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marketing job scam beware !!!!-- door to door

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I know it's been a long while since this thread started but I just had the exact same experience this past week.

The "new", startup company is called Millipic and is based in Newcastle upon Tyne. I'd advise anyone to stay away tbh. Wish I'd been less dumb and saw the warning signs sooner! They're supposed to have branches all across the UK and their previous office was based in Liverpool but when you Google search for the company, only job advertisements come up. (They have a fb page but it was only created in June) Another dodgy thing about this is that the office in Liverpool is under the company name "Roar Ambition" but even that website is vague and doesn't have much in the way of content on what they actually do. Wish I'd asked them why they changed the name of the company if the offices are the same! Like surely you'd want to keep the name and get the brand out there? Especially if they've stated they want to expand the company across Europe and further! Seems really fishy to me now that I've escaped the bs they spin to young people and graduates/ naive job seekers! Also not to be rude or anything as they were nice enough and well dressed, but for people supposed to be in their early twenties (my age or younger) they all looked a hell of a lot older, more like early thirties! And everything felt like they were trying to back you into a corner of accepting the job by the whole process being so quick. The observation day itself lasted longer than they had stated it would in the email so though we were supposed to be finished by 8:30pm at the latest, I didn't get to leave the office until nearly 10pm at night. Then once we had gotten back to the office they made the other young applicant and myself complete a test questionnaire with information they had given us throughout the duration of the day. They then bundled me straight in to see the manager for a 'final interview' which was originally supposed to follow a few days later. That definitely hadn't been explained prior to the moment itself and I honestly think they do it as a way of trying to coerce you into agreeing with them and accepting the position, after all we had been on the job in the rain and wind for about 11 hours, 2 hours longer than they had originally stated so in a bit more of a tired and vulnerable state than if they gave you time to go away and think over things. When I requested a day to think about it they seemed a bit put out as well but still tried getting me to agree to meet with them again the day after. This was despite the fact I had mentioned previously that I have family commitments in helping to care for my disabled mum and so if the hours were longer than anticipated and the job specification different to initially told, I'd have to discuss it with my family first. So glad I did and found this thread instead of just accepting the offer! Think it's crazy that they only heard from me last weekend (my initial application) and then were wanting to hire me just 3 days later, especially given my complete lack of experience in "marketing" and sales! Never ever known anywhere else like it when I've applied and had jobs previously!
Reply 41
Original post by whiteboy2
Yes they won't. They are unprofessional they're objective is to get as many people at the interview as possible. They won't care if you don't turn up. When I left they never sent me a p45 which is unprofessional
Technically you're self employed, so they actually don't employ you or pay any tax or NICs. They're not your employers, so you shouldn't expect a p45!

Although them claiming you are self employed & making you sign something to say you are & actually being self employed are very different. If anyone actually legally challenged them on it it'd be interesting whether the financial risk of covering your own expenses outweighed the clear total control they have over you.
(edited 7 years ago)
Hi would anyone tell me if a company called purple patch is in this group. There are a lot of similarities to what they say and to what your saying.Cheers anyone do let me know, have an interview tnrw. Don't want to waste my time.Thank youAsh
There are countless of these scam companies that operate in London, from Hero Corp to live innovations. They are all scum, not for being illegal as such but because they are downright deceptive and prey on naive, vulnerable people from graduates who are looking for their first job to foreigners who are starting out in the country just looking for any job to get started.
I just confirmed my interview for this week, I am getting really desperate for a job in London especially because it's the end of the year. Should I go, not go? HELP!
Reply 45
Original post by jasonjpatrick
I just confirmed my interview for this week, I am getting really desperate for a job in London especially because it's the end of the year. Should I go, not go? HELP!

You can go, just be fully aware you’ll likely be door to door selling, with long hours, you’ll get paid commission only & have to cover your own costs.
Guys,

I have been scammed not once, not twice but 4 bloody times by these door to door sales company please make a note of them whenever you apply for any sales or marketing jobs in London keep a note for companies such as:

Hero Corp
Sevenist London
IBA Global
Aurora Worldwide

You will know a company is a door to door sales based company by the following ways: (I'm not joking you can ask anyone here if I am wrong)
1. Your application is processed very quickly and they send out "congratulations you have been selected!" email as soon as you apply.
2. Their lobby or reception area is the same loud pop music, no chairs, people waiting for their interviews for the past 1 hour.
3. They don't give you a chance to speak on your first round, they do the talking instead and expect you to bring your CV in the second round (ridiculous)
4. They will sell you into the idea that they will train you in NVQ level 3 for sales and Marketing (when the certification doesn't exist anymore Google it!)
5. They never explain what the role is or who the clients are. If there are legit clients they will mainly be NGOs and charities so you will literally be begging for donations door to door.
6. Their offices are dead empty and that's mainly because more than half their staff are on the road doing door to door sales.

