Door to Door Sales
Southwestern Company
Direct Selling Association
DMPG Research
You have reached the Traveling Sales Crews Information Web Site:
Traveling Sales Crews Home Page
This web site is sponsored by the Dedicated Memorial Parents Group
and as such is dedicated to presenting
the violent, destructive and greedy acts that have turned
the Traveling Sales Industry and the Door To Door Sales Industry
into a National Tragedy.
Dedicated Memorial
To understand why we have created these web sites please take a moment
to review our introduction. It will give you a brief but very good
overview of why all parents and kids must become aware of this extremely
dangerous and deadly industry and why all states and the federal government
must pass powerful legislation to stop the child exploitation,
abandonment, rape and murder that has continued to plague
this destructive industry, for decades.
Introduction
Dedicated Memorial Parents Group Alert !
Southwestern Company At It Again:
http://www.southwesterndifference.info/?p=673
Any and all information found on the Southwestern Company web site and/or blog implying that
the Dedicated Memorial Parents Group, or any of its members has any affiliation
with this company is a BOLD FACED LIE!
The Dedicated Memorial Parents Group DOES NOT agree with or condone the Southwestern
Companies labor practices, hiring practices, marketing strategies, business models,
educational materials, or any of their political agendas.
The Dedicated Memorial Parents Group IS NOT affiliated with the Southwestern company in any way,
shape of form.
The Southwestern Company and its trade group The Direct Selling Association have done everything
in their power to undermine and destroy legislation that would protect Wisconsin kids
and homeowners from the on-going crimes that continue to plague the Direct Selling Industry.
The Dedicated Parents Group has done everything in its power to pass meaningful regulatory
legislation that would simultaneously give rights to the independent contractor/indentured
servants that are hired to make profits for this fowl and immoral industry, while at the
same time protecting communities from being swindled and victimized by crime.
On March 24, 2009 Malinda's Traveling Sales Crew Protection Act (SB-4) was passed by the
Wisconsin Senate (27-6) and by the Wisconsin House of Representatives (68-30).
And on March 26, 2009 Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed "Malinda's Act' into law.
The Southwestern Company and the Direct Selling Association LOST their battle to overpower good,
and on April 10, 2010 they will change their 'business model' to conform to Wisconsin Law
or they will not be doing business in the state of Wisconsin.
DMPG Webmaster
November 07, 2009
Note: The DMPG collects information from various sources:
police reports, court documents, media articles, and secretary of state websites.
The DMPG is not responsible for inaccurate data in any of the above sources of information.
Various company websites change over a period of time. Information and Links also change.
The DMPG cannot control this and for this reason cannot guarantee 100% accuracty of data.
If you have a question or find an error on this website please contact the DMPG WebMaster:
WebMaster
~or~ read the DMPG disclaimer:
DMPG Disclaimer
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If you have been adversely affected
by The Southwestern Company in any way
please contact the DMPG WebMaster:
WebMaster
Google Companys and Keyword Search
Note: The DMPG collects information from various sources:
police reports, court documents, media articles, and secretary of state websites.
The DMPG is not responsible for inaccurate data in any of the above sources of information.
Various company websites change over a period of time. Information and Links also change.
The DMPG cannot control this and for this reason cannot guarantee 100% accuracty of data.
If you have a question or find an error on this website please contact the DMPG WebMaster:
WebMaster
~or~ read the DMPG disclaimer:
DMPG Disclaimer
|
Take a very close look at the ONLY company in the United States
that is interfering with and lobbying against a bill that
was created to protect the well being and safety of
Wisconsin children and homeowners.
How extremely regrettable that Southwestern, a company that started it’s business selling
bibles door-to-door as a messenger for God has so blatantly decided to ignore the moral,
ethical, and labor issues regarding the Wisconsin SB-80 legislation.
