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2003-08-09 19:38:00 UTC
*****Hundreds of testimonials and experiences about Scentura and World
Perfume from around the world, from people who worked at Scentura up
to ten years (206 pages!) Message 1 of 4***
******
Skip to message 2 of 4:
World perfume testimonies; people who stayed with scentura for less
than a week
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=scentura&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&scoring=d&selm=d1036f37.0308072125.67d5f691%40posting.google.com&rnum=2
Skip to message 3 of 4:
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=scentura&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&scoring=d&selm=d1036f37.0308062051.650ca80b%40posting.google.com&rnum=1
Skip to message 4 of 4:
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=scentura&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&scoring=d&selm=d1036f37.0308052000.157ce7b1%40posting.google.com&rnum=2
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Go to section 1 and 2: TELEVISION, MAGAZINE, NEWSPAPER REPORTS (17)
AND COURT ORDERS AGAINST WORLD PERFUME AND SCENTURA Section 2: WHAT IS
WORLD PERFUME AND SCENTURA?
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=scentura&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&scoring=d&selm=d1036f37.0308072134.67abf472%40posting.google.com&rnum=1
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Go to section 3:
Section 3: What You Can Do To Shut Down Your Local World Perfume &
Scentura
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=scentura&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&scoring=d&selm=d1036f37.0308062043.594b9373%40posting.google.com&rnum=2
*******************
Go to section 4:
Scentura Better Business Reports; Description of what happens, Day to
Day ; Response to World Perfume headquarters email and chat line
message ; Sources of info on world perfume and Scentura
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=scentura&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=d1036f37.0308051744.97e2fa4%40posting.google.com&rnum=2
********************
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We need you help. Close down the local office with these easy and
proven steps:
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=scentura&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&scoring=d&selm=d1036f37.0308062043.594b9373%40posting.google.com&rnum=2
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INDEX:
-THE MANY LIVES THAT SCENTURA RUINED (Bankruptcy, broken families, car
accidents, no paychecks) 0-00
-PEOPLE WHO WANT HELP CLOSING DOWN THEIR LOCAL WORLD PERFUME/SCENTURA
1-11
-MESSAGES FROM MIKE BARRICK WHO SPENT TEN YEARS IN BUSINESS
- HISTORY OF SCENTURA, FROM SOMEONE WHO SPENT YEARS IN THE BUSINESS
2-22
-MESSAGE FROM A RECEPTIONIST AND DISTRIBUTOR IN THE BUSINESS
(Witnesses to the lies) 3-33
-INNER-WORKINGS OF SCENTURA DISTRIBUTORS 4-44
-FLYER FROM CHAT BOARD 5-55
- FRADULENT CLA*SIFIED ADS (receptionist) 6-66
-IMPRESSIONS OF TRAINING. (Lies, fraudulent advertisements, selling in
parking lots and being ticketed, FFAAR)
WORLD PERFUME 7-77
SCENTURA 8-88
-How to download these messages yourself 9-99
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THE MANY LIVES THAT SCENTURA RUINED 000
*** The office I worked for just picked up and left once they heard
what happened to me***
Posted by Kel (***@Hotmail.Com)on February 04, 2002 at
14:27:02:
It so funny how I read all these peoples story about Scentura
Creations and it is all true. Every single bit of it.
Well this company is ruthless and they cost me about $15,000.
I went to Alabama for some big shot meeting with Rob& Ricki. Well on
the way back to Florida I ended up in serious car wreck in the car of
one the managers. The cars tire fell off and made the flip several
times on the Interstate. Well to make it short the car landed on my
head (THIS IS NOT Bull!)
Not only that all the medical bills I'm stuck with right now cause of
these nuts.
Also the office I worked for just picked up and left once they heard
what happened to me.
Any one that can provide me with any info about any offices in Orlando
please email me at ***@Hotmail.Com
*****
** I wrecked the car and went to the hospital. The manager came to
pick up the perfume, threatened my mother for money, and then left
without asking how I was doing. I was fired. ***
http://dcregistry.com//forums/employment/messages/6354.html
I started training 2 weeks after you did. We did a satellite in
Missouri together. I was probably made out to be a WPS [weak Piece of
Sh*t] by R, R & D [Rob Zirbel, Ricki Zirbel & Denny]. But I'll leave
what REALLY happened for others that may be interested. Glad to hear
all is going well for you.
I was fired by Designers International a Scentura distributor after I
was involved in an automobile accident due to being flat broke, being
awake since 7 am the morning before and having to drive 15 hours just
to try to get home because I had no money to stay anywhere else. Since
I was the manager for the satellite I was responsible for keeping the
unsold bottles of perfume.
When I wrecked the perfume was in the trunk of my car. Several bottles
were broken. It was only when I didn't show up for work on that Monday
that the owners found out I was in a hospital just across the state
line.
One of them came and got the perfume, made my mother pay them $20 for
each damaged bottle to keep them from suing me for theft of property.
Meanwhile I'm laying up in ICU with multiple broke bones and not once
did they ask how I was doing. Did they ask how the other girl that was
with me was? NO! Plain and simple, I was fired because I was in the
hospital and didn't report for work, I couldn't very easily turn in
the perfume in from the hospital now could I? The doctors had me so
drugged up, I couldn't tell anyone to call the special 1-800 # they
gave me to call and let them know what had happened.
Of course since it wasn't turned in on Monday like in the fake
contract I signed they considered it to be stolen. I know that just
makes a whole lot of sense, NOT! That was THEIR words not mine.
Tara
***6 MONTHS IN SCENTURA: I am 23years old and filing BANKRUPTCY***
Posted by Cheryl on January 21, 2002 at 21:15:11:
I worked for Jason Mergl and Ben Montgomery in Portage, IN for 6
months in these 6 months I am left with nothing but just broke as a
joke!!!
They target young individuals who I guess you can say live the hard
life people who have less to nothing they dangle a BIG carrot in front
of your face and you see no results.
My mom and dad told me to quit, I told them to f- off I was a
different person and Scentura made me that way.
I was in college had common sense and knew the difference between
right and wrong.
They tell you that you do not need to be a professional sales person
WRONG that is all the business is based on is you sales the people who
they recruit.
If you ever make it to become an owner you will have to do the same
things to people: LIE. Ben and Jason show you how to become a pro.
During training you sell this fake stuff at gas stations, carwashes,
walking around malls hoping not to get kicked out you work anywhere
from 60-90 hours a week because once you leave the office your
expected to go out and sell the perfume at night.
If you have a so-called "negative person" telling you that this place
is a SCAM, LISTEN. I wish I had.
You make maybe $30.00 a week putting it back in you gas tank or hotels
when you go on these FUNCARS not to include the miles you are putting
on your car. I started with a little over 30,000 miles on my car and
when I left I had over 50,000.
I am 23years old I have my car sitting in the garage so my car will
not get reposed until my lawyer takes all my paperwork to court in a
few days to have my BANKRUPTCY case processed.
Yes, I am 23years old and filing BANKRUPTCY because of those Jason
Mergl and Ben Montgomery. I may lose my engagement ring because the
court may want to sell it.
Ben and Jason will say " well you were broke before you came here" no
I wasn't I was just laid off my job looking for a new one but I fell
into all there lies. Needless to say they destroyed me!!!
With all the steel mills letting people go: beware they love that more
people to sell for them if you do make it in the company just think
the only way it works is if you know how to screw people over.
There are 3 offices in the area Portage, In. Hobart In. and Lansing
Il. ( I use to run that one).
*** In this past Sundays Denver Post I read an article that horrified
me. A girl selling perfume less than 1/2 mile from the Ol' Factory
Wholesale office was raped at approx 4:00 PM on Friday***
Posted by Schauds (***@att.net )on November 12, 2001 at 11:11:42:
Ol' Factory Wholesale has 8 offices in Colorado. They are affiliated
with Scentura Creations.
I applied and had my second "interview"/information seminar with them
on 11/8/01. It was very unprofessional with swearing, loud music and
offensive jokes. I stuck around to get a better idea of what kind of
scam they were all about. In the end, I was selected for their
"Fast-Track for Success".
I immediately came home and did a web search for information on
Scentura Creations. Well, that was one stone I was glad I overturned.
The info that I saw made my decision not to start my training the next
day solid.
The Regional Manager called me the next morning and asked why I was
not there. I told him I thought I deserved better, that the previous
days interview left me with a bad taste in my mouth and that I had
read enough about Scentura Creations that I was sure I did NOT want a
career with them. I wish now that I had gone that next morning and
warned everyone there what I had found.
Their office is currently located at 2785 N. Speer Blvd in Denver CO.
Phone # is 303-433-6900. If after reading these posts you are still
considering a job with any company affiliated with Scentura Creations
I can only wish you luck and ask you to watch your back.
In this past Sundays Denver Post I read an article that horrified me.
A girl selling perfume less than 1/2 mile from the Ol' Factory
Wholesale office was raped at approx 4:00 PM on Friday. This was the
first day of training folks. And although I cannot say that she was
selling Scentura Products. I can only imagine someone that I had
interviewed with was walking away from her first day of training to
find her very first sale and becoming a victim of a horrible crime.
We all have to make a living. I am not putting down the people who
must sell whatever they need to survive. I am however, against a
business that would mislead and misrepresent in order to make a buck.
I hope that information posted here and elsewhere throughout the web
will help more people to make more informed situations.
*** On one of my trips, the tire on my car broke off and the car
flipped about 3 times . The lady in the office even denied knowing who
I was****
Posted by Katie (***@aol.com)on September 29, 2001 at
00:51:58:
Yea. I just wanted to add to everyone's little notes.
I worked for Scentura Creations for about two months. I wouldn't call
myself a gullible person. In fact, I'm not.
I lost almost everything with this company. They were constantly
sending us out of town to peddle this sh*t.
And on one of my trips, the tire on my car broke off and the car
flipped about 3 times. One guy got flown to Jacksonville hospital and
the other three of us went to the local hospital. In the chaos of this
all, my father called the office and they took no responsibility for
any of this. They said they didn't know that I had been out of town.
Even though they were all with me. The lady in the office even denied
knowing who I was.
I watched as all of my friends around me dropped out of college and
lost their apartments and their parents' support. Soon, all I saw was
disaster.
Needless to say, after the car accident, I never went back. And I took
as many people with me as I could. They are very good at convincing
you that things can be as good and as easy as you'd like them to be.
All I have to say is .If it's too good to be true it usually
is!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please beware, everyone!!!
*** Called one day to ask when he could pick up his paycheck the phone
was disconnected, I went with him to the 'office' to see what had
happened and the building was up for lease***
Posted by Mary on May 26, 2001 at 18:35:47:
I just wanted to say that my husband worked for Scentura Creations for
2 weeks and he figured that from what he had sold and his 'salary' he
had made at least $2000
Needless to say, he called one day to ask when he could pick up his
paycheck the phone was disconnected, I went with him to the 'office'
to see what had happened and the building was up for lease. About a
week later my husband saw his previous boss at a gas station and
approached his car to ask him what had happened, and the guy just
looked at him and drove away (in a new Mercedes I might add)
All my husband could was watch him drive away with his wife in tow,
driving a huge u-haul.
I am just letting you know about our experience, take what you will
from it, whether you believe it or not, but trust me it happened.
People that have the nerve to do this to a young couple with a young
baby and don't think twice will do it to anybody.
**** My office in McLean almost cost me my marriage. My bankruptcy
cost me for quite a while.***
Posted by Greg Eckenrode (***@earthlink.net) on November
20, 2001 at 10:44:39:
My office in McLean almost cost me my marriage. My bankruptcy cost me
for quite a while. But that is behind us both now.
The one positive thing that has come out of my experience with you and
the folks from Scentura, is what I learned about myself when I was out
hustling perfume. I hate cold calling. Especially when the pitch is a
lie. I can sell anything I believe in.
Greg
***Got his own office, they taught him to lie****
Posted by Greg (***@yahoo.com) on November 20, 2001 at 10:22:49:
I can't believe these people are still around. After all of the news
programs that have exposed them, you would think that they wouldn't be
able to do business.
If you walk into an office and the music is cranked up and the people
are telling you that you can own your own business by moving some
merchandise, hand it back to them and get away. And try to take
someone else with you.
I fell into this is 1990 when I was laid off. I was getting married
and needed something fast. I actually earned my way into my own
office.
That's when things really got strange. This is when they teach you how
to lie to others so that they will bite just like you.
Hire an excited young girl as your receptionist. Her enthusiasm will
keep the females around; her looks will keep the guys.
Get people to pay $25 or $50 for a background check. There is no
background check. This is a scam to make more money.
I didn't succeed because I couldn't lie. I eventually had to file
bankruptcy. So did one of the people that had opened an office across
town at the same time.
Follow everyone's advice here. Get away. Get far away.
*** I knew a girl that was in the program for two months. She couldn't
pay her bills. She lost her car and had total strangers that worked
there move in with her just to pay her bills and daycare. ***
Posted by St. Louis on November 18, 2001 at 15:34:17:
It is all true. They pay for nothing and it is one big scam. There is
a guy named "Dave" in St. Louis, MO. He sales the "dream". They have
you sign a paper saying that you are not an actual employee although
you are in their program.
They have power cars and send you out expecting you to sale to be
promoted. This is an absolute scam. I was used as well as many others.
I knew a girl that was in the program for two months. She couldn't pay
her bills. She lost her car and had total strangers that worked there
move in with her just to pay her bills and daycare.
People beware. It was a life lesson for me. I've moved on. If there is
one person that is reading this, don't continue. Stop.
*** A close childhood friend of mine almost died peddling cheap
perfumes; he was shot and then stabbed by a person who didn't
appreciate being offered to buy perfume***
Posted by J.P. (***@hotmail.com) on October 27, 2001 at
21:34:50:
Hey everybody,
I have had enough BS out of Scentura and this is what I am deciding to
do. I want to compile a database of all current Scentura offices
around the world, then send this information to my friends at the FBI,
FTC, IRS, Customs Service and BBB.
I am an executive at Microsoft, and while I have never been involved
in Scentura scams, a close childhood friend of mine almost died
peddling cheap perfumes; he was shot and then stabbed by a person who
didn't appreciate being offered to buy perfume. He was in the hospital
doing rehabilitation for almost 2 years, and I was paying the bill for
it since he quit his job as a manager at amazon.com to peddle
perfumes.
He was supposed to make $200K+ a year with Scentura, but he never will
do that again. I have many contacts throughout major companies and
government offices, so I can get information where it needs to be,
when it needs to be.
I did get ripped off on e-bay by a Scentura affiliate, but at least I
didn't almost die, it was only a 30 dollar deal, he was supposed to
send me a 3.4 ounce bottle of Acqua di Gio by armani, but i got a .17
ounce vial of some cr*p Mexican cologne.
Please either send me the information of all known Scentura offices,
including name of contact person, address, city, state, zip code,
phone number, email and country if applicable. If you don't have all
information, send whatever you have and I will see what I can do from
my end, send information to my email ***@hotmail.com or
talk to me on my AOL Instant messenger screen name, Bablu4lyfe.
Please help fellow Americans from being screwed over by evil Scentura.
I thank you for your help.
*** I recently lost my fiancé and the mother of our 2-year-old child
to this job. She left us 8 weeks ago to chase this dream***
Posted by Corey (***@aol.com)on January 24, 2002 at 06:28:08:
Cheryl,
I am sorry to hear about your tough luck. I recently lost my fiancé
and the mother of our 2-year-old child to this job. She left us 8
weeks ago to chase this dream.
She works out of Divisional Management based in the Indianapolis area,
which is very close to you. It seems like when people are really
brainwashed into this company like yourself and my ex-fiancé, it takes
6 months or so for the person to realize what they have truly got
themselves into.
Can you tell me what finally made you realize?
What was it that made you see the light?
Please email me back at my personal email if you want at
***@aol.com. Any feedback form others is always appreciated.
*** I showed up one morning to find the entire office emptied out! ***
Posted by Lynn (***@aol.com) on April 28, 2001 at 02:32:58:
I was a victim of the teaching practices of David and Stacey Babb in
Orange County, CA.
They shipped me off to an office Costa Mesa, and after I was there,
working my a*soff, for a few weeks, I showed up one morning to find
the entire office emptied out!
David gave me an office in Fullerton, that folded after my partner was
picked up on an old warrant, and when I returned to David's office
days later, it was completely empty! What does that tell you about the
business?! There were so many branch offices in the O.C. area, that
everywhere we went, we saw someone from one office or another! And gas
isn't cheap, when you aren't making any money!
If I ever see David, Stacey, or Richard (the head honcho), I will
definitely give them a piece of my mind!
*** I didn't have a place to live I stayed in my car***
*** Went to hospital for a cist on my ovary, I was told if I didn't
get to Muncie within two hours I was going to be fired because I had
my own office***
Posted by toni (***@aol.com)on January 08, 2002 at 12:23:29:
I to worked for Divisional Management in Indianapolis IN. Owners
Katie & Chuck.
I opened a office in Muncie and hated every min. of it.
I didn't have a place to live I stayed in my car. By this time I had
not talked to my family for about three months because remember they
are negative (I actually believed them) I was missing my family.
Hey it was kinda fun going out of town and meeting new people but it's
not cool when you have a car payment and everyone needs a place to
live and I didn't make much money. Enough to put gas in my car and hey
I learned how to get free food. How cool was I. but at least I ate.
Well I ended up going into the hospital for a cist on my ovary. I was
told if I didn't get to Muncie within two hours I was going to be
fired because I had my own office and I needed to be there. Well I
drove to Muncie a two-hour drive on medication cause I just got out of
the hospital
When I got there they had to rush me back to the hospital cause I was
just getting worse. Well then is when I figured out I had no place to
stay I had to beg my parents into taking care of me cause I didn't
have any money.
My dad said fine as long as I quit this scam of a job. I said
OK!!!!!!!!!! I only wish it was that easy.
I took one week off and Katie & Chuck had a meeting Sun. night just
for me. I told them that I needed to quit but they told me they would
transfer me to the Castleton office so I was closer to home and they
would give me a new partner because my partner was an a*s.
Well of course I didn't quit and my dad said he wasn't going to help
me so Monday morning I went in and quit. They told me haw big of a
wpos [weak piece of sh*t] I was and I was a loser. But I had to go.
You have no idea it was fun but there are things in life when you are
23 you need to start doing with your life.
It took me six months to just start trusting people again.
Hate is such a bad word but I HATE this company and I hope none has to
go through what I have emotionally.
*** My 17 year old daughter got so excited about this... we checked
this business' reputation on-line and now she's in the dining room
crying. ****
Posted by Mel (ca****@home.com) on June 28, 2001 at 20:49:01:
My 17 year old daughter got so excited about this when her dad came
home and told us how we were going to be "debt free" before long and
she would have more money for college and possibly a car in the
future...we checked this business' reputation on-line and now she's in
the dining room crying.
Thanks a lot Scentura, you broke my daughter's heart, but you also
taught her a lesson...Never listen to arrogant, greedy, people like
you that promise people the world in return for very little effort. If
I could get my hands on that prick Brian Burns, I'd be the one the
justice system would be after. I'd like to string the puny basta*d up
by his testicles in the wilderness, pour honey on him and leave him
for the insects or the BEARS!...And as for all of you that PRAISE this
pathetic money making scheme...SHUT THE F- UP! It's obvious someone is
paying you off to promote them via the internet. Does your mother know
what you're doing? Bet you swindled HER into buying some of that horse
p*ss in a bottle too, you pathetic swine!
***"Take care of the business and the business will take care of you"
... that's the biggest crock****
Posted by Megan (***@hotmail.com) on April 23, 2001 at 08:17:19:
Hahahaha... I was so amused to find all of these postings...
I worked for Scentura about a year ago... Yes, I have to admit, it was
a blast... Especially Miami... but while in Miami... I became very ill
with food poisoning... and do you think anyone helped me?
"Take care of the business and the business will take care of you" ...
that's the biggest crock of sh*t I have ever heard... I had a fever of
105 degrees... was fainting... puking... and when I went for help, I
ran into my "managers" Felicia and Vanessa, who both proceeded to
accuse me of alcohol poisoning, and made me look like sh*t to the
entire rest of the company... and later that evening refused to let me
out of my hotel room to eat dinner, telling me I should be ashamed of
myself, and not show my face. THE PARAMEDICS TOLD THEM I DID NOT HAVE
ALCOHOL POISONING!!
*** I got into a major car accident while working for them and I need
to pay my bills we can't find them**
Posted by tiffany (***@yahoo.com) on August 13, 2001 at 14:19:05:
I really need someone's help I worked for Creative Images in Longwood
Florida and I got into a major car accident while working for them and
I need to pay my bills I have an attorney but the only thing is that
we can't find them or proved they are real if you can help me please
contact me a.s.a.p please I need your help.
****I also got a ticket for soliciting in Pennsylvania***
Posted by loveu119 (***@aol.com) on May 12, 2001 at 07:44:41:
Hi,
I did this for 3 months or so I almost made it.
You don't make ANY money unless you sell perfume, and the trips? You
have to sell a certain amount of bottles to stay in a hotel room and
you buy all your own meals, sell bottles for gas, it was fun but at
the time I was living with my parents and without my own car so
basically my Dad paid for me to do this.
I also got a ticket for soliciting in Pennsylvania which they didn't
do sh*t about so now I can't even go there because there's probably a
warrant out for my arrest for SELLING PERFUME AND WORKING< TRYING TO
MAKE A LIVING< PAY FOR A PLACE TO SLEEP THAT NIGHT< LUNCH MONEY.
I did however meet my soul mate there who had 2 offices that didn't
work out, he quit not too long after me. That's the only reason I am
glad that I did it.
*** Two undercover cops came and gave each of us a citation stating
that we were selling without a permit***
http://www.dcregistry.com/forums/employment/messages/7028.html
From: ***@prodigy.net
Look here for people who want a reality check...
Yea...I felt for that stupid scam and it's so messed up how they trick
you into you getting your own business.
When I applied and got hired, I thought I was getting myself into
something professional.
I wasn't educated on ads that claim that they can train and get you a
management position that pays you a salary of at least 35K per/yr.
First stupid move.
Then I made the mistake of staying with them for three weeks. I kept
telling myself..."maybe something good will come out of it..." Duh!
Then why aren't I getting any money for this training bull? I didn't
see the light until one day, I was with three other people who were in
the business. We were what you call "merching" (selling at gas
stations, shopping centers, etc.) That day, we were merching and then
two undercover cops came and gave each of us a citation stating that
we were selling without a permit and now because of my stupidity, I
HAVE TO GO TO COURT BECAUSE OF THAT STUPID SENSELESS MIND BOGGLING AND
MESMERIZING JOB,"OPPORTUNITY," whatever you want to call it.
Well, that was two months ago and now I have a REAL job, a REAL
opportunity now that has a per hour salary, which is the way it is
supposed to be.
Scentura Creations can kiss my *** because they are fooling everybody
else who aren't informed about their deadly mousetrap. All they are
doing is robbing people of their money and putting them at risk with
the law like me.
So to all you people out there who work for them, you don't have a
real job. The lifestyles that you live are from all the money you
literally stole from people, which isn't right. You didn't work hard
for that like us normal people are doing.
And to all of you who are starting, listen to us. We are people who
tell you the experience we had with them. They will tell you that we
are jealous because we are BROKE. You are still going to be BROKE when
you start working for them like slaves. They are not going to give you
money! They are going to pay you in merchandise! The bonuses are
merchandise that you have to go out and sell! So don't be dumb. See
the light.
Help us shut down Scentura Creations and other scams. They stink and
they can go ahead and shove "opportunity" up their ***.
*** Please don't turn away your friends or family***
*** How do you make it? You bring in hundreds of recruits in the same
fashion you owners did. Drill them with the same lies.***
Posted by juliaca on December 09, 2001 at 07:28:49:
I never said that you don't get your office. Although very few people
do. That is why they bring so many on board at once. The survival of
the fittest theme is what makes Scentura money. People don't want to
give up, they bust their butts until they wake up and realize what
they have lost during this time or swallow their pride and all of
their values and cross over to an OWNER. You will have to make the
decision very soon if you can mislead your new hires.
If you are really, really good, you might make money. This, of course,
is after paying for all of the rent, bills, advertising, etc. Remember
that you also have to split that profit with your partner. That's no
different than running any other business. You always have to make
more profit than you are paying out for over head.. So how do you make
it?
You bring in hundreds of recruits in the same fashion you owners did.
Drill them with the same lies. Can you do it for a company that does
not care for its employees? Have you read the numerous horror stories
of people going on "satellite" trips? If not, they are trips to cities
200+ miles away. You go with a few buddies and are told that room and
food will be paid for. Little do they tell you, it is paid for by
"room" bottles.
Many could not sell the bottles and slept in their cars!! The owners
tell the kids that they can't call home! One woman was in a car
accident after driving all night back to her house (she had to drive
15 hours, hungry, exhausted from dropping bottles the day before). The
managers fired her. She was in the hospital and could not return her
product. So, they said she stole it!
