Illegitimate business

[Almighty Benny]

So I almost fell for one of these pyramid-schemes-in-disguise jobs today.

I, a college student desperately looking for a Summer job, notice an ad on craigslist for a job that promises $18 per hour or appointment. They offer flexible hours, and lots of opportunities for advancement right away. This already seems too good to be true, but I thought "what the hell?" and applied online.

I notice that the post was from today, so I call them up, and the secretary informs me that though the boss is very busy, she might be able to squeeze me in. Now, her automated response to all of my questions was that she "was only a receptionist and therefore I had to save them for the interview" should have been my first clue that this was all bullshit, but I was still itching to make $18 an hour. The interview was scheduled for this evening.

I show up to the interview and am not surprised to find about 18 other hopeful-looking college age students sitting around filling out applications. I grab one of these and begin filling it out, and am starting to get suspicious of the fact that it didn't ask me for many credentials that would set me apart from my sister's cat. I had brought a folder full of resumes that I usually set aside for Engineering firms, but I determined that these would not be necessary.

After a series of reality TV show-esque group interviews where roughly one out of three applicants is sent shamefully back from whence they came, those of us "qualified" enough for the position were asked to sit through a 90 minute seminar.

As it turns out, we, should we be accepted, will be selling CutCo brand kitchen knives. Not over the phone or door to door, we are assured, but only through one on one appointments.

To cut a long story short, I was one of three people at the end of the day who was offered a job, but after a bit of research I learned that it's all a scam and will therefore not be going to the unpaid training sessions.

Has anyone else ever fallen for one of these? The company name is Vector Marketing. If you are an almost-thirty looking for a good Summer job, be warned. Do not buy in to their bullshit.

What would be fun would be to go to another one of these interview sessions and just expose them for what they are right in the middle of the seminar. Then stand up and say "who's comin' with me??" as I walk out.

[IVhorseman]

One of my friends signed up with CutCo last year and tried to sell everyone knives. Last I heard, he ran off to some town in the middle of nowhere to get married to the first girl who'd go out with him, and then joined the army.

[suemac3000]

They are all over the place. My Husband and I got sucked into Direct Buy. ( I do own a set of Cutco knives, and they are good, but the post marketing makes me want to use one of them to slit my own throat). If you are willing to spend about 20,000 t0 30,00 on upgrades to your homes, you can make your entry fee pay off, if you only wanted to use high end appliances or materials to make "your dream come true". Scambots are everywhere. Sucks to be a consumer or salesman these days. I remember the Amway Brush salesman who came around every year and did provided service a mother could include her daughter in on. No jokes, we regularly bought cleaning products from them without fear. I don't even want to know what even they are up to now!

[feuer_faust]

I had CutCO (courtesy of Vecotr marketing) in my area last year, too! It was a gigantic load of crap, and your experience very closely mirrors mine.

I'm glad I'm not crazy. About this, at least.

[Natalya]

Lawl I knew that's where you were going with this AB.