“Malinda’s Traveling Sales Crew Protection Act” or SB-80 authored by Wisconsin
State Senator Jon Erpenbach is a solid work of legislation that must not be modified or
amended. Its primary purpose is to protect Wisconsin homeowners and kids from the continued
violence that exists nationwide in the door-to-door sales industry. Its secondary purpose is
to give rights to door-to-door sales agents who are currently being treated as indentured servants.
Southwestern Company is the only organization in the entire United States that is against this
legislation. No other business, state department, or company has ever objected to this bill.
One needs to ask why only Southwestern Company would prevail in trying to destroy a piece of
legislation that has nothing to do them.
The answer from our perspective is more than obvious and it has nothing to do with
the safety and well being of Wisconsin kids and homeowners.
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Dedicated Memorial Parents Group
Opinion
April 15, 2007
Updated: May 15, 2007
Southwestern Company and Wisconsin SB-80 Legislation
Kristen Rae Spicer
Former Southwestern Sales Agent
Opinion
November 11, 2006
Kristen Rae Spicer Opinion
Take a closer look at the Southwestern Company
An Information Pack by Kristen Rae Spicer
Read This Info Pack In PDF Format
Southwestern Company Banned From Durham College
A warning to us all - December 16, 2005
Banned
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF MINNESOTA
BRIAN L. GREWE, JR.,
Plaintiff,
v.
THE SOUTHWESTERN COMPANY,
Defendant.
Civil No. 04-3818 (JRT/FLN)
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND
ORDER DENYING DEFENDANT'S
MOTION TO DISMISS
Read This Motion to Dismiss In PDF Format
DMPG Info Clip
September 15, 2003
Published in the Platteville Journal
September 10, 2003
A motor vehicle crash with injuries occurred on CTH D,
five miles south of Platteville, at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6.
Jenny Kwon, 18, of Freemont, Calif., was traveling northbound on CTH D when she lost
control of her vehicle and went off the left side of the road rolling
several times. Both Kwon and her passenger,
Mariana Turner, 19, of Sausalito, Calif., were thrown from the vehicle.
They were transported to Southwest Health Center where Kwon was treated for serious
back injuries and a collapsed lung, and Turner was treated and released.
No seatbelts were used.
By Jennifer Davis
Platteville Journal
DMPG Info Clip Resources:
Platteville Journal
25 East Main
Platteville, WI. 53565
Editor: Jennifer Davis
(608)348-3006
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner.
Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.
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DMPG research has learned through police reports that Jenny Kwon and Mariana Turner worked for a
company out of Nashville, Tennessee by the name of Southwestern Company. This company hires students as
independent contractors to sell their products door-to-door across the country. The students purchase products
from Southwestern at wholesale prices and sell them to the customers at retail prices.
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Students Beware of this Con!
It's not a REAL internship
The Student Room
http://thestudentroom.co.uk
http://thestudentroom.co.uk/archive/index.php/t-193604.html
Read This Opinion
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The first international organization to expose, study and
prevent illegal pyramid schemes.
PYRAMID SCHEME ALERT
PYRAMID SCHEME ALERT
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Did You Know That Gary Ridgway
The Green River Serial Killer
Worked For Amway?
Door-to-Door Sales company:
Amway
Trade Group:
Direct Selling Association
Posted On This Website: 01/13/09
Gary Ridgway
Mugshot of Gary Ridgway from his arrest in 2001
amwayglobalcultintervention.blogspot.com
Read This Story
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University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Exclusive opportunity, or corporate exploitation?
Door-to-Door Sales Company:
Southwestern Company
January 20, 2010
Exclusive opportunity, or corporate exploitation?
By Miranda Butler
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Published: Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Updated: Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Imagine how lucky you’d be if an amazing summer internship came straight to you.
In general education classes across campus, mysterious sign-up sheets are getting passed
around during class. They give vague descriptions of an internship program
that accepts students of any major and pays them $9,000 on average for one
summer’s worth of work.
The corporation that’s offering these internships is called Southwestern Company,
and they’ve invited countless UA students to informational meetings about their program.