If you can some how make good money with out compromising your
honesty, integrity, and other values. Please let me know. I know that
I have heard so much negative information about this company that I
will not ever be convinced that its good outweighs its bad.
On one last note. Please don't turn away your friends or family. They
will tell you that anyone who says anything negative about this
company is jealous. (It was said in my cla*s and almost everyone
else's from what I have read). Don't forget that your friends and
family love you. They would be truly happy for you if you're doing
well at your job and there was nothing at stake. Scentura drills it in
to you to worry about yourself only mentality. They even told ME that
my husband won't always be there for me!!!!
Scentura functions exactly like a cult. They break you off from your
loved ones, push you to get ahead by whatever means...all for the
ULTIMATE goal. (Instead of heaven, its your office and more $$$) and
instead of willing to die for a god, you are willing to "sell your
soul" for the company. Please just watch your back.
In closing, your friends/family are your litmus when you need an
outside opinion. So, if someone warns you. Please listen to them. You
have no reason to listen to strangers on the web. I know this.
However, why do some of these people continue to warn others over and
over again? Why are they so compa*sionate about it? (Some of these
people haven't had anything to do with the company for a year, 2
years, 10 years!!!) They do it because they have been there. They know
how the game is played. They are from all steps of the Scentura
ladder. We (any person posting anti-Scentura message) are telling our
TRUTHS, we have not reason to lie. What would we gain from that??
HOWEVER, your trainers have only one reason to lie and its a good
one--according to some. It's what motivated all of us to answer their
vague add in the first place: $$$$$
I wish you the best in life. Let me know if it works out for your in
6mos to a year from now.
Good luck and God Bless.
**** I was thrown out of my mothers house, borrowed money that I have
yet to pay back, lost a lot of life building time, and two cars
because of this load of sh*t. ***
*** I find it insane that these leaches continue to find people to run
around in the cold, using their own cars to peddle this product that
isn't what it claims to be in the first d*mn place***
Dated : February 27, 2003 at 8:29 PM
Subject: Scentura
From: ***@hotmail.com
http://dcregistry.com/forums/employment/messages/7923.html
I worked for Indy Development (Scentura affiliate) owned by Jerry
Owsley and Nick Alocca, for about three months.
I was thrown out of my mothers house, borrowed money that I have yet
to pay back, lost a lot of life building time, and two cars because of
this load of sh*t.
Granted if you don't have a problem bullsh*tt*ng people, and you are
truly desperate, you just might be able to make this work. When I
would come in on days that nothing was sold, I was told that I wasn't
working hard enough, approaching enough people, and that I wasn't
hungry enough for this 'opportunity' and if I didn't start making
sales, I would have to leave this wonderful future.
They took us to Atlanta to see the headquarters. They rented out a
bunch of suites and rooms at the Westin in Atlanta. Showed us all
this money owners were throwing around on cars and such. Made it very
be'lie'vable.
Have you ever seen the movie Boiler Room. You should if not, may look
a little familiar. When I would go out into the field here in
Indianapolis, people would chase me off.
I found out the owners of the office I worked in were selling bottles
cheaper than trainees, or even senior managers such as myself could
even get the bottles for (15 dollars or less) making it impossible for
us to make sales at 25-30 bucks a bottle. I heard on many occasions
that Nick would pressure and force people into buying bottles.
I find it insane that these leaches continue to find people to run
around in the cold, using their own cars to peddle this product that
isn't what it claims to be in the first d*mn place.
PLEASE, IF YOU ARE A PART OF THIS, OR CONSIDERING BECOMING A PART OF
THIS COMPANY, HEED THE ADVICE OF THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY WASTED THEIR
TIME. IT IS BULLSH*T. I HAVEN'T WORKED THERE IN 2 YEARS, AND I AM
STILL TRYING TO GET MY LIFE BACK TOGETHER.
HONESTLY, JUST LOOK AT THE DETAILS. DOES THE OFFICE LOOK LIKE IT
MAKES THE MONEY THESE PEOPLE CLAIM. WHAT KIND OF CARS DO THE OTHER
!MANAGERS AND TRAINEES DRIVE? WHY WOULD SOMEONE GIVE YOU YOUR OWN
COMPANY JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN SELL SOME PERFUME ON THE STREET?
****
***A Scentura distributor stole $8,000 from me****
http://dcregistry.com//forums/employment/messages/5996.html
From: ***@hotmail.com
Oh my how well I remember those professional con artists. My dealings
with them go back to 1996 in Birmingham, Alabama. "GOOD" ole Rob,
Ricki and Denny. (Gag, Choke, Gag) I still vividly remember the
stories of Rob and Ricki's $2 million house overlooking a $6 billion
golf course in one of Alabama's most elite properties. And how the
mingled with the Pro-Golf Celebs during the Bruno's Memorial Classic,
being personal friends with Chi Chi and Arnold. Yeah, yeah, yeah!!
To the point of my drama with them. I saw their ad after meeting my
now husband at the Olympic soccer gamed held in Birmingham. My husband
was from Australia his brother was participating in the games. After
he left going back to Oz, I was hanging to go there to see him. So I
sit down with the employment section looking for a second job.
When I see the following ad, "EARN UP TO $5000 A MONTH WITH
ESTABLISHED COMPANY, WE HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND
ARE EXPANDING IN YOUR AREA. MANAGERS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY. EXPERIENCE
PREFERRED/NOT REQUIRED WE WILL TRAIN YOU CALL - (don't remember the
number) ASK FOR DENNY."
I was working night shift as a charge nurse at UAB making decent
money. But I thought I needed more. I stupidly call the number, told
to come in on Monday of all days. Got there sit out in this waiting
area full of expensive looking decor, crystal and gold trophies etc...
I was given an application along with 7 others by a lady he claimed to
be the secretary, then was carried back in an office that was lavished
to the max by a well dressed woman he told me that Denny had to take
an unexpected trip to their headquarters and that she would take my
application. After she ask me about my past work experience and
current work experience, education etc... She gave me a line of BS
saying that she wasn't authorized to hire anyone and that after the
'boss' returned he would review my application and if he was
interested he would call me back for an interview and sent me on my
way.
On Thursday evening around 5:30 I received a phone call from Denny
saying that after reviewing my application he would like for to come
in for an interview. Once again stupidly I agreed. After having me on
hold for about 8 minutes or so a lady picks up and says that the only
appt available was at 10 am the next day.
Stupidly I show up that Friday morning.
I arrived a little earlier than 10 am and I saw all of these people
carrying these boxes out to their cars and leaving. Never thinking
anything about it. I go on inside and Denny comes out and makes up
some excuse about a problem with an employee and that other managers
were dealing with the problem in his office and not knowing how long
it would take he would have to do my interview in the training room.
To cut a long story short, he wasted nearly an hour running back and
forth with this problem employee and the training room kept filling up
with more people. Around 11:30 another guy comes back there saying
he's Rob Zuckert the owner and that Denny was tied up making snide
remarks about good help was hard to find etc... And rather than waste
our time, he would just give us a group interview. He gave a speech
about the company and how they tested markets for designer fragrances
etc... Showed us the famous movie about the company. And led us ALL to
believe that it was HUGE. Then he said he wasn't one to judge anybody
upfront and that as far as he was concerned everybody was worth giving
a chance too and that if we wanted the job be back Monday morning at
9:30.
I showed up along with a few others and again I saw people coming out
of the back that appeared to be the same office carrying boxes around
9:20. The first day Denny finally told us about what we would be doing
etc... But not to the degree of hustling perfume on the streets.
We were told that we would be doing market research and if people we
surveyed liked the product that they were welcome to purchase it at a
discounted price.
He passed out a list of designer fragrances and told us to select 4
that we would be interested in testing. After we selected the 4, Denny
brought 4 boxes out and explained that we were to take the bottles
home, survey our family and friends, blah blah blah. The actual cost
of the perfume was listed on the sheet but if any of them wanted to
purchase the bottle that was fine and that they could buy it for 60 to
80% off for $30 a bottle. The next day when people turned in money for
bottles sold, they gave everybody $5 for every bottle sold. Anybody
that sold all 4 bottles recieved $7 for each bottle.
Time went on, week after week. I made the power car, 100 club, 500
club etc... Was told I would be getting this 'special' diamond ring.
Told that I would be going to Arkansas to help Myra and Charlie set up
their office. On the Friday morning that I was to leave for Little
Rock, Ricki stopped me as I was loading boxes of perfume into my car,
telling me there had been a slight change of plans that Stan and Sarah
in Mobile, AL just had a problem come up and they needed me to go
there instead. And that if I hurried I should be there by 2 or 3 that
afternoon.
I headed out for Mobile with no idea what was actually going on. When
I got into Mobile, I called Stan and he met me and took me over to
their office where we unloaded the perfume. Seems that the one that
was supposed to have been helping them get set up had to leave
unexpectedly or wised up one. Sarah was more sympathetic than Stan
was. The girl had left her 2 year old back in Birmingham until she
could find somewhere to live down there and her child was taken to the
emergency room and hospitalized. Stan told her she couldn't go because
she had an obligation to the company to train new people. She told
them that she would be there the next morning. Instead she left the
office and went straight back to Birmingham. I spent 4 weeks listening
to Stan call her WFPS (weak f****n piece of S***). Time to set up my
office in Orlando, Florida.
In the meantime the guy I had met was visiting from Australia and ask
me to marry him and move to Australia with him. I mentioned this to
Stan who called Rob and Rob said that would be great, I could open up
the first office there. In the meantime while Rob and Ricki sorted out
how to go about opening the office up in Australia I got the one in
Orlando going fairly well. Rob called and told me everything was set
up anytime I was ready to leave just let them know and they'd get the
office space for me and start taking ads out in local newspapers.
I purchased my airline ticket and all was set or so I thought. 3 days
prior to my departure Denny called saying that he needed me to come up
to Birmingham. I made a flying trip up there for Denny to tell me that
for the first 3 months I would receive my shipments from them directly
but that before they could do that I would have to pay 'importation
tax' on the perfume. I fell for it hook line and sinker. The deal was
I wrote a check on my office for $572.40 which was the 'tax' on 5000
bottles. They would have to pay the 'tax' from here when they shipped
it to me. But I would recover the money back once the bottles arrived
and I had people hired to start dropping them. To quote Denny: "You're
going to be opening the first office Scentura has in Australia, you've
got the juiciest plum of them all, good luck." gave me a hug,
information on the office space, gave him my contact details for there
etc... And I was on my way.
After arriving in Australia, I immediately went to the address I was
given, which was located in a predominate office complex in Melbourne.
The people had never heard of the company and knew nothing about any
of it. Since it was night in America I had to wait several hours
before I could call Denny to find out what was going on.
When I managed to get through Denny denied knowing who I was and hung
up. I immediately called the bank to try and stop payment on the check
I'd written. To be told that the account was closed 2 days before by
Rob. When I opened the account up for Designs Unlimited in Orlando,
Rob told me for security reasons if anything was to happen to me,
accident etc that I needed 2 other people on the account, Rob was one,
Stan was the other. There was over $8000 in the account which was
supposed to be my opening operating expenses, phone lines,
electricity, furniture etc... everything except the office space which
they were supposed to be providing for me. Minus my cut of the profits
for that month which hadn't been taken out which was around $2600.
I was nearly 10,000 miles away, what could I do? I was screwed!!
When I returned back to America 7 months later I went up to the office
in Birmingham and Denny denied ever seeing me before to my face. I
went to Scentura's offices in Atlanta and got no results from them,
they claim not to condone those type of activities and claim it's
impossible for them to monitor everything that goes on with
'independent distributors'. I hired an attorney and go nowhere with
that either. They had no record where I had ever worked for them
before. As for the bank, the checking account had been closed for over
a year by that time and everything on it was in the archives. It was
such a BS legal hassle getting court orders etc... It would've ended
up costing me $1800 just for the attorney on top of the fees the bank
charged for searching for the records, along with court fees. I
would've spent the entire amount owed to me, continuing with the
lawsuit. Plus I would've had to have made who knows how many flights
back and forth for the hearings. It just wasn't worth it.
So I chalked it up as a lesson learned. These people thrive on free
labor. Anyway they can get it!
But fortunately for me, my husband's family are very prominate
business owners in the car industry and are well off and I'm living in
a nicer house than Rob and Ricki, I have everything I want, need.
Drive a new car every few months. And I didn't have to lie, cheat,
steal or peddle perfume to get any of it.
My advice, BEWARE of anyone connected to Scentura Creations.
Cassidee
[The next message is a nasty message from Stan
http://dcregistry.com//forums/employment/messages/7525.html
A poster named Tara says that she remembers her a few messages down
(so her involvement with Scentura is independently confirmed)
http://dcregistry.com//forums/employment/messages/6354.html
Cassidee also posts another message here:
http://dcregistry.com//forums/employment/messages/6047.html
--EDITOR]
***** PEOPLE WHO WANT HELP CLOSING DOWN THEIR LOCAL WORLD
PERFUME/SCENTURA**** 111
From ***@ipreferstrangers.com
I received these 3 email messages from Erin who was involved with:
Bayside Enterprises ( World Perfume affiliate)
260 Gateway Drive Suite 7-8B
Bel Air MD 21014
410-399-9898
Don Goff Don Helgi
MESSAGE 1
My boyfriend was hired by World Perfume/Bayside Enterprises...to find
your website made me shake all over, thank you so much for posting
this.
I knew something was wrong with this company when they told him
tonight to kick me to the curb, because money is all that he needs.
This upset him very much so i decided to research and that is when I
found your site.
Please email me back with any other information on bayside enterprises
specifically that you may have.
Thanks
Erin
MESSAGE 2
My boyfriend works in Belair at bayside and he went to work today to
quit and give them back the perfume and saw that if he was to go in
and quit today it would have been like a sheep going in a wolf's den.
so he came back home.
I stayed up until 4:30 this morning finding all in the information on
world perfume that I can.
There are 2 people left besides him in the training, a girl (who got
the restraining order on her boyfriend because he was coming in
between her and the company) and another boy. They tried to brainwash
my boyfriend into breaking up with me for the company, but we love
each other too much to fall for that. My boyfriend went out selling
yesterday and the one manager don went with him, he followed him
everywhere and watched everything he did. Not to mention during one
sale he actually left my boyfriend in the middle of the bad part of
the city just to see if he could pitch sales.
They told him that he was one of the lucky few who was MOTIVATED
enough to open his own company coming directly from don and Helgi, he
was so excited, until they wanted him to work until after 3 in the
morning and break up with me to get it, of course, he left and came
home to me, who has been sick in bed for three days.
That's when I got the feeling something was definitely wrong and
started researching. Don and Helgi actually started to brainwash my
boyfriend into wanting this money.
We are really not sure what to do and we definitely don't want to just
let them get away with this. We would like to get in touch with other
people who have directly been affected by bayside enterprises, don,
and Helgi and work together to shut them down.
We really have no money to get lawyers so we need to figure out the
best way to handle this with out getting ourselves in trouble. Please
forward this message to all the other people that have fallen for this
bayside enterprises thing so we can help each other.
Thank you,
Erin
MESSAGE 3
Today we have made great progress.
My boyfriend went to our local paper (which included 3 different
numbers for bayside) and talked to the head administrator and told her
the whole story, plus gave them the paper I wrote up. They promised to
look into it and get back with him. They told him that since it
happened to him directly it is going to be looked into quicker and
more thoroughly. They said a bunch of other stuff
so
Then he went to bayside and started handing out fliers and don yelled
at him telling him he had till 5 to get the perfume he owes back, so
he took them the perfume in exchange for his contract, which they gave
him a copy.
So now we have notified the newspaper, notified the tax people,
notified other employees, and got threatened by don. He asked my
boyfriend why he quit and my boyfriend said because he loves me and
this job is all a big scam, well don told him that "you cant love her
for long, she's dying" well...I'm not even sick!!!
Luckily my boyfriend took his cousin bob, "the enforcer" they saw him
and didn't try to fight him. So...today is good.
********
PLEASE CONTACT ERIN AT ***@ipreferstrangers.com to help
her close down the World Perfume distributor Bayside Enterprises.
If you have worked for Bayside Enterprises before, please send Erin
your:
Name,
Address,
Telephone number, and
When you worked for Bayside Enterprises
{ALSO, IF YOU HAVE TIME, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES ABOUT
BAYSIDE ENTERPRISES and mail them to Erin to send to the cla*sified
editors}
She will add your name to this petition, and also include the several
article on World Perfume and send it to the cla*sified paper:
Dear _____________________,
After Applying for a job with Bayside Enterprises telephone
___________________ which advertises in your cla*sifieds weekly, we
found that Bayside Enterprises has no "management positions". Bayside
Enterprises is a distributor of World Perfume, a multilevel marketing
scheme. World Perfume distributors must recruit new people every week
to survive. If the cla*sified advertisements stop, the pyramid will
collapse. We ask that you stop running these fraudulent
advertisements.
At the least this job is 100% sales and should be added to the sales
section of your newspaper and the "management position" titles should
be taken out of the cla*sifieds.
Name------------------Telephone --------Email
********CHAT BOARD MESSAGES FROM MIKE BARRICK WHO SPENT TEN YEARS IN
BUSINESS****
****I taught at a few owners schools for Scentura where we taught
owners how to recruit and retain people at all costs.****
Posted by Mike Barrick (***@yahoo.com) on April 21, 2001 at
14:57:47:
You a*sume too much. I will give you this much. There are a great many
posts here from those who "gave it a try" and after a few days or
weeks quit and blame the company. Shame on them because they are
bashing for the wrong reasons.
There are also, posts from people like me, that made over $1,000,000
in the business but still don't have a favorable opinion of how it
operates. THAT is why some of us left. The year I left the company, I
was 1 of 10 offices that won a trip to Monte Carlo.
"Alternative Marketing" and/or direct sales is awesome...but
recruiting people on false pretenses knowing that 99% of them will
leave the business in worse shape than they came, is not admirable.
The 1% of people that truly make great money w/ Scentura are people
that could make great money doing ANYTHING.
I taught at a few owners' schools for Scentura where we taught owners
how to recruit and retain people at all costs. I didn't lie to people
but I knew how to tell the story and make it sound great. I don't look
back on that time of my life with Pride, but with regret for having
steered people wrong for personal gain. Hindsight is 20/20 but I post
here to provide honest insight so people perusing for info can find an
honest take from someone without an agenda. If anything maybe I find
some feeling of redemption being able to offer information that to
people so they can make an informed decision on their future.
So why are you here Kim? What is your background? Have you ever stayed
in a seedy motel sleeping on the floor because you sold the least on
the road trip that day? Have you ever cut ties with friends/family in
naivety, believing they were going to drag you down with their
"negative attitude".
Unless you have some personal experience in the business, I contend
you are speculatively talking out your a*s. You are the person signing
the back of the paycheck while some of us are signing the front.
**** The only person making any money is the office owner****
Posted by Mike Barrick on April 21, 2001 at 16:40:32:
In Reply to: Re: I was in the Business for 10 Years and know ALL the
GOOD, BAD and the UGLY!! posted by Kim on April 21, 2001 at 01:34:11:
I didn't see your post to me prior to posting my earlier response. I
see you worked in the business although it doesn't sound like you were
an owner or at least not yourself a regional manager.
The time when people made money hand over fist was well before perfume
came along and I think on that point we can agree. At one point, the
people on the street actually made real good money and that's the key.
Whether they stayed or left, got into an office or not, they still had
a job at face value which paid pretty good.
People could go sell flatware and gla*sware, pots n pans out of the
back of their nasty old van and make $200-$300 a day if they were
decent at all. Perfume came along and even if one sold 100 bottles in
a week....( and I have done 100 club almost 100X ), they would likely
make about $500-$600 for the week.
Most people will struggle to 30-40 bottles a week and the only person
making any money is the office owner......and that's if the office
owner is making money because Larry has them paying somewhere around
$10 per bottle. This was a much better opportunity when the people on
the street could make good money and office owners could make $10-$15
per piece that their office did. Doing 300 a week was "real good"
money then but now days it MIGHT provide a living.
I too have a pretty good idea of how many people became literal
millionaires from WMI ( it doesn't compare to the internet btw ), and
I also have a pretty good idea of how many people have become
millionaires from Perfume/Scentura....and aside from Doug Zirbel, I
believe just about all the perfume millionaires were millionaires
before perfume came along.
You clearly think very highly of yourself and your "sarcastic" and
elitist posts are very offensive. I can only a*sume that is your
intention?
**** Hardly any [distributors] made it past the first year***
**** This is the Truth that Scentura distributors would hate for you
to find out about.***
http://www.seniors-s*te.com/fraud/1345.html
From: "Patrick Nichols"
Mike,
My name is Patrick Nichols. I have been working for Designers'
Int. in Birmingham, Al, a Distribution Center for Scentura. You
probably know Rob and Rikki Zuckert who run the regional office
here. Anyway, I am, or should I say that I was only two weeks away
from moving to Louisville, Ky to be the right hand for a couple
that is going to open their office there on the first of February.
I quit today because of the way some things were said and of how
several questions were left unanswered. I know that they make
everything look great and that they promise you everything, but
something doesn't feel quite right about it. Could you please let me
know a few reasons you quit. Everyone there is a salesman and I
kept feeling like they were trying to sell an idea without telling the
entire truth. I don't want to bash the company or spread false rumors;
I would just like to know the truth about what they won't tell you.
Please let me know.
Thank you for your time,
Patrick
Patrick,
It's hard for me to give you the "truth" because I am not sure what
info they wouldn't disclose. Yes, I know Rob & Ricki..........I always
thought they were nice people.
I left for a lot of reasons. I guess the main thing was that I
realized about my 5th year or so that it really isn't a business that
"anyone" can do. It's takes not only a significant talent level but
additionally, a special type of personality having the right
combination of blind faith, tenacity, positive attitude, etc... I knew
early on that not all or even many would make it, but I always thought
those that stuck it out would become successful so I believed I could
help those that helped themselves. Not the case, I promoted probably
25-35 offices myself, and had my owners underneath me promote another
25-35 offices through the years and hardly any of them made it past
the first year. Believe it or not, there were several that still
wouldn't quit even after bringing them back in for retraining and
re-promoting them and them failing again and they would keep coming
back despite their marriage having failed in the process, and ruining
their credit, etc... These people weren't quitters...they believed
what I told them. They thought if they hung in there, eventually they
would put it all together and be a huge success. You think that it
will all get better when you open your own office. Then you struggle
as an office owner but think its going to get better once you start
promoting people, then you think its really going to happen when you
become a regional, and so on...
This is of key importance in that business that you don't realize
until you are way in for years and actually start making significant
money in overrides. I a*sume you know as a promoting owner you make
money off of every bottle your promoted offices sell?
By the time I stopped believing I was doing good, I already had 15
or so offices underneath me and was making $1500-2000 per week in
overrides before I woke up on Monday and took a shower. Who would walk
away from that kind of money? I was on the verge of quitting after
about my 6th year and sat down with Carol Shottenfeld, ( I a*sume Mark
and Carol are still in the business ), and she said that if you quit
when things are down ( they were at that time and I had lost a lot of
offices that year ), you would feel like a loser and you won't quit
when things are going good because your making too much money. This
is the case for many people running offices.
So you continue and try to believe but the truth is...very few
people will ever make any significant money in that business. Think
about this.... How many office owners have you come in contact with
that are doing well? I don't mean nice car because lets be
honest...about anybody with decent credit can be driving a Lexus or a
Corvette, with a high payment of course. I am talking about seriously
living in a nice home they OWN not rent. Money in the bank, etc.....
Aside from Rob & Ricki and their promoting owners ( I think it was
Kerry Brunson if memory serves ), I will bet you haven't met anyone or
at least not many that run offices that are actually banking a lot of
money. On the other hand, I bet you have met quite a few that are
getting by clinging to the hope that "real success" is just right
around the corner if they just keep hanging on. And so the process
goes.
One more thing about Scentura or any business like it is you may
as well forget ever having any time off with peace of mind. I never
enjoyed being away from my office regardless of where I went because
there were always problems from hell happening while I was away. I
remember being in Maui on one of the trips that only the top 10 people
go on each year, and being awoken by my VP calling me at 4:00 am to
tell me one of my owners in Virginia Beach had blown out with all his
office bottles plus all the bottles from an office he promoted. Made
it tough to try and relax and have a good time when I had just gotten
the news somebody had stolen $5000 from me.
You made a good point about everyone there being a salesman
because they make money by keeping people around moving bottles. The
DC owners make money by keeping their people around. Regional managers
make money by keeping their owners around. Larry Hahn makes money by
keeping the Regional Managers around. It's tough to believe anybody
cares about you because they have an agenda.
On a final note regarding the "family" that you have become a part
of with Scentura..........When I declared my intentions to leave and
start another business, I was about immediately cut off from my
override money from the offices I had promoted, and the my promoting
owner bad mouthed me to the offices underneath me in an attempt to get
them loyal to him. After all those years, and being used as an example
of how a young guy can be successful in the business, being on the
company film, etc...... my departure was almost humiliating. The only
people I still speak to are some "real" friends I made who are also
doing other things now
I said I wasn't going to write a book report but it looks like I did
anyway. Good luck to you with whatever decision you make.