In frustration, I applied for sales jobs as I got no luck with advertising and trust me all my sales interviews have been the same and dodgy. I do not recommend working for such companies because door to door sales teaches you nothing! You are better learning the basics of sale in retail, Trust me I know this I have been working 4 years in advertising and marketing for big brands. PLEASE AVOID ALL THESE COMPANIES MENTIONED ABOVE AT ALL COST! Travelling around London isn't cheap and going for fraudulent job interviews certainly isn't worth your time and money!

PS: Also have a look at the company on Linkedin. If they have less than 10 employees working there you know it's either a cold calling or door to door sales job! and not all professional and glamorous as what their websites describe them as. Hope this help guys! Good luck with your job hunt whoever is reading this.
(edited 6 years ago)
Has anyone heard of IBA Global or know anything about them. Would like to know if it's commission based ideally.
IBA Global is commission based as well but trust me you will be going home with literally nothing if you want to think of working for them. If you think upselling charity donations is going to teach a lot about sales. Good luck!
Okay thanks I want to stay well away from commission based work.
Original post by jasonjpatrick
IBA Global is commission based as well but trust me you will be going home with literally nothing if you want to think of working for them. If you think upselling charity donations is going to teach a lot about sales. Good luck!
Original post by jasonjpatrick
IBA Global is commission based as well but trust me you will be going home with literally nothing if you want to think of working for them. If you think upselling charity donations is going to teach a lot about sales. Good luck!




Have had the same experience thanks everyone for sharing this information and exposing these companies lies
2 of the main people that run this operation are josh peace and Boyd parker but it goes waaaay higher than them. I forget the names of the bigger boys but they’re all American. Boyd parker of hero Corp is a Big guy and very intimidating. He operates out of london but has been known to travel to Southampton, Birmingham and Manchester. He has threatened his employees and has used physical violence as well (i witnessed this). He thinks he is a super hero but is a complete and utter bully and a serial manipulator. I spent 6 months with this guy, and even though now looking back I can say it is all a manipulation, I DID make money. However, I only made money because I am actually extremely good at sales. The people who were with me on “my team” however had no chance. This is a classic pyramid scheme, where they recruit as many people as possible to feed people at the top of the pyramid I.e Boyd parker and beyond. You will be selling a range of products, door to door. Start from 9am-10pm. Monday to Saturday with Sunday off. 1 day off! Roughly 60-70 hours per week. You will only be paid commission in what you sell and unfortunately this is a law of average game. I was personally making 300-500 per week but without sounding modest again, I was good at the job so I didn’t really mind the long hours. I was in london, making good money and having a laugh. I started to realize it was impossible to get up the pyramid around the 5th month of being there. I was training sales people and giving my sales skills away for free and wasn’t getting any closer to moving up. The “scam”, if you want to call it that, is to make you believe that you can become a manager or an owner within a short period. This is hardly ever the case. The only person I heard of doing such a thing was a guy called matt wasall. I wouldn’t call it a criminal scam as they are not breaking rules or laws but they do prey on vulnerability. If you are not good enough at sales then don’t do this job. The amount of people who “make it” are extremely low. We’re talking 1 in 5000 people. The people saying “you don’t get paid” and “it’s all a scam” ect, they are wrong. Trust me, you do get paid but you have to be good and have to be motivated to want to make money. Regards
Original post by khalid78628
I was looking for a part time job as i had 4 months off. Came across a company called IXL on reed based in canary wharf. I was expecting a admin job, passed first interview. Invited next day for an assessment day only to find out it was a door to door sales job. 100% commission, awful hours. Basically they are lying to you and manipulating naive young people that are new to job seeking, like i was. Its so funny and sad that the employees think they will earn couple grand a week. Basically if it says direct sales on their website stay away. Its funny because i got through to an assessment day with KPMG school leavers last year which i missed out on. It was unbelievably professional and then one with IXL. Moral of the story, only apply to recognised firms. Those *******s ruined my whole day giving me false dreams.