Southwestern explains that they’re a book publisher seeking interns for an exclusive opportunity:
The company sends students to a workshop that teaches marketing skills, and then
they allow these students to create their own businesses. Interns get the privilege
of setting their own goals, meeting with clientele to perform business negotiations
and are encouraged to make as much money as they can — all while boosting their resumes.
It sounds too good to be true, and for many college students, it is. This “exclusive”
deal is not exactly what it sounds like.
You know those telemarketers who always call at the worst times?
The obnoxious door-to-door salesmen who don’t take no for an answer?
Southwestern is actually giving students the “privilege” of becoming one of them.
The Southwestern Company hires “interns” to sell books door-to-door. Interns are
required to purchase these books wholesale, and then try to sell them to others.
That enticing $9,000 is far from guaranteed. Students are often so unsuccessful that
they end the summer indebted to Southwestern.
Also, because interns have the “opportunity” to run their own business, they are not
actually employees of the company. Thus, Southwestern is not responsible for interns’
health, well-being or success — and if the students don’t do well, the company loses
nothing. In fact, Southwestern gains money either way. So, although they claim to be
exclusive, they’ll hire anybody. That’s why they recruit interns in Gen ed classes,
accepting anyone who needs a job.
Southwestern is so intent on hiring hordes of interns that they ask potential employees
for names and phone numbers of their friends as well. After all, the more students that
Southwestern hires, the more money they can make with no risk to their profits.
But it’s a huge risk to financially burdened college students who might not fully
understand the truth before accepting a job. Southwestern claims to teach valuable
skills by sending interns to different cities. The company does assign its interns
certain regions in which to sell their products; however, interns have no guarantee that
these locations will be safe or that they will contain the proper demographic of people
who would even be interested in purchasing educational books. Once again, since students
don’t work for the company, they are required to pay for their own transportation and gas
expenses that quickly add up when traveling to more than 30 homes per 12-hour day.
Southwestern does not force students to work 72 hours per week, but they do acknowledge
that truly successful interns usually toil that much. Nevertheless, even the best salesmen
usually only sell books to two houses out of 30 that they visit.
That’s 28 other grueling trips where hardworking college students receive no
reward for their efforts.
So, the Southwestern Company may seem promising, but there are countless college
students who have had horrible summers at Southwestern. The Web site www.southwesterncompanytruth.com
supplies numerous testimonies of negative Southwestern experiences. An anonymous UA student
posted their story in an article titled “Do your research before Southwestern!” Here,
the student explains that they put 10,000 miles on their mom’s car while working for the
company, and didn’t even come home with much to show for it: “I didn’t meet one first
year that made $8,000 dollars over the summer; in fact I walked away with a check
for a little over $200.” (Keep in mind, that $200 was from 2+ months of work.)
The student also adds: “I just wish I would have listened to a friend when he
told me of his buddy’s experience selling for Southwestern.”
If our own peers have had such atrocious summers with this company, is Southwestern
the kind of corporation that talented UA students should work for? Many students —
and their parents — don’t think so. The Southwestern Company has been barred from
some colleges, including the University of Birmingham. There, they were banned from
recruiting interns during lectures because “Southwestern places the welfare
of students into jeopardy.”
Thus, we at the UA should realize Southwestern entices potential interns with
an opportunity that oftentimes backfires, and is far from worthy of students’
skills and abilities. Allowing Southwestern to advertise during Gen ed lectures just
seems like an accident waiting to happen.
— Miranda Butler is a creative writing sophomore.
She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.
By Miranda Butler
Arizona Daily Wildcat
http://wildcat.arizona.edu
Tucson, Arizona
Read This Story
DMPG Info Clip:
More on Southwestern Company:
http://www.youbyte.com/SWC.html
Southwestern Company/DSA: Southwestern Company/DSA Research
SouthwesternCompanyTruth: http://www.southwesterncompanytruth.com
Southwestern Testimonies: http://southwesterncompanytruth.com/?page_id=36
End DMPG Info Clip
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Southwestern Company Slave Labor? Door to door sales?