Michael A Barrick
KidsChairs
2201 Long Prairie #107-195
Flower Mound, TX 75022
*** As an office owner you don't make any money telling new recruits
the truth***
*** I Was a Regional Manager w/ Scentura (10 years of Experience). I
know all the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. ***
Mike,
Thank you for answering my questions about Scentura and how things
really are. I was wondering if I had done the right thing by quitting,
but now I rally do feel like I did what was in my best interest. Thank
you for your time and information, it helped me more than you will
ever know. Good luck with your new found career and I hope everything
works out for the best with you. Once again,
Thanks, Patrick
Posted by Mike Barrick on July 27, 2001 at 03:02:05:
I can tell you, from the perspective of someone who ran a distribution
center, and had numerous offices beneath me, anything and everything
you would want to know about this "opportunity". I am not a basher and
really not all that biased........I just know enough that I now do
something else.
Scentura's real opportunity is for you to learn the direct sales game
(an invaluable lesson btw), and once you are ready in the eyes of your
office manager, Scentura will consign you about $3000 worth of perfume
(which costs the company about $300-$400), so you can start your own
business, recruiting and training people to do the same. That's it!!
That is the golden opportunity that you have been promised.
You will at that point take all the same risks/responsibilities of any
other entrepreneur.......including signing your name on the lease for
an office space, spending money on advertising before making a dime,
working 60-70 hours a week, etc...
Can you make money doing this?? Absolutely. I made over $1,000,000
doing exactly what I just described.
Will you learn a lot in the process?? Absolutely!
Here is the problem.....Not many people would warm up to the idea of
selling stuff on the street while virtually going broke ( more on this
later), so the recruiting office owners have to make it sound
extremely appealing. If they described it factually (like I have above
), they couldn't recruit enough people to stay afloat. They pitch the
opportunity to all the recruits just like the sales people pitch the
perfume to people on the streets. This is where the ethical boundary
gets crossed. You have to put your own good before the well being of
anybody else in order to be successful in this setting. Most that walk
through the doors for an interview will never make a dime doing the
perfume business, but you (as an office owner ) don't make any money
telling new recruits the truth. You tell them all that they can do it
if they make enough sacrifice, burn bridges with their family and
friends who try to talk them out of it ( in effect, alienating them
from everyone but other people in the perfume business), Put the
blinders on taking all focus away from any "Pre Scentura"
values/priorities and they can be successful.
Please understand as you read this.........I was the guy telling you
all this. I had a recruiting ad in the paper 52 weeks a year telling
each person that I was able to hire how lucky they were to find this
opportunity.
Every time I think of that time of my life, I am filled with shame and
regret rather than pride. Yes, I was successful in that business but
it was at the expense of others. Good people quit working for me
(financially they had no choice), and I shunned them. That was what I
was taught. Anyone that did Scentura for any period of time know the
saying.." The weak fall by the wayside, while the strong survive". The
lack of moral turpitude is what you can expect from your experience
with Scentura Creations. Nobody cares about you.....It's all about
money.
I learned a lot of things while I did that business but I learned some
of my most valuable lessons after leaving the company. Business does
NOT come before family. You can't achieve success at the expense of
others without it eventually coming back to bite you in the a*s. Most
importantly, money is NOT the most important thing. It can make things
more comfortable but in the end, your cars, jewelry, houses, etc...
don't mean a thing. Things you buy with money only provide short term
happiness which always goes away. The joy I derive from my wife,
children, family and friends is long lasting and more important than
any of the superficial BS.
Any Scentura owners that stumble upon this post will surely
rationalize that I sold out for a low income/non stressful lifestyle
but you would only be half right. The businesses I am now involved in
make me the kind of income I only experienced during seldom "highs"
with Scentura, while only requiring 25-30 hours a week. More
importantly, the people that work for me make good money and can
believe what I tell them.
Hope this helps some of you understand what it is you are
contemplating. Email me if you have any specific questions and I will
be happy to try to help.
Good Luck to all.
*** Scentura consumes you. Mentally, Physically, Emotionally without
being anywhere close to worth the investment***
Posted by Mike Barrick on August 15, 2001 at 02:36:41:
I truly have heartfelt concern for you and your family. If I had not
left that business I couldn't possibly have the family life I have
now. That business consumes you. Mentally, Physically, Emotionally,
etc.........without being anywhere close to worth the investment.
I ran an office for about 10 years and had numerous offices promoted
out underneath me.
Please take a few minutes and read the posts I have made which will
give you and your husband some needed insight into the inner workings
of Scentura. Good Luck to you and your family.
Mike
****Are you working 60+hours a week to barely pay your ads / rent/
secretary (if you can afford one)? Are you getting the "Fear of Loss"
treatment from your promoting owner/Regional??****
I know there are many young owners that have hung in long enough to
have Perfume consigned to you by Scentura....and now are running an
office and wondering when the money will start coming in. I know that
you were under the impression that once you got your own office, the
money would start flowing in just like it appears to be for your
promoting owner ( who flashes settle up money at new recruits to
appear wealthy).
Are you working 60+hours a week to barely pay your ads / rent/
secretary (if you can afford one)? Are you getting the "Fear of Loss"
treatment from your promoting owner/Regional??
Have you figured this game out yet? You are a customer. Whatever level
of your involvement.....you are a customer. If you have been engaged
as a "management trainee" then you are a perfume buying customer of
the sales office that you interviewed in. If you are an office owner,
then congrats......you are now a customer of your promoting owner,
Regional Manager, and Larry Hahn/Scentura. You are consigned perfume
because there is such astronomical profit margin at each level that it
justifies the consignor putting out a little risk to offer the goods
to you and allow you to pay AFTER you sell.
If you know all this and are cool with the situation, then more power
to you and good luck. I post this to pose perspective to those of you
that have somehow been brainwashed into thinking you with a "family"
of people that care about you. You are a customer.... nothing more.
*** Recruiting people on false pretenses knowing that 99% of them will
leave the business in worse shape than they came, is not admirable***
There are also, posts from people like me, that made over $1,000,000
in the business but still don't have a favorable opinion of how it
operates. THAT is why some of us left. The year I left the company, I
was 1 of 10 offices that won a trip to Monte Carlo.
"Alternative Marketing" and/or direct sales is awesome... but
recruiting people on false pretenses knowing that 99% of them will
leave the business in worse shape than they came, is not admirable.
The 1% of people that truly make great money w/ Scentura are people
that could make great money doing ANYTHING.
I taught at a few owners schools for Scentura where we taught owners
how to recruit and retain people at all costs. I didn't lie to people
but I knew how to tell the story and make it sound great. I don't look
back on that time of my life with Pride, but with regret for having
steered people wrong for personal gain. Hindsight is 20/20 but I post
here to provide honest insight so people perusing for info can find an
honest take from someone without an agenda. If anything maybe I find
some feeling of redemption being able to offer information that to
people so they can make an informed decision on their future.
So why are you here Kim? What is your background? Have you ever stayed
in a seedy motel sleeping on the floor because you sold the least on
the road trip that day? Have you ever cut ties with friends/family in
naivety, believing they were going to drag you down with their
"negative attitude".
Unless you have some personal experience in the business, I contend
you are speculatively talking out your a*s. You are the person signing
the back of the paycheck while some of us are signing the front.
***1 out of 1000 coming through the doors will make it to their own
office****
Steve,
I don't know what post you have read so I copy/pasted below, some good
info that should answer a lot of your questions. 1 out of 1000 coming
through the doors will make it to their own office ( 90% quit in the
first 2-3 weeks). Of those that open an office, 25% will make it past
a year. Of those who last a year, the majority of them will still
struggle to pay the bills and keep up the appearance of being
successful.
These figures are off the top of my head but are pretty accurate.
Larry Hahn stays away from drugs and booze but that doesn't go for
many of the office owners that I ever met. The sales meetings are
filled with screaming, cussing, etc.. in most offices.
The most convincing argument you could likely make would be to take a
hard look at the people that hired your son. Are they actually making
any real money? What do they drive? Where do they live? How is their
office decorated?
Chances are very good that they are just like your son, only a year or
so into the system and still struggling.
I hope some of this info helps. Let me know how it all turns out and
good luck to you and God Bless your family.
Mike
*** Larry's revolving doors are no different only its you that's the
kindling wood that keeps his fire burning***
Everybody quits at some point. You just haven't figured it out yet.
Just like all the people come through your "revolving
doors"..........some stay a day, some stay a week, and some stay
years.......but they all quit at some point. Fortunately for you they
make you money while they are there.......and when they quit....you
just hire more.
Larry's revolving doors are no different only its you that's the
kindling wood that keeps his fire burning. You'll quit too at some
point......maybe in a month, or a year.......or maybe 10 years or
longer. You will realize at some point that there are better ways to
make good money without living off of other people's struggles. I
know, I know........your helping them by giving them the same
opportunity. I thought that for years..........you'll figure it out
someday. Until then.........JUICE! he he
Mike
***Proof of who Mike Barrick is***
http://www.kidschairs.com/ScentsofPride.htm
Copy this url into your browser and see if this jogs your memory.
If this doesn't refresh your memory, then I can post pictures of Larry
and I together. I have been to three of his homes. I have been on
company trips that only the top 10 offices go on. I have taught the
owners schools that take place in conjunction with the "family"
vacations.
Ask anyone that's been around awhile.........they know me.
Mike Barrick
*** Is Larry's retirement fund more important than yours???***
December 01, 2002 at 14:21:57
Larry and your regional/promoting owner will tell you that the
"Observe L' Essence" is better/same quality as the name brand but my
contention is that you can buy similar quality rendition perfumes
through other wholesale sources for $1-$3 per bottle. Don't believe
me??..........look around for yourself.
The difference is that you need to pay up front and you won't have the
illusion of a "big company's" support. Guess what.....you don't have a
"big company's" support anyways. Did you think that the "consignment
agreement" you signed with Scentura was just a "formality"?? You will
find out soon enough if any trouble ensues.......you are an
"independent contractor" just like your salespeople that hustle the
streets.....and won't get any more support than they get.
Is Larry's retirement fund more important than yours???
HISTORY OF SCENTURA, FROM SOMEONE WHO SPENT YEARS IN THE BUSINESS
222
***Artwork and jewelry, history of Scentura***
*** The company totally went to hell when it started with perfume and
I can't believe after 14 years of being away from these messed up
people that they are STILL scamming folks***
Posted by GP on November 01, 2001 at 08:25:09:
Hi. I worked for Scentura Creations in the mid to late 80's. The scam
was the same, but at the time not many people were familiar with them
and the perfume line was brand new.
Before perfume it was artwork and jewelry.
Anyway, me and my husband worked for them for about 3 years. My
husband pounded the pavement and I worked inside. He made good money
at it, but like I said, no one was the wiser at the time so everywhere
he went people bought.
We were given the opportunity to open our own office here in Atlanta
and we did. After a while though it got to be too much and we just
wanted out.
The company was so much better when it sold artwork and household
items because the products were what they were and people were always
happy with what they purchased and the next time somebody knocked on
their door, they were anxious to buy some more.
The company totally went to sh*t when it started with perfume and I
can't believe after 14 years of being away from these messed up people
that they are STILL scamming folks. I will never understand how they
have gotten away with it for so long.
The reason I looked all of this up on the internet today was because
this morning I was running an errand that forced me to drive right by
the Scentura Creations home office. It brought back so many memories
and, of course, the office is as beautiful as it ever was.
I decided to see if they had a website or if Larry Hahn and any of the
other guys that were running the place then were still around. I've
read that some people don't even know if Larry Hahn exists. He exists
all right. I've met him, worked with his girlfriend (at the time). I
have even toured his house. He is real. He started out with an awesome
idea and somehow with all the bull-sh*ting people that ended up
working for him turned the company into a JOKE.
Please, please don't let yourself work for this company for even a
day. It will be a day in your life you will never get back.
Every once in a while I have dreams about being back in that stupid
office and in that stupid room where they yelled and screamed every
morning to try to motivate you to pound pavement all day. All the
stupid sayings they had such as PMA=OPP.
Well, this is my story.
I hate to see that this is still going on.
*I mean didn't you have a clue when you went in for an interview and
there was a room FULL of people?
*What about the application process?
*What about all the people yelling and chanting behind the walls?
I know it is easy to get s*cked in. I just can NOT believe they are
still getting away with it.
GP
Atlanta, GA
*********************************************
MESSAGE FROM A RECEPTIONIST AND DISTRIBUTORS IN THE BUSINESS 333
"They had me check the cars for any "flyers"."
I used to work for World Perfume. I worked at the office located in
Scottsdale, Az and that company was called Global Marketing. I worked
there for about 2months. Mostly in the office because I told them that
I didn't like selling that I prefer to be in the office. So I saw how
the office ran, the phones, interviews 1 & interviews 2, and the group
interview.
They had me check the cars for any "flyers". I asked them why. First
she didn't give me an answer and she ignored me about that question.
So the next day for the next group, she asked me again to check for
flyer and I asked her why she said to make sure that there wasn't any
flyers for other jobs. But obviously you stated that they were flyer
for this. Bad report information on their company.
Anyway, as time went on my family realized that it was not was it
seemed. So then I realized it too. So I quit.
If you have any questions e-mail me back. I hope that my name is
confidential.
***I was a Scentura receptionist and witnessed as the manager lied to
people***
Posted by Holly Foust (***@hotmail.com) on January 17, 2002
at 14:46:16:
I was working in Colorado Springs For Michael Black and his "company"
National Wholesale (with scent. creations) and I have this to report:
I was his right hand, did all of the dirty work, and witnessed as he
lied to people and promised them pay and swore they would not be
selling at all, then made them, broke the news, and promised them
their own business - if that's what you call selling fake perfume on
the street.
I stayed for a few months, being paid $100 a week to work as the
receptionist and hire new people working 6 days a week, not being able
to call home when I was away and constantly being told by Mike to
dress sexier, wear shorter skirts, more make-up, curl my hair and wear
high-heals.
He is a part of the biggest scam in the world in my opinion. He
pretends to own his own business (he said he was about to promote me
to be an owner) but honestly, what kind of owner goes out on the
streets and sells fake perfume? It is the biggest joke I've ever seen,
and I think someone should stop the company's lying.
***I worked for one of Scentura's "Distribution Centers" for 3 years;
In the long run, I saw many, many people lose a ton of money***
Posted by Steve on July 08, 2001 at 01:19:01:
Well, I agree with all of you. I worked for one of Scentura's
"Distribution Centers" for 3 years.
I meet lots of interesting people that seemed to make a lot of money,
although I do not know if they are still there. Rob & Ricky, Richard
Wentz, Marc & Carol Schott, Dan Long, Joe Lussa, Joe Seana, and many
others.
My distribution centers was in the top ten of the "Scents of Pride"
several times. I made some money while I was there, but in the long
run, I saw many, many people lose a ton of money.
We hired everyone, just so they would go sell a bottle of fake
perfume.
Upon opening my distribution centers, I got the letter stating that
the bottles were not real, which I was told in training, but they
sugar coated it.
I worked so much for Scentura that I had very little time to meet
people and see friends and family. Therefore the people working for me
became my only friends, only while they worked for me. When they quit
we were no longer friends. It s*cked that way, because I had money and
they didn't. We were unable to do fun stuff, because they couldn't
afford it.
Yes, you can make money! But the odds are not in your favor. I would
guess that 1 out of 10,000 actually make it and the rest lose money if
they stay in the business longer than a week.
I was one of the few; I left Scentura only about $1,000 in the hole
after 3 years.
I got tired of scamming people that I knew was not going to make it
and quit hiring everyone. When I quit hiring everyone, I lost 5-10
people a week that could have sold 10 bottles each and I would have
made money, at least on FFAAR.
Since a distribution center's pay in to Scentura is (or was at the
time) $9.50, you can make some cash as a owner.
But then again you have a lot of bills, that the owner has to pay, NOT
Scentura, office rent, phone line, electricity, credit card machine
fees, fed ex (to mail in your payment to Scentura), shipping for the
bottles to be sent to you, furniture, copies for applications, copies
of sheets to consign bottles to "employees", and other misc. It adds
up fast.
It was most definitely, not worth the time I put into the business. I
urge you to listen to your friends and family when they tell you not
to do this. The odds are against you.
The distribution centers owners are only going to tell you what you
want to hear. This is solely my opinion, and some owners will bad
mouth me, but it is the honest truth.
Wonder why there are no email or phone numbers on the
www.scenturacreations.com web site? Is it because they get to much
hate mail as it is?
If you are still not convinced, look in a recent "Scents of Pride"
newsletter (if they still have them), then ask your owner for a Scents
of Pride, say 6 months old. See how many names are in both
newsletters. You most likely want see many, because most quit due to
being broke.
*** I was in the company for 9 months and made less than I would have
made in 1 month working for McDonalds***
Posted by watson (***@yahoo.com) on October 03, 2001 at
16:51:59:
Yes, it is a scam. I was in the company for 9 months and made less
than I would have made in 1 month working for McDonalds I wish nobody
to go through the experiences I had gone through.. Watch out for a guy
named James LaBlance and Mallory they are the power houses of the west
coast.... they took over Washington and moved to California...
*** I did this for a whole year. Scammed a lot of people for which I
am very sorry for***
Posted by Tina on June 30, 2001 at 21:36:00:
I did this for a whole year. I was in my office. Actually believed in
this.
Scammed a lot of people for which I am very sorry for. I actually
believed in this. My "district manager" was very convincing. She was a
great con. I on the other hand wasn't. So all you who think it isn't a
scam, open your eyes and stop being vulnerable.
If you can sell, you can actually do this. If you can't they are going
to make as much money off you until you can't sell anymore. Then they
will give you an ultimatum or do a fire sell. Anybody who has been
with a Scentura company long enough you know what a fire sell is.
If anybody has questions post them and I will gladly answer them
truthfully and not because I'm bitter. This experience gave me
confidence. Made me a positive person. But put me in debt
**** Their supposed paid business trips are not paid for***
*** They don't give you the money to open your office, you have to
sell 150 bottles to get the money for it. ***
Posted by Tina on June 30, 2001 at 22:10:11:
I did this for a whole year. I opened an office and all I did was
scammed people just like I was, which I am very sorry for. You can do
this if you can sell perfume bottles on the street and also you have
to be a good con artist, which my "District Manager" was one of the
best. They have you sell much as possible and if you can't sell
anymore they give you an ultimatum or a have a fire sell. To people
who want to try I suggest you don't.
Their supposed paid business trips are fun but not paid for. In June
we went to Florida for the family reunion. It was a lot of fun. I had
to pay for my own plane ticket. Also who ever you share a room with
you have to split the bill. You do have cocktails and dinner which is
free except for the drinks. You also do meet Larry Hahn. YEA! They do
have the rally and they do give away a car.
Also they don't give you the money to open your office, you have to
sell 150 bottles to get the money for it.
In order to get to that point you have to sell perfume on the street.
I had to sell 20, 30, 40, 50. Also in certain levels if you didn't do
in one week you had to start over. I know they said they have changed
it but believe they haven't. I know we came up the idea that they are
now using.
Also of Friday for "power car power pair up" you have to hit you
target which is anywhere from 5 to 15 bottles for that one day. If you
don't you probably won't get promoted.
They also will call you things like "W.P.O.S." which means weak piece
of sh*t. Then I had to sell more in my "district training."
If you want to know any more please post questions and I will answer.
No I'm not a bitter owner, just a truthful one. I did get something
out of this it made me a more positive and confident person.
*** The only ones making money are the Regional Managers, they receive
$5.00 each off each bottle you sell.. you only make $3.00***
*** While talking with the other trainees who were higher in rank than
myself, NONE of them made or make anywhere close to the amount per
week that was promised***
Posted by Tina on August 09, 2001 at 23:19:22:
Well, I lasted a week at their game, and all I have to say to it
is....GOOD LUCK!
They paint a pretty picture of all the money and promotions during
training. They said I could expect to make in the range of $175-$200
during my first week of training...WRONG!!!
On my first day of training they sit you down and tell you all the
wonderful things to expect, then they give you several bottles of
cologne (in our cla*ses case..8 bottle) then they tell you to go to
your friends and family to hock this stuff that's because only family
and friends will buy it to support you in your attempt to better
yourselves Believe me that is the most bottles, if any that you will
sell. They told us we would be making $10 per bottle, and the person
to sell the most bottles would make a little extra money through a
competition that they were doing...
That was day 1.
On day 2, they actually send you out to sell with one of the other
trainees. Whom just that Saturday before was in the same place you
were in Talk about poor training, if you got any at all. Two of our
people were sent out to sell by themselves, no trainer
We were told to sell the bottles, not for $27.00, which is the only
way you were going to make any money. But for $20.00, that's because a
total stranger isn't going to buy from a total stranger off the
streets and think its legit.. I was even accused of being an
Undercover Cop trying to bust people for buying this stuff. So $20.00
it was.. I sold a whopping 1(one) bottle of cologne.
During this day, my partner, me, and another trainee, were told by our
trainer that each day we were expected to share in the gas money for
the transportation. Ok.
At the end of this day we were allowed to take bottles home with us to
sell more If we could.
On day 3, we were told to sell as many bottles as possible, and were
given a quota. To do this we were to drop the price of the bottles to
sell multiple bottles to the same person, of course there HAS to be a
discount in price...OOPS, there went your gas money. Now you went from
selling there product at a profit of $10.00, now your making a total
of, hopefully, $3.00, if you sold 2(two) bottles to a person.
By Friday, you were sent out to sell outside the local area. Myself
and my partners went 200 miles, out of the way to a city that normally
doesn't receive our product, (which after hearing others, they
traveled about the same distance).
We were told this was Payday (payday isn't Our payday, its the payday
of the buyers), most people receive their payroll on Friday's. I sold
4 (four) bottles of cologne that day. We were told not to come back
from our area till we all sold our quota for the day They even told
us, "If it takes all night, then stay all night." We got back from
Fort Smith, Arkansas at 5am Saturday morning (this to wasn't unusual,
others got back in the wee hours of the morning most did).
With only a bath under my belt and no sleep, on Saturday, we were all
promoted to the next level. At the end of the promotions, we were told
to go out and hustle again. Everyone was so tired from the past night;
no one sold anything. BOY WERE THE OWNERS MAD!!!! They were so upset
with us they began to call us all names...and not polite ones..
During my venture with this company, I learned some interesting
things..
The only ones making money are the Regional Managers, they receive
$5.00 each off each bottle you sell.. you only make $3.00.
Also, the Branch managers make money off each bottle you sell. This is
how they make money to stock their new offices with computer
equipment, fax machines, and pay the rent for the first month.
While talking with the other trainees who were higher in rank than
myself, NONE of them made or make anywhere close to the amount per
week that was promised.
I ended up making less than what they promised. I ended up making a
deficit in profit. There started out with 20 people in my cla*s of new
trainees, by that Saturday, there were 8...
AND THAT WAS THE FIRST WEEK...
Tina
*** I worked there for 6 weeks and didn't make a dime***
Posted by Brandon on February 01, 2002 at 19:53:11:
Roxanne and Angela - Listen, I'm not here to bash people (although the
people there deserve more than that) but I am here to set the record
straight.
I worked there for 6 weeks and didn't make a dime. Now I know the
intelligent minds at Scentura Creations are thinking something to the
affect of "You should have been more motivated" or something but I
worked 7 days a week for about 14 hours a day for these 2 .......
(people) in Pa, and they would complain when I would only "drop" 2
bottles of cologne a day.
Here I was giving these people every dollar I made and they are
telling me I'm not doing my job. I will never be able to figure out
how the people at Scentura Creations that know what's going on can
live with themselves. They took advantage of a 18 year old kid just
trying to make a living.
Well thank god I left that "scam" and did something with my life. I am
now a 25 year old Information Technology Director making $110,000
dollars a year. Thanks Scentura!
*** I was almost arrested several times for soliciting and
trespa*sing, just for doing what they said was ok***
Posted by leoti on May 28, 2001 at 11:01:00:
Not that I get into company bashing or anything like that, but I know
from personal experience that Scentura Creations is a scam.
I worked for them for 6 months. I did everything that I was told to
do. The promises they made were never kept. The better I did the more
I had to do to get what was already promised to me.
Finally I became wise and quit. It overall cost me over 2000.00
dollars to learn this lesson.
They made us go all over the place, we had to pay for our own hotel
rooms. We were supposed to be reimbursed, but of course never was.
I was almost arrested several times for soliciting and trespa*sing,
just for doing what they said was ok. Once we (me and 5 of my
colleagues) were stranded and needed a way home. My so-called boss
Ramone Randoff left us stranded. If it weren't for my family I would
probably not have made it home. He said that if we did our jobs right
and sold the perfume then we would have the money to get home. What he
didn't say was that when he sold the perfume he sold it for 7 dollars
and we sold it for 30. I knew this because I was considered an office
manager and was supposed to be getting my own office. Which I never
received.
