fact is that every time a new office is opened it is under a new name. one reason is there is a new person managing it or owner of it, 2 is they change there names every so often to stay off these sites but these owners really dont own it just the liability because the head office can take it away. If you own a business you can do what you want when you want and dont have to follow rules or be told what products to sell all the head offices are is suppliers and tell you what to do!
Sharpline Inc.
This place did the same thing you described. I was curious enough to go “shadow” an employee just to see what it was like despite the fact that it was obviously something other than your typical job. So, I searched and sure enough it was what I thought. Thank you so much for this post. I would’ve wasted 8 hrs of my life tomorrow.
Have you guys heard of Success Pro Marketing? The ad says Entry level Sales and Marketing. I find it odd that they are reviewing resumes the week of Thanksgiving. Most companies are preparing for the four day break. Let me know if you have any information on these guys. They say they have offices in NYC and Hoboken.
THis article is very informational. I have a interview tomorrow but now I’m totally going to blow it.
Rick, don’t go to the interview and blow it on purpose. That’s a waste of everyone’s time. Just don’t go. You’ll be much better off.
Wow I am so glad I found this, I had an interview with them tomorrow but guess thats canceled LOL
Another person whom we’ve saved from interviewing with The Landers Group! I’m glad we could help.
I have an interview for “STL WorldWide INC.”. Seems like a scam, has anyone heard about this company?
There website is http://www.stlworldwide.com
I have a concern about this. I live in Richmond, VA and the organization went under High Level Management on CareerBuilder. I actually did go on my first interview and filled out an application. Unfortunately I put my social security number on the application. Should I be concerned about my identity being stolen? Thanks.
I wanted to add a company to the list called BMF Global. It started off as the Landers Group in California, but they started a “new” company, changed their name, and set up an office in Tigard, Oregon. Just don’t even put yourself through the hell of interviewing, which will consist of a 10 hour day and pissing people off as you walk door to door and interrupting people’s business. They interview about 30 people a day- that’s how bad the turnover rate is. Seriously, NOT worth it!
I had the exact same experience with company in Orange Co. Ca. Scanno Advertising. I was interviewed and hired the same day, and went door to door in the city selling coupons. I also quit that day realizing that it was scam. I actually wanted to walk out that morning realizing that it was a scam, it seemed more like a cult than a business
So, now that I have read the comments-it sucks!! I have an interview tomorrow :O( I’m really interested in getting into the advertising industry- any suggestions?
If you want a marketing or advertising job, Don’t apply to a company with “marketing” in their name. The best way to get a marketing/advertising job is to apply for one at a normal company. Many companies have a marketing department. Think McDonald’s, surely their marketing department is huge. I landed my awesome marketing job after applying directly at many company’s websites. Find a company you like, and then go on the job listings to see if they have marketing or advertising openings.
Hi Erika,
Yes, it appears that The Landers Group sucks. You’re best bet is to not show for your interview tomorrow. It is not worth your time. As for an advertising job, we’ve posted about plenty of them here: http://www.onedayonejob.com/tag/advertising/
M.A.X.I.S. Consulting is across the parking lot from BMF Global in Tigard.
Their office felt like it ran very similarly and after doing some research, other people have had the same problem.
Don’t go to MAXIS or BMF Global in Tigard.
I worked for a division of the Landers Group, and was actually promoted to management in 8 months. Essentially it is a business opportunity, not an employment position, which most people are geared for. Though it requires a lot of hard and mundane work, it can lead to a lot of money. It is definitely not the cool advertising gig you see on romantic chick flicks.
Yes, the company is misleading, they have been for years. As the internet grows, so does their business. Now they are getting more into event marketing, which doesn’t seem as shady. It really depends on which division you are interviewing for. Some people go business to business, door to door, or sit in a Costco and pitch home improvement quotes. Basically it’s all direct market advertising.
After getting into management though, I always felt as if I was lying, and I was never okay with that. After 4 months in management, I couldn’t handle it anymore, and I decided to leave. Yes, the money was great, but I just didn’t want to do it anymore.
For those of you looking for an advertising position, you’ll find the good jobs are really cutthroat. You will easily be competing with hundreds of people for entry level positions, but you won’t have to sell anything, and you can carry your Starbucks coffee into the boardroom.
Landers is really more for people with little to no experience, though most people who get into management have advanced degrees like myself. You have to have an entrepreneurial spirit which isn’t inherent in most Americans who are raised and educated to be employees. If you’re looking for something challenging mentally, don’t work at the Landers Group. Out of 100 people that come through their doors, 20 will stay. Of those 20, 1 out of 100 will get into management. Out of those managers, 1 of 5 will stay long term. So the shot of getting into management and actually making it are much less than 1%.
Essentially it isn’t a scam, you can do it, they just aren’t forthcoming with how likely it is that you do make it, and they really don’t have the personnel there, or the support to make sure you do.
J, thanks for adding a new perspective to the conversation. You say that Landers is not a scam, but then you say that they are very misleading. I guess it depends what your definition of a scam is. It’s good to know that there are people who can actually make good money from Landers, but it certainly doesn’t sound like it’s worth it.
I have an interview with the Lander’s Group tomorrow, but after this I am definitely opting out. So glad I googled it before I went! Thanks so much for the heads-up!!
I had an interview set up for tomorrow, thanks to this site I am not going, its hard for recent college grads like to to get a decent entry level job, and it is despicable that there are these companies that try and exploit us, thanks for the information and the onedayonejob.com website, I’ll check it out.
Thank you so much! I also had an interview tommrow and I’m not going now.
Please add Dynasty Marketing to your list in Wisconsin. They are the new name for Avalon Advertising located same address and telephone number.
Global Visions Inc. is the same thing in Cincinnati, OH. T.H. Executives is the same thing in Columbus, OH. GDP Marketing is very similar in Cincinnati, OH. I spent a day with Global Visions, and it was the exact same story. Selling coupon books. Smart Circle International seems to be the parent company of many of these businesses, including Global Visions in Cincinnati.
THAX my friend told that it was a scam, i have a interview tomorrow.. THAX John..lol
Recruiting firms: This must be the way to go!
Dynasty in WI is a scam, your right Paula. I did a reverse phone search and found Avalon advertising group!
I like to research a company to be prepared for a productive interview and I guess this one I can save my time on!
Add the Acquisition Group inc. in Framingham Ma. to your list http://www.theacqgroup.com/
I went back for my “second interview” and spent the day shadowing a sales rep who was selling Verizon contracts to business customers. It was a total waste of time and they are very shady in their business practices. A total pyramid scheme.
Chris,
I was actually looking up the Aquisition Group today to see if they were still around. i sadly fell for this scheme and ended up working there for two months. I was fresh out of college and really wanted to get into either Marketing or Ad Sales. On my interview they told me ALL lies. I realized quickly this was a huge mistake but continued to work there. On a sales trip out in Western Mass (Adams) the guys i spent a week with started to tell me how terrible the place is and the ones that love it there are a cult. As soon as I got back from the trip i left and never looked back. I did’nt even give them a reason or an excuse i just left and never responded to the managers phone calls. Now I live in Manhattan and work for A&E doing Ad sales and I love it. I still think about that place and hope they are failing miserably.
Just did their second interview and these people are total scammers! I asked several questions regarding their benefits, why they dont leave business cards/numbers, that sort of thing and the woman totally dodged my questions and tried to justify it with stupid excuses. My gut told me to leave, but instead i stayed so this is a warning to young students out there in need of a job, you will be slave labor to them. if you believe that you were one of the chosen few, you are not. Don’t be fooled they are constantly recruiting people to get more people to sell their deals (which by the way they profit immensely from!).
Hmm…I went to a secondary interview recently for a company called “Emerald Concepts” in Houston, but I had to leave early because of an emergency. Now looking back at my experience and this report, I think this company is in the same boat with them. From the beginning I had my doubts, but my suspicions were aroused on the so-called secondary interview. We were cross-selling “Smart Circle” products with highly dubious vacation packages.
I’m glad I’m cancelling the interview!
take this article seriously!!! i relocated from another city and this was the first job i could get. i knew something was shady with how hard the lead manager was selling the job after my “day of observation” (this is when you go door to door with someone who has been at the job for a month or two). but because i was new in town, i had to take the job until i could get something else more stable and less like the “Boiler Room” (great movie about this exact situation) it’s basically a pyramid. you have a team leader and he has 3 people on his team. his boss is in charge of a few team leaders and that guy’s boss is in charge of the firm. if you stay long enough, you can move to the middle of the pyramid.
anyway i did the job for about 7 or 8 days. not sure exactly how long because i’ve tried to block it out to avoid an emotional breakdown ;-)
HERE IS HOW A DAY OF WORK GOES: you get to the office at 8:30 and spend the morning working on your “pitch” with other people and get pep talks from the upper management who will spend their day surfing and shopping while you are going door to door (i live in San Diego). around 10am you and a few other people get assigned to a certain territory and each of you is assigned a certain square mile to go door to door. you cover the same houses 3 times during the day: mid morning, 2pm, 5pm. the worst round is at 5pm when everyone is home from work, tired, and pissy. of 100 doors you knock on, you may close 1 person (if you’re lucky). you get a 30 minute lunch break but other than that, you’re walking and knocking all day. at the end of the shift you are taken back to the office and everyone meets to review who made how many sales that day. and if you made more than $100 that day, you get to ring a cowbell and be praised. yes, i’m serious. by this time it’s about 9pm and you get to go home just to come back and do it all over again the next day.
they also encouraged us to work on saturdays too. like others have said, this job is strictly commission.
on my last day, i heard a guy talking about how he had to pawn some of his stuff just to pay the bills. it was around that time that i realized that aside from the heads of the firm, i was the one of the few who had to worry about paying rent without help from a roommate or family. also on my last day there was a girl doing her day of observation. no one would answer her about benefits and the pay but i told her the truth. she had a disabled husband and kids to take care of. it was the worst job i’ve ever had but hopefully i at least saved that one girl from taking the position.
i have so much empathy for those people whenever i see them in my neighborhood now.
hopefully seeing what their day looks like will give you some insight and steer you away from this waste of time job.
To CEM (and everybody else!)–
I was in the same exact type of program in a business in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Cow bell and everything!! I lasted a month. I was told I was going to receive paid training and I never got it. Even the accounts I did get for the company I never received the commission on! It was a nightmare and I only took that job because I thought I’d earn more money off of it than where I was working at before as a receptionist. I guess I should have been smarter than to believe anything I was told by that company…even the interview process was the same as others said. There were like 10 people waiting to be interviewed and I did have 2 interviews. I thought at the time that I just blew the boss away, little did I know he was just hiring all these people so he could keep driving his brand new BMW and pay them next to nothing, if anything, like me.
Very similar to Easter Enterprises’ tactics. They advertise a bunch of positions, and when you get there, its a big group “interview” and a sales pitch to go door-to-door and sell vacuum cleaners. If you live in Kettering or Dayton, Ohio, watch out for these guys.
Go to the DX- Max or DS- Max website, and you will all find a strong alumni of people who worked for this company or related companies.
This company started in Canada, and it has grown world wide. when authorities find out and shut down one company, these people open a new one.
I hear there was a big “Caos” day and many people walked out….. My son LOVED the people he worked with when he was at this company, and because of the people he stuck it out of a couple of months… but then he got a better job marketing across the US, where he gets all benefits, and things are good.
I watched my son work 72 hour weeks, trying to make things work. I saw my son get sick, and it was sheer exhaustion. He has not been sick with his new job…….
I think You should create an alumni of workers from the Landers Group…. I think you might all be friends one day, and something good will come out of all this.
As for whats him name…. MATT KELLY— well I hope I have put so much pressure on him that he cracks… I know he has money problems.. could not happen to a better person. And then there is his co horts..
Yes, for anyone who reads this….. run as fast as you can.. This is job is not worth your time, effort, money or a nervous breakdown….
SEAM Marketing in Baltimore is a big SCAM and a waste of time.
can someone tell me if STL worldwide is also a scam, on their website says something about margeting for sports team, golf clubs, spas, etc, I have an interview with them tomorrow
here is their web site: http://www.stlworldwide.com/
Thanks in advance!!!
I just recently interviewed with these people. I spent last Friday going around and trying to sell packages for discounted prices. I honestly feel like I am doing something unjust especially when you go around business to business when people are absolutely busy! They told me that out of 15 people they interveiwed I was one out of the three that they chose to hire. Shortly, I learned that they are continously hiring more people every day to sell their packages. I honestly thought that I did really good to get hired. This company is called Elite Promotions Group located in Birmingham, Alabama. The job advancement opportunities sound too good to be true. It only has been 2 days since I accepted the opportunity to work for them. I noticed that most of the distributors there were anywhere from 19-27 years of age. Really young! And most of these people don’t even have a degree, they are either fresh out of high school or out of the military!!!! I wish I would have looked them up before I wasted my time going up there. I live too far to be scammed!
Join the thousands world wide who once worked for this group.. there are too many to count!!!
http://groups.msn.com/DSMAXTheAftermath
Does any one know where Davis went? He said he left the company to go to Europe and never returned to the company.
Here is a mini test for you to take…
This is in response to a recent poll by happynow that has gotten a lot of attention. I’d like to hear the perspective from people out side of the US. Is the ds-max name as suppressed international as it is here in the US? Please let us know. Thank you for your time:
If you are a new member here & have quit the business in the last year or so I have a little questionnaire for you.
While you were in the business,
1. Did you ever hear of the word DS-MAX?
2. Did you ever hear of the word WWI?
3. Did you ever hear of Larry Tennebaum or Avie Roth?
4. Did anyone ever promote how large this type of business was? (e.g. # of offices in # countries)
5. On average, how many hours a day were you at work?
6. On average, how much did you clear p/week?
7. Did your manager own a car? (make & model if you know) Did he have his own apartment or live with his guys?
8. Did you ever get arrested or ticketed by the police while in the field?
9. Did you pull your Day of Observation out of atmosphere & “bottom line” them before you would have them meet with your manager? (Something like this, “Look, my manager is looking at bringing on 2 people tonight so I need to know if you are willing to start tomorrow & give 110% & then maybe I can get you in to see him.”)
10. On average, what was the percentage of smokers in your office?
Extra Credit:
11. Which of these numbers does not belong.
107 307 53 230 11 701
I had to drive an hour to get to my first interview for Landers Group last week. I thought it was wierd cuz I walked out 5 minutes later with a second interview, still not knowing much at all about the job. I was supposed to drive all the way back out there tomorrow for the second interview, but instead, I’ll be staying home and do some more job hunting.
I’m stoked I researched them a little bit more. Thanks a lot!
Oh gosh im glad i googled The Landers Group and ran into this website, i had an interview with them tommorow but guess what,its canceled now!!! THANK U SO MUCH FOR INFORMING THE PUBLIC:)!!!
THERE IS A COMPANY LIKE THIS IN LODI NEW JERSEY CALLED “WORLD ACCESS MARKETING” THEY SPECIALIZE IN SCREWING PPL OVER SELLING FAKES EXC,,,
I had the exact same experience at the same affiliated company called BMF Global in Tigard. I actually ended up sticking it out for four days at BMF Global and tried to sell their coupons. I was promised the first day by the manager of the office to get paid at least 50 dollars a day while I was training. Every day I worked almost twelve hours and tried to sell the coupans to angry business owners not wanting to be solicited to while they were trying to make a living. Anyways I never ended up getting paid any money and by the end of my training after being promised to get paid the next day for my training. My the end of the fourth day I demanded I get paid what I was promised by Alex the manager of BMF Global. Needless to say I did not get paid what I was promised. Beware of BMF Global, the Landers Group, and anything to do with Smart Circle advertising. It is a scam and watch out for thier managers Alex and Phil. They will promise you the world and you will get nothing in return.
World Access Marketing sounds like a huge scam. Anyone out there actually work for the company and have proof that it is a scam. I tried telling my buddy and he doesn’t believe me because he says that everyone working there has such high hopes and they’re great to work with. Has anyone working for that company actually made tons of money…besides the guys who thought of the scam?
I need your help to shut all these companies including THE LANDERS GROUP DOWN!!! Join the conversation NOW!!!!
Malicious job post
Malicious job posts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A malicious job post is a mischievous in motivation or purpose post of employment of placed text on a Web site, submitted to a legitimate career search engine, from a business which practices business models similar to Multi-level marketing. The intent of the posting is to lure in as many possible job candidates, without concern for the candidates education, experience, or skills. Businesses posting these “jobs” are legal, entry level, and involve multi-level marketing. While the legality of these businesses is not questioned, the legitimacy of these businesses is. Some criticisms include: Clogging up legitimate career search engines, group interviews, wasting career seekers time, and a lack of consideration for genuine employment. The posts are considered “Malicious” based on the companies intent to lure in as many possible candidates, with the premeditated knowledge that the company’s business model is similar to Multi-level marketing and posting openings that appear to be legitimate, when in reality the posts are continuous.
Example: Monster.com [1]
Location Title Company CA-Sherman Oaks-91423 ECONOMY GOT YOU DOWN? Immediate Hire for Entry Level Sales and Marketing – WE TRAIN! The Landers Group APPLY
The Landers Group Posted by Willy Franzen on Friday, May 23, 2008 [2]
Malicious Job Posts/ Join the discussion NOW!!!!
These companies: Eagle Vision Marketing, Inc. The Landers Group, L. A. Marketing, Dynasty Marketing Solutions, Inc,Scanno Advertising, Inc., and Jane Landers Foundation use a malicious practice of trying to lure job candidates into their offices for a position that does not include a salary but is based on a sales commission, and based on a business model similar to multi level marketing.
The interviews often take place as a group. The care little about your education, experience, or background. The “POST” is considered “Malicious” much like websites contain malicious content, or computer viruses. They are at the user’s risk. An example of a “malicious Job Post” can be seen in a daily updated search sent out by legitimate search engine companies. Malicious job posting companies can be seen throughout the job availability update. They make it more difficult to filter jobs that are available, legitimate, and do not involve multi-level marketing as its practice.
Once again add Scanno Advertising and Dynasty Marketing Solutions, Inc in Anaheim CA. They are the same misleading and scamming company.
Malicious Job Posts/ Join the discussion NOW!!!! Dynasty Marketing Solutions, Inc Scam Rip off
Scanno Advertising and Dynasty Marketing Solutions, Inc in Anaheim CA. To all job seekers do not waste your time and gas to visit these rip off, scam artists.
I also made the mistake of going in for an interview with Dynasty Marketing Solutions, Inc aka Scanno Scammo advertising. These people are so full of bull. Stay away from these scammers, rip offs, liars.
Question about Eagle Vision Marketing, Inc.:
Steve, you mentioned Eagle Vision as falling under malicious job posts, but I haven’t been able to find any bad reviews on the company after a google search; do you or anyone else have any more info. you could give me since I have an “interview” that I’m now reconsidering given the nature of their post on careerbuilder.
Glad I found this site regardless
Go ahead and add Pacific Advertising Group in that scam list. I just did a two day in row interview and went through the whole scenario of promises of a management position. I also went to ” a day of observation” and stood in front of a grocery store for 10 hours trying to talk to every customer that walks and walks out.
I was skeptical from the very beginning when they had rap music and a movie playing on the front desk. When the receptionist would answer the phone, she would answer with “Marketing, may I help you?” Not even once she answered with the proper name. I took me 30 minutes to find this office because they didn’t have a sign.
So the whole experience was bogus. I am located in the Las Vegas area so don’t get scammed by this company. All you do is sell coupons, that may or may not be accepted by the so called 500 fortune companies.. for free! Pacific Advertising Group is one of them..
I had the beginnings of this same experience. The morning I was going to go in for my all day second interview I decided to take a second look at their website which looked really cheap with low rez pictures. A google search brought me here and saved me a lot of time and frustration–something I can’t afford while on the job hunt. The office I went to was in Denver…
In the Boston Area:
World Wide Acquisitions: http://www.WWAcquisitions.com
The Acquisitions Group Inc: http://www.theacqgroup.com
Business Solutions International, Inc. (BSI Boston): http://www.bsiboston.com
and
Dynasty: http://www.d-sty.com
this company also goes under the alias as world access marketing or atleast used to.
This may be a new company name because it was very difficult for me to find information on their previous company name.
Pretty much all the same things listed above.
anyone in northern nj please save yourselves the time of coming to this scam job at IS-G in lodi
Thanks to everyone! I am due back tomorrow morning for the “second interview”. The interview today was way too easy, and I’m so glad I read all this information. I had a strange feeling about this, as I really didn’t have an understanding of the actual job. Won’t be showing up tomorrow!
Scanno Advertising, Anaheim, CA.
I also have an interview with Scanno Advertising next week. I’m thinking about going on it and taking a digital tape recorder that I can post online for everyone. What do you guys think?
They run under BMF Global and M.A.X.I.S. Consulting in Portland, OR. If you google their name, this article shows up before their website. Check out what they did to this poor girl:
http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=120960222985177900
Hello all, it’s great to see an article like this exposing all of these fraudelant companies. I unfortunately was sucked into one of these companies after I graduated from college(MJ Promotional Group in Cincinnati, OH). At first everyting sounded great, and I would run my own company, and I started in the warm part of fall. Everything was good at first, but then I’d see the increase in turnover, and the people who stayed would just bad mouth the ones that left(the smart ones if you ask me). I was with the company for about 6mos, and made next to nothing, and would like to warn anyone even considering one these companies to STAY AWAY! I have so much information I could provide about my experience if needed, I’ll check back here periodically.
Btw you’re forgetting several major companies part of DS MAX in St. Louis, DC, Boston and Chicago. That’s where some of the big money earners were. I can’t recall the names becasue I worked for the company in 2004-2005. I know Tom Spiro in Chicago and Derrick something in Chicago as well. The owners of the companies in the other cities, were almost mythical figures that you only met at regional conferences, where the brainwashing was put on to the max. I really hope this all helps.
Oh yeah Derek Colontonio is in the other CHicago office in the suburbs, and I do believe that Mark Kernan is in St. Louis. The office in downtown Chicago run by Tom Spiro is called Victory Promotions, or Victory Marketing. And the office in DC is called CRC Marketing if I do believe.
I have an interview in 1 hour with BMG global in Portland, OR. I think I’ll call about 5 minutes after I was supposed to be there to cancel it. That seems like the type of respect these types of companies deserve.
I was wondering why the job description was so vague, so I got curious and googled it, and came to this site. Thanks for the info, glad I didn’t waste the gas money or time putting on a business suit and going to the interview.
I think you guys should check out Ares Enterprises, based in Seattle. While I haven’t actually been there, their job posting is like a carbon copy of the ones mentioned.
Did you hear that The Landers Group closed, but is re-opening under a new name of SPORTS MARKETING INTERNATIONAL????????
Matt Kelly lives in an apartment????? I thought he had millions!!!
Have you seen the latest employment ad???????
NEW PLAYERS!!!! NEW PHONE NUMBER!!!! SAME LOCATION!!!!
ENTRY LEVEL SPORTS MARKETING & CUSTOMER SERVICE – WE TRAIN!
Sports Marketing, Inc.
Apply Now >>
Job Snapshot
Location:
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Employee Type:
Full-Time/Part-Time Employee
Industry:
Sales – Marketing
Advertising
Entertainment
Manages Others:
No
Job Type:
Entry Level
Marketing
Customer Service
Experience:
None
Relocation Covered:
No
Posted:
11/12/2008
Contact Information
Contact:
Brittany James
Phone:
818-907-8612
So we have Brittany James….. is this a new hired gun????
wow, thats what I have to say wow!!! As I think I am doing research on the company I had an interview with, I come to find out that it has a possibility of being a scam. I called the person that contacted me about an interview and asked questions about your company having a reputation for being a scam and she didn’t have a response. I asked what would I be doing and she said biz to biz selling. she was very vague and couldn’t give me a straight answer. Thank you for this site and to all readers please be aware!!!
scanno advertiding stay away!!!!
I had a gut feeling about Pacific Advertising Group being a scam, their website is just so vague and never says what someone in the business actually does daily. I looked up exactly what the article says, Pacific Advertising Group scam, and found you guys. Well, I canceled my interview right away, after I called and one guy answered “Advertising?”… I knew that was it. Will there be any problems with these people? As in will they bother me in any way? Thanks.
Well I too am glad I did a Google search. I was contacted by Pacific Advertising Group. It apprears that these guys are part of this Landers scam.
I have to admit, I became skeptical when I looked at their website. It had NO information on it that was of any use and the text on it looked like someone bought a cheap template and added regular text to the top. Very low quality. That prompted my search which brought me here.
Thanks for saving me some time today.
I landed a 2nd interview with The Acquisition Group in Framingham, Ma and will be canceling. I was looking for a Marketing position not a sneaky sales job.
Pacific Advertising A.K.A JMO Promotions is a scam….no website because they are new to Vegas….well if they were moving to Vegas and had a company in another state, they would still have a website….RED FLAG!
Let me be the third one to put “Pacific Advertising Group” in Las Vegas in the list……….like you have all said…..seemed pretty shady to begin with…….crappy office, no real information is given about the company……….sure glad I came here…………guess it goes to show if it seems too good to be real, it probably is…
Add Latitude group to the list in Emmeryvile CA. Alon Brenner was promoted by Landers group and heads this scam office.
Sports Marketing International is shady business. I wasted an entire day being “evaluated” annoyingly going “business to business” for more than 10 hours. Save your energy and time by staying away from these predators.
Wow- I am very glad I googled MAXIS and found this page and other like it. I will definitely stay away and not interview.
I would like to add Dynasty Marketing Group in Milwaukee. They do all the same things that you guys talk about. The door to door. The B2B as they call it. Business to Business. The manager will just keep leading you on to believe that you can do it. It is just a big brain washing campaign. If you don’t want to lie to people everyday and for the rest of your life. Then don’t ever get involved with these companies. You will loose money working for them.
Have you heard anything about New Light Marketing? They are in the area as well and seemed fishy
Have an interview tomorrow with BSI Boston….but….now I think I might cancel. Does anyone have any scoop on them?
I interviewed with a marketing firm just like this in Columbia, SC. It goes by the name Apple, Unlimited. This company has almost all of the aforementioned signs and symptoms listed above. Unfortunately, they have a fairly insidious tactic to lure people in: they do event-based marketing for non-profit organizations.
Basically the breakdown I got is that they set up tables in front of Wal-Marts and other such places. You send up selling water bottles, oversized children’s books, race cars, and other items under the guise that you are generating funds for the non-profits. You get a tiny slice of the price of the items as your commission (the only pay you will see) and the rest goes up the heiarchy, with the managers and the owner taking progessively larger and larger bites of the income you made.
After you’ve been there a while and have sold enough of that crap, they make you an “assistant manager” with a fixed income, and you are responsible for getting more gullible college grads and jobseekers to do the same work you were doing. Eventually you get promoted to manager, and are encouraged to relocate to another city where you will set up your own “event-based marketing firm” to start the cycle all over again.
All this I learned just from my “second interview,” which was just an excuse to get me to take a day off of work from my current job and help two of their employees sell some of their stuff. I basically worked for free that day, and they told me nothing of what to expect when I went out there. They did not tell me I was going to be two hours away from home in front of Wal-Mart on the hottest day of the year, sans sunscreen and wearing my most uncomfortable pair of “interview only” dress shoes.
Basically these marketing firms sound like a pyramid scheme, or like the Mafia, with all the profits flowing up towards the top of the pyramid while you do all the grunt work. I basically told them I wasn’t interested in the job. I’m a little wiser now, however, and I’m glad in a way that I did go through that experience, because I’m able to help people avoid those same traps as well.
Matt Kelly has owned several offices….. I guess he dumped Curly and Latta — and now he has Brittany James…. He is running his ads under both Sports Marketing, Inc, and Sports Marketing International, Inc… BEWARE that is all I can say!
To the asst manager who wanted to say nice things and work hard….. HORSEPUCKY is what I have to say….. you practically kill yourself working for this company……. and it is not the way GOOD companies work.. I just talked to an attorney who works down the street from the LA office, and when he sees these people come to his office, he just wants to tell them to quit…… he knows the pain, and so do I.
if you want to read about matt Kelly…. go here——- you will get an ear full….
http://groups.msn.com/DSMAXTheAftermath/alumni.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=8436&LastModified=4675705291669381390
How can anyone look up to this guy…. and the las Vegas office, yeah, I worked with the girl that was about to leave to set that office up————– nice girl, hard worker, and she left her boyfriend behind for this job……`
OMG, I JUST applied to Scanno and Dynasty Marketing at CareerBuilder, but I’m so glad I googled those two names! I live in OC, CA, and worked for a pharmaceutical company as a temp worker, but got laid off recently. Now that I think about it, it all comes to a sense: even those huge multi-billion-dollar companies let people go and can’t afford to keep them–why would those little companies whose names you’ve never even heard of would hire “experience-less” newbies as entry-level managers and/or sales agents, especially at this kind of economy? I’ve been to several shady interviews before and now I finally came to a conclusion: Any company that requires YOUR OWN MONEY for training is likely to be a scam. Likewise, any company that would gladly hire inexperienced people as professionals (sales, marketing, etc.) is likely to be a scam. Thanks, Willy and others, for your valuable information! :-)
I learned
There are also new companies in Charlotte, NC. It seems like they change their name often and keep their websites vague. One resource I found VERY helpful was the Better Business Bureau. DO NOT apply to:
Queen City Events
Prodigy Conceptz
90 Ten Marketing
Triple M Events
JLT Marketing and Association
ACG Marketing and Associates
Precise Marketing Concepts
EIB International Inc/EMS
I found it helpful to plug in the phone number of the company on the BBB’s website.
I just had (and canceled) an interview with Banker’s Life, as an insurance agent. I noticed they apparently have a 90% turnover rate. Also, they were deeply involved in Enron. Someone said on a forum that the company expects you to sell to your friends, then you get fired.
BSI Boston is now going under the name Northeast Consulting – BEWARE.
A word to the wise…. Matt Kelly is sending out 1099- MISC reports, and you need to review them… He is saying even if you worked for the Landers Group…. the you worked for Sports marketing International which is a misrepresentation if you didn’t…
You will need to talk to your accountants or tax preparers to find out how to deal with what he declares he paid you, as these sums may not be correct…
I am horrified to learn for 10 consecutive 72 hours weeks of work, all that was made prior to pay outs was $2,000….. what kind of employment is this?????
Everything this man paid out was cash….. how can we be sure these sums are correct?????
The MAXIS Consulting Group is one of these companies located in Tigard, OR. Big ups to this website and for doing my research before going to meet these folks!
My son recently took a job with a company I’ve been suspicious of from the beginning. It’s called RedZone International based out of Hawthorne, NY. The same deal: he got called in just on the basis of his sketchy resume; he came in for a 10 minute interview and was told only 5 of 30 would be called the next day; the next day he got a congratulatory call from them and told to come in and get “work papers”. He started the following day at 5:45 where he met the team leader at his house and then basically shadowed him all over New Jersey for the whole day. He got home at 7:30. The following day he didn’t get home until 9:30PM, because the “team” went out for dinner (for which he had to pay) and then had to go back to the office to purchase a $40 “package” which has to be memorized for work. Imagine that! They have to pay for their own work materials. I so want my son to tell them off and walk out but I don’t want to get him started in the workforce with a bad attitude. In the meanwhile, his car is in the shop and he’s rented a car to get to and from work; purchase a suit and a couple of shirts and ties; and now purchased the $40 “package” required for his job. Unbelievable!! Anyone heare of Redzone International?
The company, “Ample Opportunity” in Orlando, Florida is A COMPLETE SCAM. I ended up running away when brought me in secret with a mean girl in her brokendown car to a boulevard to a tatoo shop sell discount office supply BULLSHIT. They said “it’s not door to door” but it is. They said on this “day two interview” that I will be going to different companies meeting managers. BULLSHIT. CAREERBUILDER is not trustworthy, and completely loaded with these entry level job scams- it makes me not just careerbuilder at all- avoid this website at all costs.
so i went on a first interview with pacific advertising group and it didnt seem right.
told my husband about it , he said it sounded weird so he tried looking up info and the ‘official’ website had something about denver and didnt give any info. the officeis ghetto,small, and they were kinda blasting music. a lady went to the restroom and i was being nosey and looked and saw a big empty warehouse behind her. the office itself had three small rooms. when the recptionst answered the phone she said ‘marketing’. so yeah.
enjoy wht ive found:
BBB RatingBack To Top Based on BBB files, this business has a BBB rating of F.
Reasons for this rating include:
Failure to obtain a required competency license.
Length of time business has been operating.
BBB does not have sufficient background information on this business.
Click here for an explanation of BBB Ratings.
LicensingBack To Top As of 10/24/2008, the Bureau has been UNABLE to confirm this company has a valid local business license for the locale in which they operate. IF A CONSUMER DOES BUSINESS WITH AN UNLICENSED FIRM, THEY DO SO AT THEIR OWN RISK.
http://www.vegasbbb.org/bbb_rated_acc_rpt.asp?bbbid=78157&tr=rated&lg=F&ex=11%2C15%2C26#rat
I appreciate everyone’s contributions, I just heard from MAXIS yesterday, as well as Oregon Marketing Group which appears to have the same address. Phoenix Marketing Group looks like a similar setup based on website and a location that is also in Tigard, Oregon. I also have qualms about Cache Marketing Alliance especially with no website to look at. I hope someone finds this info useful.
Thank goodness for older brothers…
BSI (Business Solution Inc.) wanted to have an interview with me last year and my brother told me it was a load of crap… then today I got an e-mail from Northeast Consulting Inc wanting an interview with me, mind you I don’t ever remember applying for this position with Northeast Consulting. I am so glad my brother came across this website to see that BSI = Northeast Consulting! Thanks for everyone’s comments, it’s super helpful to see that I’m not the only one who has fallen for this-almost twice!
for the publisher, please email me, ive worked for the landers group for 2 years and i have some dirt i would love to spill
Does anyone know about EIB International in Chicago area?
Who do I talk to about reporting these companies, I have and address and phone, but I won’t post those yet, because they might have people doing net searches for that stuff and have them clear out or something.
My name is Ron Amos and I can honestly say after being involved with Smart Circle International, and Dynasty Marketing Sollutions that these companies are scam operations. I was one of the those unfortunates that went to one of there interview and was alledgedly hired. I worked for two weeks, (12 hour days Monday thru Friday and 14 hour days Saterday and Sunday) and was fired on my 14th day after having sold three subscriptions for them to Direct TV. When I asked them for my money for the two weeks I worked, they said I made no sales and therefore I would not be getting any compensation.
What I was told on my interview was that if I got hired that I would be paid $500 a week while I was in training that any sales I made the commisssions would go to the Sales rep they sent me out with. I was further told that at the end of my third week I would then have the choice to go on straight commission or continue to just recieve $500 a week which ever was the greater.
So when the alledged owner of Dynasty Marketing Sollutions Dewayne Long fired me, I asked him for my $1000 pay for the two weeks and he said I had no pay coming because if they paid people like that they would go broke before they would make enough sales to cover such an expense. He then tried to play stupid and say that he was going to have to find out who was telling intervees this pay information. I told him it was the first lady I interviewed with Latrees (I still don’t know her last name) and Dewayne said she would never say anything like that. Si retoreted, “So you aren’t going to pay me as I was told and I am not going to get paid for any of my sales either? He replied that I never made a sale so I had no commissions coming either. So, I have Dewanye Long, Dynasty Marketing Sollutions, and Smart Circle International all caught in a conspiracy to defraud people from the hard and I mean had earned money when they go to work for them. I am in the proccess now of figuring out how I am going to file crimminal complaints and civil law suits naming all of them including Direct TV for there deliberate, fraudulent, activities.
Sincerely
Ron Amos
Citizens Law Group
Specialists in prosecuting Government officials
Hi Ron, are you willing to participate in a lawsuit against Smart Circle and many other owners? please e-mail me back at JBAT101@GMAIL.COM
red flag like #10 for northeast consulting/bsi boston= there name does not show up on the sign for the building or for their office on the third floor.
I AM SO GLAD I FOUND THIS SITE!!! I just graduated and really want to get into a business related field in Chicago. You can add GLM aka Green Light Marketing (as I found out), VMI, and EIB International Inc to the list. They all had the same careerbuilder info–different addresses and phone numbers–and their websites appeared to be a little unprofessional so I was a little warry to begin with. Not only that but the next day I received emails from all three saying they wanted to set up an interview, but I needed to call them to set it up. So I did some research and found a lot of info on ripoffreport.com. All I can say is DO RESEARCH! A good place to go to is the Better Business Bureau website (bbb.org) or even call them. If you can’t find them on the site or have a low rating THAT IS A BAD SIGN!!!
Geeeeezz guys… Look its not a”scam”. Its just not a “career”. Its probably one of the best things that a college grad can do to learn basic sales and work ethic. I did it when I was 18 and made anywhere from 150 – 200 bucks per day. Not a whole lot but I was learning alot about how to talk to pure strangers and motivate people. I only worked there for 6- 8 months but I ended up meeting my future business partners there. 9 years later we have 3 successful businesses that are doing GREAT! You get out of it what you put in. There are no benefits, or salary, or cushy leads thrown your way. But get used to it if you want to have a career in sales and make money. I think it was a very positive experience for me and and my partners. The ones who complain will probably be the ones that always complain… and for that they get a nice steady job that earns between 30 – 50k…
I might have ran into one of these scams (Pacific Advertising Group). Thak you for the heads up I will look out for it.
i saw red flags all over the place when i walked in for my interview, the sign for the company looked like it had been placed there recently, when i went on my 2nd interview out in the feild with the manager, her car still had new jersey tags on it yet she said she had been a manager there at this Virginia location for over a year, we were kicked out of several places for people claiming we had been trying to sell them stuff they didnt need. It was a weird day and never wanted to go back to that place. I didnt go to college for 4 years to sell crap door to door.
Wow, this is very enlightening just went to an initial interview for GLM Inc.(Green Light Marketing)in Chicago. They seem like a legitimate company and wasn’t too knowledgable about them so I decided to do some research on them and found several negative reports on Ripoffreport.com and now I found this site. In my opinion if a company is getting several negative reports and they aren’t well known then it is best to trust your instincts. Seems like GLM (Green Light Marketing) would be a waste of time. Thanks to all who post on this site.
Holy crap. I am SO glad I found this! I had an interview tomorrow with a company called Sports Plus STL, in St. Louis, Missouri. Totally not going now! That is so frustrating that it’s all a scam. I posted my resume online and literally FIVE minutes later, they called to set up an interview. Here is their website: http://www.estream.com/sportsplusstl/
Dynasty Inc. Huge Scam! BEWARE
I have a few more for you, all in Pittsburgh, PA. The Garysson Group, Executive Sports, and 3 Rivers Innovative Strategies. They all have flash, fancy websites however none of them are actually legitimate.
Has anyone ever heard of Superior Concepts? They are located in Oklahoma City. The claim to be a “Sports and Entertainment Marketing Firm”.
i have a “second” interview with a company in TX under the name HDM Marketing Concepts..anyone know anything about them? they have the “flashy” websit, but everything that has happened is matching up with everyone that says these other companies are “scams”. they told me i would be selling INTUIT, somewhat like QuickBooks, to small businesses, they said its “face to face”….another way of saying “door to door?” did not go to college to do this BS. oh they also told me my second interview would be job shadowing. if you know anything, let me know.
I had a similar experience with a “company” called Evantage Inc in North Dallas. I just graduated college and I got a call from them. I should have been suspicious about their website because there was really nothing on it and no literature at all anywhere on the net which should have raised a red flag. They claimed they moved from New York and Atlanta to expand here in Dallas.
Usually these places will rent out a suite in a big building. Their company name won’t even be anywhere on the door. Only about 4 people will be in there. Usually 1 HR/secretary girl and 3 others who have offices who do the interviews. The offices are bare and nothing on the walls at all. The interview is very brief and vague. It’s all a big scam to get you in there. Anytime they say on your 2nd interview you will shadow someone, that’s apart of this big “marketing” employment scam. You will be going door to door and business to business using shady tactics to try and sell people stuff.
I emailed them my resume ( I don’t graduate till Decemeber 2011) and got a email and call the next day. I am to have an interview with them on the 26th and have found the website a little fishy. Thanks for your post, I don’t think I’ll waste my time and money for a 15 minute interview for door-to-door selling
I worked for Scanno Advertising Group for about 5 months and got far enough in the MLM scheme to become a team leader and start travelling to different cities to learn/network/work. I quickly had to drop out because it just plain wasn’t worth my time anymore. It was all commission. I worked 12 hour days as “Team Leader” and still the $12/18 per hour average i was making based on my direct sales wasn’t cutting it and wasn’t worth all the pressure and exhaustion that came along with it (I was stressing about making rent & not having a social life outside of work). Very few people are cut out for it. The only thing good that came about it was that I lost about 10-15 pounds from walking my ass off ALL DAY & everyday (and even some saturdays) trying to talk to at least 200 people that day (that’s the number they give you if you want to get consistent “yesses”). I learned alot about sales and being able to talk to and read any and every type of person, which I’ll take with me forever, but like I said, its gruelling work and only a select few who are fast talkers and REALLY REALLY love doing that kind of stuff will succeed. That’s why they recruit anyone who applies…because it hard to find that person who will stick with it. Its all a numbers game….
Hey has anyone heard of Northeast consulting based out of Braintree, MA??? I’m supposed to go on an interview on Monday, but I’m wondering if it’s gonna be a waste of time. The website is http://www.northeastconsultinginc.com/.
CORConcepts was a rip-off as well as MarketingFX…these are are in the Chicago Land Area, but has anyone heard anything about Sports Marketing Inc.?
THANX FOR NOT LETTING ME WASTE MY TIME ON USELESS THINGS WHEN I CAN BE TRYIN TO GET A REAL JOB THAT’S NOT TRYIN TO ROB PEOPLE OF THEIR TIME
Had the exact same experience with a company called Boomerang Marketing in Chicago. Hesitant to call it a full-blown scam but DEFINITELY misleading! Any legit question I asked was met with a vague answer or simply “we’ll discuss that later in the hiring process”
Ended up wasting a whole day being driven around Chicago suburbs by shady characters. Around 4 hours in I asked to be taken back to the office (and my car!) and they refused. I started telling all the legit business people they were harassing what a scam the company was and not to trust them…at least it made them take me back!
Add TJC Inc in Cincinnati and TableRock Inc to the list in Cincinnati (I think subsidiaries of Cydcor). I worked for tjc for 3 days, plus the all-day 2nd interview, and made NO money for my time. Thank God I got out when I did.
Don’t forget, NY Promotional Events. They are a huge scam group in Deer Park, NY. and somehow they got the NY Times to post their ad in the Marketing section of their jobs board. Is that how bad the economy has become ?
They claim to offer positions in “marketing, customer service, event coordination, and public relations” but in reality, it’s all fused into one actual position: solicitor. I called up and spoke to a girl named Alexandra Giblin. She is extremely friendly and sets you up for an immediate interview, and of course you become excited because you feel as though you’re on your way to getting a great job.
You interview with either one of three people: A girl named Jessica Lopez, or two other guys named John and Rob. They each tell you how they made a success of themselves starting at entry level marketing, to inspire you. They then set you up for a secondary interview to observe at one of their “events”.
Well, much to my surprise the “event”, the fund-raiser marketing event we attended, was in front of a gas station harassing people who are just trying to pump their car with gas to buy Nascar FW1 car wax. These are their so-called “events”.
Also, they won’t mention until last interview that there is no base salary- it is all commission based. Now, ofcourse most of the money earned goes to NY Promotional Events, right into Jessica Lopez’ pretty little pocket, while you get whatever tiny percentage they feel like throwing at you.
A HUGE waste of time, do not even bother they are SCAM ARTISTS.
[…] out this article – the comments have suggestions for companies to avoid! http://www.onedayonejob.com/jobs/the-landers-group/References : Zal June 12th, 2009 at 5:37 am […]
Thanks so much for the informative comment! I almost wasted my time with Pacific Advertising Group. I am also in Las Vegas area and the receptionist answered the phone exactly the same way that RL described.
Thank you so much!
OK guys, I’m just going to emphasize the company name with the word scam next to it, so that it gets more google hits. I went to the first preliminary interview today and I was invited back for a follow up tomorrow. Bull. I mean in reality they are a company, but they are shady and they’re a company hidden beneath scaly skin. I knew something up: tons of young adults waiting in the lobby–a white, loose-leaf paper reading, “The Acquisition Group” scotch-taped to the front door–a quick, dodgy interview with a sleeze to, “put a face to a resume”–small, tiny office for forty-plus employees. The whole thing was a sketchy experience, but I must admit that they are easy to fall for–even if you are bright and “don’t fall for scams.” This thing is easy to fall for. Don’t get scammed! The company’s name was: The Acquisition Group Inc. SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM. Don’t fall for it. They’re on Monster.com. They’re on indeed.com. They’re on careerbuilder.com. Don’t fall for it: The Acquisition Group is a scam.
I hope this shows up on Google, and I hope that this was helpful to people.
Take care, everyone.
The new name is Global Marketing Inc. It’s allllllll over careerbuilder.com and hiring sites like that. Of course, I was intrigued by the listing and sent my resume and was really surprised when I got an email response a few hours later. Too good to be true because it is! The person saying they are the human resource manager is Stacy Joseph. They gave me the address to the company and when I searched the address in Google, it’s a completely different company! I also called the number they provided and asked them for their website, the “receptionist” said it’s still under construction but in the job posting it says this company has been in business for a long time. BS up the wazoo. DO NOT APPLY FOR GLOBAL MARKETING! Here is the email I got:
“Global Marketing, Inc.
3333 Bowers Ave Suite #130
Santa Clara, Ca 95054
408-200-9895
Thank you for your interest in a position with Global Marketing, Inc. My name is Stacy Joseph, and I am the Human Resources Manager. I’ve received your resume, reviewed your qualifications, past experiences and skills, as well as compared your resume to others received. After evaluating these things against our criteria, I would like to invite you to come in for a personal interview with one of our managers.
Congratulations on being selected, as there were many resumes that were submitted and reviewed. With new locations, new clients, and current campaigns that include some of the area’s professional and amateur sports teams, as well as a few of the region’s premier restaurants, golf courses and entertainment venues on the horizon, it is important that we set up an initial interview as soon as possible.
Please call our office at 408-200-9895 between the hours of 9am to 5pm to schedule an initial one-on-one interview. Please note the interview will take place at our Santa Clara location. Thanks again and we look forward to speaking to you soon!
Sincerely,
Stacy Joseph
Human Resources Manager
Global Marketing, Inc.”
Ha Ha! I love that i found this site three weeks after I worked for one of these companies. All is as it should be, even down to the spiel on gas. The funny thing is I had a knack for asking the questions like “who pays for gas” and “what happen to the receptionist I talked with on the phone” (as they tend to use many names). lol, anyway, yes it works, I made like $130 on my first day and quit on my second. It sucks, totally not professional, and not recommended for any college grad with real education seeking to put your talents to work. M.A.X.I.S consulting group inc is definitely one… “you’ll be nothing more than a glorified door-to-door salesman”! – Me
Here’s another couple in Colorado that I almost fell for..
Entertainment Marketing AKA W.I.T. Enterprises
on 7475 Dakin St in Denver, Co
Steven Reagan
HR Department
Entertainment Marketing, Inc.
Off: (303) 412-6747
http://www.ent-marketing.com
And The Marketing Group
Katy Jones
6160 S. Syracuse Way, Ste. 100
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Phone: 303-220-9604
Fax: 303-220-9607
Email: hr@rockiesmarketing.com
Hilarious!
Wow. I’m about to move back to Colorado. I would like to report that “The Marketing Group.” has since changed their name to Rocky Mountain Marketing Inc!
But it’s the exact same address and phone number! I sent my resume…here’s the e-mail I got back:
Hi Jd,
You had recently submitted a resume into us via e-mail. We are very much interested in discussing this position with you further as well as potentially setting up a time for you to come in to interview with us. If you are still actively looking for a position, contact me @ 303-220-9604 between the hours of 9 am and 4pm. If you are no longer interested in a new position, please contact me as well via e-mail or phone so that the Human Resources Department can update your file properly.
Thanks and Have a Great Day,
Please feel free to visit our web site and twitter account!
Rocky Mountain Marketing
6160 S. Syracuse Way #230
Englewood, CO 80111
The complaints about The Acquisitions Group are all true and it is a scam. I traveled 2 hours because of the tough economy for the first interview which was a sheep herd of people going in to fill out paper questioners and then a 10 minute interview which is only an employee asking you more questions. Talk about a waste of time. The atmosphere there was very unprofessional. (Blasting Hip-hop music while I am trying to answer questions is rude). I knew the company was cheap because the receptionist desk was the same one I had in my apartment that I got for $60 at Wal-Mart. I have researched the company and it is all a scam. It is easy to fall for but thanks to other internet posts and articles I will not waste another 4 hours of my life and gas money for the second interview. Thanks to all who have complained. “The Acquisitions Group” = Scam Scam Scam Scam Scam Scam Scam Scam Scam. Let’s see if that gets google hits.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, I had an interview, but not going. I also found a link to this which might be helpful to anyone else questioning this
http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=120960222985177900
It’s an article about the landers corp, which is suspiciously close to the “MAXIS Consulting group” I had an interview with, but not anymore
I got the exact same email as KB, and I worked there for a week. It’s a scam.
Omg ! NY Promotional Events is a HUGE SCAM !
I was set up with a interview with this girl Alexandra Giblin. She tells you to call her “allie” she is so nice and bubbly it makes you feel comfortable ! But she is lying to you, she tells you before your first interview that they have office, marketing, customer service, and public relations positions available, and they train you !
I was like so excited when I got the interview, I bragged about it to my mom and dad and my girls. I was so embarrassed, they stuck me in front of an ugly gas station in a bad neighborhood and I had to bother people to buy some car cleaner. It was so humiliating !
I did this for two weeks, and then when I got my pay, i only made $40.00 !!!! Forty dollars for two weeks work !!!!! I was so angry, I wanted to sue ! I didnt know it was commission only !!!!!!!!! But they insist that they told me it was commission only, and I couldn’t do anything about it cuz legally I agreed to it. ARRR !!!!
Big waste of my time !
I am on the side of the ONE guy I saw write something positive. Does anyone know what direct sales and marketing is!? It is going door to door and that can mean either to businesses or to customers homes. Making one or two hundred dollars a day is pretty darn good for an entry level postion. Some of these companies I’m sure are sketier than others but I know the one I worked for had a respectable manager who worked very hard to shake the stigma of door to door sales being a “scam.” Most are real companies with real people working there and make real paychecks. Not many, but some employees do advance into managemnt roles within the company. I am not sure how this would be the case if it were not a real company.
If you are NOT interested in going door to door here is a tip, do not reply to ads for Direct Sales and Marketing Companies!!!!! I was not brainwashed but I no longer work there. I put the sales experience on my resume and have a great job now but I wouldn’t have gotten my curtrent job without experience. The sales and marketing jobs you are all hoping and expecting to get are not for entry level people like yourselves. Entry level postions are not glamorous and direct sales is no exception. Quit complaining and get over yourselves…. college grads are a dime a dozen. I was one, you are one or you will soon be one! Good luck to you all you complainers and I hope you find a position that is right for you, but you aren’t going to find it on this site!!
Thanks direct sales. You not only taught me discipline, work ethic, and how to communicate effectively with others, you made me a lot of money. Thanks to all the so-called “scammers” out there who were willing to give me a job, when I DIDNT have any experience. I am sure some people have had bad experiences in the past with some of these companies, but do not judge all companies the same way. If you google Subway or Walmart scams, you will find a million different things on these companies. Does that mean that these companies are scams. NO, of course not. It means the internet is a very place for people to express their OPINIONS. Also, from my experiences, if people want to have a great career and be “successful”, then they have to work A LOT. When people are going to medical school, they have to put people in the worst possible situations to see if they can handle being a doctor. Simply, it is all supply and demand. Sure, everyone likes the idea of being successful and being financially stable, but once they find out that they have to WORK, then they usually find a easier route. For example, everyone that starts out going to med school/law school doesn’t become a doctor or lawyer, because it is hard and you have to WORK LONG HOURS. The longer I write this, the more pissed I am getting by all these average, spoiled people on the job board. Do some real research before getting on these boards and letting people who you’ve never met before influence your decisions and your career. Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Jamie Foxx, Colenel Sanders (ha), Donald Trump, Mark Cuban all started of doing residential sales. They turned out OK. Some people are satisfied with making 50k per year and that’s fine, but if you’re not, then you should check out a direct sales company. Only do it, if you are willing to work your ass off. Have a good one.
Hey. Has anyone experienced anything with the Maxis Consulting Group or should I pursue a job opportunity there? Portland, OR.
Thank you to ALL of YOU! I was going to travel to Tigard for my initial interview with Maxis Consulting. I was very excited and have extensive professional experience. I started my research after my conversation with Human resources named Terry. Very nice and very professional. After reading this website I was concerned, but still was giving them the benefit of the doubt. II figured I’d call and ask a couple basic questions and if they could answer those without a problem I’d attend the interveiw. After all this type of business is not for everyone, but real business IS for me. I called human resources and spoke with Kathy. I just had three questions:
1: What type of duties would I be doing during the job?
2: Is there door to do sales?
3: What is the pay during training?
I was very respectful. I didn’t have an attacking mindset because after all I still believed that this company was not affiliated with Landers or BMF. In fact, I hadnt even heard about Landers or BMF till this website. She told me she couldn’t answer what duties nor pay because they simply work to set interviews and schedule new employees. She told me door to door sales means residential and they strickly do business to business. Which is a friendly and non threatening way of saying door to door with businesses. When I asked her about the job duties she told me she didn’t know and that was the purpose of the interview. I explained to her I just wanted to know before I drove down (6 hours) because they were compared to Landers and BMF. She suddenly became VERY defensive and said it was only because BMF used to be located across the street, but no affiliation. She then told me there were many qualified applicatants and that she didn’t feel like wasting ten minutes of her time to explain to me the duties of my job. All I wanted was a one minute version not an indepth account of my daily activities. That should be at the interview. She continued on attacking me and told me that I was the one choosing to relocate and it was me who was deciding to apply for them. I couldn’t believe how agressive she was being! She also told me a manager would not call me to talk about the position because a real employee would show up for the interview.
The funny part about this is.. I don’t mind selling business to business. It’s a tough job, but gets your feet in the door and the training and expeirence can really set you up for success in the business world. I admit it’s not for everyone, but it you can look past the 72 work weeks for little pay for a short amount of time, business can lead to huge success.
I realized that if 10 minutes of her time was being “wasted” by answering a few quetions then truly they must be the same type of job. If a business wants you they will spend their time selling you THEIR company. A real qualified employee brings sucess. You wouldn’t let them slip away!
She also said they receive hundreds of these type of calls every week which makes sense to her frustration. I just can’t believe I almost drove 6 hours to interview with them. THANK YOU ONE DAY ONE JOB!!!
PLEASE add Dynasty Inc. (or just “Dynasty”) and Worldwide Acquisitions to this list. They are both SCAMS and NO ONE deserves to be sucked in!!!!!!!
Here’s one that I almost fell for… bummer, I was getting my hopes up for a good marketing job.
Northeast Consulting, Inc. in Braintree, MA.
Here’s there official website: http://www.northeastconsultinginc.com/
And here’s a couple other articles about this scam:
http://freethebasement.blogspot.com/2009/03/job-searching-marketing-scams-and-you.html
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/457/RipOff0457511.htm
The M.A.X.I.S Consulting Group is was The Landers Group has change their name to in the Portland area. Having been suckered in the “job shadowing” for a similar multi-level marketing company in Seattle that sold office supplies to companies door-to-door and getting stuck for an entire day 55 miles from home with no way to leave I knew right away what they were after I interviewed with them a year and a half ago. Unless you like selling Mariners tix door to door, stay away from the M.A.X.I.S Group in Portland, they are the Landers Group.
Thank you all. My college son was very excited about being called to interview with the company of Force. He then was called back for a second interview that said it would take 8 hours working from 12-8 (p.m.) I decided to look into this before he went for the second interview and found this site as well as others that discussed what a scam this is. Shame on these people for trying to take advantage of people. In these economic times when people are desperate for jobs and money is tight it is ridiculous someone is out there trying to scam an average American. I researched and found a list of names these business operate under but all lead back pretty much to the same set up and scam. Right down to the “slick Indian” guy doing the bate and switch interview tatics to throw off naive unsuspecting people desperate for work. Thank you again to all who take the time to respond to these and put this information out there so others do not have to suffer.
My Fiance fell for this scam unfortunately.
He has worked in a company in LA called ” Sports Marketting International”. These people that work there are VERY shady. He never ever got paid and he worked 16 hour days. When ever he would bring this up to his “Manager”, he would get excuses and get “promoted”.
If you run across this company, or any like it… RUN!
My advice? Visit the website before you go for an interview. If they seem as though they’re talking to a potential employer instead of a potential CUSTOMER, then they’re basically just trying to get people to work for them.
you can add Polaris (Financial District) & NY Partners in NYC – 35W (blocks from the Empire). SCAM – SCAM – SCAM – A-LOT! found these on the craigslist job board/post.
I asked very precise Qs prior to my meeting … “is this a salaried position, or commission-based structure?” Of course … I was given incorrect info from my initial phone screening/invitation for an interview. $43 later … I’m home and upset that the opportunity was NOT genuine. What a little lie can do – thanks Jenny. And for the hiring manager, Dave … to insult and put down a fellow employee for giving false info – stating “that she doesn’t know, and has no idea what’s going on” … yet she only works in HR.
NY Partners – prides themselves in working with an energy provider in TX with whom you can only take a logical guess to who it is … other than that same shpeal that others have written on this forum.
Keep it movin everyone … these are the breaks … and we”ll all get our chance to shine!
Not sure if it’s already listed but add Sports Marketing Inc. in Sherman Oaks, CA. I was going to go for an interview and I’m so glad I did my research first. I googled the “President” Matt Kelly of Sports Marketing Inc. and got lots of great information. Thanks a lot! Here are some other reviews:
http://www.ripoffreport.com/The-Landers-Group/Multi-Level-Marketin/The-Landers-Group-Matt-Kelly-FEE59.htm
http://www.ripoffreport.com/The-Landers-Group/Employers/The-Landers-Group-Kelly-Adve-787CD.htm
i responded to an ad on craigslist for Polaris NYC. they called me immediatly. did a quick google search and found out there are shady as hell.
stay away from these slimeballs.
T.A.G. Marketing, Los Angeles, is another scam. I applied on Careerbuilder to a post advertising “entry level marketing jobs”. Allegedly, their company serves Fortune 100 companies like AT&T and Staples. I received a call back later that day from their receptionist, Samantha Marroquin. She wanted to set up an interview immediately. So the next day I went in and the reception room was the standard fake job fare: cute receptionist, big screen TV tuned to ESPN, loud pop music playing over the stereo, and about a dozen wide-eyed young applicants waiting for an interview. Jeez, can’t these scam artists put in the effort to be a little creative/unique? I interviewed with Katie Hsieh who mumbled incomprehensibly whenever I asked her specific questions regarding the job. I declined the offer to attend the second day-long interview, so I was spared that excruciating ordeal, but I DID fall for the initial interview. I’ll tell you why: the receptionist was nice and professional, and I didn’t ask for detailed answers regarding job duties. So there you go! Ask “What exactly does your firm do, and what specifically will I be doing in your entry level position? What specific product are you selling?” Any real business will easily answer such questions.
Long story short, T.A.G. Marketing Los Angeles California. SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM.
I am a former employee of the Landers Group, and your right, they lure you in with all these big name companies that they “represent”. I fell for it and began the entry level position, within a week I was promoted to the next level. The schedule was horrible. I worked all day from 7am-7pm(9-5 in the field) Monday-Saturday. I had no other problems besides the amount of time spent working. I made bell everyday(profit of 100.00) and the weekly paychecks were great for a 19yr old. That is until our weekly pay schedule was thrown off and we were getting paid bi-weekly, then the bi-weekly pay never came and we were waiting on “backed up leads” to be verified before our pay was distributed. There were so many ups and downs of that job but you could never show it. Everyday after a hard day of soliciting we’d come back to the office and if asked how your day was your only response should be “Awesome”. It was as if I was working with a group of robots. I can recall one day working inside of a Sam’s Club and I made $15 the whole day….I finally quit that crappy job and got a real job with a steady paycheck.
#1 in google for the landers group – congrats willy!
Does anyone know anything about Sports & Entertainment Advertising in Denver? They said there are employees who are in charge of door-to-door sales but that’s not the position they want me for. Has anyone heard of this line before or does it sound legit?
Does anyone know anything about SC Marketing in Anaheim? Located at 701 E Ball?
Great Post,
Was just about to send my resume to the The Acquisition group in Framingham, Ma. Thank God I googled them first.
I just had my second interview yesterday with a company just like these, in Raleigh, NC. I had a bad feeling about it from day one but went anyway because I need a job.
My question is do any of these type companies represent big name companies like Sears and Home Depot, or is this the same type of thing.
At the moment I am thinking I should accept my losses and run. Any advice?
I had my first interview with M.A.X.I.S Consulting Group today. My interview was with a very nice bubbly lady named Carrie. She seemed to have a lot of knowledge of the company but spoke very quickly. She said the first interview was just to get to know me and a second interview would be much more informative. She implied that she needed an assistant manager to start asap. The second interview was to see how i related to all the higher-ups and if they thought I was a good fit. So the first interview was short and sweet and I left feeling good, hopeful of my new position. Needless to say I’m not going to my second interview, I am however going to call to ask a few questions. If the response is the same as the rude and defensive responses that others have received, I will share a few words back.
Thank you everyone for all your stories and comments, additionally I just moved here and am actively seeking employment. Any ideas…shoot me an e-mail.
thanks,
Miranda
Archetype Solutions is a scam…you can find them on EVERY job search site…even Myspace…AVOID THEM!