Door-to-Door Sales Company:
Southwestern Company
Trade Group:
Direct Selling Association - DSA
October 14, 2009
Southwestern Company Slave Labor? Door to door sales?
October 14th, 2009 | Author: admin
recruitmorefast.com
Has anyone had a chance to talk to any of the foreign students that are selling door to door for
the Southwestern company?
I have read a few yahoo answers regarding this company and it is blatantly obvious that these Q & A’s
are coming directly from people from that company as they hit all the "Talking points".
It appears that they pose the ? and than provide the answer. Just a bit suspicious in my opinion.
I would like to know if anyone here thinks that it is a MLM brainwashing program that lures foreign
students to America to work 80 hours a week, knocking on doors, without ANY free,
personal time…and if you feel it is morally right to subject them to such an
outdated sales practice, without first informing them that Americans do NOT
like people knocking on their doors anymore than we like telemarketers!
I wonder if the SOUTHWESTERN Company executives are on the DO NOT CALL TELEMARKETER LIST ?
Any opinions on this Company and their sales tactics would be greatly appreciate
There are a million more like them. Usually, they pick foreign or very poor young men
and women who are desperate for money. I have seen it happen a lot.
Author: admin
recruitmorefast.com
Read This Story
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Titusville, Florida
Salesmen might avoid Titusville
Door-to-Door Sales Company:
Southwestern Company
September 7, 2009
Salesmen might avoid Titusville
City considers 'No Knock' list
BY AMANDA STRATFORD • FLORIDA TODAY • September 7, 2009
Vacuum salesmen, magazine solicitors and Girl Scouts may have a trickier time selling
their products to Titusville residents in the future.
The city council will discuss the feasibility of creating a "No Knock" list that peddlers
would be required to obtain before going door to door.
"It seems relatively simple," said Councilman Paul Secor, who learned of a town in
New Jersey using the list. "I like the simpleness and the straightforwardness
of the ordinance, and it seems to really make sense because it parallels
the Do Not Call list."
Edison, N.J., adopted the No Knock list in 1999 and officials there said they've had few complaints.
"We have found it successful," said Jerry Barca, communications director for the township.
"Residents have appreciated it here for sure."
Titusville already requires peddlers, panhandlers and solicitors to obtain a permit from the city.
Titusville's city attorney Dwight Severs is researching the legality of going
further and creating the No Knock list.
But City Manager Mark Ryan said if it moves forward, it would only apply to commercial entities.
Trick-or-treaters and probably even Jehovah's Witnesses would be exempt.
In Edison, Jennifer Frosten said there have been some difficulties. On the list herself,
Frosten also is the clerk typist in the town's license and permits department.
This year, Frosten has added 612 names. She didn't know an exact number, but said of Edison's
110,000 residents, more people are on the Do Not Knock list than not.
"I've got files and files and files and files," Frosten said. "I hate it because it's more of a
hassle with all the paperwork."
The list, however, has cut down on door-to-door sales pitches. She said most solicitors don't
bother anymore because it's not worth the effort of searching the long list.
Titusville only has one active solicitor registered with the city, a college
student selling educational books.
Southwestern Company, an organization based in Tennessee, helps students engage in the
door-to-door sales through a summer program.
Southwestern's attorney Gary Pears said No Knock lists were often inaccurate and outdated.
He said that a "No Solicitation" sign is all that is needed and that the No Knock
list would violate the First Amendment right of free commercial speech.
But Ryan said it's worth looking into.
"I have not heard of it happening in Florida, so we may be setting new ground here," he said.
Contact Stratford at 360-1016 or astratford@floridatoday.com.
BY AMANDA STRATFORD • FLORIDA TODAY
floridatoday.com
Titusville, Florida
Read This Story
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Abilene, Texas
AISD door-to-door scam solved?
Door-to-Door Sales Company:
Southwestern Company
August 14, 2009
AISD door-to-door scam solved?