When things were all said and done. His office was closed and he was
sent back to headquarters to be retrained. So they said.
I cannot vouch for the whole company but from what I have seen and the
branch that I worked for, I must say that anything that can send you
to jail cannot be good for you. So make your own judgment.
I just hope that someone will learn from my mistake. I believe in them
fully, but my belief was in vain.
****I just got back from a road trip selling for these guys****
I think Scentura Creations is the biggest scam there could be.. I've
worked with them for 6 weeks and still see nothing. Just "Well now you
need to complete this part and now this part." All a bunch of lies and
misleads.
Also we're being told to lie in so many ways to other people about
kind of perfume we sell.
I have recorded a lot of conversations that were talked about on a
little tape recorder I carry in my pocket. And the conversations
always change from person to person. Promising this but doing that.
Taking people and building their hopes higher and higher only to get
nothing for these hopes and dreams.... They always beat around the
bush. When ever you come up with a complicated question, they turn the
subject to how much money you will make when you get your office..
Like a duck and run.....
I just got back from a road trip selling for these guys. The first day
on the road trip I ate some bad food (food poisoning),so I could not
do much at all but sit in the car and be miserable.
So I called the office to see if I could call it a day because I could
not work anymore. I had a temperature of 102, But the would not have
it I was to stay out there, My boss even said get motivated throw-up
on someone to get the people you are working with to laugh....Really
funny right..? So I went home to wake up in the morning feeling even
worse of course, So I would go to the hospital. For them only to get
mad and threaten form me to get back to work. I think not.
For anyone that hears about this place or gets hired for this place
turn and run now, because the do not care about you atttttttttt all
just the money you make them, and you will not see any part of this
money but if your lucky 7.00. Wow .
Anyone respond back to me if you like.
***@yahoo.com
*********************************************************************
INNER-WORKINGS OF SCENTURA DISTRIBUTORS 444
*** This is how they cover the hotel costs. They send you with a team
leader, they give that team leader 3 bottles to sell and cover the
hotel costs****
Posted by blank on May 23, 2001 at 19:05:41:
If you don't sell, you don't get paid anything. Yes, they do offer
bonuses, but like I said, if you don't sell, you don't get paid. Think
about how they make their money. It's very simple to figure out. Ask
them to give you a guarantee on paper. They don't guarantee you
anything.
Now the satellites are a joke. They expect you to work 12-hour days
and they tell you hotel costs are covered. This is how they cover the
hotel costs. They send you with a team leader, they give that team
leader 3 bottles to sell and cover the hotel costs. Now tell me this,
is that really covering the hotel costs. The team leader has to sell
those bottles to cover the hotel expenses. What kind of company would
send you on a so-called business trip and make you earn your room
after they tell you the costs are covered?
There is a lot more they wont tell you and you have to beat the
answers out of them. The place s*cks and they use you. Think about it.
***1 out of a 1000 offices survive longer than a year!***
Posted by Steve (***@hotmail.com) on December 21, 2001 at
08:50:01:
Did you not see that the weak pieces of sh*t is where they make all
their money! It certainly is not with the long term hustlers! It is
those two or three bottles that the weak people sale that makes this
company survive!! Go out and put all that energy into education or a
real job! 1 out of a 1000 offices survive longer than a year!
*** Most offices are run through quickly - not giving them adequate
time to have any reports from the BBB filed on them****
*** The Independent Contractor umbrella is one of the reasons Scentura
has continued for so long. It protects Scentura Creations from any
legal backlash from unethical 'distributors'. ***
Posted by Commentary on November 21, 2001 at 08:07:37:
The simple fact remains that most offices are run through quickly -
not giving them adequate time to have any reports from the BBB filed
on them. The office I was hired into was only two weeks old - not
enough time to compile any information on them, even though they were
promoting the same scamming business practices that their promoting
office (which did have a bad record with the BBB).
C'est la vie - bad timing, right?
The Independent Contractor umbrella is one of the reasons Scentura has
continued for so long. It protects Scentura Creations from any legal
backlash from unethical 'distributors'.
Even the BBB Website maintains that while Scentura is protected under
this umbrella, potential trainees need to understand that they are not
to believe and verbal promises and are to get a business selling
license, tax forms, and have EVERYTHING IN WRITING.
The owner of our office advertised for secretarial positions once a
month, not sales. When you are offered a salaried position with a
company car, paid vacations (don't even think for a second you can
claim Satellite - that does not qualify as a 'paid vacation'), 401K
through Scentura and health Insurance, your owner is blatantly lying
to you.
Are you claiming that all offices are managed ethically? If you are I
suggest you start hoofing it around the country posing as a trainee -
you're in for a wake-up call. Small-time business owners are sometimes
the worst tyrants. I suggest you investigate the facts before you
claim to know all about people's experiences.
*** It was then explained that I would have to sell 150 pieces per
week for 3 weeks before I could get the offices***
From Mark Flemming (***@hotmail.com):
Warnings from Holland. Scentura has got this far. I have been involved
for 6 weeks now. I was promised my own business after completing a
training course. This course I completed about 4 weeks ago and have
since been waiting for my business.
It was then explained that I would have to sell 150 pieces per week
for 3 weeks before I could get the offices. This is impossible, as I
do not even have an office to go to sell from and train.
We have one so-called office in Rotterdam, which provides no service.
I have seen no evidence of any real amounts of perfume to be
distributed; I am told we only have 33% of the total advertised
perfume available.
This sh*t has been going on since the beginning, I have sold nothing
and my girlfriend sold two. These two orders have been placed on a
back-order for delivery date unknown.
This Friends and Family is the trick to the business. After you finish
selling to your friends and family you will find no one else is
interested.
Also selling door-to-door is illegal without permission. Selling items
door to door needs special permission from your Gemeentehuis. They
will also give you rules to operate under. One of these rules is that
you must supply a money back or replacement guarantee.
Also a receipt will be needed to make the transaction legal. This is
not present in this company, new recruits are sent straight onto the
streets without any idea of the consequences.
The contact person for this venture is Michael Hales from Houston.
He is operating under the names Dynamic Management International. Tel
0031 620791256 and 0031 181615782.
Send any more inquiries to me. I have no problem helping anyone who
wants to stop these arseholes, who have cost myself and girlfriend a
nice holiday amount of money. The Flem
***** I have never seen any of these offices stay open longer than a
few months except for those at the top running the scam*******
Posted by Catherine (***@hotmail.com) on April 30, 2001 at
09:59:22:
In Reply to: Why don't some of you people get a life? posted by kim on
April 21, 2001 at 02:20:34:
I believe you need to study a little more about what you preach.
First of all Amway is a bad example if you are looking for a company
to compare Scentura too, in order to defend it. Amway was a pyramid
scheme, and is famous for that. Scentura is operating in the same
manner. Scentura, is distributing it's products to these companies, to
sell, in knowledge of the fact that these offices are practicing
illegal business practices.
The whole scam of the situation is, they place ads in the news papers
looking for management people, in which they all have a script that
they read from, and can't even use real names for contacts. The ads
placed usually state you can make between exp: 400-600 a week.
So you contact this company thinking this is a great opportunity.
So you go to the interviews in which they all act professional,
however they are not very proper for a business management interview,
they tell you that you will get paid while you train to become an
office manager for new offices they will be opening.
So you get excited go through to their second interview, oh yeah and
this was just so professional, what's your favorite sex position?
That's a business like question isn't it?
You go through the training in which you are lead to believe that you
will be getting paid for, but they tell you that you have to go out
and sell so that it helps you experience the business, but they seem
to leave out the part that unless you sell their product you don't get
paid anything.
$400-600 a week, you have to turn in 20 a bottle and if you sell them
for 25, so you would have to sell 80-120 bottles a week to make that
amount of money. It is impossible to do, no one person can sell that
on the streets and if they say they did they most likely bought the
bottles themselves, in which they will realize that the money they
just wasted on trying to up their sales, is money they are going to
need because they will never make it.
Also, they seem to leave out that certain cities, have solicitation
ordinances in which you could get arrested for not having a
solicitation license.
Now let's talk about their "fun cars" and their selling trips! Lets
see, they send you to a far location and give you so many days to
"drop" so many bottles, and ummm you have a certain number of bottles
that are sold to pay for your hotel room, but geez that's the only
money you have, because they tell you not to take any money or food
with you, because you need to earn your money to pay for this. So how
many other people slept in their vehicles?
And what about the taxes? I am sure Uncle Sam would love to know about
all the "cash" flowing through these offices that are never claimed
for taxes.
I am not telling anyone what to do, people will find out on their own.
The group I worked with managed to shut down our office with the
media, I suggest the rest of you do the same.
Funny we haven't had another office open back up in this area in the
past 6 years.
Also, if you are one of those who are still involved with the company
that I have seen posting their ridiculous and idiotic comments to
those on here trying to warn others, stop and think about what's going
on, no professional business behaves in the manner that these offices
do, I'd like to see any top company that you walk in and hear people
swearing and screaming at the top of their lungs.
If you think that the company is wonderful, stop back in 6 months
after you learn. The whole game of these offices are to brainwash you,
and many people lost loved ones over the fact that they were
brainwashed to defend this company. They teach you ignorance and try
to turn you away from everyone that loves you and is watching out for
you.
I have never seen any of these offices stay open longer than a few
months except for those at the top running the scam, such as Labbi
International in Cinci, Leah, she's so great and everyone's best
friend, but god forbid you p*ss her off cause then you're on your own.
They don't care about you, all they want is money, and the whole name
of the game is everyone is disposable, bring in as many people as you
can and get them to sell to all their friends and family, then bring
in new people to do the same.
I am just trying to help others from falling into the same trap.
Take Care and Good Luck!
*** After 2 months open they began to mess with my inventory. Making
me pay more for bottles than I would by going through the distribution
center directly***
*** These companies are independently owned throughout the country.
And these owners have free reign of whether they want to f-you over or
not***
Posted by screwed by Scentura after a year and a half of selling
perfume on the streets with no money in my pocket
(***@hotmail.com) on August 30, 2001 at 12:50:10:
You cannot imagine how fraudulent this company is. I had worked for an
office for a year and a half. After going through the training program
3 times. I finally opened my own office.
After 2 months open they began to mess with my inventory. Making me
pay more for bottles than I would by going through the distribution
center directly.
I am warning you, these companies are independently owned throughout
the country. And these owners have free reign of whether they want to
f*ck you over or not...
After 4 years, I am still recovering from the debt that the company
and the business put me in Do not listen to these people.
Yes, you can open an office and run it correctly. However, your
promoting owner can continually mess with your profit. STAY AWAY!!
***
http://www.seniors-s*te.com/fraud/1862.html
From: Earl Edwards ***@YAHOO.COM
I read all the information concerning Scentura creation, and I should
know cause I ran a dist. Center. My promoters were a**holes that had a
drug problem and wanted me to lie to all my people. They fired my
partner and a*signed me their own person. She was sleeping with the
original d.c.
They have a saying '''' k.i.s.s.": keep it short stupid and that is
what I will do.
I made money but the people that were above me scammed me by taking my
people, slowing my advancement, f**king my people for their promotion,
one of my people was raped, they stole money, and merch. I bought into
the scam cause I can hustle with the best of them. I never bought the
lies, i just tried to make the best of them cause I needed to succeed!
Scam or unique business? I believe the scam can be made legit if the
right people were there, but on the hold the bus. Needs to be rerouted
to trustful people. They are in the business of making money and if
that means cutting corners, then that is what they did. I kept up the
@$#!
Until the promotion d.c. stole my people, merch, and respect. They got
mad at me cause I trained my people not to lie and just sell the
product under the fact of getting a great deal no matter if the
product was hyped to be something it was not. We sold, we told the
truth, and we still sold. Our way worked but it made my "bosses" angry
cause we kept kicking their a**es. If you would like more information
< especially the stuff I was ashamed to say cause of legal matters>
then email me and I will enlighten you further
***************************************************************
FLYER FROM CHAT BOARD 555
**Flyer from chat board**
Posted by JeffODW (***@hotmail.com) on May 02, 2001 at 19:16:34:
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU BUY ANYTHING FROM OR CONTINUE WORKING
WITH SCENTURA!!! IT'S A SCAM!
IF YOU MEET SOMEONE SELLING THIS
Please do NOT buy anything from this SCAM COMPANY! They sell cheap
rendition cologne door-to-door, and if you ever meet one of these
salespeople DO NOT PURCHASE THE PRODUCT! It's a fake, and countless
hopeful teenagers are being fooled into peddling this stuff! Only
by cutting off the flow of buyers and salespeople can it be stopped!
FOR THOSE INVOLVED
I a*sume by now that you have been told that this is a 'perfume
distribution company'. Distribution in this case means 'walking the
streets trying to sell perfume for pennies a day'. DO NOT CONTINUE
WITH SCENTURA. Tell everyone in your 'cla*s' who will listen the
truth -Scentura is a losing battle that will leave you broke!
The 'Management' title you have is nothing but a name - you are
not 'managing' anyone. The way the office is making money right now
is by having you drop bottles for 29.00 in FFAR (Friends, Family &
Relatives). The office keeps 19, you take 10.00. THIS WILL NEVER
HAPPEN AGAIN. On the street, you will have to push the bottles for
11.00 to 19.00 to make your quota, and will have NO CASH. The
office makes it's money on 'Friends and Family' - meaning yours.
Everything you have heard thus far is scripted: The phone interview,
the first meeting, and the second 'group' interview. Scam tactics such
as 'fear of loss' are taught, and used on you to not only hook you in,
but to get you excited about being broke for the entire time you
are with this office. LARRY HAHN DID NOT CALL THE OFFICE TO START
A CONTEST. This is another scam by the owners to s*ck as much cash
out of you as possible before realizing that you are being taken
for a ride.
The 'paid business trips' are a lie, as well. Called a Satellite,
you basically go to another city and get rid of as many bottles as
you can in a weekend. You have to pay for the hotel room by working
insane hours and selling 'room bottles' - bottles that are supposed
to pay for the room. All it does is take money out of your pocket,
so in truth you pay for it on your own.
They define 'Job' as Just Over Broke. I guarantee that you will
never be as broke as you will be with this 'company'. Fox 2 News in
Detroit did an expose on Scentura, and reported exactly what I am
telling you now. This is a pyramid scam (even though they tell you
it's not. PLEASE OPEN YOUR EYES), and the fat rolls of cash you might
see in the hands of the 'owner' are nothing but bill money. They
toss it in front of you so you think they are wealthy and
successful. Chances are that the office is going broke, because
statistically you can't keep up ma*s volumes of sales in one area
for that long. Most offices have a 1-year lifespan, and when the
office goes down, you will receive NO SUPPORT FROM SCENTURA. You
will be working 16-hour days just to make a few dollars.
There are other setbacks, as well
The second you join Scentura, your name is red-flagged by the
IRS. There is no accurate way to keep track of your earnings, and
the IRS has been severely cracking down on Scentura 'Distribution
Center' owners.
There are lawsuits being filed against these 'distribution
centers' as we speak. The false advertising and stupid promises
made by them have preyed on young people for far too long, and
finally someone is doing something to stop it.
Police officers DO NOT TOLERATE solicitation on the streets.
Business-to-business is a gray area in law enforcement, and if you
are found selling (I know you are told not to use that word, but
that's what you're doing!) on the street, you will be ticketed and
possibly arrested. County and City ordinances vary on this topic,
and it would do you good to check with the laws of your city. Your
office owners need you to make street sales, so they will not warn
you about possible consequences.
Please realize before it's too late that this is a scam. Learn
from countless others who have fallen victim. Why do you think the
company website has no contact information? Because of all the
complaints they would be getting! The reason the Better Business
Bureau has no information on 'Scentura' is because the corporation
makes no claims to the offices, and therefore cannot be legally
tied to its practices. It's another scam tactic to keep you feeling
safe, since you will have trouble finding information on the
individual offices. Especially since they have such a short
lifespan, and complaints can take up to a year to be investigated.
PLEASE MAKE COPIES OF THIS AND GIVE IT TO EVERYONE IN THE CLA*S!
Warn people you know not to buy the products, and help us bring
this scam down! You can be successful without this, and will be
happy you walked out the door
****************************************************************
FRADULENT CLA*SIFIED ADS 666
**Red flags***
(sent by: x-***@rocketmail.com July 9, 2003)
I am a 20-year Navy veteran currently on the hunt for a civilian job,
and
recently I answered a newspaper want ad for a receptionist job with a
company called "Pacific Coast Wholesale", leaving a message at the
phone number in the ad. A few days later (this morning), I got a
strange phone message - hurried, garbled, and with a partial phone
number - that after carefully replaying several times, I realized was
"Pacific Coast Wholesale" calling back. The number in the phone
message was no good, so I called the number in the ad again, thinking
"These people REALLY need a good receptionist". I got through to a
live person, who scheduled me for an interview later this afternoon.
"Pacific Coast Wholesale" was located in an industrial-park district
of Ventura, CA in a block of offices that included another company
called "Pacific Wholesale Electronics". Unlike the electronics
company, "Pacific Coast Wholesale" did not have any signs up. Somehow
I found the office (which seemed to actually have a receptionist),
turned in a short application and my resume, and waited for my
interview. I asked the receptionist how many people had applied for
the job so far (a lot) and how long the company had been there (about
a month; they had moved up from San Diego).
The interview was one of the strangest I have ever had. The
interviewer showed little interest in my job history, unlike most
interviewers, and wanted to tell me about the company. Had I ever
heard of their founder, Larry Hahn? (No, I had not.) Hadn't I seen him
profiled on "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"? (No, I don't usually
watch that show.) Well, Mr. Hahn had invested in luggage, a
non-consumable, then invested in perfume, a consumable; the
interviewer went on to discuss "management training" opportunities,
still sounding as if he had memorized some sort of script.
But, I protested, I was here to interview for the receptionist
position; the interviewer dismissively replied that over 50 people had
applied for it, and that they wanted to offer everyone a job, so
therefore they were offering management training opportunities in
marketing.
But, I continued, my experience and skills are with computers and
phones, logs and files, not marketing.
(Red flag #1: Why offer a "management trainee" position to someone you
don't
even want to consider as a receptionist? As bait-and-switches go, it
wasn't even a good one - he didn't even suggest that my background
offered me an unusual opportunity better than the one I was seeking.)
No experience in marketing necessary, he said: we train; training
takes 6-9 weeks. First phase of training is marketing; second phase is
management, in which one trains 4-6 people in marketing; third phase
is administration; then you get your own office.
(Red flag #2: Would I be trained in marketing by someone who
themselves had been trained in marketing only a few weeks before?)
(Red flag #3: My own office? Is this commission sales, or worse, MLM?)
I asked the interviewer if trainees were paid and if this was
commission sales, explaining that my husband worked commission sales
for another company and enjoyed it, but that we both agreed one
salesman in the house was enough. He said it was commission-only, but
there were a lot of ways one could be paid including "kickbacks".
(Red flag #4: Kickbacks?!)
The interviewer then asked me about my short term and long term work
goals - at
last, a standard interview question - and I answered honestly: in the
short term, get a steady job; in the long term, keep it. The
interviewer thanked me and instructed me to phone back in 45 minutes,
when I would be told if I were accepted into the program or not.
(Red flag #5: At no time did the interviewer mention the company's
product,
much less talk it up. Every other company I have ever interviewed with
has
talked up their products or services with great enthusiasm.)
I met my husband immediately after the interview and told him about
it; he said
he had a really bad feeling about that company, and that if they
offered me the job that I should turn it down. He has never, ever
advised me to turn down any job offer before! I phoned them at the
assigned time, because I like to keep my word when I say I'm going to
do something, and they turned me down!
After doing a web search for "Larry Hahn" tonight, finding "Scentura
Creations", and reading many web pages such as David Dombrowski's, I
am not surprised that they turned me down: if Pacific Coast Wholesale
is in fact a Scentura distributor, as the combination of fragrances
and mention of Larry Hahn (and the resoundingly generic business
name) strongly suggest, then they want young naive things who are
easily impressed by tales of Big Money, not 44-year-old salty Navy
veterans who happily drive 15-year-old cars, don't watch "Lifestyles
of the Rich and Famous", and know B.S. when they see it.
By the way, my husband works for Vector, which is a good company -
they never make anyone recruit new salesmen, fill quotas, or sing
insulting songs; they focus on their products (which are quite good -
I use Cutco regularly) and their customer service, and thus are what
Direct Marketing should be like.
**** I came in for an interview as a receptionist***
Posted by ALLY (***@AOL.COM) on January 17, 2002 at 10:03:34:
All I can day is that its a scam ...
I came in for an interview as a receptionist and then heard they
needed "managers" then came back for a second interview and was
accepted ..
Then I read horrible things about them online ...when I got to their
office (which by the way looks empty with nothing but a phone and
plastic patio chairs) I tried to talk to another person and tell that
person about what I read on the web. I realized the person behind me
was one of them...she interrupted me as I was talking to that other
girl and told me I didn't have a notepad that I needed one and that
she was gonna get one for me from the office ..so I follow her she was
about to tell the manager about me ..
From that moment on I was treated differently and felt odd plus that
other male manager started saying things about getting rid off the
"bad people" and then the guy started giving money to give incentive
to people and also said things like don't believe in your family ...I
think that's not true...
Please people keep your eyes wide open...and listen to your own hearts
**** I should have never answered the ad. Receptionist, my foot. ***
Posted by HL on August 03, 2001 at 20:26:51
I too was at a meeting on Aug 3, and if you were in Fresno Ca, Hi.
I should have never answered the ad. Receptionist, my foot.
As soon as I walked behind closed doors I was asked if I would be
interested in management instead. Thinking that my background in that
field might have peaked an interest I answered sure.
I should have known not having to fill out a formal application but a
lame get to know you sheet that something was fishy. I gave it the
benefit of a doubt the first day. I went home and called the number
thinking ok we'll see. Of course like all scams I was giving the green
light to the second interview.
My question is where was the interview? And did I sleep through it? I
sat in a room full of people that well seemed like they should be
flipping burgers not running a company.
I mainly stayed for the pure entertainment of a guy named Mike saying
sh** alot and trying to tell us all that people with degrees are
losers and our parents are all miserable because they have J.O.B.s
"just over broke". Basically I kept smile on my face while laughing
hysterically inside. I gave up an hour of my life listening him
badgering all our lifestyles and saying if we weren't happy where we
are now, then we wouldn't be here. B.S. He claimed he knew that we
didn't have cars and would be in the same place we are now next year.
It be known that I am married to a college grad, and he has a career
he is proud of. We may not have tons of money lying around but we pay
our bills and go on vacations and well that $500.00 he claimed we
would only have left at the end of the year, we spent that and then
some on a vacation last month!!!!
This company recruits goffers, go sell me this, pay me and you can go
home broke! I have read all the messages on this "Scentura creations"
and I have visited the www.bbb.com site , they may not have a lot of
complaints but the BBB can't find anything nice to say either.
It seems a legitimate company would have a phone number listed and a
correct address, a fax machine wouldn't be too bad either if they were
in the business of selling to businesses, not door to door street
sells.
For anyone considering this venture, please go take the Sunday paper,
a pen and start calling. You may not become rich making 8.00 an hour
but at least the company you are working for is honest...
*** Worked for Scentura for one month, "Lines they instructed us to
say"***
Posted by Reagan Underwood (***@yahoo.com) on January 24, 2002 at
14:27:44:
Hi, I worked for Scentura for approximately 1 month--a month that felt
like a year.
I even relocated myself to help open another office. I packed up my
things and moved to a place where I knew no one. My roommates were
difficult, so I got out of there, but I know it's a scam.
I see their measly newspaper adds everyday. In fact, when I relocated
with them, I helped do all of that--you know, contacting the local
newspaper, giving them an add to print 2-3 times a week.
This site doesn't have room to type everything I know about that
business. Someone please contact me because I know a lot.
And if I look hard enough at home I could find lots of notes they gave
us, lines they instructed us to say, etc.
Again, please contact me. Any comments to me? For protection, call me
"RMU". Thanks.
******
Skip to message 2 of 4:
World perfume testimonies; people who stayed with scentura for less
than a week
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=scentura&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&scoring=d&selm=d1036f37.0308072125.67d5f691%40posting.google.com&rnum=2
Skip to message 3 of 4:
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=scentura&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&scoring=d&selm=d1036f37.0308062051.650ca80b%40posting.google.com&rnum=1
Skip to message 4 of 4:
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=scentura&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&scoring=d&selm=d1036f37.0308052000.157ce7b1%40posting.google.com&rnum=2
**********
**********
Go to section 1 and 2: TELEVISION, MAGAZINE, NEWSPAPER REPORTS (17)
AND COURT ORDERS AGAINST WORLD PERFUME AND SCENTURA Section 2: WHAT IS
WORLD PERFUME AND SCENTURA?
