This so called company is both very bold and very shameless! I first saw their advertisement on a job search web site. Seemed straight forward enough so I decided to give them a call. Mr. Smith answered the phone and asks some questions like whether or not I have a criminal record or if I have security experience. After I explained to him that I used to be corrections officer in VA he says "GREAT can you please come down for a interview." He also added that I needed to bring a money order down for $85. That was my first red flag. No security company will ask for money up front. Why should they if they can take it out of your pay check.
So I go there the next day to fill out an application minus my $85 just to be on the safe side. I figured if it was legitimate I could always run to the ATM. The first thing I noticed was the number of people there to fill out applications. No company will ever, EVER schedule so many appointments at one time, but I figured "hey the economy is bad so no big deal." So after putting my name on the sign in sheet, I was given an application and ushered to a small class room with about twenty other people in it. I quickly filled out my application and patiently waited; and waited; and waited. After about an hour of waiting and watching several people who came after me get interviewed I get up to and go see whats going on.
The next thing that struck me rather odd is I noticed that only young people were doing the interviewing. Now i'm not saying that someone who is 18 - 21 yrs old can't do an interview but to see practically all of the interviewers there barely old enough to drink told me one thing; "BOILER ROOM." You see that's when a company will get young people who work off of commissions to get out there and sell stuff.in this case it would be getting your $85 and selling you anywhere from $700 to $1000 worth of security licenses. At that point I walked to the front to leave but was helped by the security guard at the desk, ironically.
He then had me follow him into another room where I waited another 1/2 an hour to see someone. At this point I figured I could safely bet my last dollar that I would never get to meet this Mr. Smith who was so looking forward to meeting me because his mother lives in VA. I was finally helped by a lovely woman who told me that I was more than qualified to be a security guard with their company. She said they had a new class starting on Sunday. I said "GREAT, now as far as my pay." She said they wouldn't be able to start me off at the $15 - $18 per hr that I was asking for. I would be making about $11 per hr for six months and then I would be eligible for an increase in pay with their company. The key words there are "increase in pay with their company." I go along with the scam and say ok i'll be fine with starting at $11.75 an hr. At that point she asks for the $85, I told her I forgot it. She then asks for me to come in on Monday with the money to get my training started. However before I left she told me that my training would cost some where around $700 to $900. I have never seen any job on this planet have you come out of your own pocket for about 1G to get employment!
I am very happy to say that they didn't get one thin dime from me but I couldn't help but feel sorry for some of the people there who thought they had a job lined up for themselves. So I discretely let some of the people there know what was going on before I left. The bottom line is you want some info on getting your security licenses for security work in New York then go to the one place you can get the proper info; The New York State Dept of Licensing Services. Http://www.dos. State. Ny.Us/lcns/professions/securityguard/guard.htm
In the mean time I am the type of person who takes things personally. So I now take it personal that this company thought I was stupid enough to go for the okey doke. I am taking steps to expose this sham of a company so no one else has to get ripped off by these frauds.
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