Daralyn Schoenewald
schoenewaldd@reporternews.com
325-676-6765
Abilene Reporter-News
Friday, August 14, 2009
A person going door to door around Abilene reportedly claiming a need to speak to parents of
children in the Abilene Independent School District is apparently a college
student selling study guides and other educational materials as part of an internship.
“I’m not 100 percent sure it’s our student, but we have one in the area so I’ll assume it is,”
said Trey Campbell, a spokesman for Southwestern, the Nashville, Tenn. based company offering
the internships. The salesman is in “no way” trying to scam anybody, Campbell added.
Abilene Independent School District Superintendent David Polnick issued a news release
earlier in the week, cautioning parents that while district employees are doing in-home
visits with some parents, they call in advance to make an appointment.
“We are not visiting every house in AISD,” Polnick said in the release.” Legitimate AISD employees
will have a name badge and will only be checking on students that were enrolled in school
last year and will call in advance.”
Campbell said he has been in contact with the Tennessee Tech University student and asked
to review his introduction and sales approach.
“It was clear who he was,” Campbell said. “He was not doing anything wrong.”
However, Abilene Police, who have received numerous calls about the door-to-door visits,
believe the salesman has been misrepresenting his employer.
“Some of our officers have been at home when he came by, so they know exactly how he
presented himself. Our officers have identified him and warned him to stop misrepresenting
his employer,” Abilene Police Chief Stan Standridge wrote in an e-mail.
“We do not believe he has listened to this advice, so we caution the
community to not invite any door-to-door salesmen into their homes.”
Comments
Posted by hisoneandonly on August 14, 2009 at 10:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This person came to my house a couple of weeks ago. He did not say he was from AISD.
He just asked if we had kids in Wylie or AISD and asked us if we were
interested in educational books
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Posted by texasblackhawk84 on August 14, 2009 at 11:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It all comes down to ONE thing, DO NOT OPEN YOUR DOOR TO STRANGERS! Simple common sense will
keep you, your loved ones and your property safe.
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Posted by GravityParade on August 15, 2009 at 12:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Door to door sales is so sleazy. These people should be ashamed of themselves.
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Posted by tb123 on August 15, 2009 at 4:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
He didn't ask if I had kids in AISD or Wylie but was pretty forceful.
He had no concept of personal space and just overall creeped me out.
I think what I didn't like most was when I told him no he kept asking to come
inside and show me everything...and then he came back for 3 more days in a row...
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Posted by stand1864 on August 15, 2009 at 8:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Criminals are known to seek out employment which will offer them a legitimate reason to ask
personal questions, be allowed into your home or business, or form relationships of
trust with their preferred victims. That is why pedofiles become teachers, doctors,
ministers, or coaches. Door-to door sales gives any criminal the perfect opportunity to
seek out victims for theft, robbery, money scams, rape or other violence. Their perfect
victim is the person who is not assertive enough to firmly turn them away at the door or
not answer at all. If Abilene had a city ordinance against door-to-door sales, we could
simply report these unnecessary intruders to law enforcement and they could be ticketed
and instructed to stop bothering people in their homes (or trolling for victims).
Women and children, senior citizens, and other trusting folks woud be safer for it!
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Posted by SadButTrue on August 15, 2009 at 8:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I have a sign buy my door that says "NO SOLICITING" and a "NO TRESPASSING" sign.
Sinse I put them up I have had no one come to my door that I don't know.
And if anyone does I great them with a .45 cal pistol in my hand.
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Posted by saltydog on August 15, 2009 at 8:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Had a Cooper football player come to my door last night selling a Cooper Cougar discount card.
Bought one. Nice kid.
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Posted by mulligun on August 15, 2009 at 2:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sadbuttrue would have shot him.
Daralyn Schoenewald
schoenewaldd@reporternews.com
325-676-6765
Abilene Reporter-News
reporternews.com
Abilene, Texas
Read This Story
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Morganton, North Carolina
Letter: Watch out for uninvited sales
people in Burke
Door-to-Door Sales company:
Southwestern
Trade Group:
Direct Selling Association
July 15, 2009
Letter: Watch out for uninvited sales people in Burke
Nicki Riley
The News Herald
Published: July 15, 2009
Morganton, NC - This is a warning to parents and teachers.
