If after reading this you need further evidence please search the following names. You will find other "consumer complaintss" supporting my claims:
World Perfume, Scentura, Terry Burton, Tracy Bencal, Dan Long, Johnny Whitworth Mark Larecy, Salt Lake City, Chicago, Il.
OR visit these sites:
Http://usacomplaints.com/reports/ripoff208649.htm
http://usacomplaints.com/reports/ripoff57460.htm
They will echo and expand upon my experience and provide links to newspaper articles and television specials exposing this scam.
The following information is exactly how this opportunity came to me. I am trying to be as vivid as possible so others will see the similarities between their situation and mine. Sorry if it comes off as if youe reading a short story, but it sort of is.
1) The first interview
I am a recent graduate. I held several offices in extracurricular activities, but even I was duped. While searching for jobs in the Pioneer Press I read: "OFFICE MANAGEMENT WILL TRAIN GROWING CO. Opening 10 entry level positions. No exp. Nec. CALL 952-746-1722 FAX 952-746-1724.
I called immediately feeling I wanted a leadership position, but lacked the "real world" management experience. Tracy Bencal, who was taking on the secretary duties for the day, answered the phone. She schmoozed, asked some introductory questions, and found that she could squeeze me in that day. It felt very positive. I was excited to get in as early as that.
When I arrived at their office I couldn see any external sign that they were a business other than being in a business complex in a business district. No sign outdoors, no address posting on the main strip as there was for every other company. I chalked it up to being a new enterprise and not having all their ducks in a row yet.
Upon entering I hear very loud music and met Tracy as the receptionist. As mentioned earlier she was posing as the secretary, but it looked like she was guarding the door rather than doing any work. Again, she was surprisingly energetic speaking loudly and quickly. The music was not that of an office. Granted they were portraying how laid back they were, I just didn feel at ease about listening to 50 Cent before an interview especially at the volume it was projected.
She escorted me, within the barren office, to a room that I could fill out my etting to know youform (the actual title escapes me). The walls were white and barren of any decoration including company logos, licenses, plaques, or photos. No fake plants. No d? Cor. Again I feel that they must be very new. They must be so new that they don have desks for me to fill out information on. My room was filled with about 30 black folding chairs and, the only semi-decor of the office, a wicker magazine rack.
I completed my questionnaire. Among the questions it asked me how well I communicate with others. Tracy was in and out of the room checking up on me like a sugared-up second grader. When I finally finished and thought I could breathe for a little I grabbed a magazine to relax. Out of the three magazines I chose one on animal activism, not because I care immensely about animals, but because it was the newest of the three available. To give you an idea the Money magazine was dated September. Also, to add to the illusion, it wasn addressed to this office or any office remotely close.
Within seconds of picking up the magazine Terry Burton blows through the door. He greeted me with a huge smile, a compliment on my tie, and a bit more of small talk.in his office there was a large desk, his office chair, and two other chairs on the opposite side. Still, definitely no computer, no licenses, and if I remember correctly, no file cabinet or means of organization. At this point I was more worried about all the stuff you learn about interviewing. Hand shaking, smiling, blah blah blah. The music didn stop in Terry fficeeither. Still bumpinthat same laidback music and just as loud, too.
At the end of the interview Terry told me that usually they have people call in to see if they are invited back for a second interview, but ecause I like youI should just come in on Thursday for a 3 hour meeting going over any questions I might have including pay, benefits, product, etc.
I left feeling pretty positive, but I never heard the name of the company or what I ever be managing other than 7-10 people.
2) Second Interview
I arrived promptly at noon for the meeting. I had to pee, but not in the ad pull over so I can pee in the corn fieldsense. This may not seem relevant right now, but I promise to explain. I was sure they give me a break when my urination had reached a higher urgency.