Had so much of a similar experience with a place called gold vibes in Birmingham. 14h days which did get relentless and I didn't get paid anything for it 😡. Stay away from these *****y jobs is the moral of the story!
Original post by khalid78628
I was looking for a part time job as i had 4 months off. Came across a company called IXL on reed based in canary wharf. I was expecting a admin job, passed first interview. Invited next day for an assessment day only to find out it was a door to door sales job. 100% commission, awful hours. Basically they are lying to you and manipulating naive young people that are new to job seeking, like i was. Its so funny and sad that the employees think they will earn couple grand a week. Basically if it says direct sales on their website stay away. Its funny because i got through to an assessment day with KPMG school leavers last year which i missed out on. It was unbelievably professional and then one with IXL. Moral of the story, only apply to recognised firms. Those *******s ruined my whole day giving me false dreams.


mate I fell into doing this with a company in Cardiff called Cobra group...was hellish. Had to spend a week in Margate (also hellish) doing door to door for RNIB.

Everyone deluded themselves into thinking they would make a fortune but it was just schmuks leading schmuks with one person at the top making a killing.
Avoid Avoid Avoid! These companies have been around since the early 2000'. London Marketing Company were another one. They simply change their names and they have the most outlandishly brainwashed people working for them. It's a total scam. I spent one day back in 2009 working for a similar company and I just walked away. They all play the same tune and the setup is always identical. When I walked away my mentor (if you could call him that) phoned me and left a voice message on my phone saying that the company really wanted me to work for them because I was particularly impressive! haha. I walked away you morons. How is that impressive? Pyramid Scheme that MUST be avoided
Original post by Paulwyn
mate I fell into doing this with a company in Cardiff called Cobra group...was hellish. Had to spend a week in Margate (also hellish) doing door to door for RNIB.

Everyone deluded themselves into thinking they would make a fortune but it was just schmuks leading schmuks with one person at the top making a killing.


Nail on the head. Anyone reading this thread - all you have to do is read Paulwyn's comment above and look no further into this crowd of cowboys. Just don't waste your time and energy on them.

The tricks those at the top use are so immoral. One such trick for London Marketing Company was to have a Porsche parked out the front right at the entrance to the building. It's all a game. They're not selling you a job, they are selling you a totally unattainable pipe dream just like all Network Marketing (aka Pyramid Scheme with subtle twists). Don't get me wrong; the guys / girls at the top are making bank but this will not happen to you.

My advice to any graduate is to focus on Startup tech companies who need young, driven and ambitious people. There are lots of them sprouting up in London and you will be paid a salary circa 20k - 22k. It's a much better way of starting your career and if you get in early with a successful startup you could do very well for yourself. They are usually small outfits who rely on venture capitalists so they often look for graduates who are happy to not be paid mega bucks but who are also happy to learn new things and grow with the company. This is a way better solution that falling for these types of scams.
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 56
I had this exact experience back in 2009 (back then the company was called Marketing Solutions). I stuck out the second day of traipsing around a housing estate and then declined the job offer on the bus home as I had realised it was a pyramid scheme essentially. The guy who's team I would be in (I.e. who would take a cut of my earnings) was trying all sorts to encourage me to accept
Original post by Emmalm
I had this exact experience back in 2009 (back then the company was called Marketing Solutions). I stuck out the second day of traipsing around a housing estate and then declined the job offer on the bus home as I had realised it was a pyramid scheme essentially. The guy who's team I would be in (I.e. who would take a cut of my earnings) was trying all sorts to encourage me to accept


I got taken in by an advert for one of these scams a couple of years ago. The ad was supposed to be for a marketing job & the description sounded quite good. I found the whole follow up from it strange, they replied almost immediately, saying they were really impressed by my CV, even though there wasn't anything that outstanding on there, & wanting me to come in for an interview the next day. Also they managed to spell my name wrong in the email they sent & the information about what they actually did was vague. I went along to the interview anyway because I wanted to know more about what it was, even though I was seriously starting to wonder if it was legit. The 'interview' wasn't like any sort of normal interview & was more like a hard sales pitch with the guy bragging about how much money you could make, even though he was wearing the cheapest looking, scruffiest suit I'd ever seen. I eventually got it out of him what the job actually involved & it turned out to be door to door sales, commission only as well. I made it clear I wasn't interested & that the description was totally misleading. I did a bit of research & found out there's a whole chain of them, basically a pyramid scheme where people get scammed into going round knocking on doors for next to nothing in the belief they'll rise through the ranks & be making a fortune in no time.
(edited 5 years ago)
I think some of the charity fundraisers you see in the street work for the same sort of companies which would explain why they're so persistent. I always seem to get targeted by them, probably they notice me because the way I dress, colour I sometimes dye my hair etc often stands out from the crowd. I've had it a number of times where fundraisers have commented that they've seen me walk past earlier in the day & just find this type of collecting really annoying & intrusive. I know what they're trying to do but I think its more likely to put people off donating. Plus, a big cut of your donation probably goes to the marketing company rather than the charity.
Reply 59
IBA GLOBAL: NOT GO TO THIS COMPANY, EVER!