I can’t tell you how many times I have had been threatened to have the cops called on me….embarassing.
[…] The Landers Group […]
So, Old Employee, which of the scam companies are you pimping for? Do you enjoy taking money from people to satisfy your selfish immoral ends? Enjoy hell, boy.
I am happy for these postings also. I just got a call from Pacific Advertising Group and for some reason I wasnt really happy about the call. Even though I really really need a job. So I googled it and came here. Im happy Im not the only one that felt that way. Thanks guys.
Add Dynasty Marketing In Burlington, MA to the list. After scheduling an iternview with the so called venue and sports management firm I decided to cancel. When I googled the company I couldn’t find any history or anything about the company. When i searched Dynasty Burlington, MA all I could find were blogs about how the company is a scam. When I applied I received an email response within 2 hours, telling me to give them a call and im the perfect candidate to set up an interview. I thought it’s the other way around they call there potential employees? I then sent them another application using another email and false name with made up stuff that had nothing to do with marketing, such as cashier at a grocery store again im the perfect candidate.
For your advice do not waste you time, money, or breath on these so called professionals
Another one of these companies just started in Walnut Creek California. I went through interview #1 and also began researching feeling as though I was not receiving straight-forward answers. I just googled the mission statement of East Bay Concepts and found 5 matching websites.
i just wasted a week and a day buying into this shit….me and two other chics did some research and feel so stupid for wasting our long hours with these fake people delivering empty promises…two of us have degrees and are not stupid by any means…we were skeptical and did our research and now we have lost time we cannot get back. anyone in the tempe, mesa, tuscon, scottsdale, phoenix area beware of anyone calling themselves owners named vince, johnathan or carissa….sux because i thought these were good people… they even call themselves christians …. what a let down, especially to someone who just moved to the area…dangggg :(
oh ya…they call their “business” fiat lux enterprises…another to add to the list
So here is my bullshit story. Much like the stories posted above this isn’t too different. I actually have a decent job but am looking for better pay. I applied on careerbuilder to a job at SMI or Sports Marketing Inc. Total BS. So I go to the interview… cute receptionist? Check. Big screen tv playing sportscenter? No, the tv was playing Never Back Down. Awful. Nobody ever says their last name at the business either. So when I went in “Andy’s” office there wasn’t anything personal. he talked fast, fed me some lines about the White Sox being a client of theirs. They also can never give a number. Everything that should involve a number Andy would say, “They have been a client of ours for a few years now.” Or, “Here at SMI, we have been in business now for… a number of years.” What the fuck does that mean you D-bag? I was there for no more than 25 minutes and he said he would call me back around 5:30 after they reviewed my qualifications against the other candidates. Sure enough, at about 5:45 Andy calls me. I didn’t answer, so he left me a voicemail, where he fumbled in pronouncing the name of the company. Awesome. I call the guy back. He says after further review I was one of the top candidates and he would like me to come back tomorrow and spend the day from 9am to 6pm. Kiss my ass. I said I can’t. So he won’t let this go and asks me when I am free. I say I will find out next Thursday. He asked me to call him then. Thinking long about this, I decided not to call him back. Stay away from SMI, Sports Marketing Inc. in the Chicago area. This place was located in Lombard.
PLEASE ADD:
ECS inc of Long Island City to the list of scams. After reading the post above made by “KC” i realized that i received the same e-mail ALMOST EXACTLY word for word – seems all that was changed was the contact information. RED FLAG.
“ECS, Inc.
44-02 23rd St.
Ste #420
Long Island City, NY 11101
I’d like to thank you for applying to ECS and for your interest in a position with our company. A member from my management staff has received your resume, reviewed your qualifications, past experiences and skills, as well as compared your resume to others received. After evaluating these things against our criteria, I would like to invite you to come in for a personal interview with one of our managers.
Congratulations on being selected, as there were many resumes that were submitted and reviewed. With new locations, new clients, and current campaigns that include some of the area’s professional and amateur sports teams, as well as a few of the region’s premier restaurants, golf courses and entertainment venues on the horizon, it is important that we set up a preliminary interview as soon as possible.
Please call our office at 718-706-6230 to schedule an initial on-on-one interview during our office hours, which are Monday-Friday from 8am – 5pm. Thanks again for your interest and we look forward to speaking with you soon.
Sincerely,
Sarah Peterson
ECS, Inc.
Human Resources
careers@ecs-inc.net “
I am so glad I found this. I had a phone interview with a company called PMA Concepts tomorrow. I started doing research so I would be able to talk to them about the company, then I came across this website. Thank you so much.
VMI, COR concepts, FX marketing, SMI sports marketing = SCAMS…They are all the same. Stay away and dont waist your time!
Well, I have to say, working for TOM SPIRO at VICTORY PROMOTIONS was an experience. I had a great leader who showed me the ropes, worked hard, learned tons and because of my efforts to push myself to be better, make more money (come on guys, everyone likes a massage!) I have subsequently always been employed, I do what it takes and am pretty stoked about it. Working a commission only job teaches a person what work really means, and if you’re good at it enough to teach other people how to make money, that’s a gift. I love my job now. I wouldn’t be as rediculously awesome at it if I didn’t know what I was doing. And I learned all that stuff on the street. Working for Victory Promotions was probably the best thing I’ve ever done. And no, it’s not forever, and yes, it’s totally hard work. But if you can do that, you can do anything.
If you’re unemployed and looking for work, go earn it. That’s what employment is all about- ensuring that stuff moves from person to person, business to business. Sell stuff. Practice because it’s not the easiest thing to do but you can learn how to do it. Earn your money. Once you prove that you can earn it, someone will hire you to work for them. And you’ll know how to ask the right questions and land whatever job you want. You learn how to turn a No into a Yes. It’s a skill, it can be taught, practiced and developed. But even when you’re working for someone, it’s important to know deep down, you’ve got to earn your job too. It’s not a gift or an entitlement. People who work hand and do what it takes are valuable and make bank.
Stop whining, start working. Do what it takes. Talk to the people who earn the most money in the office and do what they do. And then you’ll be earning money too. And then you parlay your SKILLS into a job that you really want.
I’ll hire anyone who was successful door to door. Because I know they have mad skills. They worked for them and will do great in business because they have a solid foundation.
You can add JCW Marketing in Charlotte NC. Had an interview tomorrow that I will not be attending. It is exactly what has been described.
I worked for PMA Concepts, and after going through the experience, I have to say that as far as I can tell these companies aren’t scams, but are very, very misleading. They are extremely vague with the job description, they throw around big name companies that they “partner with” ( whether it’s true or not I don’t know) they tell you that, they’re only bringing back 4-5 people out of 50 that are interviewed today and you’re one,and on your second interview, the day that you shadow your potential team leader, you’re still not told what you’re going to do until you get close the territory for the day.
I stopped working only after a week because of physical aliments but I have no problems with the work itself, it’s quite easy, but it just wasn’t for me. The only real problem I have with the company was that I was told my paycheck ( I did get leads during my time there) would be mailed to me within two weeks, it’s been more than a month. Whenever I call the receptionist says that the lead manager is on a call and will call me back, he hasn’t so far, and today I kept calling the office and no one answers. I want to think positively of the company, but the way they’re treating my situation is making me think otherwise. I didn’t work for free, I produced and I want to get paid.
Bottom line I feel that this (these) company isn’t a scam, because you do make money, or so I was told, but they are very sketchy with details and how they reveal themselves to you. I feel that no matter what the job is your potential employer should always be upfront on what the job entails.
So, you’re telling me that you were misled by this company, still worked for them, and haven’t been paid, yet you don’t think it’s a scam?
Willy, in my case I guess you’re right it was a scam, because I haven’t been paid yet even though I worked and put in hours for the company, but as as much as I could tell there were people who were getting paid and making money, so that’s why I’m not so quick to call it a complete scam. Dishonest and misleading yes, but it’s not a situation where you don’t have to put in large amounts of money ( no money for that matter) just to work or showcase the products. But don’t think that I’m letting them off the hook because I am pissed and frustrated with my situation, because no matter how small the paycheck maybe, its money that is owed to me. I wouldn’t advise anyone to work there or a similar company unless you’re truly desperate, because in my view not getting guaranteed money for that kind of job isn’t worth it.
Company in Atlanta claims they are a company under AT&T…Fire, Inc. sounds like the same type of thing.
Yep. The Acquisition Group. And just in case you google it and spell it wrong, The Aquisition Group. Definitely appreciate the head’s up about this one. THANK YOU!
Please add Sabres marketing and Royal marketing to the list! (exton, pa)
Acquisition Group
I was contacted because they viewed my resume on Careerbuilder. I was called and told they were looking to hire a new director of marketing. The interview was set up very fast within 24 hours which I thought was unusual. I looked at their website and found it uninteresting and decided what the hell… I’m free anyway I’ll go and see whats up. When I arrived to the interview I sat and waited about an hour to meet with a guy. He took my resume and application did not even look at them and started off talking about the company. Periodically he would stop and ask me if this was something I was interested in. Towards the end I stopped him and said “This does not sound anything like the duties of a director of marketing. It sounds like a direct marketing/sales position” He smiled and said exactly. I told him what I was told I was interviewing for and he said that there is fast growth potential into that position. Kinda irritated I said “but that’s not what I was told I was interviewing for which seems a little misleading.” He went on the state more perks about the business and how face to face sales works and how a business makes money. Really irritated I stopped him again and said “did you actually read my resume.?” he said yes and I proceeded to say “you realize I have an MBA and around 9 years experience as I COO for a European Corporation along with 3 years experience as the VP of sales for fortune 500 software company.” He said “yes and that is all great experience which makes you a very competitive candidate for this position. I said “then why are you explaining to me how business works when I obviously have been a C level exec for a company. He stated all companies are different in how they generate money”
(which is true but sales is pretty straight forward) and I stated I’m interested to know more about your compensation package, he went on to explain a guarantee weekly and commissions then jumped into say you have 6 figure potentials with us. I said like a smartass “great but what if I’m shooting for 7 figures in the next two years is that possible?”
And of course he said no. After asking him how long he worked there which was about 1 year I asked if he had made 6 figures which of course was also no. I proceeded to ask what companies they do business with specifically and he named of a company I was formally the Internet Marketing Director for. I asked him about that company and he went on stating all these facts which were not facts but more so misleading information meaning they purchased from the company. I stated well since I have made purchases from Wal-mart, Costco, LL-Bean etc… can I say that I do business with them yes… but that does mean I do business for them…no… Very very irritated I said you must think I’m a fool then by telling me this and even conning me into an interview for a position you are not actually offering and then telling me all these BS perks. Along with the fact your sorry company thinks it’s ok to exploit educated people for shit pay and the fact you think I spent 6 years in two Ivy league institutions to work for 500- 600 bucks a week is truly fucking insulting. I realize times are bad but if you read the bottom of my resume where I provided you with my salary History and requirements you’d know I have a History of making near 7 figures and you probably cannot not afford me at this time. He then said I think we are done and I got up and left.
To my surprise I got an email when I got home, Automated of course asking me in for a 2nd interview. Wow did not see that one coming after a cursed and totally disrespected the disrespectful hiring manager that sucks poor saps in daily to make him money while half of them wait to get paid. It’s very sad it’s not like the old days when people could get jobs by achieving in their fields educated or not. It’s companies like these that are the problem with our work system today. That is also why an education means less today and it’s harder for small companies to exist.
Now I am a candidate for a job as a C-level exec and am even ok with work for less than 60k a year if it’s with the right company and a company going somewhere. I kick myself in the ass daily for leaving my old post to move for my kids but I am one of the lucky few that have a lot of capital to live off of till I find another good job. For all the other poor people that end up taking these positions with these companies only to get screwed in the end expose them for what they are “professionals yes but not in the world of good business, they are professionals at taking advantage of people in hard times and new college graduates lacking to common sense to see through their bullshit”
does anybody know anything about a company called NCIS, they are a fragrance company, they changed their name to ACO I was wondering if they were fake.
I worked for one of these places for a few months in St Louis and I agree with the FEW people on this message board that have something positive to say. Its DIRECT marketing, what do you think its going to be? Its hard work but at the end of the day you felt as though you earned your money. Yes I “sold out” too and now work a desk job with a steady paycheck. But let me just say that having door-to-door sales on your resume REALLY helps. After putting my direct marketing experience on my resume doors started to swing open for me and I am now on a career path I enjoy. It really shows you what hard work truly is and makes you appreciate getting steadily paid. All I’m saying is go experience it for yourself, if you dont like it its only one day out of your life, your not employed anyways what else do you have to do?
I second Jennifer’s comment about Sabres Marketing (Exton/Phila/etc) ~ it is not a real company!!!! beware! Also, anybody heard of Legacy Concepts Inc (www.legacyconceptsinc.com) in King of Prussia, PA~ I have a feeling this is another scam! There is a real Legacy Concepts based out of AL with a different website… I don’t think there would be 2!
Has anybody noticed that these scam jobs all use gmail accounts?
Wow! I’m soooo glad I read up on this. I sent in my resume for the” Aquisition Group” of Framingham MA yesterday and they set me up with an interview today. I had a dentist appointment and they didn’t mind if I was late. They were “wrapping up” interviews though and had to get mine in asap. I went to the interview and it felt really strange. There were no company signs just paper taped up on the window. They said they had been there for two years. Shouldn’t they at least have a real sign by now? Inside It was just a bland office setting blaring loud music.
The man took me in for my interview and it lasted all of 10 minutes. I learned nothing about the job except they market for Verizon and Staples. I just told him about my hobbies and experience in marketing which was nil. About 3 hours later they had a “board meeting” and I was invited to the second interview. The whole thing wreeked of scam to me. I can’t afford to quit my day time job for this.
Wow.I am really amazed at these experiences. JCW marketing group and Elevations are just like this. I live in Charlotte NC, and i answered 2 job opportunities for both of these companies. Both ads were extremely vague and the ads were almost identical, I almost thought they were the same place but they are both 2 separate places as I have checked up on them some. At both places they wanted to set up an interview, but they would not say what the job was ; they called it a career opportunity. And when I attempted to call JCW back to find out more I was unable to reach the lady who had set the interview. No one ever picked the phone up. I was however able to0 reach Elevations, at which I cancelled my interview. I did resaerch on them and was not happy wth the things people were saying.I do agree with the people who say that is how direct sales are but I think it is unethical to advertise for positions that do not exist and purposely mislead applicants. The ad I answered did not mention direct sales. So people in Charlotte NC area watch out for Elevation Inc
and JCW Marketing Group. And there are also a few more just like them. Just check out their ad for a job see what it looks like and beware of any other company that has anything in common with them.
I got an interview at the company called Sports Plus Promotions at St Louis MO, do u know if this job is a scam? help
I have a second interview with Legacy Concepts Inc in King of Prussia, PA but it sounds very similar to these other companies. Anyone know anything about it? I have a feeling it’s also a scam
[…] first hit was for The Landers Group Entry Level Jobs | One Day, One Job url: http://www.onedayonejob.com/jobs/the-landers-group/. The website gave a brief description of the company and what they do and how it is essentially […]
Thank you for this website. I had an interview scheduled this afternoon with JCW Marketing. As a college graduate, I was really looking foreward to this. However, I found it funny that no website for JCW Marketing existed, but just their job postings. I called the person, and they said it was under Colossusmg.com, which was under construction because “basketball season just ended.” I don’t know what league she was talking about in January just ended! I looked under the Better Business Bureau and couldn’t find JCW. In fact, the phone number I was given was actually linked to the other company, Colossus Marketing! This was enough for me to raise red flags, so I started looking at some sites and found this one. Thank you for helping me realize this was a scam…
This is unbelievable!!! I went for my first interview at The Acquisition Group in Framingham, MA today. Traveled about an hour for a 10 min “interview”. A little over 2 hours later I recieved a phone call to come in for my second interview tommrow. But after researching and reading all of these posts, I do not plan on going back. What a waste of time and gas. I didn’t really get any information about what I would be doing. Just that my second day would be all day shadowing someone. What kind of “interview” is that? Isn’t that more like orientation, and you get paid for orientation? I now realize that there is no guaranteed pay and that is all door to door sales based. I can’t afford to drive 2 hrs, work all day and not have guaranteed pay. There were quite a few people in the lounge with me waiting to be interviewed, and some of them seemed to be way over qualified for this position (just by talking with them). This comapny seems weird and like they don’t really read resumes, they just try to lure you in to doing something, before you even realize what you doing. It sucks because I was going into to the interview thinking it could be a good opportunity. Guess Not!!!!
Soooo glad I found this blog. I applied for a posiiton with World wide marketing last night, but couldnt find a web address. I got a call back to day and the girl gave me the address http://worldwidemktg.net/ founded by adam gerald. When I googled the company name and the owners name to find more info, I came across ACG marketing, started by the same guy with the exact same website, just in NC: http://webpreview.estream.com/acgmarketinginc_com/. There is no real information on either of these websites about what the do, but from this site, I think I get a good idea. I’m Canceling my interview…. ACG Marketing is now World wide marketing or world wide concepts.
Bella Marketing in Culver City needs to be added to this list. I had an interview with them today. They work out of a tiny office park. They aren’t even listed on the building’s directory and their door sign simply reads “MARKETING.” In addition they answer the phone “Events and Planning.” A big red flag for me happened while I was waiting for my interview. The woman at the desk was calling people the entire time to schedule interviews. Technically she was doing a preliminary phone interview, but everyone got an interview appointment. That wasn’t such a big deal until she called one potential. Obviously I could only hear one side of the conversation, but I could deduce the other side. The potential had asked what the job was, to which she replied “Well, I’m only HR, so I can’t tell you much about the job. But I’m going to forward your resume to our hiring manager, and if you get selected for an interview you’ll receive a call in the next two days. They’ll tell you more about it then.” The one person who asked more about the job, didn’t get the interview. As for me, once I got home I decided to do a little more research on the company. All website results were about hiring opportunities. Even over half their website (once I actually found it) was about applying for a job. I got the second interview, but needless to say, I cancelled.
Has anyone heard of Universal Direct Inc (Ontario, CA)? I have an interview with them tomorrow, but they seems a bit off to me.
Global Marketing Inc. opened a new branch in Hollywood, Florida. I will not go for my second interview tomorrow. I was hopeful but skeptical about this job. The two that are running this “branch” are Carl Foss and Premal Colaco.
GLOBAL
4651 Sheridan St. STE 301
Hollywood, FL 33021
Thank you for your response to our company. After carefully reviewing your resume, we would like to congratulate you and invite you to come in for a preliminary interview with our management team. The preliminary interview gives us an opportunity to meet you in person and go over your experience. It also gives us the chance to share with you the different types of career opportunities that are available with us, and decide whether there is a match.
We are a sports and entertainment-marketing firm. We design, develop, and market aggressive promotional ad campaigns for professional sports teams, hotels, spa’s, and resorts. Because our advertising is affordable for our clients as well as our customers, our client portfolio has outgrown us.
If you feel like this is a good fit for you, please give us a call as soon as possible because we will be filling immediate entry-level positions as soon as possible!
I just scheduled an interview with the Acquisition Group for next week. After coming across this website and doing a little of my own research I am going to cancel that interview. Especially since I discovered that Simple Marketing Solutions, Inc. is located at the same address.
This post was so helpful… Unfortunately I wasn’t lucky enough to find out about this “multi-level marketing” scam before the dreaded observation day. I just got back a few hours ago and it was terrible. My interview was with Legacy Concepts in Birmingham, AL (which, by the way lala, is an MLM scam as well, trust me!) It isn’t necessarily a scam, but the opportunity for advancement is sketchy, and I couldn’t imagine doing what the girl who was training me did today! She was basically promoting the “growth potential” the whole time, which is obviously appealing but presumably false. The job entailed offering customers a free windshield wash for “customer appreciation day,” and checking the windshields for cracks. If they have a crack, you go into your salespitch for a certain glass company (I won’t name them because they probably aren’t even aware of the sketchiness involved.) If you have full coverage insurance, your policy will most likely cover it but if not the “associate” goes into a cash pitch and tries to sell the service anyway. This position is only supposed to be anywhere from 10-30 days, and then you move on to manager training, then to associate manager, and so forth within four months. I just don’t buy it, and I’m glad that resources such as this are available to warn unsuspecting victims of the inaccuracy of these job descriptions.
Can anyone tell me anything about a company calling it self Multi Smart Group? I recieved an email from someone name Roger Anderson today about multiple positions they have. The message also refers to a manager name Ms. Martin. I checked google and found a list that included multi smart group and multi smart group scam. If this is a scam please send out a warning to let me and other people know. I have been sent job offers from other scams like the Merrill Lynch scam last year. Does anybody remember that one? I will wait for a response before I decide whether or not to go talk to the Sheriffs department about this. I did not respond to the message but I do not want to blow the whistle on some thing before I have a little more info.
Does anyone know anything about RAM Marketing? Seem to be recruiting big time in the southeast. Family member is going to travel at her expense from TN to Macon, GA for “training” on Saturday. Sounds fishy to me. Coupons and “get your own biz” type of hype. Red flag went up on posting site where one of conditions of applying was NOT having a current job. What is this?????
I feel like everyone on this site is a bunch of unemployed babies. lol
Did anyone ever hear of Sabres Marketing. I just had an interview there today, based out of Exton. They seemed good but I cant find any info on them on the web. Please help!!
Okay i just saw the comments about it being a scam. Why is it one? God my mind is spinning with scams, and people saying things that are scams when maybe they just werent good at the job and are bitter.
Brian I had a interview at the same place in exton. They are for sure a scam, im a little bitter about it considering they have all of my info now. I tried calling them back to talk to someone and I have never gotten to talk to anyone. I would love to go there with the police and see if there is something we could do about these shady people.
Sabres marketing definitely needs to be added to the list. My second interview went almost exactly like the description says. Except going door to door it was business to business with many telling us to get out because they don’t like solicitors. Pretty much the most ridiculous thing I have ever done. Luckily I read this website before I went in and wasn’t expecting a whole lot, just wanted to see if it was really true, and yes, everything written about these jobs is true. It is a huge waste of a day, save yourself and don’t even bother.
also, I think there is a legitimate marketing firm in Philadelphia called Sabre Marketing. I think what this shady sabres marketing did was look for legitimate businesses in the area and make a name very similar so that when you searched them on google the website of the real company came up and had you believing that this company did more than soliciting.
Thanks so much. I was going to go on my second interview tomorrow at the Acquisition Group in Framingham, MA. I was pretty skeptical because the links in the emails they sent me didn’t work and there was basically nothing online when I was researching. Really glad I found this page. I won’t be going there tomorrow.
So, some thoughts on this. I worked at one of these evil companies (I won’t name names, but it was in the MD suburbs of DC) for a few months. Yes, they are horribly disingenuous and deceitful. But, as long as you don’t buy all the ridiculous BS about management, leadership, and moving up, it’s actually a pretty helpful learning experience. I had done one of the 2nd round interviews about a year before at a different company in the area (one I literally ran away from – while set up in outside at a strip mall, I told my “leader” that I had to pee, then ran out the back of the store and caught a cab back to the office and then snuck back into my car, I was duckin everywhere, it was some serious James Bond shit), so right from the get-go I knew the deal, but I was only in town for a few months, and it’s so tough to find a short term job these days, so I just went along with it. Really, if you know you’re only in it for awhile, it’s not that bad. I got stoned as hell everyday and basically just walked around talking to people. We were selling baseball tickets and paintball passes, so people were generally receptive, and I ended making around 100 bucks a day. The trick is to just not do what your boss says – change into comfortable clothes and shoes when you leave the office, make up your own pitch, smoke some joints, do whatever, just try to have fun with it. Oh, and if they tell you you’ve made it to “leadership”, just decline (the old “I’m not ready for that kind of responsibility” line worked way better than it should have, but then again my boss was pretty dumb), You will learn a lot about sales and personal interactions, and you’ll definitely be richer and better off for the experience. Don’t put it on your resume or anything, but it’s not the total waste of time everyone here makes it out to be, provided you have fun with it. Made a few friends too!
Oh, and a great way to mess with them, in addition to posting here and on places like RipOffReport.com and complaintsboard.com, if you have some free time and are a tiny bit twisted like me, is to make a fake email address (free and takes 30 secs) and then find the ads of these companies and email them a fake resume and name, applying for a position. They are humorously easy to find, anything on craigslist or monster, etc. that says “entry-level management” or “sports and entertainments marketing” or really anything that looks sketchier than a real company is for sure one of these Smart Circle/Cydcor/Ivonnage/DS-Max etc evil empire companies. I live out of the country now, but every time I give them my friend’s phone number (mostly just for him to have fun with it) on the resume, and he messes with and leads them on, schedules interviews 3 or 4 times and then doesn’t show up. It won’t bring them down, by any means, but it will do a bit to slow the incoming tide of fresh meat, which is the only way they survive really. Try it, it’s fun!
Here is a company that is very similar to Marcus Evans – I was stupid enough to think it was a legitimate company that cares about its employees and couldn’t get out of there fast enough upon arriving for an interview. The interviewer actually told me that he hates his job – now there’s motivation. Stay away from Global Events Management – it sounds an awful lot like Marcus Evans.
Does anyone know if Source Inc. operates one of these scams? I’ve seen a fishy job posting by them, and a suspicious email a friend got. They operate in the Chicago area, in Downer’s Grove.
Does anybody know anything about a company called Simple Marketing Solutions and whether they are a scam or not? I got contacted for an interview and it seems fishy to me that their site for the branch in MA is the same as their NY site.
Erica,
Simple Marketing Solutions is not a scam. Their home office is in Boston, MA. The NY location is their sister office.
Does anyone know anything about alternative advertising in nyc. I can’t find anything about them on the net. I have an interview scheduled with them and want to make sure it is legite.
I have and interview schedule with them today in Charlotte. Thank God for this site! I like to prepare for my interviews by knowing about the company. But now that I looking at their website and thankful having a job now and having been on plenty of interview before their are pleanty of red flags! Like what does the JCW stand for? Whats up with the random picture of so called ads you produced for said clients. Why cant you name any of your so called clients. I mean there is also no history about the company like when it was founded and where and by whom,things that you can easily find about any other company. They didnt come up in the BBB website. They advertised on linken in too which is how i found them. Im glad i decided to look them up. Now i wont be wasting my gas on them and can go apartment hunting instead!
I had the exact same experience with a company called JB Promotions (http://www.jbpinc.net) in Detroit, MI (more specifically Livonia, MI). I had my “second interview” today. I thought something was fishy from the start, their website didn’t say what they did exactly and pretty much strictly talked about careers with the company. Everything that was said above happened to me only I shadowed some guy at Home Depot, they said I was simply an observer but I felt like he was trying to get me to get a lead and was very vague about what they did and how the company was organized. Their office was very small and dirty, there was a different company name on the sign on the door as well as on the application.
I was never planning on taking the job if they offered it to me after today, it was unorganized and I didn’t like how the company felt. I just chalked it up to interview practice and a learning experience.
Again, the company is JB Promotions (www.jbpinc.net) and they are located in Livonia, MI a suburb of Detroit. STAY AWAY!
Does anyone know if the company SABRES is a legit business? They are supposedly a marketing, advertising, promotional company that specializes in sports marketing in the Philadelphia area. They posted a position on Careerbuilder.com They sound too good to be true but I wanted to see if anyone could prove me wrong from their own experiences. Thanks.
Has any one heard of JCW in Charlotte NC? I got a call from them for an interview, IThe website looks a little fishy.
Hey Mark, I have an interview with JB Publications, Livonia, MI today. The website did seem fishy – very general and without any specifications about what exactly they do. Any idea what their compensation structure is? And what exactly did you do at Home Depot – did you guys set up a kiosk and promote some product? Your response will be of great help. Thanks!
I’ve been seeing alot of scam reports from Northeast consulting. I’m supposed to have an interview with them tomorrow as well but……
Yikes. I just came back from an interview. I knew something was off when I heard MC hammer music in the background and signs for “Cash for Gold Parties” everywhere. The name of the company is Vision Marketing in Des Plaines on 2720 River Rd. Ste 18, They make it seem so believable, “If we don’t call you back, the company decided to go in another direction and good luck on your search” Puh-lease. I was in that interview with 3 other people. They took in 3 people every 5 minutes. Insane!
Well………I guess that does it for me. I was scheduled to interview w/JB Publications tomorrow SO I AM VERY HAPPY THAT I FOUND THIS INFORMATION.
I thought it was odd that I was contacted “1” day after sending my resume on Careerbuilder. I mean, seriously, when does THAT happen ever?
Gas isn’t free and I would not have been happy w/the waste of my time for an MLM or something. This was very fishy and vague..
Add Ascent Promotions, Pacific Advertising group, Archtype, and a few other in WA/OR
I have did a lot of research on these companies. They do a lot of bad business and charity scams!!!! Along also with check fraud, kiting and working long hours for less than min wage!!!
They are sales “cult” and they are hard to get away from once your in. It’s very mind altering. They thrive off of your dreams and goals. PLEASE read before you take an interview with ANY of these companies.
I belive they are rooted from DS-MAX and Quantum. Which you can find a MASS amount of info about their DARE program scam online. Just type it in google plus the word SCAM. Rip off Report has TONS of information (www.ripoffreport.com). They take a good portion of the money for themselves and lead consumers to believe they are making straight donations. They do this with now operation smile and the breast cancer foundation and others.
http://consumerist.com/2007/06/man-escapes-working-for-ds-max-esque-charity-scam-lives-to-blogs-his-tale.html
Here is a webpage with an ENTIRE breakdown of how these companies work/came about and how they are meant to be manipulating def look at this one:
http://childsafetyinc.blogspot.com/
Has anyone heard of 4 Fifty 8 Acquisitions out of Raleigh, NC? I have an interview with them on Thursday and wanted to know if I should be concerned with being scammed…
Watch out for “Tri-City Promotional Group” in Cattlesburg, KY. They said they were going to bring me in for an “Evaluation”, and instead, I ended up going out with some other guy selling junk to businesses, people along the side of roads, in parking lots and at gas stations. A good eight hours and a full tank of gas wasted, and no pay or anything.
So you guys have just saved me SOOOO much time. I am actually sitting under the hairdryer right now as I type and just thought I’d do some last minute studying before my first big interview before graduation next month. I found it odd that there was no “Global” found under any google, bing, yahoo, or askjeeves search and that the only website available for me to look at was the one provided in the email I received from the “HR manager” 1 day after sending in my resume. Well needless to say I will not be going to my scheduled 9am interview with Pierre at Global Marketing in Greensboro, NC tomorrow. I am PISSED I must say because I was really excited but it’s all good. Thank God for this site. Here is the letter I recieved in my inbox. I will share this site with ALL of my friends who are on the job hunt like me… UGH!!!
Global
3100 Smoketree Ct. Ste #802
Raleigh, NC 27604
919-876-4445
Greensboro Location:
204 Muirs Chapel Rd.
Greensboro, NC 27410
Hi Ryann!
I’d like to thank you for applying to Global and for your interest in a position with our company. A member from my management staff has received your resume, reviewed your qualifications, past experiences and skills, as well as compared your resume to others received. After evaluating these things against our criteria, I would like to invite you to come in for a personal interview with one of our managers at our Raleigh or Greensboro location.
Congratulations on being selected, as there were many resumes that were submitted and reviewed. With new locations, new clients, and current campaigns, it is important that we set up a preliminary interview as soon as possible. Please contact our main office at 919-876-4445 to set up a meeting with our HR Manager in either our Raleigh or Greensboro branch. Thanks again for your interest and we look forward to speaking with you soon.
Sincerely,
Emily Snyder
Global
Human Resources
919-876-4445
website
MIICAH MARKETING SOLUTIONS IN FARMINGTON,MI
Is the same exact way, Pyramid structure, sneaky, pushy and shady..no need to go into detail just stay away from them, they are just like the companies listed above. So sad
After reading most of these posts I decided that I should also put in my two cents. The common theme in most of these posts is that all these companies are a scam. Many people have used the phrases “Multi level marketing” and “Pyramid scheme”, when most of you obviously have no idea what they are. A Pyramid scheme requires you to purchase products or services and then try to sell them to friend, family, etc. Also, in a pyramid scheme as well as MLM, you are required to recruit others and you make money of those you recruit. While I cannot speak to the legitimacy of every company out there (listed here or not), I can say without a doubt that many companies are getting a bad rap. Most direct marketing companies out there are PERFORMANCE based. That means that you get paid in direct relation to the amount of work you put in. I have worked for a direct marketing firm for a while now and have never had problems paying my bills, nor have I been ticketed for soliciting, or anything else for that matter. What I do is help businesses to increase foot traffic by offering discounts to the community. We offer direct personal contact with every business in our client’s requested locations. This provides our clients with a type of advertising that is more cost effective than more traditional types of advertising. For example: Did you know that ValPak coupons sent via mail have a redemption rate of less than 1%? A promotional package that requires a purchase or small investment has a redemption rate of 80-90%. This is why our clients hire us!! It may be unconventional, but it works. This type of job is not for everyone, but that does not automatically make it a scam. It takes a lot of hard work to get ahead (most things do.), but that doesn’t make it a scam either. There are a lot of factors that determine weather a company of this type is successful or not, most of it has to do with the management and training, just like any other company. To those of you that were legitimately scammed, I am sorry that you were taken advantage of. To those of you who are just not right for a company, grow up. Just because you went to college doesn’t automatically mean you will get your dream job right after graduation. A degree doesn’t mean as much these days as it once did. Just accept that you were not meant to work for this type of job and keep looking for something that will require no work and keep you busy until retirement.
I would like to add another scam job posting North Inc, I got suckered in for about 2 days. I went to the interviews and I started training. I went to the “Pre-Managment meeting.” All to find out about the company… Cydcor. The Asst Manager was very shady. North Inc, sells ATT uverse in the St. Louis region, well I did some research all to find out this information. Luckily I realized this was a pyramid scheme and a scam. So anyone that is in the St. Louis region please do not fall for this.
Thanks for the heads up on JCW Marketing in Charlotte. I will be cancelling the interview I had tomorrow immediately. Here’s the web site they sent me: JCWMarketingGroup.com. Never really says what they do. The web site basically is just a push for people to apply to work there. What a waste of time!
I have an interview scheduled with them that now I won’t be going to.
SALES / MARKETING / ADVERTISING – Entry Level Positions: Worldwide Concepts
It tipped me off that it might be a scam because their letter head at the top of the email is spelled wrong…its supposed to be their logo and it is spelled wrong…not likely
Thanks this helps alot. unfortunately I had to learn about all this first hand. I like to pride my selfe on being wise and discernful but when times become desperate you look and take anything that comes your way. I learned you can waiste alot of time and money not just simply doing some research.
I posted my resume on Monster.com and within an hour I received an email from BELLA marketing, inc and BLUEPRINT marketing. Both interested in doing an initial phone interview as a part of their “three step interviewing process.” I googled their companies and looked at the clients pages of their websites and they SAID THE SAME THING. word for word. Bummer, but glad I caught on!
I have a second interview with h.d.m. marketing tomorrow. On a whim i decided to google it and see what was said about this company. Your link came up under “h.d.m. marketing concepts scams”. so obviously i clicked on the link. I don’t see anything that specifically mentions the company now that im on the site but im still a little concerned now. Any advice?
HDM marketing is opening an office where i live McAllen Tx… Was thinking of applying but now im a little worried it might be a scam. Did you ever find anything out about HDM marketing?
I am relieved that I came across this. I posted a resume on careerbuilder two days ago. Yesterday, I got a call from North, Inc., one of the companies for which I applied. I told her I was interested in the job and would be moving to the area (St. Louis) in July. She said that they weren’t hiring for July and August yet, but to give her a call when I get to the area. This sent up a red flag, because I thought surely they would fill the position by then. After reading on here about other scams, I looked into the business. I believe that they are an actual marketing company, however, I feel that they use the same scamming practices as these others. One thing I did notice was that they ARE accredited under the Better Business Bureau. My advice is to know what you are applying for, and do your research. Take the time to do it now, or you’ll just be wasting your time later.
FX Marketing was very similar to the Landers Group where they basically force you to go door-to-door in Chicago (including uncertain areas in the southside) trying to convert people to At&T’s services. Despite the fact their HQ is located in Rosemont, they would make you drive/take the train all over the city without any reimbursement. They basically will hire anyone on the second interview. Beware: They do not pay you for the first three weeks because it is consider as a “training” phase.
Primerica in Virginia is a scam. If you are contacted by Ken Ripa or his father Tad Ripa for a “business opportunity,” then you know you’re being pulled a fast one.
Does anyone know if Leveltech Consulting Group is a scam too??? What about 7 Promotions?
Another one I came across today, “www.impactexecs.com”.
Job ad here: http://www.jobs.net/Job.asp?jid=J8G41X6KL02D06GKYT2
Emerald City Marketing in Seattle is another one.
Is this company a scam???? several postings and spoke with someone who applied and has made it to 3rd interview stage. First 10min. interview, then job shadow for second interview and for the 3rd 30min or so interview. Let me know please…. portland, or
The company was archetype inc. she applied for…??? does anyone know…was based out of NY as archetype solutions and have moved offices to the westcoast…let me know please..also they have an office in seattle, Wa….thanks!!
I would say be wary of any company that contacts you to set up an interview within an hour or so after getting your resume. They’re probably a company like the ones on this list that have high turnover and so are speeding people through the hiring process.
Stay away from Impactexecs.com…I sent an email asking them for more information about the company. My email did not include a resume. I got a reply email from them stating: “My hiring team and I just got the chance to review the resume that you sent in for our entry-level position and… ”
They asked to meet with me but 1) I never sent in a resume! and 2) There website contains NO information about the company. They then posted 2 youtube links on the email attempting to show that they are a ‘cool’ company. They asked to meet with me tomorrow without knowing who I am or talking to me in person. Do not fall for this…they are not a real company!
They are currently posting an ad on Craigslist…avoid! I came across them in Chicago. Hope this helps.
Hey everyone another new SCAM company is RESOLUTE MARKETING CONCEPTS based in Pensacola, Florida. I luckily avoided the second interview. Looks like they came from ACG Marketing and Associates, Inc. (Charlotte, NC/Pittsburth, PA). Avoid these scumbags.
I got this email same exact thing as my friend got last year from the landings, mine in from JB promotions detroit MI. I called and feel like an idiot only cuz this has happened before.
I’d like thank you for your recent application as well as for your interest in a position with our company. My manager and I have been going through resumes and applications and after reviewing yours, we felt your previous experiences might help make you a good match for the position we have available. She is interested in scheduling an interview with you so that we can discuss the position more in detail, however, we did have a few questions we wanted to clarify before moving forward with an appointment. Please contact me.
So companies called LA Sports Marketing in Sherman Oaks, CA and SC Marketing in Anaheim, CA want to bring me in for interviews. I found out about the positions on monster.com. I’m suspicious because they got back to me very quickly and its so hard to get an interview with any sport org. Should I call them back?
By the way, this website is awesome. I graduated last year and I’m in the middle of the job search.
SCAM: They want you to sell Dodger, Angel and Clipper tix at Costco and Sams Club.
You can definitely add 4 Fifty 8 Acquisitions, Inc. to the list of scam jobs!! They go business to business cold calling for office supplies that no one buys!! 100% Commission, No Benefits, Use your own gas and vehicle. Everyone in the company is SHADY!! BEWARE!
4 Fifty 8 Acquisitions, Inc. used to be called St. Croix Concepts, Inc. Go to ripoffreport.com and look these up!! You can add Micalan Group, LPG, Inc. to this list also. You will see ripoff reports for all of these companies on that website! If you google the names of these companies, and a whole bunch of job search sites show up with their ads, you know its shady, and they’ll hire anyone, and are always hiring!! They are always hiring because turnover is soooo high! People quit when they realize how much money they are losing, and there is NO opportunity!
Here is another to add:
DSTY Inc.
Website http://www.dsty.us/
Address:
8200 Greensboro Drive
Suite 933
Mclean, VA 22315
781 359 9700
I had an interview with them in Mclean, VA and it smelled. The guy was dressed to the nines, didn’t ask any questions about my resume or myself, and it was located in a big office suite with no names or logos. Told me they had a year and a half waiting list of clients and wanted me to come back to “shadow” someone.
I skipped it.
Add Entertainment Advertising to this list in Livonia, Michigan.
How So? I have been searching for blogs or any “negitive” information about them and yours was the only comment I could find. If you could fill me it in you would save me alot of time and effort. Thank you
Polaris is now a company running this employment scam, they claim to work for quill, but quill denies any connection to them. The office is run by Elana Stein who is a real wolf in sheeps clothing beware of her and her cronies Taylor Howard and Ryan Nichols.
The hearbreaking thing about this scam Is that many of the door to door salespeople are very nice, sweet people who are just so happy to have a job(or what they believe to be a job)in this economy that they will not ask the necc questions any sane person would ask on the first interview. They promise things like “office pay” in the future and owning your own branch to keep these poor salespeople from leaving. It is really a horrible thing these people are doing. I feel sorry for the 50 people who work at Polaris that are completely fooled into drinking the kool-aid, I have never expierenced anything like this Jones-town meets Avon calling biz plan.
What type of office has rules like ” no asking how your day was” you may only say ” what worked for you today” , what worked for me was using a combination of common sense and the web to realize I too was a victim and a sucker!
Add these to the group of scams:
A2z Placement, Sphere Management, KCS Concepts, Galleria Marketing, MPC, Nationwide Employment Solutions, The Job Cooler, American Career Group, Web Development Group, Higher One, Triumph, ACG
I’ve been browsing for entry level jobs and I started recognizing a trend. Be cautious, everyone.
JT,
Are you not the same guy that cried in the office and begged and pleaded for your job when you were warned that if you do not meet standards you would be let go!!!!???
Add on WORLDWIDE CONCEPTS, INC. in Birmingham. I came for the second interview and they immediately tried to get me to get in a car. I refused to get in the car because it was a male and and I am a female. I knew they were trying to get me to go out and sell stuff. Thanks to this website I knew what to look for. WASTE OF MY TIME. I didn’t go to college for four years to work like that. I went to recognize the scammers.
E. MIchaels Marketing (alabama) Soon to be Maverick Promotions (virginia beach)
emichaelsmarketinginc.com – interviewed with them realized it was a scam right away reporting it to BBB. Watch out VB they are changing their name to Maverick Promotions
I interviewed with Venture Marketing in Alexandria, VA a couple of years ago and they sound like a similar company. The “marketing” job opening article was in the Sunday Washington Post, so I thought it was reputable. When I got there, I was in a waiting room with about 10 other people as the churned us out one by one on interviews. I was told they really liked me better than most of the other people in the room and I was asked to come for a second interview a couple of days later. When I showed up for the second interview, there were 10 new people in the waiting room. One by one we were paired up with current employees of the company and sent on a day-long excursion to see first hand what we would be doing. The particular person I was paired with was tasked to go to small companies and ask if he could order them office supplies from Quill. We were visiting offices that had already ordered through this person before. I thought it was strange that none of these customers wanted to place another order with the company. Throughout the day I was told to memorize some key company ideals such as the law of averages. I was also told repeatedly that I would work from commission so I could earn as much money as I wanted to. I accepted the job when it was offered to me later that day, but got cold feet a couple of days later and notified the owner of the company that I preferred a job where I could sit at a desk and make a standard living that did not fluctuate day by day. I do not feel that I was scammed, but the interviews were a waste of my time. I have heard there is a similar company in New York City that does the same type of “marketing” for Quill.
I had that same experience with the Venture Marketing solutions in 2004. I went through the same interview process. I commuted all the way from TOWSON, MD for about a month after I got the job. I only stayed that long because I hit a lick in the begining and made a couple grand by selling a bunch of printers to an office that was just opening. The money slowed up after that and it cost to much to even travel there. The core members of that group make all the money the door to door people quit and are replaced with new monkeys. The “ceo” was Justin Jordan but he took over between my first and second interview so I was a bit confused.
You can add Polaris to those involved in scam. They work out of a modified tenement apt in times square. The office employs mostly people who live with their parents and have no idea they are being walked all over. I went on a second interview with a guy who brought PB&J with the crusts cut off for lunch because he had no money, yet he loved his job. That’s the genius part of the scam people want to believe they are part of something great. Most of the people I met live over 90 minutes from the manhatten office. Ouch!!! I never believed suckers like this actually existed, but they do.
I just got scammed like this today in Nashville, TN. These people knew I live two hours away from Nashville, and still asked me to come up for an interview. I knew that something fishy was going on, but it didn’t seem exactly like a pyramid scheme. I’ve dealt with those before too. Based on all the stuff that I’ve read here there is no doubt in my mind that is what this company is doing. They are going by World Vision, Inc. But they claim to not be affiliated with the World Vision International that does humanitarian work. Glad I read this before going to second interview!
Allow me to add on to the disparaging comments about these kinds of companies operating as real ‘sports and entertainment marketing’ job opportunities. I actually was looking into JCW Marketing in Charlotte with a careful eye, because I already went through the routine discussed in the article above when I relocated to Raleigh a few years ago. Nothing but a SCAM. I would definitely recommend avoiding wasting your time, unless you desire employment that is commission based coupon selling. They tell you its not door to door, but that is exactly what the ‘job shadowing’ involves. I went to the second day interview in a full suit and dress shoes. It was the middle of summerm, like 90+ degree heat. I left extremely agitated, suit sweated out, and feet in pain from all the walking. The person I was shadowing ended up having to be picked up from heat exhaustion. I hope no one EVER gets caught as I did. Definitely will not get caught out again in Charlotte.
any one heard of worldwide concepts, atlanta
My brother is graduating in June and got an interview with Archetype Inc in Tigard, OR. I am worried that it might be a scam as I have seen it twice on this website. Does anyone have any information on this company? I can’t seem to find much. Thanks.
I just want to ad another – NorCal Group in San Jose, CA! This company takes a very deceptive approach and please be wary of their tactics because it is a scam – not only do you not need a Degree to work there but it is in an insult to your time and you intelligence to take the appointment with them – the whole business model is really skeevy.
I believe someone already posted about these two places but they’ve changed their websites-
Worldwide Acquisitions, Inc. is now at http://www.wwacquisitions.com
DSTY Marketing (Dynasty Marketing) is now at http://www.dsty.com
everyone on this site is wanting that corner office doing nothing but playing cards on the computer. IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. listen up 22 year old colege grads, the unemployment rate is at 9%. stop whining and work for your money like everyone else.
My son was looking for a job and got a quick call back from a company called “International Marketing Inc” that sounded suspiciously like these scam sites. Wanted him to come down to Richmond VA from Washington DC to sit for second interview (first was over the phone). After reading this site he changed his mind.
Also found their own website misspelled their name.
JCW Marketing.
Thank you for this site and the posts. As an experienced ad executive with 12 yrs of B2B sales experience and dealing with a hard market I was open to exploring the options with them only to find that it was fishy, unporfessional. If something appears shady upfront trust your gut that it is.
Add DSTY in McClean, Va to the list!!
I realized that most of these scam companies love to say that they have clients that are fortune 500 companies on their site. That is an automatic red flag.
Second all of their sites are noticeably homemade, and they still never really tell you anything about the company. I almost went into an interview with one of these companies (Leveltech consulting). They had the worst website ever. It was shabby, and not even completed. They had a bunch of comming soon areas. The best part of the website was in the contact section where they put a picture of their building with the camera angled to get the two large skyscrapers in the background making it look like that is where the actual office was. Although I never actually went into the interview. I know the area, and I know that their building was the small one that was barley noticeable in front of the sky scrappers.
I am ashamed of myself for almost getting pulled into this, because I usually know better, but I was excited to get any call at that point.
When the recruiter called I asked her a question about the position. She gave me a very politician answer (she didn’t answer the question). At that point I knew something was wrong. I told her I was going to pass on the opportunity. She asked me why. Now, it may not have been very professional of me, but I already knew I wouldn’t take the job anyway, so I told her that the job offer seemed strange and shady. She actually sounded a little nervous, and asked me if I saw the website. I told her that I could make a website too, but that wouldn’t mean I was a legitimate company, and then I hung up.
Today I am reporting this group to BBB, and to the NY attorney general. This Leveltech Consulting Group has been all over every single job search engine for months. I feel like it is not right that these places get away with misleading job posts, and clog our engines. People say reporting these places is a waste of time, but I have reported two other businesses in the past, and the BBB actually took care of it. We need to prevent these people from taking advantage of us.
Just had a reader e-mail me about the SoCal Group. Anybody have any experiences with them?
Southern California Marketing on Ball Rd in Anaheim….if you go to OCgov.com and find the section regarding Fictitious Business Names….Under the Business Name section type in Southern California Marketing…press Run Search….the following information comes up….Southern California Marketing…Business Owner, SCANNO ADVERTISING, INC.
The employment senario is the same as all complaintaints above, first interview, call back for a second interview…BUT they want you to do “marketing” for an 8 hour day on your second interview.
What I suggest to everyone is to go to your District Attorney Website, and check under Economic Crimes and read the law, then if you’ve had a bad experience with one of these like companies see if they have fallen out of the perimaters of the law, then you can file a complaint. Good Luck everyone, be careful with your job searches and try to investigate any company you wish to apply to on the internet first.
I just recently graduated and had ‘3 interviews’ lined up for after graduation. First was with Red Zone International, second with Metropolitan Sports Group, and third with Level Tech. All three… SCAMS!!! Red Zone was into credit card processors, MSG into selling coupons for their Fortune 500 clinets in the sports and entertainment industry (the Yankees, Nets, 76’ers, Spas, Golf clubs… etc.) and LevelTech was into selling for Direct Energy.
Something seemed fishy about these companies and so I did waste my time going through the interviewing process but turned down the positions because neither of these companies seemed legit.
just ‘interviewed’ with Leveltech inc, SKETCHY! I am extremely scared now b/c I gave them more info then I should have. HELP!
I am an employee for a very reputable hotel in Houston Texas, i was looking for something more in the field of Communications / Marketing and Advertising. So I did what everyone else did and put myself out there on Careerbuilders / monster / etc… and submitted my resume to 4 marketing and advertising firms in the Houston Area. Within 30 minutes to 24 hours I had appointments and interviews set up with all 4, i thought at least ONE of them had to be a fit for me… but they all fall under the categories of pyramid schemes, “face-to-face” / door-to-door, ‘management trainging programs’, ‘event based marketing firms’, etc… i could go on and on with the information provided in just the initial phone call setting up the interviews, as well as the first telephonic interview.
(the first 2 actually had websites designed by the same company listed below http://www.anissaroth.com/portfolio.html don’t trust anything on her ‘portfolio’
The MPC Group
Pure Global Enterprises (PGE) (This is NOT related to PG&E)
The SKE Group (no website or ANY information even upon request!)
and CRDB, Inc
I’m so mad at myself for getting excited about these jobs. If it hadn’t been for the prompting of one of my best friends, I would never have looked into this further, just accepting their websites at face value. He fell for the same scheme years ago and was kind enough to warn me about this scam… I guess I won’t be spending my only Friday off going from one interview to another… I’m sleeping in instead :)
Good luck to those recent College Grads looking for jobs and to those looking to further your careers!
Has anyone heard of NBC… in Nashville, TN? I had my second interview yesterday and it was definately direct marketing/door to door sales, and the “interview process” lasted 8 hours…. commission based, etc…. Any info on the legitimacy of this firm?
Strictly Inc and Divine Edge Inc in Atlanta Ga are both scams. I went in and went on second interview and quit. I wasn’t aware it was a scam but it was unorthodox. All the information was very vague. I knew I was not walking for 6 hours harassing people to buy Braves tickets. I also didn’t like the concept of them dropping me off in a shady neighborhood with no transportation and being at the driver’s mercy as to when you return to the office. I definitely think people need to be warned. Thank you for the information
AH! so another to add to the scam list….”Fiat Lux” who claims to be the premier events and advertising agency in Arizona. I had an interview with them last week, and it went the same as all the ones previously described in the texts above. I was told it was a “get to know you” session, and if they liked me after that they would invite me back to an on site day in the life of a fiat lux employee so I could see what they were all about, and if the liked me then I would be sent back to the office to fill out a questionare and a third interview and I would know right away if I got the job or not. Thankfully i did research on the company to be better prepared for my second interview. After doing research on the company, I found that it was just a scam. I was interviewed by a male named Vince. After reading through other rip off reports this evening I later found out that Vince used to be a part of another marketing scam agency called “axis”, which operates under pinnacle systems, alliance, and evincex .. yes (eVINCEx) who apparently claims to have climbed from the bottom to the top and even got a company with his own name in it. He is now the hiring manager who interviews at fiat lux. He seemed like a nice person, but after starting a company with your own name ini t, why the heck would you move to another. These are all scams!!! Please dont waste your time interviewing with these companies, its not worth it! While receiving an interview upon graduation may seem really excitng, make sure you research the company before your first interview so you dont waste your day like i did!!!
Thank you so much for posting this and saving me the time and trouble. I came across it in doing some pre-interview research. I just cancelled my appointment with them.
I’m glad i found this last night. I have an interview with SC Marketing in Anaheim. Thank You guys!!!! Now back to finding a REAL job….lol
I just received a preliminary interiview with FCE Global but I havent been able to find any info on the company and was wondering if it was a scam. Any info is appreciated. Thanks
NDM Marketing in San Antonio,Tx. I also decide to submit my resume through Career Builders and received a interview two days later. The lady that answered the phone, one could tell was not proficent in English. I asked her questions about benefits,etc. and she would have to put me on hold to get an answer to my question? Finally a lady by the name of Nicole took over the conversation an sounded a little impatienant. She told me that after three month there would be benefits. She did explain to me that NDM sells Intuit software to small businesses. I asked her about whether it is salary or commission and she told me that discussion would be answer by the interviewer. However if you look under Career Builders they have so many other jobs avialable not related to their selling Intuit. Can someone explain?
Pacific Advertising Group (PAG) came up in my searches for jobs so I checked out their website (which took a while to even find since the job name said PAG). It is very vague which seemed sketchy to me so after googling PAG, this website came up. Sure enough, PAG was listed in many of the above comments. Thanks for helping us job seekers avoid job scams!
If only this information had been around in 2006….
*sigh*
I worked for both Beth and Matt. It sucked. The worst part is that I quit my previous job to join The Landers Group. The only reason I stayed with the Landers Group was because I needed the money and I had to hustle everyday to sell Dodger tickets. I finally got a job after THREE LONG months.
I gotta hand it to them though…face to face sales builds character and confidence. That much I am grateful for…
There is a pacific advertising group at Fife wa. I am not sure if they are the part of same group mentioned here.
I couldnt find their official website. They are not listed in the business directory of the city. And they seemed pretty much the same, receptionist listening to music, The calls were answered without mentioning company name with “advertising” How may I help u?
Newest SCAMS in Los Angeles:
Bella Marketing
Pioneer
Simple marketing solutions interview was just Luke that only u sell office supplies to buianess all day and promised 4 steps to owning own 500 company
Add EMG Inc to your list. They are exactly like all the above have stated. THEY EVEN SOLD MY INFO!!! I am now getting sales calls and texts and so are the people I listed at references! They in Denver Colorado advertising on craigslist. FUCK THEM
Does anyone know about LI acquisitions?
GSM Consulting advertised on Career Builder B2B sales. I checked their web site and they mention System analysis, Product management. However when you try to click these topics, they will not let you see what they are involved in. Very limited info on their web site. They are out of Amarillo,Tx.
I decided to look up NDM Marketing in San Antonio,Tx that I posted about last week and they no longer come up. They have become GSM Consulting. These people are a bunch of flukes. Is this legal to be one company today and another tomorrow. I though you have to registar. Some poor sucker which could be me is going to see on Career Builder a job that pay $100,000
I had an experience with The SoCal group. Another company to add to the list is Damen Grand Inc. in Irvine. I sent out my resume to both companies one day, excited about positions in sports marketing and business development they offered. I heard back from both the next day and was really encouraged. I went to my interview at Damen Grand and it went well, but there were some red flags in the back of my mind so I did the Google search on scam marketing companies and read through the hundreds of experiences almost exactly as mine. I received a call back from Damen Grand and played phone tag with them for a day then decided to cut off communication with them and never heard any more from them, I then proceeded to cancel my interview at The SoCal group. About a month later a friend had an interview with SoCal group and heard of my experience so she also decided to call and cancel and told them straight-up that she didn’t believe they were legit and continued to ask them what it was they did exactly but NEVER got a straight or clear answer, only that they do B2B marketing for Fortune 500 companies. STAY AWAY from these companies; it’s not worth the time.
What I decided to do was to search through the career pages of companies I’m interested at working at through their website, such as banks and airline and travel companies, it is harder, but I believe much safer and will be more rewarding in the end as they offer real jobs.
A note to those who think that complaining on here is from a bunch of over-privileged college grads without experience; get off your freaking high horse. I’m 23 and have always had at least one job since I was 13 years old, and I worked my ass off through five years of college to earn my degree in Business Administration. I did not put in all that work to become a door-to-door salesmen of tickets to a baseball game, sure that can be a job for someone, but not for someone who put hours into studying operations management and strategic management and marketing, and business law, and business communication, and organizational behavior, and human resource management.
Some guys on this blog claim that we don’t know what direct marketing is because we are young and inexperienced, but as time has passed and technology has developed and business has changed so has the definition of direct marketing. I have studied and bought into the theories of customer relationship marketing and can confidently say that these SCAM jobs have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with direct marketing. The conventional understanding of direct marketing is to send out a bunch of advertising mailers and hope to get business from .005% to .03% and peddle your crap to them. The old belief of direct marketing was to sell things directly to the people, or door-to-door, hence, direct marketing. But looking at business from a more modern perspective how in the hell does that create a lasting source of sustainable competitive advantage? How does that contribute positively to a company’s brand image, which should be its longest lasting and most enduring source of sustainable competitive advantage? The answer is that the old definition of direct marketing does NOTHING to differentiate a company from its competitors.
Moving on to what direct marketing is now. Direct marketing should focus on the most valuable customer base and most growable customer base. It means focusing on customers’ needs sets and expanding them and being able to customize their orders. Direct Marketing is a back-end tool of the 5-tool set of the integrated marketing communications which means it should have nothing to do with the selling function of marketing, but with relationship building with customers.
Now let me say that I don’t necessarily think these jobs are scams in the sense that they are trying to steal information from you, during my experience I didn’t feel like I was being defrauded, but the scam is in the misrepresentation of the job. It’s time to call a spade a spade; they are door-to-door jobs where you spend all day selling stuff, they are not entry-level sports marketing jobs and entry level business development jobs as business students know them today, and they are not even close to direct marketing jobs. I hope this is good input and I hope I was able to sufficiently educate those who misunderstand what direct marketing really is. I don’t think there is anything wrong with door-to-door jobs, but it is wrong and unethical when you flat out LIE about what they are while you prey on the naïve. There is no other way to look at it. That is all, feel free to discuss.
P.S. I didn’t even spend time writing about database management, which is another HUGE aspect to direct marketing.
Dont go to Vector Marketing either! Look up Cutco scams BEFORE you go to the interview (thats where they BRAINWASH you).
First investors 7 promotions and ny business partners same story wasted my time on group interviews and then being offered a “job” with no paid training. Also went on a long wasted day of selling coupons for staples so borinnngggg!!!!
Add KCS Concepts Inc to the naughty list.
Although I have no real evidence that this is a scam, I did a little digging and found nothing on the BBB about them. I applied at this link http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?ipath=EXIND&siteid=cbindeed&Job_DID=J8C71Q6VZQM6L65DT47
They contacted me for an interview through email, I emailed back and then some lady called me to schedule an interview,but I missed the call. I then googled KCS concepts and COR Concept’s website popped up. These two are conected. I started looking at it and quickly realized that it says nothing about what they actually do or sell. The website that was in the email was http://www.kcsconcepts.com , that website also says nothing about what they do. I’m not calling the lady back.
SKE Managment Group (Houston, TX)
CORConcepts
and KCS Concepts (Houston, TX)
Im pretty sure they are all scams!!!
Wow, I am like many before me. I had an interview in two days, and was very excited about getting a chance to explore “Sports-Related” Marketing. The prospect of this kind of job seems like a lot of fun.
However, because I know the truth, now, I will be bypassing this entirely.
There is another group similar to this that I would like to point out. They have the same marketing and recruiting type set up. Their product is dealing with people’s finances, though. They are known as something like World Group Securities (again, the name changes all the time).
Just thought I would point that out as well. Thank you again for this very informative article.
Southern California Group is in fact the same as Landers Group. Same scheme, pitch, and failure to answer upfront questions. Everyone there at first appears very friendly and nice, however anyone with half a brain will pick up on the level of superficiality and fakeness in the office. The company does the exact same interview process, then takes you on the full day interview where they just throw you in the field to do door to door sales all day. They all say its temporary and everyone starts off this way with promises of moving up in one year. A year is too long for anyone to do door to door sales, especially young educated professionals with college degrees. Its tough to say no in this job market, but we are all worth more than this. Don’t fall for it, and keep at the job search. Good luck!
It turns out that STL Worldwide a.k.a. STL Concepts in Miami, FL is the same thing.
STL is a scam, are you sure? I have an interview today……. thinking of not going…..
I can attest to a lot of this. I’m currently in my first week under one of these types of companies, and started having doubts already. Sure enough, once i put in a little extra research after figuring out a lot of the details first hand (that were not in any way conveyed during the interview process), I’m seeing what I am a part of. As mentioned above, the company is not a scam in the sense of what it is selling, its a scam in the sense of job representation. I fell right into “desperate college grad” and they offered me a job and the chance to start up right away. Everyone at the company is young and outgoing, but most importantly naive. The sales training is certainly legit and helpful, but the hours are just absurd for what we are being paid. I’ve already seen 3 colleagues from last week stop showing up (obviously quit), and the superiors of the company have not even mentioned their names or why they stopped showing up. I think I’ll stick this out for a couple days because like i said I’m gaining valuable sales experience, but in the big picture of things, I dont want to be part of a pyramid scheme. I dont think a 70 hour work week for low pay is the reason i went to business school for four years.
