I worked for one of their "warehouses", "distribution centers", or whatever they're calling themsleves nowadays during the summer of '08 in Phoenix, AZ. I had just graduated from high school a year earlier and was eager to get out in the world on my own. I really had no experience or job skills, so when I came across an ad in the paper for a manager position with training, no experience necessary, I was ecstatic! I called and set up an interview for the next morning, showed up to this small office in the slums of west Phoenix, and was interviewed by "the boss". He asked if I was "motivated", how I would describe myself in one word, and if I was allergic to perfume. Afterwards I was told to call back that evening and schedule another interview. When I got home I tried to look up the name of the company but all I found was a new business license article in the newspaper. I started looking around and eventually came across some blogs and reviews for the Perfume Pyramid Scam, read through them, and decided that these people were probably just sore from not making it through and getting their office. Cute, huh? So I went to the next interview and took notes on perfume, sold to FFAR, went to meetings, trained people who came in after I did, dropping bottles in Walmart parking lots, inside the stores, gas stations, anywhere we happened to be. If there were people there, I sold something. I was "promoted" (i.E. Had a little colored piece of paper pinned to my shirt) after our 2nd week, and every week after until I reached the green level (assistant manager, I believe). That's when I began to learn more about how this "getting your own office thing" really worked. My bosses had JUST opened their office and I was one of their first employees.By this time, I was one of their 2ONLY employees. Everything I sold and turned in to them, they kept for themselves. They used it to buy clothes for our trip to Colorado to see the great Onyx Wholesale and to learn from their boss. On this trip we stayed at one of my boss's parents' house, and stayed a week longer than expected. My partner in crime had gotten sick and needed to come home so I took the boss's car and drove back to Phoenix, stopping to sell a bottle every time we needed food or gas. The bosses then decided to steal an employee or two from their boss's office, one of them being an 18 year old girl with her "own" car in mommy's name. Things turned sour and I ended up driving back to southern colorado to rescue my bosses who were now stranded with no car (by now my family was very angry with me for not quitting and I broke up with my boyfriend for not being "supportive"). I went on several satellites and fun cars. I learned the ins and outs, the paperwork, and a lot of what not to do's. I started my "bricks" (the money you save to open your own office), helped with paperwork, and placed craiglist ads for my bosses.By this time, I had been with them for 5 or6 months. One day I showed up to the office, and my bosses didn't. I never heard from them or anything after that. This is only my experience, but I know I am not the only one who has seen shadey things behind Scentura doors. People like Chris and Iris and Doug and Amy are where they are because they have set up many successful braches out of their office and are recieving a piece from everything everyone beneath them sells. If you can get on top, if you end up in a successful office, then you have a pretty good shot at success yourself. It honestly is what you make of it. If you are like me when I was 18 and have no bills to pay, then go ahead and spend the months or years it takes to get into your own office and hire people to make money for you. It's work, that's for sure. It can't really be a scam because I've seen it be successful. But, it is shadey and maybe even unethical. I watched a couple hundred people go through our office and leave. It may have been an incredible opportunity, if it had been presented by someone else. If your boss pulls up in an Audi or a Benz, I say give it a shot if you're not afraid to work. But if your boss is asking you to meet a quota so they can post a payment on their Allero... Well, judge for yourself.
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