It started off when I put my CV up on totaljobs. I got a email saying that I have been selected to go to an interview in Wapping. Honestly at first I was thrilled because I’m in desperate need of a job as its hard for me to get one right now as I am in the middle of finishing my last year of college.

Don’t get me wrong, when I arrived, the place looked legit. Posh, beatiful decor, amazing view of the sea from the office. Anyway, so it was a group interview, me and 3 others all interviewed by a man where we talked about ourselves and our work experiences and all that and he told us about being a “Brand Ambassador” and what it included. At this time I was completely oblivious, but he never even told us what IBA even stood for or at least a reminder of it for those who already know. They promised travelling the world and stuff like meeting successful businessman and made it out to be this big opportunity, I was stupid enough to believe it.

So the first day I barely suspected a thing. However my family was curious about how little I knew about it and what the company was feeding us. We looked up IBA and found mixed reviews on google as expected. So they found student room and saw the reviews on here. I honestly didn’t know what to do.

I went to the second interview anyway but I was prepared with questions. I had to dress in business attire and went to this meeting where there were a lot more recruits than expected. 1st red flag. The interview told us more about what they do, which was door to door direct sales. 2nd red flag, I originally signed up for indirect and social media marketing. So make sure you think this through and do your research, don’t make this mistake if this is not what you want to do.

The 3rd red flag hit me like a ton of bricks. We were then individually separated to shadow other workers and travel out of the area, which was not I was expecting and certainly not something they told me about beforehand, they had only emailed and called about dressing appropriately, nothing else.

So I was sent off with this woman and her group of more experienced recruits where we had to take 3 trains (a huge waste of money at the end by the way as I took the train to the office) All it was is knocking on doors and promoting this brand called Gousto. Barely anyone was home, and those who did answer were mostly the elderly, who didn’t order online and barely use the internet (Gousto requires ordering fresh ingredients online and delivers to your door with instructions to cook the dish for those who don’t know.) This kept up for at least 2-3 hours of my life I will never get back and it was freezing cold. I started to ask questions such as the pay, and as suspected, it’s all commission based. In other words, no sales, no money. It all depends on if you even make a sale at the end.

We eventually got a worthy customer to sign up. Whilst we were there, the woman I was shadowing and a 1st day girl on the job were struggling to set up the account. It was just a pointless trip I spent so much money on to just to get there.

Now for the 5th and final red flag: The woman tried to send me back to the office for a final interview whilst serving the current customers when I was supposed to stick with them until 8. I was relieved to get out early, but devastated that I missed the signs of a scam.

At this point I knew the job was all a bust. They expected me to back to the office, spend more money on those 3 trains getting there where I might find out I’m not cut out for the job and then back home. So in the end I made the decision to go straight home as I barely had money left. On the way back home I called the office to tell them I won’t be turning up for the final interview as I thought that the job wasn’t to my liking and suiting. The call literally lasted 15 seconds where the lady on the phone responded, “take care, bye.”

Overall a terrible experience and a waste of time to a unprofessional, unorganised, unofficial company. I take this as a lesson to avoid scams like this in the future. Money and missed college lessons all for nothing. Let this be a warning to those applying for the same or similar company.

Signs of a scam:
1.) It’s for direct sales
2.) Commission based work
3.) The workers don’t even tell you what the company stands for
4.) Don’t even tell you you’d be travelling out for many hours that day
5.) Just shut you down immediately when telling them it’s not for you, most jobs I know would try persuade you to stay, in this case it’s a scam, they can scam many other people to replace you.

You can even skip the interview, they won’t chase you if you don’t show up, or you say you can’t make it on the phone.