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=scentura&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&scoring=d&selm=d1036f37.0308072134.67abf472%40posting.google.com&rnum=1
*******************
Go to section 3:
Section 3: What You Can Do To Shut Down Your Local World Perfume &
Scentura
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=scentura&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&scoring=d&selm=d1036f37.0308062043.594b9373%40posting.google.com&rnum=2
*******************
Go to section 4:
Scentura Better Business Reports; Description of what happens, Day to
Day ; Response to World Perfume headquarters email and chat line
message ; Sources of info on world perfume and Scentura
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=scentura&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=d1036f37.0308051744.97e2fa4%40posting.google.com&rnum=2
********************
Perfume from around the world, from people who worked at Scentura up
to ten years (206 pages!) Message 1 of 4***
******
Skip to message 2 of 4:
World perfume testimonies; people who stayed with scentura for less
than a week
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=scentura&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&scoring=d&selm=d1036f37.0308072125.67d5f691%40posting.google.com&rnum=2
Skip to message 3 of 4:
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=scentura&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&scoring=d&selm=d1036f37.0308062051.650ca80b%40posting.google.com&rnum=1
Skip to message 4 of 4:
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=scentura&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&scoring=d&selm=d1036f37.0308052000.157ce7b1%40posting.google.com&rnum=2
**********
**********
Go to section 1 and 2: TELEVISION, MAGAZINE, NEWSPAPER REPORTS (17)
AND COURT ORDERS AGAINST WORLD PERFUME AND SCENTURA Section 2: WHAT IS
WORLD PERFUME AND SCENTURA?
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=scentura&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&scoring=d&selm=d1036f37.0308072134.67abf472%40posting.google.com&rnum=1
*******************
Go to section 3:
Section 3: What You Can Do To Shut Down Your Local World Perfume &
Scentura
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=scentura&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&scoring=d&selm=d1036f37.0308062043.594b9373%40posting.google.com&rnum=2
*******************
Go to section 4:
Scentura Better Business Reports; Description of what happens, Day to
Day ; Response to World Perfume headquarters email and chat line
message ; Sources of info on world perfume and Scentura
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=scentura&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=d1036f37.0308051744.97e2fa4%40posting.google.com&rnum=2
********************
-
We need you help. Close down the local office with these easy and
proven steps:
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=scentura&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&scoring=d&selm=d1036f37.0308062043.594b9373%40posting.google.com&rnum=2
-
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INDEX:
-THE MANY LIVES THAT SCENTURA RUINED (Bankruptcy, broken families, car
accidents, no paychecks) 0-00
-PEOPLE WHO WANT HELP CLOSING DOWN THEIR LOCAL WORLD PERFUME/SCENTURA
1-11
-MESSAGES FROM MIKE BARRICK WHO SPENT TEN YEARS IN BUSINESS
- HISTORY OF SCENTURA, FROM SOMEONE WHO SPENT YEARS IN THE BUSINESS
2-22
-MESSAGE FROM A RECEPTIONIST AND DISTRIBUTOR IN THE BUSINESS
(Witnesses to the lies) 3-33
-INNER-WORKINGS OF SCENTURA DISTRIBUTORS 4-44
-FLYER FROM CHAT BOARD 5-55
- FRADULENT CLA*SIFIED ADS (receptionist) 6-66
-IMPRESSIONS OF TRAINING. (Lies, fraudulent advertisements, selling in
parking lots and being ticketed, FFAAR)
WORLD PERFUME 7-77
SCENTURA 8-88
-How to download these messages yourself 9-99
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THE MANY LIVES THAT SCENTURA RUINED 000
*** The office I worked for just picked up and left once they heard
what happened to me***
Posted by Kel (***@Hotmail.Com)on February 04, 2002 at
14:27:02:
It so funny how I read all these peoples story about Scentura
Creations and it is all true. Every single bit of it.
Well this company is ruthless and they cost me about $15,000.
I went to Alabama for some big shot meeting with Rob& Ricki. Well on
the way back to Florida I ended up in serious car wreck in the car of
one the managers. The cars tire fell off and made the flip several
times on the Interstate. Well to make it short the car landed on my
head (THIS IS NOT Bull!)
Not only that all the medical bills I'm stuck with right now cause of
these nuts.
Also the office I worked for just picked up and left once they heard
what happened to me.
Any one that can provide me with any info about any offices in Orlando
please email me at ***@Hotmail.Com
*****
** I wrecked the car and went to the hospital. The manager came to
pick up the perfume, threatened my mother for money, and then left
without asking how I was doing. I was fired. ***
http://dcregistry.com//forums/employment/messages/6354.html
I started training 2 weeks after you did. We did a satellite in
Missouri together. I was probably made out to be a WPS [weak Piece of
Sh*t] by R, R & D [Rob Zirbel, Ricki Zirbel & Denny]. But I'll leave
what REALLY happened for others that may be interested. Glad to hear
all is going well for you.
I was fired by Designers International a Scentura distributor after I
was involved in an automobile accident due to being flat broke, being
awake since 7 am the morning before and having to drive 15 hours just
to try to get home because I had no money to stay anywhere else. Since
I was the manager for the satellite I was responsible for keeping the
unsold bottles of perfume.
When I wrecked the perfume was in the trunk of my car. Several bottles
were broken. It was only when I didn't show up for work on that Monday
that the owners found out I was in a hospital just across the state
line.
One of them came and got the perfume, made my mother pay them $20 for
each damaged bottle to keep them from suing me for theft of property.
Meanwhile I'm laying up in ICU with multiple broke bones and not once
did they ask how I was doing. Did they ask how the other girl that was
with me was? NO! Plain and simple, I was fired because I was in the
hospital and didn't report for work, I couldn't very easily turn in
the perfume in from the hospital now could I? The doctors had me so
drugged up, I couldn't tell anyone to call the special 1-800 # they
gave me to call and let them know what had happened.
Of course since it wasn't turned in on Monday like in the fake
contract I signed they considered it to be stolen. I know that just
makes a whole lot of sense, NOT! That was THEIR words not mine.
Tara
***6 MONTHS IN SCENTURA: I am 23years old and filing BANKRUPTCY***
Posted by Cheryl on January 21, 2002 at 21:15:11:
I worked for Jason Mergl and Ben Montgomery in Portage, IN for 6
months in these 6 months I am left with nothing but just broke as a
joke!!!
They target young individuals who I guess you can say live the hard
life people who have less to nothing they dangle a BIG carrot in front
of your face and you see no results.
My mom and dad told me to quit, I told them to f- off I was a
different person and Scentura made me that way.
I was in college had common sense and knew the difference between
right and wrong.
They tell you that you do not need to be a professional sales person
WRONG that is all the business is based on is you sales the people who
they recruit.
If you ever make it to become an owner you will have to do the same
things to people: LIE. Ben and Jason show you how to become a pro.
During training you sell this fake stuff at gas stations, carwashes,
walking around malls hoping not to get kicked out you work anywhere
from 60-90 hours a week because once you leave the office your
expected to go out and sell the perfume at night.
If you have a so-called "negative person" telling you that this place
is a SCAM, LISTEN. I wish I had.
You make maybe $30.00 a week putting it back in you gas tank or hotels
when you go on these FUNCARS not to include the miles you are putting
on your car. I started with a little over 30,000 miles on my car and
when I left I had over 50,000.
I am 23years old I have my car sitting in the garage so my car will
not get reposed until my lawyer takes all my paperwork to court in a
few days to have my BANKRUPTCY case processed.
Yes, I am 23years old and filing BANKRUPTCY because of those Jason
Mergl and Ben Montgomery. I may lose my engagement ring because the
court may want to sell it.
Ben and Jason will say " well you were broke before you came here" no
I wasn't I was just laid off my job looking for a new one but I fell
into all there lies. Needless to say they destroyed me!!!
With all the steel mills letting people go: beware they love that more
people to sell for them if you do make it in the company just think
the only way it works is if you know how to screw people over.
There are 3 offices in the area Portage, In. Hobart In. and Lansing
Il. ( I use to run that one).
*** In this past Sundays Denver Post I read an article that horrified
me. A girl selling perfume less than 1/2 mile from the Ol' Factory
Wholesale office was raped at approx 4:00 PM on Friday***
Posted by Schauds (***@att.net )on November 12, 2001 at 11:11:42:
Ol' Factory Wholesale has 8 offices in Colorado. They are affiliated
with Scentura Creations.
I applied and had my second "interview"/information seminar with them
on 11/8/01. It was very unprofessional with swearing, loud music and
offensive jokes. I stuck around to get a better idea of what kind of
scam they were all about. In the end, I was selected for their
"Fast-Track for Success".
I immediately came home and did a web search for information on
Scentura Creations. Well, that was one stone I was glad I overturned.
The info that I saw made my decision not to start my training the next
day solid.
The Regional Manager called me the next morning and asked why I was
not there. I told him I thought I deserved better, that the previous
days interview left me with a bad taste in my mouth and that I had
read enough about Scentura Creations that I was sure I did NOT want a
career with them. I wish now that I had gone that next morning and
warned everyone there what I had found.
Their office is currently located at 2785 N. Speer Blvd in Denver CO.
Phone # is 303-433-6900. If after reading these posts you are still
considering a job with any company affiliated with Scentura Creations
I can only wish you luck and ask you to watch your back.
In this past Sundays Denver Post I read an article that horrified me.
A girl selling perfume less than 1/2 mile from the Ol' Factory
Wholesale office was raped at approx 4:00 PM on Friday. This was the
first day of training folks. And although I cannot say that she was
selling Scentura Products. I can only imagine someone that I had
interviewed with was walking away from her first day of training to
find her very first sale and becoming a victim of a horrible crime.
We all have to make a living. I am not putting down the people who
must sell whatever they need to survive. I am however, against a
business that would mislead and misrepresent in order to make a buck.
I hope that information posted here and elsewhere throughout the web
will help more people to make more informed situations.
*** On one of my trips, the tire on my car broke off and the car
flipped about 3 times . The lady in the office even denied knowing who
I was****
Posted by Katie (***@aol.com)on September 29, 2001 at
00:51:58:
Yea. I just wanted to add to everyone's little notes.
I worked for Scentura Creations for about two months. I wouldn't call
myself a gullible person. In fact, I'm not.
I lost almost everything with this company. They were constantly
sending us out of town to peddle this sh*t.
And on one of my trips, the tire on my car broke off and the car
flipped about 3 times. One guy got flown to Jacksonville hospital and
the other three of us went to the local hospital. In the chaos of this
all, my father called the office and they took no responsibility for
any of this. They said they didn't know that I had been out of town.
Even though they were all with me. The lady in the office even denied
knowing who I was.
I watched as all of my friends around me dropped out of college and
lost their apartments and their parents' support. Soon, all I saw was
disaster.
Needless to say, after the car accident, I never went back. And I took
as many people with me as I could. They are very good at convincing
you that things can be as good and as easy as you'd like them to be.
All I have to say is .If it's too good to be true it usually
is!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please beware, everyone!!!
*** Called one day to ask when he could pick up his paycheck the phone
was disconnected, I went with him to the 'office' to see what had
happened and the building was up for lease***
Posted by Mary on May 26, 2001 at 18:35:47:
I just wanted to say that my husband worked for Scentura Creations for
2 weeks and he figured that from what he had sold and his 'salary' he
had made at least $2000
Needless to say, he called one day to ask when he could pick up his
paycheck the phone was disconnected, I went with him to the 'office'
to see what had happened and the building was up for lease. About a
week later my husband saw his previous boss at a gas station and
approached his car to ask him what had happened, and the guy just
looked at him and drove away (in a new Mercedes I might add)
All my husband could was watch him drive away with his wife in tow,
driving a huge u-haul.
I am just letting you know about our experience, take what you will
from it, whether you believe it or not, but trust me it happened.
People that have the nerve to do this to a young couple with a young
baby and don't think twice will do it to anybody.
**** My office in McLean almost cost me my marriage. My bankruptcy
cost me for quite a while.***
Posted by Greg Eckenrode (***@earthlink.net) on November
20, 2001 at 10:44:39:
My office in McLean almost cost me my marriage. My bankruptcy cost me
for quite a while. But that is behind us both now.
The one positive thing that has come out of my experience with you and
the folks from Scentura, is what I learned about myself when I was out
hustling perfume. I hate cold calling. Especially when the pitch is a
lie. I can sell anything I believe in.
Greg
***Got his own office, they taught him to lie****
Posted by Greg (***@yahoo.com) on November 20, 2001 at 10:22:49:
I can't believe these people are still around. After all of the news
programs that have exposed them, you would think that they wouldn't be
able to do business.
If you walk into an office and the music is cranked up and the people
are telling you that you can own your own business by moving some
merchandise, hand it back to them and get away. And try to take
someone else with you.
I fell into this is 1990 when I was laid off. I was getting married
and needed something fast. I actually earned my way into my own
office.
That's when things really got strange. This is when they teach you how
to lie to others so that they will bite just like you.
Hire an excited young girl as your receptionist. Her enthusiasm will
keep the females around; her looks will keep the guys.
Get people to pay $25 or $50 for a background check. There is no
background check. This is a scam to make more money.
I didn't succeed because I couldn't lie. I eventually had to file
bankruptcy. So did one of the people that had opened an office across
town at the same time.
Follow everyone's advice here. Get away. Get far away.
*** I knew a girl that was in the program for two months. She couldn't
pay her bills. She lost her car and had total strangers that worked
there move in with her just to pay her bills and daycare. ***
Posted by St. Louis on November 18, 2001 at 15:34:17:
It is all true. They pay for nothing and it is one big scam. There is
a guy named "Dave" in St. Louis, MO. He sales the "dream". They have
you sign a paper saying that you are not an actual employee although
you are in their program.
They have power cars and send you out expecting you to sale to be
promoted. This is an absolute scam. I was used as well as many others.
I knew a girl that was in the program for two months. She couldn't pay
her bills. She lost her car and had total strangers that worked there
move in with her just to pay her bills and daycare.
People beware. It was a life lesson for me. I've moved on. If there is
one person that is reading this, don't continue. Stop.
*** A close childhood friend of mine almost died peddling cheap
perfumes; he was shot and then stabbed by a person who didn't
appreciate being offered to buy perfume***
Posted by J.P. (***@hotmail.com) on October 27, 2001 at
21:34:50:
Hey everybody,
I have had enough BS out of Scentura and this is what I am deciding to
do. I want to compile a database of all current Scentura offices
around the world, then send this information to my friends at the FBI,
FTC, IRS, Customs Service and BBB.
I am an executive at Microsoft, and while I have never been involved
in Scentura scams, a close childhood friend of mine almost died
peddling cheap perfumes; he was shot and then stabbed by a person who
didn't appreciate being offered to buy perfume. He was in the hospital
doing rehabilitation for almost 2 years, and I was paying the bill for
it since he quit his job as a manager at amazon.com to peddle
perfumes.
He was supposed to make $200K+ a year with Scentura, but he never will
do that again. I have many contacts throughout major companies and
government offices, so I can get information where it needs to be,
when it needs to be.
I did get ripped off on e-bay by a Scentura affiliate, but at least I
didn't almost die, it was only a 30 dollar deal, he was supposed to
send me a 3.4 ounce bottle of Acqua di Gio by armani, but i got a .17
ounce vial of some cr*p Mexican cologne.
Please either send me the information of all known Scentura offices,
including name of contact person, address, city, state, zip code,
phone number, email and country if applicable. If you don't have all
information, send whatever you have and I will see what I can do from
my end, send information to my email ***@hotmail.com or
talk to me on my AOL Instant messenger screen name, Bablu4lyfe.
Please help fellow Americans from being screwed over by evil Scentura.
I thank you for your help.
*** I recently lost my fiancé and the mother of our 2-year-old child
to this job. She left us 8 weeks ago to chase this dream***
Posted by Corey (***@aol.com)on January 24, 2002 at 06:28:08:
Cheryl,
I am sorry to hear about your tough luck. I recently lost my fiancé
and the mother of our 2-year-old child to this job. She left us 8
weeks ago to chase this dream.
She works out of Divisional Management based in the Indianapolis area,
which is very close to you. It seems like when people are really
brainwashed into this company like yourself and my ex-fiancé, it takes
6 months or so for the person to realize what they have truly got
themselves into.
Can you tell me what finally made you realize?
What was it that made you see the light?
Please email me back at my personal email if you want at
***@aol.com. Any feedback form others is always appreciated.
*** I showed up one morning to find the entire office emptied out! ***
Posted by Lynn (***@aol.com) on April 28, 2001 at 02:32:58:
I was a victim of the teaching practices of David and Stacey Babb in
Orange County, CA.
They shipped me off to an office Costa Mesa, and after I was there,
working my a*soff, for a few weeks, I showed up one morning to find
the entire office emptied out!
David gave me an office in Fullerton, that folded after my partner was
picked up on an old warrant, and when I returned to David's office
days later, it was completely empty! What does that tell you about the
business?! There were so many branch offices in the O.C. area, that
everywhere we went, we saw someone from one office or another! And gas
isn't cheap, when you aren't making any money!
If I ever see David, Stacey, or Richard (the head honcho), I will
definitely give them a piece of my mind!
*** I didn't have a place to live I stayed in my car***
*** Went to hospital for a cist on my ovary, I was told if I didn't
get to Muncie within two hours I was going to be fired because I had
my own office***
Posted by toni (***@aol.com)on January 08, 2002 at 12:23:29:
I to worked for Divisional Management in Indianapolis IN. Owners
Katie & Chuck.
I opened a office in Muncie and hated every min. of it.
I didn't have a place to live I stayed in my car. By this time I had
not talked to my family for about three months because remember they
are negative (I actually believed them) I was missing my family.
Hey it was kinda fun going out of town and meeting new people but it's
not cool when you have a car payment and everyone needs a place to
live and I didn't make much money. Enough to put gas in my car and hey
I learned how to get free food. How cool was I. but at least I ate.
Well I ended up going into the hospital for a cist on my ovary. I was
told if I didn't get to Muncie within two hours I was going to be
fired because I had my own office and I needed to be there. Well I
drove to Muncie a two-hour drive on medication cause I just got out of
the hospital
When I got there they had to rush me back to the hospital cause I was
just getting worse. Well then is when I figured out I had no place to
stay I had to beg my parents into taking care of me cause I didn't
have any money.
My dad said fine as long as I quit this scam of a job. I said
OK!!!!!!!!!! I only wish it was that easy.
I took one week off and Katie & Chuck had a meeting Sun. night just
for me. I told them that I needed to quit but they told me they would
transfer me to the Castleton office so I was closer to home and they
would give me a new partner because my partner was an a*s.
Well of course I didn't quit and my dad said he wasn't going to help
me so Monday morning I went in and quit. They told me haw big of a
wpos [weak piece of sh*t] I was and I was a loser. But I had to go.
You have no idea it was fun but there are things in life when you are
23 you need to start doing with your life.
It took me six months to just start trusting people again.
Hate is such a bad word but I HATE this company and I hope none has to
go through what I have emotionally.
*** My 17 year old daughter got so excited about this... we checked
this business' reputation on-line and now she's in the dining room
crying. ****
Posted by Mel (ca****@home.com) on June 28, 2001 at 20:49:01:
My 17 year old daughter got so excited about this when her dad came
home and told us how we were going to be "debt free" before long and
she would have more money for college and possibly a car in the
future...we checked this business' reputation on-line and now she's in
the dining room crying.
Thanks a lot Scentura, you broke my daughter's heart, but you also
taught her a lesson...Never listen to arrogant, greedy, people like
you that promise people the world in return for very little effort. If
I could get my hands on that prick Brian Burns, I'd be the one the
justice system would be after. I'd like to string the puny basta*d up
by his testicles in the wilderness, pour honey on him and leave him
for the insects or the BEARS!...And as for all of you that PRAISE this
pathetic money making scheme...SHUT THE F- UP! It's obvious someone is
paying you off to promote them via the internet. Does your mother know
what you're doing? Bet you swindled HER into buying some of that horse
p*ss in a bottle too, you pathetic swine!
***"Take care of the business and the business will take care of you"
... that's the biggest crock****
Posted by Megan (***@hotmail.com) on April 23, 2001 at 08:17:19:
Hahahaha... I was so amused to find all of these postings...
I worked for Scentura about a year ago... Yes, I have to admit, it was
a blast... Especially Miami... but while in Miami... I became very ill
with food poisoning... and do you think anyone helped me?
"Take care of the business and the business will take care of you" ...
that's the biggest crock of sh*t I have ever heard... I had a fever of
105 degrees... was fainting... puking... and when I went for help, I
ran into my "managers" Felicia and Vanessa, who both proceeded to
accuse me of alcohol poisoning, and made me look like sh*t to the
entire rest of the company... and later that evening refused to let me
out of my hotel room to eat dinner, telling me I should be ashamed of
myself, and not show my face. THE PARAMEDICS TOLD THEM I DID NOT HAVE
ALCOHOL POISONING!!
*** I got into a major car accident while working for them and I need
to pay my bills we can't find them**
Posted by tiffany (***@yahoo.com) on August 13, 2001 at 14:19:05:
I really need someone's help I worked for Creative Images in Longwood
Florida and I got into a major car accident while working for them and
I need to pay my bills I have an attorney but the only thing is that
we can't find them or proved they are real if you can help me please
contact me a.s.a.p please I need your help.
****I also got a ticket for soliciting in Pennsylvania***
Posted by loveu119 (***@aol.com) on May 12, 2001 at 07:44:41:
Hi,
I did this for 3 months or so I almost made it.
You don't make ANY money unless you sell perfume, and the trips? You
have to sell a certain amount of bottles to stay in a hotel room and
you buy all your own meals, sell bottles for gas, it was fun but at
the time I was living with my parents and without my own car so
basically my Dad paid for me to do this.
I also got a ticket for soliciting in Pennsylvania which they didn't
do sh*t about so now I can't even go there because there's probably a
warrant out for my arrest for SELLING PERFUME AND WORKING< TRYING TO
MAKE A LIVING< PAY FOR A PLACE TO SLEEP THAT NIGHT< LUNCH MONEY.
I did however meet my soul mate there who had 2 offices that didn't
work out, he quit not too long after me. That's the only reason I am
glad that I did it.
*** Two undercover cops came and gave each of us a citation stating
that we were selling without a permit***
http://www.dcregistry.com/forums/employment/messages/7028.html
From: ***@prodigy.net
Look here for people who want a reality check...
Yea...I felt for that stupid scam and it's so messed up how they trick
you into you getting your own business.
When I applied and got hired, I thought I was getting myself into
something professional.
I wasn't educated on ads that claim that they can train and get you a
management position that pays you a salary of at least 35K per/yr.
First stupid move.
Then I made the mistake of staying with them for three weeks. I kept
telling myself..."maybe something good will come out of it..." Duh!
Then why aren't I getting any money for this training bull? I didn't
see the light until one day, I was with three other people who were in
the business. We were what you call "merching" (selling at gas
stations, shopping centers, etc.) That day, we were merching and then
two undercover cops came and gave each of us a citation stating that
we were selling without a permit and now because of my stupidity, I
HAVE TO GO TO COURT BECAUSE OF THAT STUPID SENSELESS MIND BOGGLING AND
MESMERIZING JOB,"OPPORTUNITY," whatever you want to call it.
Well, that was two months ago and now I have a REAL job, a REAL
opportunity now that has a per hour salary, which is the way it is
supposed to be.
Scentura Creations can kiss my *** because they are fooling everybody
else who aren't informed about their deadly mousetrap. All they are
doing is robbing people of their money and putting them at risk with
the law like me.
So to all you people out there who work for them, you don't have a
real job. The lifestyles that you live are from all the money you
literally stole from people, which isn't right. You didn't work hard
for that like us normal people are doing.
And to all of you who are starting, listen to us. We are people who
tell you the experience we had with them. They will tell you that we
are jealous because we are BROKE. You are still going to be BROKE when
you start working for them like slaves. They are not going to give you
money! They are going to pay you in merchandise! The bonuses are
merchandise that you have to go out and sell! So don't be dumb. See
the light.
Help us shut down Scentura Creations and other scams. They stink and
they can go ahead and shove "opportunity" up their ***.
*** Please don't turn away your friends or family***
*** How do you make it? You bring in hundreds of recruits in the same
fashion you owners did. Drill them with the same lies.***
Posted by juliaca on December 09, 2001 at 07:28:49:
I never said that you don't get your office. Although very few people
do. That is why they bring so many on board at once. The survival of
the fittest theme is what makes Scentura money. People don't want to
give up, they bust their butts until they wake up and realize what
they have lost during this time or swallow their pride and all of
their values and cross over to an OWNER. You will have to make the
decision very soon if you can mislead your new hires.
If you are really, really good, you might make money. This, of course,
is after paying for all of the rent, bills, advertising, etc. Remember
that you also have to split that profit with your partner. That's no
different than running any other business. You always have to make
more profit than you are paying out for over head.. So how do you make
it?
You bring in hundreds of recruits in the same fashion you owners did.
Drill them with the same lies. Can you do it for a company that does
not care for its employees? Have you read the numerous horror stories
of people going on "satellite" trips? If not, they are trips to cities
200+ miles away. You go with a few buddies and are told that room and
food will be paid for. Little do they tell you, it is paid for by
"room" bottles.