The first thing I had to do was sign in. For a first interview it sure seemed fishy that there were 9 other individuals in the room with me. After that I was directed upstairs where Terry was inviting others to talk about movies, music, activities, sports, and other generic topics. Overall, his mouth moved more than the collective of ours. After about 15 minutes of chat (and Terry bad mouthing of Minnesota) Tracy appeared upstairs, and switched off the same blaring music we heard throughout the first interview.
Terry disappeared to downstairs and Tracy started our meeting. She said she was posing as the receptionist in order to see first impressions hich are everything to her. This gem of information didn appear until after they explained that we were there out of 150 applicants. We cheesily applauded ourselves at her prompting. She turned out to be a Regional Manager.
For three hours we were lectured, not interviewed. My notebook was quickly filling with several key concepts they wanted us to write down. Clever acronyms, silly phrases, and other motivational information that blind you to what actually is happening. Tracy mile-a-minute delivery kept us from asking, or even thinking, of questions.
Among the topics, which seemed to come so easily after having done this so many times, included:
1) company expansion
2) where are their offices
3) qualifications for the job and why we are
4) marketing products
5) training program
6) pay structure
7) benefits
8) vacations
I could go into great depth with these, but the links I mentioned above will echo the following information.
Tracy held up a bottle of Giorgio and compared it to a knock-off brand bottle of Primo explaining that advertising and box and bottle design contribute a huge factor to the cost of perfume cost. Their distributor out of Dallas, Texas allows them to sell these $75 bottles for between $26-37.
They had us read the ingredients butane being one.
They are undergoing a $10 million (give or take) expansion and they need us to ill these positions as fast as we can because wee losing money for not having them filled. Wee behind schedule.
I bet youe taken notes such as this, (minus some of my parentheticals):
—Fragrances are recession proof and profitable because people always will buy them again and again.
—information about Mark Larcey and the patenting rules determined in the law suit between said and Calvin Klein.
—Eau de Toilette & Cologne &Parfum & Perfume du Monde, ranking in quality
—Expansion from East to West
—Out of state locations include Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, Memphis, Madison (throw a dart, hit a state) THERE.
—IN State (MN) Fridley, Golden Valley, Maple Groveagain, throw a dart at a map of the metro.
—Qualifications: Great Attitude, managers set tone of office, Zero Tolerance for those with bad attitudes, HONESTY, TRUST. Be a trainable person (aka weak willed and money hungry enough to lie to yourself and patrons).
—DWIT o What It Takes (aka Sell your soul).
—Marketing Distribution Overview: A) Tradtional Accounts, B) Wholesale, C) Premium, D) Mail Orders, E) Route Sales (business to business) (aka Walmart parking lot to K-Mart parking lot because youe not a business, youe a manager of distribution) F) FFAAR Friends, Family, Associates, Aquaintances, & Relatives, G) Corporate Accounts.
—10-13 Weeks of training, but if your FAST TRACKED youl be out in 8 or less. Tracy did it, so can you. 2-9 days on marketing or 50 transactions.
Of course you have to do this training because ou can never expect anything out of anyone that youe not willing to do yourself. Then youl have training in administration and managemet followed by spending about 6-8 weeks at the executive level of the game.
—Youe pay will start between $30-40,000/year based on 200 item sales per week.
—Lavish, paid trips to Jamacia and somewhere else (two in a year).
— Looking for TRUE HARD WORKERS
Finally, wee been sitting in the chairs for over 2.5 hours and it time for the interviews to begin. Tracy walks over to the door and opens it as a signal for Terry to come upstairs. I still have to pee and much more severely now. No breaks, just worming in my seat. Tracy finishes by saying that she will take the following people downstairs for their interview. The rest of us will go next, but please on come downstairs. Not to go out for a cigarette or go to the bathroom because if I come back up and you aren here it will just make our session last longer.
Time out. I have to pee. So I start imagining what the hell is going on downstairs that they don want us to hear/see. Any regular interview would be in a secluded room (with the loud music playing of course). Half of our group is downstairs for approximately 10 minutes. Terry is once again belittling Minnesota and chatting it up to keep us from eing lonely? I should have left just for that.
