I worked for sound filtration for a number of years, at first it was a great place to work. I mean you were basically hanging out with your friends all day. Average age of people was 15-26. I learned all of the ins and outs of this business. They would put the same add in the paper every week... Do you like doritos do you slam red bull well this is the job for you. $15.77 and hour sometimes they would put higher.
Flexible hours, to them means 7 days a week and 9am to 9pm. You were not allowed to take days off they wouldn't let you they would call in and if you did they would call you till you came in. Those whom wanted more days off were fired. The hourly was no such thing they promised to pay you $1650 a month (claimed it broke down to $15.77 and hour) if you ran 53 demos a month which when you would get close they stopped giving you shows and made it impossible for you to get to.
So that way he didnt have to pay you the $1650. And they paid you as independant contractors so he didnt have to withhold your taxes it was cheaper for him. He would pay you commission on what you sold and hyped it up to be $411 for a system $100 for a single machine. But failed to tell the independant contractors this was only if they sold it full priced and they got approved with a first line bank which they only went through two and had 5 second line banks so yes people they ran your credit 7 times, trying to get you approved.
If they got approved second line your commission went down to $50 dollars no matter what. Even though he made $1000 or more most times on profit on the deals he didnt care (he being Mr &). Mr & would by the machines for $511 and $294 and sell them to people for $2698 together or just for the first one and $1098 for the second one. His marketers he had some working from 9am to 9pm with maybe an hour or two hour break maybe, with no over time. They never got paid holiday pay, overtime. He would make them work on holidays and if they didnt come in he would fire them.
In 2004 he started bouncing their paychecks, and blamming it on the bank, or try saying somebody kept stealing from him. He even went as far once to write a letter stating in the letter to take their paycheck to a check cashing place to cash them as they would bounce and he would take care of the charges latter. We all knew he was going under and started looking for a new jobs and then on dec 1st 2005 he closed down no notice, nothing. He and his friends cleaned out the office and left.
The paychecks he gave his markerters that were supposed to be dated for Nov 28 were post dated for dec 1st and of cource they bounced and when he was contacted by phone he claimed he had and still has no intention of repaying the checks or fees, he also refuses to give them their last paychecks. He changed his phone wont take our calls. He went to work with his best friend at the sister company western filtration in everett wa.
The check cashing places have attemted to contact both mr & and Mr & but neigher will talk to them. We have contacted HMI whom only threatened us with their laywer. We figured they maybe able to help us as they distribute the machines to them and they have to answer to them when a customer complains but apparently not for us ex employees. Oh yeah he also refudes to do our w2s.
Sound Filtration is nolonger in business, thank god. But the owner has moved to another company and demoted to manager, where i hope he will be kept from ever opening his own office again
A.
Kent, Washington
U.S.A.
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