Damn I just can't believe it. I almost fell for this scam this week! I called responding to an ad placed on TheFlyer saying "No Experience Plea$e! Can you handle a CRAZY & FUN atmosphere? Several positions available! Must have great attitude and be openminded! Call if you're curious!!! $ (813) 881-1051.
Of course I was curious I am an unemployed college student looking for extra money over the summer. At this point I just feel great being unemployed because it sure beats working for thses scam artists.
I had the pleasure of meeting Sammie who answered my call Monday and told me to come in for the 1st interview within 2 hrs. She even called to make sure I was coming in about 30 min before the interview.
So before I left I looked up Studio 9 on my aol search engine and got nothing. I tried the ask search engine and nothing. I must add there was no listing in the phone book either. So then I decided to type in the address into the Ask search engine. BINGO! But not quite... I found usacomplaints.com in the midst of other results of legit companies that have offices in the same plaza as Studio 9.
I click on the Ripoff link and I find out about Scentura Creations and all the other fake little companies running the same scam all across the U.S.
Unfortunately, on the high of landing a job interview, you know, just being excited. (looking for a job is a job itself). I decided to ignore the 1-2 reports I read because I didn't see any posted from Tampa, FL or any mentioning of Studio 9.
So I went in for my 1st interview and there are 3-5 other young people filling out forms on cheap black couches. No computer, no phones ringing, no other people working except for a girl sitting at a worn down desk. Wild 98.7 is blaring, which made me think the job involved promoting clubs in Tampa or something (I would learn later that the job was far beyond that idea). I am greeted by a smiley character named Sammy who tells me to fill out a get acquainted sheet while I wait. I fill out the sheet that asks for basic info like your name, number, address, and work experience.
I get called into an office by Sammie and she talked about the job involving answering phones, filing, payroll, inventory, managing 15-30 people, and then she asked 5 elementary questions. I was told to call back in 1 hour to see if I was accepted for an interview with the boss.
I got home, called back, but I got a voicemail saying "If you are calling about our emloyment opportunities leave your name & number." So I leave a message and wait until the next day. I call again and I am told by Therice this time (and she said this name so fast, I had no clue what she said) Anyway, Thorice tells me that Sammy was going to call me because I was chosen for the second interview with "the boss". It was Tuesday and she told me to come in Thursday at 12:30pm.
Fast forward to Thursday.
I was given a call to remind me to show up with a "notebook and pen" and to dress "business fashionable" and to arrive on time.in my head I thought something is weird about having a 2nd interview and having to bring a notebook to write down info, I must have the job then.
I arrived a little early and I scored a seat before 30-40 people walk into this small little office the size of a living room. No doubt all of them can't fit on the two cheap chairs and the two hideous fake leather black couches, so of course they are all standing. This doesn't even include the 5 people who are filling out their get acquainted 1st interview sheets! So they called us into the infamous room with metal folding chairs that wear a hole in your A*.
Before "the boss" comes in we are told by Therice that he may not be what we expected because he looks a little younger. She tells us to smile when he comes in and to greet him enthusiastically. We are told to take lots of notes and make good eye contact because "the boss" will be watching and looking for people who are really interested.
So Mauricio "the boss" spends over an hour talking about the TNT company and making 30-60k your first year. He also talks vaguely about the 8wks of training and how its split into 4 weeks of Marketing and 4 weeks of Management. He fails to include crucial info like when we will be PAID and how we are PAID for training. Later he interviewed everyone in front of each other and sent the people he did not chose to hire out of the room with Therise. (those are the lucky ones! Now that I look back!)
I was one of the 20 or so unlucky ones chosen to come back Monday, which I am not because I know Monday is when they will make us sell s* to our family and friends. As far as pay, he mentioned once that you make money through bonuses. He supposedly hands out 20-1,000 dollars in cash because cash is the best way to receive money. (it's also free of tax! Is that why he gives cash? There is also no record of the hours you put in if there is no paycheck!)
At the end he told everyone to start calling family & friends over the weekend and to inform them that we are selling products. So everyone is mislead into a selling job even though they continuely informed us that WE ARE NOT SALESPERSONS. As a matter of fact Mauricio told everyone that if they are looking for a sales job to leave because it's not what their company does! HA HA
Finally, I came home and searched "Studio 9" on the RipOff site and TADA! I see the report for this company scamming people in Tampa, FL. I began to get very eerie feelings while reading all of the reports under Scentura Creations because EVERY SINGLE SITUATION is the exactly what I experienced. Same facts but different company names, and people running the scheme. Even Mauricio's 4 criterias (or as he calls "reasons") to be his hiree are ALL THE SAME!
1. Good Attitude
2. Honesty/Current Integrity
3. Trainable
4. Work Hard
To anyone looking for employment in the Tampa Bay area BEWARE of STUDIO 9 or what I like to call STUDIO CRIME! They think their slick but they're not! I hope everyone is smart enough to research this company/or any company they plan to work for. If I hadn't done my research I would have never thought to RUN! And stay as far away from these people as possible with their fake scripted SCAM!
0 comments