This blog posting will apply to any related Vector Marketing job ad in the United States.
Vector Marketing is notorious for deceptive employment advertisements with the following:
No Telemarketing, No Door-2-Door Canvassing Involved
GREAT PAY $16.75 BASE/appt
In actuality, after the new sales representatives "practices" by selling to friends and family, they have to go door-to-door. The cutlery sales reps are not paid an hourly wage of $16.75 as they are independent contractors.
Vector Marketing is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Cutco Corporation and does all of the marketing of the Cutco products.
Vector Marketing offers opportunities and bonuses based on representative performance, but also pays their representatives a base dollar amount per appointment.
[edit]Controversy and criticism
Former representatives have accused Vector Marketing of unsavory business practices.[6]
Vector Marketing requires sales representatives to make a security deposit of $135 + tax in order to procure a set of knives for demonstrations necessary for the job, prompting some to complain about this policy (the deposit is refundable if a representative chooses to quit or the contract is terminated). Since Vector Marketing is a multi-level marketing group, students who work for Vector Marketing are considered independent contractors, as opposed to employees, and are not reimbursed by the company for money they spend on gasoline used while working or for the time they spend at training sessions and frequent meetings. This designation also releases the company from liability and responsibilities one would expect from typical employers.
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/vector-marketing-c73119.html
http://www.indeed.com/forum/cmp/Vector-Marketing/Don-t-get-suckered-into-their-scam-VM-is-bunch-con/t14215
answers.yahoo.com: Vector Market, Scam or Not?
http://www.vectorscholarships.com/
The All-American Vector Marketing Scholarship Program
A premier student sales competition, the All-American Vector Marketing Scholarship program, awards a total of $50,000 annually to the company’s top sales performers. To qualify, representatives must be full-time students at an accredited college or university in addition to meeting sales requirements. Scholarships are awarded for performance in each of Vector Marketing three sales campaigns, with the top performer in each campaign receiving a $1,000 gift. This gift is matched by a $1,000 gift to the academic institution the winner attends. Smaller amounts ranging from $900 to $250 are awarded to the remaining top 25 performers in the Fall and Spring campaigns, and the top 50 performers in the Summer campaign.***
SF bay area craigslist > peninsula > jobs > customer service jobs
Need Work? Apply Today, Start ASAP (San Mateo, South SF, RWC)
Date: 2011-02-07, 12:36PM PST
Reply to: job-pffsp-2202060285@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
In today's economy, the job market for young people has been especially difficult.
Our company is on its way to having its best year ever, and we have multiple openings
for work offering high starting pay and real world experience.
Benefits include:
• Flexible schedules, ideal for students
• Sales/service training provided ... no experience necessary
• $16.75 base/appt starting pay
• 100 corporate scholarships awarded annually
• All ages 17+, some conditions apply
• Permanent positions available as well
• Gain experience that can set you apart in the future.
To apply now, call
(650) 212-2280 : San Mateo, South SF, RWC
No Upfront Costs
No Telemarketing
No Canvassing
No Cold Calling
PostingID: 2202060285
Our company is on its way to having its best year ever, and we have multiple openings
for work offering high starting pay and real world experience.
Benefits include:
• Flexible schedules, ideal for students
• Sales/service training provided ... no experience necessary
• $16.75 base/appt starting pay
• 100 corporate scholarships awarded annually
• All ages 17+, some conditions apply
• Permanent positions available as well
• Gain experience that can set you apart in the future.
To apply now, call
(650) 212-2280 : San Mateo, South SF, RWC
No Upfront Costs
No Telemarketing
No Canvassing
No Cold Calling
- Location: San Mateo, South SF, RWC
- Compensation: Great Pay to Start
- This is a part-time job.
- Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
- Phone calls about this job are ok.
- Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
I'm trying to figure out what the complaint is here... It says, as you quoted, $16.75 per appointment. If someone interpreted that as "per hour", wouldn't that be their mistake in making the assumption that appointments only take an hour?
ReplyDeleteI noticed people complain about the company not paying for gas and you mentioned it in your blog. But restaurants and retails stores don't pay for you to drive to work... And there is an overlooked benefit for the -employee- in being an independent contractor. They don't withhold taxes from your checks or social security. This allows you to invest it in the short run and pay your taxes when they are actually due. BIG advantage no one seems to notice in that.
Jed,
ReplyDeleteThere doesn't appear to be a legitimate complaint. Just a lot of copied information from jobs and websites with lame "warnings". Like people can't decide for themselves if a job is good for them or not.
I think the problem here is that the companies are not being honest up front if sales is your thing I would say go right ahead, but I've had an interview with this company and was flat out lied to when I asked about the job being any type of sales position. Considering the amount of bills I have piling up while looking for real and steady work this was a major waste of my time and efforts. And just as a side note the ad a applied to offered full time work and hourly pay said nothing of appointments, commisions, or upfront cost/deposits.
ReplyDeleteI think the problem here is that companies pay fixed payment while a salesman got his salary and bonus based on representation and also their performance. but the fix $ 16 .75 is not fair for a sales profession people .
ReplyDeleteI actually work for Vector, and it really isn't a scam. I didn't have to pay a cent to get my starter kit, unless I wanted to buy it for myself, in which case, it was $85. As far as the appointments are concerned, you don't go door to door. You start with friends and family, and then you get recommendations from them. These people are usually still acquainted with you in some way, and you're not exactly seeing people you've never met until you've gone through several rec lists. Even so, you still have some sort of connection in that someone they know recommended you, as opposed to just going door to door. I'll agree that Vector is not for everyone. It's not even for me 100% of the time, but there's no denying that you will make money if you really put the time into it. Any given week, you won't have to worry about receiving the base pay for an appointment, because the product sells itself, assuming you follow the program.
ReplyDelete