In an attempt to avoid peeing I slowly walk around the room looking at the strange plaques on the wall. The Kick Ass award and top something this-and-that award.
Tracy comes back upstairs and sits us down on the most uncomfortable chairs ever once again. She has good news and bad news. Hah, no bad news because WE'E ALL HIRED and all ready to be fast tracked. She going to put in the good word for us with Dan Long. Bless m.
Those who went downstairs were gone already and would not be back. They didn have the moxie that we had.
She shook our hands and gave us a form for a background check to be filled out by the time we got back on Monday. She made the point to tell us that it is illegal for anyone to charge you to fill out one of these forms.in fact, some of the information on the form was illegal to ask in the first place (including my actual age), but being tragically na? Ve to such a form I complied.
We walk back downstairs and are escorted outside. Terry and Tracy both stand outside as we each drive away seeing that we don talk to anyone about anything.
I never knew the name of any one of my co-applicants, but I remember the faces of those who left in the second group. Having a small amount of stress such as having to pee, causes quite the jump in memory retention.
3) Explaining my new job to mom and dad
I whipped out my cell phone and called my parents once I hit the road home. I knew my dad would be overly critical and my mom would just be happy I got a job which promised medical, dental, vacations, 401 (k), profit sharing and more!
As expected my dad started asking questions. SIMPLE questions. Who do you work for? Win Cities Management. What do they do? Ell fragrances. What do you manage? Team of 7-10 people. What do they do? Omething with distribution. What with distribution? Ell see we have to work our way up so that we can understand if we need to troubleshoot any problems. Wee starting with sales and will be selling for 2-9 days followed by up to 10 weeks of more training. Theye fast tracking me so it will only take like 6-8 weeks. So when do you get paid? E get paid by commission at first. Is it salary after that? T based on our office performance. What if you don do so well? Omeone is with you the whole way so youl succeed. What if you don do so well? AMMIT DAD just be happy for me!
I didn actually say that last part, but his probing confirmed all the giant, abyss like holes I was looking past. I convinced myself and, to a lesser extent, my dad that onday everything will be explained I convinced. Still, I wasn 100% on this job and kept my eyes in the want-ads.
4) First day of Training
Our first day of training was Monday at 10:30 am. Dress sharp and bring a notebook and pen. Ok. My hair is perfect, my shirt is pressed, and my brainfull of skepticism.
After the second nterviewI still hadn seen the product. I didn know what I was managing (other than 7-10 people). Am I working out of a store front? Who are my employees? When I get that far of course.
Walking through the door Terry and Tracy greet me at a decibel above that of the music. Must be an inner ear thing. Terry complimented my tie again. Whatever keeps us positive.
Another representative was upstairs now jawing before the meeting began. Keeping us from communicating to one another. Some bits of information I did hear was that some people were 18 years old, some were still in college, some had to put food on the table for their 4 month old, 4 year old, 6 year old, etc. Some were planning engagements and marriages. All of these people had reasons for clinging on to something that promised big money.
I laid my coat so that my butt would suffer less torture than last Thursday, but somehow it didn help. While doing so I noticed 2 individuals who were invited downstairs after the second interview. Hmmm no moxie?
I smiled and nodded my head through the whole thing although I was still filled with questions. Questions that they wouldn let me ask during the meeting because as soon as they were done jawing with us, they were shoving us out the door don let anyone say otherwise.
My expectations were higher. I figured everything would be explained today. Tracy enters and outlines the day once again. She also says that Tuesday will be casual day so jeans and sneakers are fine. The first half hour at least we heard the tall tale of Tracy. She told us EVERYTHING from her job at Xerox, corporate America, and her opportunity as a director on the pro volleyball circuit. She turned it down because she took up this job just to fill in before it started.