East Bay Concepts does the same thing
I responded to an internet ad for an entry level marketing job as most of the previous testimonials referred to . It was with a co. who called themselves JCW Marketing Group./Charlotte NC.. My first interview was brief & very vague.They sell left over sporting events tickets to companies for promotional purposes. I was told I might be considered for a management spot. I was promised a 2nd interview but never was called. I called twice about it and was told I’d receive a return call after my initial interviewer was consulted, yet I never received a return call. I called a third time & asked if the position had been filled, & it had not been..I was told by the HR person who is all of 20-25 years old that she is making the decision to have me in for a 2nd interview tomorrow, an all day affair with a sales rep. This sounds all too familiar w/the comments made by others who’ve experienced similar scams. JCW Marketing Group is not on the list of likely offenders. I’d appreciate it if anyone in the Charlotte NC area has also interviewed with them, & is this co. legit? Should I go to the interview tomorrow 6/30? Please respond if you have. Thanks much! I have a family to support & I don’t need a big waste of time like this, if it is one.
LA SPORTS MARKETING
– this appears to be the *new* landers group. same client list i have been reading and also located in sherman oaks, ca
I have an eye for spotting these types of companies now. I was fooled while in Haddonfield, NJ by a company called EAST COAST BUSINESS CONCEPTS. They did the d2d verizon “customer retention updates”, which a lot of readers have had noted they also had experience with. I went on the job shadow and saw the guy talk fast and bamboozle older business owners, churches and people trying to start legitimate businesses.
another “company” in the LA area running a scam is GamingSocial – they want perspective employess/internship candidates to sign up for 2 free-trial websites as part of the interview process
One more for the list… same company with Matt Kelly at the head but under the name Sports Marketing.
Here is their website: http://www.lasportsmarketing.com/
They also have an ad on Craigslist right now: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/mar/1810698233.html
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MARKETING, INC.
Website: http://www.sc-mktg.com
This is the first email I received:
Southern California Marketing, Inc.
741 E. Ball Rd. #203
Anaheim, CA 92805
714-956-4901
Hi!
Thank you for your interest in SC Marketing, Inc. Your resume has been processed and we are interested in speaking with you further about your background and career goals. SC Marketing, Inc. develops and executes innovative Sports and Entertainment Marketing Campaigns for clients throughout the Orange County area. We lead the market in sports and entertainment advertising, dealing with high profile clients ranging from sports teams, restaurants, hotels, resorts, and golf courses.
SC Marketing separates ourselves from other advertising firms by conducting direct sales and marketing, so all of our clients and consumers are dealt with face to face. Our whole forte is targeting markets that radio, billboards, and direct mailers cannot reach. We do everything from on site promotions at hospitals, big corporations, retail establishments, as well as business to business sales; we are looking for people who prefer to be out and about versus just sitting at a desk all day. We are currently filling entry level positions which include exposure to outside sales, marketing, customer service, and account management. We are looking for individuals who are seeking an opportunity for a management position.
The next step in the interview process will be to contact our office at 714-956-4901 to set up a one on one meeting with our interviewing manager. During this interview, we will express to you our company goals and plans for expansion and also discuss more specific details such as qualifications, requirements, compensation and training as well as further discussing your qualifications and career goals. All interviews will take place in our Anaheim, CA location. We can be reached in the office Monday through Friday 9 AM to 5 PM. Please feel free to check out our website http://www.sc-mktg.com. Thanks again for your interest and we look forward to speaking with you soon.
Sincerely,
Sarah Calderon
Southern California Marketing, Inc.
Human Resources
714-956-4901
SECOND:
I had a great time talking with you and I am looking forward to meeting with you for your interview on 06/30/2010 at 1:30 PM. If you have any further questions about our company or our extensive client list be sure to give us a call or please feel free to check out our website http://www.sc-mktg.com. Listed below are the directions to our location, if you have any problems with the directions please feel free to call me. If you have any issues come up that could prevent you from attending, please do not hesitate to give us a call. Have a great day and we look forward to meeting with you soon!
THIRD:
Congratulations on your 2nd interview! Please make sure you have your day cleared during your interview time, as you will be in and out of the office with one of our account managers. Please bring with you another copy of your resume for the person who will be showing you around our company and come prepared with any additional questions that you need answered. Once again, CONGRATULATIONS and we will see you 07/01/2010 at 8:30 AM!
THEY TOLD ME TO WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES. THE WEBSITE IS REALLY VAUGE AND THE FIRST INTERVIEW WAS PRETTY MUCH EXACTLY LIKE WHAT EVERYONE ELSE DESCRIBED. VERY RUSHED AND MOSTLY HER TALKING ABOUT THE COMPANY. I WAS TOLD DAY TWO WAS 8:30 – 6PM AND WE WOULD BE IN AND OUT OF THE OFFICE.
Got this in an e-mail from a reader:
i, I was reading your article on Lander’s Group which I found while doing general research on Archetype Inc in Tigard, Oregon. Thought you might find this interesting.
I don’t know if there’s a solid connection here but BMF Global, the company that Lander’s became seems to be up to the same thing at the same location as Archetype Inc. AKA Archetype Solutions Incorporated in New York which sounds an awful lot like these other scams. I’m going to paste at the bottom of this a copy of an email I sent to a friend who had a lead on a job with Archetype Inc that sounded quite fishy when I asked for details, it’ll cover what I found.
I figured that based on your previous reports you might be interested in this kind of follow-up.
So I started by just googling some things, it started to look really fishy and then I brought David Ross in to help, here’s the stuff we found.
First, you might want to read this.
http://www.onedayonejob.com/jobs/the-landers-group/
The company changed their name to BMF global (http://www.onedayonejob.com/jobs/the-landers-group/#comment-3000) who if you type their name into google all that comes up are reports of fraud and there was a piece in the Portland Tribune about them: http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=120960222985177900 Now consider the description of BMF on this page: http://www.jobdango.com/jobseekers/EmployersProfile.aspx?EmployerId=7d8e4781-1abb-42e4-acbd-5dd85dd1adfd It might sound oddly familiar. Check out the address too: 7000 SW Hampton St. #200 Tigard, Oregon 97223
At that same location, slightly different suite number
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&safe=off&rlz=1C1CHMD_enUS306US377&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=archetype+inc+tigard&fb=1&gl=us&hq=archetype+inc&hnear=Tigard,+OR&cid=0,0,10904117495429657225&ei=zMcWTI3yD5C8NvbjrKAL&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&resnum=4&ved=0CCQQnwIwAw
That’s just plain goddamn fishy, but if that isn’t enough, check the rest of this.
I believe in one of the above things they covered the idea of operating under different names.
Here’s Archetype Solutions Incorporated in New York
http://archetypesolutionsinc.com/
A description of the job: http://www.glassdoor.com/Interview/Archetype-Solutions-Interview-Questions-E240083.htm
And here’s Archetype Inc.in Tigard
http://www.archetypeinc.com/
Notice the same A symbol and the fact the websites barely exist and don’t necessarily function? Kind of interesting for a marketing firm, eh?
If you look up Melissa White, President of the company as seen here
http://www.archetypeinc.com/people
along with Archetype in google you can find this guy’s resume confirming she was the same gal behind the New York Operation under his work experience.
http://www.mandy.com/home.cfm?c=whi377
Also, they have no Better Business Bureau rating
http://www.bbb.org/oregon/business-reviews/marketing-consultants/archetype-in-tigard-or-22544698
Some extra references to look at
http://consumerist.com/2007/06/how-to-spot-a-ds-max-style-mlm-scam-job-ad.html
You might wanna read the comments too
http://consumerist.com/2007/06/how-to-spot-a-ds-max-style-mlm-scam-job-ad.html#comment-1687553
Remember the Fortune 500 claims..?
I recently went to one of the interviews in IL. I am not going to list the company only because it has a good BBB report and no one has had any comments about it. I was suspicious about the company (and still am) after reading their job ad in careerbuilder. Again first interview they mentioned that it would be quick. Just to put a face to the resume and get to know me. It did go by quick. The office was nice and the people in the office were very nice and professionally dressed. I went on to shadow for the second interview. They told me feel free to ask any questions, which I did. They also asked me many questions. We went to Home Depot and was told we must sign in at the service desk. Our name company and how long we would be there. Other vendors were there as well. We just asked customers if they were finding everything all right and we tried to help them with what they were looking for. We then asked if they will be doing any renovations to their kitchen and let them know what they were offering which was the free consultation for cabinet refacing. They pondered and asked more questions but neither one was interested and the guy who I shadowed told me right in the beginning in the first interview that they don’t expect everyone to say yes. Only about the 20% of the 80% in the store. Makes since to me. He stressed getting qualified leads and not pushing someone to get something they don’t want. Which is true because you get paid once they confirm their appointment. He broke down to me the pay $100 was the total paid for the lead $40 went to the office and $10 went to the corporation and $50 for you and they would like everyone to do 4 leads a day working from 11-8 mon. tue.thur. and fri. Half a day on wed starting at 230. We only stayed for an hour. It was not far at all.
I was told that it would be very hard work, and you will be pushed to the limit to see how you would be able to handle running your own business. I can say that is not really a bad thing. You can find out if you have an entrepreneur mind set, if you can actually handle the stress of doing business. I asked questions such as What is the most challenging thing as a manager and what do you like most about the company. They were good and educated responses. I have yet to start. I will go because well right now I don’t have anything better to do. I’m finishing my last year of school online. I will not go door to door nor have I been told that i need to. I filled out a W4. Stated that if I do not get commission, then I will get hourly pay. Fair enough. The made it clear that they want to teach people so they can manage there own company. They gave a time line of what they expect from you. That’s fine to me because it’s a personal challenge. Sorry so long. I just want to see things for myself and if you want I will let you know how it goes for the first week. BTW all the manger’s and assistants did have nice high end vehicles.
I have seen a few questions regarding SC Marketing in Anaheim…I had all the same e-mails and same experiences during the first interview and the lady was extremely vague. I definitely had an off feeling about all of it…I mean, she only asked me one question about myself!
Still, they always answered the phone with “SC Marketing” and had SC Marketing very prominently posted on the building, nothing generic. I’m curious if anyone has actually followed through with SC Marketing after that second interview offer because I keep postponing mine…
I went through the entire process for Southern California Marketing. All I have to say is that they got me pretty good. I should have been suspicious from the beginning because when does a company call you back to remind you of your interview?
I went to the first interview and later that day they called me for the second (all day) interview. During the second interview the “account manager” was giving me a lot of information on how big their company is and the new accounts they got (he mentioned yankees). He continued to bs me by telling all the different things they do to market for their clients. The guy’s name is Abnor Pineda btw. Anyways, he said, “today we’re doing residential (door to door) just for today”. I didn’t like the whole door to door idea because my family warned that this is the only thing I”ll bee doing, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt. We went through the entire day and at lunch I noticed we had to pay for our lunch (he covered my meal so I got something out of it). This is when Abnor started to discuss how much I would be making. He told me I would be making 400-600 plus commission every week. I thought to myself “sweet this at least covers my bills”, so he had me sold at that point. He also went over on how within a year you can move up through the company fast and make a lot of money. I could care less because I only wanted to pay my bills. At the end of the day I took the “final interview” and of course and got “hired”. The next week I was to start my first “training day”. I showed up early and they were teaching me how to pitch to people for 2 hrs in their “Atmosphere” room or what I like to call their brainwashing room. People were to keep a positive attitude and never bring anything negative to say.
After, we went out to the “field” and to my disappointment we were doing door to door again, so I started to get little upset. At lunch time I had to buy my own lunch and was in a bad mood. I had to get to the bottom of things, so I asked him, “how much will i be making?”. He responded by saying “Didn’t I tell you? It’s commission only”. I was pissed and he noticed the expression on my face and he tried to sell me success stories of people and how much money they were making now.. It’s a load of crap. The suckers made 7-10 dlls commission on each piece they sold, and the “average” number of pieces sold by each seller is 10. More times than often people reach below that mark. Do the math if you reach the avg everyday, that’s 70-100 bucks a day working 12hr days. That’s 9-10 dlls an hr and you had to buy your lunch everyday (not allowed to bring your own). I wanted to leave, but we were far somewhere with his car so I was stuck.
I didn’t show up the next day for training and Abnor kept texting me and calling to see if I would come in. Don’t fall for their bullshit
I THINK THAT EVERYONE SHOULD INTERVIEW FOR THESE COMPANIES AT LEAST ONCE, IF NOT TWICE… read on for the reason.
On a whim, I moved to CA without a job or a place to live so I was semi-desperately searching for something to do that might bring in a little money so I didn’t have to rely entirely on my savings.
I was not new to the idea of sales scam companies. I had once considered selling knives door-to-door which is basically like supplying the murder weapon to strangers. So when I went on Craigslist and saw the “marketing” companies I went ahead and interviewed. I figured that one of them may be feasible as a stand-in job until I found something more permanent and real.
The first interview was standard procedure. Both companies made sure that other potentials were interviewing at the same time to make the position seem in-demand. The office lobbies were well decorated in a minimalist style. The interviewing offices were, of course, lacking. Neither had a computer and both had an OLD phone system. They ask the basic questions to make you think they care and blow smoke up your ass every chance they get.
I then moved into an apartment so I knew I had to take some sort of chance.
The second round of interviews were vastly different. At company ‘A’ I was joined by only 2 other candidates. We were immediately (without introductions) paired with a trainer/mentor. Ironically, they paired the Asian candidate with an Asian trainer, the Hispanic candidate with the Hispanic trainer and me (blond) with the blond trainer. I found that part to be hilarious for some reason and actually laughed a little during the pairing process. We were then escorted down to the trainer’s individual crappy cars and sent on our merry way.
The sales technique was explained to us while driving (during L.A. rush hour) to our designated areas. I was instructed not to talk during the sales pitch and only speak if someone directly addressed me. My job was to observe, learn and look enthusiastic. We were selling spa packages to employees while they are at work. Probably the worst sales plan ever! Let’s go bother minimum wage employees at their place of work while their bosses are within earshot and see if they will fork over $120 to a stranger for a spa package the don’t need. LMAO.
Regardless of how stupid the task was, I did get to see Hollywood first hand. Not in a touristy or just getting lunch in the area type way. I went into every business within 3 miles of Mann’s Theater. Most of the day was spent just shooting the shit with my trainer who was pretty cool, after she stopped selling the position. I SPENT money on my lunch and almost bought some unnecessary crap at the stores we visited. After 9 hours my feet were killing me, the sweat was soaking through my clothes and we hadn’t sold a single spa package (shocker).
When we returned to the office, I was taken into the BIG office and asked if I would like the position. I already knew I didn’t but told them I would think about it because I had another interview the next morning. The “boss” was upset by this (another indicator that they are a scam, fyi) and said that if I were serious I would say yes on the spot. I stuck to my answer and after he regained his composure he commended me for doing just that. I left and went back to my new apartment to unpack before my new, random roommate got sick of my stuff laying around.
At COMPANY B’s second round of interviews, I arrived rather early and sat in the lobby next to the receptionist. She had obviously been taking notes at the first round because she remembered things about me that I had forgotten I had shared. Fairly impressive tactic if you ask me.
Myself and 12 other candidates were corralled into a small room. We were briefed on what was going to happen (we would be selling DirectTV door-to-door) and were conveniently within earshot of enthusiastic cheering coming from the next room. I was already dreading this day since my feet still hurt from the previous “interview” and probably looked angry and judgmental rather than nervous and enthusiastic like the others. I felt bad for the young guy beside me who probably just graduated college with a business degree and his parent’s were expecting him to make something of himself. He was over-dressed and couldn’t stop shaking/bouncing his leg. His discomfort was making me uncomfortable. I wanted to grab him and say “this isn’t real, relax dude”.
We were then moved into the next room where the cheering had been taking place. The other “employees” were standing around a chalkboard that literally had a pyramid type drawing on it (ironic?) showing the sales levels. A few people were congratulated for their astounding success the previous week/month and the entire room was so loud with cheers that I thought my ears were going to bleed. It all felt very, um, rehearsed. We were most likely actually listening to the rehearsal while being briefed earlier.
I was paired up with a woman and then we were asked to meet at OUR cars. I thought it was interesting that they used the candidates cars and gas for their little show. I hadn’t been expecting guests in my car that I just drove clear across the country with all of my possessions so needless to say, it was a mess. My trainer ignored it at first.
I started driving and since I had already lost interest and never received any real answers, I started drilling my trainer. “Do we all stick together when we go to the houses? How much do we make off of a sale? We work at night, so you mean to tell me, you send young adult women to strange homes in strange neighborhoods alone at night? Has anyone ever died?” She was very nervous answering my questions and completely stopped when I asked if anyone had died. I was serious though. It sounded like the most dangerous job right behind prostitute. When I realized that Company A was already looking like a dream job comparably and that I would be wasting my day by going on the sales route with a woman I already couldn’t stand, I told her that I had changed my mind. I gave her my honest reasons and she haughtily told me to drive her back to the parking garage. She got out and made a snide comment about the cleanliness of my car. I smiled and waved goodbye then went to the nearby mall, grabbed a soy latte and treated myself to a new dress.
I eventually turned down the spa package company by calling my trainer’s cellphone on a weekend.
I honestly think I would go on another round of interviews at one of these scam companies just because it is entertaining and makes for good stories. If I am ever unemployed again, I will start looking them up. My true profession is as a writer so I love to experience new things and meet new people. These companies are great fodder for my stories. If you are into the business side of things, the interview process can provide some great insight into the ludicrous world we live in and possibly offer some perspective.
Recently, I almost fell for one of these misleading positions too. It’s great to look back at now for entertainment purposes. I write as a hobby, and I found your story highly entertaining. Do you have any work posted online that I could check out?
If anyone out there is on chicago’s craigslist and is looking for a job in marketing you should try to avoid both “develop inc.” and “eXclusive dynamics.” Both of these companies seem to be fraud- as in I have no idea what they do even though they claim to be marketing companies. When I have applied for any job at all on careerbuilder they seem to find me but when I somehow submit a resume to develope inc they rushed to meet me, gave me a fake number, and had no website. When I found a real number I called for a real website and it is almost identical to the exclusive dynamics site- both offer no real info on clients or experience. I also remembered that they had wanted “sports-minded people” which I am pretty sure would have nothing to do with the job. When I tried to cancel the interview by phone to the “if you need to cancel call this number” number and no one would answer and at the end a recording said “no one is here to answer your call, try again later.” Totaly unprofessional. So I tried to e-mail back with a cancelation responce and the MAILER-DEMON of yahoo said not a valid address/undeliverable!
Definitly a scam!
Just went on a ‘interview’ with Vision Marketing in Des Plaines, IL. It was the second round interview that I had gotten because I wore a suit and after talking about myself for 30 seconds clearly ‘had balls’ during the first interview. This should have been the red flag but I came back to see if I was wrong. It ended up being door to door sales the next day, and I left as soon as I could. The whole time my ‘trainer’ was explaining the position to me, he was selling it. The more he talked the more clear it was that Vision Marketing in Des Plaines, IL is a multi-level marketing scam. The bosses make money, while you sell some junk to people who don’t want to buy.
they have a new name in Illinois called source, inc. they are a pyramid they say hard work but bullshit!!!!!!!!!!! you sell a $21 package you get, $7, the act manager gets $3, boss gets $10, $1 for supposed client*(prob not). they are liars but if you need a job to make some good money and if you work hard and get good at it you can make money. don’t stay with them. get out, make money, go on to better things. life is better than this job and if you are smart you can learn some really good marketing and sales techniques to use in your future career.
I wish I would have done more research, but I am too a victim. Yesterday was my 3rd day on the job and it was technically like my 3rd interview. I applied 3 of these job postings and all three were at the same location. It seemed fishy but i tried anyway. Big mistake! Everything these bloggers are posting is so true! While reading all these postings i felt like crying…its exactly the same experiences and shaddy-ness i went through. Please add these 3 “companies” to your list guys: NorEastern Management/ 3 INC/ 5 Line marketing/ and I think there is a fourth called Assurance or Alliance…all four of these so called “companies” are a scam; pyramid corporate structure; and MLM–>ALL LOCATED AT: 207 E. MAIN ST in NORRISTOWN, PA and they market directly to the King of Prussia area. Don’t fall for it or waste your time. My only advice for you if you do decide to persue it, is pollish up and really practice on yur lies and bullshiting skills…you will need them to make money and move up the pyramid, good luck! oh and by the way your looking at over 60hrs a week-all commision based salary, shaddy insurance benefits, got to use your own car, gas, cell phone, etc. Thanks to all of you out there that have made my decision much easier, b/c i didn’t believe it at first but now I do!
Anyone have any info on Big Business Solutions out of Woburn, Ma??…although I fear I know the answer!
Johnny, Big Business Solutions = Worldwide Acquisitions. Door-to-door Verizon FiOS pyramid scheme. Stay far away.
PAG advertising in Denver is also linked to The Landers Group. I researched who owned their website, and it said the administrative contact is Lindsay Fatta. She is listed on multiple Landers Group press releases, as well as in an article on the group on ripoffreport.com. When PAG called me, they told me about several big-name clients and claimed I would be interviewing for a position in marketing and event planning. I then looked at their Web site and found that other than claiming to be PAG advertising on Champa Street in Denver, it gave no information. PAG’s portfolio page only says what industries their “clients” are in, and gives no specifics as to who these clients are.
I find this whole phenomenon to be pretty creepy. Hopefully companies like PAG in Denver will continue to be revealed on the internet for what they truly are so unsuspecting undergrads don’t continue to be scammed. I may e-mail both career offices at the universities where I received my degrees to tell them they should send their students lists of companies to avoid and techniques to detect scams (such as bogus websites like pagadvertising.com).
Yes… Big Business Solutions is the same company as World Wide Acquisitions…. They just changed their name this week (same people, same office in Woburn, MA) and they too are a big scam company! Genuine Acquisitions in San Jose, CA is also a “branch” company stemming from World Wide and is also a scam… Be careful out there, these companies ruin lives…
LevelTech out of White Plains, NY is one of these companies.
You can tell by their piece of crap website. They try to pose as a legit marketing firm but it’s obvious that there’s something fishy. They called me to do an interview so I looked up information on the company and found this blog THANKS you saved me some time. Moral of the story, do research on a potential employer.
Companies to add to your list:
Blue Rock Partners
Vector Marketing
Elite Marketing
Five Line Marketing
STL Worldwide
Red Zone International (Redzone International) scam
User Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
by AJ
07/28/2010
This is the worst company ever! Complete scam! They bring you in for a first interview and ask you to come in for a second “shadowing” day. They forget to mention, however, that from 10-5 on that shadowing day, you will be walking around going door to door to different businesses soliciting their services. I went in for my shadowing day, and they told me we were going to get in a car and go to another office. Little did I know, that ‘office’ was the streets of the Bronx, NY. I was completely trapped with no way to get back to my car in Hawthorne. No one told me we were going to be walking around all day (probably because they know I wouldn’t have showed up) and no one told me to wear comfortable shoes. I had blisters all over my feet by the end of the day and I was drenched in sweat since it was 100 degrees outside and I had a suit on. I even told the woman at lunch that I was not interested in door to door sales and I wasn’t interested in a job that was commission based. She said to stick it out because the manager has other jobs that aren’t ‘in the field positions’ and were salary based….COMPLETE LIE!
It should be illegal what this company does to prospective employees. They completely fool you and pretty much kidnap you for a day. Unless you’re interested in going door to door trying to ‘lower businesses phone bills’ with Verizon, don’t waste your time with this so-called company.
Thank you so much for posting this. I have an interview with them on Tuesday that I will not be attending.
So I submitted my resume through career builder and got a call from JCW Marketing Group and want to set up an interview. Does anyone know if this is a scam beause I can’t find any news articles about them, just their website.
Hey i got a call from Red-zone International too. They left me a voice mail saying that they have a spot open for Business Executive Manager and that my resume fits the requirements they are looking for. My interview is Monday-August 9th, i need some opinions, should i go or should i not go?
Add EMS to your list. They start off all of their phone calls as “Hi we received your email inquiry about employment with *insert name of client here* They’re working for AT&T to sell U-Verse at 100% commission. At first I thought it was a response to the Manager of Relations position for AT&T directly; the phone person said “yeah we will discuss all the positions at the interview” and asked me to choose a 30 minute time period between 10-12:30. I started asking her different questions about AT&T and she couldn’t answer anything. I never emailed EMS; they must have found my resume on Monster or Careerbuilder. Don’t do it!
I’m pretty sure “Boston Sports Group” is related to the same scam. They are in Woburn which apparently is the Massachusetts capital of bullshit scam companies (see northeast consulting, worldwide acquisitions, and big business inc).
How do you know for sure Emerald City Marketing is a scam… let me know how you know, thanks! Just wondering because I called to inquire about their job openings today.
There are always pros and cons to everything…
I am writing to inform people on the good side of the business.
I stumbled upon this site when I was researching on Archetype, Inc. I saw a bad review on here about the company, but im not like most people. I dont just listen to what everyone else says. So I when in for my interview to see for myself how it was really like and guess what… its like how WILLY described it. They weren’t scammers. I was new in town the admin suggested places to eat and go (nice girl) I went through to the second interview and didnt really know what to expect but after the day progressed i knew it wasnt for me. ITS NOT FOR EVERYONE. overall I had a good experience and i didnt take the job because at the time the pay wasn’t right but overall the people were nice and they seemed professional….
The other companies may or may not be scams but all i am saying is dont complain about other companies if you had a bad day.
If you really got SCREWED LIKE, DIDNT GET PAID FOR TIME WORKED THEN THATS A DIFFERENT STORY
*****BUT IT SEEMS LIKE MOST OF YOU ARE JUST BITCHING BECAUSE OF A BAD EXPERIENCE YOU HAD OR A MISCONCEPTION of the company….. why do you think they set up a second interview… so you can see what it involves before you start…..you dont have to say yes to the position.. I THINK THAT’S AN OBVIOUS ONE!
FACT- YOU CAN MAKE MONEY WITH DIRECT MARKETING. SO NOT EVERY COMPANY IS SCAM.
Robert Kiyosaki says…
“If I had to do it all over again, rather than build an old style type of business, I would have started building a network marketing business.”
Read more about what he says about network marketing.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Robert-Kiyosaki-and-Network-Marketing&id=4589011
I AM SORRY YOU ALL HAD BAD EXPERIENCES BUT MINE WAS ACTUALLY GOOD. SO I MIGHT AS WELL WRITE ABOUT HOW MY DAY WAS TO COUNTERACT ALL OF YOURS.
NOT SAYING THAT THEY ARE ALL LEGIT BUT IT SEEMED ARCHETYPE WAS.
i meant to write NOT LIKE HOW IT WAS DESCRIBED BY WILLY…. SORRY
This is also in response to WILLY’S post. The website wasnt working for me either until i updated my flash. I asked the girl over the phone and at first it seemed sketchy too, but was told they use the newest version of flash so once i updated it it actually worked for me and i was able to navigate through all the icons and pages…
not trying to dog on you man… i just wanted to respond with a positive to your negative..
Please add 4fifty8 Acquisitions to the list. They’re based in Raleigh, NC, and use the exact same techniques I’ve seen mentioned here, right down to promising pay for training and then withholding it. Moreover, the manager promised a base wage in addition to the 28% commission they offer, but on my last day of training – incidentally, my last day at the company – I found out that the bonuses employees make for various commissions milestones actually make up that base. No thanks! I wasted a week on them and I’d rather not see anyone else do the same thing.
Anything on Damen Grand Marketing based out of Orange County? I cannot locate this business on BBB….
Add BBc aka. Birmingham business consulting to your list. Same bull, selling at&t u-verse.
Was is someone saying they are employed by at&t uverse or selling it?
Add MARKETING PROFESSIONALS in New Brunswick, New Jersey and METROPOLITAN SPORTS MARKETING in Clifton NJ…exact same practice…first interview and second interview scheduled immediately but thats an 8 hour day with another employee….DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME…whats’s amazing is that they’re all over the career builder sites….SCAM ALERT!!!!!
This company is a scam!!! They represent themselves as a mystery shopper coporation. They are based out of Ontario,Canada they send you a check and then tell you to cash the check. Once you deposit the check in your bank account they will tell you to take a portion out of the check and then send it through western union and rate the customer service. Once you have completed the job they will pay you $150 an hour. Their phone number is 905-781-1233. Please do not trust this company !!!
the name of the company is INTERNATION MARKETING COPORATION
I worked at Sports Marketing International out of Sherman Oaks for 6 months. I quit in April, or as they would say I WAS BLOWN OUT, but i quit. For the past few months ive looked back at my experience and the only thing that keeps me from saying it was a wasted six months was that i learned how people could be so cruel in takin advantage of others. I was picked to go to the Bahamas for owners R&R and i quit just before that becasue i realized, like everything else, i would lose money by goin on this TRIP. It is tough to call it a scam because you can get paid more than many other jobs but it is short term. I was makin around a thousand a week for about two months but then i began to lose it because i had to pay the supposed members of my team. By the time i quit i had 20 bucks in my account from all the expenditures you have to put into it. You pay for gas, pay your team out, bounced checks which you usually cant get back, car problems. Its a huge waste and somethin full of false promises. I thought it was so good. Three weeks into it you will find yourself crying…wondering why you are doin it and then the temptation of running you’re own office pushes you. I had four guys on my team which was enough to move on to assistant manager. What got me out was when i realized i would have to lie to many other people to keep my office open. My conscience took over and I’m sorry to everyone i had put on to help me move up. YOU WILL REGRET IT.
BTW what should have been the bell ringer was the fact that it is 100% comission job and they would scold me big time if i did not meet my quota, which is odd after they had told me after being hired that there is no quota. They need you to do what should be their work. A pretty smart way of keeping the lazy rich. Beth Curley was the one whom pushed me out. A cruel person. I would however love for someone to go for an interview and when you meet the old redhead just sit through the interview and at the end say THANK YOU BUT I FEEL I HAVE TO REPORT THIS TO THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU.
I am SO glad I found this site in time! Thanks for putting these people on blast guys!!!
I went to interview with a company called Business Consulting Solutions for a part time administrative position. I was already a little skeptical about the place, since I had visited their website beforehand, and noticed that none of their major team members had included their last names on the company profile (including the President of the company)! I’ve been doing administrative work for about four years now and it just seemed a little off that the “man in charge” wouldn’t introduce himself to potential customers or employees.
Anywhoo, I went in for my ten minute interview and was hit with red flag after red flag. There was no mention of hours, compensation, or what exactly it is that these people actually do – just vague descriptions. In fact, the only thing I got out of the interview was “We work with Verizon…blah, blah….you’re very outgoing…blah, blah…we do a lot of recruiting…blah, blah…would you be interested in a sales consultant postion?” I figured “Why not?…maybe it’ll pay more???” and was later scheduled for a second interview the next day. I was told that I would: 1. be introduced to the staff for 20 mins, 2. “shadow” someone in the field all day, 3. Come back for an office meeting. Luckily, I never made it, because I felt the need to do further research and landed on this site!!! WHOOT WHOOT!!!
I feel absolutely awful for those people who will be out today from 9-5 walking around in this 100 degree heat! Hopefully someone else will find this post helpful! I’d stay clear from Business Consulting Solutions – unless going about misleading people is your cup of tea.
Anyone heard of a company called BEG Boss Executive Group in Denver? I just came across your site and read your stuff. My daughter is trying to set up an interview with them next week, but has to fly from Mississippi to Denver to do it. I’m hoping they are legit, but now am not sure, as so much of what was said sounds like all your stuff. Let me know. Please.
Looking for a position in Sports Events and Marketing, just found the new website of the Landers Group. It’s funny how it even contains the exact same text you qupted above!! Everybody, be aware of: http://www.lasportsmarketing.com/
Thank you for leaving information about this company. I’ve been researching anyone that sends me an email and I can see PAG has left a mark in Colorado, Vegas and Kansas. The funny thing about them is that when I googled them more than one link comes up for their website and a few words here and there are changed. Take a look at http://pacificadvertisinggroup.com/main.html and compare it to http://www.pagadvertising.com/ needless to say, I’m very thank full and also keep an eye out for SUMMIT ADVERTISING Inc in Colorado, Same fishy add, first thing you find when you Google it is “SCAM”. I read a few reviews from people claiming having their social security stolen. You won’t know it’s this company until you receive an email from a Gmail account with the company’s name on the header.
Good Luck!!
Damn why did I ever choose marketing as a major in college…Is it me or is Mass where there are all marketing scams…Isnt there any legit entry level Marketing positions in Boston mass. I found this website too late and already did the 12 hr day and when u sell something u ring a giant cowbell and basically make 10$ for the day lol fucking bullshit….with that said is ” BOSTON SPORTS GROUP” in wouburn mass a scam…..Probably is cause everything in Boston Mass sucks balls for marketing jobs. I had a good job for 2 years at State Street but got laid off cause of the economy, now im fucked SHOULD I MOVE OUT OF STATE?
I’m so glad I found this article, I set up my 2nd interview for Friday and I am definitely not going now. I just don’t know where to look anymore for a job, Careerbuilder and Monster are swamped in these scam companies, its so discouraging, should’ve stayed in school that extra year…
The company I interviewed with is called Break-Thru Corporations and also goes by the name Mc Kinley Inc. The exact ad you described is what they used in their job posting. I just graduated college and of course I am looking for employment. I was slightly excited for my interview today because I thought it may be a sign that I was quite possibly, employable. Before my interview, I had to fill out a questionnaire which I thought was odd because we had to bring our resumes’ as well. Didn’t our resume already have our employment and contact information? I thought this was suspect. Then as I sat in the waiting room I noticed that the receptionist was calling the people scheduled for interviews to make sure that they hadn’t gotten lost and to make sure they were still coming. Which also struck me as odd because it is not the employers responsibility to make sure you arrive to your interview. Also, if you were lost you would pick up your cell phone and call the office. I was called in for my interview and the guy seemed friendly enough. The interviewers name was Rich and he was chatting me up about his daughter, the weekend, and some other irrelevant topics. During the interview I noticed some red flags. First, he didn’t ask me many questions. Nor, did he ask how I would make up for my lack of experience in such a competitive field. Rich didn’t describe what they actually did for the job which also concerned me. He said they were expanding so much that they needed to hire a bunch of people right away. Towards the end of the interview he said he would call me later that night to let me know if i made it to the second interview, then for no reason at all he changed his mind and told me I already made it to the second interview. Rich told me to show up tomorrow morning at 9:15 AM and to wear flat shoes because we would be doing a lot of walking. “Why would I be doing a lot of walking for an office job?” I thought. He also mentioned that sometimes the lower level sales employees had to “roll up their sleeves and get a little dirty”. This statement also made me suspicious. I waitressed all throughout college and had no interest in any such thing. Rich also mentioned something about selling tickets to sports games. The whole thing seemed fishy to me. Rich didn’t ask me if i had any questions for him and didn’t give me a chance to say much. Soon after leaving, I realized that my second interview scheduled for tomorrow would not be paid work day. I knew this because he hadn’t mentioned anything about what how much money I would be making there. I knew that any company that would not pay for training is just not right. The final sign to me that “Break-Thru” was not legit was the other people waiting to be interviewed in the office. One interviewee was wearing shoes that looked like stripper heals and the other woman looked desperate for a job. One of the office workers was wearing a skimpy and very short floral jumper with stiletto pumps. That kind of attire is not very professional and this Florida, not LA.
After much contemplation throughout my day, I decided to google the matter. I quickly found the company I interviewed with on a scam site. It didn’t take me long to figure out that I was just one of many hopeful people duped into thinking I had a chance at a good job. Sigh.
Also, many on here are questioning whether these jobs are scams or not. However, anytime a company is omitting information about what they really do, not paying you for training, and in many cases not paying the 50$ a day as promised then that is a scam. Moreover, that’s not a real job with a reputable company. I have no doubt this experience would be useful to someone interested in cut throat sales. Still, I wouldn’t put one of those places on my resume. Also, misleading people into thinking they will be doing an office job when really they will be doing a door to door sales job is just not right. They also lie to you and act as if this is an exclusive job opportunity when in fact, it is not at all. These people are constantly hiring people for no other reason then that they have a pulse. Why would anyone want to work for a company that lies right to your face from the very star t!?
I’m glad I caught on before I went into my second interview! I only wished I could have warned the other people in the office with me!
Here’s copy of the letter I received asking to schedule an interview…
Hi Emily!
Thank you for your interest in Break-THRU, Inc. Your resume has been processed and we are interested in speaking with you further about your background and career goals. Break-THRU develops and executes innovative Sports and Entertainment Marketing Campaigns for clients throughout the Orlando area. We lead the market in sports and entertainment advertising, dealing with high profile clients ranging from sports teams, restaurants, hotels, resorts, and golf courses. Our list of clients has tripled; our struggle is not how to grow; it’s how to keep up with our ongoing growth!
Break-THRU separates ourselves from other advertising firms by conducting direct sales and marketing, so all of our clients and consumers are dealt with face to face. Our whole forte is targeting markets that radio, billboards, and direct mailers cannot reach. We are currently filling positions which include exposure to outside sales, marketing, customer service, and account coordination. We are looking for individuals who seek an opportunity to move into a management position.
The next step in the interview process will be to contact our headquarters at 407-951-5819 to set up a one on one meeting with our interviewing manager in our Orlando office. Thanks again for your interest and we look forward to speaking with you soon.
Sincerely,
Brooke Fields
Break-THRU, Inc.
Front Office Manager
407-951-5819
And here’s a copy of the letter with the website of their so called business.
Dear Emily,
This email is to confirm your scheduled appointment for 08/20/2010 at 12:30 PM. Below you will find directions to our office. Please remember to bring a copy of your resume and dress professionally to your appointment.
If you have any questions or problems finding us, you can reach me at 407-951-5819. I look forward to meeting you!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Forman
Break-Thru Advertising
Click Here to View Our Website (http://www.break-thruinc.com/)
Break-THRU, Inc. Develops Community Marketing Campaign with local Sports and Entertainment Clients
Break-THRU advertising SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM!
East Coast Business Concepts is a similar scam! They led me to believe i would be shadowing a manager in a office, and when I got there I had to get into and employees’ car, and walk around the streets of downtown Philly for 6 hours asking to see local businesses’ electric bill. Mind you, I was told to dress in my business professional interview clothing, so I ruined my dress shoes and my feet were bleeding and had huge blisters by the end of the day. Not only is this misleading, it is incredibly unsafe!
Has anyone ever heard of the following companies as being scams? They are both based out of San Diego.
iMAGE INC
San Diego Marketing Group
I googled both and the only one I was able to find any information on was iMAGE and to my understanding they are DEFINITELY A SCAM. The San Diego Marketing Group I am unsure of. They both had VERY similar pitches in their job descriptions (or lack there of).
At this point, any information would be very helpful! Thank you to all! This posting is awesome!!
Does anyone know anything about a company called POLISH in SAN DIEGO? It sounds kind of like these other companies, but I’m not sure.
I am sorry to say that I was suckered into the second interview. Here are a few things I learned.
1. They are using HR type interviews. There are numerous interviewees there. So you feel there is competition. The first interview is typical. They ask for resumes, They go over your past experience and accomplishments. Typical HR what do you think are your strong points and areas to improve. Finally, that their clients are fortune 500 companies or they will actaully tell you ATT or Intuit (quick books). They also emphasize on how it’s a management position. You have to learn sales at first, but they are looking for Management training positions. They finish telling you that at the end of the day, if they find that you meet their qualifications, that they will call you back between certain hours, they double check if you will be available, if not they decided to go elsewhere. I am preety good at spoting phony scams but the first day was really hard. It seemed like a real business. Everyone in suits, everyone professional. Needless to say, I got a call. I came back for the second interview and it all seemed normal. I rode with a six month team leader, in his car thank goodness as we drove all day. Their target was small businesses with visa/master card machines paying too much intrest per swipe. Their product actually did seem to save them money. So I didn’t see them as a scam the client business. However, my red flags went up when I asked about benefits. First I asked about compensation from training. They reply that they have training pay wich more or less is a percentage of your trainers sale, I think. Second, you use your own car, own gas, own cell phone to call in orders but whala, you can right it off. Lastly, it was 100% comission which they know call 100% merit based. It also had the cult aspect. I got there at the end of their meeting and it sounded like a concert. Second, everyone was young. Third, they text each other “splash” when some one makes a sale sort of like the announcement when a seller sales you a time share. The straw that broke the camels back is when he showed me the management training schedule. The time lines where just too good. I could actually own my own business in a year and a half and make over 100k. At the end of the day, I knew the skeem, so I played along. I said I was still highly interested. I knew I wasted a day, but reading these other posts, I’m glad I got to drive around vs. walking house to house. I was again asked what i could bring to the company. I found that these HR questions of self assement tend to throw you off as they make you unpleasant. They make you just glad that the self assesment question is over and you forget to ask key questions such as benefits and compensation In the end, the “manager” said he would discuss with the team leader to see what my potential was. He was going to take the results, compare them to other potential interviewees and make one selection. If I made the cut, he would call me between a set time frame. He was clear to specify that they are verry selective of their employees and he congratulated me on being asked to the second interview. I was 1 out of 115 they interviewed yesterday. On my way home, after I called my wife and laughed about the whole think I was able to predict the exact time he would call. He told me between 5-6 and he called right at six. He congratulated me on recieving the position after the carefull selection process I had just managed through. When he asked me for a start date I replied next monday. So next monday, I get to start a new training position as an account representitive. I am going to call in sick my first day, I want to see how far I can pull that chain just as they pulled mine. I already guessed right one time, but in a real business if you call in the first day, you probably wont have a job. I can bet they will be understanding. On the second day, I’m calling in again. Anyone wants to start an non monetary bet on how many days I can go untill I get fired? The reason I wanted to post this is to tell you guys they are good! The managers are business majors, which I am as well, and we do get HR training. Beware!!!! If it sounds too good to be true, it isn’t.
I also had a simular company ask for an interview called KPN aquisitions. This one is for an account executive vs. rep and it also is a three part interview process.
http://www.kpnacquisitions.com/ This one isn’t getting me for any interviews. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice. . . well you know.
After finding this page and doing more research about STL Worldwide or STL Concepts in Miami, FL – I find that it deals with similar horrible practices. They’ve covered their butts though because when you google STL Worldwide you get directed to a flashy and nice website – however there isn’t much more information. I decided to keep researching and realized that the ‘company’ was called STL Concepts – same address and contact number.
http://www.ripoffreport.com/advertising-deceptive/crj-solutions-inc-st/crj-solutions-inc-stl-conc-d5b4b.htm
I’m not going and I hope that the new temp agency i just signed up with can find me a good job.
Dan,
Is STL Worldwide really the same thing? How do you know? Did you interview with them?
I have another one to add to the list: LNE Consulting in Hollywood, FL. I actually went to the first interview and smelled something fishy. I came home and did more research and realized they have several companies listed under different names but with the exact address and suite #. They called me back for the second interview that was supposed to be an all-day “on-site” interview with an employee and that’s when I knew it was a scam. The idea of getting in a car with a perfect stranger and having them drive me around a sketchy neighborhood screamed DANGER. Needless to say, I did not go back for that second interview and I am so glad I didn’t.
Please do your research before wasting your precious time on these scams!!!
Simple Marketing Solutions in Waltham, MA duped me.
I was freaking out – about to graduate from an Ivy League school with the highest honors and despite sending dozens and dozens of resumes I was coming up empty and was a month away from graduation. Found Simple Marketing Solutions, did very little research, and just went for it. They gave me an interview and I went up to Boston for it. Got into my only suit, and trekked out to Waltham from Boston. It was only later that I caught onto the sketchiness. They were the sole tenants of an office building. There were only paper signs with the “company” logo outside of it. (They claimed they had just moved to a new building and apologized for their appearance). There were a handful of other people in the reception area waiting to be interviewed. The secretary was totally unprofessional – she was playing The Used, for goodness sake! The interview lasted all of 20 minutes, in which some sleazeball asked me run-of-the-mill questions and when I mentioned a country in Africa that I had spent some time in, his response was “Is that in Eastern Europe? I just came back from a vacation in Switzerland, Europe!!” They said they’d call me later that day, and they did, offering me a second-round and saying they could give me the interview in the city where I live, at their ‘branch’ there. When the office in my city called to schedule the interview they introduced themselves with a different company name and that’s when it all dawned on me. I laughed in her face, said “suuuper sketch, ma’am,” and hung up.
I now have a highly rewarding, interesting and well-paid job, but man oh man do I still feel like a total idiot.
Can’t these guys be sued for false advertising or something? I want to take them down.
I’m supposed to have an interview tomorrow with Boston Sports Group. What is the word on them?
Well I had my 2nd “interview” with a SC Marketing in San Jose today. I was weired out to be getting into a car with 3 strangers, but just went along with it because I am really in need of a job. I have been told very little of what the jobs entails, other than meeting with people “face-to-face.” WHen the driver stopped the car to explain what we would be doing (bothering people in their workplace?!?) I was not thrilled. I followed along with a girl until lunchtime, when I insisted I be brought back to my car. I said that I was uncomfortable selling anything and was told that I wasn’t selling anything. (In my book when you give me money and I give you something, that is selling.) I was then asked “Don’t you want to be able to make $500,000 in a year?” And I said no, please bring me back to my car!!! The reason I neglected to google the company was because they included the “company site” in the e-mail. Silly me! Thankfully I only wasted about 3 hours for this 2nd day, not all day like some others.
Also, I was contacted by SC Marketing, but then by the Exodus Group. Finally, when I arrived at the office for the interview, there was yet another name on the building directory! I thought it was strange, but fell for it anyway.
I also asked my “interviewer” how long she had been with the company. Her response?!?!? 15 days!
TMG Inc. in Indianapolis, IN (Changed name from The Merl Group)
–owner: Steve Kordella
Leitz Out in Indianapolis, IN
–owner: Melissa Painter
Rockland in Detroit, MI
–owner: Andy Bruinger
Seriously, beware of these companies. Steve Kordella seems professional and honest when in fact, he is just a product of the brainwashing that Cydcor forces on their ICL owners. He had to change his ICL name from The Merl Group to TMG because of all the rip-off reports that were written. I remember him making us tell interviewees and new hires that “TMG” is not an acronym and does not stand for anything. I recieved a ticket for solicitation while with the company and recieved several parking tickets. While I did meet some great people (who all got out of the business as well), I can definitely say that this company cost me more than I earned.
Do not sacrifice your time and money for this job.
Superior Concepts Inc. is another pyramid scheme corporation that recruits college students using the techniques mentioned above. You are told you will be participating in a marketing internship where you will be exposed to all facets of the business world in a competitive business environment. They tell you they represent many clients and you will be able to do many different kinds of work. In reality, Superior Concepts is now representing Chipio Windshield Repair and they will likely be the only client you ever work for. Your exciting day on the job will include standing in gas station parking lots offering to clean peoples’ windshields for “customer appreciation” whereupon you point out to the miniscule chip in their windshield that you are positive is right on the brink of cracking out on them. You then proceed into the insurance scam pitch. The worst part of this job is that you are paid solely on a commission basis and are not compensated for spending your own gas to get to “events”. Average income came out to about $1.20 an hour for standing in the sun in a parking lot for 9 hours 5-6 days a week. AVOID THIS COMPANY LIKE THE PLAGUE
Almost interviewed with Worldwide Concepts in Atlanta today, I found them on CareerBuilder.com. I’m so happy I found this because they are definitely on here. I thought it was weird that they requested an interview an hour after I sent my resume, and when I didn’t respond quickly enough, they called me. They have two names (Worldwide Concepts, Worldwide Marketing) for one company. Red flag. Also, the website (http://www.worldwidemktg.net/) is so vague. They don’t list any clients (a “promotions” firm not promoting who their clients are? Right.) or any information about what they do exactly. Now I know why: they scam people. Thank you! I was about to run out and buy printer ink to print my resume for them. $15 in my pocket and a day not wasted!
yep. add “elevation” located in charlotte to your list. they sell at & t.. just wasted 2 days of my life and all my money on a suit… my boyfriend said to be wary, and i was, my gut felt wrong the whole process, finally i researched more in depth and found they are this way. youd think with my degree idve been smarter from the get go. oh well.
Company called RedZone International, Fits all the criteria.
Another one in Hawthorne, NY. Cost me $40 to waste 2 hours and come back with an eye infection from the filthy Metro North train I had to take to the cab to get there.
These websites are all the same – say nothing. That’s the biggest tip off.
Also – anyone ever hear of SKYPE? If they can’t interview you remotely through SKYPE, they’re incapable of meeting your needs and a waste of time.
[…] is a great resource for sussing out companies and job opportunities like these, it’s called One Day One Job – Definitely check this site out. This thread is on the MLM industry but start on the home […]
Ok. So I have received an email from Galleria Marketing in Houston, TX. Half of the things I read says its a real legit place, the other half says it is a scam. I just want to know because this place actually looked interesting to me and they have a crappy site but I mean it did take some time to do. I am a recent grad and I just want to find a job but everything I get back seems to be a scam. I just want some help.
Thank you
To all of those folks out there who are trying to claim that the majority of these companies are scams or schemes, you need to do a bit more research. A pyramid scheme promises participants a business model that involves payment for enrolling other people into the scheme, rather than from any real investment or sale of products or services to the public. Therefore any company that allows you to run your own sales and does not force you to buy into it or recruit other people, is not a scheme or scam.
I cannot vouch for all of the above companies, however any company using smart circle international is not a scam. They are selling products to the public for their clients. That is not a pyramid scheme.
If you do not want to do b2b sales and marketing then don’t go into the interview. The person behind the phone will happily describe what you will encounter in the position. If it is not right for you, don’t interview. It is just that easy. Just because some of the people above could not make it work for themselves does not mean that it is not suitable for everyone.
I generally do not fall prey to scams and always conduct the appropriate research. However, I’m puzzled by a company that seems legitimate, but can’t seem to find them on the BBB. It might be possible that the name I’m searching for might be a subsidiary of a parent company. Nevertheless, I thought it wise to ask if anyone has heard of the following company:
Light Marketing
PO Box 1475
Jefferson, NC 28640
(336) 977.2437
http://www.LightMarketingUS.com
Any information would be helpful! Thanks
Alison
Please add AMG inc to the list.
520 White Plains Road Suite #500
Tarrytown, NY 10591
Phone: 914.830.2434
Same deal as all the above, fortunately I had looked them up before my first interview and saw this and many other postings about them. I was excited at first because I’ve been out of work for some time and this was some hope. They responded to my resume an hour after I posted on careebuilder, I thought that was a little fishy but hey it was a job interview. Their emailed letter was giving me some vibes. Talking to them over the phone clinched it. I’m so glad I didn’t waste time and money. No I am not too smart to get fooled but since I was scammed twice before I’m alot more careful. I am smarter now.
APEX Marketing, INC. and Superior Concepts…Oklahoma City, OK
They look like they have a legit website, but they appear to be using the same tactics. The HR director informed me that they used to go by the name superior concepts, which has locations around the US. That sent off a red flag, and I researched from there. They are now going by APEX Marketing, INC. They are posting on every job site imaginable, and appear to be using “direct marketing.” They also claim a long list of partners, and “sports marketing.” Sounds fishy… I cancelled my interview.
Oh, and Legend Marketing, INC. is a pyramid scheme (FYI.)
Any place that claims to work with fortune 100/500 clients and does “outsourced marketing” for them, is a scam. They will list off names of the clients like quill/staples, at&t, verizon, intuit… etc… They will do this to make it sound fancy and legit, when in actuality, you will go door to door selling stuff, with 100% commission. It’s technically not a pyramid, because you don’t pay any money up front to work there. You just give them your life 24/7 and everything that you have to lose! You do, however, have to recruit people to be just as shady as you and make sales for the office “owner”.The parent company is “Cydcor.” Go to ripoff report and type that in!! See what you come up with!!
In Response to TOLP:
JT,
Are you not the same guy that cried in the office and begged and pleaded for your job when you were warned that if you do not meet standards you would be let go!!!!??
No, I was the person that never showed up on Monday morning after weeks of training. And then you kept calling me because you were desperate for sales people in your office! I almost changed my number so you all would never call me again!!
Have an interview tomorrow with Damen Grand, can anyone tell me if this is a scam before then. Was really excited to have an interview but feeling discouraged now. Please help
I just got an interview with PSI in Orlando, FL. It totally fits the profile. The company website is limited and geared only towards hiring new employees, which no legitimate marketing business would do. And, as a rule, I’m skeptical of anyone who responds to my resume to set up an interview within 10 minutes of sending it. Believe me, I’m not that hot of a commodity.
Not that hot of a commodity…LMAO me either that’s my first sign that it wasnt right!!!
hahaha so funny, just got off the phone after scheduling an interview for NY promotions in Deer Park…. but after reading…. F That! so glad im smart enough to look up these places before going
JCM Marketing IS a scam! I had a feeling about it and they wanted to schedule an interview with me to come in. They even called me the next day to confirm the appointment. This was rediculous. Anyway, the company had a booth set up at the Part-Time Job Fair held for JWU Charlotte students about a week ago. Waste of my time. This shouldn’t even been allowed to have been accepted to a university.
To Michelle,
Wondering if you pushed through your interview with Damen Grand. I sense SCAM writtten all over their website. Clearly, it is not a legitimate firm, just browsing through their mediocre, unprofessional webpage is a surefire indication of a SCAM about to prey on job-seekers.
Dont fall for it. I almost did, and they will even lie to their teeth profesing truth to their scheme. Scroll back here to June comments and read one comment who got bitten by the Damen Grand bug, or almost so , i would think.
Got a call about an interview from JBW Inc. of Louisville, KY. I was feeling kind of uneasy about it, but I agreed to it. I looked up some information, and I’m pretty sure they’re fraudulent. If anyone else gets a call from them, avoid the interview.
heres another scam, sc marketing, im so glad i did some research before wasting my time with these losers
Develop, Inc, currently located in Schaumburg, IL
Basically, it seemed like a total scam. Went out in the field with an employee for my second interview. Say they promote you to management in 3-6 months.
They admit the company has only been around for 6 months. That’s because it has been operated under different names in several different states. Guess they move around when people catch on. My interview was with Larissa Hawley. Google her for all the different company names they’ve had.
Stay away from Lime Light Marketing. I couldn’t find their address until they attached it in an e-mail. They say they have all kinds of high level clients, but it’s all the same stuff discussed above. This particular group is on 700 E. Ogden Ave. in Westmont, IL. People just kept coming in and out of the office. There was a new person coming in to sit down every 3 minutes.
The other group that contacted me was named ‘Genesis.’ Stay away from them as well. I began asking more probing questions about the positions, and the girl on the phone just kept repeating herself about working with the Home Depot.
San Diego Marketing Group and Sports Marketing, Inc., Sherman Oaks, CA
Archetype Inc. in Tigard, Oregon has to be a scam like all of these other scam companies. I did an interview a few days ago at 7000 SW Hampton St. in Tigard, OR. The office (or suite as they call it) was in an old run down apartment complex or hotel. The interview lasted fifteen minutes and they called me back later that day asking me to come in for a second interview the next day which would last for eight hours. I found this website and changed my mind. I also talked to a friend that interviewed with them a few months back. He told me that this company has you going around small offices trying to sell Quill office products and to stay away from them.
So if you think about applying with this company, you should think twice about it unless you’d enjoy selling offices supplies door to door and not making any money.
You said they sell office suppiles and dont make money, but im sure they wouldnt have employees there still working for them if no one made money… After all thats one of the main reasons why people keep their jobs…. because they make money.. is that not right? and im sure others make more or less too it would probably depend on their experience or how quick they pick things up.
I’ve learnd from other sales jobs that sales was something for me but its not for everyone.
All these places bill the positions as “marketing” “management” or “public relations” when in fact they are just sales. If its anything like the other businesses described on this site, then they are incredibly misleading through the interviewing and hiring process, leading you to a low-paying door to door sales job. Most people “lose” money because they payed for their training materials, transportation costs, and other expenses only to find out too late that its a pretty crappy sales job, not a marketing job like they were applying for. If you want people doing door-to-door sales, then post the jobs as SALES.
You can go ahead and add “Austin Business Consulting” which I suppose is actually “Universal Endeavors Inc.” to that long, long list.
Add the Kenner Group Inc in Southern NJ and the umbrella of Impact Inc (www.impactincorp.com) to the list. Through facebook I found that Larry Tenenbaum founded Impact Inc, from the Impact website I found they were founded 3 years ago. I connected them to Smart Circle Cards, and that in turn led me here. The impact website has the same exact spiel that was posted from the Landers Group website. I had my first interview and realized I was being sold propaganda. When a company just throws around words like “Truth”, “Loyal”, and “believe” they are just trying to appeal to emotions and not logic. I know this as I have studied communications and been made privy to the Theories of Persuasion. When a company doesn’t discuss pay, benefits package, or what your actual duties would be right off the bat then they are obviously not a good company. That goes for any company, regardless of whether or not they are a scam. If they tell you how easy the job is, that’s also a red flag. If a company seems desperate to hire, get away (apply this rule to people in regards to romantic relationships as well). A company that says they focus more on character than they do education means that they want idiots that they can blind with compliments, rather than intelligent individuals who can think for themselves. When someone says “I don’t see how there’s even a decision to make, seems like a no-brainer to me” they are right. The decision should be no, as they have just shown their hand as a pushy persuasive prick (Triple P!!!!!). With all that being said, if any of you guys need a job, I’m starting my own company that will be based on the principles of honesty and integrity. You’ll need a lot of heart and determination to work for me and I only hire the best. My company works hard to put smiles on the faces of our clients and our employees. Experience the joys of helping others while helping yourself! Contact me and you can start immediately! We’ll discuss pay at a later date. Oh and no we don’t have a website, we’re brand new! That means there’s a great change to move up into management immediately! Anyone would be dumb to pass up an opportunity like this, wouldn’t they? So hop on board and start working for a progressive and innovative company that is like no other company around.
See how easy it is to make up some B.S.?
Hilarious Daryl!
The newest scam comes from a company in LA called LA Sports Marketing and they are located in Sherman Oaks on Morrison Street. I went in for their first interview and knew from the moment I got their email that something wasn’t right….well my intuition was correct. They did exactly what this site says they would do: 5 minute interview in a sketchy little building in a sketchy part of town. Didn’t tell me much about the job or the company except for what I could read on their website at http://www.lasportsmarketing.com/
They said they were looking for candidates to put through their “Management Training Program” to make it sound legit but only asked me 5 questions to determine whether or not I was worthy of a second interview: (1) are you looking for full time, (2) when can you start, (3) are you interested in sales, (4) do you like sports, and (5) what kind of sports to you like.
After answering those questions I was given a second interview that would last all day where I would go out into the field with one of their managers to see a typical day and learn about the company and all the benefits. After thinking the whole thing just didn’t sound right I did some investigating and found this website. Then I called the Dodgers, which they claimed to represent, and I found out the whole thing is a scam!! I never went in for my second interview. and I hope this helps to keep other people from falling for this crap!! I can’t believe this company would do something like this to people when everyone is hurting for employment opportunities!! SCUM!!!
Elizabeth S. posted July 8th, Great story, half way through I was wondering if you ever thought of writing. Then I came to wher you said you were a writer. You made the experience very humorus.
Thanks for the entertainment. I was also offered an interview in Miami with one of these companies. Glad I found this site before I drove the 300 miles across state to get there.
Here’s anohter one out of Miami, STL Worldwide. Glad I found this site before going on an interview. I may, however call them for laughs, ask questions they can’t answer, ect. Here’s their pitch, followed by the e-mail they sent offering an interview.
We are one of the premiere promotional marketing and advertising firms in Florida. We are the ONLY company that can boast a portfolio of Professional Sports Teams, Golf Properties, Restaurants, High-End Hotel brands, First run Movie theaters, Spas, family fun centers and more. We provide a very unique grassroots form of advertising and marketing that continues to deliver unequaled results for our clients. Our personal approach gives our clients the advantage of professional and friendly contact with prospective and existing customers. That’s what STL delivers, a charismatic bridge between client and consumer.
STL prides itself on developing and executing personalized promotions designed to raise client awareness in the community and drive new business through our clients’ doors. Our clients turn to STL for their sales and marketing needs due to our ability to produce results in a way that is impossible for our clients to duplicate themselves. The amount of time, money, and resources necessary to develop an in-house sales and marketing department equal to STL is simply not an investment our clients find realistic.
Thank you for applying for a job with STL WORLDWIDE. Management and I are interested in meeting with you for an interview. We received your resume and feel that you are qualified for one of our open positions. We compared your resume to others received and feel that you have the right skill set and experience that we are looking for in an employee.
This is our busy season and unfortunately interview times are limited. Please call our corporate office at 305-392-9224 to secure a time for an interview.
Sincerely,
Human Resource Department
305-392-9224
http://www.stlworldwide.com/
E. Michaels Marketing, Inc. outside of Atlanta….I applied for their entry-level positions in marketing, customer service, and public relations through CareerBuilder. Received an email the next day requesting I call in to schedule a time to interview. I didn’t respond or call them, and they called me the next day asking for me to come in to interview anyway. A few red flags:
I did not send a cover letter with my resume. That’s pretty lazy, and a legitimate company would not immediately rush to interview someone who only did the bare minimum in applying. Also, I did not respond to their email, and they called me the next day. If this were a legitimate company, positions would be competitive. They wouldn’t be emailing and calling someone trying to get them to come in for an interview. They would assume the candidate lacked drive and ambition, and would not be hounding them to come in.
Hope this helped a bit! Good luck finding REAL employment!