Many could not sell the bottles and slept in their cars!! The owners
tell the kids that they can't call home! One woman was in a car
accident after driving all night back to her house (she had to drive
15 hours, hungry, exhausted from dropping bottles the day before). The
managers fired her. She was in the hospital and could not return her
product. So, they said she stole it!
If you can some how make good money with out compromising your
honesty, integrity, and other values. Please let me know. I know that
I have heard so much negative information about this company that I
will not ever be convinced that its good outweighs its bad.
On one last note. Please don't turn away your friends or family. They
will tell you that anyone who says anything negative about this
company is jealous. (It was said in my cla*s and almost everyone
else's from what I have read). Don't forget that your friends and
family love you. They would be truly happy for you if you're doing
well at your job and there was nothing at stake. Scentura drills it in
to you to worry about yourself only mentality. They even told ME that
my husband won't always be there for me!!!!
Scentura functions exactly like a cult. They break you off from your
loved ones, push you to get ahead by whatever means...all for the
ULTIMATE goal. (Instead of heaven, its your office and more $$$) and
instead of willing to die for a god, you are willing to "sell your
soul" for the company. Please just watch your back.
In closing, your friends/family are your litmus when you need an
outside opinion. So, if someone warns you. Please listen to them. You
have no reason to listen to strangers on the web. I know this.
However, why do some of these people continue to warn others over and
over again? Why are they so compa*sionate about it? (Some of these
people haven't had anything to do with the company for a year, 2
years, 10 years!!!) They do it because they have been there. They know
how the game is played. They are from all steps of the Scentura
ladder. We (any person posting anti-Scentura message) are telling our
TRUTHS, we have not reason to lie. What would we gain from that??
HOWEVER, your trainers have only one reason to lie and its a good
one--according to some. It's what motivated all of us to answer their
vague add in the first place: $$$$$
I wish you the best in life. Let me know if it works out for your in
6mos to a year from now.
Good luck and God Bless.
**** I was thrown out of my mothers house, borrowed money that I have
yet to pay back, lost a lot of life building time, and two cars
because of this load of sh*t. ***
*** I find it insane that these leaches continue to find people to run
around in the cold, using their own cars to peddle this product that
isn't what it claims to be in the first d*mn place***
Dated : February 27, 2003 at 8:29 PM
Subject: Scentura
From: ***@hotmail.com
http://dcregistry.com/forums/employment/messages/7923.html
I worked for Indy Development (Scentura affiliate) owned by Jerry
Owsley and Nick Alocca, for about three months.
I was thrown out of my mothers house, borrowed money that I have yet
to pay back, lost a lot of life building time, and two cars because of
this load of sh*t.
Granted if you don't have a problem bullsh*tt*ng people, and you are
truly desperate, you just might be able to make this work. When I
would come in on days that nothing was sold, I was told that I wasn't
working hard enough, approaching enough people, and that I wasn't
hungry enough for this 'opportunity' and if I didn't start making
sales, I would have to leave this wonderful future.
They took us to Atlanta to see the headquarters. They rented out a
bunch of suites and rooms at the Westin in Atlanta. Showed us all
this money owners were throwing around on cars and such. Made it very
be'lie'vable.
Have you ever seen the movie Boiler Room. You should if not, may look
a little familiar. When I would go out into the field here in
Indianapolis, people would chase me off.
I found out the owners of the office I worked in were selling bottles
cheaper than trainees, or even senior managers such as myself could
even get the bottles for (15 dollars or less) making it impossible for
us to make sales at 25-30 bucks a bottle. I heard on many occasions
that Nick would pressure and force people into buying bottles.
I find it insane that these leaches continue to find people to run
around in the cold, using their own cars to peddle this product that
isn't what it claims to be in the first d*mn place.
PLEASE, IF YOU ARE A PART OF THIS, OR CONSIDERING BECOMING A PART OF
THIS COMPANY, HEED THE ADVICE OF THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY WASTED THEIR
TIME. IT IS BULLSH*T. I HAVEN'T WORKED THERE IN 2 YEARS, AND I AM
STILL TRYING TO GET MY LIFE BACK TOGETHER.
HONESTLY, JUST LOOK AT THE DETAILS. DOES THE OFFICE LOOK LIKE IT
MAKES THE MONEY THESE PEOPLE CLAIM. WHAT KIND OF CARS DO THE OTHER
!MANAGERS AND TRAINEES DRIVE? WHY WOULD SOMEONE GIVE YOU YOUR OWN
COMPANY JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN SELL SOME PERFUME ON THE STREET?
****
***A Scentura distributor stole $8,000 from me****
http://dcregistry.com//forums/employment/messages/5996.html
From: ***@hotmail.com
Oh my how well I remember those professional con artists. My dealings
with them go back to 1996 in Birmingham, Alabama. "GOOD" ole Rob,
Ricki and Denny. (Gag, Choke, Gag) I still vividly remember the
stories of Rob and Ricki's $2 million house overlooking a $6 billion
golf course in one of Alabama's most elite properties. And how the
mingled with the Pro-Golf Celebs during the Bruno's Memorial Classic,
being personal friends with Chi Chi and Arnold. Yeah, yeah, yeah!!
To the point of my drama with them. I saw their ad after meeting my
now husband at the Olympic soccer gamed held in Birmingham. My husband
was from Australia his brother was participating in the games. After
he left going back to Oz, I was hanging to go there to see him. So I
sit down with the employment section looking for a second job.
When I see the following ad, "EARN UP TO $5000 A MONTH WITH
ESTABLISHED COMPANY, WE HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND
ARE EXPANDING IN YOUR AREA. MANAGERS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY. EXPERIENCE
PREFERRED/NOT REQUIRED WE WILL TRAIN YOU CALL - (don't remember the
number) ASK FOR DENNY."
I was working night shift as a charge nurse at UAB making decent
money. But I thought I needed more. I stupidly call the number, told
to come in on Monday of all days. Got there sit out in this waiting
area full of expensive looking decor, crystal and gold trophies etc...
I was given an application along with 7 others by a lady he claimed to
be the secretary, then was carried back in an office that was lavished
to the max by a well dressed woman he told me that Denny had to take
an unexpected trip to their headquarters and that she would take my
application. After she ask me about my past work experience and
current work experience, education etc... She gave me a line of BS
saying that she wasn't authorized to hire anyone and that after the
'boss' returned he would review my application and if he was
interested he would call me back for an interview and sent me on my
way.
On Thursday evening around 5:30 I received a phone call from Denny
saying that after reviewing my application he would like for to come
in for an interview. Once again stupidly I agreed. After having me on
hold for about 8 minutes or so a lady picks up and says that the only
appt available was at 10 am the next day.
Stupidly I show up that Friday morning.
I arrived a little earlier than 10 am and I saw all of these people
carrying these boxes out to their cars and leaving. Never thinking
anything about it. I go on inside and Denny comes out and makes up
some excuse about a problem with an employee and that other managers
were dealing with the problem in his office and not knowing how long
it would take he would have to do my interview in the training room.
To cut a long story short, he wasted nearly an hour running back and
forth with this problem employee and the training room kept filling up
with more people. Around 11:30 another guy comes back there saying
he's Rob Zuckert the owner and that Denny was tied up making snide
remarks about good help was hard to find etc... And rather than waste
our time, he would just give us a group interview. He gave a speech
about the company and how they tested markets for designer fragrances
etc... Showed us the famous movie about the company. And led us ALL to
believe that it was HUGE. Then he said he wasn't one to judge anybody
upfront and that as far as he was concerned everybody was worth giving
a chance too and that if we wanted the job be back Monday morning at
9:30.
I showed up along with a few others and again I saw people coming out
of the back that appeared to be the same office carrying boxes around
9:20. The first day Denny finally told us about what we would be doing
etc... But not to the degree of hustling perfume on the streets.
We were told that we would be doing market research and if people we
surveyed liked the product that they were welcome to purchase it at a
discounted price.
He passed out a list of designer fragrances and told us to select 4
that we would be interested in testing. After we selected the 4, Denny
brought 4 boxes out and explained that we were to take the bottles
home, survey our family and friends, blah blah blah. The actual cost
of the perfume was listed on the sheet but if any of them wanted to
purchase the bottle that was fine and that they could buy it for 60 to
80% off for $30 a bottle. The next day when people turned in money for
bottles sold, they gave everybody $5 for every bottle sold. Anybody
that sold all 4 bottles recieved $7 for each bottle.
Time went on, week after week. I made the power car, 100 club, 500
club etc... Was told I would be getting this 'special' diamond ring.
Told that I would be going to Arkansas to help Myra and Charlie set up
their office. On the Friday morning that I was to leave for Little
Rock, Ricki stopped me as I was loading boxes of perfume into my car,
telling me there had been a slight change of plans that Stan and Sarah
in Mobile, AL just had a problem come up and they needed me to go
there instead. And that if I hurried I should be there by 2 or 3 that
afternoon.
I headed out for Mobile with no idea what was actually going on. When
I got into Mobile, I called Stan and he met me and took me over to
their office where we unloaded the perfume. Seems that the one that
was supposed to have been helping them get set up had to leave
unexpectedly or wised up one. Sarah was more sympathetic than Stan
was. The girl had left her 2 year old back in Birmingham until she
could find somewhere to live down there and her child was taken to the
emergency room and hospitalized. Stan told her she couldn't go because
she had an obligation to the company to train new people. She told
them that she would be there the next morning. Instead she left the
office and went straight back to Birmingham. I spent 4 weeks listening
to Stan call her WFPS (weak f****n piece of S***). Time to set up my
office in Orlando, Florida.
In the meantime the guy I had met was visiting from Australia and ask
me to marry him and move to Australia with him. I mentioned this to
Stan who called Rob and Rob said that would be great, I could open up
the first office there. In the meantime while Rob and Ricki sorted out
how to go about opening the office up in Australia I got the one in
Orlando going fairly well. Rob called and told me everything was set
up anytime I was ready to leave just let them know and they'd get the
office space for me and start taking ads out in local newspapers.
I purchased my airline ticket and all was set or so I thought. 3 days
prior to my departure Denny called saying that he needed me to come up
to Birmingham. I made a flying trip up there for Denny to tell me that
for the first 3 months I would receive my shipments from them directly
but that before they could do that I would have to pay 'importation
tax' on the perfume. I fell for it hook line and sinker. The deal was
I wrote a check on my office for $572.40 which was the 'tax' on 5000
bottles. They would have to pay the 'tax' from here when they shipped
it to me. But I would recover the money back once the bottles arrived
and I had people hired to start dropping them. To quote Denny: "You're
going to be opening the first office Scentura has in Australia, you've
got the juiciest plum of them all, good luck." gave me a hug,
information on the office space, gave him my contact details for there
etc... And I was on my way.
After arriving in Australia, I immediately went to the address I was
given, which was located in a predominate office complex in Melbourne.
The people had never heard of the company and knew nothing about any
of it. Since it was night in America I had to wait several hours
before I could call Denny to find out what was going on.
When I managed to get through Denny denied knowing who I was and hung
up. I immediately called the bank to try and stop payment on the check
I'd written. To be told that the account was closed 2 days before by
Rob. When I opened the account up for Designs Unlimited in Orlando,
Rob told me for security reasons if anything was to happen to me,
accident etc that I needed 2 other people on the account, Rob was one,
Stan was the other. There was over $8000 in the account which was
supposed to be my opening operating expenses, phone lines,
electricity, furniture etc... everything except the office space which
they were supposed to be providing for me. Minus my cut of the profits
for that month which hadn't been taken out which was around $2600.
I was nearly 10,000 miles away, what could I do? I was screwed!!
When I returned back to America 7 months later I went up to the office
in Birmingham and Denny denied ever seeing me before to my face. I
went to Scentura's offices in Atlanta and got no results from them,
they claim not to condone those type of activities and claim it's
impossible for them to monitor everything that goes on with
'independent distributors'. I hired an attorney and go nowhere with
that either. They had no record where I had ever worked for them
before. As for the bank, the checking account had been closed for over
a year by that time and everything on it was in the archives. It was
such a BS legal hassle getting court orders etc... It would've ended
up costing me $1800 just for the attorney on top of the fees the bank
charged for searching for the records, along with court fees. I
would've spent the entire amount owed to me, continuing with the
lawsuit. Plus I would've had to have made who knows how many flights
back and forth for the hearings. It just wasn't worth it.
So I chalked it up as a lesson learned. These people thrive on free
labor. Anyway they can get it!
But fortunately for me, my husband's family are very prominate
business owners in the car industry and are well off and I'm living in
a nicer house than Rob and Ricki, I have everything I want, need.
Drive a new car every few months. And I didn't have to lie, cheat,
steal or peddle perfume to get any of it.
My advice, BEWARE of anyone connected to Scentura Creations.
Cassidee
[The next message is a nasty message from Stan
http://dcregistry.com//forums/employment/messages/7525.html
A poster named Tara says that she remembers her a few messages down
(so her involvement with Scentura is independently confirmed)
http://dcregistry.com//forums/employment/messages/6354.html
Cassidee also posts another message here:
http://dcregistry.com//forums/employment/messages/6047.html
--EDITOR]
***** PEOPLE WHO WANT HELP CLOSING DOWN THEIR LOCAL WORLD
PERFUME/SCENTURA**** 111
From ***@ipreferstrangers.com
I received these 3 email messages from Erin who was involved with:
Bayside Enterprises ( World Perfume affiliate)
260 Gateway Drive Suite 7-8B
Bel Air MD 21014
410-399-9898
Don Goff Don Helgi
MESSAGE 1
My boyfriend was hired by World Perfume/Bayside Enterprises...to find
your website made me shake all over, thank you so much for posting
this.
I knew something was wrong with this company when they told him
tonight to kick me to the curb, because money is all that he needs.
This upset him very much so i decided to research and that is when I
found your site.
Please email me back with any other information on bayside enterprises
specifically that you may have.
Thanks
Erin
MESSAGE 2
My boyfriend works in Belair at bayside and he went to work today to
quit and give them back the perfume and saw that if he was to go in
and quit today it would have been like a sheep going in a wolf's den.
so he came back home.
I stayed up until 4:30 this morning finding all in the information on
world perfume that I can.
There are 2 people left besides him in the training, a girl (who got
the restraining order on her boyfriend because he was coming in
between her and the company) and another boy. They tried to brainwash
my boyfriend into breaking up with me for the company, but we love
each other too much to fall for that. My boyfriend went out selling
yesterday and the one manager don went with him, he followed him
everywhere and watched everything he did. Not to mention during one
sale he actually left my boyfriend in the middle of the bad part of
the city just to see if he could pitch sales.
They told him that he was one of the lucky few who was MOTIVATED
enough to open his own company coming directly from don and Helgi, he
was so excited, until they wanted him to work until after 3 in the
morning and break up with me to get it, of course, he left and came
home to me, who has been sick in bed for three days.
That's when I got the feeling something was definitely wrong and
started researching. Don and Helgi actually started to brainwash my
boyfriend into wanting this money.
We are really not sure what to do and we definitely don't want to just
let them get away with this. We would like to get in touch with other
people who have directly been affected by bayside enterprises, don,
and Helgi and work together to shut them down.
We really have no money to get lawyers so we need to figure out the
best way to handle this with out getting ourselves in trouble. Please
forward this message to all the other people that have fallen for this
bayside enterprises thing so we can help each other.
Thank you,
Erin
MESSAGE 3
Today we have made great progress.
My boyfriend went to our local paper (which included 3 different
numbers for bayside) and talked to the head administrator and told her
the whole story, plus gave them the paper I wrote up. They promised to
look into it and get back with him. They told him that since it
happened to him directly it is going to be looked into quicker and
more thoroughly. They said a bunch of other stuff
so
Then he went to bayside and started handing out fliers and don yelled
at him telling him he had till 5 to get the perfume he owes back, so
he took them the perfume in exchange for his contract, which they gave
him a copy.
So now we have notified the newspaper, notified the tax people,
notified other employees, and got threatened by don. He asked my
boyfriend why he quit and my boyfriend said because he loves me and
this job is all a big scam, well don told him that "you cant love her
for long, she's dying" well...I'm not even sick!!!
Luckily my boyfriend took his cousin bob, "the enforcer" they saw him
and didn't try to fight him. So...today is good.
********
PLEASE CONTACT ERIN AT ***@ipreferstrangers.com to help
her close down the World Perfume distributor Bayside Enterprises.
If you have worked for Bayside Enterprises before, please send Erin
your:
Name,
Address,
Telephone number, and
When you worked for Bayside Enterprises
{ALSO, IF YOU HAVE TIME, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES ABOUT
BAYSIDE ENTERPRISES and mail them to Erin to send to the cla*sified
editors}
She will add your name to this petition, and also include the several
article on World Perfume and send it to the cla*sified paper:
Dear _____________________,
After Applying for a job with Bayside Enterprises telephone
___________________ which advertises in your cla*sifieds weekly, we
found that Bayside Enterprises has no "management positions". Bayside
Enterprises is a distributor of World Perfume, a multilevel marketing
scheme. World Perfume distributors must recruit new people every week
to survive. If the cla*sified advertisements stop, the pyramid will
collapse. We ask that you stop running these fraudulent
advertisements.
At the least this job is 100% sales and should be added to the sales
section of your newspaper and the "management position" titles should
be taken out of the cla*sifieds.
Name------------------Telephone --------Email
********CHAT BOARD MESSAGES FROM MIKE BARRICK WHO SPENT TEN YEARS IN
BUSINESS****
****I taught at a few owners schools for Scentura where we taught
owners how to recruit and retain people at all costs.****
Posted by Mike Barrick (***@yahoo.com) on April 21, 2001 at
14:57:47:
You a*sume too much. I will give you this much. There are a great many
posts here from those who "gave it a try" and after a few days or
weeks quit and blame the company. Shame on them because they are
bashing for the wrong reasons.
There are also, posts from people like me, that made over $1,000,000
in the business but still don't have a favorable opinion of how it
operates. THAT is why some of us left. The year I left the company, I
was 1 of 10 offices that won a trip to Monte Carlo.
"Alternative Marketing" and/or direct sales is awesome...but
recruiting people on false pretenses knowing that 99% of them will
leave the business in worse shape than they came, is not admirable.
The 1% of people that truly make great money w/ Scentura are people
that could make great money doing ANYTHING.
I taught at a few owners' schools for Scentura where we taught owners
how to recruit and retain people at all costs. I didn't lie to people
but I knew how to tell the story and make it sound great. I don't look
back on that time of my life with Pride, but with regret for having
steered people wrong for personal gain. Hindsight is 20/20 but I post
here to provide honest insight so people perusing for info can find an
honest take from someone without an agenda. If anything maybe I find
some feeling of redemption being able to offer information that to
people so they can make an informed decision on their future.
So why are you here Kim? What is your background? Have you ever stayed
in a seedy motel sleeping on the floor because you sold the least on
the road trip that day? Have you ever cut ties with friends/family in
naivety, believing they were going to drag you down with their
"negative attitude".
Unless you have some personal experience in the business, I contend
you are speculatively talking out your a*s. You are the person signing
the back of the paycheck while some of us are signing the front.
**** The only person making any money is the office owner****
Posted by Mike Barrick on April 21, 2001 at 16:40:32:
In Reply to: Re: I was in the Business for 10 Years and know ALL the
GOOD, BAD and the UGLY!! posted by Kim on April 21, 2001 at 01:34:11:
I didn't see your post to me prior to posting my earlier response. I
see you worked in the business although it doesn't sound like you were
an owner or at least not yourself a regional manager.
The time when people made money hand over fist was well before perfume
came along and I think on that point we can agree. At one point, the
people on the street actually made real good money and that's the key.
Whether they stayed or left, got into an office or not, they still had
a job at face value which paid pretty good.
People could go sell flatware and gla*sware, pots n pans out of the
back of their nasty old van and make $200-$300 a day if they were
decent at all. Perfume came along and even if one sold 100 bottles in
a week....( and I have done 100 club almost 100X ), they would likely
make about $500-$600 for the week.
Most people will struggle to 30-40 bottles a week and the only person
making any money is the office owner......and that's if the office
owner is making money because Larry has them paying somewhere around
$10 per bottle. This was a much better opportunity when the people on
the street could make good money and office owners could make $10-$15
per piece that their office did. Doing 300 a week was "real good"
money then but now days it MIGHT provide a living.
I too have a pretty good idea of how many people became literal
millionaires from WMI ( it doesn't compare to the internet btw ), and
I also have a pretty good idea of how many people have become
millionaires from Perfume/Scentura....and aside from Doug Zirbel, I
believe just about all the perfume millionaires were millionaires
before perfume came along.
You clearly think very highly of yourself and your "sarcastic" and
elitist posts are very offensive. I can only a*sume that is your
intention?
**** Hardly any [distributors] made it past the first year***
**** This is the Truth that Scentura distributors would hate for you
to find out about.***
http://www.seniors-s*te.com/fraud/1345.html
From: "Patrick Nichols"
Mike,
My name is Patrick Nichols. I have been working for Designers'
Int. in Birmingham, Al, a Distribution Center for Scentura. You
probably know Rob and Rikki Zuckert who run the regional office
here. Anyway, I am, or should I say that I was only two weeks away
from moving to Louisville, Ky to be the right hand for a couple
that is going to open their office there on the first of February.
I quit today because of the way some things were said and of how
several questions were left unanswered. I know that they make
everything look great and that they promise you everything, but
something doesn't feel quite right about it. Could you please let me
know a few reasons you quit. Everyone there is a salesman and I
kept feeling like they were trying to sell an idea without telling the
entire truth. I don't want to bash the company or spread false rumors;
I would just like to know the truth about what they won't tell you.
Please let me know.
Thank you for your time,
Patrick
Patrick,
It's hard for me to give you the "truth" because I am not sure what
info they wouldn't disclose. Yes, I know Rob & Ricki..........I always
thought they were nice people.
I left for a lot of reasons. I guess the main thing was that I
realized about my 5th year or so that it really isn't a business that
"anyone" can do. It's takes not only a significant talent level but
additionally, a special type of personality having the right
combination of blind faith, tenacity, positive attitude, etc... I knew
early on that not all or even many would make it, but I always thought
those that stuck it out would become successful so I believed I could
help those that helped themselves. Not the case, I promoted probably
25-35 offices myself, and had my owners underneath me promote another
25-35 offices through the years and hardly any of them made it past
the first year. Believe it or not, there were several that still
wouldn't quit even after bringing them back in for retraining and
re-promoting them and them failing again and they would keep coming
back despite their marriage having failed in the process, and ruining
their credit, etc... These people weren't quitters...they believed
what I told them. They thought if they hung in there, eventually they
would put it all together and be a huge success. You think that it
will all get better when you open your own office. Then you struggle
as an office owner but think its going to get better once you start
promoting people, then you think its really going to happen when you
become a regional, and so on...
This is of key importance in that business that you don't realize
until you are way in for years and actually start making significant
money in overrides. I a*sume you know as a promoting owner you make
money off of every bottle your promoted offices sell?
By the time I stopped believing I was doing good, I already had 15
or so offices underneath me and was making $1500-2000 per week in
overrides before I woke up on Monday and took a shower. Who would walk
away from that kind of money? I was on the verge of quitting after
about my 6th year and sat down with Carol Shottenfeld, ( I a*sume Mark
and Carol are still in the business ), and she said that if you quit
when things are down ( they were at that time and I had lost a lot of
offices that year ), you would feel like a loser and you won't quit
when things are going good because your making too much money. This
is the case for many people running offices.
So you continue and try to believe but the truth is...very few
people will ever make any significant money in that business. Think
about this.... How many office owners have you come in contact with
that are doing well? I don't mean nice car because lets be
honest...about anybody with decent credit can be driving a Lexus or a
Corvette, with a high payment of course. I am talking about seriously
living in a nice home they OWN not rent. Money in the bank, etc.....
Aside from Rob & Ricki and their promoting owners ( I think it was
Kerry Brunson if memory serves ), I will bet you haven't met anyone or
at least not many that run offices that are actually banking a lot of
money. On the other hand, I bet you have met quite a few that are
getting by clinging to the hope that "real success" is just right
around the corner if they just keep hanging on. And so the process
goes.
One more thing about Scentura or any business like it is you may
as well forget ever having any time off with peace of mind. I never
enjoyed being away from my office regardless of where I went because
there were always problems from hell happening while I was away. I
remember being in Maui on one of the trips that only the top 10 people
go on each year, and being awoken by my VP calling me at 4:00 am to
tell me one of my owners in Virginia Beach had blown out with all his
office bottles plus all the bottles from an office he promoted. Made
it tough to try and relax and have a good time when I had just gotten
the news somebody had stolen $5000 from me.
You made a good point about everyone there being a salesman
because they make money by keeping people around moving bottles. The
DC owners make money by keeping their people around. Regional managers
make money by keeping their owners around. Larry Hahn makes money by
keeping the Regional Managers around. It's tough to believe anybody
cares about you because they have an agenda.
