I've been reading the scams perpetrated on this site and came across Scentura Creations (locally known as the Circle Company, i think) and felt like relating a story from a long time ago and what I did about it:
First let me make it clear that this was like 10 years ago and some of the details may not be 100% accurate but are 100% factual.
Many years ago I became disillusioned with the company I was working for. I was working my tail off, but not feeling the monetary or career satisfaction I was looking for. Then I began to scan the "help wanted" ads and came across "Management positions available, Earn $1000s a week, Team players only"
Of course an opportunity like this doesn't come along every day, so I jumped on it. The first day they hooked me like they hook most everyone: pictures of company getaways, claims that they were on the Fortune 500 list, why they could sell it so cheap because you can't patent a scent, how much they were making, and the potential he saw in us. Did the meetings, interviews, and got offered the job.
I went to my job and talked to the Store Manager and gave my two weeks. When he asked why I was leaving and what I was doing he looked at me and said, "Listen, I won't accept your resignation.instead I am going to put you down to part-time and let you see if that other place is what you really want to do." Thankfully I accepted his generous offer and went to part-time.
During the process I started to see the chinks in the armor of the company (I will explain later). I had been in a supervisory position before I went to Scentura and through previous training and experience had a little more awareness to how people speak and what they really mean.
I would go out with the group all over God's green Earth to different areas, mostly in Chicago and try to peddle this water. You had the goal to sell like 10 bottles within a week to get promoted to Supervisor with the $500 bonus. Of course it was next to impossible to sell the stuff for $25 to make the $5 profit. Usually you would sell it for cost or a buck or two below so that you could make your boss happy which meant you made no money.
On the first weekend I arrived to work and found the door locked so I waited outside the building for the bosses. When one of them arrived he unlocked the door and we went in. The metal cabinet that held the perfume and money was broken into. The boss started to flip out and went right to the money box and stated that someone had taken all the money. I said that he should call the police and the boss literally blew it off. I had studied crime scene investigations in college and began to check for points of entry or exit. I found nothing unusual nor any pry marks on the doors or windows. Also the fact he didn't want to report a burglary made it more disturbing.
The big break I got was the second weekend they told us we could take the perfume home to sell at like $17 cost. Luckilly for me there was a huge sporting event that weekend (Mike Tyson or the Super Bowl) and my buddy and I always threw these huge parties with lots of alcohol. I cleaned up by selling most of the water I had and got promoted the next week.
During that same time I had a girlfriend who worked for Arthur Andersen do some investigative work on both Circle Company and Scentura Creations. She called me one day and told me under no certain terms to get out of the company and fast. The research she did produced a lot of deceptive things. After the break-in and the info from her I quit and went back to my old job.
Below are the things I found unusual and were key reasons I left, also the reason to possibly stop them is below:
RED FLAG #1: The first thing I noticed is that they were based out of Atlanta, GA. If you pay attention to infomercials and those "too good to be true" offers, they mostly are based out of Atlanta, GA. Why? I don't know, but it is true.
RED FLAG #2: The independent contractor agreement. Once you do that it indemnifies them from liability from you. You don't make any money, that is your problem not theirs.
RED FLAG #3: The break-in. The acting job the boss did seemed to rehearsed. And the fact he did not want to report it was more disturbing.
RED FLAG #4: The main boss' residence. I know this may sound silly but I noticed that where he said he lived, the village sticker in his window, and the mail that was in his car were three different addresses in three different towns. Why move so much?
RED FLAG #5: The salary guarantee. It's is only applicable if your people sell X amount of perfume. Which when you figured it out is actually less than if you didn't sign the guarantee.
AND FINALLY BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY RED FLAG #6: Their business license. All businesses are required to have a business license. This was the achilles heel of the one I was at. It's money that they have to put up out of their pocket and then they have to report their operations to the city they are in. Most of these types of business' don't want that so they will just fold up and run to the next town.
I hope this helps.
Scott
Lansing, Illinois
U.S.A.
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