I’m supposed to have an interview with the company Southern California Marketing in Anaheim CA tomorrow but when i googled this company scam links came up.. Is this a scam?
went on my 2nd… 8 hours long interview today. The people where very nice. But THANK YOU whoever put this link up! I will not be going back. I was about to quite a job for this bull… I now feel stupid, but very thankful that i found this. I guess my gut feeling about it being super sketch was right.
Do not go to a interview at archetype inc in Oregon. big waste of time!!!!
Thank you all very much. I seem to be attracted to all of these scams. I have an interview on Thursday at Genuine Acquisitions and the description of the “second interview” sounds exactly like everything I’ve been reading here. Here is the email I was given for the “second interview:”
Hi Brian!
It was great meeting you today! As you know, our management team has invited you back for a second round interview on Thursday, October 14th. Our second round interview is an all day interview from 1:30pm to 7:30pm.
During this time, you will be shadowing one of our top Account Managers to observe the AT&T campaign that we are working on. You will need to bring a second copy of your resume and a notebook to take notes if you so choose. The Account Manager you are with will take you to get some coffee and explain in greater detail our company’s goals as well as what we have to offer. This is the last step in our interviewing process. Upon the Account Manager’s evaluation, you will have a third and final interview at the end of the day.
Congratulations , I am looking forward to seeing you again.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth
Human Resources
Genuine Acquisitions, Inc.
http://www.genuineacquisitions.com
2635 North 1st St, Suite 131
San Jose, CA 95134
(408) 955-0823 Phone
I wish I could put an end to these scams because I get so hopeful for an amazing opportunity, and then it all crumbles when I Google the company name and add the word “scam” to the search. If anyone has a way to waste their time like they have wasted ours, please let me know. I feel like going to the interview and giving them absolute hell by just messing with them and telling the community that these people are scam artists.
Hi,
So did you ended up going to the second round? They called me in for an interview as well. But now I am very skeptical.
Thanks
Can anyone tell me if Intrinsic Consulting inc in Framingham MA is a scam? I have searched and have yet to find anything that would indicate that it is, yet I have a sneaking suspicion it is…Thanks.
Adrian
did you ever find out if it was a scam? i have an interview there as well…
I just got a call for an interview here on Thursday. Has anyone found out if they are a scam as well?
Hello out there…
I received a call from LGP, inc. From Charlotte NC for an interview. I was wondering if anyone has heard if the job was a scam.
Thank you,
-Mark
LPG*
I got a call from VMI – An Edge in Marketing & Sales for an interview today. I do hope that this is a legitimate company.
PLEASE ADVISE
I will let you guys know how the interview goes today!
So, everyone on here does not have a job? All they have is time to sit and talk bad about the people that are trying to get them a job? REALLY???!!! No wonder why you idiots are unemployed!!!!
And by replying, that makes you… hmmm
So you think it’s fair to rip people off and waste their time with some bs scam of how to make money? Maybe you should get a life! I’d rather have some crappy job then to try to sell people crap that they neither want nor need! Low lifes like you may feel comfortable doing these, but there are decent people still left in the world! Who’s really stupid…the people who want nothing to do with these companies and would rather do work that will pay off or idiots who are working over 40 hours a week selling door-to-door to make someone else’s pockets fatter?
Team T.A.G. in Culver City and USMA – US Marketing Alliance in Rancho are the same type of scam/pyramid/ponzi schemes. Short first interview consisting of no relevant information and second all day interview shadowing a door to door salesman. Do not waste your time. Even if you do work hard, you get only commission and your manager makes what you sell as well. So it’s no risk for the managers to hire you while you waste 50-60 hours a week of physical labor walking miles door to door hoping that you can close people that don’t want to talk to solicitors in the first place. They have a list of names that AT&T gives them of past and present customers of their land phones and you’re suppose to “con”vince them to upgrade to U-Verse.
These people prey upon those desperate for jobs. I rather work retail or in the food industry making minimum wage plus tips than to waste my time with these fools. They don’t compensate you for gas, and even if you make $300 a week, that’s barely minimum wage for the amount of hours you’re putting in.
Mark October 14, 2010 at 9:49 am
Hello out there…
I received a call from LGP, inc. From Charlotte NC for an interview. I was wondering if anyone has heard if the job was a scam.
Thank you,
-Mark
Total SCAM!! They’re under the parent company “Cydcor”… GOTO http://www.ripoffreport.com and type in CYDCOR… you’ll get your answers!! Don’t waste your time or money by going door to door to sell office supplies for these guys!! They are affiliated with 4 Fifty 8 Acquisitions, Inc. in Raleigh, NC.
Thanks for these posts.
I just got an emial from Worldwide concepts in Atlanta. I will now not be calling or emailing back. I can not believe that they would try to scam everyone.
I got call from Breakthrough Concepts in Atlanta today and have an interview? Anyone know if this is a legit company? They sounded legit. Any help?
Northeast Consulting Group, Inc., located in CT needs to be added to the list of companies scamming. I believe it’s the same company as the others.
C September 3, 2010 at 11:37 pm
TMG Inc. in Indianapolis, IN (Changed name from The Merl Group)
–owner: Steve Kordella
Leitz Out in Indianapolis, IN
–owner: Melissa Painter
Rockland in Detroit, MI
–owner: Andy Bruinger
Seriously, beware of these companies. Steve Kordella seems professional and honest when in fact, he is just a product of the brainwashing that Cydcor forces on their ICL owners. He had to change his ICL name from The Merl Group to TMG because of all the rip-off reports that were written. I remember him making us tell interviewees and new hires that “TMG” is not an acronym and does not stand for anything. I recieved a ticket for solicitation while with the company and recieved several parking tickets. While I did meet some great people (who all got out of the business as well), I can definitely say that this company cost me more than I earned.
Do not sacrifice your time and money for this job.
—————————-
Very true. Employees are trained to tell interviewees TMG doesn’t stand for anything, except it used to be The Merl Group and the office moved.
Archetype, Inc is also in Tigard, Oregon. Did BMF Global change their name, or is this yet a different company trying to take advantage of these hard economic times?
No, they aren’t BMF global my friend worked for them for a short period of time and confirmed to me that they werent. They get confused alot with them because they were both in the same office plaza. I was reading more about the company and noticed that someone wrote they didnt have a rating with the BBB but I looked it up and they have an A- so whoever is reporting that must not be looking at the right site.
REDZONE International, NY
15335 Morrison St. Suite 306
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Telephone: (818)907-7049
Either L.A Sports Marketing or Sports Marketing Inc.
Don’t even bother wasting your time.
To be honest, I was surprised to be called in for an interview and to find out in less than 5 minutes that I was considered for a second interview. Funny thing is that they told me to come professionally dressed and of course, that’s exactly what I did. I was wearing heels and the person that was going to show me what I would be doing asked me if I had more comfortable shoes. Thank God I did, because I honestly wouldn’t have survived.
So here was my day (for about a week so far):
7:15am- arrived at the office and “practiced my pitch” with the other distributors.
9:15am- left around this time to go out in the field
10:00am-12:45pm- worked in the field and if you sold, it was your “bonus for the day”
12:45pm-1:25pm- had lunch
1:25pm-4:45pm- continued working on the field (hoping someone will like the product and actually buy it!)
4:45pm-06:00pm- that’s your commute time from the field back to the office
6:00pm- on forward- It’s atmosphere time where the sales reps talk about their day and how much they sold; and if they made $100 in profit you “ring bell”
It’s a load of bull!!! I have never worked so much in my life to only go back home with at the most $40. Seriously!!!! So if you are looking for something reliable, please don’t even bother to show up or even waste your time considering this so called marketing job.
If I were to sell a product that was worth $25, I would only see $8 of commission. Crazy!!!!
So let me warn you right now, if you get a second interview, don’t go! You are going to waste your time and their time, especially if you aren’t interested.
They aren’t going to tell you upfront what the business is about till you actually get hired… Even then, they don’t explain what really goes on. Thanks to reading what everyone wrote, I don’t feel so stupid and hope that others don’t fall into the same trap.
p.s. I met Matt Kelly and he is extremely nice (probably two-faced). He was the one who actually told me I was hired…. So I hope all this “scamming” doesn’t catch up to him, because when it does, I would not like to be in his shoes!!!!
JL, well said!!
I recently endured the exact same thing with a similar bullshit company (different name, but probably “owned” by the same stupid, shady people) in NorCal. Thankfully, I quit the 3rd day and now have an awesome job with awesome pay that a person with my talent and experience DESERVES after a 9 hour day; let alone a 12 hour day like these assholes make you do. I still think everyone who continues to work at these companies are off of their rockers. They must put something in the water over there…
Anyways, I’m glad that there are sites like this out there to inform trustworthy people of scams that they’re about to embark upon.
Good luck to you!!
Does anyone know for sure if Northeast Consulting Group based in CT is like one of these scammers? I have an interview with them today and after doing some research I can’t find any real substantial information on what this company does. I’ll go in to the interview but be wary of everything I read here.
On further investigation I see on careerbuilder that it is a face-to-face sales position that depends on your individual performance, aka commission based. Yup I’ll be canceling that appointment. I’m a recent college grad and I’m chomping at the bit for anything really. In the future I’ll be sure to fully read a job posting before I apply. Thank you to everyone posting here.
I have been part of one of the direct advertising offices. It is not a scam but you do not fully understand what you are getting into until after your second interview. They don’t lead you through the dark for long. You find out very quickly what this job is about and whether you are going to have what it takes to make it through. No it is not a steady income if you are not decent at it and are not willing to learn from anyone giving advice. Those who have been there longer are willing to offer as much help as they can. The turnover rate is so low because to be a manager in this business takes a certain personality and it isn’t for everyone. You will work harder than you ever have and have longer hours but it all depends of whether it is worth it to you in the long run. Many of us love what we do and make pretty good money doing it. For me personally, I enjoy running my own office and not being an employee in anothers.
Sadie, I’ve worked in two different offices under the Innovage family within the time span of a year, and it seems as though you are all for continually misleading people about how these businesses work… either that, or you haven’t made the “right” contacts to learn what this business is really about. When my “leader” got promoted to manager, I up-rooted my life and followed him over 300 miles from home to help him open up his office. Watching how a new “owner” gets started in this company opened my eyes to all the lies taking place within this business, as my manager basically let it all hang out, so to speak, and I learned how manipulative and dirty dealing this business really is. You’re right when you say this business isn’t for everyone, as the only people who are actually going to make it to management are those willing to sell their souls for a buck – and even them they have to prove their loyalty by making their promoting managers wallets fatter first.
the surf boy September 16, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Here is a mini test for you to take…
This is in response to a recent poll by happynow that has gotten a lot of attention. I’d like to hear the perspective from people out side of the US. Is the ds-max name as suppressed international as it is here in the US? Please let us know. Thank you for your time:
If you are a new member here & have quit the business in the last year or so I have a little questionnaire for you.
While you were in the business,
1. Did you ever hear of the word DS-MAX?
2. Did you ever hear of the word WWI?
3. Did you ever hear of Larry Tennebaum or Avie Roth?
4. Did anyone ever promote how large this type of business was? (e.g. # of offices in # countries)
5. On average, how many hours a day were you at work?
6. On average, how much did you clear p/week?
7. Did your manager own a car? (make & model if you know) Did he have his own apartment or live with his guys?
8. Did you ever get arrested or ticketed by the police while in the field?
9. Did you pull your Day of Observation out of atmosphere & “bottom line” them before you would have them meet with your manager? (Something like this, “Look, my manager is looking at bringing on 2 people tonight so I need to know if you are willing to start tomorrow & give 110% & then maybe I can get you in to see him.”)
10. On average, what was the percentage of smokers in your office?
Extra Credit:
11. Which of these numbers does not belong.
107 307 53 230 11 701
I wanted to respond to this because I thought it was strange…
I went on an interview when I was 16 that was exactly this. The guy who “interviewed” me 1) didn’t have a car, 2) lived with some guys he called his “team”, 3) all he talked about was how many offices they have an how many employees, 4) it was about a 10 hour day that he called a “working interview”, 5) I got a speeding ticket driving this guy back to the office… after he had me drive 45 minutes from the “office” to get to some shady neighborhood to sell stuff. 6) the stuff we were selling was crap! watches and r/c cars.
RIDICULOUS.
Hello I’m trying to figure out if this company Simple marketing solutions is a scam? I have my second interview tomorrow. Help me out. It seems a little fishy.
Had an interview with Business Solutions International located in Braintree, MA in May 2007. They were a scam as well and followed the same business model as above. Showed up, went around with a girl from door-to-door to businesses, she took me out to lunch, said her self confidence had sky-rocketed since getting a job there. She was convincing and sincere. I was tempted to join the company, but thought it was weird how everyone had to buy their own health insurance. SO happy I didn’t. Supposedly they changed their company’s name to avoid bad press. This is so horrible, stop wasting these poor college graduate’s time!!!
Please add this company:
JCW Marketing Group, Inc
4600 Park Rd Suite 114
Charlotte, NC 28209
jcwmarketing.hr@gmail.com
I have my “second interview” tomorrow. Needless to say I won’t be there. Thanks so much for shedding light on what these scam artists are doing!
I found one of these “too good to be true” job opportunities recently and it was just that, too good to be true. The company in question is called Worldwide Vision, a sales and marketing firm that looks to be based out of Greenville, NC and Raleigh, NC. The contacts are Emily Snyder and Lee Upchurch. After sending my resume I got an email back saying how they would love to have me come in for an interview. However, after some research I found that it was exactly the same email that someone else who posted a comment on the board got. Also, it was nearly impossible to find any information on this company until I talked to Lee Upchurch and she gave me their website. After looking through their website, which had a very minimal amount of info on it; I realized that there were a plethora of typos. All in all, this was a sketchy situation and definitely a scam.
Got a call from them today…Thank goodness I did some research!
Soo Glad I found this site. Lee Upchurch has been contacting me back and forth wanting me to come in tomorrow for a 20 mins interview. I was almost about to take a half day off from work( which would be my last one). People these days. Also she would never stat the exact amount of base salary I would receive.
Other scammers:
– Red F in Washington, D.C. (they’re all over CraigsList in D.C.)
– InnoCept Marketing in Dallas, Texas (nearly fell for this one because I was so anxious to find work)
– Competitive Consulting in Austin, Texas (I warned a friend about this one when they scheduled his first interview – he ditched them. Thank goodness.)
I had an interview with this company. Kept seeing their job posts on Careerbuilder and the opportunity sounded good so I thought I’d give it a try. I applied and they called me back the next day. I went to the interview and it seemed nice. Fiat Lux in Phoenix, AZ. They wanted me back the next day to go through the second part of the job screening which is a few hours of observation. I didn’t feel they were 100% so I didn’t even go the next day. The weird thing is they were hiring and allowing everyone to come back for the second day. Pretty much anyone is qualified to get ripped off. I’m glad I looked it up. My gut feeling was right. The company didn’t feel sincere or honest working. Don’t fall for it if you live in Phoenix, AZ.
Add Fiat Lux to the list. They fall under everything wrong with a company.
I just got a call for an interview from Breakthrough Concepts Marketing Group in Atlanta, GA. I looked into it further and it looks like one of the event planning/sports marketing scams, but I’m not sure. The website is sketchy and it doesn’t feel right. Willy, what do you think??
Here’s the website:
http://www.bcmgatl.com/
Casey,
TOTAL SCAM! I went to 2 interviews and finally realized it was all a scam and a load of crap!!!
Hi everyone,
I just finished working for Southern California Marketing. I worked there for 6 months and they were up front with how this business works.
Is it hard? A little. It’s not glamorous but if you can cover your bills with $1500.00-2000.00 a month and you don’t mind working hard and training other people to do the same job you are doing, then it’s not bad.
They tell you what you need to do to succeed and if you hit the marks, you get the promotion. The end game, of opening your own office in six months to a year is true, in my six months there, I witnessed 3 people get it done. All you have to go is dedicate your life to the business. They tell you that the first day on the job. they also tell you that 95% of the people in the room won’t make it. They also let you know that the days start at 7:00am and end at 6:00pm. It’s not like there are any secrets to this.
I’ve read most of these posts and it seems to me that most of the people bad mouthing this are just lazy. To call it a scam is untrue. They let you know it’s commission and they don’t make any guarantees about the money you will make. What they have is a system and I can tell you it works, because I’ve seen it work. I had weeks where I only made 300.00 but I also had a week where I made over $1000.00, Most of the time it was right around 500-650 bucks.
Before you go out to the field, they give you your consignment, you don’t pay for it up front, you only pay for what you don’t bring back. At no time did SC marketing ever ask me for money, unless it is owed for my consignment.
I just want to close by saying this company is not a scam but it is not for the weak of heart. You won’t get rich doing the 1st part, but it’s better then staying at home and not working. And if you aren’t sure, check it out. It will cost you a couple of days that you would have been playing Modern Warfare or World of Warcraft, It’s not like you can’t quit if you don’t like it.
Hey, “Douglas” you are a total liar. The model of selling garbage goods door-to-door is unlikely to ever give one an income of over one thousand per month. Getting stupid people to turn over the money they’ve earned by selling junk is the only way to make more than a pittance.
You say you observed so much success there, yet you left after six months.
You are a liar and deserve to suffer from a prolonged disease.
Hey Douchecity Lawyer, I haven’t lied about a single thing in my statement. You are probably one of the lazy people who want something for nothing. This job isn’t for everyone. It ended up not being for me.
The truth is a lot of unqualified people get a chance to make “bill money”, but they do do get the chance. You just have to work your ass off to get it.
As for a prolonged disease I always make sure I blow my load down you mothers throat, and stay away from her stank filled Vagina.
NOREASTERN MANAGEMENT
Congratulations on being selected to come in for a preliminary interview with our company on 11/15/2010 at 12:30 PM ! It was a pleasure speaking with you today and we look forward to meeting with you for your interview. You will be meeting with Brandon Gottlieb. If you have any questions feel free to give our office a call.
Interview Essentials:
• Bring a copy of your resume
• Dress in professional-business attire
• When you arrive please press option Noreastern Management on the buzzer.
• If you are going to be late or unable to make your interview, please be courteous and give our office a call at 610.313.2422
Good Luck and have an awesome day!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Eberly
Human Resource Assistant
BIG SCAM LOL
Add The Marketing Professionals Inc in New Brunswick, NJ to the list. Also, Global Advertising Group in Clifton, NJ.
2020 Companies has been samming young job seekers. Please look into them!
Hi everyone,
I would love confirmations about Genuine Acquisitions. Is it really a scam? It really does sound too good to be true since they called me the day after I posted resume for an interview. Please let me know so I don’t go in for an interview & waste my time.
Tri-City Marketing, Inc… in Johnson City, TN… it’s the same as everything mentioned above.. start entry level, and 3-6 months be the owner of your marketing firm. It’s a scam.
The office I went into, had NOTHING, just a small room, with a marker board and his desk in the back. Rip off.
I was unlucky enough to be duped twice by these door to door jobs. I worked at Lowe’s when I applied for a job at Orion Marketing for their entry level management in training position. The location wasn’t difficult to find but they had no signage indicating what it was. I found that to be odd but a real red flag. The interview was maybe 15 minutes where I left being interested but still not sure what I was going to do.
When I arrived for the second interview I saddled up with the account executive and his team. As I chatted with them I found that none of them had bachelors degrees or any prior experience in marketing. I thought that was kind of strange that none of them (account executive included) had any higher education.
We went out to a neighborhood in Des Moines WA which is tucked behind Sea Tac Airport. I had done door to door marketing before when I was a job site manager for College Pro Painting gathering leads. The concept wasn’t new to me and I didn’t mind it in theory. However, what I did mind was that I had to be dressed professionally in the summer to go door to door for eight hours. It was hot, and the product were were selling was a free estimate for a home improvement company and Mariners tickets. Whoopie! The day was long and tiring but the Account Manager was upbeat and made the day tolerable.
At 9pm when we got back to the office was “hired”. As I was currently employed I said that I would have to give two weeks. I also felt like I had been used going door to door for free. They could have said from the beginning “hey we are a direct marketing firm. We go door to door peddling coupons and promotions.” I was told that I was to start tomorrow and didn’t have to give two weeks because “they didn’t care about me” and “look at how much money you could make” I don’t react well to strong arm sales techniques so i turned him down and went home.
My second time running into a company similar to this was The Hacker Group. Same deal, short interview then go out with the team. I was wary, but this company at least had a functional website and decent office. To my chagrin the very same Account Executive I had met with Orion came out to lead me for Hacker Group. Not having a car and more or less nothing else to do that day I played along. This time we were selling toys for tots outside a QFC in the middle of winter. I was cold, once again in professional dress and very annoyed. The toys are utter crap, and my patience wore thin quickly. The problem was I didn’t know exactly where I was so I couldn’t just leave. Instead I sabotaged sales when I could agreeing with QFC patrons to the low quality of the toys for sale and encouraging people to donate old toys.
When the head of the Hacker Group came by the check on our sales he asked me how I liked it and I said “I am cold mostly” I was told by the Account Executive that I didn’t have what it takes and I disagreed saying I could do this if I wanted to I just don’t want to.
In conclusion, this isn’t quite a scam but is very dishonest and shadowy. You’re more likely to work long hours, receive little pay and perform rather degrading uninteresting work.
So I applied to these types of jobs, desperately trying to find something full time, bennies the works. Been seriously dating a girl now for a while and would like to eventually get married and I really can’t do that bouncing around with part time and possible daily work. Got immediate email responses all carbon copies of what has been posted. I called one company back and they told me that they were “very interested” in me. Unbeknown to me about this information I responded that I was “very interested” in them. Pause. They then said they wanted to set up an interview and they were interviewing tomorrow. Due to prior obligations (my plethora of part-time jobs) I said that I couldn’t make it for tomorrow. Pause. It wasn’t until I mentioned my availability did they say that I could come in the day after tomorrow. Now I will admit I didn’t think anything of it at that time. I had to get home eat dinner and then go to work (again) and I had just picked up a pizza to eat. I get to work and do what I have to be done and I have some time on my hands so I figure I’ll be a good interviewer and research the company. I google “jd advertising” and instantly and list of reviews for the company comes up and 17/18 reviews were negative about mentioning the word scam.
So momma didn’t raise no fool and I continued to search using different threads trying to contradict or disprove these claims. I’m finding nothing. I go to the other companies that emailed me and start looking at them. These had “legit” looking sites but there were far too many bells and whistles. Hardly any information, but boy did these sites put on a show. I went into the emails (one saying that they tried to call me but couldn’t be reached) and it told me to contact five line marketing. Now the flags are really flying and eventually I find this site. I read these stories and just shake my head in discouragement. Now I will not say it is a “scam” because everyone has their own opinion. Misleading…absolutely! I will not be attending that interview, nor am I going to respond to any other “opportunities” these companies may offer me. I have nothing against working hard. For the past 3 months I have been averaging 60+ hours a week between all the jobs. When I was home from college I use to average 80 hours a week, so I’m not going to say I’m not going because of the amount of work that is needed. I’m not going because I worked too hard to finish school to be underpaid. Think about it 12 hours a day for a mere $8-$9 per hour. I can probably get that working seasonally for a retail store stocking shelves and doing over night and that is only 7-9 hours a night. Which would still allow me to work my other jobs. Normally I would have been skeptical of blogs and comments like that, but the sheer volume of responses and the conviction each individual put into their personal post sold me on the legitimacy of what was posted. Thank you for making my life a little less hectic.
Thank you soooooooooo much everyone for making this site! Because of it I avoided two phony interviews with Polaris and Red Zone International. I think Polaris has actually changed their name from ‘Polaris NYC’ to ‘Polaris Inc’ and started a new website in order to throw people off. Again, thanks so much.
Add Worldwide Vision in Raleigh NC and Destin Hype in Destin Florida! Thank goodness for Destin Hype because when Worldwide Vision contacted me I knew the scam already! The lady called for my “interview” and on the voice mail she said he company name really quickly, so when I called back she dd\id it again and once she scheduled my interview she said she would email me the direction…pretty weird I thought so as soon as I got the email I Googled the name and read some of the same things Destin hype used to describe their business! Destin Hype had me going door to door selling coupons to restaurants and spas in the area…they didnt say that they had been selling them to the same people they expected me to sell them to for weeks and they even said they had just started up a few weeks before that! So they completely lied about how long they had been selling their stuff. Nick Iovieno was the owner…total scammer! Google his name he had The Iovieno Group in Tx…guess that didnt work out because he moved to Fl but he said it was only to expand the company! Be careful with these things guys…they are preying on people but arent very smart about it…if it sounds too good to be true/fishy it usually is!
This company sounds like it fits the profile of scams. Too bad…
Long Island Acquisitions will develop individuals, personally and professionally, into leaders through teamwork and fundamental management training techniques. We will promote team success as well as individual achievements in a positive atmosphere.
Basic Job Info
Company – Long Island Acquisitions
LocationUS-NY-Mineola
Job TypeSales, Marketing, Management
Begin Date11/21/2010
End Date12/20/2010
Base PayN/A
Employment TypeFull-Time
Keywords: sales, sales and marketing, marketing management, sales management, sales training, marketing training, management training, sales support, sales assistant, retail sales, restaurant management, hospitality management, food management
A company known as Argos Acquisitions, Inc. (founded in 2007, according to the snippet of info from Google Maps) changed names recently to Smith Business Consultants.
11616 Southfork Ave., Suite 203
Baton Rouge, LA 70816
http://www.smithbc.com
Their website reads vaguely. They’re too new to have a rating other than B- in the Better Business Bureau, but no complaints yet, either. They called me wanting an interview based on my resume I posted on CareerBuilder.com. Guess I’ll cancel my interview now.
Forgot this:
http://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/messagetopic.asp?p=17313400
Rant from people back when Argos was active about how it’s a pseudo-pyramid sales job.
I was just recently hired by Develop, Inc. in Schaumburg, Il. My first day is supposed to be Monday. The whole interview and hiring process pretty much follows the same tactics people have mentioned above. I recently moved the area and have been applying everywhere. I got a call from Develop and they made it sound like such an exciting offer! I went for my first interview and everyone was very professional, upbeat, and motivating and I thought it was really neat. She informed me of the management program and how I could work my way up in a matter of months and be making 75,000 a year by June. She talked extremely fast, but she even acknowledged that fact, and I just thought it was the way she talked, so I didn’t really think anything of it. So I left, hoping that I would get a call for a second interview. Of course, I did…because I think they probably call everyone back for a second interview, even though you are told you “Congratulations! You are one of the final five candidates!”
Anyway, while I was waiting in the lobby for my second interview, I noticed a number of things that kind of raised a red flag. First, very loud pop music was blasting from some generic speaker hanging from the wall; second, the office furniture looked totally threadbare and like it could be packed into a moving truck in half an hour; third, three young women were trying to share a really small desk space; and fourth, the woman on the phones kept referring to the company as “Marketing and Events” when she answered the phone, but actually used the name of “Develop, Incorporated” when she talked to a person or left a message. I didn’t understand why she was using two different names, but after reading the above…I do!
During the second interview, the woman talked even faster than first before she sent me out “on an event” to observe the team in action and talk with a team leader/trainer. The trainer was really super nice and seemed to enjoy his job, but I noticed he kept repeating everything the woman in the first interview said and he congratulated me for making it to the top 5 again..and then when it got to the question of pay it was really really vague. Luckily for me I was only out for about an hour before they sent me back for a third interview and I didn’t have to trapse around a sketchy block selling coupons for an hour. When I got back to the office, I noticed that instead of a sign with the company name, Develop, Inc. on the door, there was a sign that said MARKETING AND EVENTS. Which was a huge red flag, cause…why wouldn’t you put the name of the company on the door?
During the third interview the woman kept reviewing to my interview that I had the day before, except that I had had the interview the previous week and they had told me that that was the last week they were interviewing. Then they had me fill out a questionaire which was pretty much like a test of what I the team leader and I talked about which I thought was weird, but I just thought they were trying to gauge how much I could pick up on in an hour’s conversation. I come from an academic field so I have no idea how marketing works and I just thought…”Hey, guess this is how its done.”
As sketchy as it seemed, they were very honest when I asked about schedule, transportation, training pay, etc…but when it came to actual wages and commission…it was a very vague $100-$200 dollars a day or straight commission, depending on which event you were working. They also told me that it was a very long work day and that I would have to work really hard to move up to a management position,
They called and offered me the job and i said I would take it, but after thinking about how sketchy it felt, I started to do some research. I couldn’t find ANYTHING on the company except that they have a C rating on the BBB website.. Not even a website! I received a confirmation email from them and it had a web address link, so I went to it and it looks like a teenager made it with Geocities. Then I remembered that all three people told me that they just moved from San Diego to open the office, so I tried all types of different searches and eventually came across this website…thank god!
Also…I just noticed that their email address is a gmail address! It’s not even a corporate domain! And I just read that Develop is a company owned by Larissa Hawley of Elite and Quantum marketing from California who no longer exist.
Anyway… now that I am armed with all this information, I will not be going to my first day of slave labor. Thanks for starting this website/discussion group. I know my story sounds the same as everyone else, but I just wanted to put it out there that Develop, Inc. should be on your radar too!
i am trying to find out more about long island acquisitions in farmingdale, ny. they say they are looking for stock broker trainees, and red zone international
Wish I had found this out before I went to my first interview and the full day of observation. I came across something like this the night before my day of observation, but I had to witness it myself. I was lucky enough to realize what it was within the first hour of the day so I did not leave the guy I was partnered up with, did not try to sell any of the items they were selling every time i was offered the chance (which was easily 10 times throughout the day, I was not about to work for free), and made the guy pay for lunch after he tried making me pay for lunch. It was a wasted day unfortunately, which is a big blow to a college student. When they asked if I felt the company was a good fit, I simply responded I would have to think about it long and hard, which basically told them, no I was not going to take the position. Now I am back at square one in finding my college internship.
Add Sports Marketing, Inc
1210 Veterans Memorial blv
Kenner, LA 70062
scam scam scam
Thank you so much! I had an interview with them tomorrow morning. I went on an interview this morning that was the same exact scam and it was for Luminance Marketing. It was in Canoga Park/Winnetka in California. Then I got an email today that was the same exact thing, so I decided to do some research online. Thank you so much for making this site! I’m definitely not going to the interview tomorrow. Thanks for helping me not waste my time.
I almost went to the interview today. They said I was eligible for the upper PR position. I knew something was up. It was to good to be true!!! F them!
More SCAMS!!!
BREAKTHROUGH CONCEPTS MARKETING GROUP
1775 The Exchange, Suite 100
Atlanta, GA 30339
Chasity Walker
Human Resource Manager
(770) 956-7110
http://www.bcmgatl.com
–for my 2nd interview, i had to get in a car with some stranger and drive halfway across the city to go door-to-door to different businesses and interrupt people while they were working to try to sell them stupid movie tickets!! the worst part was that they mislead me when they called me in for the supposed “2nd interview” & they never said anything about having to get in a car with some weirdo guy and drive halfway across the city to sell crap ALL DAY!!! they totally mislead me! thank goodness nothing bad happened to me, like getting in a car accident with some random person i dont even know (which i could def sue them if this did happen) & thank goodness this guy wasn’t like a serial killer or something but nobody would know because they hire pretty much everyone that applies to this company!!
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THIS SO CALLED COMPANY!!!!!!!!!
More SCAMS—
E. Michaels Marketing
302 Research Drive
Suite 145
Norcross, GA 30092
(770) 446-5991
http://www.emichaelsmarketinginc.com/
-when i went in for the interview the first time they called me back to come for a 2nd interview another day, and as i was sitting in the “boss” office for my 2nd interview she offered me the job right on the spot and i didn’t know what to say, so i politely said thank you for this opportunity I would like to think about it and I’ll call you (because i knew something was fishy about all of this, & from my college career i knew that the appropriate way REAL COMPANIES conduct interviews is by calling you later on after you interview to offer you the job or to tell you that they went with someone else) well, the lady got all fussy and angry when i told her that and she tried to con me into taking the job by saying how important i was and that they really wanted me..BS!!!
Another point–watch out for the phrase “GRASS ROOTS MARKETING APPROACH” these companies like to throw this term around like they actually know what it means, but really to them it means–you’re gonna be walking around door-to-door to sell crap to people that they dont even want or need!
Another SCAM!!!!
Worldwide Concepts, Inc.
5555 Glenridge Connector Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30342
http://www.worldwidemktg.net/
I have an interview with Breakthrough Concepts Marketing Group today in Atlanta. I have not seen this name on here but it sounds like the same type of thing that I am reading about on here. Is it going to be a waste of time? I am not a sales person and have no interest in selling. Their ad was not very infomative so I really have no idea what they do. Anyone had experience with this company?
Look at the post right above yours, BREAKTHROUGH CONCEPTS MARKETING GROUP IS A TOTAL SCAM!!!!!
You can add San Diego Marketing Group to that too. Most of these posts sounded identical to my experience.
New Light Marketing INc. Aka Green Light Marketing both run MLMscams recruiting unsuspecting desperate job seekers via craigslist and snagajob.com they bring you in for an interview at an office building in Waukesha WI that upon further inspection rents offices by the day then they tell you nothing about the job other than they represent Directv and that you will sell the products in sams club & walmart they will not tell you what it pays nor what the hours are or any other prudent information they tell you you will own your own business in no time its a huge scam save your gas & time.
Sports Marketing, Inc. IS A SCAM! PLEASE DON’T FALL FOR IT!
I almost fell for the scam today! The Landers Group based out of LA California has sattelite offices all over the place. The newest one is in Kenner Louisiana. The name of the company is Sports Marketing, Inc.. I know this is the same company, because I met with Ivan Saavedra, the same Ivan Saavedra that was made manager for their LA firm in 2006. I was given a second interview for Thursday December 16, obviously will not be attending.
Reasons I knew this was a Scam when I left the prelimanary interview:
1. The interview took 3 minutes total.
2. Ivan had a walmart desk in his tiny, musty office.
3. The office they were located in had a Bellsouth Sign over the door- no markings stating that it was a legitimat Marketing firm
4. They only hired College Grads- which includes those with non marketing degrees or experience
5. I was asked to work from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm on the next interview for FREE.
6. I called the New Orleans Hornets Basketball Team Marketing Dept. and they had never heard of the company.
7. Claimed that pay would be $35,000 for the first year then $80,000+ for the following years
8. IT SOUNDED TO GOOD TO BE TRUE
9. Researching IVAN SAAVEDRA on Google
Apperently there are two Apollo Directs in Houston. Watch out for the Sports marketing one because its just like these groups everybody else has been talking about. Went on one interview and after feeling like something was amiss and the fact that it seemed like he was trying to sell me the job. I got selected for the second interview and I didn’t go back. I was suppose to be shadowing someone sooo glad I changed my mind.
do you remember where it was located i will an interview with them tomorrow. at APOLLO DIRECT
Sports Marketing
7322 Southwest Freeway Suite 710
Houston, TX 77074
please let me know it looks like scam buy i want to be sure
Marianne, I hope you’re not going through with Apollo– they’re bogus. I just did my first day there and it is not what you think! 7 am to 7 pm and you get maybe $100 a day–if that. Add this to the list of these companies who promise a lot more than they give.
Listen to this one:
Send my resume into a sports marketing firm called Worlwide Vision in Raleigh, NC. Get a call back, get directions (on Atlantic ave in Raleigh) and set up an interview. Get to the place which is a very nice, professional office building with sports pictures and such, everyone is wearing suites, is young, and is happy. Anyways meet the receptionist Lee (Remeber her name) and I interview with some guy. Told him what I do for a living currently which is Research Retail Fraud and then the interview quickly got terminated and never got a call.
Send my resume to a sports marketing firm called Divine Edge Keltic Enterprises (what a name huh-shitty website too). Get a call, get directions, find out its in the SAME building in the SAME SUITE and I interview in the SAME OFFICE with a different guy named Jeff (who I had seen but not spoke to during the first interview). Here’s the best part: The same receptionist was there but she introduced herself as Rachel this time not Lee-WOW beautiful mind do you not remember me I was here last week. This time I throw em a different approach as I did not mention the fraud research part only the retail part. Jeff falls for it, gives me the spiel, and then sets me up for a second interview which has not yet occured.
My options:
Roll in there and tell Jeff, Lee or Rachel (also answers the phone as Krissy btw)(I like to call her LeKrischel), and the other guy I interviewed with that I’m not going door-to-door soliciting and want to be part of their dirty management team immediately or I’ll bust there lil scam up?
Just not go?
Or volunteer to take my car, drop Jeff off 30 miles away, and never return?
The EXACT Same thing happened to me, but I first interviewed with Keltic Enterprise, then the next interview was in the same suite (116) off Atlantic just interviewed with a different guy that was there the first time but this time the company was called Bull Marketing Group.
That’s interesting about Divine Edge. I got a call from them about 3 months ago offering an interview. When I found out it was a group interview, I knew something was up and said “no thanks.” I got a recently from Breakthrough Marketing Concepts for an interview. Since it was a CALL and an individual interview and I couldn’t find anything negative about them on-line I went to the interview. Clue one should have been the website that looked very similar to Divine Edge, which also looks created by a child. When I got to the location I was greeted by a very perky receptionist (Chastity) who is either truly clueless that she is screwing people over, or soulless. She gabbed about Christmas and answered call after call from applicants. She gave them all the same story and told several people that they don’t offer relocation – shocker. I noticed that no CLIENTS were actually calling or coming in. Breakthrough Concepts has nothing printed with their company information. No pamphlets, no cards etc. They claim to have been in business for 4 years, The office looks like a temp space with a cheesy “Wilkins” jersey framed on the wall. I talked to a few people passing in and out. They were shockingly not at all suspicious. One young man had just moved down here and was so optimistic. He took Marta there. I was furious thinking they wasted his time and $. I advised him not to give any personal information out. A guy whose name changed twice while i was in there conducted my 5 minute interview. Of course it made no sense. He just gave me pamphlets for Braves tickets and restaurant coupons and stated that if I was selected I could sell door to door as well, or more importantly, have my own team that does. I asked for his business card which of course he didn’t posses. After I left I was still confused about what the scam was until I read about the Landers Group. I’m calling the Better Business Bureau now. I think it’s important for us job seekers to keep each other informed. These people are disgusting.
Has anyone had the chance to look into Big business Solutions ?They advertise hiring positions for marketing on the website called Monster. I recently was called back for a position but I’am wary of its factuality.
Thank you so much for creating this site. This just saved me from a potentially sketchy, dangerous situation and a waste of a day it seems. The situation QB described above is EXACTLY the same pitch that I received today – Same receptionist names, no mention of the company names (Worldwide Vision and Divine Edge/Keltic Enterprise), and interviews with each “separate” company… IN THE SAME OFFICE SUITE! What’d you do QB?
Haha. Same thing for me. My roommate actually went into Keltic Enterprises a few weeks ago, and went for the ‘second round interview’ and ended up driving around and wasting his day. When I was given the interview for Worldwide Vision for today, I figured it was going to be the same thing, and then I noticed on the website that they have the same address and suit #116. I called and asked about this and said I was not interested in the pure commission deal that my roommate bothered with, but Lee assured me that “Keltic was their sister company and while it is entirely commission-based, Worldwide is structured differently with base pay.” I went to the interview and was denied any information about pay and they said it would be discussed tomorrow. So I got my call back and am set up to go in for 2 hours tomorrow….
Here’s what I’m thinking, steal as many coupon books as possible and then just run away. My roommate would drop me off and then follow us and then be my getaway car. Ha, except they have all of my information. I’ll probably just not show up, but thanks for the information, while I was quite confident it was total bs, it is now confirmed.
Well I sure am glad I read this, thanks to my dad for doing some research. I have decided I am not going to go to my interview with develope Inc Thursday!!! What a joke!
http://www.austin-cc.com/
austin competitive consulting. SCAM
HOUSTON TX
If a company’s website is created by ANISSE–RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!!!! TOTAL SCAM! and when you call…the ph is answered “marketing”!!!! No company name is said because t is 1 person answering for all of the companies
CRDB Concepts
Galleria Marketing
Vector Marketing
Hello,
I have a second interview for a job. The company is called red zone international, does anyone know if this company is a scam?
I have interviewed at 4 companies that all sounded legitimate, which ended in a huge waste of time. All 4 interviews at “E Michaels Marketing”, “Birmingham Business Consulting”, “MVP Marketing”, and “Superior Concepts” were in the Birmingham, AL area. Each company had a series of THREE interviews, by the last you’ve wasted so much time I think they want you to just stick with it.
ANY job post in all caps AVOID AT ALL COST.
You will know quickly if something is up, this company most likely shares building space with another company.
These waste of time interviews usually consist of the “hard” questions that instructors told you about facing in a real interview. However, the only real company I interviewed for didn’t ask nearly as annoying questions as these guys.
There’s at least 1 of these companies, and I think more, operating right now in South Florida:
BAI, Inc (total scam)
baiflorida.com
4651 Sheridan St. Suite 301
Hollywood, FL 33021
Anyone ever hear of PSI Marketing? or BSG (Boston Sports Group)? Please let me know because i was contacted by these people to set up an interview… thanks in advance
I have thoughts on finding a job though I haven’t really marched yet (soon though). Instead of bumming around the house during my last term end and graduation date I started browsing online jobs and attended several interviews. I came across Mega Circle Inc. (based in Las Pinas) which is relatively near my place I tried applying for a “Management Trainee” position. It was stated in their Jobstreet post that they are in need of employees because they are expanding. Thinking it was true, since they have an office in Ortigas too, I pursued my application.
On the day of my interview, like what I usually do, I dressed up in business attire. I was running late and so I rushed when I saw the building already. I hesitated to continue my application when I saw the environment outside the office (stairs, corridors, etc.) but still I told myself I’ve got nothing to lose and besides, I was there already. Because of the company name, I thought they were a big company with a nice office and all but NO! they have a really small room that was just subdivided to make it appear bigger. When I entered the office, it was literally empty until I saw a guy in business attire inside a small room. He called me and got my resume. Basically, we were the only ones inside the office. He conducted an interview and scheduled me for an orientation with another employee 2 days after which should run from 9am to 5pm. He said that after the said time the employee and I shall return to the office and only after that will I know if I am already hired. He asked me to wear make up and business attire for the orientation which made me feel like “Am I selling something?” That’s when it crossed my mind that he was like hiring me for a promodizer position.
BOTTOM LINE: “Management Trainee” is obviously misleading. :|
sc marketing in tukwila wa.. beware.. they’re all over craigslist and careerbuilder and i think monster too..
Add E. Michaels Marketing of Atlanta/ Maverick Promotions.
Im glad you just posted E. Michaels, I was almost scammed today. :-( I though i was finally getting a job.
I’m also glad y’all posted E. Michaels. I was awfully suspicious to begin with, but good to know my hunch was right.
This is a great website. I was just curious if anyone had any experience with or knows if the so called company Noreastern Management is a scam. I applied online via CareerBuilder and within one day they emailed me praising my resume and asking me to call them for an interview (BIG RED FLAG)…..Pretty sure it is a scam and won’t be calling them but I was just wondering if anyone knows for sure because there is nothing really about them being legit or a scam written anywhere….here is a link to the job posting…..http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?ipath=EXIND&siteid=cbindeed&Job_DID=J8H6756S3LKC8XST36V
Thank you for applying for a job with NOREASTERN MANAGEMENT. We are excited to inform you that management is interested in meeting with you for an interview! They reviewed your resume and feel that you are qualified for one of our open positions. They also compared your resume to others received and feel that you have the right skills set and experience they are looking for in an employee.
This is our busy season and unfortunately interview times are limited. Please call our office and ask for Abby Miller to secure a time for an interview at 856-313-6181.
Look forward to hearing from you soon!
Abby Miller
Human Resources Manager
856.313.6181
Above is email I got yest. Suspicious to say the least! Have you interviewed w them? Been to dozens of these in last year, and wasted precious time. Have you fleshed them out yet?? As usual, too good to be true,
This site was great. Did you actually interview with them and work?
Thank goodness for this site and this article!! I was totally intrigued by PAG in Denver, but now that I’ve seen this I’m not going near it. I recently was very nearly suckered in by a craigslist scam. What is this world coming to? Bunch o assholes out there. Except for you guys here; thank the good Lord for these scamming scumbags being exposed.
Does anyone know about Five Line Marketing in White Plains NY?
Any responses about Five Line?
I’m pretty confident that you can add Worldwide Vison in Raleigh, NC to the list. They have various postings on job websites spanning numerous positions but do subtly mention ‘direct methods’ etc. The BBB shows their incorporation date as Jan. 2010 and rates them at B- with almost no feedback. This prompted me to call them and ask point-blank whether they were involved in direct marketing, to which the woman on the phone replied yes. At least they’re somewhat honest when approached directly about what they do. I’m really glad I came across this website before wasting my time with an interview.
I’m pretty sure you’re right Andrew. I applied and got an email stating they wanted to setup an interview, which they did after I called them today. The interview is for tomorrow, so I decided to do some research on the company (obviously). Needless to say they fit ALL criteria for these “marketing” slavery businesses mentioned on this site and others across the net.
The funny thing is, I’m so sick of job hunting without even getting interviews (or any correspondence) that I’m actually thinking of going on the interview just for practice… or out of sheer boredom. I guess after that I’ll just go back to restaurants where I know I can get a $10/hr. crappy job even though I’ve got my degree. yeehaw…
anyone heard of nashville business consulting, or NBC, Inc? It seems to be this type of thing, but I have an interview tomorrow with them and I’m not sure if I should cancel it. Any help would be appreciated.
Anyone know anything about a company called Vanguard Promotions in South Carolina? Seems too good to be true.
Superior Concepts and Capital Promotional group in Birmingham, AL are both marketing scams who not only throw you off with vague information in the beginning but once you start working they do not pay you the commission promised or a fair value for the hours you have worked which can be up to 75+ a week. AVOID AT ALL COSTS….
SC Marketing in Tukwilla, WA – Same deal. I got an immediate response from my resume on monster.com from SC marketing. I called them to set up an interview. They set it up for the very next day. I woke up early today to iron my dress clothes and do a little more research on the company when I stumbled upon this site.
While reading the posts on this site I started questioning SC Marketing and wondering if I should call them to ask a few more questions. Then the phone rang, it was SC marketing calling to double check that I got their email and interview confirmation. So I told the rep that I was a little concerned from what I had been reading. I asked if they were associated with the Landers Group and the rep laughed and said she had never heard of them. I asked if a second interview would amount to door to door cold calling. She responded by saying the second interview would consist of “job shadowing.” She was very vague. I asked her if the job shadowing would be meeting with clients or just going door to door. She was reluctant to answer. She told me she didn’t have a half hour to explain all the ins and outs of the company. I told her I just wanted a little more specific information and she told me that I wasn’t going to work out in this business and cancelled my interview. Thank God.
SC marketing claimed to have nearly every professional sports team in Southern California as clients. I guess they can technically say this since they peddle sports tickets.
When they said that the Mariners were one of their Seattle clients I was imagining myself going to Safeco Field to take pictures for brochures, posters, working with videographers on commercials. No, SC marketing just sells mariners tickets door-to-door.
I would not qualify this as a scam. It’s not like they are selling your social security number to mexican coyotes, but they are misleading, and in order to progress in the company you have to mislead many many people. The more people you mislead, the more money you make.
does anyone know anything about vanguard promotions in the charleston, south carolina area? i had my first interview today and it fit the description. they even asked me to come back and shadow tomorrow. i can’t really find anything on them so now i’m fully sketched out. help me out if you can please.
What about this one?
Impact Inc.
8201 Greensboro Drive
McLean, VA 22102
703-287-4223
This is the first time that this has happened to me, I’m kind of scared of identity theft and the like.
I had an interview with Red Line Advertising (JCW Marketing) in Charlotte, NC yesterday afternoon. Luckily I didn’t get any sleep and after a little research to see if i even felt like wasting my entire day (which is ridiculous in itself) only to be offered a purely commission based job, I came across this article.
I was slightly confused when i arrived because the list just inside the building said JCW Marketing Suite 114, which is the suite i was told to go to, and the sign on the door (of course just text printed on a sheet of paper) said Red Line Marketing.
Add it to the list i guess!
Redline Advertising Inc
4600 Park Road
Suite 114
Charlotte NC, 28209
redlineadvertising.hr@gmail.com
Does anyone know about Fresh Enterprises, Inc.? It says its located in Denver, CO. I couldn’t find anything about it online and it looks just like the Pulse Marketing, Inc. website so I’m thinking it’s probably a scam. Any help is appreciated, thanks!
Have you heard anything in response to your question about Fresh Enterprises, Inc?
Hi Tarheel,
I know is kind of late to reply to your post but I was searching for Pulse Marketing Inc. myself so I came across your post. I just went through the interview process and was able to meet with people who are currently working for the company. They all seem very excited and they told me they really enjoy their job. Also, I was able to talk to some previous employees since some of them went to my high school so I happened to bumped to them in one of the renunions and they all had great opinions about the company. I was actually offered a position and I am supper excited about starting in the next couple of weeks. So I do not think is a scam since it would take a lot of work to make sure people all say the same thing.
Beware of Maverick Promotions. I received a phone call from them and let it go to voice mail. I researched the company and found this website. The companies website is the typical rundown of vague descriptions. The portfolio list is just bunch generic of pictures of sports and entertainment, with no description of the clients, but with vague descriptions of what the company does. I am a recent college graduate and have been career searching, but will not fall for scams. Beware!
You’re apparently not great at research. I work for ODU and they do corporate events for us all the time. I found this website helping my daughter look for marketing jobs and I’ll stand up for MP because they’ve done several events for us and the Norfolk school district where my husband works. It’s a new company and the girl that runs it is young. I know they work with at least 30 or 40 clients. We always go through MP to get our Ocean Breeze and funny bone tickets. I hate websites like this because they hurt the local guys that work hard because someone can hide behind a screen name and base an entire opinion of a business on a voicemail? You’ve got to be kidding me! Grow up.
Ok “Naomi.” I’m glad to see that your daughter got a job with a fraudulent company. The “young girl” who runs that office started up there about a year ago with four of her top “team members.” Each one of them was promised a quick promotion if they followed her to Virginia Beach. I’ve talked to each of them in recent months and only one remains. The other three had hardly enough money to make it back home.
This company is all about taking advantage of the dreamer.. and they will feed that dream as long as they can until it falls flat on its face. I hope your daughter is having fun with Bonny and Chris. (Mutt and Jeff as we like to call them).
Thank GOD I was only with that company for three weeks before I realized how terrible they were.
Just read about SC Marketing, so glad I found this website! That’s scary, I definitely won’t be going to a so-called interview for a so-called company.
Does anybody know about Appreciation Events? http://www.appreciationevents.com
There’s one in Clifton, NJ for which I will have an interview tomorrow.
Let me know ASAP.
Thanks.
Hey what did you find out? I’m looking at them now and the more I’m looking at the more scam like they’re looking?
Any word on Appreciation Events in NJ? I had a phone interview and they actually seem to have a different business model. No door to door but instead have a lot more packages and they work with the HR departments of the company. Any thoughts?
Has anyone had a preliminary interview with a company named Limelight Marketing in Westmont, Illinois, or Develop, Inc. in Schaumburg, Illinois? I had a preliminary interview with Limelight yesterday and they scheduled me for another interview with their hiring manager for tomorrow. I had an interview with Develop, Inc. and canceled it because I didn’t want to waste my time and go through another preliminary interview.
This company IS the same thing. It’s also located in Milwaukee WI, posting jobs on cragslist,
I thought it sounded too good to be true…
Appreciation Events is fishy too. http://www.appreciationevents.com.
I just got off from a “phone” interview. I am willing to share my experience.
Hi Ivan,
Appreciation Events just opened a office in my area, Toronto, ON, Canada. I also have a phone interview tomorrow. Do you mind sharing your experience?
I live in Atlanta ga and I had an interview with several direct marketing companies… Some of them sold office supplies but some of them sold the atl braves which is major league baseball… I am not in the same position as some of you may be in because I have been with out work for 8 months now. These are the only companies that have called me back or offered me a position. If I don’t find something soon then I am going to loose my home. My questions are…
1.) is this braves package real? I mean it looks too good to be true but wouldn’t the braves go after them?
2.) are the management training programs legit on how fast you can move up?
3.) what exactly is a scam about them? I would never want to work for a company that isn’t legit and LEGAL.
4.) also how many of you have experience in sales or marketing at all? I have 5 years and I’d love to know if you have a better opportunity for me?
ALL in ALL I guess I just want to make sure I get the facts… I understand this is not as GLAMOROUS as my last job but the portfolio is the best ive ever seen as far as clients go…. I just don’t see how these clients would work with them if there wasn’t some type of contract. I just want all the FACTS I DOnt want the blind leading the blind.
PLEASE respond only if you have had at least 3 years of experience in a similar field.
I think we have a new one hear in Orlando, FL. Ini marketing, same exact story as the other hundred e-mails. First interview 15 min., next interview-next day-half day ride along scheduled. I’ll be skipping the second day.
The Kenner Group! They’re in the Philadelphia area and I sort of fell for their crap! I went on the first interview where they did not ask me anything then went to the second where I had to follow this sales guy to south Philly and he planned going door to door to sell Dominos coupons. Once i saw how sketchy it was, I left.
What was there address?
Does anyone know if either Breakthrough Concepts Marketing Group in Atlanta or Bay Marketing in Emeryville, CA are scams??
You found that BCMG is a scam? I’m supposed to interview with them on thursday..Any help or advice? Thanks.
Did you find out about BCMG? I have an interview with them also.
Any updates on BCMG? Also received an email to interview with them…
I found above that Breakthrough was a a scam but I didnt see anything about Bay Marketing…HELP! Should I call them back??
Here’s their website if it helps http://www.baymktg.com/
I was just “interviewed” by Alon Brenner for BAY Marketing in Emeryville. Complete BS. The website is baymktg.com – notice how descriptions are vague, clientele aren’t listed explicitly, and no one’s name can be found anywhere, not even Mr. Alon Brenner who is supposedly the owner. On my second day, I was given a “special” interview with Jill Ramsey, whose card and email signature both listed Appreciation Events as her company! The third day, I was supposed to go to some random “event” with Jill, but luckily I remembered Alon’s name, googled him, found this site, and saved myself an unpaid day of selling coupons in San Leandro.
Don’t even send them a resume because I’m pretty sure they research you to personalize their strategy of selling you their scam. (Alon identified my middle name and remarked how it sounded Jewish, and later I realized that only my middle initial is on the resume I handed him!) Steer clear of BAY Marketing, Appreciation Events, Alon Brenner, and Jill Ramsey!!!
Justine, I feel for you!
I endured this EXACT utter bullshit from BAY (thankfully, my Mom, who’s a fed is currently investigating them in order to put a stop to their open-ended promises). I’m SO glad that I got out when I did (I quit the 3rd day) and now have a great job that actually PAYS me for my time, and pays me well at that. I’m still convinced that everyone who works there is batshit insane– they must put something in the water there, because there’s no way it’s legal or acceptable to pay someone a measly $50 after a 12-hour day. Like I said, complete and utter bullshit. And thats creepy about Alon/your middle name! I don’t doubt it one bit….
Good luck to you!
Did anything ever come of the investigation? It appears they’re still operating…
I am also wondering about the Fresh Enterprises, Inc. located in Denver, CO. Is it a scam!?!?
I just applied to work there…. hope it wasn’t a mistake.. Help
Does anyone know anything about a company called “The Marketing Professionals” i have a interview tomorrow and I am a little worried it is a scam. Another one is “JD Advertisement” is that a scam to. Thanks.
Does anyone know anything about the company JBW INC out of Louisiana now mysteriously in Louisville Kentucky? They are advertising the same markers you mention in their post. I do not trust these people and they hounded me for a week or two. Any evidence of my suspicions would be amazing. As it is not my concern I feel it is our duty to stop scams and schemes. furthermore what no one is mentioning is the outsourcing of jobs over seas and job agencies phishing for employers through these “major” sites. I have yet to find a real job through these sites.
Is PAG Advertising in Denver Colorado a real company?
Has anyone heard of PAG Advertising? I have an interview tomorrow and am getting worried. I truely think it is a scam
Any info on Noreastern Management???
This company is located in Norristown, PA 19401
Anyone ever heard of a marketing group based in San Jose CA called Exodus? Actually, it goes by Exodus Group Inc. and EGI. My friend went in for an interview with them a few days ago and she said that they said the same exact thing this website has about these marketing job scams. It’s kind of freaking her out right now. Any help you could point us to would be great.
I’ve been doing some research by looking at other legit marketing groups and the ones listed here and all the “bad jobs” listed on this site were either:
1. Hard to locate
2. If I did find a website, it was hard to navigate
3. Job descriptions were vague or generalized
4. The contact info was basically a phone number, building location, or email. Sometimes all three, sometimes just one of the three,
5. They have little to no presence online or press.
6. No company history or list of CEOs, Board of Directors, or other upper level management-types
7. No client list; sometime there would be none whatsoever
8. A lot of the “links” posted on Exodus’s site were just colored and underlined texts to give off the impression of links (pathetic)
As for the legit sites that I checked out, it’s pretty much the opposite:
1. They have a large roster of clients they have (actually providing links to full rosters in some cases)
2. Company history (eg Founders, CEOs, and Board of Director bios
3. Career listings with working and full job descriptions
4. links to press release; an actual online presence (it’s like the bad companies say, “Any Marketing is good marketing for the client)
5. Listings of awards received in their respective fields of marketing and business
6. Contact numbers, emails, and even snail mail for those with questions (in some sites, they have different numbers for media/press, partnership inquiries, and employment)
7. All legit groups have on the bottom of their websites have a privacy policy and Terms and Condition’s page/linked (it’s not just the name of the company and copyright year eg CompanyX 2010 (c))
I want to personally thank this website for saving me a lot of time. My friend just started working for Exodus Group Inc. In San Jose, CA. She’s been working absurdly long hours (this doesn’t even factor in the hour long commute she has to make at 6:30 in the morning). She comes back home exhausted at about 7:30 at night. Commission based jobs aren’t a terrible thing. I worked at an AT&T for a few years, but this is ridiculous. Something has to be done to protect people like you and my friend.
We’re all doing our best to make ends meet and to support each other. They prey on those who are most vulnerable.It needs to stop. Now.
here’s their website: http://exodusgroupinc.com/
World-wide vision is definatly one of those companies.. Found the job online and was called within an hour. Went for my first interview and was told that they marketed for vizio, att&t, lowes, and the NC sports teams. was told that they would only call back five out of fifteen applicants. I was called back a few hours later for a second interview. Just before I left my house I found this website, and it was obvious. I went anyway just to see if thats what it was. As soon as I got there fifteen people were stuffed into a tiny waiting room. I was given the clipboard that said I would go out with a sales associate for two hours and would work for free. Sounds exactly the same.
Looked around for Red Zone International as they contacted me for an interview … didn’t find anything to great about them … Can anyone confirm this
I got a job interview with a company called G.D. Marketing. Went to there location the day before my interview, which I got right away, and I could barley find the place. Tried to find some information on them cause i know theres alot of marketing scams out there. Absolutely no info online about them, except job listings, all stating the same stuff and very vague about what they do. I got a email for a interview and to call to set it up, and what raised my first flag, was the phone number was (716) area code, and the guy that answered said his name was steve at first, but it was listed as Geoff in the email… so i called again and then it was right and answered as G.D. marketing. 716 is in colorado springs, not even close to where I live. Then i found job listings for a V.S. marketing, and there listings are identical to the G.D. marketing jobs, posted the same day, everything. Very sketchy. Wont be going to the interview tomorrow due to finding this site. Thank you.
LA SPORTS MARKETING = SCCAAMMMM
Anyone in the Philadelphia area BEWARE of any job postings for Noreastern Management and Frontline Business Solutions…..I attended interviews for both places and can say that pretty much anything you have read on this website or anywhere else on the internet about multi level marketing scams is exactly what they do…..They both try to trick you with the whole “we manage an extensive potfolio of Fortune 500 companies” but in reality you are going door to door soliciting Quill office supplies…..I only attended a second interview for Frontline because it was the first place I interviewed with and still was not sure if it was a scam or not…But like so many other people, I soon found myself driving miles away in a shady car with some shady dude only to learn that we would be going into different businesses (even ones with no soliciting signs posted) and trying to convince them to buy these awesome office supplies from Quill…..After 8 hours of getting doors slammed in our faces,many threats of having the police called if we didn’t leave, and only making two small sales, we returned back and the guy told me he thinks I have what it takes to succeed and offered me a position (like they do for everyone who survives this painful ordeal)…..I told him I would think about it and get back to them (needless to say I never contacted that place again)….Noreastern contacted me soon after and the first interview I had with them was almost exactly the same as the Frontline one…..Once I heard quill office supplies I immediately declined a second interview (to which the guy interviewing me responded: “you know this is a golden opportunity your flushing away, if you can’t do this you’re probably never going to succeed in the business world”)…….So PLEASE anyone thinking about applying to these places DO NOT DO IT!!….. All you will get is an experience similar to mine and anyone else who has fallen victim to these multi level marketing schemes…..Hope this helps and good luck to everyone on their job search (it’s tough out there….believe me I know!!!)
Adaptive Business Concepts in King of Prussia, PA was EXACTLY the same except it was to sell Verizon Fios! They put me in a creepy car with a creepy guy and made me go door to door. Needless to say, I asked him to take me back to my car one hour in, as I began to realize more and more that it was all a big scam.
Has anyone heard or had any experience with “Premier Advantage” (http://www.thepremieradvantage.com/) in Minnesota? I think they have offices (or scams) elsewhere. Thinking it’s a waste of time but thought I’d post here and ask. (applied, e-mailed back withing 24 hours asking to call for an interview )
I never leave comments on these sites, but I got two names to add. Archetype Inc of Tigard and DMA of tigard, OR both are scams.