On a final note regarding the "family" that you have become a part
of with Scentura..........When I declared my intentions to leave and
start another business, I was about immediately cut off from my
override money from the offices I had promoted, and the my promoting
owner bad mouthed me to the offices underneath me in an attempt to get
them loyal to him. After all those years, and being used as an example
of how a young guy can be successful in the business, being on the
company film, etc...... my departure was almost humiliating. The only
people I still speak to are some "real" friends I made who are also
doing other things now
I said I wasn't going to write a book report but it looks like I did
anyway. Good luck to you with whatever decision you make.
Michael A Barrick
KidsChairs
2201 Long Prairie #107-195
Flower Mound, TX 75022
*** As an office owner you don't make any money telling new recruits
the truth***
*** I Was a Regional Manager w/ Scentura (10 years of Experience). I
know all the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. ***
Mike,
Thank you for answering my questions about Scentura and how things
really are. I was wondering if I had done the right thing by quitting,
but now I rally do feel like I did what was in my best interest. Thank
you for your time and information, it helped me more than you will
ever know. Good luck with your new found career and I hope everything
works out for the best with you. Once again,
Thanks, Patrick
Posted by Mike Barrick on July 27, 2001 at 03:02:05:
I can tell you, from the perspective of someone who ran a distribution
center, and had numerous offices beneath me, anything and everything
you would want to know about this "opportunity". I am not a basher and
really not all that biased........I just know enough that I now do
something else.
Scentura's real opportunity is for you to learn the direct sales game
(an invaluable lesson btw), and once you are ready in the eyes of your
office manager, Scentura will consign you about $3000 worth of perfume
(which costs the company about $300-$400), so you can start your own
business, recruiting and training people to do the same. That's it!!
That is the golden opportunity that you have been promised.
You will at that point take all the same risks/responsibilities of any
other entrepreneur.......including signing your name on the lease for
an office space, spending money on advertising before making a dime,
working 60-70 hours a week, etc...
Can you make money doing this?? Absolutely. I made over $1,000,000
doing exactly what I just described.
Will you learn a lot in the process?? Absolutely!
Here is the problem.....Not many people would warm up to the idea of
selling stuff on the street while virtually going broke ( more on this
later), so the recruiting office owners have to make it sound
extremely appealing. If they described it factually (like I have above
), they couldn't recruit enough people to stay afloat. They pitch the
opportunity to all the recruits just like the sales people pitch the
perfume to people on the streets. This is where the ethical boundary
gets crossed. You have to put your own good before the well being of
anybody else in order to be successful in this setting. Most that walk
through the doors for an interview will never make a dime doing the
perfume business, but you (as an office owner ) don't make any money
telling new recruits the truth. You tell them all that they can do it
if they make enough sacrifice, burn bridges with their family and
friends who try to talk them out of it ( in effect, alienating them
from everyone but other people in the perfume business), Put the
blinders on taking all focus away from any "Pre Scentura"
values/priorities and they can be successful.
Please understand as you read this.........I was the guy telling you
all this. I had a recruiting ad in the paper 52 weeks a year telling
each person that I was able to hire how lucky they were to find this
opportunity.
Every time I think of that time of my life, I am filled with shame and
regret rather than pride. Yes, I was successful in that business but
it was at the expense of others. Good people quit working for me
(financially they had no choice), and I shunned them. That was what I
was taught. Anyone that did Scentura for any period of time know the
saying.." The weak fall by the wayside, while the strong survive". The
lack of moral turpitude is what you can expect from your experience
with Scentura Creations. Nobody cares about you.....It's all about
money.
I learned a lot of things while I did that business but I learned some
of my most valuable lessons after leaving the company. Business does
NOT come before family. You can't achieve success at the expense of
others without it eventually coming back to bite you in the a*s. Most
importantly, money is NOT the most important thing. It can make things
more comfortable but in the end, your cars, jewelry, houses, etc...
don't mean a thing. Things you buy with money only provide short term
happiness which always goes away. The joy I derive from my wife,
children, family and friends is long lasting and more important than
any of the superficial BS.
Any Scentura owners that stumble upon this post will surely
rationalize that I sold out for a low income/non stressful lifestyle
but you would only be half right. The businesses I am now involved in
make me the kind of income I only experienced during seldom "highs"
with Scentura, while only requiring 25-30 hours a week. More
importantly, the people that work for me make good money and can
believe what I tell them.
Hope this helps some of you understand what it is you are
contemplating. Email me if you have any specific questions and I will
be happy to try to help.
Good Luck to all.
*** Scentura consumes you. Mentally, Physically, Emotionally without
being anywhere close to worth the investment***
Posted by Mike Barrick on August 15, 2001 at 02:36:41:
I truly have heartfelt concern for you and your family. If I had not
left that business I couldn't possibly have the family life I have
now. That business consumes you. Mentally, Physically, Emotionally,
etc.........without being anywhere close to worth the investment.
I ran an office for about 10 years and had numerous offices promoted
out underneath me.
Please take a few minutes and read the posts I have made which will
give you and your husband some needed insight into the inner workings
of Scentura. Good Luck to you and your family.
Mike
****Are you working 60+hours a week to barely pay your ads / rent/
secretary (if you can afford one)? Are you getting the "Fear of Loss"
treatment from your promoting owner/Regional??****
I know there are many young owners that have hung in long enough to
have Perfume consigned to you by Scentura....and now are running an
office and wondering when the money will start coming in. I know that
you were under the impression that once you got your own office, the
money would start flowing in just like it appears to be for your
promoting owner ( who flashes settle up money at new recruits to
appear wealthy).
Are you working 60+hours a week to barely pay your ads / rent/
secretary (if you can afford one)? Are you getting the "Fear of Loss"
treatment from your promoting owner/Regional??
Have you figured this game out yet? You are a customer. Whatever level
of your involvement.....you are a customer. If you have been engaged
as a "management trainee" then you are a perfume buying customer of
the sales office that you interviewed in. If you are an office owner,
then congrats......you are now a customer of your promoting owner,
Regional Manager, and Larry Hahn/Scentura. You are consigned perfume
because there is such astronomical profit margin at each level that it
justifies the consignor putting out a little risk to offer the goods
to you and allow you to pay AFTER you sell.
If you know all this and are cool with the situation, then more power
to you and good luck. I post this to pose perspective to those of you
that have somehow been brainwashed into thinking you with a "family"
of people that care about you. You are a customer.... nothing more.
*** Recruiting people on false pretenses knowing that 99% of them will
leave the business in worse shape than they came, is not admirable***
There are also, posts from people like me, that made over $1,000,000
in the business but still don't have a favorable opinion of how it
operates. THAT is why some of us left. The year I left the company, I
was 1 of 10 offices that won a trip to Monte Carlo.
"Alternative Marketing" and/or direct sales is awesome... but
recruiting people on false pretenses knowing that 99% of them will
leave the business in worse shape than they came, is not admirable.
The 1% of people that truly make great money w/ Scentura are people
that could make great money doing ANYTHING.
I taught at a few owners schools for Scentura where we taught owners
how to recruit and retain people at all costs. I didn't lie to people
but I knew how to tell the story and make it sound great. I don't look
back on that time of my life with Pride, but with regret for having
steered people wrong for personal gain. Hindsight is 20/20 but I post
here to provide honest insight so people perusing for info can find an
honest take from someone without an agenda. If anything maybe I find
some feeling of redemption being able to offer information that to
people so they can make an informed decision on their future.
So why are you here Kim? What is your background? Have you ever stayed
in a seedy motel sleeping on the floor because you sold the least on
the road trip that day? Have you ever cut ties with friends/family in
naivety, believing they were going to drag you down with their
"negative attitude".
Unless you have some personal experience in the business, I contend
you are speculatively talking out your a*s. You are the person signing
the back of the paycheck while some of us are signing the front.
***1 out of 1000 coming through the doors will make it to their own
office****
Steve,
I don't know what post you have read so I copy/pasted below, some good
info that should answer a lot of your questions. 1 out of 1000 coming
through the doors will make it to their own office ( 90% quit in the
first 2-3 weeks). Of those that open an office, 25% will make it past
a year. Of those who last a year, the majority of them will still
struggle to pay the bills and keep up the appearance of being
successful.
These figures are off the top of my head but are pretty accurate.
Larry Hahn stays away from drugs and booze but that doesn't go for
many of the office owners that I ever met. The sales meetings are
filled with screaming, cussing, etc.. in most offices.
The most convincing argument you could likely make would be to take a
hard look at the people that hired your son. Are they actually making
any real money? What do they drive? Where do they live? How is their
office decorated?
Chances are very good that they are just like your son, only a year or
so into the system and still struggling.
I hope some of this info helps. Let me know how it all turns out and
good luck to you and God Bless your family.
Mike
*** Larry's revolving doors are no different only its you that's the
kindling wood that keeps his fire burning***
Everybody quits at some point. You just haven't figured it out yet.
Just like all the people come through your "revolving
doors"..........some stay a day, some stay a week, and some stay
years.......but they all quit at some point. Fortunately for you they
make you money while they are there.......and when they quit....you
just hire more.
Larry's revolving doors are no different only its you that's the
kindling wood that keeps his fire burning. You'll quit too at some
point......maybe in a month, or a year.......or maybe 10 years or
longer. You will realize at some point that there are better ways to
make good money without living off of other people's struggles. I
know, I know........your helping them by giving them the same
opportunity. I thought that for years..........you'll figure it out
someday. Until then.........JUICE! he he
Mike
***Proof of who Mike Barrick is***
http://www.kidschairs.com/ScentsofPride.htm
Copy this url into your browser and see if this jogs your memory.
If this doesn't refresh your memory, then I can post pictures of Larry
and I together. I have been to three of his homes. I have been on
company trips that only the top 10 offices go on. I have taught the
owners schools that take place in conjunction with the "family"
vacations.
Ask anyone that's been around awhile.........they know me.
Mike Barrick
*** Is Larry's retirement fund more important than yours???***
December 01, 2002 at 14:21:57
Larry and your regional/promoting owner will tell you that the
"Observe L' Essence" is better/same quality as the name brand but my
contention is that you can buy similar quality rendition perfumes
through other wholesale sources for $1-$3 per bottle. Don't believe
me??..........look around for yourself.
The difference is that you need to pay up front and you won't have the
illusion of a "big company's" support. Guess what.....you don't have a
"big company's" support anyways. Did you think that the "consignment
agreement" you signed with Scentura was just a "formality"?? You will
find out soon enough if any trouble ensues.......you are an
"independent contractor" just like your salespeople that hustle the
streets.....and won't get any more support than they get.
Is Larry's retirement fund more important than yours???
HISTORY OF SCENTURA, FROM SOMEONE WHO SPENT YEARS IN THE BUSINESS
222
***Artwork and jewelry, history of Scentura***
*** The company totally went to hell when it started with perfume and
I can't believe after 14 years of being away from these messed up
people that they are STILL scamming folks***
Posted by GP on November 01, 2001 at 08:25:09:
Hi. I worked for Scentura Creations in the mid to late 80's. The scam
was the same, but at the time not many people were familiar with them
and the perfume line was brand new.
Before perfume it was artwork and jewelry.
Anyway, me and my husband worked for them for about 3 years. My
husband pounded the pavement and I worked inside. He made good money
at it, but like I said, no one was the wiser at the time so everywhere
he went people bought.
We were given the opportunity to open our own office here in Atlanta
and we did. After a while though it got to be too much and we just
wanted out.
The company was so much better when it sold artwork and household
items because the products were what they were and people were always
happy with what they purchased and the next time somebody knocked on
their door, they were anxious to buy some more.
The company totally went to sh*t when it started with perfume and I
can't believe after 14 years of being away from these messed up people
that they are STILL scamming folks. I will never understand how they
have gotten away with it for so long.
The reason I looked all of this up on the internet today was because
this morning I was running an errand that forced me to drive right by
the Scentura Creations home office. It brought back so many memories
and, of course, the office is as beautiful as it ever was.
I decided to see if they had a website or if Larry Hahn and any of the
other guys that were running the place then were still around. I've
read that some people don't even know if Larry Hahn exists. He exists
all right. I've met him, worked with his girlfriend (at the time). I
have even toured his house. He is real. He started out with an awesome
idea and somehow with all the bull-sh*ting people that ended up
working for him turned the company into a JOKE.
Please, please don't let yourself work for this company for even a
day. It will be a day in your life you will never get back.
Every once in a while I have dreams about being back in that stupid
office and in that stupid room where they yelled and screamed every
morning to try to motivate you to pound pavement all day. All the
stupid sayings they had such as PMA=OPP.
Well, this is my story.
I hate to see that this is still going on.
*I mean didn't you have a clue when you went in for an interview and
there was a room FULL of people?
*What about the application process?
*What about all the people yelling and chanting behind the walls?
I know it is easy to get s*cked in. I just can NOT believe they are
still getting away with it.
GP
Atlanta, GA
*********************************************
MESSAGE FROM A RECEPTIONIST AND DISTRIBUTORS IN THE BUSINESS 333
"They had me check the cars for any "flyers"."
I used to work for World Perfume. I worked at the office located in
Scottsdale, Az and that company was called Global Marketing. I worked
there for about 2months. Mostly in the office because I told them that
I didn't like selling that I prefer to be in the office. So I saw how
the office ran, the phones, interviews 1 & interviews 2, and the group
interview.
They had me check the cars for any "flyers". I asked them why. First
she didn't give me an answer and she ignored me about that question.
So the next day for the next group, she asked me again to check for
flyer and I asked her why she said to make sure that there wasn't any
flyers for other jobs. But obviously you stated that they were flyer
for this. Bad report information on their company.
Anyway, as time went on my family realized that it was not was it
seemed. So then I realized it too. So I quit.
If you have any questions e-mail me back. I hope that my name is
confidential.
***I was a Scentura receptionist and witnessed as the manager lied to
people***
Posted by Holly Foust (***@hotmail.com) on January 17, 2002
at 14:46:16:
I was working in Colorado Springs For Michael Black and his "company"
National Wholesale (with scent. creations) and I have this to report:
I was his right hand, did all of the dirty work, and witnessed as he
lied to people and promised them pay and swore they would not be
selling at all, then made them, broke the news, and promised them
their own business - if that's what you call selling fake perfume on
the street.
I stayed for a few months, being paid $100 a week to work as the
receptionist and hire new people working 6 days a week, not being able
to call home when I was away and constantly being told by Mike to
dress sexier, wear shorter skirts, more make-up, curl my hair and wear
high-heals.
He is a part of the biggest scam in the world in my opinion. He
pretends to own his own business (he said he was about to promote me
to be an owner) but honestly, what kind of owner goes out on the
streets and sells fake perfume? It is the biggest joke I've ever seen,
and I think someone should stop the company's lying.
***I worked for one of Scentura's "Distribution Centers" for 3 years;
In the long run, I saw many, many people lose a ton of money***
Posted by Steve on July 08, 2001 at 01:19:01:
Well, I agree with all of you. I worked for one of Scentura's
"Distribution Centers" for 3 years.
I meet lots of interesting people that seemed to make a lot of money,
although I do not know if they are still there. Rob & Ricky, Richard
Wentz, Marc & Carol Schott, Dan Long, Joe Lussa, Joe Seana, and many
others.
My distribution centers was in the top ten of the "Scents of Pride"
several times. I made some money while I was there, but in the long
run, I saw many, many people lose a ton of money.
We hired everyone, just so they would go sell a bottle of fake
perfume.
Upon opening my distribution centers, I got the letter stating that
the bottles were not real, which I was told in training, but they
sugar coated it.
I worked so much for Scentura that I had very little time to meet
people and see friends and family. Therefore the people working for me
became my only friends, only while they worked for me. When they quit
we were no longer friends. It s*cked that way, because I had money and
they didn't. We were unable to do fun stuff, because they couldn't
afford it.
Yes, you can make money! But the odds are not in your favor. I would
guess that 1 out of 10,000 actually make it and the rest lose money if
they stay in the business longer than a week.
I was one of the few; I left Scentura only about $1,000 in the hole
after 3 years.
I got tired of scamming people that I knew was not going to make it
and quit hiring everyone. When I quit hiring everyone, I lost 5-10
people a week that could have sold 10 bottles each and I would have
made money, at least on FFAAR.
Since a distribution center's pay in to Scentura is (or was at the
time) $9.50, you can make some cash as a owner.
But then again you have a lot of bills, that the owner has to pay, NOT
Scentura, office rent, phone line, electricity, credit card machine
fees, fed ex (to mail in your payment to Scentura), shipping for the
bottles to be sent to you, furniture, copies for applications, copies
of sheets to consign bottles to "employees", and other misc. It adds
up fast.
It was most definitely, not worth the time I put into the business. I
urge you to listen to your friends and family when they tell you not
to do this. The odds are against you.
The distribution centers owners are only going to tell you what you
want to hear. This is solely my opinion, and some owners will bad
mouth me, but it is the honest truth.
Wonder why there are no email or phone numbers on the
www.scenturacreations.com web site? Is it because they get to much
hate mail as it is?
If you are still not convinced, look in a recent "Scents of Pride"
newsletter (if they still have them), then ask your owner for a Scents
of Pride, say 6 months old. See how many names are in both
newsletters. You most likely want see many, because most quit due to
being broke.
*** I was in the company for 9 months and made less than I would have
made in 1 month working for McDonalds***
Posted by watson (***@yahoo.com) on October 03, 2001 at
16:51:59:
Yes, it is a scam. I was in the company for 9 months and made less
than I would have made in 1 month working for McDonalds I wish nobody
to go through the experiences I had gone through.. Watch out for a guy
named James LaBlance and Mallory they are the power houses of the west
coast.... they took over Washington and moved to California...
*** I did this for a whole year. Scammed a lot of people for which I
am very sorry for***
Posted by Tina on June 30, 2001 at 21:36:00:
I did this for a whole year. I was in my office. Actually believed in
this.
Scammed a lot of people for which I am very sorry for. I actually
believed in this. My "district manager" was very convincing. She was a
great con. I on the other hand wasn't. So all you who think it isn't a
scam, open your eyes and stop being vulnerable.
If you can sell, you can actually do this. If you can't they are going
to make as much money off you until you can't sell anymore. Then they
will give you an ultimatum or do a fire sell. Anybody who has been
with a Scentura company long enough you know what a fire sell is.
If anybody has questions post them and I will gladly answer them
truthfully and not because I'm bitter. This experience gave me
confidence. Made me a positive person. But put me in debt
**** Their supposed paid business trips are not paid for***
*** They don't give you the money to open your office, you have to
sell 150 bottles to get the money for it. ***
Posted by Tina on June 30, 2001 at 22:10:11:
I did this for a whole year. I opened an office and all I did was
scammed people just like I was, which I am very sorry for. You can do
this if you can sell perfume bottles on the street and also you have
to be a good con artist, which my "District Manager" was one of the
best. They have you sell much as possible and if you can't sell
anymore they give you an ultimatum or a have a fire sell. To people
who want to try I suggest you don't.
Their supposed paid business trips are fun but not paid for. In June
we went to Florida for the family reunion. It was a lot of fun. I had
to pay for my own plane ticket. Also who ever you share a room with
you have to split the bill. You do have cocktails and dinner which is
free except for the drinks. You also do meet Larry Hahn. YEA! They do
have the rally and they do give away a car.
Also they don't give you the money to open your office, you have to
sell 150 bottles to get the money for it.
In order to get to that point you have to sell perfume on the street.
I had to sell 20, 30, 40, 50. Also in certain levels if you didn't do
in one week you had to start over. I know they said they have changed
it but believe they haven't. I know we came up the idea that they are
now using.
Also of Friday for "power car power pair up" you have to hit you
target which is anywhere from 5 to 15 bottles for that one day. If you
don't you probably won't get promoted.
They also will call you things like "W.P.O.S." which means weak piece
of sh*t. Then I had to sell more in my "district training."
If you want to know any more please post questions and I will answer.
No I'm not a bitter owner, just a truthful one. I did get something
out of this it made me a more positive and confident person.
*** The only ones making money are the Regional Managers, they receive
$5.00 each off each bottle you sell.. you only make $3.00***
*** While talking with the other trainees who were higher in rank than
myself, NONE of them made or make anywhere close to the amount per
week that was promised***
Posted by Tina on August 09, 2001 at 23:19:22:
Well, I lasted a week at their game, and all I have to say to it
is....GOOD LUCK!
They paint a pretty picture of all the money and promotions during
training. They said I could expect to make in the range of $175-$200
during my first week of training...WRONG!!!
On my first day of training they sit you down and tell you all the
wonderful things to expect, then they give you several bottles of
cologne (in our cla*ses case..8 bottle) then they tell you to go to
your friends and family to hock this stuff that's because only family
and friends will buy it to support you in your attempt to better
yourselves Believe me that is the most bottles, if any that you will
sell. They told us we would be making $10 per bottle, and the person
to sell the most bottles would make a little extra money through a
competition that they were doing...
That was day 1.
On day 2, they actually send you out to sell with one of the other
trainees. Whom just that Saturday before was in the same place you
were in Talk about poor training, if you got any at all. Two of our
people were sent out to sell by themselves, no trainer
We were told to sell the bottles, not for $27.00, which is the only
way you were going to make any money. But for $20.00, that's because a
total stranger isn't going to buy from a total stranger off the
streets and think its legit.. I was even accused of being an
Undercover Cop trying to bust people for buying this stuff. So $20.00
it was.. I sold a whopping 1(one) bottle of cologne.
During this day, my partner, me, and another trainee, were told by our
trainer that each day we were expected to share in the gas money for
the transportation. Ok.
At the end of this day we were allowed to take bottles home with us to
sell more If we could.
On day 3, we were told to sell as many bottles as possible, and were
given a quota. To do this we were to drop the price of the bottles to
sell multiple bottles to the same person, of course there HAS to be a
discount in price...OOPS, there went your gas money. Now you went from
selling there product at a profit of $10.00, now your making a total
of, hopefully, $3.00, if you sold 2(two) bottles to a person.
By Friday, you were sent out to sell outside the local area. Myself
and my partners went 200 miles, out of the way to a city that normally
doesn't receive our product, (which after hearing others, they
traveled about the same distance).
We were told this was Payday (payday isn't Our payday, its the payday
of the buyers), most people receive their payroll on Friday's. I sold
4 (four) bottles of cologne that day. We were told not to come back
from our area till we all sold our quota for the day They even told
us, "If it takes all night, then stay all night." We got back from
Fort Smith, Arkansas at 5am Saturday morning (this to wasn't unusual,
others got back in the wee hours of the morning most did).
With only a bath under my belt and no sleep, on Saturday, we were all
promoted to the next level. At the end of the promotions, we were told
to go out and hustle again. Everyone was so tired from the past night;
no one sold anything. BOY WERE THE OWNERS MAD!!!! They were so upset
with us they began to call us all names...and not polite ones..
During my venture with this company, I learned some interesting
things..
The only ones making money are the Regional Managers, they receive
$5.00 each off each bottle you sell.. you only make $3.00.
Also, the Branch managers make money off each bottle you sell. This is
how they make money to stock their new offices with computer
equipment, fax machines, and pay the rent for the first month.
While talking with the other trainees who were higher in rank than
myself, NONE of them made or make anywhere close to the amount per
week that was promised.
I ended up making less than what they promised. I ended up making a
deficit in profit. There started out with 20 people in my cla*s of new
trainees, by that Saturday, there were 8...
AND THAT WAS THE FIRST WEEK...
Tina
*** I worked there for 6 weeks and didn't make a dime***
Posted by Brandon on February 01, 2002 at 19:53:11:
Roxanne and Angela - Listen, I'm not here to bash people (although the
people there deserve more than that) but I am here to set the record
straight.
I worked there for 6 weeks and didn't make a dime. Now I know the
intelligent minds at Scentura Creations are thinking something to the
affect of "You should have been more motivated" or something but I
worked 7 days a week for about 14 hours a day for these 2 .......
(people) in Pa, and they would complain when I would only "drop" 2
bottles of cologne a day.
Here I was giving these people every dollar I made and they are
telling me I'm not doing my job. I will never be able to figure out
how the people at Scentura Creations that know what's going on can
live with themselves. They took advantage of a 18 year old kid just
trying to make a living.
Well thank god I left that "scam" and did something with my life. I am
now a 25 year old Information Technology Director making $110,000
dollars a year. Thanks Scentura!
*** I was almost arrested several times for soliciting and
trespa*sing, just for doing what they said was ok***
Posted by leoti on May 28, 2001 at 11:01:00:
Not that I get into company bashing or anything like that, but I know
from personal experience that Scentura Creations is a scam.
I worked for them for 6 months. I did everything that I was told to
do. The promises they made were never kept. The better I did the more
I had to do to get what was already promised to me.
Finally I became wise and quit. It overall cost me over 2000.00
dollars to learn this lesson.
They made us go all over the place, we had to pay for our own hotel
rooms. We were supposed to be reimbursed, but of course never was.
