I just wanted to get the warning out to everyone.
There is a company running an ad in the local paper for managers with 52k a year, guaranteed. There is no experience required, and the training is paid.
The company, which is not listed in the ad, is called Costal Promotions, and they are a distributor of Scentura Creations imitation perfumes.
I will briefly describe my experience with them.
I called the ad on Thursday, the 11th of May. I was invited to come in for an interview at 2PM that afternoon, which I did. I showed up with a resume and was greeted by two women, Suzanne and Elizabeth.
After filling out a very vague application and handing in my resume, the interview started. Sue conducted my interview and basically asked me about myself, my work history, and what I was looking for in a company. We had a fantastic report with each other but she really didn't answer any questions about the job. She did promise that I could have my own office in as little as 5 weeks. The company was expanding and they were looking for people to train as managers. I do remember asking three very specific questions:
1) Does this require any investment capital? (No.)
2) Is the training paid? (Yes.)
3) Does this involve sales work?
(Yes, but don't worry, that's not what we brought you on to do.)
I was invited back for a second interview on Saturday at 1PM, and there were 5 people there including myself. Sue did the second interview as well, after Liz told us about what was going on, how she turned her life around, etc. There was really loud music and cheering coming from the meeting room, and we were ushered in once everyone left.
They threw out a bunch of statistics - how long the company has been around, how much people spend on perfume, how worthless a college degree is (yeah right) and how you could make a fortune working with this company. She talked about the fabulous trips you could take, etc.
There was alot of language used by her and racial stereotyping that was said jokingly, since we had different ethnicities in the group. It just seemed very unprofessional from the standpoint of what were were being brought in to do. Having BEEN a manager, I know what type of environment is a professional one.
Suzanne then explained two things: We would be paid via how much perfume we sold (sounds an awful lot like selling to me) for the first two weeks and then we would be getting salaried.
The second one she said, was that people were going to try to tell you it was a scam, that you would get dragged down, and that there was ALOT of BS about the company on the internet. Being the smart person I am, I was hired and told to come in on Monday to start (today.) She also told me to get a list ready of people that would be interested in our product, for a "suprise" on Monday. I asked once AGAIN if our job involved selling, because I was told it wasn't. I was told "Well, if you don't like it, learn it and teach it to someone under you."
Thank God she told me about the BS that floats around about the company, or I would have never thought to look online. I found this site, I found others, and had hundreds of horror stories about the company. I find it very hard to believe that every thing floating around about this company is BS. Over 150 reports on ROR alone, and information from someone who WAS successful with the company and stuck with it for 10 years, but left because it was so unethical and he had to destroy the dreams of so many young people that he worked with to make his living.
I was called by them today and told them that
I had looked online. She tried to downplay it as internet hype. I informed her that when you read reports from people who have been with the company for five years to a decade, they have a good idea of what it entails. I did have another offer come through on Sunday, one that starts immediately as a salaried manager. I told her I was going to take that job because I was led to believe I was going to be brought on as a manager into Coastal Promotions/Scentura, not having to push perfume on the street without a peddlers license. She became very curt and hung up when I said that.
I am very thankful for this site. I found out nothing about Coastal Promotions from it, but when I found out it had a parent company called Scentura, I typed that in here and I'm sure you are ALL familiar with what happens when you plug that phrase into this site's search engine.
Don't be fooled! I called the local paper that ran the add and informed them about what was going on with this, and I believe they will pull the ad. I gave them all the information they need, and I will update when I find out any information.
Steve
Ramona, California
U.S.A.
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