I just listed my resume on monster yesterday and got two identical calls today (I’m not entirely sure it was not the same woman on both calls), they said nearly the same thing word for word. Here are the emails I received, one from each “company:”
It was great speaking with you; as per our conversation we plan on meeting you on 3/2/2011 at 12:45 PM.
I will be at the front desk when you come in to set you up with the hiring manager for your interview. Please remember to bring a copy of your resume and that the attire is business professional.
We are located in the Commerce Plaza at 7100 SW Hampton St. Ste 212, Tigard, OR 97223.(click for directions)
Please reply to this email to let us know you received it!
Have a wonderful evening; we look forward to meeting you!
2nd email (claiming to be a different company)
Dear Applicant,
You have an interview scheduled with D.M.A. Solutions.
Below are the directions to the office. Please remember to bring with you a copy of your current resume and the dress is business professional.
Please feel free to contact the office at 971-238-1575 if you have any questions or need help finding us. We look forward to meeting you soon!
Amber Twigg
Human Resources
D.M.A. Solutions
For more information, visit us at:
Website: http://www.dmaoregon.com
Blog: http://www.dmaoregon.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tigard-OR/DMA-Solutions/151728748197819?ref=ts&v=wall
Directions to the office:
7100 SW Hampton ST, Suite 212
Tigard, OR 97223
Anyone else notice they are identical locations, but have two different company names? What do you bet if I showed up neither name would be on the building.
Oregon Job Seeker – I see ads for these guys on Craigslist all the time. It doesn’t take much digging to see that Archetype Inc. of Tigard, OR and DMA of Tigard, OR, and I agree, both are scams.
My favorite line from their website is “We are a business focused on the understanding that our people are our future.” Their so-called blog posts are all focused on recruiting employees. Most business websites and blogs at least mention what product or service they offer. So, what kind of company is solely focused on employee recruitment? One who’s product or service is scamming desperate people.
As soon as I see these jobs listed on Craigslist I immediately flag them. I suggest everyone do the same.
Does anyone know anything about Peak Marketing in Minnesota?
I second this ? It sounds just the same after reading their website and this blog. I’m going to have to with they are a scam as well, but does any one know for sure??
I just “interviewed” with Peak Marketing today. Job was advertised as a “sports and entertainment marketing manager” position. I drove an hour to have the marketing manager talk at me in a group “interview” for 15 minutes. He wants me to job shadow next week with a current employee, and then we’ll talk about the management track. The man obviously had zero interest in me and made every effort to communicate that he had no time for me to ask questions. I’ll at least give his receptionist a piece of my mind when she calls me trying to schedule my job shadow where I help them sell Timberwolves coupon books.
Maybe not a scam in its proper sense, but this is at least tasteless misrepresentation of the employment position. Peak Marketing Inc. also shares an office with Midwest Expansion Group, and company representatives wouldn’t give me a clear answer as to their relationship with this company who has already been published online as a scam. Don’t waste your time with these guys.
Any thoughts on this company in Framingham MA a bit suspect because their website does not really tell you much.
WOW JUST WOW!
Okay so I googled Adam Kuchyt because I started reading this and was curious about SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MARKETING!!!! I just started working for them and everything pretty much on here described them but i couldnt find out if they were a scam or not! Turns out that Adam guy worked for Scanno and Landers. Actually SCM used to Scanno. Yup same address and everything. I thought this was an amazing job….turns out its horrible. I feel so disappointed and let down….please, please everyone do your reasearch!!!!!!! This is serious! I just got scammed so bad. I feel really used. I thought I would be making 6 figures by next year….i guesss not. And the worst part is I really still want to believe that they are legit but unfortunetly they arent and no one knows I guess of this name yet….It SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MARKETING on Ball street in Anahiem California. I guess you just live and you learn…thanks to this website I have learned.
I worked for 3 weeks for one of these companies that falls under the Cydcor umbrella. I ended up doing door to door sales in the freezing cold. I out-hustled their entire sales office twice in my first week so I was “chosen” to go on a “office trip” to see how one of their other offices operates because I apparently “got it.” Myself and another girl went 3 hours away, no gas money, stayed in the apartment of the owner there, who by the way, was about 25, had two other employees living with him to split rent, one of them literally lived in the other’s bedroom closet, and the place was trashed with cheap beer cans. I was fortunate enough to have my own room which consisted of a mattress on the floor. That apparently is what getting your own office nets you. JOKE! They are very good about hiding their parent company until you have been with them for a few days. When I quit, they threw everything at me to stay. Why? Because I was money, like all the rest. They get a cut of every app closed by their employees. It’s a numbers game. There was always 3-4 people in the lobby waiting to be interviewed. Always top 40 music playing from the attractive HR girl’s computer. I was told I had what it took to own my own office. My response..”I know for a fact I do. I just outsold your whole office in my first 6 days. But you know for a fact that maybe only 3 of the other 25 kids you have back there have leadership qualities, and yet you are promising them all ownership. I will not do that.”. Stay far far away people. Some of those kids had U of M degrees and pissed off parents. Sad…
What about Southern California Marketing…I have an interview on Thursday and I am a little worried
Also curious about this one, anyone?
Wow. Thank you everyone for your input and thank you to the creators of this website. You just saved me time, money, gas and brain power that I was about to spend on a trip to Denver to PAG (Pacific Advertising Group). I knew something was up and was about to go against my better instincts.
Does anyone know if Rocky Mountain Marketing, Inc. is another one of these scams?
I think they’re in the Denver area as well.
Rocky Mountain is also a scam. I had an interview there last week. First they had me come in for a 5 minute meet and greet to see if I was professional looking, 4 other people interviewed at the same time. Then they called me an hour after I left and asked me to come back the next day for a 9-5 interview where I followed the position I was applying for around. The position I applied for and talked about in my first interview was nothing like what the job actually entailed which was essentially traveling salesman for a different company. When I was finally able to tell them I didn’t think the job was for me, they were very rude about it and escorted me out saying “Yea thanks bye.”
Also, thanks to everyone for posting about PAG Advertising, I had an interview set for there tomorrow. Yikes, thanks in advance.
i work for one of these “scam” companies. there is plain and simple NO SCAM! you sell stuff and make your commission. if you can train people to do the same you move up and eventually you can move into management and be a business owner!! i make more money in this job than any other job i ever had prior. i have moved up in the company and started where everyone else did. sitting in a lobby for an interview, only thing i did different was i had an OPEN MIND and gave it a try!! you never have to spend your own money for anything except your gas to get you to your job. the only people griping on here are ones that either 1. just did an interview and never spent anytime trying it out. 2. people that only tried it for a month or so and couldn’t cut it and are mad because they didn’t give 100%. 3. did it for a while and didn’t make money because they don’t have the confidence for sales, outdoors, and person to person interaction!! just because you’re not cut out for something doesn’t mean you need to put it on blast. there are plenty of individuals cut out for what we do and they make more money in 5 years than most people do working their way up through a company for 15-20 years. you can’t get anywhere fast if you don’t work hard and put your effort into it 100%.
STAY AWAY FROM CARDINAL GROUP MARKETING, Wilmington, NC (operated under WORLDWIDE VISION). SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM!
I am just learning of this site, because a place called “Philadelphia Marketing Solutions” ?? they just contacted me and I don’t want to get caught up in anything or being scammed.
Please add Impact Advertising (Grand Rapids, MI) and J&M Distributing to the list.
Please be careful when applying for jobs and interviewing. ALWAYS do research on the company. Check to see if the company is on the BBB website. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you have a funny feeling, it’s probably for a reason. If you do get scammed, report it and consider it a learning experience, knowing that you are smarter and more careful because of it–at least now you know what to watch out for.
A couple of years ago I had an “interview” at this advertising company after responding to a promising sounding job description. My interviewer was very vague and didn’t really explain what the job was. The second “interview” was a full day of door to door coupon book sales. Without telling us what was happening, another applicant and I were taken about 45 minutes away from our cars to a ritzy suburban neighborhood, and only then did the employee tell us what was going on. No one prepared us. I wore shoes that tore up my feet because I didn’t expect to be walking–they said to dress professional and I did. The entire day I was sexually harassed by the employee. It was no wonder the inhabitants of the neighborhood were angry, because there was supposed to be no soliciting in that area–I had doors slammed in my face and heard threats all day. One guy even had a gun. When I got back to the office that evening I was tired, hungry, thirsty, sunburned, and very sore, not to mention furious at what had happened. The next day I reported the company to the Better Business Bureau and the Attorney General, and I even ended up getting a tiny bit of compensation for the two coupon books I managed to sell.
Later on I applied for a job that also turned out to be a scam, and I avoided this one. When I researched J&M Distributing, I called immediately and canceled the appointment because I saw that despite the glowing job description and promise of great pay, it’s door to door vacuum sales. They lie about everything–in actuality you have to generate all your own appointments, go through a week of unpaid training, try to sell your friends and family first and try to get them to refer you to others, and pay for all your own gas. Appointments are not necessarily in the area so you would have to spend more money to travel. They want you to con and bribe and plead your way into peoples houses when you go door to door and trick them out of their contact information.
Has anyone heard of Dynasty Client Acquistions? In FL or SC/NC?
Stay away from United Synergy Group in Arlington, TX (Dallas/Fort Worth) – address is tied to Core Inc./Bullet Marketing Enterprises run by Dominic Boull’t (notorious for running these MLM schemes). This particular ‘company’ is run by Adrian Davila, who is registered as the owner of a United Synergy Group that is actually in San Antonio.
My fiance had the initial interview with them before I started doing research because they were making outrageous promises of income. When he didn’t show for the second interview, the receptionist (Clarissa Davila) called him to find out if he was just running late and he called them out on it, and she just said, in a snotty voice, “Oh, well, whatever. We’re not associated with them, but whatever you want to believe. Have a nice life.”
The e-mail address they sent the interview confirmation from was form executivehrdepartment.com/ownerville.com – Notice how they capitalize ‘Owner’ all over – looks like this is like the central tracking for all of these types of scams.
I’ve submitted all the information I dug up to the Watchdog column in the Fort Worth Star Telegram.
Does anyone have any information about Sound Marketing in the Seattle area? Thanks!
Now Lee Upchurch is advertise under the company name Worldvision. Here is a copy of the email.
Hi Sherry,
This email is letting you know that I’ve tried calling you about the resume you sent us. We would love to invite you in for an interview but have not been able to get in touch with you. If you could call me as soon as possible that would be great! We’re trying to fill these positions fast and they won’t be around for long due to the high response we’ve had. My hours are Monday-Friday 8-4. I hope to hear from you soon!!!
Lee Upchurch
HR Administrator
Worldwide Vision
919-896-7622 x301
3200 Atlantic Avenue Ste. 116
Raleigh, NC 27604
Hey so I am trying to break into the PR and Marketing field, but don’t have any experience. Today I had a phone interview with a company called Grand Marketing in Grand Rapids, Mi. I am just wondering if this company is a scam like all the others. I got an interview the same day I submitted my resume to them. They have the same job posting on basically every job board online there is…even ones I haven’t heard of. When I seared on the BBB website they are on there, but not accredited by them, since they have only been in business since last October. There one and only client right now is AT&T. They said I would get a call later today to find out if I got the second interview… and if I do get it, it is a 4 hour job shadow where I go with an employee and watch their presentation to a customer. I didn’t ask enough question in the phone interview because I found this website afterward… but I did ask about health insurance and benefits and he said they don’t have any within the company, be he could help me set it up if i need it. The pay is also all commission based which kinda worries me.
I found the job posting on career builder.com and this is what it says:
Good with people? Looking to start your career? No experience?
Grand Marketing is outsourced by some of the nation’s leading Fortune 500 companies. We are hiring for an Entry Level position with the opportunity to move quickly into a management position. Our entry level professionals meet one on one with our clients and develop relationships, which is key to our growth and expansion as we increase the market share for our clients.
Grand Marketing is looking to expand into 5 additional U.S. markets in the next year. To meet this demand, we are looking for individuals who posses:
* Leadership Qualities
* Work Ethic
* Positive Attitude
* Competitive Edge
* People Skills
During the management training program, we focus on:
* Business Management
* Sales and Marketing Techniques
* Team Leadership
* Public relations
* Finance
* Advertising
* Public speaking
Job Requirements
Bachelor’s degree is preferred.
This is an Entry-Level position.
Must live in or relocating to the Greater Grand Rapids area.
We will conduct a background check on all employees.
Here is the company info:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/GrandMktg
Blog:http://www.blogger.com/profile/16189678462127985507
Company Website: http://www.grandmarketing.biz
Google:http://www.google.com/profiles/GrandMarketingMI#about
What does everyone think? I don’t want to waste my time with the second interview if it is just a scam!! I plan on driving by their “office” today after I get out of my current job to see if the place looks legit or not! And input would be helpful though! Thanks!
I just recieved a call from them today. I have an interview at 9 am tomorrow morning. What did it turn out to be when you checked it out? I have only found one thing on them and I am not sure that it is the same company.
That is the exact same AD I replied to for Aleuro inc… supposedly the same thing…. It is a scam!!!!! Watch out!! I got through second round and first round interviews in 2 days and I posted my resume the day before my first interview…. WTF!
I currently work for Aleuro and they’re not a scam – the position is based upon your own performance therefore what you put into the company is what you will get out. The position is definitely not for everyone because it does involve sales and most people cringe to hear that word. However, if you’re a hard-worker, and not afraid of growth and a challenge, then i would show up to your interview. After all, any money is better than no money at all.
Has anyone heard or worked for http://endeavormarketingsolutions.com/ or had an interview with them in VA?
I got contacted by Archetype INC, after updating my location on Career Builder to Oregon. I was called today and offered an interview. I wasn’t near a computer when I got the call, so I did a google search tonight and was looking at their website, and it seemed….hinky. so after finding this site and reading through it all, i am not going in to the interview tomorrow.
Thank
I recently applied for a job and was called in for my first interview immediately. All of the signs for The Lander Group are present, including the second interview where I will be job shadowing. But the job is available on the One Day One Job site… Any suggestions??
thanks for saving my time! Had an interview tomorrow nd to stiff them I’m not showing up so that can save someone else from getting my time slot nd getting slammed.
Has anyone heard of PAG Advertising? Based out of Colorado but opening locations in Southern Ca? I have an interview tomorrow and need to know if they are legit!!
Hey Stephanie —
Ive been looking at PAG as well … Can I ask how the interview went ? What is your overall impression of PAG?
I interviewed with PAG for one of the “management positions” available about 2 weeks ago. As I tend to do with every company prior to applying, I looked up PAG on the Co. Secretary of State–no listing; BBB–no listing; Google Maps–looked like a rough area of town; found Lindsey’s posting here as well. However, despite all signs pointing to “NO”, its website really boasted itself as a “premiere promotional marketing and advertising firm” and I was intrigued. The very same day I applied, I received an email inviting me to schedule an interview and congratulating me for being chosen out of the “many resumes that were submitted”, receiving such a quick response should have been my first (or in this case, my 4th or 5th) clue that something was not as it seemed.
I arrived to PAG on foot and what I thought could be a “sketchy” area quickly revealed itself to be a BAD area (PAG’s “centrally located” office is in the thick of 5-points–a notoriously crime-ridden area riddled with gangs, homeless, drunks and the like. Not exactly ideal for a “premier” firm to say the least). When I arrived, there were a buzz of people about, inside, outside, it looked more like a client development function than an interview in progress. The decor was a sad attempt to be modern, complete with partially screwed in drywall screws where I was told I could hang my coat. Everything looked like it had all been thrown together the night before. One interviewee next to me was there for his “second interview” and still appeared pretty excited to be “one of the chosen ones” (in his case one of about 6 other chosen ones) finally, his name is called and he flees into what appered to be the only actual office in the building only to come back out less than a solid minute later and says to me “I guess I’m leaving”. As he and the chosen few pile into various cars outside to go who knows where. At that moment, I realized, this company does not have the level of professionalism and sophistication that I’m seeking.
…But I stayed for the interview anyway for the experience and to ask the questions I had to ask. Turns out, even management is expected to be a salesperson. It seems every single position they were hiring for was actually a sales position. Salary or benefits were never described to me. I am not sure if creating coupon books and ticket packages to “sell” to companies for free to get a “kick back” on the back end is what I would consider advertising, but that is essentially what I gathered they do. I wish they had posted the link to http://www.appreciationevents.com on their website, as this would have certainly given me a better understanding of the company before wasting both our time.
I asked why PAG is not listed with the Sec. of St., Ali says “it stands for Pacific Advertising Company and we are definitely online” (which by the way would be PAC) and is also NOT listed with the Sec. of St. I don’t think she knew what the Colo. Sec. of St. was. I also asked if they were affiliated with Summit Advertising, Inc. whose website promotes the EXACT same pictures as PAG and she claimed to have never heard of them and insisted PAG was the only company in Colorado doing what they do, so obviously, it cannot be an advertising company. I also found it oddly coincidental that PAG’s website shows a poor quality picture of the Denver Slyline over a body of water which is nearly identical to a photo on Blackstone of Denver’s website (of higher quality). Do they really even design their own material?
If you are already truly a professional businessperson and are looking for a high-quality, grounded, upscale company to work for, I would suggest not wasting your time with PAG.
Can anyone elaborate on TW WorldWide located in the Phenix City, AL/Columbus, GA metropolitan area? Are they basically a branch of all the other aforementioned companies?
Their job listing pitches are eerily similar and I’m actually scheduled for an interview Thursday morning. If someone could clarify this for me, I would greatly appreciate it.
http://www.columbustw.com/
Did you find this to be a scam type job? I just put a resume in with them.
Does anyone have any information on Appreciation Events? I’ve been trying to do some research and they seem legit, although I can’t tell after reading other responses here. their website is http://www.appreciationevents.com and I have an interview on job in a shady part of the city (Roseland, Illinois…basically the ghetto of Chicago) Their office is out of Downer’s Grove, and I think they may have “offices” in Boston, Atlanta, and Texas. I had a phone interview with Erin Jamnik, area code was from Boston…and I found her via google and she lives in Florida somewhere I think. My interviewer is a top event coordinator by the name of Mark Kernan.
I would love some feedback please! Thanks :)
Hey,
I also got a call back from this same company, and I was wondering if it worked out for you and if they are legit or not.
Thanks
DT MARKETING
Beware of DT marketing jobs that have just popped up all over the internet over the last 2 1/2 months. They are spreading across Seattle WA and the south end in Federal way WA. Job positions include ENTRY LEVEL MANAGER, MANAGEMENT, SALES etc.
DT marketing is a scam claiming that they have several business deals with high end companies such as HOME DEPOT, SAMS CLUB, LOWE’S home improvement, COSTCO and many others. (they may change to keep their identity quiet)
Essentially the job entails that you start out selling/pushing their lower end products as a replacement for higher cost items.
For example laminate or tub lining instead of hard wood or replacing an entire porcelain tub.
They will call you back the moment you post your resume to their email address, or call them directly. They will set up an immediate interview with you, and send a confirmation email and ask that you bring a hard copy of your resume, and dress professionally. Sometimes they may just tell you right over the phone what you need.
When you reach DT marketing, the receptionist will give you a crappy and poorly made application to fill out which is only 1 page and appears to have been photo copied several hundred times. Their company logo is NO WHERE on this application, and their company name isn’t anywhere to be seen…not even in the hiring managers office. They will ask you the MAKE AND MODEL of your car. DO NOT FILL THIS INFORMATION OUT. It has absolutely nothing to do with the company, and the receptionist will lie to you, claiming that cars are left in their lot after business hours.
They have no website, no credentials, and will tell you that they’re a NEW company, fresh only 2 1/2 months strong, so you won’t get too suspicious as to why seems as if they just pushed some chairs and a desk into an conference room.
The Manager, is also the hiring manager, and will lure you into the deal by explaining that aside from commission based sales, you’ll still earn a steady paycheck, making at least $500 week. They never actually tell you how much you’ll be making base line.
That is just the first interview. The second interview which I canceled* was explained by the hiring manager in my first interview…
They will take you with them to their job site, where ever it is that day, with whatever company they’re affiliated and throw you to the wolves to see if you can handle the pressure of speaking to individuals well so you can basically push their pitch effortlessly. Seems like an easy way to make $500 a week, except that you’ll be using your OWN mode of transportation (and they’ll ask you this on your application, they won’t call you back if you don’t have a car) eating up your own resources, and exhausting efforts to pitch their product to people that didn’t want it in the first place.
If you’re still thinking DT marketing isn’t a SCAM job, I encourage you to sit in on one of the interviews. Good luck and Good Hunting.
Other Information on their scams
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-845-778-3228
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101204185254AAE38X9
I suspect RF Lilly & Associates after viewing their website
Margate, FL
They tried to sucker me in again. Not this time! The first time I ended up at a gas station with a couple of people claiming to be up and coming managers for their company. As soon as we arrived, they pulled a foldable table from the trunk of the car and set up a waterless car wash. Apparently they promote different products every month. They never made anything clear from the beginning. They actually tried convincing me about the job by stating that they also do work for charitable companies like Toys for Tots. Everything was always vague with a “beat around the bush” explanation for everything. They expected me to stand in the super hot Miami sun (92 degrees that day) and sell a waterless car wash to customers who simply wanted to pump their gas and did not want to be annoyed by any sales pitches or gimmicks. I was told we were to work from sunrise to sunset. I was on no payroll and was working for free! Basically I was told that I had to prove myself before I can “officially” get in the company. When I kept asking questions and didn’t get a clear response, I knew that this wasn’t for me. There were red flags everywhere! I asked for them to take me home and they said they couldn’t. I felt like a prisoner! I actually ended up walking for a couple of miles until I could take a couple of busses back home. I so wanted to call the cops on them, but what would that accomplish? I was younger and was desperate for a job and this seemed like a great opportunity. They make you feel like you are an awesome human being and tell you everything you want to hear, including the chance to work for a great company with promotional growth, possible bonuses, and management opportunities. In today’s market you have to be so careful with all these scam artists. When it sounds too good to be true, it usually is not a legit company. It is a damn shame that hard workers like myself nearly fell for the trap of a slavery bogus job with no future. Thank God for the internet and many great people who post their experiences such as mine. Posts like these can save people from wasting their precious time and money on useless, “fake” companies that are full of nothing but pure lies and deceit. Funny, as I was typing this post, I got another scam email which asks for my bank account # with a “great job opportunity” to make a ton of money by depositing checks in my personal account. WOW!! There seems to be no end to this kind of B.$.! RD_MIAMI, FL.
Thepowercompany.com is a SCAMMMMMMMMMM! They just talk about how rich you will become and say you will close a bunch of deals and will make 100 range to start and then 225k 3rd year easily. When they hire you,they say you get leads but you don’t it’s all a big game to work for them. They claim to selectively hire but they hire everybody and make you feel like you are one of the selected few. The power company is a joke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Sherif Zaki tells good stories!!!!!
So, I was doing research before I went on my Interview and I came across this website. Everyone wants to know are these companies legit or scams…I was just recently laid off after working for a Marketing Company for 5 yrs. I’ve been in Marketing for 15 yrs on the Mass Media side. I saw an ad on Monster and applied. Just from the ad I already new that it was going to be Direct sales which it stated in the ad. For some of you, that means Business to Business sales and probably a Salary + Commission or 100% commission. If that’s not for you then don’t apply to any ads that say Entry level Marketing, Advertising or sales. I went on my 1st interview on Mon. I was brought back for a Second interview Tues. The Second Interview was exactly what I expected…Business to Business Sales. I was sent back to the office for a third interview. I was offered a position with the company… I excepted. I start on Monday.
First off, after reading the post above, how many of you have any knowledge of Marketing or Advertising? From reading the posts above none of you!
Marketing is the activity and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments.The term Marketing holds that achieving organizational goals depending on the needs and wants of the clients target market and delivering the desired satisfactions to the client.
There’s a great deal of advertising in this world that isn’t as blatantly obvious as these companies. It’s not necessarily shady or even unethical…it’s just incredibly effective. So much more effective then any form of Mass Media.
Let’s think of a few examples of Marketing and Advertising:
So you have Mass Media, Television, Radio, Billboards, Magazines and the Internet… If that’s what your looking for..Most of you don’t stand a chance unless you have 2-5 yrs experience in any form of marketing or advertising…What you’re all writing about is a Direct Marketing – B2B Marketing companies: No they’re not Scams. Just one of the most effective forms of Marketing out there. It’s also the fastest way to gain any experience or knowledge about marketing and advertising.
So your selling Coupons-and it’s 100% commission..Isn’t that all Sales? Well Marketing and Advertising involves Sales and a great deal of it. Okay, what most of you don’t know that this is one of the Biggest and most obvious forms of Marketing and Advertising…How often do we really perceive coupons as little dashed line boxed advertisements? No, generally we are more focused on the money saving aspect of coupons. When you look at a coupon your eyes don’t see an ad, they see a discount. Combine a coupon with a sale and get a product for super cheap? Sign me up! Except now that you’ve had it for free, you pledge your love to the product and you will even dare pay full price for it (even with a mark up!). Advertising really doesn’t get more effective than that!…The deals these companies have are way better then the on-line companies like Group-on or living social same thing but your buying it on line and it’s email blasted to you.
So from what I’ve read, it seams that most of you are just lazy and with this economy good luck. Sales is the way to go you set your own pay check. So, don’t apply for a Marketing and Advertising ad… Most are going to be 100% commission or a Salary + Commission… I start next week and I can’t wait for the opportunity…
I didn’t even have to read past the point that you said you “excepted” the job to make and accurate assessment of your qualifications. This probably IS a great job for you! You “seam” like the perfect candidate. lol
Anne R – you read my mind. Or should I say red my mind.
Print Page
Start New Search >>
5 Immediate Entry-Level Openings
Immediate Openings
Job Snapshot
Location: Las Vegas, NV (Map it! )
Other Pay: excellent compensation and incentives
Employee Type: Full-Time/Part-Time
Industry: Advertising
Entertainment
Sales – Marketing
Manages Others: No
Job Type: Customer Service
Marketing
Entry Level
Education: 4 Year Degree
Experience: 0 to 5 year(s)
Post Date: 3/8/2011 Contact Information
Ref ID: ELO
Description
5 Immediate Entry-Level Openings
Are you ready to get your career started, or perhaps just ready for a career change?
AMG is one the fastest growing sports and entertainment marketing firms in the Las Vegas area. We represent major sports teams, along with local spas, golf courses and restaurants.
We are looking for recent graduates, and MOTIVATED professionals willing to grow with our company to fill some of our Entry-Level positions in:
· Promotional Sales
· Public Relations
· Event Marketing
· Campaign Management
· Office Administration
· Internships Available*
Sounds great, but you don’t have any previous marketing experience? No Problem! Due to the rapid expansion of our client portfolio, we have a few immediate openings and will provide complete training for the right candidate.
Requirements
If you think your personality fits our qualifications below, we encourage you to apply:
· Excellent Communication Skills
· Motivated Self-Starter
· Ambitious with Strong Work Ethic
· Ability to work in a High-Energy environment
· Outgoing
· Leader with great problem solving skills
· Willing to learn all aspects of the company
We Offer:
*Paid Training
*Optional Travel
*Incentives/Bonuses
*Endless opportunities for growth
*Fun, exciting, fast-paced environment
“AMG Connecting Entertainment and Opportunity with a Purpose.”
-———————–
I recently graduated college and have been subject to many scams. If the company is vague and the positions offered sound too good to be true, it probably is a scam like this.
Anyone heard of Lime Light Marketing in Chicago…sounds like the rest of these places.
yep, they are just like them, avoid that company!!
ARK MARKETING CONSULTANTS
1341 N Delaware Ave Suite 206
Philadelphia Pennsylvania 19125
United States of America
Phone: 215-634-1504
Another scam thats prays on recent grads. The ad below is all a lie first of all its door to door secondly there are no benefits lies lies lies
ARK MARKETING CONSULTANTS
——————————————————————————–
ARK MARKETING CONSULTANTS IS ONE OF PHILADELPHIA’S PREMIERE MARKETING FIRMS LOOKING TO FILL ENTRY LEVEL SALES AND MARKETING POSITIONS. THIS JOB INVOLVES FACE TO FACE SALES OF SERVICES TO BUSINESS PROSPECTS.
If you are looking for an ENTRY LEVEL MARKETING CAREER,
look no further.
If you are looking for a NEW MARKETING CAREER,
look no further.
If you are looking to do marketing for FORTUNE 500 CLIENTS,
look no further.
If you are looking for GROWTH OPPORTUNITY,
look no further.
Facts and Figures
Years in business: 11
Number of affiliated offices: 25
Number of employees: 400+
Website: Click Here
Client Portfolio: Several Fortune 500 Companies
Health Insurance: Yes
Telemarketing: No
Multi Level Marketing: No
Expansion Plans: 10-20 new offices by the end of 2011
——————————————————————————–
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION!!!
——————————————————————————–
The facts don’t lie. Every year that we have been in business we have grown by at least 30%. Our organization as a whole has never had a bad quarter, much less a bad year. We are at a point where we feel like we have only scratched the surface of what we can become.
What we NEED are hard working, dedicated employees who understand basic business principles and want to apply them in real world settings. From sales and marketing, to human resources and management, to finance and budgeting, our world-class training methods are perfect for anybody who is a new college grad or someone looking for a new career.
Great benefits. Unlimited expansion opportunities. Extensive travel opportunities. Pay based upon individual performance.
Don’t let this opportunity pass you by!!!!
We do not do coupon advertising, door to door marketing or booth promotions!!!
ARK Marketing Consultants
Connect to us on Facebook
Link to us on LinkedIn
Follow us on Twitter
Requirements
All majors accepted. Select candidates MUST possess the following characteristics:
People Skills – Leadership – Strong Work Ethics – Ambition – Growth Minded.
All positions are entry level.
Paid Training Available!!
Medical Benefits Available!!
Key Water Marketing in Fort Myers, FL is another one of these companies. Their parent company is Smart Circle and they do the Home Depot scam through US Re-modelers and the Direct TV scam. Another one is Ultra at 4651 Sheridan Ste 301, Hollywood, FL 33021. I learned my lesson. The lesson of the day is, research the company before you ever go to the interview.
Here’s another lesson I learned. I’ve been studying the law of attraction and everyday I really start to see that it is true. I asked myself, why is it that I attracted this scam job. Then I realized that I was desperate for money, so I attracted a job at a company that is so desperate for money that they are scamming people. The law of attraction says that like attracts like. If you feel great, you attract more things or experiences that make you feel great. If you are feeling negative and horrible, you attract negative and horrible things or experiences. In this case desperate for a job or money equals a job at a desperate company. I think that is the main lesson I learned from this experience. It really drove it home this time.
So my advice to everyone is to look into the Law of Attraction and start using it. Write down all the characteristics of your perfect job and be specific, this worked for me a few years ago. I should have done this again this time. Once you write it down, imagine yourself working at your perfect job and how great you feel everyday. You could also imagine your perfect business or anything else you want. I manifested my soul mate like this and we finally found each other. So basically it works whether you’re aware of it or not, like the Law of Gravity. But if you know how to make the law work to your advantage, you’re ahead of the game. Here’s a great video to start you out with the law of attraction, http://www.youtube.com/user/SacredWisdomSounds.
add another name to the list stl worldwide, everithing was like you say in my first interview, thanks to this site I would not go to my second one.
Has anyone heard of RedZONE International? As you can see that want me to “confirm” an interview with them. However, I think this is a SCAM JOB. I hope someone has more information than me.Below is the email they sent me.
Hi Chester,
It was a pleasure speaking with you today! This is to confirm your interview is scheduled for 04/04/2011 at 11:00 AM. Business professional attire is required and remember to bring a copy of your resume .
Please reply to this email to confirm your interview.
Thank you and I look forward to meeting with you!
Sincerely,
Kim Birk
Director of Human Resources
Red Zone International, Inc
22 Saw Mill River Road, 3rd Floor
Hawthorne, NY 10532
(914)-919-2081
Learn more about RedZone at:
•http://www.redzoneinternational.com
•http://www.intuit.com
•http://www.prlog.org/11284230-redzone-on-the-rise-expansion-to-maryland.html
•http://www.prlog.org/11284151-redzone-promotes-new-assistant-manager.html
•http://www.prlog.org/11147598-redzone-international-gives-thanks-to-the-veterans-association.html
•http://www.prlog.org/10998400-new-offices-opening-on-long-island.html
•http://www.prlog.org/10698184-redzone-international-sponsors-fund-raiser-for-pancreatic-cancer.html
•http://www.prlog.org/10650533-redzone-international-named-featured-job-by-fox-news.html
•http://www.prlog.org/10582557-redzone-international-tops-the-charts-nationwide.html
•http://www.prlog.org/10526207-redzone-international-starts-the-new-year-off-strong.html
•http://www.prlog.org/10451999-redzone-international-opens-two-new-locations.html
•http://www.prlog.org/10451961-redzone-international-gives-back-this-holiday-season.html
Scam I say. Did you attend? I had my first interview today and after four hours I received the second interview confirmation e-mail:
“Dear Francesco,
This letter offers as a confirmation of your 2nd Interview scheduled for 04/19/2011. We would like to take this time to congratulate you on making it this far in the interview process. Due to the high volume of candidates applying, making it to another interview speaks very highly of your character. We look forward to learning more about you in the near future.”
The place seemed sketchy and fake. The website didn’t help their cause at all: vague, vague, vague. Multilevel marketing anyone????????????????
Don’t bother.
World Group, Inc., WGI, WG,Inc. is a scam. My run in with them prompted me to write two articles. One to expose them and one to teach others how to easily expose Entry Level Job Scammers. They are below. Thanks for allowing me to post them here Willy.
Employment Scams, The Rising Pandemic
http://www.suite101.com/content/entry-level-marketing—immediate-hire–an-inside-look-a361936
How to Expose and Annoy the Frauds Who Post Entry Level Job Scams
http://www.suite101.com/content/how-to-expose-and-annoy-the-frauds-who-post-entry-level-job-scams-a362867
Add The Atlas Group in Springdale, AR to your list.
I had a 10 minute interview, and he told me to come back the next day from 1:30 to 8. I’m like, whoa. I have another job. Who the hell needs a 7 hour interview..and won’t even tell me what they do? I’m not going out with some strange guy for 7 hours. Sorry.
I am supposed to have an interview with Atlas group on Thurs. Is it a complete waste of time?
I just applied on monster to a corp called Axis Marketing in AZ, does anyone know about this one? I had previously been burned by Primerica and I really dont want this to be another instance of MLM crap. I tried looking them up on google but i didnt see too much. Any help would be much appreicated
I found this job with Dynasty Marketing Solutions in Anaheim. Their office was really stuffy, crowded, dirty but it looked like they were all working hard.
I met with Dwayne Long, the owner, who came off as a cold tough business man and said I was “somewhat” qualified but because I was young, I had a lot of potential. So I took the job not knowing what was in story. On my first “Day in the Field”, I ended up standing outside of a Walmart for 9 hours selling coupon books. I thought I’d try it out and test my selling abilities and I hated it.
I decided I wanted to move into the door to door sales division and ended up selling DirectTV to these random neighborhoods. Some of the people I worked with were cool and some of them were total clowns.
The fact that I always ended up driving without gas money pissed me off, and the guys that rode with me were soooo rude and said they wouldn’t give me any money, meanwhile they guys training me took my commission! We all went to his apartment once in Irvine and the owner, another dude, and a grown mean woman who all worked there were living there. It was a 2 bedroom apartment with barely any furnishings. I think it was a fake setup to fool all the employees into thinking they were legit.
Turns out the owner knocked up one of the girls working there after I left. Stay away! Even if you really love sales, save your pride and get a REAL sales job– standing outside of a Walmat selling useless junk is pathetic.
add this to the list
TIPTRONIC MARKETING SOLUTIONS
1224 Mill Street Building B, Suite 4
East Berlin, CT 06023
856.313.6181
Hi ben!
Thank you for applying for a job with TIPTRONIC. Management has reviewed your resume and compared your qualifications and skill set against our hiring criteria as well as against other resumes submitted. After careful evaluation we are eager to meet with you in person to discuss your potential employment with our organization.
Congratulations on being selected for an interview. We are currently in our busy season and our interview availability is limited. Please contact me at 856.313.6181 as soon as possible to schedule this appointment.
Sincerely,
Abby Smith
Human Resources
Tiptronic Marketing Solutions
please send me as much information as possible about tiptronic including the names of any employees places of business and their clients. Thank you this is very important to me. I am really concerned that a relative is about to work for them
Avoid Archetype at all costs. I lived the above scenario to the tee. Really vague first interview, called back for a second interview and ended up riding along in the car all day with some girl trying to sell office supplies door to door. I was taken an hour away from my car so I was stuck with her all day. Such a waste of time. Even after I told her I wasn’t interested she wouldn’t let me go home, and talk about gimmicks. I couldn’t get a straight answer from her all day. As soon as I got back to the office I went to the restroom and never came back. Such a waste of time!
My Fellow Coloradoans
The following groups are all SCAMS:
PAG Advertising (“Pacific Advertising Group” – there’s enough posts above about that group to know that PAG is no different…only this group is too stupid to come up with something more than just their own acronym)
Rocky Mountain Marketing Inc (Formerly “The Marketing Group” but if you look on their “Facebook” link, they were founded in January 2011. This year!?!?! If you’re unsure, give them about 7 years to prove themselves)
Fresh Enterprises Inc (Google the phone number (720) 328-5055 , you’ll get links to Summit Advertising Inc. Enough said…..i’d be surprised if a competing marketing firm would have the same phone number.)
My question to you all….has anyone heard of Blackstone of Denver? Or anything related to Blackstone Consulting Inc – the one out of Minnetonka, MN and now Denver, CO? BBB gave them an A -. But that rating was only since 8/25/2010.
Has anyone heard of Tiptronics Marketing Solutions in CT? It seems The Landers Group has found a new name and a new location. What can be done to have the scammers removed? I wonder why businesses such as Home Depot , involve themselves with this type of marketing. This company has a New Jersey # for their Human Resource office. (856.313.6181) . It makes no sense at all. When will the BBB finally realize what is going on? They shouldn’t just close the mini-Lander Groups they need to go to the big corporations that use them.
same story as everyone else. Company is called business consulting solutions inc. in san bernardino. Door to door selling verizon services to businesses with no appointments.
Damen Grand Marketing located out of Irvine was also a very similar scam with very shady business practices.
I would know. I used to work for them and I’m still owed unpaid wages. Their office has since gone under but they may be operating elsewhere and/or under a different name. Beware of Jacob Houle and Christine Houchin. These people are untrustworthy and make their living by scamming the desperate and unassuming.
They would send us out mostly to Home Depot to sign people up for consultations on kitchen cabinet refacing and tub/shower liners. Payment was minimum wage plus commission. However, if your commission outweighed your hourly wage you would be given only the commission, which was $60 per kitchen and $40 per bathroom. This is laughable considering people pay thousands of dollars to have this work done and you are the one in this situation generating a sales lead from nothing. And you were only paid for leads that go through to completion.
My paychecks (I only worked there about a month) not only never met my commission rates, they also often didn’t meet the minimum wage hourly rate, especially considering I stayed overtime nearly every night to meet sales goals and quotas. When I left I was still owed 2 paychecks, and after over a month of texts and phone calls to my former boss threatening legal action, I was finally given 1 paycheck totaling under $100, for a weeks worth of full-time work. I am still awaiting a missing paycheck.
After the office closed, I found out from other former employees that they were being underpaid as well. My checks were not the only ones that were short (of course).
And in all shadiness, employees were not given prior notice that the office was closing down. Some showed up to work only to find that the “company’s” lease was up. They may have gone out of business, but may very well have simply changed name and moved locations to escape people they owed money to.
Damen Grand’s website has since closed down, but this is their facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Damen-Grand-Inc/324681132990
Their corporate wiki:
http://www.corporationwiki.com/Delaware/Bear/damen-grand-marketing-inc/45307821.aspx
Christine Houchin’s LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/christine-houchin/25/670/B2A
By the way, their interview process was exactly like what was described above.
My story should never have to be repeated. After struggling to find employment, I was so happy to finally find a job and was determined to do well, no matter what I was doing. And like others, I was taken advantage of.
who ever posted this should change the name of the title ” fake job” its not a fake job you go to work you make money thats a job last time i checked. i worked for SMI los angeles and although the job sucks yes…. long hrs on your feet all day and the never ending amount of rude people you meet in the field it has its benefits too,its a cash job that pays the bills at the end of everyday,people who usually complain about this job are lazy like to bitch about having to actually get out there and make money they would rather sit on the computer and complain like the guy who posted this, if i was you i wouldnt look at this job as a career but if your broke and need money asap its worth sticking around for a few months, and it gives your great opportunities to find work. think about it your seeing 150 different businesses a day take your resume in the field with you thats what i did now i work at rusnak audi one of cali”s most prestigious auto dealerships……….tye
I think this comment speaks for itself.
Does anyone know anything about Sound Marketing Group? In all honesty, I think its a scam. I googled their phone number and came up with Emerald City Marketing. Their website looks like a power point with little actual information, and I used Google Maps to look up the address. As near as I can tell, they are in the back of a warehouse district.
I went to the office for my first interview and it looked like they just moved in there. As I was waiting to go in for the interview, the lobby had just a few things in there, the walls had paint chips everywhere. It just felt sort of sketchy. The lady at the front desk, happens to also be the “Human Resources” lady. When I got called in, the office looked bare and it was a quick 5-10 min interview. She just told me that this was going to only take 5 mins because they wanted to put a face to the resume. They also asked me to bring my resume again. She then told me to leave my phone on from 4-6 where they would contact the top 30% of the candidates that would go forward to a second interview. The second interview is a job shadow from 9a-6p. I got a call to come in on Monday for the job shadowing part. They told me to wear comfortable shoes and to bring another copy of my resume in for the person that I would be shadowing. I decided to do a little research and I came across this site. After reading all of the other situations, I will NOT BE GOING to this. Everything that these people have said above, is exactly what has happened to me so far and I’m not going to drive around in some sketchy car with a sketchy person in some sketchy neighborhood!!!! I checked the phone number out on Better Business Bureau and it too came up with Emerald City Marketing.
Hope this helps you make a decision!!!
Saw a couple of listings on Craigslist for the Detroit area that seemed suspect and Googling them brought me here. Thought I’d add the company names to your list in case others are trying to look up these companies to see if they’re legit: Detroit Business Consulting http://www.detroitbc.com, and The Hill, Inc., in Troy: http://www.thehillinc.com.
Both are headed up by ex-professional athletes and have pictures of their “teams” on fabulous R&R vacations in Florida and the Bahamas and they have lots of pictures of their volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity, the Special Olympics, etc., but their information on what they actually DO is totally vague and mentions only “face-to-face marketing” and the goal of working on a fast track to management. I’m so glad I found this site before I wasted my time applying to these companies. Thanks to all who’ve added their info and stories here; I’m glad to get the scoop!
I was offer a job with ST. Johns Business solutions. I thought it was weird that i would have a interview at a penera bread. He was really vague and i felt like i was beeing sold rather that interviewed. He bragged about the client listen and told be i need to connect with at least to of the business concepts he explained. When i asked him several times about the company and what job i applied for he wouldnt respond and said that we would go over that if i get a second interview. I am not a hundred percent but i think it is a scam…. He contact me from 4072527166
Does anyone know anything about JSR Marketing in Austin? They said they are an expansion of Apollo Direct in Houston. JSR Marketing does not have a website because it is ‘under construction.’ They said they have a new contract with the Round Rock Express
Can anyone tell me anything? I have a job interview tomorrow!
Hi “k”,
I have an interview with this company today, and I am wondering the exact same thing that you were asking a few weeks ago. Did you ever figure this company out? I’d appreciate any info you can give. Thanks,
Sarah
as far as the numbers every new office that opens up has an outsourced HR because there start up costs and at a minimum. They are trying to keep their overhead as low as possible until they can get their market up and functioning. Once again all things that anyone who knew anything about business would get. But there is a reason why you are all unemployed.
These companies are not scams. They are part of a marketing model that requires people to perform outside sales. They require a large sales team to sell promotional gift cards. They do work with major league sports teams and is a great job if you are an entrepreneur. Who ever wrote this report obviously will work his whole life in a corporate structure and be a peon for the corporate america, will complain about his job all the time and think he should get the next promotion. If they knew anything about running their own business they would know that you don’t make any profit usually the first 2 years. These types of jobs (commission based) allow you to learn how a business runs from the ground up with no risk. Yes you start from the bottom where you are a commission base contractor who is out in the field learning how to train people and teach them what you were taught. After you learn how to do that you are put into a management position where you learn the inside part of the business. You are still managing the guys you trained and once they think you are ready you have an opportunity to incorporate and open up a office in a different market. Once again no money out of your pocket and no RISK!! Name one company that allows you that. The work you put in before that is not easy but it prepares you for what a real person will have to face in the business world.
These companies are not scams. They are part of a marketing model that requires people to perform outside sales. They require a large sales team to sell promotional gift cards. They do work with major league sports teams and is a great job if you are an entrepreneur. Who ever wrote this report obviously will work his whole life in a corporate structure and be a peon for the corporate america, will complain about his job all the time and think he should get the next promotion. If they knew anything about running their own business they would know that you don’t make any profit usually the first 2 years. These types of jobs (commission based) allow you to learn how a business runs from the ground up with no risk. Yes you start from the bottom where you are a commission base contractor who is out in the field learning how to train people and teach them what you were taught.
The guy who wrote this started his own business out of college and took it to profitability in two years. And he did it all ethically. These companies may not all be scams but they use unethical and deceptive practices to take advantage of unsuspecting job seekers.
Mike, you are a festering sore on the face on the earth. Liar. These so-called jobs exploit people and you deserve to die slowly from a festering disease.
Luminance have already sent a couple of emails with directions to me. I’ve read someone here had a recent experience with them. I have an interview with them at 12:30pm today. I just won’t show up. Here is one of their emails:
Luminance Marketing
20201 Sherman Way Suite 107
Canoga Park, Ca 91306
Hi (Khalidah),
We tried to contact you to schedule an interview with us. Please give us a call back as soon as possible at 818-296-5156. Thank you and we look forward to meeting with you!
Priscilla Frietze
HR Manager
I have another expeience with a different markeing company: I’ve seen these companies offering way more for nothing. I’ve also been to an interview on this other marketing “opportunity” , and the girl interviewing me talked waaay to fast in a mumbling sort of way, which made her seem robotic, yet dim-witted. She had a horrible manicure with extra long re-re-painted fingernail polish, and she offered (perhaps unknowingly) way to much cleavage for me! I swear, her boobs were trying to interview me too!!!
I was thinking, “They let her show up like that?”
Not hatin’ on her so much, but I was reminded once again how image is first the impression. She proved to me that company was bs from the start.
oh yeah, when she called me back to ask why I didn’t want a second interview, I said I wasn’t interested, and hung up on her.
Still waiting for Luminance to call me as to why I didn’t show up. The proper procedure is to call them, but I don’t respect them enough to call them back and tell them I won’t be coming.
You can add Green Impulse Marketing AKA Valiant Promotions in Wayne, NJ to this mix!
Marketing Professionals in New Brunswick, NJ actually tried to pull the “full day with a successful manager” stunt.
Hi,
I pretty much have the same story as all of the rest of you. The company is called Keltic Enterprises (supposedly), but may also be called Worldwide Vision (if your vision for the world would be scamming young professionals into slave labor). STAY AWAY. During the interview I was told that the company (which remained nameless during the process) belonged to a Fortune 500 parent company…not so much. BBB currently rates Worldwide Vision as an A-, but that will hopefully change soon. It’s really too bad that so many people feel comfortable taking advantage of others for their so called job. Thanks to this website I was saved from my first day there!
I have an interview scheduled tomorrow for Fenix Auto Glass, Inc. in Denver. They have the same address as Pacific Advertising Group. I thought the AD on Craigslist was fishy but I applied for the position anyway. I assume that they are connected to Pacific Advertising Group and it is another scam. I’m glad I did some research on this company before I wasted my time driving over there for this interview. Thank You.
Here is the AD posted on Craigslist on 04/11/2011:
Auto Glass/Customer Service Rep (Denver, CO)
Date: 2011-04-11, 9:54AM MDT
Reply to: job-f9ejd-2318228240@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
Fenix Auto Glass, Inc. is opening a new satellite location in Denver colorado and is looking for energetic and motivated individuals who want a new career!
NO experience necessary, WE train YOU!
We are an event marketing – advertising firm that represents a variety of companies and clients locally and nationwide. Our event portfolio consists of working with many different companies and industries such as:
• Sports Racing Giants
• National Brand Name Companies
• Windshield Repair Industry
Corporate Event Marketing
If you’re ready for a challenging career move with fast-paced growth opportunities and a team oriented environment, then please respond immediately.
**PLEASE NOTE THAT WE DO NOT HAVE ANY DOOR TO DOOR, BUSINESS TO BUSINESS, OR TELEMARKETING POSITIONS…SORRY!!
Requirements
Top Candidates will Meet the Following Conditions:
· Reliable
· ENTRY LEVEL (GREAT FOR COLLEGE GRADS OR SOON TO BE COLLEGE GRADS)
· Looking for a CAREER
· Interested in all the above areas and willing to cross-train from ENTRY LEVEL to MANAGEMENT
· Have great CUSTOMER SERVICE skills
· Willing to be trained in Sales, Campaign Management, Test Market Development and Public Relations
TO APPLY IMMEDIATELY PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR RESUME (NO ATTACHMENTS) TO hrglass@yahoo.com
Any questions please call 856.266.7241
*LIMITED INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE
* Location: Denver, CO
* This is an internship job
* Principals only. Recruiters, please don’t contact this job poster.
* Phone calls about this job are ok.
* Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
I think that this company,TheEastBay.org in Walnut Creek CA, may be a scam. I had an interview today and it seemed to follow the usual routine. They are accredited by the BBB. Does that make a difference?
I think I found another one. They call themselves “First Wave Sports Marketing.” I tried to google them, but didn’t find much, except that they represent soccer teams?? M’kay. I looked them up on BBB; found nothing negative. But the job posting sounds exactly like all the other dozens of “different” companies that have been listed in this thread over the past 3 years! Here is the ad that’s been running on monster as of 4/26/11:
ENTRY LEVEL MARKETING-5 OPENINGS-IMMEDIATE HIRE
Marketing, Sales and Customer Service Reps needed for New Positions
APPLY TODAY***START TOMORROW-Advertising / Marketing
Are You Looking For A Competitive, Fast-Paced Environment...
FIRST WAVE is a privately held marketing/advertising firm in VENTURA planning to expand to two more locations before the end of the year. We work with Fortune 500 clients across the country! We have more work than we can currently handle and have added two new divisions within our office.
WE NEED TO FILL OPENINGS IN ALL AREAS:
EVENT MARKETING
PROMOTIONAL SALES
CUSTOMER SERVICE
PUBLIC RELATIONS
ENTRY LEVEL MANAGEMENT
MARKETING/ADVERTISING REP
SALES REP
The KEY TO OUR SUCCESS lies in our ability to provide individuals with STABILITY, GROWTH, and EXCITEMENT!
Requirements: IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING, WE WANT TO HERE FROM YOU!
CUSTOMER SERVICE / PEOPLE SKILLS
POSITIVE ATTITUDE
CAREER MINDED
ATHLETIC BACKGROUND
SPORTS-MINDED
RESULTS DRIVEN
WE OFFER STRONG PERFORMANCE-BASED PAY STRUCTURES AND NO EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED BUT THE WILLINGNESS TO LEARN IS EXPECTED. THIS IS NOT A TELEMARKETING OR GRAPHIC DESIGN POSITION—-SORRY! ONLY LOCAL RESIDENTS WHO CAN START ASAP NEED TO APPLY
Okay, so it sounded pretty good. I sent them my resume on Friday. Today (Weds) I got this e-mail reply:
Hi Ethan!
Thank you for your interest in our company. We are seeking talented individuals to work on our exciting and challenging projects. Our managers have reviewed your resume and compared it to the other applicants as well as against our hiring criteria. They feel that you are qualified for at least one of the positions available. They are interested in meeting with you in person to discuss the opportunity further.
Because of our recent growth, our interview schedule is tight. Please contact me as soon as possible at (805)654-0615 to schedule an interview. Thanks again and we look forward to speaking with you soon!
Sincerely,
Marlene
Director of Human Resources
Still sounds good, right? Except that notice the e-mail…it sounds almost exactly like the response that Ben received (see above) back on April 11, and in Connecticut!
I really have no desire–at age 45–to go door to door selling Verizon upgrades or coupon booklets. I unfortunately lost a well-paying REAL job awhile back. I am a professional white collar OFFICE worker, not a pavement-pounding salesman!! :D If all they’re doing is sending people out to sell things, I absolutely have no problem with it. But don’t jerk job-seekers around with smoke and mirrors, ya know? Just tell people what they’re doing. A lot of people would be happy enough with jobs like that–they don’t have to be deceitful to get qualified workers, okay?? Enough–back to the job search, and from now on, if it’s on Monster or CareerBuilders, I’m only going to submit my resume to companies that I’ve actually heard of…
THANKS SO MUCH for this website!
I couldn’t read thru all these comments, but has anyone ever interviewed w/ Exodus Group Inc?
I applied thru monster YESTERDAY and they insisted on interviewing me today at 1pm. And just called me back for a 2nd interview TOMORROW. They refused to give me a later date. I thought everything was happening way too fast. They’re also a supposed “Sports and Entertainment Marketing Firm” but everything that was listed on their job postings were nearly word for word what everyone else saw. I was preached the similar punchline as all of you and told to meet at the “office” at 8:45 tomorrow. I will NOT be going. Now that I think of it, the guy didn’t even bother reading my resume. OR let me talk. I answered like 2 questions and he spoke (or tried to sell his company) for like 20 min.
BEWARE OF EXODUS GROUP!!!! theres even terrible yelp reviews.
ESPECIALLY WATCH OUT FOR PACIFIC ADVERTISING GROUP MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS PAG ADVERTISING. WHAT YOU WALK INTO IS A DECENT DOWNTOWN DENVER LOFT LOCATED ON CHAMPA AND PARK AVE WEST, BUT REMEMBER LOOKS CAN BE DECIEVING. I DID MY FIRST INTERVIEW THEN WAS TOLD THAT FOR THE SECOND INTERVIEW I SHOULD WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES. WHEN IT CAME TIME FOR THE SECOND INREVIEW I WAS LEAD TO A CAR THAT WAS FULL OF 5 MEN. THEN THE NEXT THING I KNOW I WAS DROPPED OF ON 6TH AND HAVANNA THEN HAD TO WALK ALL THE WAY DOWN TO MISSISSIPPI AND BACK AGAIN. IT CAME TIME FOR THE THIRD INTERVIEW THAT SAME DAY(I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OUT BY 6) WHICH LASTED UNTIL 7. I WAS SO DESPERATE FOR A JOB THAT I WENT AHEAD AND TOOK THE JOB WHAT I WENT THROUGH WAS HORRIBLE…….THE FIRST CAR POOL WAS WITH A PERSON WHO HAD TO A BREATHALALIZER(OR HOW EVER YOU SPELL IT) JUST TO TURN ON HIS CAR. THIS COMPANY IS MISLEADING MAKES YOU WORK MORE THAN 8 HOURS AND HAS STOLEN OTHER BUSINESS CLIENTS BY USING THEIR COMPETATORS NAME. THIS IS NOT A COMPANY YOU EVER WANT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH AT ALL.
Watch out for Redzone International in Clifton NJ. Luxe Marketing Concepts in White Plains, NY,
You can add Sound Marketing of Tukwila, WA to the list. I had an interview there yesterday. Their office looks like they just scrambled it together in the last few days. The woman who interviewed me told me that this was just the first 5 minute interview to “put a face to the resume”. She asked me a few questions like when I could start, what my schedule was. She said they were hiring an Admin Assistant to help the receptionist who needed to delegate some tasks. She said the second interview would involve shadowing the receptionist for a couple of hours. I asked the woman what the company does and she got VERY evasive, saying that the “website is vague on purpose. We hire a lot of sales people and don’t want to give anything away. But what they do has nothing to do with what you’re doing so it doesn’t matter.” Umm, it doesn’t matter that I know what my company does?? What if they’re engaged in illegal activity?
Two girls interviewed right before me and there was a girl doing a second interview already when I got there. The receptionist was young, thin, and attractive and so was the woman who interviewed me. I didn’t get called for a second interview and I suspect it’s because the first interview is to determine if you are hot enough.
Anyone heard anything about MVP Concepts in Birmingham, AL (Pelham). I applied for a job as a management trainee, then got a call the very next day, then got an interview the next day. After applying to a million jobs I know there is no HR department in the world that turns over that fast. I was called by a young lady and got very excited, but she didn’t really tell me what the job entailed. I called the next morning after being sketched out by research, and the weather and asked the PRESIDENT of the company if he could tell me it was a legit job, worth driving 2 hours in a thunderstorm for. His reply was “Trust your gut.” Luckily I did, tornadoes ripped through the state that same day and I would’ve been somewhere on the road between here and there. Again, the “President” used nothing but business buzz words and tried to confuse me, sounded like he read from a script, and pretty much hung up on me when I asked if he knew what the Landers Group was, or if he was in any sort of way associated with any groups similar to LG. ALSO-there are 2 presidents to this company, and I am pretty sure that’s illegal in the state. Regardless, not a company I want to work for.
Found out this company is an off chute of Cydcor, which has been referenced numerous times in this post. Also, in the past week, there ‘team’ has changed online, and it seems like now they only have one president. Regardless of which, I am glad I found this post, because it literally saved my life.
http://sm-mktg.com/
Melissa Mitchell
Human Resources
Sound Marketing Group
206-708-6431
Watch out for RedZone International. This is exactly what was warned. If you look at the opportunities the “training process” has you hiring more employees. Once you get good at that then you open your own office. Can this be any more obvious?
The Marketing Professionals Inc. in New Brunswick New Jersey is exactly one of these companies.
I called and got an interview for the very next day and was told that they were selecting two people to move on to the second round where i would shadow an employee. Within 30 mins of getting home from the interview they called me and told me to come in the very next day from 1-7. Obviously i thought this was a little shady and started looking into it and thats when i found this site. I ended up calling them the morning i was suppose to go in and told them theres a few things id like to know about the company before i come in. They were avoidant of the topic and passed me on to someone else who told me id shadow someone as they “visit their clients” I asked who the clients were and they gave me some long winded answer to which i responded “so door to door” and she said yes they will be visiting homes. These places are extremely deceitful and looking to take advantage of young people who don’t know any better.
Thank you to everyone who posted on this site and saved me from making a stupid mistake.
Anyone know anything about JDC Marketing Group based out of Dallas, TX? Not the fishing related group in GA
Does anyone know anything about Ultra Associates? I have an interview with them friday. Please let me know.
I have a scam company I would like to add. I went there for a job interview, it was exactly like you had explained in the statement above. An initial, informal interview. Got called back a second time, did the whole shadowing thing where I rode in a sketchy car, with a sketchy person, into a sketchy neighborhood and tried to promote AT&T’s new fiber optics products for a company called Elevation that is based in a very small rented office space on Fairview in South Charlotte. Elevation has also changed their names 4 times within the last 5 years. Their previous names are: Community Marketing Solutions, JKMarketing, FPMarketing, and Elevation. Please add these to your list so that people can also be warned about this company before they are also deceived and scammed. Thank you for your time & help! Creating this website is extremley beneficial for the public & I greatly appreciate it!
Add Rock Executives to the list. 9450 Rosemont IL suite 600. Rock Executives phone number (815) 968-4400. Coincidentally, Marketing FX has the same phone number, and address.
Both “companies” shared the same fax number too, but I would LOVE to know what they print those faxes of on because I didn’t see a single printer/copier/anything in the entire building. The secretary did not have a printer at her station. This is probably why they are you to bring two copies of your resume. They have nothing to print it out on. Also, the child who conducted my 20 minute interview was wearing what looked like is taller, wider, father’s suit.
I use to work in one of the offices in Toronto, and this was 20 years ago!! I just found out that one of my old bosses now has an office in Woodmere, Ohio. His company name is D.P. Advertising. I know it’s the same guy because it said on the website that I found him on that the company use to be under the name Granton Marketing, as well as Wholesale Warehousing Industries. I too feel bad when I spot people in my neighbourhood working for these guys! Don’t be fooled by these guys who own the offices…for the most part they really don’t give a damn about you, only the money that you will make for them! The only pay I ever got was from the sales that I made each day! We never EVER were paid a minimum wage, so if you had a bad day with little to no sales….too bad so sad!
The structuring of the business aside, I do believe in the merchandise (at least the one’s that I use to sell). The restaurant ones in particular were a really good deal. I saved a boat load of money using the coupons! To this day if I end up having one of these people knock on my door, I usually tell them that I did what they’re doing now and to hold the ‘pitch’…and just let me see the deal! I already know that it’s not a bad offer (typically), it just depends on whether it’s a restaurant that I would want to go to or not. No, I don’t like the idea of putting my money into the pocket’s of the owner’s but if I can save a significant amount by purchasing and using one of the deals, then I will buy for my own sake of saving money!
PSI Marketing FRAUD and what a scam of a “job”. They go into people place of work and ask to speak to the “manager”. They have this entire script memorized. Knowing that no respecting manager would want to speak to them while they are on the clock, they then begin to annoy and bother the associate, asking them about their cellular plans and to join t-mobile. If you have a college degree run away from these people. The people working for them are not intellectual, uninspiring and judgmental. They believe that their job requires people skills. what a joke. the marketing training? learning the script. They are inappropriate and just please avoid them at all costs. The kicker is they think they know the law about soliciting-they do not.
Furthermore, their hopes are to become managers of people that will do cockroach work like they are doing.