I was almost arrested several times for soliciting and trespa*sing,
just for doing what they said was ok. Once we (me and 5 of my
colleagues) were stranded and needed a way home. My so-called boss
Ramone Randoff left us stranded. If it weren't for my family I would
probably not have made it home. He said that if we did our jobs right
and sold the perfume then we would have the money to get home. What he
didn't say was that when he sold the perfume he sold it for 7 dollars
and we sold it for 30. I knew this because I was considered an office
manager and was supposed to be getting my own office. Which I never
received.
When things were all said and done. His office was closed and he was
sent back to headquarters to be retrained. So they said.
I cannot vouch for the whole company but from what I have seen and the
branch that I worked for, I must say that anything that can send you
to jail cannot be good for you. So make your own judgment.
I just hope that someone will learn from my mistake. I believe in them
fully, but my belief was in vain.
****I just got back from a road trip selling for these guys****
I think Scentura Creations is the biggest scam there could be.. I've
worked with them for 6 weeks and still see nothing. Just "Well now you
need to complete this part and now this part." All a bunch of lies and
misleads.
Also we're being told to lie in so many ways to other people about
kind of perfume we sell.
I have recorded a lot of conversations that were talked about on a
little tape recorder I carry in my pocket. And the conversations
always change from person to person. Promising this but doing that.
Taking people and building their hopes higher and higher only to get
nothing for these hopes and dreams.... They always beat around the
bush. When ever you come up with a complicated question, they turn the
subject to how much money you will make when you get your office..
Like a duck and run.....
I just got back from a road trip selling for these guys. The first day
on the road trip I ate some bad food (food poisoning),so I could not
do much at all but sit in the car and be miserable.
So I called the office to see if I could call it a day because I could
not work anymore. I had a temperature of 102, But the would not have
it I was to stay out there, My boss even said get motivated throw-up
on someone to get the people you are working with to laugh....Really
funny right..? So I went home to wake up in the morning feeling even
worse of course, So I would go to the hospital. For them only to get
mad and threaten form me to get back to work. I think not.
For anyone that hears about this place or gets hired for this place
turn and run now, because the do not care about you atttttttttt all
just the money you make them, and you will not see any part of this
money but if your lucky 7.00. Wow .
Anyone respond back to me if you like.
***@yahoo.com
*********************************************************************
INNER-WORKINGS OF SCENTURA DISTRIBUTORS 444
*** This is how they cover the hotel costs. They send you with a team
leader, they give that team leader 3 bottles to sell and cover the
hotel costs****
Posted by blank on May 23, 2001 at 19:05:41:
If you don't sell, you don't get paid anything. Yes, they do offer
bonuses, but like I said, if you don't sell, you don't get paid. Think
about how they make their money. It's very simple to figure out. Ask
them to give you a guarantee on paper. They don't guarantee you
anything.
Now the satellites are a joke. They expect you to work 12-hour days
and they tell you hotel costs are covered. This is how they cover the
hotel costs. They send you with a team leader, they give that team
leader 3 bottles to sell and cover the hotel costs. Now tell me this,
is that really covering the hotel costs. The team leader has to sell
those bottles to cover the hotel expenses. What kind of company would
send you on a so-called business trip and make you earn your room
after they tell you the costs are covered?
There is a lot more they wont tell you and you have to beat the
answers out of them. The place s*cks and they use you. Think about it.
***1 out of a 1000 offices survive longer than a year!***
Posted by Steve (***@hotmail.com) on December 21, 2001 at
08:50:01:
Did you not see that the weak pieces of sh*t is where they make all
their money! It certainly is not with the long term hustlers! It is
those two or three bottles that the weak people sale that makes this
company survive!! Go out and put all that energy into education or a
real job! 1 out of a 1000 offices survive longer than a year!
*** Most offices are run through quickly - not giving them adequate
time to have any reports from the BBB filed on them****
*** The Independent Contractor umbrella is one of the reasons Scentura
has continued for so long. It protects Scentura Creations from any
legal backlash from unethical 'distributors'. ***
Posted by Commentary on November 21, 2001 at 08:07:37:
The simple fact remains that most offices are run through quickly -
not giving them adequate time to have any reports from the BBB filed
on them. The office I was hired into was only two weeks old - not
enough time to compile any information on them, even though they were
promoting the same scamming business practices that their promoting
office (which did have a bad record with the BBB).
C'est la vie - bad timing, right?
The Independent Contractor umbrella is one of the reasons Scentura has
continued for so long. It protects Scentura Creations from any legal
backlash from unethical 'distributors'.
Even the BBB Website maintains that while Scentura is protected under
this umbrella, potential trainees need to understand that they are not
to believe and verbal promises and are to get a business selling
license, tax forms, and have EVERYTHING IN WRITING.
The owner of our office advertised for secretarial positions once a
month, not sales. When you are offered a salaried position with a
company car, paid vacations (don't even think for a second you can
claim Satellite - that does not qualify as a 'paid vacation'), 401K
through Scentura and health Insurance, your owner is blatantly lying
to you.
Are you claiming that all offices are managed ethically? If you are I
suggest you start hoofing it around the country posing as a trainee -
you're in for a wake-up call. Small-time business owners are sometimes
the worst tyrants. I suggest you investigate the facts before you
claim to know all about people's experiences.
*** It was then explained that I would have to sell 150 pieces per
week for 3 weeks before I could get the offices***
From Mark Flemming (***@hotmail.com):
Warnings from Holland. Scentura has got this far. I have been involved
for 6 weeks now. I was promised my own business after completing a
training course. This course I completed about 4 weeks ago and have
since been waiting for my business.
It was then explained that I would have to sell 150 pieces per week
for 3 weeks before I could get the offices. This is impossible, as I
do not even have an office to go to sell from and train.
We have one so-called office in Rotterdam, which provides no service.
I have seen no evidence of any real amounts of perfume to be
distributed; I am told we only have 33% of the total advertised
perfume available.
This sh*t has been going on since the beginning, I have sold nothing
and my girlfriend sold two. These two orders have been placed on a
back-order for delivery date unknown.
This Friends and Family is the trick to the business. After you finish
selling to your friends and family you will find no one else is
interested.
Also selling door-to-door is illegal without permission. Selling items
door to door needs special permission from your Gemeentehuis. They
will also give you rules to operate under. One of these rules is that
you must supply a money back or replacement guarantee.
Also a receipt will be needed to make the transaction legal. This is
not present in this company, new recruits are sent straight onto the
streets without any idea of the consequences.
The contact person for this venture is Michael Hales from Houston.
He is operating under the names Dynamic Management International. Tel
0031 620791256 and 0031 181615782.
Send any more inquiries to me. I have no problem helping anyone who
wants to stop these arseholes, who have cost myself and girlfriend a
nice holiday amount of money. The Flem
***** I have never seen any of these offices stay open longer than a
few months except for those at the top running the scam*******
Posted by Catherine (***@hotmail.com) on April 30, 2001 at
09:59:22:
In Reply to: Why don't some of you people get a life? posted by kim on
April 21, 2001 at 02:20:34:
I believe you need to study a little more about what you preach.
First of all Amway is a bad example if you are looking for a company
to compare Scentura too, in order to defend it. Amway was a pyramid
scheme, and is famous for that. Scentura is operating in the same
manner. Scentura, is distributing it's products to these companies, to
sell, in knowledge of the fact that these offices are practicing
illegal business practices.
The whole scam of the situation is, they place ads in the news papers
looking for management people, in which they all have a script that
they read from, and can't even use real names for contacts. The ads
placed usually state you can make between exp: 400-600 a week.
So you contact this company thinking this is a great opportunity.
So you go to the interviews in which they all act professional,
however they are not very proper for a business management interview,
they tell you that you will get paid while you train to become an
office manager for new offices they will be opening.
So you get excited go through to their second interview, oh yeah and
this was just so professional, what's your favorite sex position?
That's a business like question isn't it?
You go through the training in which you are lead to believe that you
will be getting paid for, but they tell you that you have to go out
and sell so that it helps you experience the business, but they seem
to leave out the part that unless you sell their product you don't get
paid anything.
$400-600 a week, you have to turn in 20 a bottle and if you sell them
for 25, so you would have to sell 80-120 bottles a week to make that
amount of money. It is impossible to do, no one person can sell that
on the streets and if they say they did they most likely bought the
bottles themselves, in which they will realize that the money they
just wasted on trying to up their sales, is money they are going to
need because they will never make it.
Also, they seem to leave out that certain cities, have solicitation
ordinances in which you could get arrested for not having a
solicitation license.
Now let's talk about their "fun cars" and their selling trips! Lets
see, they send you to a far location and give you so many days to
"drop" so many bottles, and ummm you have a certain number of bottles
that are sold to pay for your hotel room, but geez that's the only
money you have, because they tell you not to take any money or food
with you, because you need to earn your money to pay for this. So how
many other people slept in their vehicles?
And what about the taxes? I am sure Uncle Sam would love to know about
all the "cash" flowing through these offices that are never claimed
for taxes.
I am not telling anyone what to do, people will find out on their own.
The group I worked with managed to shut down our office with the
media, I suggest the rest of you do the same.
Funny we haven't had another office open back up in this area in the
past 6 years.
Also, if you are one of those who are still involved with the company
that I have seen posting their ridiculous and idiotic comments to
those on here trying to warn others, stop and think about what's going
on, no professional business behaves in the manner that these offices
do, I'd like to see any top company that you walk in and hear people
swearing and screaming at the top of their lungs.
If you think that the company is wonderful, stop back in 6 months
after you learn. The whole game of these offices are to brainwash you,
and many people lost loved ones over the fact that they were
brainwashed to defend this company. They teach you ignorance and try
to turn you away from everyone that loves you and is watching out for
you.
I have never seen any of these offices stay open longer than a few
months except for those at the top running the scam, such as Labbi
International in Cinci, Leah, she's so great and everyone's best
friend, but god forbid you p*ss her off cause then you're on your own.
They don't care about you, all they want is money, and the whole name
of the game is everyone is disposable, bring in as many people as you
can and get them to sell to all their friends and family, then bring
in new people to do the same.
I am just trying to help others from falling into the same trap.
Take Care and Good Luck!
*** After 2 months open they began to mess with my inventory. Making
me pay more for bottles than I would by going through the distribution
center directly***
*** These companies are independently owned throughout the country.
And these owners have free reign of whether they want to f-you over or
not***
Posted by screwed by Scentura after a year and a half of selling
perfume on the streets with no money in my pocket
(***@hotmail.com) on August 30, 2001 at 12:50:10:
You cannot imagine how fraudulent this company is. I had worked for an
office for a year and a half. After going through the training program
3 times. I finally opened my own office.
After 2 months open they began to mess with my inventory. Making me
pay more for bottles than I would by going through the distribution
center directly.
I am warning you, these companies are independently owned throughout
the country. And these owners have free reign of whether they want to
f*ck you over or not...
After 4 years, I am still recovering from the debt that the company
and the business put me in Do not listen to these people.
Yes, you can open an office and run it correctly. However, your
promoting owner can continually mess with your profit. STAY AWAY!!
***
http://www.seniors-s*te.com/fraud/1862.html
From: Earl Edwards ***@YAHOO.COM
I read all the information concerning Scentura creation, and I should
know cause I ran a dist. Center. My promoters were a**holes that had a
drug problem and wanted me to lie to all my people. They fired my
partner and a*signed me their own person. She was sleeping with the
original d.c.
They have a saying '''' k.i.s.s.": keep it short stupid and that is
what I will do.
I made money but the people that were above me scammed me by taking my
people, slowing my advancement, f**king my people for their promotion,
one of my people was raped, they stole money, and merch. I bought into
the scam cause I can hustle with the best of them. I never bought the
lies, i just tried to make the best of them cause I needed to succeed!
Scam or unique business? I believe the scam can be made legit if the
right people were there, but on the hold the bus. Needs to be rerouted
to trustful people. They are in the business of making money and if
that means cutting corners, then that is what they did. I kept up the
@$#!
Until the promotion d.c. stole my people, merch, and respect. They got
mad at me cause I trained my people not to lie and just sell the
product under the fact of getting a great deal no matter if the
product was hyped to be something it was not. We sold, we told the
truth, and we still sold. Our way worked but it made my "bosses" angry
cause we kept kicking their a**es. If you would like more information
< especially the stuff I was ashamed to say cause of legal matters>
then email me and I will enlighten you further
***************************************************************
FLYER FROM CHAT BOARD 555
**Flyer from chat board**
Posted by JeffODW (***@hotmail.com) on May 02, 2001 at 19:16:34:
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU BUY ANYTHING FROM OR CONTINUE WORKING
WITH SCENTURA!!! IT'S A SCAM!
IF YOU MEET SOMEONE SELLING THIS
Please do NOT buy anything from this SCAM COMPANY! They sell cheap
rendition cologne door-to-door, and if you ever meet one of these
salespeople DO NOT PURCHASE THE PRODUCT! It's a fake, and countless
hopeful teenagers are being fooled into peddling this stuff! Only
by cutting off the flow of buyers and salespeople can it be stopped!
FOR THOSE INVOLVED
I a*sume by now that you have been told that this is a 'perfume
distribution company'. Distribution in this case means 'walking the
streets trying to sell perfume for pennies a day'. DO NOT CONTINUE
WITH SCENTURA. Tell everyone in your 'cla*s' who will listen the
truth -Scentura is a losing battle that will leave you broke!
The 'Management' title you have is nothing but a name - you are
not 'managing' anyone. The way the office is making money right now
is by having you drop bottles for 29.00 in FFAR (Friends, Family &
Relatives). The office keeps 19, you take 10.00. THIS WILL NEVER
HAPPEN AGAIN. On the street, you will have to push the bottles for
11.00 to 19.00 to make your quota, and will have NO CASH. The
office makes it's money on 'Friends and Family' - meaning yours.
Everything you have heard thus far is scripted: The phone interview,
the first meeting, and the second 'group' interview. Scam tactics such
as 'fear of loss' are taught, and used on you to not only hook you in,
but to get you excited about being broke for the entire time you
are with this office. LARRY HAHN DID NOT CALL THE OFFICE TO START
A CONTEST. This is another scam by the owners to s*ck as much cash
out of you as possible before realizing that you are being taken
for a ride.
The 'paid business trips' are a lie, as well. Called a Satellite,
you basically go to another city and get rid of as many bottles as
you can in a weekend. You have to pay for the hotel room by working
insane hours and selling 'room bottles' - bottles that are supposed
to pay for the room. All it does is take money out of your pocket,
so in truth you pay for it on your own.
They define 'Job' as Just Over Broke. I guarantee that you will
never be as broke as you will be with this 'company'. Fox 2 News in
Detroit did an expose on Scentura, and reported exactly what I am
telling you now. This is a pyramid scam (even though they tell you
it's not. PLEASE OPEN YOUR EYES), and the fat rolls of cash you might
see in the hands of the 'owner' are nothing but bill money. They
toss it in front of you so you think they are wealthy and
successful. Chances are that the office is going broke, because
statistically you can't keep up ma*s volumes of sales in one area
for that long. Most offices have a 1-year lifespan, and when the
office goes down, you will receive NO SUPPORT FROM SCENTURA. You
will be working 16-hour days just to make a few dollars.
There are other setbacks, as well
The second you join Scentura, your name is red-flagged by the
IRS. There is no accurate way to keep track of your earnings, and
the IRS has been severely cracking down on Scentura 'Distribution
Center' owners.
There are lawsuits being filed against these 'distribution
centers' as we speak. The false advertising and stupid promises
made by them have preyed on young people for far too long, and
finally someone is doing something to stop it.
Police officers DO NOT TOLERATE solicitation on the streets.
Business-to-business is a gray area in law enforcement, and if you
are found selling (I know you are told not to use that word, but
that's what you're doing!) on the street, you will be ticketed and
possibly arrested. County and City ordinances vary on this topic,
and it would do you good to check with the laws of your city. Your
office owners need you to make street sales, so they will not warn
you about possible consequences.
Please realize before it's too late that this is a scam. Learn
from countless others who have fallen victim. Why do you think the
company website has no contact information? Because of all the
complaints they would be getting! The reason the Better Business
Bureau has no information on 'Scentura' is because the corporation
makes no claims to the offices, and therefore cannot be legally
tied to its practices. It's another scam tactic to keep you feeling
safe, since you will have trouble finding information on the
individual offices. Especially since they have such a short
lifespan, and complaints can take up to a year to be investigated.
PLEASE MAKE COPIES OF THIS AND GIVE IT TO EVERYONE IN THE CLA*S!
Warn people you know not to buy the products, and help us bring
this scam down! You can be successful without this, and will be
happy you walked out the door
****************************************************************
FRADULENT CLA*SIFIED ADS 666
**Red flags***
(sent by: x-***@rocketmail.com July 9, 2003)
I am a 20-year Navy veteran currently on the hunt for a civilian job,
and
recently I answered a newspaper want ad for a receptionist job with a
company called "Pacific Coast Wholesale", leaving a message at the
phone number in the ad. A few days later (this morning), I got a
strange phone message - hurried, garbled, and with a partial phone
number - that after carefully replaying several times, I realized was
"Pacific Coast Wholesale" calling back. The number in the phone
message was no good, so I called the number in the ad again, thinking
"These people REALLY need a good receptionist". I got through to a
live person, who scheduled me for an interview later this afternoon.
"Pacific Coast Wholesale" was located in an industrial-park district
of Ventura, CA in a block of offices that included another company
called "Pacific Wholesale Electronics". Unlike the electronics
company, "Pacific Coast Wholesale" did not have any signs up. Somehow
I found the office (which seemed to actually have a receptionist),
turned in a short application and my resume, and waited for my
interview. I asked the receptionist how many people had applied for
the job so far (a lot) and how long the company had been there (about
a month; they had moved up from San Diego).
The interview was one of the strangest I have ever had. The
interviewer showed little interest in my job history, unlike most
interviewers, and wanted to tell me about the company. Had I ever
heard of their founder, Larry Hahn? (No, I had not.) Hadn't I seen him
profiled on "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"? (No, I don't usually
watch that show.) Well, Mr. Hahn had invested in luggage, a
non-consumable, then invested in perfume, a consumable; the
interviewer went on to discuss "management training" opportunities,
still sounding as if he had memorized some sort of script.
But, I protested, I was here to interview for the receptionist
position; the interviewer dismissively replied that over 50 people had
applied for it, and that they wanted to offer everyone a job, so
therefore they were offering management training opportunities in
marketing.
But, I continued, my experience and skills are with computers and
phones, logs and files, not marketing.
(Red flag #1: Why offer a "management trainee" position to someone you
don't
even want to consider as a receptionist? As bait-and-switches go, it
wasn't even a good one - he didn't even suggest that my background
offered me an unusual opportunity better than the one I was seeking.)
No experience in marketing necessary, he said: we train; training
takes 6-9 weeks. First phase of training is marketing; second phase is
management, in which one trains 4-6 people in marketing; third phase
is administration; then you get your own office.
(Red flag #2: Would I be trained in marketing by someone who
themselves had been trained in marketing only a few weeks before?)
(Red flag #3: My own office? Is this commission sales, or worse, MLM?)
I asked the interviewer if trainees were paid and if this was
commission sales, explaining that my husband worked commission sales
for another company and enjoyed it, but that we both agreed one
salesman in the house was enough. He said it was commission-only, but
there were a lot of ways one could be paid including "kickbacks".
(Red flag #4: Kickbacks?!)
The interviewer then asked me about my short term and long term work
goals - at
last, a standard interview question - and I answered honestly: in the
short term, get a steady job; in the long term, keep it. The
interviewer thanked me and instructed me to phone back in 45 minutes,
when I would be told if I were accepted into the program or not.
(Red flag #5: At no time did the interviewer mention the company's
product,
much less talk it up. Every other company I have ever interviewed with
has
talked up their products or services with great enthusiasm.)
I met my husband immediately after the interview and told him about
it; he said
he had a really bad feeling about that company, and that if they
offered me the job that I should turn it down. He has never, ever
advised me to turn down any job offer before! I phoned them at the
assigned time, because I like to keep my word when I say I'm going to
do something, and they turned me down!
After doing a web search for "Larry Hahn" tonight, finding "Scentura
Creations", and reading many web pages such as David Dombrowski's, I
am not surprised that they turned me down: if Pacific Coast Wholesale
is in fact a Scentura distributor, as the combination of fragrances
and mention of Larry Hahn (and the resoundingly generic business
name) strongly suggest, then they want young naive things who are
easily impressed by tales of Big Money, not 44-year-old salty Navy
veterans who happily drive 15-year-old cars, don't watch "Lifestyles
of the Rich and Famous", and know B.S. when they see it.
By the way, my husband works for Vector, which is a good company -
they never make anyone recruit new salesmen, fill quotas, or sing
insulting songs; they focus on their products (which are quite good -
I use Cutco regularly) and their customer service, and thus are what
Direct Marketing should be like.
**** I came in for an interview as a receptionist***
Posted by ALLY (***@AOL.COM) on January 17, 2002 at 10:03:34:
All I can day is that its a scam ...
I came in for an interview as a receptionist and then heard they
needed "managers" then came back for a second interview and was
accepted ..
Then I read horrible things about them online ...when I got to their
office (which by the way looks empty with nothing but a phone and
plastic patio chairs) I tried to talk to another person and tell that
person about what I read on the web. I realized the person behind me
was one of them...she interrupted me as I was talking to that other
girl and told me I didn't have a notepad that I needed one and that
she was gonna get one for me from the office ..so I follow her she was
about to tell the manager about me ..
From that moment on I was treated differently and felt odd plus that
other male manager started saying things about getting rid off the
"bad people" and then the guy started giving money to give incentive
to people and also said things like don't believe in your family ...I
think that's not true...
Please people keep your eyes wide open...and listen to your own hearts
**** I should have never answered the ad. Receptionist, my foot. ***
Posted by HL on August 03, 2001 at 20:26:51
I too was at a meeting on Aug 3, and if you were in Fresno Ca, Hi.
I should have never answered the ad. Receptionist, my foot.
As soon as I walked behind closed doors I was asked if I would be
interested in management instead. Thinking that my background in that
field might have peaked an interest I answered sure.
I should have known not having to fill out a formal application but a
lame get to know you sheet that something was fishy. I gave it the
benefit of a doubt the first day. I went home and called the number
thinking ok we'll see. Of course like all scams I was giving the green
light to the second interview.
My question is where was the interview? And did I sleep through it? I
sat in a room full of people that well seemed like they should be
flipping burgers not running a company.
I mainly stayed for the pure entertainment of a guy named Mike saying
sh** alot and trying to tell us all that people with degrees are
losers and our parents are all miserable because they have J.O.B.s
"just over broke". Basically I kept smile on my face while laughing
hysterically inside. I gave up an hour of my life listening him
badgering all our lifestyles and saying if we weren't happy where we
are now, then we wouldn't be here. B.S. He claimed he knew that we
didn't have cars and would be in the same place we are now next year.
It be known that I am married to a college grad, and he has a career
he is proud of. We may not have tons of money lying around but we pay
our bills and go on vacations and well that $500.00 he claimed we
would only have left at the end of the year, we spent that and then
some on a vacation last month!!!!
This company recruits goffers, go sell me this, pay me and you can go
home broke! I have read all the messages on this "Scentura creations"
and I have visited the www.bbb.com site , they may not have a lot of
complaints but the BBB can't find anything nice to say either.
It seems a legitimate company would have a phone number listed and a
correct address, a fax machine wouldn't be too bad either if they were
in the business of selling to businesses, not door to door street
sells.
For anyone considering this venture, please go take the Sunday paper,
a pen and start calling. You may not become rich making 8.00 an hour
but at least the company you are working for is honest...
*** Worked for Scentura for one month, "Lines they instructed us to
say"***
Posted by Reagan Underwood (***@yahoo.com) on January 24, 2002 at
14:27:44:
Hi, I worked for Scentura for approximately 1 month--a month that felt
like a year.
I even relocated myself to help open another office. I packed up my
things and moved to a place where I knew no one. My roommates were
difficult, so I got out of there, but I know it's a scam.
I see their measly newspaper adds everyday. In fact, when I relocated
with them, I helped do all of that--you know, contacting the local
newspaper, giving them an add to print 2-3 times a week.
This site doesn't have room to type everything I know about that
business. Someone please contact me because I know a lot.
And if I look hard enough at home I could find lots of notes they gave
us, lines they instructed us to say, etc.
Again, please contact me. Any comments to me? For protection, call me
"RMU". Thanks.
******
Skip to message 2 of 4:
World perfume testimonies; people who stayed with scentura for less
than a week
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Go to section 1 and 2: TELEVISION, MAGAZINE, NEWSPAPER REPORTS (17)
AND COURT ORDERS AGAINST WORLD PERFUME AND SCENTURA Section 2: WHAT IS
WORLD PERFUME AND SCENTURA?
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Go to section 3:
Section 3: What You Can Do To Shut Down Your Local World Perfume &
Scentura
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Go to section 4:
Scentura Better Business Reports; Description of what happens, Day to
Day ; Response to World Perfume headquarters email and chat line
message ; Sources of info on world perfume and Scentura
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