Advantage Promotions - Larry O'Brian
Lindsey sales scam - no real contracts with schools, jerks you around

I was contacted by email to be interviewed just like the others that have written reports. I was skeptical due to the email as I had not contacted this company prior to the email. Being out of work for over a year, and looking for employment, I called the number and spoke to Lindsey. I explained to her my scepticism because it was going to be quite expensive for me to drive to Charlotte (4.5 hrs. Away) and take a whole day to commit to this. She assured me, they were very interested as I was self motivated and had been in business for myself in the past.
When getting to the interview, their offices were in a well established beautiful building with security at the entrance. My interview went well (of course) and she sent me home with posters and a folder of information to study.
The next day, I was to call Mr. Larry OBrian to be asked a series of questions. He was impressed (of course) with my answers and wanted me to start work the next day (Fri.). I told me to go a block from the school and call him at 7:45 am. Thinking that I would be going to the school and meeting with them, I was of course surprised when he told me to get the contracts out of the folder and go and start selling ads. I proceeded to do this, with no information about the school.
I had been told in my interview with Lindsey that the school would give me information like who their banker was, the sports dr, etc. To make it easy to contact people who already supported the school. I was to have no contact with the school. At the end of the day 4:50, I had sold 2 ads. Mr. OBrian told me to "RUSH" to the PO and mail the contracts and checks "Express". I did so, fuming to myself about how I had been jerked around all day. I felt as though I was being treated unfairly and was not fully equipped to do what this man had me doing.
I spent $5.00 sending a package out so that Advantage could get paid. (What about me). I had been told by Lindsey that this was a salaried commission position. After cornering Mr. OBrian, I found out that you only get commisssion AFTER you meet your salary each week. So basically, it was commission and I was paying for all of the gas, the envelopes, office supplies, and postage required to do this job, much less my cell phone usage.
On Monday I tried again. I sold one ad and visited 30 plus locations and burnt up $25.00 in gas. On Tues. I happened to run into a person who had advertised last year. My child had been to Rocky Mount Academy and as an acquaintance, she proceeded to tell me that the headmaster of the school had sent out a mass email last year claiming that the school did not support this endeavor and not to participate again.
After all of the thoughts that had been going through my mind about how I was being jerked around and all of the UPFront money that I had to spend, I called Mr. OBrian and quit. Oh, did I tell you that I was such a star player in the game that they mailed me business cards with my name spelled incorrectly??? Well guess what, I am still hounding them for payment on the ads that I sold and I just received a check for 1 and my name is spelled wrong on the check.
It would be in anyone's best interest to stear clear of this company. It is very expensive to do business with them

Company: Advantage Promotions - Larry O'Brian
Country: USA
State: North Carolina
City: Charlotte
Address: 15720 John J Delaney Dr. Suite 300

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