They talk about seeing their “account/clients”. HA for part of the interview process I was taken from po-dunk town to po-dunk town, harassing gas station attendants to retail workers. It is beyond unprofessional.
Do not waste your time. Unless all this is appealing to you but if you have an education it most likely is the last thing you want to waste your time on.
You people are ridiculous. I used to work at a company similar to this. Now while I didn’t stay there I, did work there for about a year. I gained a lot of experience by working there and started my own company. The reason I say you’re a;; ridiculous is because no one will put a gun to your head and tell you to join the company. It’s free will. And your actually not wasting your time because you will learn a lot doing the type of work they do. Whoever disagrees you’re probably the type of person who need to sit behind a desk all day monitored by a 50 year old boss who is fat bald and ugly. So stop talking shit and pick your balls up from the ground and make your own decisions based on what you experience and not read from these people.
I can say that i worked for Cydcor, and they paid me, the check was written and it cashed with no problem…Thats what i can say about the company, it is hardcore training, but what i can say is that i am better at life for it, the training has made me really aware.
you have to work, but the product is normally easy to sell, and consumers are saving money…I sold AT@T products and made good money…you do have to wait a while to get paid, but that runs concurrent with companies that have to get paid from a vendor.
BEWARE!! ROCKY MTN MARKETING IN Colorado is a complete SCAM and they are very deceiving. I would agree with the above statements… I am a recent grad and they tried to tell me their clientele were fortune 500 companies!! ya right! I was fished into getting into a sketch car with a sketch woman from Pennsylvania… and she smoked two packs of cigarettes…. stressed much??
do not get pulled into their scam!!!
I didnt get a BA to seel ink door to door … gross!
I had a similar experience in Overland Park, Kansas at Propel Management. This “Company” is a scam! They define themselves as an entertainment marketing firm, with clients ranging from golf clubs, comedy clubs, and The Kansas City Royals. The whole business is geared towards selling coupons on commission. Propel is a pyramid scheme where every employee is promised a management position in a year owning their own office in another town under another name. Propel is probably a branch off of Smart Circle International. Please avoid this company!
Propel Management
7171 W. 95th Ste #210
Overland Park, KS 66212
913-901-9100
Thank you for this MB I had an interview later today that I just declined after reading this
Mark,
I am about to launch my company, I am looking for people to do sales with no commission for $1 per hour. Are you interested?
You are the ridiculous one here, only because you don’t want to admit you were fooled so you try to defend what these “companies” do. If they are legit, why do they change name and location every few months? Misleading people with fake ads and not paying minimum wage are crimes in most of the countries. I have a MBA and I have never applied to these companies, I am just fascinated (in a sarcastic way) by their business model. And reading of people like you that trying to defend them makes me laugh. I came across this website because one of this company (Business Consulting Solution Inc.) was able to post on my business school’s career page. I immediately contacted the Career Service office so that they can take it down.
Has anyone heard XL Sports In NJ. Got an interview with them. Seem fishy along the lines of these other companies
Greg, Did you go to that interview for XL Sports?? I have one with them tomorrow, I think I am going to blow it off. I have a feeling its fishy as well. I’ve been googling it with the word scam next to it but haven’t gotten too much of a response. It has all the tell-tale signs of a scam. They are way too eager and called me twice today within 5 mins. Employeers are usually not that eager to contact you. Let me know what you found.
Did either of you go to this interview??? Wanted to hear some feed back about this company….Thank you!!
How did the interview go? Are they legit? I’m afraid to pursue this and would very much appreciate someone in the know filling me in. Thanks!
Avoid this company….if you google the name of the “director” who you interview with, Paul Malcolm….you will find he was involved in these scam companies. I have not interviewed with X L Sports but all the bad signs are there.
Here is some info
http://www.ripoffreport.com/miscellaneous-companies/dynasy-paul-malcolm/dynasy-paul-malcolm-bill-bish-2ww7f.htm
http://www.ripoffreport.com/ticket-sales/global-dynasty-inter/global-dynasty-international-bd274.htm
Wow im in disbelief..same thing happened to me..i didn’t actually “work” for XL-Sports because i declined, but during the interviewing process i saw all these red flags that i read here and i declined..from what i see here XL-SPORTS IS A SCAM! do not go to these people its too good to be true..whats wrong with people! go get a real job instead of try to waste peoples time!
I was wondering if anyone hadheard if JSR Marketing is a scam or not. Got called for an interview today and wanted to know before I waste my time
Anyone heard of STL Worldwide Inc?? They said they work with FL Marlins and the Miami Heat, etc etc..
After reading this I can’t believe I was so stupid to fall for a scam like this…
Had my first interview today and got asked back for a second interview for the very next day within a half hour.
Thanks to everyones comments, I will definitely not be going back tomorrow.
Can’t guarantee if this company is a scam or not but definitely sounded like one. The company name is Sound Marketing Group. There website was extremely vague and their posting was listed on a number of popular job sites reading “Immediate Hire – Sports Entertainment Marketing – Entry Level.”
Hope this helps someone else :)
Fiori Marketing….no website….no info with the BBB, good or bad.
Very sad….Good luck to everyone out there, finding a job is a nightmare in this economy.
YO Franco!
Double check your grammar! Your second to last sentence, the proper word is “these” not “this.” That is not likely of an MBA graduate.
Cheers!
pioneer event marketing in los angeles and chaos marketing in tennessee same game different name 5 phases.. commision only loooooon hours….. and promise of management job….buulcrap costco/sams club carwash gigs…blah blah for $8.00 an hour…….no thx
XL SPORTS in Woodbridge, NJ is a scam, exactly how it is described on this website.
thanks for the information…i just got an interview confirmation from Redzone international …i am not gonna to show up
I worked for Redzone for about 2 months, and as everyone says above it’s a scam. It’s a silly process with very sketchy results, when I had success and was up for my commission, it took them forever to pay me. I quit and was forced to drive all the way out to Hawthorne NY just to get my check, and got the run around several times.
Don’t trust them.
Prime United is another one of these annoying scams! Only here in Jacksonville, Fl they list the job postings as AT&T because that is who they try and make you foot pedal for all day so it is extra decieving! Also I THINK Appeal Promotions is one of these scams. Anyone know anything of them?
I responded to a Craigslist position this week. I don’t know what it was for, as I applied to several listings on the site; and this person did not include the original email in their reply to me. Here is the email:
Keltic Enterprises
3200 Atlantic Avenue, Ste. 116
Raleigh, NC 27604
919-896-7622
8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. ext. 301
12:00p.m. ext. 306
Dear -,
Thank you for your interest in our company, Keltic Enterprises. My name is Rosie and I am the Human Resource Manager here at the firm. I wanted to let you know that my management staff and I have reviewed your resume thoroughly, and we would like to move forward and discuss the new openings we have with Keltic Enterprises.
Keltic Enterprises, is a Professional Sports & Entertainment Advertising Firm based here in the Raleigh, NC area. We work with high profile clients ranging from professional sport teams, restaurants, day spas, as well as high end golf courses and family fun centers, just to name a few. We are expanding rapidly due to our continuous success with our clients. This has led us to bring candidates in for various full-time opportunities. We have positions available in Promotional Marketing, Sales, Customer Service and Public Relations. All positions are entry level with an opportunity for Management. Ideally we are looking for individuals to advance quickly beyond entry level and progress to the management level.
I feel that a personal interview with one of my Managing Partners would be the best way to find the best fit for you and Keltic Enterprises. Please accept my email as a personal invite for an individual interview and contact myself between the hours of 8am to 4pm at our Regional Office. Please reference that you are interested in a position with our office in Raleigh.
We are going to be conducting interviews IMMEDIATELY to fill the positions as quickly as possible! My contact information is below. Have a wonderful day and I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Rosie Price
Human Resource Manager
Keltic Enterprises
http://www.kelticenterprises.com/
Phone: 919-896-7622
8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. ext. 301
12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. ext. 306
Add this one…this is an email I got and I blew off the interview. I also walked out of an interview before it even started with AIL…an insurance company…like 25 people showed up…it was sad to see all these people unemployed…naturally they are ver vague about what they actually DO.
Keltic Enterprises 3200 XXXX, Ste. 116
Raleigh, NC 27604
8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. ext. 301
12:00p.m. ext. 306
Dear XXXXX,
Thank you for your interest in our company, Keltic Enterprises. My name is Rosie and I am the Human Resource Manager here at the firm. I wanted to let you know that my management staff and I have reviewed your resume thoroughly, and we would like to move forward and discuss the new openings we have with Keltic Enterprises.
Keltic Enterprises, is a Professional Sports & Entertainment Advertising Firm based here in the Raleigh, NC area. We work with high profile clients ranging from professional sport teams, restaurants, day spas, as well as high end golf courses and family fun centers, just to name a few. We are expanding rapidly due to our continuous success with our clients. This has led us to bring candidates in for various full-time opportunities. We have positions available in Promotional Marketing, Sales, Customer Service and Public Relations. All positions are entry level with an opportunity for Management. Ideally we are looking for individuals to advance quickly beyond entry level and progress to the management level.
I feel that a personal interview with one of my Managing Partners would be the best way to find the best fit for you and Keltic Enterprises. Please accept my email as a personal invite for an individual interview and contact myself between the hours of 8am to 4pm at our Regional Office. Please reference that you are interested in a position with our office in Raleigh.
We are going to be conducting interviews IMMEDIATELY to fill the positions as quickly as possible! My contact information is below. Have a wonderful day and I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Rosie Price
Human Resource Manager
Keltic Enterprises
http://www.kelticenterprises.com/
Phone: XXXXXXX
8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. ext. 301
12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. ext. 306
I dont understand why so many of these companies are credited by the BBB. How many complaints does it take? Seriously? These companies are realllly good at letting you think that they actually looked over your resume and think you would be “a great fit for at least one of the positions offered”. ugh
xl-sports is the same crap…wasted my time and money… bunch of scum bags
I just got hired at Rain Marketing Inc. in Nashville TN. After reading all of this I feel pretty positive it’s a scam of some sort. They work with Smart Circle and have the Home Depot and Direct TV clients. I was told I’d make min wage and commission for every lead I generate. I’d be working in home depots, which made it seem legit. Rain Marketing has no website. I have to drive there and to Home Depots around the mid-state, with my own money, every day. They say its a four step management training program. The “boss” is named Damien (not sure of his last name). All emails from them were from core@webhrdept.com The phone number in their email works. I just called it, no one answered though it’s 6:15 pm, but the answering machine gave the name Rain Marketing.
Anyone know anything more about it or tried it? What exactly is their scam?
THIS IS A HUGE SCAM! In MICHIGAN AUBURN HILLS!!
DB ADVERTISING BOSS
I wanted to add a company called Lime Light Marketing out of Westmont, IL they use the SAME tactics as Landers and brain wash people in the company. It’s very scary, you wind up in shady neighborhoods, selling to shady people, wasting lots of gas. I know. I fell for it.
Avoid smart circle at all costs! They generally work with these companies. You’re selling coupons that are really of no value to the consumer. Smoke and mirrors.
I have an interview set up with XL Sports, The Phoenix Solution, and Green Impulse Marketing I was skeptical about GMI at first because I got an email from them and another company the same day but they both used the same phone number and same address. So I started to research every other company I set up an interview with and found they are all SCAMS but I could find anything about XL Sports. Seeing this was really helpful. I am going to call and cancel them all. I was so excited because I set up so many interviews in one day and of course it was too good to be true. Oh Well, moving on. Good Luck with your searches everyone!
Hey everyone,
Had an interview today that feels a lot like a lot of the stories here. Anyone heard of Accelerated Advantage?
Be careful of In Store Advantage Solutions Inc aka In Store Solutions in Austin, TX.
http://www.instoreadvantage.com
Watch this video to see what happens when a job applicant, who responded to a Craigslist ad, tried to get his job application back. The guy in the DirecTV shirt says he does not know what company he works for. Ha ha ha ha ha.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wen8bJ7_sQU
Go ahead and add Universal Advertising to the list as well. there out of riverside, ca. worked a few days there and found out the Manager Brian Cooper had started PAG in denver, co and it all clicked. definitely a scam and they say paid training but its a lie
Chris, is this the place in Riverside off of Latham street?
Krys, have you gone there for an interview before? I’m also wondering if this place is a scam.
I have an interview with Universal Endeavors inc. for monday and i would like to know if its a scam. I’ve been very excited for it but im scared its a scam. I’ve been to a scam interview before with Primerica in Fort Worth, TX. What they do is they call you saying that your friend recommended you with them and they would like to schedule an interview. They schedule it for the next day. Once you’re in there they’ll tell you about what they do, which is “provide financial services”, and how dey do it. For my second interview, they asked me to make a list of my “top 100” from my contacts and then they’ll get me started. I had a list of about 25 people the next day and we went through it to find “potential team members and clients to ‘start off’ my trainig”.
I avoided all the red flags. Like when i asked about how they obtain their clients since it was my first time hearing of them and they don’t have any advertising, he said its because they worked with referrals so they don’t waste money on advertising. They were also asking me to pay for a book i needed for a course they were going to pay for me and a backgroound check. I never paid anything because they told me i could take my time and since i wanted to do some research i literaly took my time. Another thing that happened was that once we got the ‘potential clients’ out of my list, he asked me to call them and ask if they can help me with my training…..which i had to do right there and then on the spot while he took a cofe break. (im guessing thats what he did)
I have a hunch about ESL Management in Westchester County, NY. I applied there today thinking that it was a good entry-level job for me just getting out of college. An hour after sending in the application, I get an e-mail asking me to come in for an interview the very next day at 12:30 at their office in Tarrytown. Now the listing was advertised as Purchase, NY, and I was called by a 703 number (which should be in Northern Virginia near DC). From what I read, it sounds like a similar company to known scams that you have listed above. Same thing with Luxe Marketing.
I dont understand why people always bash commission based salaries and the idea of door to door sales. Unless you are someone who strives for mediocracy, has no confident in your ability, and do not possess the basic ability to generate any source of revenue alone why is sales so bad. I am a current college student who currently works for one of the listed companies above, and have no complaints. While many of my friends take up summer jobs and get paid $10-15 an hour and work as lifeguards/counselors or whatever other summer bs they do, I have no issue going to business’s alone and controlling how much money I will make on a given day. Also, I am not a fool, I come from a job where I was making $32/hr as a mason in a construction company and still have chosen to work as a sales person. The two biggest differences/advantages working with one of the companies listed above though, is instead of waiting for my costumers to come to me, I go to them to ensure I will have potential sales during a day, and instead of seeing residences, Im going to businesses who have the ability to make $1000+ purchases on a given day.
I will say that I am not your average employee, I am in the top 10 percent of company as an entry level intern and bring over $1000 of person profit a week. But I work hard, and I know how to work with people, the positions are not very difficult. You college graduates cannot expect a office job, making 50K+ a year just because you defeated a textbook in college. Get off your ass, out in the field, learn to work with people and learn to sell people. You will deal with sales in every facet of your life until the day you die so why not master it.
John,
If you wish to prove that you are not a fraud, a liar, a cheat, and an outright crook, then post your CV and a factual resume that can be checked by a legal firm. Then and only then will we know you are not a troll for the MLM scam companies.
Can someone tell me if this company is a scam? It’s called intense vision inc.
Please help if you can. I tried to find information on them, but it looks like they are new.
Thanks
.www.intensevisioninc.com/about.html
hey did you ever go to an interview and find out what kind of company this is and if its a scam?
A scam huh? All these companies are a big huge scam. What a load of crap. I just graduated from college and the first company to reach out to me was under the Cydcor umbrella. I can tell you from experience that if you actually take the job seriously and not have such a negative attitude, there is a lot of money to be made. There are guys in that office bringing in over $1000 a week because THEY TAKE THEIR JOB SERIOUSLY. Yeah, it’s performance based. So what? Instead of sitting at a desk pretending to work and playing solitare and browsing on facebook every day for a mediocre salary, these guys are busting their asses making their own way. Yeah, you gotta do some door to door stuff for about 8-12 months before you can open up your own business. I don’t know any other job that promises and delivers legitimate promotions in that short of a time span, but the formula works and these owners are making a ton of money. I’m personally switching over to a smart circle office only for the reason that they’re newer and building a team will take less time, but these companies are all pretty similar. You guys all want to post every marketing firm that shows up online, go ahead. People will still apply for these jobs, work hard, make money for themselves, and the owners will continue laughing at you for talking shit while you make 35K sitting at a desk. Honestly, these jobs require a solid work ethic, which is not automatically achieved just because you graduated from college. Deal with the door to door stuff for less than a year, run your own office afterwards. If you guys want to work for someone your whole life that’s fine by me, because I’m going to work for one of these companies, make a lot of money because I work hard, and run my own business and do whatever the hell I please.
you sound like Dwayne Long the Sleaze bag i met awhile ago, you can make up such good sounding bull shit!!! very gifted i must say! I busted my ass for 5 months and had an excellent work ethic compliment all the way from the ceo of smart circle usa and than i got fired for not “producing enough” for two weeks will i say F**k you and Smart Circle!
I have an interview with XL Sports tomorrow. It seemed to good to be true, I applied last night and received two emails and a phone call today for an interview. I am a recent college grad and have been on several interviews, an immediate interview just did not seem right.
First of, all the emails are signed by ‘Julissa Torres.’ I could not understand the name of the person who left the voicemail, it sounded like ‘Tamara.’ When I called I did not even ask for Julissa, I just stated my name and that I was returning a phone call. I was put on hold and the same person answered and started telling me about XL Sports. I was put on hold two more times after that which I found odd. This person claimed that due to the economy they are looking to fill the position right away and tomorrow was the only day they could interview-this was a big red flag to me.
Needless to say I googled XL Sports and found this site. All the signs are there-XL Sports is a scam. Do not be fooled by their claims of working with the New York Yankees, Dunkin Donuts, ect. Their website and Facebook page are relatively new, 2011.
I am very glad to decided to do some research before wasting my time.
________________________________________________________________________
XL Sports
581 Main Street
Suite 660
Woodbridge, NJ 07095
732-527-0309
WEBSITE
NEW YORK YANKEES CAMPAIGN
CARMELO ANTHONY VS. DERON WILLIAMS PRESS RELEASE
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you for your interest in a position with XL Sports. I just wanted to let you know we have left you a message wanting to set up an interview. We feel that you have a lot of the qualifications that we are looking for; however we want to sit down and go over your resume and let you know what we have to offer. We are going into our busiest time of year right now, and are currently working with the New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, and the New York Yankees, and we do need to fill Sales/Marketing positions with growth potential as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Julissa Torres
Human Resources Manager
XL Sports
732-527-0309
walkup marketing concepts? scam or legit?? interview on monday
Hey all, thank you for all the helpful information you’ve posted here. I’m not entirely sure if this company is a scam or not, but it has a few of the warnings signs such as: being advertised in multiple spots on sites like Indeed.com, the ENTRY-LEVEL sales/marketing headline, and such. It’s called Sharp Marketing, Inc. and they apparently have a “brand new” office in Colorado Springs. I thought it felt a little fishy at first, but sent in an application for the heck of it anyway (this was about a week ago). I just got a response today from them saying that I was one of the applicants they had decided to speak with further and gave me a phone number and gmail address (and street address was included in the header) to set up an interview. It still felt a little fishy to me, but i sent a reply asking about a good time to contact them this week. At the very least, I figured it was safe to do a phone interview and determine if they still seemed pretty shady. I tried searching Google for Sharp Marketing, Inc. in the Springs, but could only find links to their job postings. I even went the extra mile for company creeping and searched the street address on both Google World and Google Streetview and didn’t find any sign or window with “Sharp Marketing” on it.
After reading a few articles on here and some of the issues some of you guys have run into, I’m pretty sure it’s a scam, but I could use some reassurance on the matter.
I just received an email from them saying they attempted to call me (no recent missed calls on my phone) and it drew up a red flag when I received an email from them which gmail marked “This message may not have been sent by: sharpmarketinginc@gmail.com Learn more Report phishing” I did the same thing, searching on google and all I find is job postings, nothing about the company. I’m not sure about this company at all. Did you end up finding anything out about them?
All I have to say…., is that I’m about to start a serious investigation. I have been going through all of the paperwork I was either given, stupid enough to sign…and will try to somehow document, record, etc., the going[(S)-sp?]-ons taking place within: COMPETITIVE SOLUTIONS…(or CORE CONCEPTS). Their fraudulent and, I’m sure, recognizable or familiar website: http://www.austin-cc.com. They’re located (at least currently, anyway-depending on how quickly I’m sure they could deceptively disappear or change names) at 2005 Willow Creek Dr, Austin, TX 78741.
P.S. Anyone familiar with
I was just wondering if anyone has heard of Grand Marketing Inc. I was wondering if this was one of the scams? If anyone knows please informe me.
i have a question for everyone here..do any of you worry that these people have all of our information??? what do they do with it??? and on top of that what do we do to shut them down?? who do we call to have them go raid this fake office?? what a joke
PSI marketing is the biggest scam of them all!!! If you live near Orlando stay away from them! EVERYONE in there is a scam artist and preys on the fresh out of college students who dont know any better. They say you make big money but you really do not at all. I worked there for 8 months and i now have nothing left and nothing to show for it. They will lie to you and say they will give you a health plan but they dont. SARAH WARD AND SHAYNA ERICKSON ARE THE BIGGEST LIARS EVER!! Beware!!! Stay away from them!!
I worked for one of these companies, but was one of those people calling you/emailing you. We were the only people who actually got a salary. The reason they are very vague/misleading is that they get bonuses based on how many people they can get in for interviews. They pretty much say the same thing to everyone on the phone.
Here are the “tricks” they will use to get you in
-they probably wont tell you its business to business
-they will throw their “big” name clients at you
-they will list a number of open positions i.e customer service, marketing, sales, management and then will say these positions start as entry level.
-they wont tell you the pay, they will dodge the question
-they will say that they are holding interviews the next couple of days and that is it
I do not work at these office anymore becuase i felt like i was misleading people. These companies are good for some people but that is a very small % of the people who actually go in for the interview and a small % of the people who actually start working for the company.
Here are some cues you should look for when reading employment ads.
-On employment websites i.e. careerbuilder/monster, is this company listed multiple times in your search
-Immediate Hire
-Sports Marketing
-Are all their ads say the same thing
-Do they say “one of the top marketing firms in…”
Like i said before, these copanies/offices/firms arent scams BUT they are vague and misleading to get you into the door. The work is a 1099 (Independent Contractor) meaning that you are selling thier stuff, independently without a salary but straight commission. It is not a pyramid scheme but it is very close to being one.
I hope this information helps when looking at these companies. I don’t want someone going into one of these interviews thinking one thing and getting something totally different.
XL Sports is a scam. Total scam. Lasted one day because I made my first sale in a strip club in sunny downtown Irvington NJ. This is after they told me the area we were concentrating on was Valley Road in South Orange. South Orange isn’t exactly the Ritz, but Irvington is the 5th worst city in America. And Jordan, I’m very happy at my new job, making 40 k plus commission without having to harass people and solicit on the street corner.
I just went for my first interview at Premium Advertising Inc. in Philadelphia, PA. I am a recent college grad and I was very exciting about the job prospect but after the interview, I felt like things were kind of shady. The receptionist / human resources woman spent the entire time I waited to be interviewed (about 30 minutes because there were about 8 of us waiting), on the phone scheduling more interviews for the next day. I was called for a second interview only 2 hours after my first and after doing a little research and coming across this site, I have decided not to waste my time.
I also received the following email which looks like emails many others have received on this site: Hi Ashley,
I appreciate your interest in PREMIUM. You are receiving this email because Corporate reviewed your resume and felt that you would be a good fit for one of our open positions. They have asked me to invite you in to our Philadelphia office to speak with the Director. At this time, he will go into full detail of the job description and answer any and all questions you may have. I do try to contact all potential candidates within the first few days I receive their resume, but please feel free to call me directly at the office or respond via email.
I do not want you to miss out on your opportunity, so I suggest to try and set up an appointment with me as soon as possible. Not only due to other applicants that have applied, but as well as the managers busy schedule. I can be reached at the office Monday through Friday, from 9am to 5pm. I look forward to hearing from you!
Thank you so much!
Alyson Mathers
Human Resources
Premium Advertising Inc.
267-297-8749
information about this company:
Premium Advertising Inc.
6183 Ridge Avenue. Floor 2
Philadelphia, PA 19128
267-297-8749
The job listings look like this:
Entry Level Marketing & Advertising / Marketing & Sales / Entry Level Management Trainee
FAST PACED, GROWTH ORIENTED WORK ENVIRONMENT….START TODAY
PREMIUM is now filling entry level positions in entry level sales and marketing. We are looking for talented candidates that we can develop into top managers.
Our huge success in 2010 has put us on track for unprecedented growth in 2011. We are looking to grow our business and build our core around dedicated individuals that are looking to grow both professionally and personally. Individuals will be cross trained in:
MARKETING & SALES
TEAM MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT
CAMPAIGN MANAGEMENT
PUBLIC RELATIONS
EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE LOOKING TO START A NEW CAREER OR COLLEGE GRADUATES!
Requirements
ALL MAJORS ARE ACCEPTED HOWEVER EXPERIENCE IN THE FOLLOWING MAJORS IS A PLUS:
MARKETING
BUSINESS
MANAGEMENT
COMMUNICATIONS
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
SPORTS MARKETING
All individuals must have:
*PEOPLE SKILLS
*STRONG WORK ETHICS
*DESIRE FOR GROWTH
*LEADERSHIP AND AMBITION
Ashley, I work for Premium. I have for the past year. I actually helped the expansion into Philadelphia happen.
Premium advertising is legit. We do not lie or misguide anyone. In the initial interview the candidate is told up front what we do and what clients we work with. Shady… Not sure why you say that. That’s up for you to decide. I can only affirm the legitimacy of Premium Advertising and it’s manager.
Too bad you didn’t stop in. Could have been a good opportunity for you. But Direct marketing isn’t for everyone.
FYI: Premium advertising does direct marketing. Not sales. We do retail and residential exposure for home improvement companies. Often referred to as “Lead Generation”. This is the same thing companies like and Verizon and Comcast use to expand their client base.
Add Premier Management and Promotions, now doing business in Minnesota.
Anyone know anything about this company in San Diego, CA? I responded to an ad on craigslist last night, and they have already emailed me for an interview, and now have just left a message on my phone. Seems like the same experience you guys have been having.
EMB & Associates aka Impact Events – Birmingham, AL
They’re lucky I didn’t choke them having me come out there at 9am on my day off. I knew it was a scam before the “interview” started and bailed. I am more than a little angry about having sent them my resume not to mention wasting my time.
Hello,
My name is Michael Flohr, personnel manager of Best Advertising Solutions, Inc. Your information has been redirected to me.
I am writing to inform you that we have received and reviewed your resume, and you are qualified for the position of Customer Service Manager. Various benefits offered by our organisation to new employees are described in attachment to this letter.
If you would like to apply for this job offer, please follow these steps:
1. Read the JOB OFFER
2. If you agree with the job offer terms, reply this e-mail with the follow information
FULL NAME:
AGE:
MAILING ADDRESS (no P.O. Box please):
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP CODE:
CELL PHONE:
HOME PHONE:
GENDER:
MARITAL STATUS:
BEST TIME TO CALL YOU:
YOUR PAYPAL ACCOUNT:
PRESENT JOB STATUS/POSITION:
If you have any questions about the job offer, terms or conditions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly, I will assist you with any step of the recruiting process. I am glad to see you take an interest in our team and wish you the best.
Michael Flohr
Personnel manager
Best Advertising Solutions, Inc
275 Madison Avenue Suite 148
New York NY 10016
Ph (347) 732-1097
Fax (347) 750-1220
http://newbbas.com/
I found this job posting and applied on Craigslist with this response. It sounds like a dream job, which is why im pretty sure it’s a scam. Anybody got any dirt on this so called ‘company’? Any help investigating would be appriciated. I checked the phone number to the longitude/latitude of the place of business said to exist on mapquest, and there were no businesses with that name in the area. However, the fact that a fax and phone number is given, I am curious as to what their response would be. Any thoughts? The fact that they mentioned wanting to know the name of my paypal account stood out, but they didn’t ask for information about it, just the name of it.
BIG SCAM!
It is illegal to ask job applicants their age and marital status.
Why would an employer need your PayPal account? Do not give them your PayPal info.
If you call (347) 732-1097, you get the voicemail greeting for a Michael something, personnel manager, for some four-name law firm. If you call the fax number, (347) 750-1220, you do not get a fax tone. If you write to info@newbbas.com, you will probably not get a response or you will probably not get the truth.
If you go to http://www.newbbas.com, the company telephone number is (718) 208-4265. If you call (718) 208-4265, you get a fax tone. If you do a whois lookup on newbbas, you will see that the domain name was created on June 1, 2011.
If you want a marketing or advertising job, Don’t apply to a company with “marketing” in their name. The best way to get a marketing/advertising job is to apply for one at a normal company. Many companies have a marketing department. Think McDonald’s, surely their marketing department is huge. I landed my awesome marketing job after applying directly at many company’s websites. Find a company you like, and then go on the job listings to see if they have marketing or advertising openings.
It appears they have started up a location in Indianapolis called TMG Incorporated aka TMG Marketing. They claim to work with T-mobile.
I had an interview with a company called “The Milwaukee Entertainment Group.” I walked out of the second interview after reading this article (on my phone) because this article painted a picture of exactly what this company is doing.
-they call them selves a reputable company, but when you walk into their office, it is not furnished, except with a couple fold-able chairs and a laptop for the so called “secretary” like they could just pick up and go. The carpets where also filthy as well as their restroom. also a google search turns up nothing but their job postings
-The interview process was very unprofessional, the first interview, you weren’t alone, the guy who interviewed you, not only grabbed you, but 3 other people for the first interview, talk about getting rid of two birds with one stone. I dont know about you guys, but discussing my work history should be between me and my potential boss, not some other random people i dont know. and i dont feel like hearing about thier shyte either.
i could be wrong, take it as a grain of salt i guess, but curios to know if anyone had any experiences with these people
Just got an interview with JSR Sports Marketing in Austin TX … does anyone know if this indeed a scam or not?! I would really prefer not to waste my time.
Thanks in advance!
Has anyone ever heard of Northeast Consulting Group I believe its a scam
Applying for a job with Next Gen Advertising Inc, here in Denver Colorado. Does anyone know if they are legit? I’ve had one interview with them already and they seem OK, no internal alarm bells going off as yet. I’m new to Colorado so a heads up would be good. I’m going for a 2nd interview Friday which I spend a day with them to get the ‘workings’ of the company.
Another job prospect that SCREAMS money laundering scam is Manta Interiors… cashing cheques for clients and being paid $50 per hr for an office assistant sent alarm bells ringing for me, read the following passage from the email I received and tell me what you think!
“Majority of our customers make payments through certified checks and money orders as they are readily available and since payments come from a wide range of
consumers, this is an easy option for customers. Most of our buyers are those we have previously handled successful transactions with and new buyers are
verified by us so there is no cause to worry. When a payment is in form of a check or money order, you would be required to get it cashed and send the funds
for further transactions.”
AND
“You would be informed about the location of the outlet on successful completion of the training, You will be starting the trial/training period this week and it will last for three weeks as stated in our previous email. You will resume at the outlet when it is opened and will earn $50 per hour, this is negotiable depending on your experience and efficiency .”
Also thanks for the posts on other scams I have a list to go by now :D
Oh I should have mentioned in my previous post the Manta Interiors job was a ‘from home’ until the showroom/office opens in Denver Sept 3rd! this was why I had issues with cashing cheques!!
I have an inerview today at two with this company called Universal Concepts, Inc in round rock texas. I am trying to check the credibility of this company any suggestions?
I fell victim to this as well. I submitted an application online for Trinity Direct, aka Executive Sports, and I got a call 12 hours later. I was asked a few short questions about previous job experience, then asked to come in the following day. When I went in, I waited for at least 45 minutes, although no one else was there. I had my 10-minute interview, (in which I wasn’t really asked a lot of questions), then asked to go on a second round interview which involved “observing” a field rep. That was a 4 hour ordeal. Then I was asked to come back to the office LATER THAT NIGHT for a third interview. I went back out of desperation for a job. He talked more about the company, asked me one or two questions, then offered me the job. He asked me to come back the next morning (less than 12 hours later). That next day, my first day of working, I worked a 12-hour shift. I remembered being told I would be guaranteed weekly pay, but did not remember anything about hourly pay. Was I not going to get paid extra for the fact that I worked 12 hours? I went home, did some heavy research, found a bunch of bad reviews, then called the office to quit.
I got a call from Bree the receptionist from Elle Communications Inc in Oklahoma City, OK saying the boss got my resume and wanted to schedule an interview for the Accounting Manager position. She talked about how they worked with numerous fortune 500 companies, how they needed someone with strong customer service skills, etc and how I fit their criteria and they would train me. They told me to bring a hard copy of my resume and to dress business professional because I needed to “dress to impress”. I scheduled the interview for tomorrow 9:45, assuming that this was a scam since I had gotten a similar call before talking about the fortune 500 crap and it was a scam. But I was so excited to finally have an interview after applying for 70+ jobs! So I went online to check them out and couldn’t find anything besides their website (which has music btw!) http://www.ellecommunicationsinc.com/ and a link to their fb and twitter, which has nothing as well. It did however have pictures of the ‘owner’ and HR manager who both look like they’re in their mid 20’s and fresh out of college. There were other pictures of ’employees’ who look like they are still IN college. I finally found a video on youtube that has this chick talking about 10 ways to know if it’s a scam and all of them were about this company! Then i went to the actual job posting and the title is “Entry Level Management – Sense of Humor Required” On the left it states:
Company: Elle Communications Inc.
Base Pay: N/A
Other Pay:
Employee Type: Full-Time
Industry: Sales – Marketing
Consulting
Training
Manages Others: Yes
Job Type: Training
Sales
Required Education: 2 Year Degree
Required Experience: 0 to 8 year(s)
Required Travel: Up to 25%
Notice the 2 year degree REQUIRED. Well when I saw that I knew that I had not even applied for this job because if I see that requirement, I ignore the job seeing as how I don’t have one! AND it says SALES, which I don’t do! But she told me it was for an Accounting Manager…hmmm. Just a whole bunch of those red flags everywhere!
In the main body of the job posting it states:
Elle Communications located here in Oklahoma City, is an independently owned sales and marketing firm. Elle is contracted with one of the top telecom companies here in the Southwest.
Elle Communications is looking for quality individuals to train and advance through our sales/management training program. This entry-level person must have a positive and enthusiastic demeanor and work well in a strong team environment. Our position involves one on one sales interaction with customers.
This is an ENTRY-LEVEL sales position. We are looking to train in: sales, campaign development and business operations.
What Elle is looking for in a quality entry-level candidate:
* Professionalism
* Integrity
* Work Ethic
* Leadership
* Success-driven
At Elle, we measure growth and success by an individual’s performance. We promote based upon merit. Pay is also based upon individual performance.
Job Requirements
*A Bachelor’s degree is not required but recommended
*0-2 years of communications experience
*Ability to forge strong relationships face-to-face
*Ability to give presentations
*Self-motivated
*Optimistic outlook at the work place
NOW, it’s saying a 2 year degree is not required?! That’s weird…so which is it Elle Communications? Degree or no degree? I’m going to say no degree since you’ll take anyone and ‘train’ them to go door to door. These people should be shut down! And this company is all over the US with the same name, just different divisions I guess. Well needless to say, I won’t be going to that interview.
STAY AWAY FROM ELLE COMMUNICATIONS!!!
The following all appear to be very similar scams in the Chicago area; Rock Executives (*scam* Dana Villanueva 9450 Bryn Mawr Ave. Ste #600 Rosemont., IL 60018 hr@rockexecutives.com P: 847-233-9270), Fastforward Marketing (*scam* Jeanie Lau Human Resources Fastforward Marketing, Inc. 847-222-3922 2500 W. Higgins Road, Suite 1250 Hoffman Estates, IL 60169), and 600, Incorporated (*scam* Theresa Marie One Lincoln Centre (building #1) 18W140 Butterfield Road 15th FloorOakbrook Terrace, Illinois 60181 847.208.0664 (p)).
I had interviews scheduled with all of these companies and thanks to this posting and some research on my own I avoided driving to random suburbs to interview. All of these companies fit the model perfectly. These companies clearly read the complaints here and elsewhere and either put fake endorsements up (thankfully they are far outnumbered by complaints) or attempt to defend themselves. So I do not want to give too much away but some things to look for.
– they provide you with a ton of links to useless info about their company that is usually less than a year old if only a few months. they have to change names and websites a lot it seems.
– there is no info on the internet about their companies not provided by them
– their websites serve only to recruit people and not advertize their company (tons of info about careers but none about services or products)
– they respond immediately to your resume (often both by phone and e-mail)
– everything they send is a form letter. often with lots of exclamation points and overstatements.
What about world management group?
Does anyone know anything about the company called Phoenix In-store Concepts in Baton Rouge, LA? The first interview was way too easy and I was told to come back tomorrow for a day of ‘shadowing’ and meeting some of the clients. Their suite was nice and everyone that I met there were well dressed and polite. I’ve tried doing a general Google search but didn’t get any results pertaining to the company. I don’t want to waste time going back tomorrow if it’s a scam. The guy I met with was named C.J. Young and I believe the lady who set up the interview was named Kim Handy with the HR department.
225-371-2678
phoenixinstoreconcepts.com
Two United Plaza Building
8550 United Plaza Blvd Suite 702 (7th Floor)
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
I’m not sure if it’s a scam or not, so, if anyone has any info it would be greatly appreciated.
Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water,
Your ignorance regarding MLM or “Network Marketing” is showing. They are NOT all scams. Maybe you DO realize this, however you are not explaining yourself very well. I do not have time this morning to research the specific company you are discussing and it may very well be true. I simply want to point out that Network Marketing IS THE FASTEST GROWING BUSINESS MODEL IN THE WORLD TODAY! Why? Because if you work hard, gain the skill sets needed (Just like you would do in ANY good job) there is over the top money to be made, the best lifestyle ever, be your own boss, etc. Is it easy? NO and most people fail ( which is why it gets such a bad rap ) However, most people want something for nothing and are not willing to see it as a TRUE business and put the time it takes into building are REAL business. Like ANY great job, it takes work. Most of us are conditioned from birth to conform. Must work the 8-5 for somebody else (and you call that a “legitimate” job – yuch!) and never earn enough! Network Marketing is an opportunity for those that think outside the 9 dots, that do not want to conform. I know because I was an Accountant (Oh yes, those going into Network Marketing with some great companies are Doctors, Dentists, Accountants, etc) earning $55K per year – and yet we felt as though we could never really “get on top of it” and feel the financial freedom that we longed for. Legitimate Network Marketing has afforded us the genuine opportunity. We found an International Nutritional company with top of the line product but more important they have a social mission. A portion of all profit goes to fighting malnutrition in our children around the world. They have linked themselves with a non-profit organization. We investigated the company, the owner (you WILL find negs about them all on the internet -because of the bad rap many like YOU have given them – and yes, Associates that make “healing” claims (against the law, true or not) has gotten some good companies in legal turmoil) but someday with that continued mind set and attitude that the “conformers” have fed you – you will be left behind and miss out on a possible honest opportunity. Please do your due diligence and research for yourself regarding the growth of Network Marketing around the world. Geez, Network Marketing is NOT a scary word. It is nothing more than recommending and promoting business and product regarding something YOU LIKE AND BELIEVE IN. How many infomercials do you see showing movie stars, models, etc moving their products? Genuine Network Marketing companies have found a Niche, a LEGAL pay system that rewards the Associate exponentially for helping them grow their business and guess what? The Associates business grows also! Win.Win. The days of “pyramid” schemes are about over (yes, you might still find some scammers – but they are being pushed out not to mention that it is against the law). But I’m here to say there are many honest, trustworthy companies that “multi-level” (payment plans) market their products. THAT IS GOOD FOR YOU AND ME! Wake up people.
I worked for one of these companies for 3 years. While it was tough and difficult, straight commission, long hours, 6 day work weeks, it was a very rewarding experience. I personally left the business due to a bit of burn out and passed up for a promotion. Although my company was the exception, I was W-2, had medical benefits and a 401K, the concept of the marketing was a good one and the owner of the company and I still keep in touch as the lesson I learned from that company have served me very well in my career. Yes there is good money to be made in these types of companies if you can sell, don’t mind 40 – 60 hour workweeks, and are hungry for advancement. Yes be aware of scams, but the basic premise it good. The issue with these companies is the highly negative connotations towards “outside / door-to-door” sales. If there were no stigma attached to door-to-door sales these companies would generally not have to be as vague as they are. I made in the 20,000s as a sales rep and in the 40,000s as a manager. Had I gotten the promotion I wanted I would have made in the 60s or 70s. Since I did not I left and went back to school. Yes turnover is high, 90% in the 1st couple of months, but that is straight commission sales, high risk high reward.
Beware of Sky Management, or anyone who advertises “Victoria Jackson” as one of their clients, its the same exact scam.
Anyone know anything about Truth Marketing Concepts (www.tmctampa.com) in Tampa, FL? I got an email from them today and I called to schedule an interview (next week), but I’m starting to wonder if they’re one of these scams. I did some looking online but couldn’t find anything, however their Facebook page started to make me wonder. I fell for one several years ago (only went as far as the 2nd “interview” and when they offered me a “job” I told them I wasn’t interested anymore). I’ll just keep my eyes open when I go next week and if any red flags pop up, I’ll get out as fast as I can.
There’s a company called Chicago Business Strategies in Oakbrook. I went for the second “interview”. The guy who interviewed me introduced me to a rep. So when we both walked out the office,I assumed that she was in another office. But no she was headed outside. I asked “where are we going?” She said “my car.” I asked again,she said “Geneva”. I looked at her like WTF. She said that’s where her ” headquarters” is at. I asked what are we going to do. She said that it was hard to explain and she would have to show me.”Don’t worry,I’m driving.” I was like so what. So I said that I didn’t want to continue this and went back in the building. She followed me by the elevator and I told her that I never been to Geneva. She said that she has never been there either. Um….didn’t she just say that her “headquarters” is there?? lol then she took me back to the office to speak to the guy who interviewed me. I told him that I wasn’t going to travel. He was like but she’s a nice girl. I was like so what,I’m not going all the way to Geneva,which is over an hour from where I live and the girl refuses to say what this interview is about. So he offered me to meet with an Oakbrook rep next week. I said that I’ll think about it and left. When I did a Google search on the company the day before it only had the website and the fb page. It dawned on me to do a search on Quill after the “interview”. Quill office products scam came up. Good thing I used common sense and followed my instinct not to get in that car.
I am so glad I saw this. I had an interview with them and they called 2 hours later saying that I was moving on to the second “interview”. I did some research and after realizing how vague (no mention of a CEO’s name or why they would have 15 other locations outside of IL before choosing a location in downtown Chicago if they’re the fastest growing marketing firms in Illinois, etc) and cliche/similar everything was (100%, 200% return, face-to-face, personalized) to others that I am reading about, I have decided that they are a scam. In fact, after reading this I got a really bad feeling in my stomach that told me not to go through with it. I’m going to keep looking and and keep looking only with well-known companies. Thank you for your post CN.
Oh and BTW,I will be ignoring any upcoming calls/emails from that place.
I’m trying to figure out if the company CCM or Cedar Cliff Marketing is a scam. I can’t find a website for them or any information about the company. They sound a lot like other scams I read about. But I don’t know how to find out. I don’t want to cancel the interview if it’s a legit job, but I also don’t want to put myself in danger if it’s one of those scams. Has anyone heard of them?
Yes, SAME MO as everything here. I went to first meetinf, 10 minutes, invited back next day.. wouldnt answer salary questions..yada yada yada… Same stuff.. The receptionist on phone whole time scheduling interviews und 3-4 different compainy names
I was scheduled to interview with Cedar Cliff Marketing in Mt Laurel, NJ today at 2:30. The address given was 125 Gaither Dr Suite K. Which was odd, because at 1:30, I had an interview with “Signature”, at the very same address, Suite K, too.
When I booked my interview for Signature, I saved the company name in my phonebook. When Cedar Cliff called, the same number came up, and I took the call like it was Signature calling me back.
On a side note, I also got recruited by the following:
KJ Innovations (they had at least 30 careerbuilder postings, all ENTRY-LEVEL)
East Coast Business Concepts (mentioned earlier in the comments)
CXN Inc (Ripoff Report has the dirt on them)
Then there’s “Defined Industries”. I’m expecting a phone interview from them, and they seem less shady. From the job listing on CB.com:
We DO NOT participate in the Following:
Door to Door Sales
Telemarketing
Business to Business Sales
So no in-person interview, and I won’t have to sell things any of these ways(what else can there be??). I’m optimistic, but I’ll update it when I hear from them.
Welp, I talked with Andralee from Defined Industries, and got the whole bit. She kept asking me questions about what I liked about marketing and what are the biggest retailers in the country. She said that they target the “Affluent customers” of BJs and Sam’s Club, and their numbers showed a 300% increase (from what, who knows)
So, like I said, there was no Door to Door Sales, Telemarketing, Business to Business Sales jobs involved. What would companies that sell “skincare & cosmetics, health & wellness, gourmet foods, and specialty household items” be doing at BJs?
The company description says “We establish retail marketing events and shows to provide our clients with maximum exposure for their products and services. Due to our success over the past year, we are looking for a couple great additions to our event marketing teams. We offer full comprehensive training in all facets of our events and marketing strategies, travel opportunities, as well as management training program.”
What did I gather? Random products, no sales/selling, in a wholesale store, marketing events, “exposure”.
Yep, I figured it out as soon as she asked if I wanted to go to my in-person interview tomorrow. They run the free sample stands. Sample stands. Yes, sample stands. Why they market it as anything different is a shame, along with the rest of these businesses.
I told her I was busy those two days she offered, and without any pushing to reschedule, she said, “Okay, bye.”
No in person interview? What kind of other interview could there possibly be? Best of luck in your job search.
Can anyone tell me if EMB and Associates in Birmingham, Al is legitimate?
It is essentially impossible to find any company that does not have bad reviews. There will ALWAYS be someone, whether consumer or employee, that has something negative to say.
Regarding many (not all) of these companies, they are not scams. In such bad economic times, people still refuse to work hard. Now, I agree that these jobs are not for everyone. That’s been made perfectly clear by the complaints made by “former employees”. But the ones that have the ability and discipline to commit to working hard will succeed. Like I said, these jobs are not for everyone. If you’re afraid of talking to people, don’t apply. The company doesn’t want you. If you can’t even sell yourself, don’t apply. The company doesn’t want you. You certainly won’t be able to market or sell a product.
If you’re someone that wants to sit in a cubicle for 8 hours every day fiddling your thumbs and expect to make $100,00 a year… I wish you luck in your search.
Most of these ads state that they are entry-level positions. So for those of you who have no prior experience in marketing, sales, advertising or PR… you’ll probably get a call for an interview. Welcome to applying for entry-level jobs. These companies are willing to take time to train you; to help you be successful. Are they benefitting from your success… of course! (That’s called marketing: A mutually beneficial relationship exchanging value.)
Going to an interview never killed anyone. You only accept one job (or more, I guess, depending) so wouldn’t that mean that you “wasted” your time going to every other interview in which you applied to a company? Kind of baffling to me.
I have an interview with a place called Global Media Acquisitions I applied Wednesday August 31st and had an email back on September 1st, when I didn’t respond to the email in 3 hours time they emailed me again claiming they tried to reach me. However, I didn;t have any calls on my phone and I only check my email like once a day and had already checked it for that day. I called them back and left a voicemail, since no one answers, for a lady named Jenny. Jenny called me back a couple hours later to schedule me an interview with a man named Ahmad Hagler. I have read the chilling stories of scammers stranding people without their phones or cash miles from home. maybe someone will have some enlightening information about this company the website seems extremely vague to me. http://www.globalmediaacquisitions.com This is only the first interview I have scheduled. All they want me to bring is my resume, NOT my portfoilio (I am a graphic designer). I have a conmprehensive list of questions I plan on asking them, I will not be getting in any cars with anyone to “job shadow” nor will I be selling coupons if they ask, nor will I be giving them my cell phone. Hopefully I don;t get shafted but if I do the better business bureau will be hearing about it.
D’Sheild Trumble,
I’m curious how your second interview went? I had my first interview with a company called “Innovation Technologies, Inc” on Wednesday and my second interview is later today. After digging into the company I discovered their website was identical to Global Media. They just changed the color scheme on the pages!
Josh
Innovation technologies is global media and they are shady i worked there, fired while i was hospitalized. they are an MLM scheme, just look up smart circle and you will see what i mean
Genuine Acquisitions and BAY marketing in northern California are also scams like these. Do not allow these low life employers get you to work for them. They are the scum of the earth who do not have the intellectual capability to find a real job.
Used to work at one of these companies.
Everything that is promised, will never come. If it does, it comes in some distorted, half-assed way than what it was presented.
Not a disgruntled employee. Worked there for almost two years. Got promoted. Seen people get promoted. Left because it wasn’t for me. Lying to people. Not just customers, other employees too.
Yes, people who work hard will make it. But take it from me, that’s not all it takes. It takes a little slight of integrity, the will to work (at first) 10 hours a day, then up to 14 hours a day. Always on commission. Don’t believe “guaranteed” money, or salary. No such thing exists. Sick days? Haaaa.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
just applied for a job and got an email in reply that seemed a little too impersonal and I got a feeling it might not be so legit,
Is Independent Acquisitions Inc legit? This was the email I got:
Thank you for your interest in our job opening. After reviewing the information you submitted via resume/application, you have been chosen as an interview candidate for our Saskatoon-based marketing firm. As such, we are interested in meeting with you to discuss how your background and qualifications might complement one of the positions we are looking to fill; and to determine if your professional aspirations will ostensibly be an asset to our organization. Independent Acquisitions Inc. is a customer service, sales, and marketing firm dedicated to providing large brand name corporations with innovative non-traditional sales and marketing solutions. We are a leading player in today’s developing trend of relying on face to face marketing and promotions. Our firm’s emphasis on face to face interaction has been so effective that we are able to boast a 100% return on investment for each and every client, a statement that few competitors who rely on traditional digital and print media can make. We are in the process of rounding-out our interviews to replace three Account Executives that we recently promoted to management roles. Since we are in immediate need of expanding our team, our office is looking to bring our interview process to a close in the next few days.
Due to the fact that I am located in our New York Branch, please be in touch as soon as possible via email to schedule a time that is convenient for both of us.
I look forward to speaking with you!
Best Regards,
Kim Birk
Director of Recruitment-Human Resources
Independent Acquisitions
129 3rd Ave North, Suite 202
Saskatoon, SK S7K 2H4
A few other signs that caused some concern was the lack of a phone number, and the fact they mentioned a new york office, when from what I can tell, their vague website mentioned nothing about new york.
I WORKED FOR NEW YORK PARTNERS FOR A MONTH. HERE’S THE SCOOP ON THE PYRAMID SCHEME AND HOW IT WORKS.
I’m going to explain how this whole business works “from the inside”, & how they get away with it.
First off, NY Partners, RedZONE International, etc. – are technically not “a scam”. What they are is a PYRAMID SCHEME. One man at the top gets a contract with a company to sell their product on a B2B (business2business) basis – for example, office water coolers. He then hires a bunch of underlings (who he hopes to be YOU) to go out every day in a suit and/or dress, door to door, and convince anyone you can to buy the product (water coolers, etc.).
Except it’s not so simple. I commuted into NYC to be at work at 8:30 am, 5 days a week. NY Partners put me through 90 minutes of “sales training” in a high-stress environment, where everyone learns “THE PITCH” and how to berate people into buying. From there, you are sent out to your “T” – aka, your selling radius. I was sent alone to two highly dangerous areas – Tremont Ave. and Hunt’s Point in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Your job then is to go into every business, alone, interrupt the sales staff, and berate them into letting you see a manager and sell your product.
Now you may ask why anyone would do so. It’s simple. If you don’t sell, you don’t get paid. NY Partners (RedZONE, etc.) are strictly commission-based companies until “THEY FEEL” you are “management material”. The fun part is, you make every sale for them pounding the pavement for 55+ hours per week, the management gets the largest %, and you only advance when they feel you’ve done enough.
Now HERE is the most insidious part of the whole operation. Once your manager promotes you to management, you begin training to open YOUR OWN office. That’s right, the pyramid scheme continues. You open your office, hire your own underlings, and make them slave to earn you money – a piece of which you give to YOUR manager, which he gives to HIS manager, and so on up the pyramid. And the reason new managers can justify putting other people through the same hell they dealt with is because, in their minds, they’ve “made it after paying their dues” – thanks of course to the manipulation of the managers above them.
Look, if you like working 55-60 hour weeks, making very little money while getting crapped on by both your bosses AND most of the business owners you meet (you’re sent to low-income areas generally, so the owners are very happy to be interrupted while trying to make a living, let me tell you), then this is for you. You might make some money – eventually, when you “earn it” in the eyes of management. You’ll just have to turn around and crap on other people to get it. It’s not illegal, sadly. It’s just horrifically unethical and abusive.
I hope this helped someone. Or, at the very least, I hope this dissuades one person from interviewing at or working for one of these companies. They’re all the same big company in little pyramid offshoots.
Anyone know anything about The VIII Marketing in White Plains, NY?
[…] of salary and benefits are often a great indicator of shady employers (a list of them can be found here). Listings showing pay levels at “up to x amount of dollars!” with no minimum […]
Boss Executive Group is also a scam. They have multiple names. One of them is Alliance Executive Group located in Michigan. Be careful.
Does anyone knows anything about Evaton Marketing Inc., whether it is a scam (MLM) or a legit marketing firm? I have an inetrview with one of the recruiting lady but I have my doubt.
Does anyone know about J & M Distributing in Grand Rapids, MI? It sounds like one of these companies.
Does anyone know anything about United Marketing in Sherman Oaks Ca.? They claim to be a sports and entertainment marketing firm. I have already gone in for one interview and the office seemed kind of sketchy.
Well I wish I had researched a little before I wasted my time with two interview. . . After they offered me the job I felt like there was something “off” so I did some more research and THANK GOD learned about this scam and to GET OUT before I left my REAL JOB!!! Please add Nola Sports group to your list . . . It is a group of employees from Smart Circle International trying to scam new Orleans as well!!
Just got two calls today from global marketing accusations and limbo marketing anything about then being a scam??? First interview went exactly as said.
Did you get an answer I am wondering the same thing
New Vantage Marketing is all over craigslist in Wisconsin. This is a smart circle mlm / direct sales deal where you are to sell directv out of sans club or menards. I knew it was fishy when the office had nothing in it. The interviewer looked 19 and the interview was basically to see if I could speak english and write my name.
Total “Boiler Room” set-up, watch that movie.
I just can’t believe what I’m seeing. I just recently started using Monster and all that, faithfully, to find a job (thinking it would help) It seems that almost everthing is a scam. It’s like if I get an email from any of the places I applied for asking to set up for an interview, it’s a scam. :( I love this website, it is so helpful…it’s just so sad that people “companies” like that try to scam people.
Oh, and I don’t know if anyone has mentioned this yet or not…but Primerica is a commission based retarted move up and make more than the next person company. I went to an “interview” one time…it’s a 2 hour lecture on being motivated to make money. They claim to be Christian. God is laughing at them…I’ve heard even more horrible things about them.
God bless you all and I pray that everyone continues to reasearch these companies before wasting their time on them.
LBC Inc. or LOGAN BUSINESS CONCEPTS in Long Island City, Queens/New York.
I have been struggling to get a job and I “landed” an interview at LBC – I looked the company up online…their website seemed a little cookie cutter and repetitive. I was a little wary but went to the interview. The guy who set my interview up even reminded me to dress in business professional…um…duh? I went and it was in a warehouse style building (which didn’t really concern me at first because a lot of start-up’s are doing this) but then I went into their “offices” and it wasn’t really much. A desk with a secretary there, who I think was pretending to work, because she kept tapping on her keyboard but talking to me about random stuff. I filled out the paperwork..gosh, I am now thinking I am such an idiot. EVERYTHING on this website is what they did. The first interview was informational, throwing up what they said on their job positing and he wasn’t very educated at all. His office had a desk, a computer and a printer. That’s it…nothing else. I was starting to get a little wierded out. He then offered me a second interview right away, saying that he was booked up until next week. That I would “shadow” one of their managers from 1-7:30 and that transportation and lunch would be provided…I am just so mad at myself for falling for this scam. So I did some research and found this site…thank god. I am not going to the 2nd interview. It’s horrible how people take advantage of entry-level professionals trying to make a living. It is so hard. I am about to fall apart. I got to keep my head up. Thank you for this website.
Beware of finding stuff on craigslist! It’s so hit or miss.
I’ve been working at Logan Business Concepts for almost a year now. I have consistently made a good paycheck every week. We have a great work environment and our manager works hard to provide us with a lot of great training on the business world. In fact I am shortly going to be recieving a promotion. I would appreciate that whoever put this post up not associating us with other companies that might seem similar on this list. For one thing, if you do not like a company thats one thing, but making a personal attack saying our manager “wasn’t very educated at all” is ridiculous.
So if you actually work for Logan Business Concepts, what exactly does the company do? What is your function there? I had the same experience as Jen, and I’m not at all convinced that they’re legit.
does any one know about medline?
watch out for ABA or Advanced Business Acquisitions.
Does anyone have any information on Onyx-Ventures, located in Wilmington, NC? The only information I can find online about them is their website, here: http://onyx-ventures.com/Home.html. The mission statement and description of their business is suspiciously vague. They do call themselves a client acquisition company, which sounds like the whole business2business ordeal. The website also contains an alarming amount of typos and misspellings for a professional venture. Not a red flag, in and of itself, but it just looks kind of sloppy and unprofessional.
However, they’re holding a five-day job fair which seems legit? (I haven’t checked it out yet, but I intend to. I am a recent college graduate and don’t really know if this is standard practice.) Anyhow, the website is very new and some research uncovers that their business was incorporated a mere two months ago.
I’m don’t want to write them off, entirely and perhaps I will send in a resume. But for lots of little reasons, my gut reaction is this place doesn’t seem legit, which led me to this wonderful website in the first place. I would love to hear any information anyone might have on this or similar scams in the North Carolina area and if I do indeed apply and/or interview for this company, I promise to update with any pertinent information about that process at a later date.
From my understanding Onyx-Ventures is just a telemarketing company. I only say this because of my understanding of their job fair and the job postings I’ve personally seen before. It reminds me of the telemarketing place that next to my highschool. Most of those places conduct stuff like that cause they go through people a lot—no one wants to be bitched at all day from “clients” because they’re calling during dinner time, while at the same time being bitched at by their boss because they can’t fill the quota. However, I don’t know if that’s how they work for sure…just the ones I’m use to.
Has anyone heard about Accelerated Promotions?? Thank you for any feedback.
I wish somebody would look in to a parts company call pdq in houston tx they seem to pay good but we deliver auto parts and use are onw car and pay most of are onw gas so we spend over 150 in gas a week so its a bad job pdq sucks
My boyfriend texted me this morning from to say he had an interview with Propel Management in Overland Park, ks. A few minutes later, I got a call to set up and interview with the very company. This immediately set off alarms because my boyfriend and I have different educational backgrounds and are in completely different fields. But we did both post our resumes on careerbuilder.com YESTERDAY.
I’m glad I listened to my gut and researched this place. Their website offers absolutely no hints as to what their business is about and multiple sites and blogs cite this as a MLM scam. Moments after this another company called Central Payment called me with a similar offer and this was also a scam. Both companies sent me very eager emails seconds after calling me. I’m very sad this is a scam since my boyfriend was so excited to have an interview, but also very glad that we weren’t sucked in by it.
I got a call for an interview from luminance marketing. i went on the first round interview. Some fat Mexican guy interviewed me. I’m still waiting for a 2nd round interview call. Can someone tell me for sure if it’s a legit company? tuparsherise@yahoo.com
Also Toronto Marketing Group, Impact Outsource and City Marketing all in Toronto – exact same deal – They work out of the same office and change their name to avoid bad publicity! Stay Away!!
What can anyone tell me about Kyce Enterprises. It sounds on the up and up but we all know that doesn’t necessarily mean it is.
Thanks!
You can add Bell Marketing Group (Bryson Bell)in Allen TX, and most likely Evantage in Dallas and ICM Dallas as well. I’m almost curious enough to go to the 2nd level “interview” (I was “impressive enough” to skip the “normal” phone interview) just to see what Bob at Sam’s Club in McKinney is going to show me…..
Also beware of TaylorMade Promotionz in IL. Same thing, I was fresh out of college in ’07- went to an interview there and ended up “being tested in the field” (ie work for them for one day for free until I figure out it’s a scam and I’m stuck there). I was driven far from the office to a Panera to sell cheap crap (children fingerprinting kits and safety awareness kits) to people enjoying their lunch. After a long day where their two employees barely sold a couple kits, I returned to the office for another interview and was offered the job. This should have been the largest red flag, my boyfriend had also applied there and we were interviewed TOGETHER! Who does that?! We got a ride to the train station from one of their “team leaders” and got a speech about how wonderful it was to work at this company, even though he evaded questions about weekly income and how long the days would actually be. Everything about that company seemed very, very wrong. After we got back, we researched the company and realized it was a scam. It’s unfortunate, but these companies pray on sales and marketing degrees! I’ve learned to do my research!!!
