Plus Finance recruitment - real or scam ??? Urgent

Asking for a a friend who doesn't have a tsr account. Sheis a graduate without experience and wants to go into accountancy.
she's applied for entry level jobs and got a phone call from plusfinancejobs for an initial interview. It turned out to be an interview for one of their distant learning course that guarantees employment.

They charge £1000 for the course but for a graduate that doesn't apply. You still have to pay £350 registration fee. browsing their website they have good reviews from people saying it landed them a good position.

She is looking for second opinions before signing up to them. When you are unemployment I think you just want to get a job. However, My gut feeling is it seems a bit dodgy. Any advice ?

Reply 1

rg1989

I believe I received a phone call from this company. I thought it sounded a bit dodgy so gave it a miss. I can't comment on whether or not they are actually dodgy.

I remember them 'interviewing' me over the phone. To me, it felt more like a sales script that had been adjusted to sound like an interview. I don't think the 'interviewer' actually listened or cared about my answers.

Reply 2

aasaad001

i receive a phone call yesterday and today from the same company. The payment was 350 pounds too. they are telling me that only 3-4 placesleft so i should make the payment quickly. did they tell you the same thing?. it feel a bit dodgy to me too. did you friend went through with it?

Reply 3

Kre

£350 registration fee? For what? A course supposedly worth £1000? How absurd.

I wouldn't touch these people with a barge pole. How could you possibly contemplate parting with cash after a couple of phone 'interviews'? Boggles the mind.

Reply 4

chloeww

Original post by Kre

She didn't go ahead. she goes the next day the consultant arranged her interview with the 'manager ' of a large accountancy firm for 8pm. Lol which manager is free at that time. But she got a call the next day in the afternoon from the so called manager and she goes there was a lot of background noise , lots of people talking really loud. I'm guessing it was in the same call centre.

Reply 5

DylanCraven

I too received a call from one of their agents yesterday.

At first I thought it was a genuine call from an agency that had seen my CV on online. He said that I had applied for an assistant accountants role, which I may have as I've applied for so many jobs recently. He asked how my job search was going etc and seemed to be quite genuine. He said that I had a great CV but that I was lacking in practical accounting experience. At one point he asked what my job situation was, surely if he had my CV as he said he had then he would have had this information.

He stated that if I had work experience on my CV along with my AAT qualifications that I would easily be able to get a job.

He then went into his whole sales pitch and that before I could be accepted on to the programme that I would have to speak to one of his managers.

Once he started going into sums of money then I got suspicious. I then ended the call because I started to get really uncomfortable.

It's a shame that companies can use such tactics to prey on people.

Reply 6

M1011

It's a scam. Any decent recruitment company will be paid by the company they are recruiting for, not by the candidate. Avoid these con artists.

Reply 7

QE5

Please avoid these companies. They prey on the unemployed, taking advantage of them. I paid a company £350 in order for them to find me an accounting placement, as I was desperate and had no experience. Even after 18 months, they wouldn't respond to me, once I paid them the money. It was all a scam, never pay these recruitment agencies. Like the poster above stated, they would be paid by the company, not the candidate. Be careful !!

Reply 8

buk

I got the same call. Sounds very dodgy. Is there a way how to ascertain if they are genuine and if they are not how to report them?

Reply 9

mink99

I got a call from plusfinance jobs yesterday and they asked me for £350 registration fee after interview.
I was feeling a bit uncomfortable from the outset but I am nearly certain now that they are dubious. Anyone who actually went ahead and enrolled?

Reply 10

Nies

I got a call from them as well. I was given the impression that they were genuine recruiters and then he went on this sales pitch mode that really threw me off. When he got to the money side of things my doubts started but I just continued listening. At some point he said that I have to pay the registration fee immediately after the telephone interview with one of the managers. I went ahead and made the appointment for the next telephone interview but ended up cancelling it later on because I didn't trust the whole thing. I told him that I already have a certificate in Sage 50 and he didn't pay me no mind. Now, if I tell you I already have that certificate, why on earth would I do the course again??
The comments on here confirmed my thoughts so I am happy I didn't go ahead with this rip off!