Last Thursday a young man came to my house to "discuss" educational issues because he claimed to be
doing a project for a college internship. He said he was sent to my house by one of my
good friends who is also a teacher.
As a teacher and since he was "sent" by a friend, I let him in. He then proceeded to show some
very bizarre behavior (standing in the dark in my bathroom, making me repeat his name, asking for
food, etc.). Of course, he wasn't a friend of a friend at all. He was a salesman selling educational
software for children.
I told him I wasn't interested and then he pulled out these lists of teachers and their associated
schools. Apparently he has some access to our information that I find alarming. Most alarming,
however, was that he also had a hand-drawn map of my neighborhood and where all the children lived.
He knew my neighbors' names and that some were on vacation.
He showed back up a couple days later and was told by my friend to never use his name again
in his sales pitch.
This guy has now continued to use my friend's name to pitch his product anyway.
He lied to get in my door. He is misrepresenting himself by claiming to know all these
teachers and now he has maps with names and addresses of where little children live.
I am writing this to try and warn our community. Do not give this guy any information about
your neighbors. He is not a friend of any teacher in this county. I have reported him to the
sheriff's department and I have filed a complaint with the company. There are others like him in
Morganton selling the same product. Apparently it is a common practice for this company
to make these maps. The company's name is Southwestern and they sell educational
software. You can easily look them up on the internet and file a complaint
if you are so inclined.
We must look out for our neighbors and, more importantly, our children.
Editor's note: According to the Southwestern Company, students who sell its products are
independent contractors who buy the company's products at wholesale and resell at retail.
They are not employees of the company.
Nicki Riley
The News Herald
www2.morganton.com
Morganton, North Carolina
Read This Story
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Londonderry, New Hampshire
Police: Student's sales technique led to alert
Door-to-Door Sales company:
Southwestern
Trade Group:
Direct Selling Association
July 13, 2009
Police: Student's sales technique led to alert
By ALEC O'MEARA
Union Leader Correspondent
unionleader.com
Monday, Jul. 13, 2009
LONDONDERRY – A college student from out of state who sells books door to door has been
identified as the likely source of a home invasion scare that forced police and school
officials to place families in town on alert last week.
On Wednesday, Londonderry Superintendent Nate Greenberg sent an e-mail to all families following
a report of an individual or individuals identifying themselves as representatives of
the school district. In the message, Greenberg said the suspects were displaying false
identification and were using it to try to gain entry to homes in the area. Fearing the
worst, Greenberg advised parents to call the police immediately if the suspect appeared
at their home.
Later the same evening, police identified the person believed to be responsible for the
scare as Maggie Scrantom, a college student working with the Southwestern Company, a
Tennessee based publishing company, selling books and other education materials.
Police said the student produced a valid Londonderry permit to solicit door to door in town,
but the permit, obtained in May, expired on July 1.
Scrantom was given an order to cease and desist her businesses operations in Londonderry
and was sent on her way with no further penalty.
Following the interview, Londonderry police and school put out their second joint press
release on the week crediting the response from local families "for bringing
the situation to a rapid closure."
Multiple residents responded to the initial e-mail, Greenberg said, saying they had
been visited by Scrantom. The parents said the student gave the impression she worked
with the schools, but if asked directly, she would tell the truth regarding her affiliation,
Greenberg said.
Following the incident, Trey Campbell, communications director for the Southwestern Company,
expressed regret over the confusion and defended Scrantom, a theater major for the
University of Iowa, as a two-year intern of the business's sales program.
Scrantom was selling children's books and computer CD's to be used as
homework aides for school work, the "Volume Library" package at Southwestern.
"Maggie has a stellar record with Southwestern throughout her two-year tenure of
running her business," Campbell said. "In my experience, there is sometimes a
miscommunication or a confusion due to an assumption made regarding a student's
affiliation. This is easy to do, as the nature of the products is education."
