I responded to an ad on Monster.com for an entry level Sports Marketing position, for a company called Evincex. I also saw the same position under the name Pinnacle Systems Group on Careerbuilder.com and The Landers Group/Evincex on HotJobs. They also advertised needing other positions filled due to a big expansion going on in the company. I had my suspicions that this was a sales job under disguise, but the pay was stated as 34,000 to like 45,000, and I respected the brands of Monster and Careerbuilder, so I decided it was worth a shot.
I scheduled an interview, was told to dress in business attire and bring my resume to meet with the hiring manager, Vince (next day he was the CEO, though). I arrived at my interview (2227 48th St, Tempe) to find no name on the office except PSG and EVX in cheap vinyl lettering, a tiny lobby crammed with what looked like college students dressed very nicely and as one would leave more would come.
People were walking in and out of small empty offices and taking people in for short interviews, one and two at a time. Finally an Asian male called on me and identified himself as Vince and took me in a small plain office. Vince quickly spoke so fast that much of the time I was trying to figure out what the heck he was saying, but told me that the company marketed for the sports industry and they needed people who were interested in management careers within ten months time, that he would let me know that night whether I was picked for a second interview, then told me I looked sharp and he would give me a second interview right there.
He told me I would shadow one of his managers from 9 to 6 for my second interview, huh? He quickly shook my hand and had me let myself out. I thought it was funny that he never told me much and never let me say much, and I still thought this was a very questionable operation.
I showed up for my interview first thing to another full lobby of people and was immediately given a form to sign stating I would not be paid for my day and could make no claim to ever get paid for my time. Then I was called as others and myself were introduced to a "manager" who quickly tried to establish an air of superiority and put me on the defensive about my background and what I knew about marketing. He then introduced me to two other guys who were going out with us.
We all got in a 2007 Avalanche belonging to one of the other new guys who had started less than a week ago. The other guy had been with them less than a week as well. I found out the "manager" Josh had been with them one month. He was a fast talking salesman all the way, and that I needed to impress and keep up with him all day. Josh told me to pull my car around back as they would be interviewing all day.
He then told me we would be talking about the Arizona Rattlers and getting their name out, and talking to about two hundred people and that most would say no but that was okay, we would have a blast. He kept stressing how fun it would be and started high fiving all the other "managers" who were also teaming up with their newbies. I had a feeling I was going to be stuck with something bad when I got in the car with them, but I needed work bad so reluctantly drove with them all the way out to Scottsdale (I was now stuck if it went bad) where the driver let the other three of us out at a mini mall, and we walked into the first place which was a bank! Josh proceeded to ask whoever met his gaze if they liked sports and he was representing the Arizona Rattlers giving away free tickets.
I was mortified and knew what he was doing was ethically if not legally forbidden. Right away the manager came up to me and asked me what we were doing and if we had a transaction, and I could only look away uncomfortably as Josh ignored her and tried to get his sale closed. She told him to leave and he said he was almost done, but she said no to get out. Anyway he finished the transaction outside, charged the guy $35 for four tickets to any game of the season. When the guy gave him $40, he turned and asked us if we had $5.
I did but ignored him, as another red flag went up (he deals in cash but carries no change?) He then proceeded to accost anyone he walked past, the elderly, whoever, it didn't matter, and we went into stores, even Planned Parenthood and restaurants, Safeway, Walgreen's, and told us always go right to the back of the store out of sight. Whether employees were in the process of helping customers or not, he just busted in and interrupted whatever was going on to get people to buy these tickets.
When he was told repeatedly by an elderly woman working at Walgreen's that she could not talk to him, as it was against store policy, he continued trying to sell her tickets. Obviously most people were very annoyed and it was extremely uncomfortable to be there. I was turned off and from the bank episode on I wanted to get out of there, but I still didn't know what the job paid, and in my desperate situation I decided I could be a scummy salesman for good money like was advertised, maybe.
Oh he was also pushing Hungry Howie's coupons to anyone who didn't want the "free" tickets. This went on all the way until lunch when I figured he would pick up the tab, since it was Arby's! No way we all paid seperately, then he broke out a piece of paper and started writing the different levels from entry level (2-4 weeks, $500-$700 a week selling 40-60 pieces) account manager (4-6 months $700-$900 a week selling 50-70 pieces, training others to be a scumbag too) Jr CEO/Asst Manager ($1,500-$2,500 a week now getting a piece of what everyone else in the office sells YES IT"S A PYRAMID SCHEME!) and yes, on to CEO within 6-10 months of starting making $80,000-$150,000! He then told me Vince his boss was a CEO at 23 within 18 months (started eVINCEx, get it? That's his name), and that if I became CEO the comany would help me start my own company and let me name it whatever I want. Oh Vince paid $50,000 cash for a brand new Infinity!
I said wait a minute, Vince is the CEO? Things started clicking as the lies poured out of his mouth, and when asked what the base pay was, there is none! It's straight commision! They want you to work like 12 hour days and you will most likely make less than minimum wage, if anything some days, woo hoo! Illegal, I believe. I asked him what he's pulling in after one month and he lied through his teeth and said $1000 a week.
He also said the great part was you get a 1099, are your own boss, and can write off food and gas and anything else I can think of associated with the work. It was only lunchtime, and now I had to stick with these guys all day, yay!
Then to seal the deal I got a voice mail from my wife telling me she researched the company online after our friend told her he went through the same ordeal in Dallas years ago, and that he had to threaten to call the police for them to bring him back to their office, across town, imagine that! She said they were on scam.com and usacomplaints.com and to get out of there fast.
I told them I needed to get back to the office and that it was not for me. When asked why I told him what my wife had said, and he didn't have much to say, except couldn't I get a ride home? I told him no, so he told the driver to take me back. As we drove away he called right back and said to pick them back up. Then he told me they couldn't give me a ride home and I would have to just hang out with them.
I told him no way, and he said "You're on a job interview!" I said this was no job interview and that I wasn't getting paid and I'm going back to the office. He obviously didn't want me and the other guy talking, because he changed his mind and said HE would drive me back and could he use the other guy's car. All the way back he tried to insinuate that I was a loser and I would go nowhere, this kid who owns no home or nothing, and claims he has a degree. He said he wished me well in life and I told him the same and that if the money he thought he would make were true, that would be great. Good luck with that.
I forgot to mention that the whole 90 degree day in Phoenix they never turned on the A/C, and we were all in shirts and ties.
Weird.
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