I worked for Luminance Marketing for a few weeks and had a very bad experience. Then i worked for Prestige Marketing and Pioneer Marketing too and they’re all crap. LA Sports Marketing is so shady . Let’s do a group complaint against them or something. I hate Smart Circle!!! Contact me georgetruce@yahoo.com
I had interviews scheduled on the same day, with the same guy, for both Toronto Marketing Group and City Marketing. That’s when things started to smell a bit fishy…
I sell DirecTV for Smart Circle, even though i’m commission based, they still give me minimum wage compensation if i don’t have enough sales to match it. these aren’t scams, there just complaints from crappy workers that suck at sales. I have an entry level position, i’m stationed in sam’s club, I have a good time at work, I work good hours, and make plenty of money for what I do. I don’t want the promotion they offer i’m perfectly fine working for my boss. quit being whining complainers and get a job. instead of sitting at home bitching
Add PrimeSource Building Products in Dallas, TX to that list. This company is a complete scam with fraudulent management taking money out of the business due to their own greed. Mona Zinman and Jerry Kegley are complete liars and would run over their own mother in order to make a buck. No one working at this company is happy and most of management doesn’t even work on site, if they even work at all. This leaves Jerry Kegley to do what Mona tells him to do each and every day and he will NEVER stand up for any employees in the office as he is the puppet that runs the Dallas show.
Vector Marketing is another one. The girl (and yes I mean girl) running the place looked like she was 20 and the office was clearly temporary. Her only goal in life was clearly to fill the quota for New Hires in order for her to get a bonus. I mean, if you want to go door-to-door selling knives I guess that works for you…but I don’t see how you can make a career out of that.
Okay, I just (reluctantly) went for an interview this morning. This place is called Axis Consultants, Inc. in Jacksonville, FL. I will post the link to the website and let you be the judge. I went for the interview after calling this morning before it was time to head that way just to find out what exactly it is they do (because their website gave NO info). I searched all night last night after they called me to set up an interview time. I had looked at their website before, a few months back, but didn’t apply and didn’t try to read any of the info they may have had on their site because it just wasn’t an “attractive” website. Well, when I sent my resume to them on Monday I immediately received an email. Then yesterday afternoon I got a call (I’m guessing because I didn’t call them immediately like the email asked). She was real nice sounding and said she would send a link to the site and directions. So, I tried to see what I could find on their site, see who they are. Red flag #1: NOTHING- no details about anything! So I decided to search the name of the business. They have a facebook page that says they opened THIS year. Red flag #2: not in business long enough to establish a reputation. After further research I came across something that showed they did in fact have a business license but that doesn’t give any insight as to who they are and what they do. Researched even further and come across this site that shows a pic of a building with a line drawn to the people connected to the building and lists what their positions are. Now, I am a business major working on my bachelors and I have a strong business background from experience so I know that for small businesses just starting up, the owner is going to be the CEO, VP, treasurer, blah blah blah. She was the only link to that “building” and I found other businesses in other states with similar names and one with the same name that showed the same one link to one person (somebody else though). After many dead ends I decided to search the owner (considering she was the ONLY person under the people tab on her website and she put where she was from). I came across the other firm she is partnered with in Atlanta, GA. They had a few pics of different people on their site at least (giving me a knowingly false comfort in the fact that there were actually other people-I am a cautious person so I don’t believe everything I read or hear without searching). They provided more info on what they do and scrolling over her pic it did show she is now in Jacksonville. Anyway, I was still real uneasy in my spirit about this. I talked to my mom and grandmother (they are my sounding boards). My mom suggested that I call them this morning before the interview and ask them what they do. So I did. She said they contract out to fortune 500 companies and here in Jacksonville they are contracted out to Staples. She said other stuff but was still vague. I decided to go and it could at least be some practice on interviewing since I have been out of work for a while and haven’t had any interviews in a long time. I had a list of questions a page long. She answered all of them. It was the same girl I talked to on the phone which is also the owner. She said they are contracted to Quill and that they are working on getting the contracts to 2 other companies but she couldn’t tell me who because they haven’t signed the papers. She said they weren’t allowed to put a lot of info on their website after I told her I couldn’t find any info about what they do on it. She said they can’t put the names of their contractors on there. She said she liked it that way anyway so that people would have to come and talk to her face-to-face if they wanted to know anything. She claims she has 20 employees and that two of her guys are about to be promoted to managers. She said she wants me to come back on Friday and I will ride around from 9:30-5:30 “seeing in person what it is they do”. I asked if I would be getting paid and she said no it will be my 2nd interview and they don’t pay during interviews. She said at the end of the day I will be brought back to the office and I can tell her what I thought and that it will either be something I like or I hate. First of all, riding in a vehicle with a man I do not know is a major NO for me. I felt sort of rushed out because after the 2nd question I asked she stopped asking if I had any questions and told me that if I had any more questions then to write them down (which I had questions written down on a notepad sitting there on my lap) and to ask the guy I will be riding with. For the record , before some of you have a heart attack, I AM NOT GOING ON THAT “2ND INTERVIEW”. She also suggested I bring my lunch. She told me she had been doing this for 3 years and she knew what she was doing running her own business. It took everything I had not to tell her everything that I saw that was wrong and unprofessional: that her “business” facebook page was unprofessional with likes being Family Guy. Also, her profile pic on the business website looked like a pic of her with somebody cut out of the picture and she wasn’t even professional looking (hair a mess, no makeup and unprofessional clothes from what I could tell). I couldn’t understand why if the OWNER was dressed poorly and had a pic that bad on her profile of the business why the person that called me (which turned out to be the owner) would tell me to dress in professional business attire. There were just too many red flags going up all over the place. Not enough info on the business website, was giving me answers based on what the website said with a LITTLE more info added, office was very bare and vacant, and so on. I got home and had a thought that I should look up axis consultants, inc scam and came across this web site. Which hits the jackpot and confirms all that I was suspecting. The name of the business she came from in Atlanta is called DMC, Atlanta. It is screaming scam from all over but thought maybe I was being paranoid. By the way, her goal for her business is to go nationwide within 5 years.
http://www.dmcatlanta.com and http://www.axisjax.com
Look out for Max Marketing Inc. if you live in the Denver area; it is this article word for word. I accidentally sent them the wrong resume – and incomplete one – and they called me back to schedule an interview. “Grassroots marketing,” “Contracts with Southern California sports teams,” “second interview shadowing from 9-6,” yeah, yeah, yeah. They’re advertising all over Craigslist.
Watch out for THREE SEVEN MARKETING GROUP. It’s too good to be true.
This place in 7200 greenleaf ave.whitter ca.90602 Which convienantly moved runs same opperation redvill inc., telred., community protection, extreme security solutions, is a scam ran company also was in Downey ca. Dont bother to listen to empty promisis and changing paydays or no checks at all be aware for this company for they are money hungry and will do what they have to to sell your contract job seekers and alarm system clients be aware for rafael vialta, jose m. Vialta, rony ramos, melani company opperators ceo, suppervisors, office managment please post for people can never find any complaints because they alwayas under different names bbb. Extreme is what they are under
I would like to know, just out of curiosity how difficult is it to ask some simple questions to a “blind” work ad.
1. Is this job commission based/overide based?
2. Is this a 1099 job or a W-2 job?
3. Does this job offer benefits?
4. Is this an “outside sales” position?
5. Does this company do outside/ door to door sales?
I stated earlier that I had worked for a company like this. I enjoyed my time there, I currently work in higher education now, but I was not too pretentious to do a tough job. No its not an easy job, but simply ask good questions about the company ahead of time and you won’t have to deal with the “evil” salesmen. Simply, don’t apply for sales positions if you afraid to knock on doors. Go apply for a customer service position and save yourself the grief.
Had an interview with an eagle eye advertising inc.
It seems legit, just wondering if anybody has heard anything. They are located in Casselberry, Fl. Hope to find something out about them, whether good or bad. Want to know what I’m getting into.
Curtis H.
My daughter interviewed with Birmingham Business Consulting Inc today. 2041 montgomery hwy, b’ham, AL they have a greatlooking web site. They claim to outsource for AT&T. She is set for second interview on Friday to shadow someone for 6 hours.
The president is William Gunn. Ck out their fb.
Who cares about how much money you make? Even IF he did make $25 K …. The question would be how much did he spent on the business in order to make that money. No matter what you make … It is ALL about profit margin. Just like gambling. People only tend to remember what they won and forget about what they lost/spent. Fooling ourselves,
They need to be exposed! I can’t believe Charities work with these people! They are all brainwashed!
http://www.tmgtoronto.com/
http://www.citymarketinggo.com/
Any info on TEM Concepts
http://www.temconcepts.com/
Sounds exactly like all the rest
With a shrinking amount of jobs and overpopulation,this type of phenomenon will continue and grow. I was recently contacted by Logan Business Concepts in Queens New York. I imagine they fall under the same category.
I am about to move to Charlotte, NC. I was called and asked to come into an interview. But, Im very nervous to waste my time on a scam. Most of the companies you are having on here have some sort of scam complaint online. But, I can not find anythign on this place? how do i find out if it is a legit job?
Contrary to what many above have said about PSI Marketing in Orlando (especially Roy) I found my time there quite enjoyable. Granted I was there three weeks. If you have the sales type personality you really will succeed at the job and get quite a nice profit off of it. It is a sales position so part of your money comes from selling. If you don’t sell then you don’t earn a profit. While I was able to sell a little, I felt it wasn’t for me and pursued a job with my science degree. However I will, and have, recommended the job to others that I know who are in the business frame of mind.
have anybody heard something about selling stocks over the phone in jakarta?
Has anyone heard anything about a company called Smart Media Aquisations? I have and interview and they sent me a conformation email with a link, and the link went to a company called Direct Circle. Please help, thanks!
I too worked for Luminance Marketing; I was employed for months. I’m filing a lawsuit against Luminance Marketing and Smart Circle I wanted to know if ANYONE would like to participate with me and others in regards to the lawsuit? The more support the more money we can possibly get from Smart Circle and Luminance Marketing. Let me know as soon as possible if you want to participate.
I too worked for SMART CIRCLE; I was employed for months. I’m filing a lawsuit against Smart Circle I wanted to know if ANYONE would like to participate with me and others in regards to the lawsuit? The more support the more money we can possibly get from SMART CIRCLE. Let me know as soon as possible if you want to participate.
Hahahaha… I don’t believe this. First off, Smart Circle is smart enough to use an “arbitration clause” for your employment. You can’t sue. You can only complain to an “arbitrator” who in the end can only suggest a nice solution for both.
2nd, If you didn’t sign enough people up, that’s your own fault. You can’t sue because they didn’t pay you enough. It’s commission. You work hard, you get paid well. I’m making over 50k and it’s because I work hard. Everyone who reads this: Smart Circle is legit. It’s not an easy path to success, but it’s legit.
Luminance marketing is great. Stop with the negative publicity already. I worked there for a couple of weeks then I moved to another city . But its not a scam . My friend who worked for the Landers group made it to management and now he’s making bank. Get a life and a job everyone instead of publishing useless and untrue stuff that might cloud other people’s judgements and jeopardize their future and the reputations of these companies. If you have nothing nice to say then don’t say anything at all
EMB and Associates in Birmingham, Alabama is a scam… The second interview, they take you to do door-to-door sales and explain to you how it is 100% commision on products that are hard to sell. They call it marketing but it really is called door-to-door sales!
I find this hilarious because they called me for an interview, and since I already knew of similar companies, I asked straight out if it was telemarketing or door-to-door and she assured me that it was not. But then she said that someone else would call me back to set up an interview, even though that’s what she had intended to do before I caught her off guard. Of course, no one ever called me back.
Anyone heard of Metro Public Adjustment?
Okay… So I see both sides of this… I was actually hired last month into a multi-level marketing company with the campaign Quill. No one every mid-led me though… everyone told me it would be hard work (and honestly I think most Americans now a days are lazy whiners anyways that think just because they have a college degree they deserve to sit on their butt and make a good salary)..but its just not that way. I was interviewed for “first round” which was pretty normal.. and then asked to come in for a second interview where I would “shadow” someone… but in my first interview I knew what I was getting myself into. I knew it was sales and I don’t think its misleading as long as they make you aware. I will admit… SALES ARE NOT EASY! Sales are definitely not for everyone.. but after shadowing, I saw how easy it really was to make a good living. And the campaign I work for also gives the option of salary or commission.. I CHOSE commission because I knew I could make better money and I have. I was promoted to Account Manager in 8 days and taking out my very first interviewee tomorrow (3 weeks since start date). Once I get 10 people I have a big enough team to be promoted to Assistant Manager and then from there, I would get to open my own ICL once I get 10,000 in profit from my team in a non-taxable corporate account. My boss in really really young; younger than I am and if he can do it, SO CAN I. But time will tell. I will keep people posted but I really don’t believe its a scam.. the person that I went on my second round interview with has already been promoted to assistant manager and he has only been there over a year. So like I said, its not easy.. but honestly the reason I stay is because I’ve mastered closing sales and I love the people I work with more than anything. Every morning is fun and isn’t cult-like at all.. we play games and learn about products. So if you are reading this page and have an interview at a company like this, don’t let the other posts scare you.. money can be made quite easily and bonuses are plentiful if you have a successful office like mine is. I make more than I would make at some stupid salary job and everyday is different and I govern myself which is nice.. So as long as you are self-motivated and hate monotony… sales could be for you. It never hurts to go on an interview. Like I said, if people are interested I will post my progress so people can decide for themselves how much of a scam it really is.
Haha.. It sounds to me like you’ve been pitched. EVERY person I worked with who made it to assistant management was 100% out of the company within a few months. Be careful Patty. You have to remember that the people above you are there because they know how to bust out a good sales pitch to those under them.
The “corporate account” is and will never be your money. That account belongs to the parent company. You will be paid out of that account the equivilent of mininum wage. Good luck, but always know that the salary job will be waiting for you when you realize you’ve been scammed.
Was that in Jacksonville? WIth Axis?
Does anyone know about Retail Growth Management Systems, Inc in Boston, MA? I normally research the company in Google but couldn’t find anything that would imply scam? When I spoke with Rep she wanted to schedule an interview but a one on one which means I would have to travel there. She sent out a generic e-mail saying that they contacted me but I just applied yesterday and she didn’t have a resume. Although this all says job scam, does anyone have any personal experience with them so I don’t waste money booking a ticket.
Add GSI corp in Woburn, MA. I read through the first 100 or so comments and its fits in the bill. Shady Website, Immediate Interviews, Marketing Jobs, No Real Info on type of Work, I still think your highschool/college is the best resource for finding a good job. Trust your instincts.
Has anyone heard of Anjaneyap Global Inc?
This company is on my college’s job database so I assumed it was legit, but their website has spelling errors and repetition. Employees of this company on LinkedIn are all in India. They are advertising $70-$79K/year for an Entry Level Business Analyst… seems like a scam, but wanted to get some feedback?
Sarah,
You can go here and ck them out…
http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&source=hp&q=Anjaneyap+Global+Inc+scam+or+fraud&pbx=1&oq=Anjaneyap+Global+Inc+scam+or+fraud&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=s&gs_upl=463415l463415l0l465916l1l1l0l0l0l0l509l509l5-1l1l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=b77b44dc3758e796&biw=986&bih=611
Has anyone heard about Chicago Retail Solutions in Schaumburg IL?
Heather,
Ck them out here….
http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&source=hp&q=Chicago+Retail+Solutions+in+Schaumburg+IL+scam+or+fraud&pbx=1&oq=Chicago+Retail+Solutions+in+Schaumburg+IL+scam+or+fraud&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=333140l333140l1l335209l1l1l0l0l0l0l382l382l3-1l1l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=b77b44dc3758e796&biw=986&bih=611
I tried this link and it didn’t work, you get sent to google’s home page. Although, I definately think this place is a scam. I have an interview tomorrow which I will not be attending. They must have recently changed their name or done damage control because I could not find any negative information about their company.
Franklin-Insights marketing in St. Louis. It is exactly like this. They called me because they found my resume on Career Builder. I know it can’t be that easy. I agreed over the phone to do an interview, but immediately canceled on them after researching the company. I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t research a company like this after they call you. When they do, it catches you off guard and you don’t have the time to really say no to it until it is too late.
So glad I found this! I was about to take a job with city marketing in Toronto, new it was a scam but needed more info, they are an absolute joke. when I went for the interview the manager was such a creep and got a weird vibe off him, he wouldn’t answer my questions directly and kept repeating himself, I found the office very strange like they were ready to leave in 5 minutes. If you don’t want to sell credit cards or go door to door for a charity don’t go to this crappy interview!
http://www.citymarketinggo.com/
SCAM JOB CITY MARKETING GO TORONTO
Man, I feel really embarassed for falling for one of these. The reason being I am not a graduate anymore at all – I’ve worked for 4 years, been to a number of interviews, and I should know better.
My two companies were called Skye Marketing and Emerald Insight, both out of Belfast, Northern Ireland (yup, these things are international!). The first one was on the actual jobseekers’ board that they had recommended at the Jobs and Benefits Office, so of course I applied. The second one I found on Gumtree, and applied to in spite of the red flags, mostly just to confirm my suspicions or be pleasantly surprised otherwise.
Both companies fit the profile: dingy office (more so in the first case), music, questionnaires, and bubbly interviewers. It’s uncanny how similar they were!
Anyway, the first time I fell for it. I heard about “fast advancement” and “manager within a year” and let my desire to be well-off blind me. Yes, I’m a greedy little bugger, I’ll admit it. I went to the “second interview”, saw it was door-to-door sales, but thought “stick it out for a while, and as smart as you are, you’ll be getting rich in a few months!” Also I wanted to stay in Belfast and hey – I was being turned down from real jobs. So it might make for a new challenge.
I stuck out the shadowing day, met a couple of nice girls, and was shocked when my “trainer”, a girl, told me “you and X look good together. If you take the job maybe you could ask her out!” WHAT THE…?????????? This had me absolutely dumbstruck, as I know full well the laws about harassment and relationships in the workplace, and that WOULD violate them.
Whatever, I thought, still blinded. And I went home intending to take the job purely on the basis of career advancement. My Mum, however, quickly crushed my dreams of an Aston Martin and a nice house, and even came up with the RipOffReport article on them. I was crushed. Later some other people I had told about the job said they thought it sounded fishy, too, but didn’t want to curb my enthusiasm.
The second time, I went in with my spider-senses tingling. I was pretty sure this would be another one of these scams (they asked for people over 17?! With no experience?!) but wanted to be sure, as this time the position was for “Customer Service”, which I’ve done in the past and am good at. So I went.
Now these guys had a much more professional set-up. Office nowhere near as dingy, website (even though it was crap and vague as hell), and so forth. But then the red flags started.
Questionnaire – first red flag.
Interviewer started going on about the company – second red flag.
Listed off partners – Third red flag.
Asked for previous sales experience – Fourth red flag.
Mentioned direct marketing – Fifth red flag.
Asked if I was used to managing people – Sixth red flag.
“Three-step interview process” – Seventh and final red flag (man, I’m thick, aren’t I?)
Still, I let him go through with it just to calmly tell him “no thanks, I’ve been to one of these before and it’s not my thing”. It felt much more rewarding to go into one of these with prior knowledge – I wasted a few hours, in the rain, but at least I amused myself spotting the red flags.
To their credit, they did NOT set me up with the hot-MILF CEO-looking woman doing interviews with some of the other people – I thought they would, quite honestly, me being male and all. But more props to them I guess.
Still – add these two to your list, and UK dwellers beware!
Keep up the good work, Willy. People really need to know about this sort of thing (even intelligent ones with Masters’ Degrees who should know better, like me). Kudos and cheers.
Also I should mention that I threw them a curveball in the questionnaire. From what I’ve read people usually list “high earnings” and “fast advancement” as their top two priorities. I actually put in “challengng work” and “fun working environment”, because that’s what I’m really looking for. Must have messed up their template a little. At least I hope I did.
TRINITY CONCEPTS- Houston TX. is an MLM scam. “Manager” leading a troupe of under-informed grunts to gas stations to sell NASCAR wax at inflated prices all in the name of being “promoted” to leader in as little as 3 mnths?! I can’t believe I even went back for the day of observation. This kid arrived after I did at our “event” site, ie random table set up in between pumps at a gas station and asked where manager training started. Our “trainer” Jake said well welcome to it, this is manager training, to which the new hire replied no, I don’t think you understand, I was told I was to be trained as manager of a marketing firm. When the trainer walked away to harass some unsuspecting person’s car, I quickly tried to explain that we had been caught in a pyramid scheme-esque scenario. After 30 minutes of observation in which my trainer never made a single sale, I was released and instructed, if interested, to take the “initiative” and call at six o’clock that day for my assessment. I had suspiciously never been told the parent companies name, but had been promised that if I were to prove myself in a few months, and make “manager” I would receive 48k/yr and full benefits, which caused me to wonder who will pay these alleged benefits. When I called at six and asked to speak to our “manager” I presented him with this question and he ultimately divulged that the company that parents this offshoot was called Smart-Circle International who are responsible for supply and payment once you’ve ascended to rank of manager and entitled to your own office. I will say, I’ve been to many interviews and I did suspect it at first glance, but the “manager” Mayank something or other was actually very intelligent and sounded well informed. He would cleverly dodge answering questions directly and subtly attempt to change the subject. Ultimately, he talked me into signing on, that is until I did a little research about Smart-Circle and found massive evidence to support the idea that this is a complete and total scam. Don’t waste your time. Myank Jha is this “manager’s” name. The office TRINITY CONCEPTS is in Spring, TX.
I interviewed for a company called Milwaukee Marketing Enterprise located in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Then I noticed an add on careerbuilder called New Light Marketing. I have a phone interview with them tomorrow. What I thought was fishy was that both companies sound like they do the same thing (sell Direct TV in retail stores). Then I did my research, which brought me here. Now I’m not sure if I should go to my second interview on Friday.
I am willing to bet there is truth to all of this. I run my own direct marketing company. I went to a preliminary interview. I shadowed sales on a second round interview. I earned the opportunity to become independently incorporated and now make great money representing a large telecom company. This business structure is pure…what I mean is that it is completely based on merit. IF you earn your receive…if you dont earn then you dont! NOW UNDERSTAND there are some people who run their business with strong ethics and integrity, and there are some that do not. Ultimately you will earn experience. That is probably why you are on this site anyway, because you have none and thats why you are seeking entry level jobs. Dont prejudge your opportunity based on what someone on the internet wrote. if you went to college then your professors all told you that the internet (by and large) is not reliable. Make your own decisions. WORST CASE SCENARIO you learn to cold call 10-15 customers a day, make some cash, and get some experience, which ANY future employer will find admirable. The reason most people call these businesses a scam is because they failed (that could be the employees fault or the employer didnt provide great training). If I were you I would go on the 2nd interview and ask in depth what the training is like, and make sure that sales are done with integrity. If you are taught how to close quality sales (no matter the product) with integrity, then you are now a more qualified professional. Keep it real.
You write like a middle school jock who gets poor grades, but stays in school because he’s really, really, really good at football. Nice try, plant. How many honest people did you sucker this year, get to work for free, and then release without a paycheck?
Keep it real!
Jerk.
Rey,
This is for you http://entryleveljobscamsblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/hdm-marketing-concepts-inc-san-antonio.html
http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&source=hp&q=HDM+Marketing+Concepts+scam+or+fraud&pbx=1&oq=HDM+Marketing+Concepts+scam+or+fraud&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=0l0l1l85l0l0l0l0l0l0l0l0ll0l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=b77b44dc3758e796&biw=986&bih=611
Check out this site and you will find out some info about them….
Anyone heard of BCMG in atlanta? sounds similar to a lot of these other groups. submittied my resume yesterday and got a call for a “preliminary” interview today scheduled tomorrow. Anyone?
I have another group to add on. In case anyone is reading this, there is an organization called Primerica that is involved with a Pyramid scheme. According to a friend of mine, the set-up is not illegal, but it will make it difficult for the newcomers to make money and they will be hired to do the same thing the recruiter will do to you. It is an attempt to suck in innocent naive job seekers in the market. This almost happened to me, but I decided to back out at the last minute. If they ask you for money for a license (which is legit), it sounds okay, but if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Be careful.
Does anyone know about LIA Group or Worldwide Marketing in Mineola, NY? I normally research the company in Google but couldn’t find anything that would imply scam? I recently got called for a “2nd interview” in which it will be from 9am-5pm tomorrow morning.From what I’ve been reading so far, that means door to door sales?…Does anyone have any personal experience with them so I don’t waste my gas..
I worked for a division of DS Maxx, which was named the Missing Children’s Center. I was looking for non-profit jobs when I ran across an ad that was for a fund raising and community awareness position with this company located in Raleigh, NC. My “interview” was riding with a stranger for the day who carried with her a card with faces of missing children ages 18 and under. The “pitch” was to go inside businesses and tell them that you were with the Missing Children’s Center and ask if they would take a look to see if they recognized any of the faces. Then tell them that you were raising money in order to “aid and assist in the recovery” of missing children. Each $20 donation came with a Thank you gift. I was young and so excited at the prospect of helping to find missing children. After working with the company for about 2 months I started asking why the faces of the children on our cards never changed and what percentage of our donations actually went to the MCC (missing children’s center) and why we were paid based on the amount of donations we collected each day rather than being paid an hourly wage or salary. I was chastised for asking these questions and told that if I didn’t believe in the cause then I could leave. 2 months later we went to a “regional meeting” where I met the other departments of the company. We were the MCC division, we actually had a “cause” to use to ask for donations and give gifts, where the other divisions were merely selling these gifts like knife sets, kids books, etc. When we all met in a large auditorium the “owner” asked if anyone had any questions and I asked the same questions about money and the pictures and was basically shut up in a hurry. It was then that I realized that I had been pounding the pavement, putting myself in dangerous situations, paying almost as much as I made in gas, sweating my face off every day merely to sell these supposed gifts. There was no non-profit division. The next week I quit.
HOWEVER, a few weeks later I ended up working at an actual multi-level marketing company named VIP Promotions. The difference was that this company was honest about what they were doing. They were selling passes to play golf and discount passes to restaurants over the phone for a profit. You were paid based on the number of passes you sold and after working there for some time you would train people to sell. These people would be on your team and you received bonuses for hitting different sales goals. This company was run by a former employee of DS Maxx who HATED the lies that were told to people in order to get them to work there. I worked for VIP for 5 years and while it was 100% commission and a very tough and competitive sales environment I wouldn’t trade the experience and training that I gained there. I moved on to a job that offered benefits and salary and a regular 9-5 schedule, but do not look back at VIP with any ill feelings. Funny thing is if you look at Groupon and Living Social these deals are exactly what we were selling at VIP. I can only imagine the success of VIP if the internet had been as great of a resource as it is now.
I think the bottom line is that you have to see for yourself what each of these companies is all about. Sure you can use the internet as a resource, but what do you have to lose by going to the interview? I would say that DIS-honesty is the biggest red flag for the scamming multi level marketing businesses. If they don’t want to tell you how you get paid, or answer questions about health insurance, vacation etc then walk away.
Just remember this… if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is.
Seconded. I too work for a MLM company that is open and honest about what we do. 13 months in and I’d never trade the experience I’ve had thus far for anything.
Recent graduate, 3 emails in one morning, I had a similar experience looking for a summer internship, but I didn’t go to the second interview, I really want to go to these interviews and record them, I’ll do my best!!! i’ll try to report them to the news.
They operate under Intense Vision Inc. They contact me about every 6 months from my Careerbuilder resume’! 4 years ago I went there when they operated under MLM marketing and they had me follow them to an AT&T kiosk; same story and if you respond to their vague email they will not respond back!
Anyone heard of Chance Events, Inc.? They are located in several cities but I just got hired by the Phoenix branch. It’s a direct marketing firm and after reading all of this, I am starting to get cold feet. Minimal information on compensation, along with indirect answers regarding my questions about training, benefits, and scheduling. Should I just resign now before my first week?
PSI Marketing i find to be a scam, it was selling tmobile business phones…i worked for them for 3 weeks, 2 of the weeks mind you was training…i was unable to sell anything and they say i didnt earn ANYTHING for a paycheck…it was one of those every day i found out something new about the company, said it wasnt about sales, its customer service…the interview was getting in the car with someone at 9 in the morning, and not even getting back to the office until 8 at night…then followed by 6 days of this for training…they claim to be a business that is creating future owners by the time of only like 18 months…so of course i saw the $$$$ signs…im currently trying to find out my legal rights of getting a pay check
You can two in the Denver metro area to your list: Skyline Marketing & Summit Advertising. I was thoroughly disappointed with how misleading their job postings were.
I am not 100% positive but from what it sounds like Medra Marketing, BBC group as well as Accsell (all in the cleveland area) need to be added.
I received “2nd interviews” with all three companies, all of them told me to dress for the weather and asked me to commit a full day to the interview.
Hey Bob, I’m interested what is your contact?
I am supposed to have a interview with this company in a few days. Seems kind of sketchy..Any thoughts?
Can someone please tell me if Worldwide Vision in Raleigh NC is a scam company. Thanks. this is urgent.
Has anyone heard anything about High Definition Media? Their job description pretty much sounds like it might be a scam but when I did a Google search about them, I didn’t see any evidence of this, unless they just recently changed their name or something.
I received an email from A.S. Marketing in Charlotte, NC. Can’t find any info about this company, they are not listed on the internet as having an office in the 401 Tryon St. building that they claim to work out of, and no info on the toll free (888-954-4629) number they listed. Wanting me to set up an interview, saying average first year employers make $50-55k, some $75-80k. If it sounds too good to be true…well, you know the rest.
7marketing in Manayunk, PA & Baltimore Event Group- had my first interview with BOTH of these places but luckily caught this before going to the 2nd interview tomorrow.
After not being able to find 7marketing on Main St. Manayunk, I called and finally found it. Who knew it would be the stingey “frat-like” house. As I walked up the three flights of stairs I heard horrible music BLARING out of the “meeting office” I continued and talked to some cheesey guy in a bad suit about how much they love going out and partying all the time. I mean, that’s fine, but I’m just here for an interview… not very professional. When I got home after my two hour drive, I got a call back for a second interview. He told me to wear flats, and that I would be working with them from 11am-7pm. As soon as I heard that I was basically going to work for free as my 2nd interview, I looked it up and saved myself a lot of time.
I got a call from the Baltimore event group for an interview. Is this really a scam or what? I need to know before I go to the interview
I stumbled across this site and am shocked. I am in Toronto, Canada. I got a 1st interview with a company just like the ones that are being named here way back in the mid-90’s. 2nd interview they took me to a college (same scenario — taking me to a car & driving 30 minutes away from the office without telling me that was the plan for the day) to sell Fitness Club Memberships (that was the thing at the time). They made one big mistake. The place they took me to sell was my old college which was literally a two minute walk from my home. Luckily I had loaned someone my car for the day so they had dropped me off for the ‘2nd interview’. I ‘went to the bathroom’ and never returned — LOL. They called. I ignored.
I can’t believe that these same kind of companies are still getting away with this bs. Ridiculous.
I have recently had interview with 110 promotions and I am wondering if it is a legit company and not a scam that is trying to set me up
Do you want to know about Intrinsic consulting or sharp aquisitions both in framingham, ma, in the same building but 2 different names? I had a strange feeling about this place, I kept saying to myself that this place is like a “cult” and everyone that works there acts the same, all brainwashed, yelling out their chants and sayings from morning to night. You work 60+ hrs a week then on top of that have a team gathering after work twice a week, which consists of getting drunk with your boss, very professional, right? Oh yeah and what’s with everyone living together, like 7 people to a 3 bdrm apartment. Where the heck do you get time to yourself? Family? Your encouraged, no sorry pushed, to go to these fundraisers and bullshit conf’s. Your around these people all the time everyone dates eachother and i’m pretty sure the secretaries sleep around with all of the employees. I’m so happy I quit that place and never picked up the phone when they called asking why i didn’t come to work.This place is a big joke it’s not professional in any way. You pay out of pocket for everything, the office is raggedy and ghetto. If you want a job doing door to door sales, no base pay commission only, being around fake people 24/7, never have anytime away from your jerk off co workers, getting phone calls about work when your not working, getting drunk nightly, pay for everything, get into debt, distant yourself from family and friends, lose your self respect and dignity, listen to sorry ass success stories that are most likely made up and get brainwashed to a cult then call to get an interview at intrinsic consulting, you’ll get the job it’s as easy as 1-2-3 i mean 4-5-8.
Thanks for the info. I had an interview scheduled almost 15 minutes ago. I really was about to waste a load of gas and time driving all the way to this interview. smh…thinking back, I should’ve never made an appointment with Cheryl in the first place. Everything she said sounded way too sketchy. I’m so glad I didn’t go. Thanks again Stanley.
I think that GSI in Woburn, MA should be added to the list. I wanted to transition into marketing, so applied YESTERDAY, got a call back one hour later, asked into an interview after several very vague questions, and went in today for an interview. The interview was incredibly easy, and thanks to the very thin walls, I heard that everyone else’s were easy too – questions such as “are you tough?” and “do you enjoy working as part of a team?” – obviously leading positive-answer questions. I was asked back for another “second-round” interview tomorrow (in which I was told I would shadow another employee, meeting clients by driving to other locations, which would take several hours), and thanks to the info here, I definitely won’t.
Add Atlantic Consulting in Schaumburg, IL to the list. They recently reeled a close friend of mine in with promises of a huge yearly salary, countless perks (like free Blackhawks tickets, company cars, etc.), and then made him go door-to-door in ALL the bad Chicago neighborhoods trying to sell AT&T’s new wireless cable service. He’s one of those guys who hopelessly dedicates himself to his job, and he was giving them 50+ hours a week, even AFTER HE GOT ARRESTED FOR SOLICITING IN A BUILDING WITH ‘NO SOLICITING’ SIGNS POSTED AND HAD TO PAY FOR HIS OWN BAIL!!! And then they unceremoniously fired him after 3 weeks for some bullshit reason, before he EVEN RECEIVED A PAYCHECK! Like most of the posts above, your ‘job shadow’ consists of driving around with a shady, superficial employee trying to sell crap to people, they encourage you to go to ‘social functions’ that are just drinking at Dave & Buster’s or The Tilted Kilt with the boss, and most of the people in the office shack up together. Newbies are baited with the promise that in JUST TWO YEARS they’ll be managing their own office, and then cut free at the drop of a hat. It’s ridiculous. I know people kind of deserve what they get for falling for this scam, but man…seeing it so close and personal like this. My buddy won’t say anything bad about them, so I’m going to. Atlantic Consulting Schaumburg-SCAM!
Before my buddy got fired, he actually scheduled me an interview with an office in the exact same building as his, on the same exact floor, for a different company doing the same exact thing, Blue, Inc. My interview was with some overweight Great Clips blowhard who trumpeted how he had enough money after just two years to buy a BMW and a massive Lakeshore condo. I could too, if I came to work for them! He scheduled me a second interview where I’d be “shadowing” another employee, driving around and meeting clients, and possibly engaging in some hands-on experience, which I assume meant “We’re going to force you to sell shit for us before we actually offer you a job!” I thanked him for the second interview and then proceeded to spend the next day sitting in front of the TV, catching up on Alcatraz, Tosh.0, and Spartacus. I think my day was much more well spent.
So, anyway, long-winded post aside-ATLANTIC CONSULTING (Schaumburg) AND BLUE, INC.——BEWARE!!!!
What about Complete Staffing Solutions in Framingham, MA? And I believe they have another location in Braintree, MA. They contacted me after they found my resume on Monster.com about a position at Boston Heart Labs.
Seemed a little sketchy, but I’m still not sure. I couldn’t find any ‘scam/fraud’ Google hits on Complete Staffing Solutions & there are no reviews on the BBB website.
I went to an interview at atlantic consulting last week. It seemed like a legit company. It was in an office building near woodfield mall. The first strange thing I noticed was that the receptionist in the office never said the company’s name when she answered the phone. After filling out a short questionnaire I was greeted by an employee of atlantic consulting. (I later found out he was the President of atlantic consulting and behind this whole scam). The interview was 10 – 15 minutes long. He asked me normal questions that you would expect to hear in a first interview. The whole time while I was talking he was writing on the back of my resume. I guess he was writing down key things that stuck out to him. When I was finished talking he wrote the number 5 in the top left corner and circled it. I thought it was very unprofessional to be writing the entire time I was talking. And also very distracting. If this was a legit interview I would think that the person interviewing me would be intelligent enough to remember what I said after I left.
After the interview he told me that I would receive a call later that day if they decided I was a good fit. I got the call a couple hours later and they said I was chosen to come back for a second interview. They sent me an email that said:
“On behalf of Atlantic Consulting, it was a pleasure meeting you. Congratulations again on your interview, we look forward to seeing you again. As we mentioned previously, your second interview will be much more interactive than the previous, so please plan ahead for a full day’s time commitment. As you will be shadowing one of our representatives to experience “A day in the life of”, attire is business professional and please be sure to wear comfortable shoes.
As a reminder, please bring a copy of your resume, and I would recommend a notebook to take some notes. Once again, Congratulations on being selected for a second round interview.”
I had a weird feeling about this company and the guy that interviewed me so I did some research. I found out that atlantic consulting use to be called Vigor Concepts or at least they have the same owner. You can see for yourself if you go to godaddy.com and use the WhoIS domain search. Type in “atlanticconsulting.org” and you will see that the owner of this website has a “@vigorconcepts.com” email.
So I researched Vigor Concepts and I found a lot of blogs about how this company is a scam. They invite everyone back for a second interview and on this second interview they trick you into doing DOOR TO DOOR SALES. (that’s why they tell you to wear comfortable shoes). They say you’re going to experience “a day in the life of” but they trick you into working for free.
I read a lot of blogs that talked about the second interview. These blogs say that they take you in their car to go “meet with the clients.” But really they take you to some random neighborhood and do door to door sales. You can’t leave because they drove you miles away from the office building so you have to spend the entire day walking around trying to sell their coupons. And since it’s an interview they don’t have to pay you!
Don’t interview with this company!!
I never went to the second interview but after doing my research I knew that this company was not a legit marketing firm. Do your research before interviewing for a job! Also, a lot of these companies post their jobs on CareerBuilder and Monster. Be careful when applying for jobs!
I got caught in these guys trap, believing all the bullshit, hype and brainwashing. Working 12 hours a day, either lying to people about credit cards or making them feel sorry at their front door so that they would give you their card details for a charity.
The way that they operate from interviewing to the way they treat you should be illegal but somehow they can still do business, I can’t believe big companies actually give them work (through http://www.CREDICO.com)
Luckily I didn’t want to end up like the uneducated, deceitful “management”
They operate out of the same suite downtown
Suite 200,
26 Soho St.
Toronto,
Ontario
M5V 1Z7
Toronto Marketing Group TMG
http://www.tmgtoronto.com/
City Marketing Group
http://www.citymarketinggo.com
fundraising4change
http://www.fundraising4change.com
They are all Multi-layered Marketing companies run by the same people.
Sophie Munslow is the heavy set lady who runs most of them..
Hi energy concepts and marketing concepts
I have to say, MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) gets a bad rap simply because people are too caught up in an old philosophy on how business works. Innovage, DS Max, Smart Circle and other similar companies are not scams. Obviously far too many people here don’t understand what a scam really is. Searching for an individual by name and company does not validate them.
I’ve been working for a branch of the very company named here. (Landers Group is actually a satellite office of a major MLM corporation. Most of these offices are legit, individually owned like a franchise and legally and financially backed by the parent company.)
I’ve learned more about marketing, sales, humanity, and life skills in one of these companies than I have in my entire life.
Door to Door is a job few people are willing to take. Mix that with a “commission only” position and few are willing to risk enough to succeed.
I’ve been working in this business for 13 months now. No it’s not always easy. Success never is, however I’ve averaging far more than most of the people in the comments above. I missed an opportunity to get a formal college education. At age 23 and without a degree, very few people will make the kind of money I do.
I do not promote this business as a get rich quick scheme. It’s not. It’s a work hard and you’ll get your opportunity to shine scheme. If “scheme” you wish to call it.
Not all the satellite offices of the parent company follow protocol. They usually crop up and die because the guy that earned his chance didn’t want to play by the rules. The stories described above are completely unacceptable and I would never dream of subjecting any individual in our interview process to the same. I do interviews daily. We do NOT hire any and all. I turn people away regularly. They are asking for an opportunity to represent our client. We do not take that lightly.
This job is not for all. But for those who have come to understand that you can only get out of life what you put in with sweat tears and blood will find a rare opportunity. Please, I ask those on here to not take that from them. I’m glad I never found a post like this regarding where I applied or I might have been scared into taking a different course of action. If this is not for you, fine. Please don’t ruin it for those who might succeed though.
Courteously,
Jason Crenshaw
I have an interview this Monday – and I’m a tad scared that it’s a scam too (it’s a behavior therapist for children with developmental disabilities). I looked online – and apparently they charge the clients tons of money – but I have not found out how much the therapist gets paid. The interview is at a Starbucks. And I was sent an email saying the time and location for the internship interview – that wasn’t what I was interviewing for. An internship – aka – job where I don’t get paid – I’ve done that – I have 2 masters – I’m done with unpaid jobs.
I have an interview with Addella Marketing on Monday, and it sounds a lot like this kind of slimy business. Has anyone heard of them?
maybe you’ll like it, maybe you won’t.
I say it’s always worth a try. It’s not like they’re going to cut your legs off or something if you go.
Hi Jammer,
I saw an ad recently for Addella and I was wondering if you could tell me how your interview went/if you’re working there and what it’s like. It seemed like a good ad, but I don’t want to get into something unexpected.
Incito, INC is a scam. They have a interview with you, invite you back then tell you to come for a second interview. Then they send you out with someone to do soliciting all day. I can’t believe they can operate this way. They are scamming people left and right. I hope no one that was in there the other day accepted the position. While I was in the waiting room they had set up multiple days for people to come in for their “second interview” which means work for free. When I had my first interview they told me they were only hiring 3 people. Well they scammed us all!! DO NOT RESPOND TO ANY JOB POSTING WITH TITLE SPORTS/ENTERTAINMENT MARKETING especially INCTIO INC. They just want people to work for free selling their crap for a day. Notice how when you type the name it the company does not even come up? Make sure to do your research before going to an interview.
Does anyone kno about Prodigy Solutions Marketing Inc.?
Does anyone know if the Stratton Group in Tampa, FL is a legitimate firm? I recently applied there and then found this site, and now I am concerned if it is scam or not. I would greatly appreciate any help. Thanks in advance.
Louisville Promotions Co. in Louisville, KY seems to be a scam too! I can not find a website for them. When I did a search I could only find more job postings. They must be on every jobsite available. That should be a telltale sign for anyone wanting to check on the legitimacy of a job.
This is just face-to-face marketing. There are tons of forms of marketing products, this is just the “old school” way.
Door-to-door used to be really respected because it takes a lot of guts to talk to a stranger that is closed minded and help them to see value in a product that may actually have a huge benefit to them. And then to have the persistence to hear that many no’s from people?
I’d say a successful person in this kind of business will be much more successful than anyone that needs to take their time researching scams and slamming companies…
Why do you guys care so much about a potential wasted day out in the field with a talented communication artist? If anything, there is a lot that you can learn from these experiences, even if they aren’t your “cup of tea”.
I don’t particularily prefer that line of work, but I don’t disrepect those who choose to earn a living and support their families with it.
Let people make their own choices.
There’s so much negative energy in this forum I’m really disgusted. Most people just need to complain about stuff like this not to HELP people, but rather to have an outlet to feel better about their lack of control in their own lives.
A true badass would take on the challenge, show up everyone, get promoted, then be offered a super legit position in marketing, sales, or management with a better company.
Things like this are stepping stones for people who enjoy interacting and building client bases, having innovative ways to solve business problems, seek challenges with high rewards, and work their own hours being their own boss.
All you “nay’sayers” should re-evaluate your outlook on the business world. In sales, it is totally possible to make 25k in 7 weeks if you want it bad enough. Why doubt people if you’ve never done it yourself?
IGNORANCE IS BLISS – if you want to be mediocre for the rest of your life.
Peace out, and good luck to everyone in finding your idea of a “dream job”.
-Colin
Interesting article. Absolutely no research other than blog postings of people who have failed. “Sketchy” this and that remarks are the same as name calling, something uneducated people do when they have nothing pertinent to say. And BTW, you mention Innovage as an employer of these practices. Last I checked they are a manufacturer of products sold in fortune 500 companies.
Make no mistake, you will work your tail off in these programs. You will make just enough to get by for six to nine months as you work through these programs (if you haven’t graduated by then, DO SOMETHING ELSE, IT’S NOT FOR YOU!). You should never be asked to invest a dime (ala MLM) as you train and grow in these programs. But for those who choose to succeed you will find your hard earned reward of six figure income in as little as six to nine months. I should know, as I recently completed the program in eight months, am in my fourth month of management and have already saved $38,000+. And I did not have to spend 100k or more in student loans, spend 5-10 years “working my way up” the corporate ladder. At my age I have seen the economy wipe out years of hard work and earnings not once, but twice. It’s nice to know that after busting my butt and graduating this program I am in a situation where I can never be without income opportunities again. Make no mistake, the money is not in participation. The money is in mastering. And it takes six to nine months of experience in these opportunities to peel away the negative mindset of entitlement or settling for what someone else says you are worth. It is such a liberating feeling to know I will never have to look for a job again. So I won’t be needing the services of a company such as yours that markets and preys upon the “victims” you describe. Maybe I’ll see you in my office looking for a “job” some day.
I recently received and email on 4/13 of this year from a company named Limbo Marketing, inc based out of Cincinnati, OH. They stated in the email that they received my resume the first red flag was I never heard of the company before and the second every time I call to ask about the job I get a voicemail. I have been on google searching for this company, I haven’t come up with anything negative about the company but when I searched using the BBB they are not accredited. So my suggestion is stay away from this company I have a bad feeling that it is just another pyramid scheme trying to get out of work people out of their money like myself.
I had a similar experience…luckily I was smart enough to realize early on. I was about to graduate college and desparate for a job. I came across the common title “ENTRY LEVEL SPORTS MARKETING JOB”. I quickly imagined some type of job, promoting sports teams to tv stations and working with professionals. After I called, they said they would like to invite me for an interview (280 miles away) and when I asked if they paid for gas mileage she immediately said “no..that’s why they only hire locally”. I was willing to spend my own money…until I informed my parents. They said ABSOLUTELY NO. that a reputable company would pay for any travel costs. I came to find out they sold coupons door to door. My little sister is getting ready to graduate college – I’m now glad I can warn her about these scams, along with our parents’ warnings too..
Incito Inc. is a scam. They operate under many different names. They invite you for an interview which is very informal. They just talk about their “amazing client list”. Then call you back for a second interview which you sell coupons door to door. I didn’t know of this site before I went for the second interview so I thought it was just for an hour that we would be selling the coupons. The guy I was with didn’t care that the businesses said NO SOLICITING on them and just walked right it. He would crack a joke about margaritas to try and flirt with the girls. All day he kept telling me that he was making enough money to retire by 40. I kept asking questions that he didn’t know the answers to which was very fishy. I finished the whole day because I wanted to make sure that this was a scam and not just a way to weed the weak people out. I ended up getting into a little fight with the guy because he couldn’t answer any questions about how the company can expand when so many other companies are not expanding. Also he said he owned his own marketing company that does the same thing. I asked how are you not in competition with the company you work for now? And he said they are a family and work together and spilt the territory. He also said if I wanted to open my own I could and that I could just tell them and no hard feelings and we could spilt the territory. Why would anyone want to give business to another company. It was all just a scam because he needed people to work under him to sell the coupons so that he could collect the money. Once again this company is called INCITO, INC in ANAHEIM, CA. They post jobs everyday on multiple jobs sites. Everyday there is a job posting for this company. Please be careful and don’t fall for it. You will be walking the streets, working for free, soliciting people.
I too, fell victim to the catchy headlines for Sports Marketing (Entry Level positions) jobs. Luckily, I had my parents guidance, but this is a warning for those who don’t have the guidance like I did. I was about to graduate college, in desperate need of a job. I came across the all too convincing headline..went something like this “ENTRY LEVEL SPORTS MARKETING JOB!!! NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED!! APPLY TODAY!” I immediately got my hopes up and sent in my resume. They even had a nice website – with young people dressed in business attire and had descriptions of the company. I imagined working with major sports teams in Dallas, TX (this is where the “job” was located) and professionals, advertising for tv stations, etc. I even called my friend who lived there and told her this- sounded like my dream job! We talked for an hour – how great it would be if I moved out there with her..I thought a whole new world was about to open up for me. Little did I know the whole thing was completely bogus. I called the next day to follow up – asked if they had received my resume. A girl answered, very nice.. I then told her I would love an opportunity like this and to please call me. I waited about a week – called back, same girl answered. I then asked if I could come over and visit..then she immediately said “ok come in for an interview – tomorrow at 2pm” (yes, I was being pushy, but needed a job BADLY) I asked if they reimburse for gas mileage and she said “no thats why we only hire locally”.(this should have been WARNING sign #1) I was willing to spend my own money.. I was over the moon. I called my parents with the news…(I live 3 hrs from Dallas) Told them about my first “interview”. They said ABSOLUTELY NO – that a reputable company would pay for any travel expenses. My mom looked into the job and said it was a scam – these are solicitors going door to door selling coupons. I was crushed. I’m just glad I realized this before I was in a scary situation…
I have two interviews lined up in Boston on Monday. One is at NEC and the other is at BBC (Boston Business Concepts). Both the companies send me the exact same email (weird especially because they are two different entities) and asked me to come up for an interview.. and told me to get other interviews in the area as well since it will be expensive coming up all the way. They both said the exact same thing.
I put my resume up on Monster and that is how they called me. Interestingly they told me I can’t do a first round interview over the phone, which most companies do.
Does any one know anything about these companies. They sounds like scam and even though they have websites.. I am kind off doubting this whole thing.
Any input will be helpful! Thanks a ton!
Hello Miksha,
I just received an invite from that company, and we scheduled an interview for next week. I was wondering if you got any information about the BBC or maybe interviewed with them? just wanted to know if it is worth it.
Any info will be highly appreciated!
Thank You!
I interviewed and accepted a job with Incito and feel completely sick now. Everything from the article happened during my first and second interview exactly. When I accepted the position I wasn’t completely sure but wanted to give it a try. I also thought this job seemed to good to be true, being able to be a CEO in a year! Really? They sold that job to me, it seemed too easy. My first red flag was when I called them back they answered the phone with “marketing”. What legitimate company that works with every LA sports team answers the phone like that? I should of known. I feel like a dumbass.
I recently had 3 companies like this contact me. One was so clearly a scam that I just didn’t contact them back. The other 2 called me and I ended up with 2 interviews on Friday at Axis Marketing, who claimed their customer was Quill, and Atlantic Events who claimed their customer was PPG. Before I found an about.com article, I’d never heard of this scam, but I got a really fishy feeling after both the interviews. Both interviewers pulled the, “You have to see it to believe it” lines and one of them even used the, “I usually think about a resume more, but you seem smart and I want to learn more about you,” One wanted a half day second interview and the other wanted a full day second interview. Cancelling in the morning! Also, I hope there isn’t an identity theft scam going on there too.. I think I gave them my social on my application. UGH!
There is a new scam going on in the Midwest area. Milwaukee Marketing Enterprise, and there are several other companies as well. The problem was, the girl who attached her name to the Careerbuilder Ad, didn’t lock down her Facebook account too well, so when you browse her friends, and friends of friends, you find all of these people went to college at Minnesota State University Mankato. Basically, they all claim to work closely with DirecTV and Vizio, but standing in the Middle of Sam’s Club, or some other retailer where stupid people shop, and cross-promoting items, or whoring yourself out, isn’t really Marketing, it is retail kids. PERIOD. The owner of this company is named, Brylee Callender. I cross-linked at least six different companies, and all of the Facebook pages had the exact same text copied into their “ABOUT” section. These people are stupid. Their behavior is so obvious. I reported all of the pages to Facebook, contacted DirecTV, the Federal Trade Commission, and now posting this here. These scam companies are in South Bend, IN, Rochester, MN, Milwaukee, WI, Tuscaloosa, AL, Lansing, MI, and several other places. Elite Marketing Promotions is another one. Retail Marketing Source, Brilliant Solutions, Milestone Marketing Source, Synergy Retail Solutions, First American Marketing, Chicago Retail Solutions Inc., Global Marketing Concepts, Chandler Marketing Group….. The funny thing is, these kids all went to college together, so they are all tagged in each other’s Facebook profiles and pictures, drinking and doing stupid stuff. Someone needs to put an end to them and make sure they go to jail where they belong.
Does anyone know anything about this company lakeview solutions. I went in for two interviews and they offered me a job but the entire time the receptionist was answering calls for more interviews every day this week and next week. In addition during the second interview I met with a man named Doug Ascher who is connected with a company called Source which states the same address as the place I interviewed at. In addition the boss Joe Vincent, on his linked in page, said he worked for Cedar Cliff MArketing, CCM, in the past and the previous post on this page have a lot of skepticism about the company. If anyone with info on any of these companies or people could share it would be greatly appreciated
“Razor Management” in Springdale, AR
Same old song and dance. Applied for a position on Indeed, and the job posting was extremely vague and uninformative. They said they were a brand new company looking to hire for entry level and management positions. It used buzz words and phrases like “assists customers with needs” and “promotes our products in a professional manner.” I tried looking them up but found nothing aside from the job posting. All I could find out is that they were somehow associated with selling electronics.
I got a call back for an interview within two hours of submitting my application, which of course was my first warning sign. What kind of legitimate company gets back to you that fast? Anyway, the woman “Tammy” on the phone said that she had referred my application to the manager and that he was impressed with my qualifications (as I found out later, this was a lie, because the manager had actually never even heard of me). My interview was scheduled for the very next day, and I was told to bring a resume and dress professionally. Needless to say, I was pretty suspicious at this point, but I was so desperate for a job that I decided to give it a shot.
The next day, I had a hard time finding the building because it was in a small suite in a shopping center, and it didn’t have any kind of signage outside. There was an old, faded “Primerica” logo (which makes more sense after finding out that Primerica is another shady company). Inside, the building was sparsely decorated and looked like someone was in the process of moving in. They had said on their posting that they were a new company, so I gave them the benefit of the doubt and assumed they simply hadn’t finished moving in.
The only person in the entire building as far as I could tell was the manager, a greasy looking man dressed to the nines in a very small and vacant-looking office room. Contrary to what “Tammy” had told me the day before, he had no idea who I was or what I was doing there. When I told him I was there for an interview, he had me fill out a “questionnaire” that asked things like what position I was applying for (which I didn’t even really know at this point). When I finished, we did the interview.
Now, I will say that in this company’s defense, the manager was upfront with me about what his company did (sell DirecTV to shoppers in Walmart, Best Buy, etc.). But he didn’t do that until he had wasted my time with other questions like what I could bring to the company and how I motivate myself day to day. Of course I gave vague answers because I STILL didn’t know what I would be doing at this job. The frustrating thing is that I really felt like I blew that interview away. Had it been for any other job, I would be feeling pretty confident about now. But as soon as he told me what the position entailed, I very visibly lost confidence. My mind started drifting, I lost focus (and motivation), and I just wanted it to be over.
He told me he would get back to me if I was a good “fit” for his company. I won’t be taking this position. The thing is, I don’t think this company is scammy in the same way that some of these other places are. Misleading, sure; manipulative, sure. But unlike others, I at least got some clarification on pay, hours, and just what exactly a day on the job would entail. It simply isn’t for me. Maybe there are people out there who do genuinely like sales positions. I’m not one of them. Anyone getting roped into an interview with these people should be aware that they’ll be applying for an entry-level direct sales position.
Also, the posting is misleading in that it says there are “management” positions available. The interviewer told me that everyone starts at the bottom, even him. If you think you’re going in to be considered for a management position, guess again: you’re interviewing for floor sales just like everyone else. When I left, there were a few other suckers waiting in the “lobby” (a narrow, unfurnished corridor) for their interviews. I’m just glad there are pages like this to warn people about what they’re getting into.
You can add “Absolute Marketing” to this list. They are located in Culver City, CA.
Here is some more info I found on their ridiculous website (absolutemktg.com) after a little research.
Domain registered to:
818 Webs
po box 1818
Gurley, Alabama 35748
United States
ABSOLUTEMKTG.COM
Created on: 12-May-11
Last Updated on: 14-May-12
Administrative Contact:
Roth, Anissa 818webs@gmail.com
(256) 812-1899
The email I received was from an “HR Manager” named Rebecca.
Their address is
400 Corporate Pointe, Suite 300
Culver City, CA 90230
I recently was looking for a job and got an email back for an immediate phone interview on memorial day. By taking pics off the company website and googling them I found that the acclaimed CEO was really a pic of a realtor in NYC. The company is called “Theimpactmarketing” http://theimpactmarketing.com/our-team/.
A company called north carolina marketing solutions contacted me today about a interview. Has anyone ever heard of this company. I googled them but there was really no information about them. They sound like a scam but i am trying to make sure.
PLEASE Add Chicago Business Strategies Inc. to your list as well, all of these other comments really put into perspective how much of a scam I had been subject too. My intuition was telling me that something was not quite right about this place, and luckily i researched into it a little deeper before i wasted my time working for this scheme rather than continuing my job search for something much more credible. The associate showed me pictures of his BMW which he claimed he wrecked in an accident (totaled), and that was the reason we were driving in his “hoopty”. He claimed to be making so much money but when he made a comment stating that he was going to paint and add new speakers to the car we were in during the second interview, it just didnt add up, I thought “why the hell would you put more money into this piece of crap when you are supposedly making $150K?”… this was just on the way to the “sales area”. Many of my questions were answered in a round about way. The same circumstances that many of you have experienced regarding the interview process are seamless and exactly the same in every way shape and form. They too sold Quill (staples) and Sparq (Comed subsidiary). Please do not waste your time with this place (chicago business strategies inc.) which is in Oak Brook, IL or any of these companies. I was also contacted by Lakeview Solutions in Downers Grove, IL which seems to be similar. Beware, be very aware! Here is some information on the each of these places if you want to stick it to them. Chicago Business Strategies, Inc 1211 W. 22nd Street Suite #905 Oak Brook, IL 60523 (630) 468-2357 http://www.chicagobusinessstrategies.com , they also have a new location: 401 North Michigan Avenue Suite 1200 Chicago, IL 60611 (under the same telephone number)… and Lakeview Solutions 3130 Finley Rd. Suite 510A Downers Grove, IL 60515 (630) 541-3766 (just a few blocks away from Chicago Business Strategies Inc.)… Wish all the best to everyone on here currently looking for a job! May you all be rewarded with success and happiness!
Chicago Business Strategies is a scam. I have an interview today and it just seemed too easy …so I looked further into it. All the reviews I found were for sales related jobs but their website claims they are a marketing firm. The lady who scheduled my interview told me that they sell Quill products and that Quill is their client. I called Quill and they have their own in house wholesale sales department. They also told me that they have never heard of Chicago Business Strategies. I then called Chicago Sales Business Strategies and the lady retold me the same information about how Quill is their client. Then she tried to get off the phone with me telling me that someone would call me back. She never asked for my contact information…lets see if they call.
I’m a soon-to-be college graduate with a BBA and major in Marketing. My parents were really starting to get on me about finding a job about a month ago and I finally gave in and started looking on Careerbuilder. I’m a big sports fan so I was hoping to find something that dealt with sports. I came across a Sports Marketing Junior Associate position in Atlanta, GA and thought “Wow this is perfect.” It was posted by BC Inc. (Breakthrough Concepts) and their site seemed nothing out of the ordinary. It wasn’t a great site, but they are a small marketing firm so I thought whatever it looks fine. They mentioned on their site that they have clients such as the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Motor Speedway, and all the works. I was really getting excited, I wanted this. I emailed them my resume and the next day I got a reply that they wanted to see me for an interview! I was so excited! When I went in for the preliminary interview, the office was pretty dinky. Extremely small to say the least. The guy who interviewed me, Brad Tooman, seemed like a cool dude, mid-30s maybe. However I was a bit surprised during the interview that he hardly asked anything about me, infact the only thing he asked me was “do you have any experience managing other people.” The rest of the time it was just him talking about the company and what they do. He started talking about the Atlanta Braves coupon package that they market to their clients and that eventually after I go through their Management Training Program I would manage my own branch. I started to get a bit suspicious because of how fast paced it sounded, he said I would be managing my own branch in 6-8 months, yet I’m only 22 with no experience! After the first interview they called me back for a second “interview” which I would be following an “account manager” (fancy word for door-to-door salesman) around for a business day.
And this is where I stand today. There’s no way I’m going in for that job shadowing day as it seems like just a waste of time from what I’ve read. After reading some of these reviews everything follows suit exactly how my situation panned out, creepy how similar they are. The guy never directly said anything about door-to-door sales but that’s exactly what it is so beware, you’ll just be selling some bogus Atlanta Braves coupon package door-to-door. Infact, I’m calling this place tomorrow and ask them about my 2nd interview and just be blunt with them and ask if they are door-to-door sales before cancelling and hanging up.
Summary: BC Inc. (Breakthrough Concepts) of Atlanta, GA is another one of these scams. Brad Tooman is the “leader” or whatever they call themselves.
[…] The best exposé on these “entry level marketing” scams is an article from the blog One Day One Job, a site for new college grads that highlights worthwhile corporate and nonprofit employers for their consideration. ODOJ’s tell-all article drew over 200 comments from embarrassed job seekers who took the bait and said yes to an immediate job offer – here’s the scoop: http://www.onedayonejob.com/jobs/the-landers-group/ […]
I interviewed with BC Inc or Breakthrough Concepts Marketing group in Atlanta. It fits the mold mentioned above quick first interview and unfortunately I did not do my research and was forced to be taken along with a sales representative and solicit to businesses all day, mostly in outlet malls. All this was done while wearing a suit. Once the day was over I was offered a job and did not accept. These jobs are awful but they are not scams. There methods to attract young naive people, like myself, are not very moral but the job itself is to give desperate people employment. At the time of my interview I was about to graduate from college and had had no luck with good grades and credentials. These jobs are awful and are only truly for a select few soulless people but they do exist for a reason. Cut them a little slack
Any idea about Lotus Business Solutions, Inc. in Denver, CO? Seems fishy to me…
My sister works for Lotus Business Solutions in Denver. Its a fully legitimate company…actually pays their employees pretty good. My sister is doing pretty good. They have a bunch of fortune 500 clients/ my sister is currently working on their Directv account…she seems ecstatic about the company…especially it seems upper management is pretty good.
