I found myself unemployed and looking for work. I was sending out resumes and asking friends if they knew of any job openings. I was beginning to get discouraged and then I found an ad in to different newspapers for Bernard Haldane and Associates.
The ad stated, "want interviews now?" and "we can help". Or "let us help you find one of the non-advertised jobs that are available." "sending out resumes-little or no response" "can't find unadvertised job opportunities"
I called up and made a appointment for a no cost appointment. I showed them my resume and they went over it and decided to take me on as a client staing that they could help me. They asked me to make another appointment and to bring my wife in with me.
I came to my appointment with my wife and they talked me up to my wife and showed us a video about the company. At the end they gave me a price of this service, $4,190. $3,666 if I paid in full and $3,316 if I did all this in the next three days.
I informed them that I was waiting on a job offer as I had previously stated and that I wouldn't know by the deadline that was imposed on me and that I didn't think it was fair that they would impose an unobtainable deadline in order to get the discount.
Mr. Lage gave me an extention of a month to get the prepaid in full price. At the close of that he called and asked what I had decided and if I didn't give him a credit card number or come in that day the lower price wouldn't be available.
I was on my cell phone on the road and told him that if that was the case I wouldn't be doing their service, but I would think about it and do something on the following Monday for the prepaid full amount price.
Right there I should have had a wake up call about not doing it but with their promises, verbally, that they would get me interviews with decision makers in top companies for non-advertised jobs made me think it would be worth it since I wasn't having a lot of luck going through HR departments.
So after their hard sell I did decide to sign up for their services. I called and set up a time to come in and make out a check and put some on my credit card. Upon arriving I again asked about the interviews. They reassured me that would happen.
Before signing my check for $2,500 I again asked if they had contacts in the three cities I was looking for employment in since they were different from the city in which they had their offices. The answer was you bet.
I showed up and started my sessions driving 200 miles round trip for 1 hours worth each time. I would be given a homework assignment to have completed by the next session. They created a "Marketing Report" basically your resume doctered up. When I say they made it, I created the material that went in and they cut and pasted it together.
After 8 or 9 sessions I felt I was ready to start the interviews and asked when those would be set up because I was ready to get started. Reply was, "that is up to me to set those up". What was I paying for? I was doing all the work?
This really set me off. I did more research, did some before I signed but any internet searches came up their homepage, and the Better Business Bureau showed nothing negative. This is when I found the rip off report and there were hundreds of people like me.
I also found that the Kansas State Attorney's Office sued and won a $300,000 judgement with $100,000 in fines. And Illinois State Attorney's Office recently filed a suit as well.
I Informed Benard Haldane I was unhappy with what I got for the money spent and that I wanted $2,500 of my $3,316 refunded. They decline to do that stating that don't refunds with their company being a consulting company.
And their response to Illinois and Kansas was that they are independantly owned. Maybe so but it sounds like they all shoot the same selling lines based on what I found out via this web site. I am retaining a lawyer and going to try and resolve this the hard way.
Three months wasted, no interviews attended or even set up. I submitted 15 companies total in the three cities I was seeking employment to include the top two employers in each town and they knew NOBODY at any of them. After being assured before I signed the check that they had contacts in those cities to set up interviews with.
RUN just RUN away from this company in any state or country you are thinking about doing this in. It is the same song and dance everywhere and they don't care to change that. Even after having the problems brought to their attention and being sued and losing those lawsuits.
Eric
Eldora, Iowa
U.S.A.
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