I responded to an ad on Craigslist for a W2 sales job working for a Advanced Pool Heating D.B.A. State Energy. The ad reported that you will have daily scheduled appts. Doing home energy audits and selling upgrades to the home. The ad stated there would be paid training, gas/vehicle reimbursement, and to only work in the county I lived in. Julian called and confirmed the job, asked if I would come in the next day for an interview and confirmed that I would only be working in Lake county where I lived.
When I showed for the interview it was a group interview with John the Vice President of the company. He looked at us and said "You all have the job as long as you show for training on Monday", he also reported that they do not have much sales turn over and we are lucky to have the oppurtunity.
We had a week of training with no pay. I was told if I needed money they would give me a check and take it out of my first commission check. After a week of training there is no paid training! During training I was told that I would be given 18 leads a week and 25% would not be home or let me in. I also received paperwork that said if I go to 10 appts without a sale then I would be reimbursed $500 for gas and time.
After training it took 2 days before I got my first appt. (I kept a ledger of every appt.) I immediately noticed that I was driving no where near the county I lived in, in fact you will drive anywhere, literally! Everyday I was driving 300-400 miles (I kept a ledger). I would drive 130 miles to an appt to find out they where not home and then wait almost 4 hours for another appt and drive another 60-70 miles farther. Some days I would drive over 130 miles for an appointment and no one would be home and then they would tell me I was done for the day no more appointments available.
While working for the company for 4 weeks (including 1 week of training) I was sent to 40 homes over 75% were not home of the 10 that I got in 3 were mobile homes and 3 I sold. Of the 3 I sold one had bad credit and the other 2 were over $14000 in combined sales. The precentage is supposed to be 12%, but I only received $278. I went to over 20 appts without a sale I should have recieved $1000 for that and I should have recieved $1680 in commission.
After I got out of training they gave us a binder with some print outs and a light for demonstration purposes. They also forced us to provide them with our debit card numbers so that if we left the company or got fired they would charge us $200 for their equipment. Before I went out out on my first appt. I was instructed to go to the hardware store and buy a tool kit, tool belt, and laser thermal detector. The whole hardware store trip cost over $60.
I was fired on Thursday May 30 for not going to scheduled appts. I informed my bosses Steve and John that I had not been paid one dime since starting working for the company nor had I been reimbursed for gas/vehicle as the job posting stated, nor been reimbursed for going to 10 appts without a sale.
I reported that I had no money to put gas in my car and they said they do not have a draw and could not give me any money and if I do not go to apptointments then I was fired. I said the company pays every week and I had earned money, but have not received any. I was then told if I do not go to my scheduled appointments then I was fired. Later that day I was called and instructed by Steve to turn in the sales material and light immediately or I would be put in jail. I reported that I was not able to drive the 60 miles to and from the office as I have no gas. I then let them know I could bring it in 2 weeks or they could come and get it. I have not returned to the office for fear of being arrested.
1 week after I was fired I received a check for $278 before taxes, I have not cashed the check as it is not the proper amount. The company owes me over $3000 including commission, reimbursement for no sales, and gas/vehicle reimbursement.
The company sent me over 5000 miles in 3 weeks with only giving me $278.
The products I was selling could be bought significantly cheaper, for example one of the products Radiant barrier you can purchase as a consumer for under 10 cents a square foot (same exact product State Energy is selling) they are selling it installed for $2.50-$3.00 a square foot. There is other companies out there selling the product installed for $. 75 a square foot.
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