OW MANY OF YOU HAD A HARD TIME DESCRIBING YOUR JOB THIS WEEKEND she began the loud, monotone, Chicago accent-laden story. She also had a curt discussion with her family about how sketchy the job was. But, finally she was going to move up, get paid what she worth, and be a true hard worker just like each one of us are for getting this far. Somehow it was supposed to put us at ease, but as I came to find out others were not at ease.
Half and hour later we revamp what was learned on Thursday, only in very little more detail. We did learn about how to have transactions with cash, check, and credit cards. And, good news. She talked to Dan Long about us and we are just sharp as tacks. We are going to be the best group ever. Just like the last best group ever.in fact, wee so good, and so motivated, that theye going to motivate us by giving us the chance to sell to our Friends, Family, Associates & Relatives (FFAAR). This is a FUN (underline FUN) contest that will give us experience. With the 12 of us, if we each sell 15 products, we are eligible for prizes of $500, $300, $200 for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd placed sellers respectively.
Tracy delivery of this entire spiel was about as believable as a city of glass built on the dark side of the moon. It sounded so scripted and like such a gimmick that I wasn convinced that Dan Long had even put a quarter in the phone.
Allright now get out of here and start selling! Ohand wee supposed to call and check in with Tracy at an assigned time. Weird.
5) That night
What is the difference between asking your friends to pay for fragrances and asking a stranger? A lot, but what stays the same? The title. Cold calling is the same regardless. Just because you have a relation with the individual doesn mean it isn the same thing. Sounds like a duck, looks like a duck
I sold 12 fragrances that night to eight people, but before that I had to call and check in with Tracy. I was on hold with an intense beeping noise for 7 minutes. She asked me how the selling is going and what I did when I got home. I asked a couple of my questions, but she made me feel foolish when I wasn specifying well enough for her to answer. My questions were answered by some sort of corrective loophole. She rephrased my words so it was in her favor.
Much alter at 4am I woke up with the worst feeling. I don know my product, I don know my company, I don know if those eight friendsbank accounts would be drained or charged through the roof for a mistake that I made. Twin Cities Management could toss their 50 folding chairs, their two desks, and zero record keeping files in the back of a U-Haul and be gone in hours after I give them access to MY FRIENDS accounts.
This would have never been the case. I would have gotten my $7 per transaction and they would get their fragrances whatever they might have been. Still, at 4 in the morning there are lots of problems with this scenario. Where does the money go, I STILL haven seen/smelt/experienced the PRODUCT (in bulk or otherwise).
What is at risk? My reputation as a friend. I thought I might be giving away eight identities, I thought I might selling 12 bunk products. WHO KNOWS? Google knows.
I threw my computer out of its slumber to sleuth all of the names and titles mentioned at the top of this document.
After finding links like above, and many more, my stomach churned, my frustration rose. I though about everyone who was possibly going to hurt themselves and their families for pursuing a shallow opportunity like this.
Which brings me to now.
World Perfume is a distributor and the face of what is a MLM pyramid scheme. The Illinois Attorney General deemed it so. If you don believe me check the links above. If you still don believe me, find the training manual posted on consumer complaints.com for Branch Office managers.
Don read the name slander. Terry and Tracy are great, fun, energetic people I am sure. You can make money at this job if you stick with it. Remember, Terry and Tracy saw something in all of us. If theye such great judges of character and we all showed positive characteristics theye looking for, why aren we all employed there presently. It doesn make me or anyone else a lazy person, it means the occupation causes too many questions. Personally I compare such work with slave labor only they don have the pportunityto advance. The minions do the work for pennies while the managers make money for it hand over fist. While one hand dangles the shiny coin, ask yourself what the other hand is doing.
Good luck to all and please do some research. Don't walk through the fog for too long. The Better Business Bureau is your friend.
Local_admin
Minneapolis, Minnesota
U.S.A.
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