Mass Marketing Inc. in Boston Craigslist is probably a scam.
Don’t even bother with their website: http://www.massmarketingandpromotions.com
LOL.
I replied to the vague post, asking for information and I almost cracked up and sh*t my pants when I read the reply. I mean… come on, could you scream out anymore fake? At least make your website look real if you’re going to do a scam like this.
My name is Andrew Elliott, I am the President of Mass Marketing Inc. I reviewed the resume’ you submitted online. Based on what I have read, I feel that you would qualify to meet with me to discuss your qualifications further.
I am now in charge of running our newest location in Boston, Mass. I plan to open 4 more branches in 2012, consequently it is essential that I fill my openings ASAP. Experience isn’t required! I have a no seniority policy, therefore I care more about your potential then your experience. However I do require a fearless personality, someone who is equipped and able to take on my challenging career openings.
Presently, I am offering entry level positions in my Management, Marketing/Sales, Direct Customer Service departments. As well as a handful of jobs in my Advertising/PR department. I offer PAID training for all of my openings and comprehensive benefits for all my employees.
You can contact Carolina, my Assistant, at 781.281.2744 or at HumanResources@Massmarketingandpromotions.com .
She has my calender and the best days and times that we may be able to meet and discuss your qualifications for my job openings. Please contact us ASAP, I cannot postpone fulfilling my employment demands.
I look forward to meeting you soon!
Thank you!
Andrew Elliot
President
Mass Marketing & Promotions Inc.
*******PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL THE PRESIDENT BACK DIRECTLY. PLEASE USE THE HR RESPONSE EMAIL OR CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION *************
THANK YOU!
All I have to say is that this guy is really into himself. LOL. “Please do not email the president back directly.” LOL. Who is this guy kidding? I work for S&P500 companies. Guy has the audacity to send this kind of an e-mail… people are funny.
I was previously employed by Andrew Elliott as his human resources assistant who he urges you to contact in hopes of scheduling an interview. And I too was scammed. I worked under the belief that i would be scheduling interviews, conference calls and other appointments. Instead my sole responsibility was to call about 300 names daily and LIE. lie about the type of job, hours, and even pay. I am simply posting this because I quit my job after realizing the pyramid scam that was and is the entire business. I never wanted my name involved with this and for that reason i’m clearing it now. hopefully. If you are contacted by a business like this, don’t bother….
http://www.incitoinc.com/ —> INCITO INC. IS A SCAM!!!!!!!
I’ve also read up on other marketing companies such as The Landers Group who are full blown scams, making young naive adults sell coupons door to door.
I found all of this out after I received a call to set up an interview, from none other than INCITO INC. with their website here: http://www.incitoinc.com/
Further investigation got me nowhere, I couldn’t find a single review on the company until I found this: http://www.scaminformer.com/scam-report/i-applied-to-southern-california-marketing-inc-looking-c15636/page/2. I
NCITO INC. is a scam! I read about how others recieved a call from them as well and how they operate under different names. It’s a real scam and I will NOT be attending that interview tomorrow.
It’s strange, I thought I would never fall for these things!
INCITO INC’S PHONE NUMBERS: (714) 956-4903
(714) 956-4901
SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM
This company is located in Anaheim (Ball Rd), CA, USA.
Tactical Marketing Concepts, Inc.
Seattle, WA (Federal Way)
After receiving a call back from this company, I started to look a little more in depth into the company to prepare for interview questions.
First, it struck me as odd is that this company is no where on the internet. I searched: BBB,Vault, google blogs,Facebook, Linkedin and numerous other search engines to find any information on the employees, and or customers or frankly, anything. Nothing.
Second, I came across sites like this one, and a few others about this misleading job posting. One named the company specifically and others named various other companies in the Seattle area that seem to frequently change their names after they create a group of angry unemployed people who have felt they had been mislead, taken for a ride or overall wasted time.
Third, after learning of this issue, looked back at the job posting on career builder and found it to be not only vague, but the verbiage was consistent with postings of other companies that mislead people.
Fourth, looking at the company website and asked myself, who is this website is providing information for, potential customers or people looking for jobs. The only email address posted on the website is: HR@tacticalmkg.com– which is not common, generally a website is generally utilized by customers needing information, so they would need to be directed to a sales person not human resources. The phone number on the website also when clicked directs you to the online application, also odd. This leads me to my conclusion, that the website is not to generate customers but applicants.
My fifth and final observation, comes from general googling of the company. When I googled this company the ONLY thing that comes up, FOR 5 PAGES are all of the job postings that are the same and posted on several job search engines- Career builder, Monster, Career Rookie and more.
Just to be sure I was not encountering common lack of information in regards to the company, I googled some of the other companies I applied with. I found customer info, reviews, awards, and tons of other info that I could not obtain about this company.
While I am not ruling out that they could be legit, I am also not further wasting my time. Maybe someone out there will be able to make money with this company, but my gut is telling me something is not adding up. So I am going to go with my gut, and decline the interview and focus on a place that has benefits, competitive wages and doesn’t have anything to hide.
Just giving everyone a heads up on what I found or rather, did not find on this company and if they want to take a chance even after I laid out my findings then that is their thing. I on the other hand, have decided to not waste my time. Good Luck to all, and thank you for the information. I hope my hours on on the internet save someone else from wasting their time.
Thank you
THIS IS NOT A SCAM. I can prove it. I further Challenge anyone out there saying it is a scam to prove that it is a scam. I work at one of the offices and i buss my butt working hard daily doing door 2 door and my weekly paycheck is over $700. How is that a scam??
I go to work, I work, I get paid at the end of the week based on the work i put in on a weekly basis. It is 100% commission so it is very easy to calculate your weekly wages and compare to your commission. These companies also represent fortune 500 companies who will not risk working with scam artist. I guarantee the person who runs this website is a lazy bum who applied for job and did not expec to work while on he job. He/She went to school and expected to get a great paying management job right out of college. How is a merit Based sales job a scam, can anyone explain that to me LOL?
Company: SLC Events, Inc.
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Just a heads up to anyone else job searching. I applied to a company called SLC Events, Inc. in Salt Lake City, Utah. The company responded the next day to set up a phone interview and, once a time was confirmed, never called. Perhaps it was a mix up, but there was never any word from them.
Not saying they’re necessarily a scam, but just wanted to throw it out there so others don’t waste their time.
THE STRATTON GROUP in Tampa, FL needs to be added to the list!!!!!! Same business tactic. DON’t fall for it!!!! The company name was Southside Associates, but the owner changed the name after numerous people fell for her scam. BEWARE! Waste of time and working countless hours for nothing. Once hired, they make you feel part of a team: “team this, team that” just to protect their asses- they don’t want you to get curious after you work so many hours and realize you aren’t getting compensated accordingly, and you feel like you can’t turn to anyone in the “team” to question it. Worst experience of my life. Even the employees that work in the office are brainwashed- the “hiring manager” uses a fake name and doesn’t go by her real name just so when people call and ask for her she knows if she truly knows the person or if it’s just another college grad falling for The Stratton Group job ads that are plastered all over Indeed, Monster, CareerBuilder, etc. I’m ashamed to say I fell for it, but I have definitely learned to check the Better Business Bureau, work for Fortune 500 companies, and to use your sources to check reviews on the company before going further in the interview process.
Strategic Campaigns 511 Delaware Suite 100 Kansas City Missouri is a scam. They advertise their position as “account manager” when it is really only a door to door sales position promoting Quill Office Supplies or AT&T Uberse products. The so-called pay structure is almost 100% commission based, and the lobby seemed bustling with potential victims of this questionable type of employment. The very next day after my interview, yet another firm called me with the same shpeal that the former recruiter used. I promptly asked “is this a door to door sales position” pause…. yes…. pause…. “I’m not interested”, CLICK!”
I’d become really interested in marketing and felt an entry level job would help me get my foot in the door in the career field. Houston Texas Consulting had a great website and the information presented led me to believe that as a b2b marketing company, you would be trained to give “face-to-face” presentations and develop branding for products/services. I heard back only a few days after I sent in my resume and being proud of my resume I was excited! The building was very nice and there were a handful of applicants as it was a very “competitive” position.
Everything went really well and I quickly received a second round interview. They said it would be from 9-5p.m. (which should have been my first red flag) and I’d tag along with one of their experienced team leaders to see if this would be a good fit for me and so the team leader could assess me. I was then whisked off to a location that was 2 hours away and of course I had a million questions.
Luckily, my team leader was pretty open about answering them and I found that the job was to become a glorified door-to-door sales person for Comcast! I was completely thrown off and dressed in a full suit, only to walk around for 6 hours watching the team leader beg for sales. The team leader also explained what sounded something like a pyramid scheme where you get to advance if you bring in someone to replace you. You can then move up and up in management through training new employees, becoming a team leader, then a manager until you eventually own your own branch. All of this can be done in only a few years and on a commission salary, yippee!
I ended up ignoring the next day call back to get results for the second interview. Are there any legit jobs that have 8 hour “interviews”? I’d never heard of this before but initially thought maybe this is just a test of your skills and they needed to get an extensive assessment for such a competitive position. Now, I see it was all done very deceptively and a HUGE waste of time. There was NO mention of Comcast and the “face-to-face” presentations was just code for “door-to-door” sales.
Are NY Marketing Firm and Blitz Inc (WA) scams too?
Has anyone heard of Next Evolution Marketing in Frederick Maryland? I did the first interview, and came home to do research. I found this website, and several others, warning about similar jobs. Sure enough, the 26 year old company president (who has only been with the company since June 2011) called me for a second interview. He even told me he started with World Wide Vision (mentioned several times in this article.) I would like to get all the facts together to prove him wrong. I told him I would call back in a few days, so any additional information I can use would be great.
alright, I have an interview set up this afternoon with company sounded just like this. Some how I think it’s really fishy because it seems too easy. Thank god I found this website. I googled the company and even type in the word “scam” but i couldn’t find any articles about them (Premium Marketing Group). Well, from reading the comments above the company, already tell me it’s a scam. With the word “Marketing” and “Group”, plus they seem like always advertised with “Entry Level” on all major job boards. Phew, don’t want to become a sucker like that. Anyways, they have a new rising “scam” company in Salt Lake City. Beware people in Salt Lake. They are called Premium Marketing Group. A girl name Brandy will call you and set up an interview with you.
I worked for this company for one month until I couldn’t afford my own job any more. Paid for my own car, insurance, phone, mileage, gas (they promised to pay half, but it was a struggle), and the opportunity cost of having a real job. They gave me a crap route a full 50 miles from their office and each day started and ended at the office. I drove three hours per day to do what was required of me and soon realized that the whole thing was a sham when I received a paycheck of $7. That’s right. I had to stay late in the office to ask management why my paycheck was late, and when it finally came, it was $7. Commissions were delayed, and the $200 weekly contractual base pay for training never materialized as promised due to silly technicalities.
In summary, they delay your paycheck, which is already below market compansation, they make you chase it down with your manager, and then it’s not even close to correct when you receive it…late. All this without discussing the ridiculous “no sitting” rules during daily morning meetings. Job descriptions and the website are purposefully vague.
They do business as “Quill” door-to-door office supplies. Don’t waste your time here. You’re welcome.
Thank you a lot for sharing this with all
folks you really understand what you’re talking about! Bookmarked. Please additionally visit my site =). We could have a link trade contract between us
JOB SCAMS
Atlas Marketing Concepts, Inc.@ 601 Beacon Parkway West #204 Birmingham, AL 35209
and
Empire Marketing Group @ 601 Beacon Parkway
Suite 204
Birmingham, AL 35209
They both place ads like restaurant manager and what they really want you to do is door to door AT&T Uverse sales. You think its a real job until you waste your time for an interview and find out its a pyramid SCAM!!!!
NBC, Inc. Nashville Business Consulting, Inc. This company is a scam! Do not interview with them! Pyramid structure company! Watch out young college grads looking for first professional job! Nashville, Tennessee
JP Consulting-Jonathan Perry Jonathan Perry I just wanted to get it out there that Nashville Business Consulting is a joke of a job. Pyramid Scheme!!!!!! Nashville Internet, Tennessee
The Marketing companies change the names after getting a bad rap so investigate all of the companies and see how long the office and business has been open..
Score Recruiting Solutions 3850 Holcomb Bridge RD Atlanta, GA 30092 is one i would be cautious of check it out be for going to these places..
Marketing is one of the most popular majors chosen these days. Telling people to avoid applying for positions with “Marketing” in the title or in the company name is absolutely ridiculous. I worked for a Marketing company when I first graduated college and I loved the company and my position. Yes it was hard work. Yes I contributed to sales. Yes sometimes customers were not nice. One day I guy I worked with was having a hard time with a customer and he quit. A couple months later we came across an article he wrote about the company. All of the information was negative. He said we were a scam, that he was treated poorly, that his first interview was too short. Everything he wrote was a complete lie and it prevented us from hiring new employees for a long time. The thing that there ARE scams out there but to blow off an interview based on someone elses opinion is crazy. If you do that you don’t deserve a job. If you are looking for negative information OF COURSE you’ll find it online. Unfortunately this world is full of emotional, negative, defensive people. Go on your interview. Have a good attitude about it. If you don’t like how it went, do not go back for a second interview with that company or accept the position with them. Enjoy earning minimum wage and working nights and weekends for the rest of your life. Just shut up about it!
Hello there,
I have interview planned tomorrow with a company named WestConnections Inc:
http://www.westconnectionsinc.com/
This is actually far from Manhattan and would take me 1hour and a half time to get there from Brooklyn. I wander if this is a scam, as they are not clear about what they are doing. Also, I looked up on Linkedin, and I can only find one person who works there. The website is a blog and I can’t find any information about them… I also found that “Legendary Marketing”, a company that sounded like a scam to this blog (http://entryleveljobscamsblog.blogspot.com/search?q=legendary+marketing) was actually located at the exact same place… Maybe I’m just freaking out but I’d like to have your opinion on this.
Thanks a lot.
I went for a first round interview with West Connections today and was invited back for a second round. The receptionist was answering the phone as “Legendary Marketing.” Felt like a scam, and after some more research I’m convinced it is.
hey, i am curious about Alexis Management Group.. is it a scam?
has anyone heard of spiro global inc?
I got the same Andrew Elliot e-mail. He is now attempting his pyramid scheme in Long Beach, CA (and 4 NEW LOCATIONS! :P ) His new company is called Absolute Media Acquisitions. http://www.absolutemediaacquisitions.com/
Another of these companies is called Orange Limited or sometimes Orange Nashville. They used to be called Imperial Marketing Vision and at the time, shared office space with another Cydcor/DS-MAX/Innovage/Granton/Smart Circle affiliate called Maximus Marketing (you see that a lot, two of these “companies” sharing space and it’s because theses so-called money making “owners” can barely keep themselves afloat on their own so they share cheap, shabby office space with another sleazebag.) TheOrange Ltd. is located in Nashville, TN. The “owner” (if you want to call him that) is Elijah Medge, a David Koreshian type who believes his lies MORE than the suckers he’s lying to. The owners, leaders, managers, VP, etc. in this busines are just as brainwashed and mindless as the peons they preach to.
These are a soul-less, hell of a company designed to squeeze everything out of someone. It uses it’s employees for everything they’ve got and makes absolutely ZERO investments back into them. Let me emphasize that point a little more. They take a portion of your money and invest absolutely zero back into your development. Even if you are promoted and become an “owner”, you are doing so with commission money that you’ve been forced to save up. The person so-called “promoting” you has contributed nothing financially to help you get started. Ask yourself, could you not work another job for 70-80 hours a week, making steadier pay and not save up the 15-20 grand necessary to start your own business? Even if it was a shit job flipping burgers or working retail, just the overtime factor (which you don’t get at these places, overtime that is) would allow you to earn vastly more and in more consistant fashion. Of course you could and hell, you might even get health benefits in the process.
And lets talk about this “ownership” thing again. ALL you really end up “owning” is the liability and risk. Yep, that is yours to cherish and enjoy while Cydcor gets part of your money, you get none of their legal team for protection. Also, as said before, if you really own the business, why do you have to play by their rules? Why do they dictate the market (aka city/area) you will open up in? Why do they dictate the campaign (product/service to sell) you will have? Why do you have to perpetuate these silling “atmospheres” (morning brain-wash sessions)? It it’s YOUR business than it’s YOUR money and YOU can do whatever the hell You want but that’s not how it works with this MLM scheme. Sounds like totalitarian rule to me, not opportunistic, capitolistic freedom.
I’m not going to bore you will all of the details of my own experience. Just google up DS-Max, Cydcor, etc. and you’ll find more comments than you can read; tales of deceit, poverty, sexual harassment and generally creepy, cultish behavior. All I can say is that the horror stories are true. And yes, like the Cydcor lemming like to incessantly regurgitate, some very few actually do make some real money from this “opportunity” (my guess is less than one tenth of one percent do) but that comes at the expense of swindling, misleading, lying and outright cheating 1000’s of others they’ve come into contact with. There is no arguing that fact. Without shameless misrepresentation and omissions of the truth, this business has no model. Let me make that clear. THE MODEL BY WHICH THESE COMPANIES OPERATE IS LIES. After all, they sell all kinds of stuff, coupons, TV packages and cheap Chinese products. It doesn’t matter. All of that is just surface level. The real product they sell is so-called “opportunity.” Remember, these companies need a steady stream of suckers to make it. Without a constant supply of fresh newbs walking through their doors, they’ve got nothing. Don’t be the next sucker. Be patient, there is, without a doubt, something BETTER for you. And to the brainwashed defenders, I feel sorry for you. Soon enough, you too will realize what you’re really a part of.
Shut them down. Shut them all down.
Anyone heard of Distinctive Marketing Inc?
Has anyone heard of circle concepts in Ohio? Is this one of those companies?
Look, I already been around the block a few times with these MLM companies.. sure they are real jobs but they want YOU to find YOUR own customers through YOUR friends and family, jeopardising your relationships. In times like these money is tight for everyone and you tend to see the best and worst in people. I knew my friends and family were not in any position to be able to contribute to my job by buying something that they really don’t need. If you want to screw yourself over by going to all those “meetings” and “training” sessions or their other events, then go ahead. Some people can succeed but you need to have people with money around you and take the risk of screwing over family and friends with a product or service that is costly and might not be so great. I know I just lost money and had even called people to have a group thing and got no results. The Mary Kay cosmetics are similar but once again, how often do you see woman in those light pink cars. I liked their products but I wouldn’t buy them often since they are pricey. MLM companies are in the BBB due to the success they do have but its not a job for everyone, especially if everyone around is hurting for money like most are and being a college student, I doubt any of us will be financially stable soon. Remember that good things don’t come easy otherwise we would have won the lottery by now. I tried to type this to give you a clear view and perspective and my luck with it. They are not technically a scam but it doesn’t mean you will see a paycheck right away either and btw I never did. Thanks for your time, I hope this was helpful.
Just like the rest, Lakeshore Marketing in Indianapolis is a complete scam. If you are a graduate or looking for a job in Indy do not even entertain them with a reply. The whole experience was odd and not right.
Obvious trolls are obvious.
People correcting grammar with bad grammar are unaware they are also trolls.
I made $2.5 Million last year recruiting idiots that fall for these MLM jobs.
Here’s a pro tip: Join the company as a recruiter and turn the tables on all of your fellow human beings. This is America, it’s what you’re supposed to do. Climb to the top no matter how many you have to step on to get there. Recruit your families first, they’re the easiest to dupe. Then move on to your friends. You can convince your friends more easily if you can tell them your Uncle Jimbo already signed on. Soon you’ll be lining your pockets with cash soak in the sweat and tears of those closest to you.
Trust me, these companies are here for a reason. They make money! Why wouldn’t you consider researching their business model and just copy it. We’re not reinventing the wheel here people.
Trollololololooooo
does anybody know anything about Auctus Outsourcing based in Coventry UK? Are they legit?
So i personally believe that we are all born into an employee mindset.93% of the Us does work for the other 7%. I myself has worked for one of these companies. Not only can you pocket 25,000 in a month (yes in this economy), you can do much more. We make owners and i dont care what i am called, i am only 24 and i also own my own trucking company. So i will not disclose figures but lets just say i do livecomfortably. I wish we would spend less time calling each other crooks, and more time trying to help each other. I will be millionaire by the time i am 30 and no i dont have a BMW. Atleast not a new one. BUT i did pay cash for y Nissan. my Toyota and i have fully restored my classic 1987BMW325 IC. So just because everyone who got fired or just couldnt hack the job thinks it is a scam, those that profit respectively wouldnt say the same. Also what about the companies scamming you out of your money that you could careless about. At least they are trying to give you a chance to make money. But who cares back to work.
Oh and btw, i enjoyed my trip to Puerto Rico on behalf of this company!
Why is Lakeshore Marketing a scam? I have an interview with them tomorrow and I am traveling rather far….
Has anyone know anything about Portland Select, a marketing firm?
i went through the interview process for a company in tampa, FL called “Stalwart Concepts” but on office directory and on their office door it is called “Choice Marketing Concepts.” There is a website for both, neither of which really specifies what they do. its a door-to-door marketing for Verizon, and it seems like a “scam” along the same lines .. little pay, tons of hours, unrealistic promises of having your own office in the near future. I am supposed ot go to start (unpaid) training on monday, but I feel now like my gut feeling was right – its going to be a complete waste of my time, and i’ll never see a penny because i will decide to quit before training is finished… the second interview i met with a sales person and she definitely seemed like she had been brainwashed. anyone done the verizon door to door thing or heard about this company? my husband said it sounds too similar to a pyramid scheme
CEO- Sports is also one of these companies. They were all nice and everything but it was the same “process” as listed above. I came looking nice for the interview, drove about a half-hour south of Milwaukee, then shadowed a guy for a couple of hours and that was it. I did sell some of their package stuff but it was all based on commission, straight cash. If that’s your forte you can make some good money, but it wasn’t what was described in the job description.
I’m pretty sure DePere Concepts is a scam. Got a call the same day I put my résumé in via Careerbuilder or Monster. Had my first interview today. Their ads state the same things: Promote from within, marketing, training, etc.
So I thought I bombed the interview. I get a call by 4 asking me to come for the 2 hour second interview tomorrow.
What’s weird is that when I was filling out a mini application, a bunch if people come in the lobby. The people on their 2nd interviews and the people who interviewed them.
Anyhoo, so I googled entry level jobs in marketing when I got home, and sure enough…I see a lot of the same type of stuff listed. I asked a current employee via Facebook and he said I will probably go out tomorrow to shadow someone and that I will probably be out until 7:30.
The HR aka receptionist is a sweetie, so she deserves a call back. I’m going to cancel tomorrow’s interview.
A Craigslist ad stated that it is all cold calling. So either way, eh…not interested.
More scam companies:
Rocksolid associates, Silver Spring MD
Arsenal Marketing, Silver Spring MD
ACE Marketing, Silver Spring MD
The Intuitive Group, VA
Atlantic Coast Consulting, Richmond / Glen Allen VA
Potomac Advisory Group, Alexandria VA
So, I found a job posting on Craigslist for Proficient Advertising Group in Farmington Hills, MI. First of all, the name of the company is pretty dull. Second, I got an email saying that my application would be under review. Within an hour, I received a phone call from a woman from the company. She was going through my resume and making notes “oh, it’s good you have this!” Etc, etc. She then said “well, we’d love to bring you in, but we’re pretty booked. Are you free tomorrow at 9:30 am?” Ok, hold up, if you’re “booked” how the heck do you have an interview the next day in the morning? She apparently doesn’t know what “booked” means. I thought it was fishy, but was really excited. After I finished the call, I received an email almost immediately about the “details” of the interview. Basically, I’d be meeting the HR manager, and he’d go into details. His name is Ben……I thought it was odd that they didn’t mention a last name. In all the interviews I’ve been to, phone/in person, I was always told the persons full name. The directions to the location were a bit off. In the email, the directions said “we are located at this building number, you will see the number on the mailbox in front of a building, but we are not that building, we are the building next to it.” All the signs pointed to something being afoot. I researched the company, luckily BEFORE my interview, and found this site. I’m going to have to call them tomorrow and put the fear of God into them. Nothing I hate more than someone lying to a person and getting their hopes up. There’s no good place for an oppressor!
If you are looking for an entry-level position in marketing or advertising you need to just google the names of real companies and send your resume directly to them. Join a professional association like American Marketing Association or American Advertising Association. If you look on their sites they list the names of real agencies that you can apply to. I don’t even use sites like monster & career builder b/c they are full of scams. I made the mistake of interviewing w/ a company called Blue in IL when I first graduated. They said it was “entry-level marketing” but when I went to the interview they asked me to go door-to-door selling AT&T u-verse. Never again! Now I just apply directly to the company I want to work for.
Is the light-in group inc. a scam? I’m not sure and would like to know.
My background is heavily academic, where I have been educated in both the U.S. and U.K., with the privilege to travel all over the world at a young age. Now, first, travel expands your mentality considerably, and second, I was primed for a typical career route with a reasonable 80k per year and comfortable 401k plan. Anyone with an open mind must understand that in order to live the high standard and quality of living that we admire and aspire to- the media here bombards us enough with successful examples- one must work HARD and essentially change his unproductive habits to focus on short and long-term goals. This is easier said than done.
In any economy, the entrepreneurs are the ones on top- for a price. They must accept failure and learn from their mistakes much more often that the average citizen; they must develop tougher skin, a better attitude and an exceptional resilience that is rare. They learn to hunt, to persist and to adapt.
I can honestly say, that after being in the direct marketing business for two years now, it is the most difficult path to sign up for (if you’re a natural introvert like myself)- however, it is the most rewarding. I have seen managers of your so-called ‘scams’ come and go- more stay on-board once they are promoted. I do not understand why the phrase ‘scam’ is used so liberally. The truth of the matter is, being paid purely on ability rather than one’s time, is too difficult a concept for an average job-seeker to grasp because he seeks a job and perhaps has no interest in managing an organization.
I returned to the U.S. an optimistic graduate in a morose job market, with zero knowledge of working on commission. My hiring manager did not mislead me, and upon receiving my first paycheck two weeks later, the mathematics made sense to me- I was paid for personal effort. After being given the opportunities to travel for business and reward with these firms, and earning exactly what I put in, I cannot see myself being an employee again. The potential to earn more where I have control is too enticing, and the feeling of self-accomplishment is too satisfying, to work for a fixed wage or salary again. Believe me, I returned to retail sales for a brief moment and although I adored the product and the company that I worked with at the time, I was sorely miserable with my regular paycheck, despite it’s fluctuations of commissions bonuses. I could have easily worked my way to management within two years, to be paid a decent salary with four times the workload and stress than that of an employee. Not for me.
Direct sales and marketing is not for everyone. If it were easy, then a higher percentage of the population would be making a six-figure income. Do not apply for an Entry-Level position with a marketing company if you are unwilling to learn, work for yourself, or put in the hours to challenge yourself. It is an experience that formal education cannot teach you, which is why the managers in the corporation have various academic backgrounds. At least with my firms, we do our very best to make sure that those we hire and work with understand exactly what they are signing up for and with that in mind, we reciprocate the personal efforts by the representatives and management candidates with proper training and education to become successful business owners.
It is said that it’s easier to fix a child than to fix an adult. The same analogy can be applied to recent college graduates and seasoned employees. Most often, the best trainees are professionally young- those who haven’t been conditioned to seek a conventional job, or those who have an innate drive and understand the business model. This is the reason why there are usually so many interviews with a similar demographic present in the lobby. Understanding the business model and willingness to be self-accomplished are two essential factors to the hiring process. The most practical manner to educate an applicant is by having him experience the foundation of all direct marketing business- face to face. Like it or not, face to face, commission-based sales is the most cost effective means for all parties involved to be profitable. By law, the firm and the representative have the percentages of the profits that they are each entitled to outlined in validated documents. They cannot afford to be ‘scam artists’ at the risk of losing valuable Client contracts, reputation and the territories that accompany expansion.
As you can imagine, as with any far-reaching business practices, more exposure leads to more feedback- negative and positive. Sadly, there are a few inexperienced or ineffectively trained managers who are not yet adept at conveying the career opportunities in working with these firms. Do not let that deter you from pursuing entrepreneurship involving direct marketing and sales if that may be your motivation.
They definitely have changed the name and headed to South Florida under the heading of “Nile Management Group”. I posted a resume on Careerbuilder, young lady called, scheduled the 1st interview, information about the position and the company were very sketchy. However, the placed a few chairs and a flat-screen inside a rented suite and had about 4 people constantly walking through in business attire as though they were busy and business was booming…got a call back that same day for a 2nd interview, this consisted of “riding” along with an employee, who started 2 weeks ago and has already been promoted…(right).. He didn’t know where he was going and we ended up in a Financial District, where he LIED and stated that the company had contracts with this plaza to come and solicit customers for get this (Some off brand makeup), that I have yet to be introduced to…the police where called and we were asked to leave. Supposedly training started the next day, I arrived at 7:30am only to stand for 45 minutes in a back room to memorize a sales pitch and told that I would ride along again with someone only this time to a very seedy part of Ft. Lauderdale to sell this shit…I quickly made my exit and didn’t look back
Does anyone know anything about Vision Events seems like a scam?
In New Orleans, LA a man named Chad Dunn owns two of these same sketchy businesses. The names of the companies are Beacon Marketing Group, Inc and Cornerstone Events, Inc.
Beware of Electric Marketing in Sacramento, CA. Applied on monster.com got a call a couple days later asking if I could go in for an interview. I have an interview for tomorrow at 12:15pm, definitely not going now. Thanks for the warnings.
Has anyone ever delt with a company called ACI enterprises inc or Unity Concepts inc out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana? I can’t seem to find any reviews or news about either one through a google search.
Unity Concepts claims to be “the largest outsourced marketing firm in the nation” but I can’t seem to find anything about their corporate office. Also I found that their owner has another company named Aleuro Inc which I guess could be their “sister branch” out of San Antonio, Texas.
ACI seems more legitimate to me, but I’m also new to this market and could be completely wrong!
Thanks for any feedback
Same experience with New Light Marketing, in Milwaukee, WI. Said that I would be selling DirectTv in various stores. I felt uncomfortable and didn’t go to the second interview.
Does anyone know anything about Tennessee Marketing Concepts?
This all sounds GREAT!!! Thanks a lot for posting these so-called “JOBS” on here. It truly helps everyone else trying to look for a job and doing their research.
By the way, I was wondering if anyone knew anything about this company located in Quincy, Massachusetts. It’s called DFW Consultants, Inc. They specialize in Marketing and Sales. If anyone can help me out with that as soon as they can, and blow their shit up….. THAT would be awesome, thanks!! They have a website, a linkedin account and a facebook business profile. It looks real legit. Either that or these companies are becoming smart themselves and hiring web developers.
Wow, I found this website the same day when I had my first interview with International Marketing Initiatives, Inc. (Located: 1444 Biscayne Blvd, Suite 210 Miami FL 33132.).
The most of the details (not only details) are exactly the same as many of contributors on this website described. I will bold some of them-so other can skip this time sheering,pyramidal dishonest scams.
1. The Job add was all about Entry-Level Account Executive in Marketing
2. They responded (called me) very next day since I applied.
3. Website of International Marketing Initiatives, Inc. looks unprofessional (typos,photos,etc..)
4. In the email they telling how they represents numerous Fortune 100 companies
5. The office setting is as many described: small offices with few chairs,tables,two cheep framed paintings, Latin music playing from radio, around 7-8 young people waited to be interviewed, employees seems to be over the top pleasant and eye-catchy intimated with each other…
6. Interview were held buy young Polish girl (Karolina Paradka) and she was interview two persons at the time,asking very basic questions,been shady and not direct about position,structure of the job itself, but she was very “impressed” with resumes,attitudes,experiences…She couldn’t be more specific about job itself,when I asked,but she said that she also stated on the bottom level “and see her now”
7. After +- 10 minutes of chit-chat, she said that they will contacted in 2-3 hours only candidates who passed first interview (“no hard feelings”-she said). Of course- guy who called to schedule first interview called back 2 hours after initial interview (It is Mariusz “Matt” Paradka – husband of owner and CEO Karolina Paradka) to congratulate and schedule very next day the second one. On their website it claimed that Karolina Paradka hold multiple positions: HR Manager, Owner, CEO, Senior Manager…
I’ll copy/paste emails I got from them,and than I will be more specific about people working there and also about their mother company ECM Acquisitions, Inc. whose website doesn’t work anymore (after numerous complains on the web) and they used to be located at same location as International Marketing Initiatives, Inc. – after they moved from New York City, NY.
First email:
Hi “naive candidate”
Thank you for taking the time to send International Marketing Initiatives Inc. your resume. Your interest in our company is appreciated. We understand how competitive the job market is and are trying to get to each resume as quickly as possible. We see from your resume that you potentially have the qualities that we are looking for in a candidate.
We are a sales and marketing firm that represents numerous Fortune 100 companies. We are seeking to fill our available Entry-Level Account Executive position with a positive, enthusiastic individual who works well in a strong team environment.
We will be conducting interviews this week from Monday through Friday from 9:00am – 10:00am. and from1 to 3:30 pm To schedule your face-to-face interview, emails us your immediate availability at hr@iminitiativesinc.com or call directly at 305.490.5332 Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you!
Thanks,
The HR Team
International Marketing Initiatives
http://www.iminitiativesinc.com
hr@iminitiativesinc.com
1444 Biscayne Blvd, Suite 210
Miami Fl 33132
305.490.5332
Addition to the first email was another one with directions to the interview:
Dear “naive candidate”
The following are the directions to your interview on “DATE” “TIME” with Karolina, the HR Manager. We are looking forward to meeting with you, and finding out if you are the right fit for the job! If you have any trouble getting here, PLEASE do not hesitate to call or email, and I will be happy to help! The dress attire is business professional.
We are located at :1444 Biscayne Blvd, Suite 210 Miami FL 33132.
We are right on the corner of NE14th St and Biscayne Blvd. We are pretty easy to spot from the road. There is plenty of street parking available 2-3 blocks west from the office and there is also a parking garage in the back of the building at small charge.
Thanks,
The HR Team
International Marketing Initiatives
http://www.iminitiativesinc.com
hr@iminitiativesinc.com
1444 Biscayne Blvd, Suite 210
Miami FL 33132
305 .490. 5332
After that initial interview and after I received call from Matt Paradka to schedule a second interview and I got very same moment email from them:
Congratulations on your First Round Interview!
Dear “naive candidate”
Congratulations on your preliminary interview!
The HR Manager wanted to continiue with the interviewing process and invite you back for a second round, which is a full day job shadow. It’s a chance for the company to get to know your people skills, your work ethic and social inltelligence.
It will be a chance for you to learn more about the company and upward mobility.
Just to confirm:You will be meeting with our top Executive at the same Location on “DATE” “TIME”
Please bring another copy of your resume and dress to impress.
Good Luck!!!
The HR Team
International Marketing Initiatives
http://www.iminitiativesinc.com
hr@iminitiativesinc.com
1444 Biscayne Blvd, Suite 210
Miami, FL 33132
305.490. 5332
So, Google helped me a lot, prior this website to find “roots” of this scamers, liars, dishonest unprofessionals. This is what I found (hope that will help other people either to recognize them or the very same process either to avoid dealing with these people).
ECM Acquisitions, Inc founded in New York by Eric C. Martin (West African guy who said on his LinkedIn profile that grew up and went to college in Paris, France and received Masters in Accounting).
Here is Eric C. Martin have lame speech on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPa58p7IqVo . And here is the ECM Aquisition , Inc. profile with videos on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_a_tUdBkDS7agR4gxt2jgQ
They had “partnership” with AT&T and U-Verse. In addition to that new, reborn company International Marketing Initiatives, Inc. have clients like AT&T and Children International (www.children.org)
To be more illustrative here is the video of Karolina Paradka been promoted by Eric C. Martin (and encouraged to continue their business-spreading to Miami,FL) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0o6oEnMABA .
Beside Karolina, there is also a Russian guy called Igor Popov – CEO & Founder P.O.P Acquisitions Inc. (his company doing the very same thing) and here is the video of his promotion by the same people already mentioned earlier : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-q1pRB87u4
Also, funny thing is that some of people stared with ECM Aquisition , Inc. still have this company titled as their current on their LinkedIn profiles,even they are working now for International Marketing Initiatives. For Example, Serbian girl Jovana Koprivica, but also two Asian girls Huiying Sun and Xingzi Elise Lin. Also find out that Nona Black – Founder at Black Operations, Inc. – is working with them.
Very shady,dishonest,but not enough intelligent people doing this-craving for success and lot of money,taking advantage of desperate or naive people.
Finally to recap and makes it easier for other people to spot and prevent their future actions ,once again here are the company names and people that you should BE AWARE OF:
Karolina Paradka (International Marketing Initiatives, Inc. / ECM Acquisitions Inc.)
Mariusz Matt Paradka (International Marketing Initiatives, Inc. / ECM Acquisitions Inc.)
Jovana Koprivica (International Marketing Initiatives, Inc. / ECM Acquisitions Inc.)
Huiying Sun (International Marketing Initiatives, Inc. / ECM Acquisitions Inc.)
Xingzi Elise Lin (International Marketing Initiatives, Inc. / ECM Acquisitions Inc.)
Eric C. Martin (ECM Acquisitions Inc.)
Igor Popov (P.O.P Acquisitions Inc.)
Anastasiia V. Popova (P.O.P Acquisitions Inc.)
Nona Black (Black Operations, Inc.)
Ryan von Uffel (ECM Acquisitions, Inc.)
Addition to this is the very detailed description of 2 days interview and behind the scene processes from another site: http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/ECM-AcquisitionsInc/miami-Florida-33132/ECM-AcquisitionsInc-Job-Ad-enrollment-miami-Florida-1044889
Hope this will be help out for some people. Think twice
what can you tell me about SMGIphiladelphia.com?
Hey, after already being suspicious, I just confirmed FMG (Freelance Management Group) in Encino, CA & Discover Marketing in Van Nuys, CA are not only scams but the same EXACT company.
I recognized the girl’s voice over the phone but I thought maybe the girl’s from two different companies just happened to have similar voices. After the 2nd interview was described as the 2nd interview was for the OTHER company & the girl didn’t know what event I would be going to for the interview, I started doing some more thorough searching online. Confirmation of scam: I received a confirmation email for that 2nd interview & they must have accidentally sent it out under FMG instead of Discover! Caught red handed so I wrote them an email telling them I’m not going & thanks for wasting my time. This sort of scheme is so pathetic!
UGH!
Hey everyone-
Just wanted to add another company for people’s caution–Lakeview Inc. aka Lakeview Solutions. This is just based on my interview. It seems legal and I’ll leave it up to the reader to decide if it’s ethical.
They were advertising on Craigslist in Chicago for marketing positions, so I emailed them. I heard back the next day (Thursday) and was asked to interview either Thursday or Friday since they were trying to wrap up interviews by the end of the week. I agreed, but pretty quickly became suspicious once I did some more research on the company. I decided to go to the interview anyway on the theory that the worst that would happen would be a funny story.
Below summarizes what happened and what I found. It
1) Business Model: Essentially, Lakeview was described by Joe Vincent (operations manager/partner) as being third-party marketing for Home Depot and hired to increase brand awareness of Home Depot’s kitchen remodeling service. He described their business model as “giving away their [Home Depot’s] expert kitchen designers,” i.e. getting people to agree to a free in-home design consultation (and then, presumably, trying to sell them the remodel). He also said that Home Depot was poised to give Lakeview the contract to promote the brand of the rest of their contracting businesses, so wanted them to grow to 300 branches nationwide. Joe implied that this was a national company and Home Depot was only one client segment, others being in sports marketing in Philadelphia and New York/New Jersey.
— As luck would have it, the interview was right next to a Home Depot. I went in and asked at the kitchen department if there was a third-party marketing firm handling kitchen redesigns. The lady there said there was and found the brochure for the product being pushed by the company (she didn’t know its name but didn’t recognize Lakeview)– it was for their N-Hance wood renewal/color change service. She said that the company reps basically walked around the store to generate leads for the N-Hance service.
— I can find no evidence of Lakeview as a national company. In fact, Whois lists the website as registered to Joe Vincent and provides an Illinois address. The website makes no mention of Home Depot or a national presence.
2) Job Description: The description of the job offer was vague. Joe pitched it as they were trying to find someone to lead one of the next five other branches they were going to be opening in Chicago to fulfill Home Depot’s demand for their service. He said that he had been promoted to oversee the entire region and they wanted to open at least 6 branches in Chicago and 300 throughout the country. Each branch was a “$1 million operation”– but it’s not entirely clear what each branch actually does or whether that $1 million was revenue, profits, operating expenses, or what.
— Joe described a “few week” training program for managers. The program seemed to consist of selling the company’s product (though it was phrased as “marketing the brand” and the product was never mentioned) in various Home Depots in the area. There was a vague suggestions of promotion to run a branch after a few weeks, but nothing concrete — Joe himself claimed to have been promoted to management after “only four months” which suggests that “a few weeks” may be 16 at minimum.
3) Website (lakeviewinc.org): Right off the bat, you notice that this is a .org which is pretty unusual for a legitimate for-profit business. Aside from that, the company information is poorly written, vague, and includes lots of completely irrelevant information. Whois shows the site was registered in only September 2013 (the blog claims posts back to April 2013) and that the registrant is Joe Vincent, who is listed as the Operations Manager of Lakeview. For a company that Joe implied was national and well-respected, the Lakeview website makes no mention of a national network or of any relationship with Home Depot.
4) Social Media: Lakeview exists on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, except that LinkedIn/Facebook are only shell pages and the Twitter “feed” is mainly irrelevant magazine articles, nothing about the activities of the business itself.
Here is some information I have been collecting about these “Entry Level Management” scam companies:
http://elmtscams.blogspot.com/
Ashley you are entirely correct about Choice Marketing. There’s been like 3 different “marketing” firms at their Westshore address in the past few years, what a surprise that they simply change their name and continue selling.
Does anybody know about Sentinel Marketing Group in Baton Rouge, LA?
Riverside, Ca scammer: AHEM!
-Marvel Executives
-Red line marketing
-Sharpline Inc.
-Vector Marketing
-Fortified Management Inc.
The funny thing is they all have the same address but advertise as competitors.
And one who is not affiliated with the names said above,
Regional Advantage.
Quinn Marketing Solutions in Minnesota..
Does anyone know about Jam Event Group in Charlotte, NC?
Need to add M&A Marketing Group in New York/New Jersey to this list. They advertise as being affiliated with Verizon Fios and promise a 35K-45K salary.
The first interview is legit–they tell you you’ll be an “account manager”–but the all-day second interview consists of dropping candidates off on a street corner and selling Verizon packages door-to-door. They want you to “train” for 2-4 weeks and only receive a paltry stipend for working six 8-hour days (no salary and no commission!)
They promise a promotion to “Team Leader” after 6 months of door-to-door sales but all that means is you drive other people to sell the packages. Then after a year and a half with the company you can get a promotion to “Owner/Manager” where you interview candidates.
Sleazy and shady business practices all around. Stay away!
I submitted my resume to the ideal marketing group in Westminster, CO. Within moments I received an e-mail asking if I could come in for an interview. After reading this I am wondering if it is a scam. Does anyone know if it is?
Does anyone know about 3s Enterprises? Possibly a re-branded R3 Enterprises?
Does anyone know anything bout Genesis Global Marketing, Inc. in Virginia Beach? They said they are a branch off of a 30 + year old firm in Texas, but I can’t find any information on them, good or bad. They have a nice website and Facebook page, but the interview process seems suspicious.
Add Red Global in Willow Grove, PA to the list
Kerry, I have personal experience with Genesis Global Marketing and their owner Nicole Brown. While I did not work for them specifically, My former boss did work for them. The “branch” company they talk about is called Smart Circle.
The job is selling various items at sams clubs and costcos. They carrot at the end of the stick is saying that you can become the owner of your own company that works exactly like Genesis Global. Thats where my boss came from and started her own version called “Visionary Promotions” in Richmond, Virginia.
You get pad minimum wage or commission, whichever is higher. But i seriously suggest avoiding it. They will work you like an indentured servant.
Now IMI Partners, INC. doing the very same thing with same people,but slightly different name as International Marketing Initiatives, about what I wrote earlyer. You can check my post September 10th 2013.
IMI Partners, Inc. is the same company as International Marketing Initiatives, Miami, FL with very same people (Karolina Paradka CEO and her husband) just changed their name and website to http://www.imipartners.com with very same photos and text. They are door-to-door sales claiming that they are hiring for Account Executive position with bunch of lies about potential grow within company,benefits etc, but truth is that you are going from door to door try to sell crapy products for them.
Be aware!
IMI Partners , Miami , FL scam!
Aspromonte Marketing in Cherry Hill, NJ – SCAM
Polaris Development in Plymouth Meeting, PA – SCAM
Premier Innovations in Trevose, PA – SCAM
7 Marketing in Conshohocken, PA – SCAM
Fusion Innovations in West Norriton, PA – SCAM
TIME Philadelphia in Conshohocken, PA – SCAM
Adaptable Business Concepts, King of Prussia, PA – SCAM
Global Fundraising Inc. Philadelphia, PA – SCAM
Hope this helps any job seekers in the Philadelphia market. These companies are all identical. Make it seem like a great marketing opportunity and in reality as many people have previously stated on here, your going door to door selling either Verizon FIOS, Staples products, energy solutions, or some other nonsense. All the interviews are exactly the same, you WILL get brought back for a second round interview no matter what. Then they’ll scam you into actually working all day as a “shadower” of one of their “top account executives” aka you get to knock on peoples doors for 9 hours for free. Save your gas money, time and aggravation and cancel any scheduled interviews now – be sure to tell them why too.
Also, CHEERS to whoever created this link and message board. There needs to be a thousand more like it in order to run these scamming companies into the ground.
Most of what you’re calling scams are not really scams. You ARE being offered work and the opportunity to advance IS available to you, indeed. And, I certainly wouldn’t go so far as to actually report the majority these companies to the Attorney General or District Attorney’s office – ESPECIALLY those for which you do not have to make any purchase, or other monetary investment, to start working.
I recently worked for a “direct marketing” firm, to supplement another job. I actually enjoyed some aspects of it, although I always thought the office had a pretentious “feel” and everyone was required to act like they never had a bad day in their lives. The only other thing – in addition to the spotty income – was walking around for several hours in frigid temperatures, snow, ice, etc. On the plus side, I loved the exercise (when it wasn’t 12° outside) as well as meeting new people every day.
This type of work is not for everyone, to be sure, but there are many legitimate direct marketing firms out there, so to dismiss them all as scams is not fair. Also, you have to consider that they MUST recruit scores of applicants because, as one person in this thread put it, only a few will hang in there for the duration.
Florida Business Consulting – same company as International Marketing Initiatives, Inc. and IMI Partners, Inc. Same people, same “company” same way and acting of scam.
I got an email from Chi Town connections and their website is Chicagoeventsgroup.com but I’m not sure if they are a marketing scam I just got an email from them and they have said that they would call me but I haven’t spoken to him yet does anyone know anything about this company? I also had gone to an interview from a company called blue Inc who contacted me when I had my info up on CareerBuilder and that was a door-to-door thing also and I did not go to the second interview and I was very upset that I was misled and then I got so many other emails from all these other door to door and marketing companies who I never even asked to work for so I don’t know about Monster and CareerBuilder and the other job sites to prevent those companies from spamming others
Anyone know about oc advertisement and solutions ? they have a scam report but I dont know they seem real.
What do you guys know about H2Concepts? http://www.h2conceptsny.com/
Scheduled me for an in-person interview in three days.
hello I live in Wichita ks and applied to a place called Alexis Management group… does anyone know if this place is a scam or not… I am really worried because I do not want to get caught up in scams… I’ve never had a job before so I wouldn’t really know what to look for…
Beware of Castle Marketing and many others in Woburn, MA. They advertise jobs like Project Manager and post a description that consists of traditional PM roles and tasks. They also explain that it is “salary pay” on Monster .
When you arrive for your 2 minute meeting (that Castle considers an interview), they wont tell you anything about the job or pay. They will simply talk a good game about how much is possible for you to earn. Before leaving I tweaked info. out of a gullible HR employee, who explained: “You’ll be going door to door marketing home improvement contracts and pay is based on you’re level of success.”
Doesn’t sound like Project Management to me! Castle should Google that title. It is not marketing either, it’s a sales position-based completely on commission. The job description was so far from the truth, I couldn’t help but laugh and shake my head as I walked out. I was angry that I even ironed my suit to meet with these clowns.
anyone know anything about Peak Inc, out of Atlanta? Same exact photos as Portland Select…
Watch out for Project Launch out of Orange, CA. Another Cydcor office.
This is scary, my daughter has an interview with these two companies, located in Charlotte NC. does any one know anything about them.
Thanks in advance
This kind of companies can be found in any state. I live in Wisconsin and I lost count of how many of them have contacted me offering me a job. The got my resume from some legitimate websites where you list your resume. These companies are basically a 3rd party marketing agency for large corporations. They try to sell internet, cable, sport events tickets for a percentage of the face value. You can do that on your own and you will keep 100% of what those companies will pay. Why you need them? You can start your own business just do your research just do not try to hire anyone. If you want to make money do it on your own don’t try to scan anyone into doing your job, but if you want to do that anyway do not use names that are already taken, example KD Concept, 360 Milwaukee, New Light Marketing, etc.
Peak Acquisitions in Charlotte, NC.
“Skyline Ohio”, located in Blue Ash (Cincinnati) OH, is a Cydcor office. Door to door scam. Be warned!
This video explains perfectly what these Multi-Level Marketing scam companies are all about
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EPbUDEzdnI
More scams to add to the list! I really hope this shows up in the Google Search Results for these companies. I interviewed at Emblazon and also applied to Coastline. Bullshit meter pinged when I came in expecting marketing and was offered sales in a very roundabout and vague manner. Both Coastline, Emblazon, and Showcase LA “represent” the exact same products and expect you to ‘market’ them in Costco/Samsclub stores for minimal to no pay. Their website and email copy is eerily similar and the manager was scarily empty-eyed.
Showcase LA Events: http://www.showcaselaevents.com
Coastline Events: http://coastlineevents.com/
Emblazon Events: http://emblazoneventsoc.com/
Has anyone dealt with Advanced Vision Marketing? Got an email for calling in for an interview and wondering if they were a scam too.
hey, im not sure if anybody will reply in time, but i think i just fell for one of these scams, in atlanta, theres one called Pinaj and i applied online on sept 22 and got a call an hour later for an interview the next day sept 23, i went and got the second round interview at some sams club location and its tomorrow sept 24, im not sure if i should even go becuase im not sure if its a scam or not, please help
Add ‘LA Events’ to the list. (Southern California)
Replied to a job ad on craigslist ‘SPORTS EVENTS – Entry Level Managers – Brand Ambassadors’
I thought, ‘great, I have a background in events as well as sports marketing – perfect job for me’. Sucker.
*****We are an Event Promotions company that specializes in working with Fortune 500 clients in the Sports, Entertainment, & Automotive Industries. We partner up with local businesses to help gain exposure & brand recognition for our clients’ products & services throughout the Southern California area. We recently opened up an office in the area & it’s time to grow!
We are in need of a few fresh faces that can help us make this area one of the strongest in our organization! Someone that can send a smile over the phone, as well as face to face, & puts all they’ve got into all they do! Someone who wants to be a part of an amazing, fun, & exciting industry with a ton of room for growth & advancement!***** – oh and they stated on the ad that the starting salary would be $500-$800 pw.
Firstly I got a response to my emailed resume almost straight away as well as a phone call (I applied for 2 different ads which the company advertised’
Always be weary of a job ad on craiglist which doesn’t even mention the companies name.
I called the women back who left a message on my phone as saying to call back xxx at LA Events as they have reviewed my resume.
Called her back and she asked me a few basic questions and said ‘great, we would like to interview you today, we have a slot at 3pm – does that work for you?’
Anyway, rock up at the interview – no signage on the building except for an old sign which read ‘Anaheim Marketing Group’.
Small, crappy, prefabricated office. Got interviewed by some manager, young – in his early 30’s/late 20’s – said they have Forbes 500 clients as well as working with the NBA, NHL and Nascar, oh and also Direct TV and Sams Club and as soon as he mentioned Sams Club and Direct TV I knew it was a scam.
I nailed the interview and he said he was impressed and would pass my resume onto the HR women as she would like to follow up on my references and qualifications (yeah right).
This guy also told me that the company has 14 other branches in LA and he has recently been promoted to running his own branch.
He said starting salary was $32k-$36k and his top earners earn $40k-$50k as some of the things you will be selling so you can earn commissions etc.
Told me he would like to see me in action on the job and how I handle talking to customers and clients etc.
As soon as I got home I saw I had a voice mail from the ‘HR’ girl who said I can come in for a 2 hour training session on Monday, meet at the office and she didn’t know where we would be going.
Then I came home and did some research, couldn’t find out anything about LA Events which is strange as they have 14 offices in SoCal but I did find loads of other ‘Marketing and Events’ companies.
I googled ‘Anaheim Marketing Group’ (the sign I saw on the door) and saw that they used to called something else. Also, some of the companies mentioned above were situated in the same mini office park as ‘LA Events’
This is exactly what happened to me in Atlanta too a few months before I moved to LA.
I applied to a job knowing that I wouldn’t get it as I didn’t have my work permit then having recently moved to America.
Anyway, long story short – I go for the 2nd interview which took about 10 mins at a Sam’s Club in a dodgy part of Atlanta where myself and 3 other suckers had to approach random people in the store and ask them if they did cable through DirectTV, then if they didn’t we had to bring them to the desk to speak to a manager.
If someone approached me in the store like that I would tell them to fuck right off.
This starting salary was $500 pw plus $100 commission for every subscription sold after 5 subscriptions for the week.
The sad thing was that at both these interviews I saw many 20 and 30 somethings (and a few more mature people) full of hope that they would be getting the job that they saw advertised. Sadly this wasn’t going to be the case…
On Monday I’m going to phone LA Events and say ‘thanks but no thanks’
Anyone hear of Melrose Consulting in Trevose PA?
What you’re referring to is what I call the Pyramid scam of the new age. The “business model” is known as “Smart Circle” and they prey on the desperate (not even, mostly those who are eager and confident!) I’m literally finding as many blogs as i can to see if I can create awareness of this nonsense. I am making a blog about my experience of finding a job and I plan to update it with all of the nonsense posting they have on job sites as well as the names of these companies. Is horrible and despicable. Anyway, you can see the rant about them on my blogs but THANK YOU for doing your part to stop this stuff. Best regards!
Universal Events Inc.
Pleasanton, CA
Exactly like Landers Group!!!
They also go by Next Generation Marketing. Both of these companies use the exact same address and phone numbers. They only use first names. They claim to be a 14 year old international company with over 100 offices, but the website is 5 months old and there is no internet history for them besides the social networking websites like facebook/linkedin/tumblr that they themselves made.They will invite you to a job shadowing just like Landers Group the day after you interview. Their website is universaleventsinc.com or nextgenerationmarketinginc.com
I got a call back from a guy and said I would have a phone interview – looked up the company but cant find anything about urban focus inc. It sounds like a scam, kinda too good to be true- really organized website
Does anyone know if 23 Marketing Inc. is a legitimate company.
I have worked for a multi level marketing in Denver for six months. We do not do residential or coupons, but business to business office supply sales. It has been done the same way for 58 years and a ton of people have built excellent resumes from it and the opportunity is very real. I have personally watched someone get promoted to ownership, a good friend of mine, and she will be making 6 figures for the rest of her life with uncapped potential above that. My leader is also very close to the standards for management and then he will be in the same spot. That being said, b2b sales is not for the weak of heart. The management training program is not designed to be easy either. If it was easy everyone would do it. In our case the juice is worth the squeeze. I’ve gotten to travel and work out of other offices, and have been able to see all most the whole state of Colorado. Even went to a conference in Chicago. I will say this, we look for “sport minded individuals” in our recruiting because competitive people have the drive that others don’t which is key in dividing people who will be successful and who will not, however, we are never misleading about what we do in our recruiting. We do B2B sales. People go on a shadow day so both sides can determine whether it’s a waste of time to train them. If we were trying to trick them we would tell them we ride unicorns for a living or something. Bottom line, this group the article is about sounds about as sketchy as ever but it does not mean all door to door sales is a “scam”. Donald Trump said that if he had to start from scratch again, he would go door to door and sell his name because direct marketing is the most measurably effective marketing system in the history of the world. Keep an open mind. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
And oh ya, not everyone gets brought back for a second interview. That would be a waste of the trainer’s in the offices time.
The Landers group was just one tentacle of the global direct sales cult known to some as Devilcorp. If you go to thedevilcorp.wordpress.com and scroll down to the ‘dirty tricks’ section, you will find a plethora of links to news reports, government rulings, lawsuits and video footage showing how these people do business.
It’s a corporate horror story.
What about Revent Marketing Group? Has anyone heard of them? I have applied through them, but can’t tell if they are truly recruiters or spamming headhunters.
New vision marketing in Buffalo, New York is similar to these. Basically stand in a big box store like sam’s club, BJ’s or walmart and sell directv or verizon fios 6 days a week 10-12 hour days and for 40 hours of work at $10 an hour if you’re lucky. It’s just MLM like all the others. The lucky ones spend a month or two there and either get fired or quit. Some drink the coolaid and stay longer only to be in a worse spot when they leave.
Moonlight job solution : is this a scam?
After reading all these comments I have to disagree with a few people. First of all, the fact that Shawn knows or does not know how to write is irrelevant. There are thousands of business owners that lack perfect grammer, or maybe he typed too fast he did not think about it? Regardless, to me, that is not important. Secondly, I worked for this type of company for over a year, and honestly, it was the best experience that has happened to me so far. I gained so many skills and completely changed my mentality. I do understand though, that 90% of people have the “employee” mentality, which is why there are so many negative comments in here.
Was it hard work? Yes, ALOT of hard work, I would work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. Did it pay off? Absolutely.
Not only did I make over $1,200 a week (FULL COMMISSION) but I also learned how to sell, how to interview people, how to train, motivate people, payroll. I learned how to run a business. I am not an entrepreneur now, I have a regular job and I do not like it.
All I have to say to all the people that read this, is to give it a try and challenge yourself. These types of jobs are very hard, only a few succeed. It definitely is not for everyone, but by no means is a scam. If you hang long enough you can see and earn a lot of money. The company I worked for had over 70 offices, gave me a free trip to Jamaica and other parts of the US. I met a lot of business owners that were making TONS of money and didn’t even go to college. So if you are up to some hard work then give it a try! Might work out for you.
Okay, so S&A Communications, if anyone can comfirm this being a SCAM. That would be amazing, I got an interview from them, should I be hopeful or am I going to get shot?
I am heading to an interview today with Skyline Marketing Group in Tulsa, OK. I would cancel after reading all the condemnation around the internet, but at this point I want to see what they say and do during the “interview”, might even post my notes when I get back.
Sadly, I don’t have the funds for a total “Business Professional” getup. But I do my best with what I have.
Add Drive Inc in Saint Louis MO to this list!
If you go to https://thedevilcorp.wordpress.com/ you will find links to news reports, government rulings, lawsuits and video footage showing how these people do business.
Capital Acquisitions in Washington DC should be added to this list. I am so angry I wasted my time and gas on this BS; I was under the impression I was going for an interview at a legitimate marketing company NOT to do door to door sales. The first interview lasted about 10 minutes and was with another person–bad sign #1. In addition, the office is incredibly run down with no legit furniture or signage: it looks like it was set up yesterday. VERY SKETCHY. Needless to say I will not be returning for the “second interview” (aka following someone around selling things all day). I really think someone should be held responsible for such misleading posts. Thanks for this site!
Just interviewed with Trinity Bell Marketing in Abilene, Texas and they operate the same way. After the interview was over the guy asked me to go work for him for free at Sam’s selling Direct TV!
Add capital acquisitions in (georgetown? arlington? they move a lot) to this list. capital acquisitions is just like the others described. I’m sorry I wasted my time driving six hours there and back for a group interview in some ghetto office. I directly asked them if the job involved selling things door to door and got no response. at that point I knew there was no way I would be continuing to the next round. Stop being so dishonest and sneaky about what the job entails–NO ONE would show up to your interviews if they knew what really goes on.
Add Infinite Direct, Atlantic Management Group and Tidal Concepts to this growing list!!!
Anyone heard of Advantage Sales and Marketing? I don’t believe them to be a scam, based on my online research, and the experience with them so far being alright. But I want to be 100% certain.
For Saint Louis:
River City Marketing
Drive Inc
Gateway Concepts
STL Executives
Job Window
others…….beware………
They changed name of the company again to “K and M Partners” (Karolina and Matt).
It used to be “International Marketing Initiatives”, and after that “IMI Partners, Inc.”
Same scam artists, fishy people, very toxic.
Be Aware of Karolina Paradka and Mariusz Matt Paradka
Here is the “new” webistes with same “handwriting” and same mistakes:
http://www.kandmpartners.us/?page_id=141
https://www.facebook.com/imipartners?fref=photo&ref=stream
Add Orlando Marketing Agency, Inc. Many of their high-level staff come from Detroit Business Consulting, and one of the staff has previous ties to Credico. Beware if you’re in Florida or go to UCF, Rollins, USF, or any school in the state.
http://www.marketorlando.com