(*This was originally written to be sent to www.RPRSUCKS.com, but their site is currently FULL and not taking anymore letters, so I am using this forum to release some guilt and frustrations they I have been harboring. *)
First of all, I want to apologize to anyone who has been scammed by these "people". The reason I apologize is because for 3 LONG months I was an employee of this company at their verification office in Ft. Lauderdale.
I was not one of the sleaze ball sales people, nor could I have been. I was one of the people that read the never ending script describing the package you had bought. We were trained to stick to the script and to try and not give any other information if possible. We were not supposed to offer advice, information, or any other form of customer support as that was not our job, even though we were your last chance to "escape". Even though you had already given your credit card number to the "salesperson" and it had been already been charged, it was our job to get you on tape (actually a computer file) so that you could not later say you didn't authorize the charge.
Even as I was being trained for the job I felt that this wasn't a "honest" company, but tried to convince myself it was a "buyer beware" business and that all I was doing was giving the customer what had been promised. During my training period I was taught EXACTLY how to respond to questions, and what NOT to say. Much of it also involved the "good enough" answer, which wasn't a lie, but wasn't the whole truth either. Also, we were taught words which can be vague in their meaning depending upon who is saying it or doing it.
Another part of our training also involved listening to calls to see how it was done. This was when I knew I was just this side of a scam artist. The way people were treated by the "salespeople" disgusted me. The way in which the package was presented let me know I was "verifying" a "scam". And, of couse, we weren't so much as to utter the word "time-share" EVER, not even amongst ourselves. (There were many times I'm sure I sounded like a total moron as I tried to find a way to tell you this was a "tour".)
As I continued my job and learned the scripts, which we weren't suppose to do (???), I soon realized that we weren't screwing anybody out of anything, we were screwing them INTO something. Day after day, I left work feeling like I had just cleaned a septic tank by hand, but tried to convince myself that at least I wasn't one of the "salespeople" that I heard harass, berate, and belittle our "customers". I heard elderly people being talked into buying packages, when it was clear they really didn't even understand what they were buying. I heard newlywed's being screwed out of a beautiful honeymoon and into a beautiful reason for a divorce; college students on their own with credit for the first time, being "sold" into the credit trap so many of us have gotten into in our lives; and despondent people (due to death of a loved one, marriage breakups, etc) being given one more reason to be despondent. There were calls where people gave their checking account numbers in addition to their credit card number (with the 3 digit security code I might add) to pay for the deposits. Some people used 3 or 4 credit cards to find enough money to do this because otherwise RPR would "have to give the package someone else". And God forbid if you should try to back out of the deal after you had agreed to it. These "salespeople" acted like you had just insulted their whole family and they were going to "hunt you down".
At this point, your probably wondering why the hell would I stay at such a place. To be honest with you, I wasn't going to stay. I wanted to run like hell, but I was a point in my life where I had very little opportunity to do anything else; the jobs which I was eligible for weren't available to me at the time, and I was scared. I have a family, had been out of work for weeks, and the thought of NOT taking the job was scarier than taking it was. Many of the people who worked there were in a similar situation to what I was. Some were young mothers who needed work or the extra job to take care of their families, many without anyone else to help them. Some were people who had no other education and were fighting to survive without doing something "illegal". Some were just getting back on their feet after years of abusive lives. Most of us were just good people fighting to make ends meet. And you could tell "they" knew it too. The wages sucked, the hours were worse, and the way we were treated was at best like a dog that no one wanted. If by chance you tried to think for yourself, you were reminded to read the rulebook, and then asked to please check your brain at the door on the way in. Problems were handled with the "Don't let the door hit ya where nature split ya" mentality. We even had a dress code to "look more professional" (to who??? Nobody ever saw us or came in ; can you say Control Freaks)
I know this doesn't let me or any of the others off the hook, but in some small way, that's why I'm here sending this to you today. It's seems to be the only way I'll ever be able to let go of the resentments I have towards myself and RPR. I'm still somewhat in fear today to even be telling you any of this (I'm still afraid to give my real name) because as part of working there, we had to sign a "confidentiality" contract which said we would not release any of the company's information. However, at this point, it feels more like I signed a "won't tell on us" contract. I'm sure if they had anything to gain from it, they would come after me with their high priced schiesters, I mean lawyers, and try to sue my ass off.
There are many things I have not said here to avoid crossing that "illegal disbursement of company information" bullshit, that it almost feels like I've said nothing at all. So at this point, I guess all I can offer is my deepest apology to anyone who has been taken by these "people", and offer any assistance that may be of use in making sure that a company like this gets what it, and others like it, "deserve". (I'm sorry about all the quotes, but they "trained" me "well" in the use of words.)
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