Following the order to cease and desist, police said Scrantom indicated she would
not return to town.
By ALEC O'MEARA
Union Leader Correspondent
unionleader.com
Manchester, New Hampshire
Read This Story
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University of Maryland
Southwestern Co. banned from recruiting on campus
April 7, 2009
Southwestern Co. banned from recruiting on campus
Jeff Nash
The Diamondback Newsroom
Issue date: 4/7/09 Section: News
Warren Kelley, the interim director of the University Career Center, said Southwestern
Company can no longer recruit on the campus after two students complained
it misrepresented the nature of its internships as business positions instead of a sales jobs.
The company said its internships give students both valuable skills and an opportunity to
earn thousands of dollars in a single summer.
Southwestern hasn't been allowed to recruit on the campus since 2005 but the university has
continued to receive complaints against the company. It still recruits university students
in other ways and uses facilities at nearby University of Maryland University College.
Last year, according to the company, 30 university students made more than
$300,000 selling company products.
But two students who complained said the way in which they were recruited was misleading.
"The whole process was a manipulation," sophomore kinesiology major Alana Isaacson said.
"I was deceived into coming by a vague and misleading phone call, and once I got there
they even said that this was an information session to be considered for an interview,
after calling the meeting an interview over the phone."
Stories like Isaacson's abound on Southwesterncompanytruth.com, which portrays the
company's summer program as an emotionally damaging, though potentially high-paying,
experience. Some of the website's claims include that students are "brainwashed" and
forced to put their physical and emotional health at risk.
After reading the site, Isaacson complained to the Career Center because she believed
the job sounded unsafe for students.
However, Southwestern is taking legal action against the site because it claims many of the
"truths" stated on the site are false.
According to Southwestern, first-year sellers make an average of about $8,000 in a summer,
which is usually 13 weeks long. Regional Sales Manager Lester Crafton said the
university's unwillingness to communicate with Southwestern stems from a negative
bias toward the company. Past incidents include Southwestern's tendency to over-recruit
in the 1970s, a university employee's outrage when a former Southwestern employee hugged
her following a meeting and the 2005 student complaint. Crafton said this was due to a
miscommunication about the informational session.
"I think the Career Center's intent is legitimate," Crafton said. "But they are trying to protect
all students from a job that's not right for some students."
When students are selected for the Southwestern internship, they start their summer by
going to "sales school" for 5 days in Nashville, Tenn., where they are taught product knowledge,
ethics, self-presentation, safety and business management. They are then sent to a distant
location where they live with host families and work long hours selling educational books
and CDs to families.
The students, who are not directly company employees but rather independent contractors,
keep 40 percent of each sale.
One of those students, senior-to-be psychology major Kaela Kreysa, said she made nearly
$40,000 last summer, enough money to allow her to take the school year off and
spend the time vacationing in Hawaii.
"It feels incredible to be financially independent and able to do anything that I want,"
Kreysa wrote in an e-mail. "I wanted a change of pace. Thankfully my success with
Southwestern has given me a lot of money and I wanted to use part of it in a way that
would help me to learn more while being present and enjoying."
Kreysa said Southwestern isn't for everyone, but for those who enjoy a challenge,
Southwestern's program offers an unmatched combination of learning, sales experience and life lessons.
"I am a psychology major and I cannot think of a better way to learn more about people
than to talk to thousands of them in their homes during a summer," Kreysa wrote.
"Eventually in my life I would have hoped to gain all the skills I have from Southwestern,
but I can't imagine a better way to gain them all so quickly."
Besides Isaacson, the other student who complained about the company's recruiting,
freshman animal science major Sarah Margerison, said it misrepresented itself as a legitimate
internship when it was actually a sales job.
"This was supposed to be a business internship, where you sold a product," Margerison said.
"It sounded a lot like the door-to-door fundraisers you do for your soccer team or
something when you're little."
Crafton, a University of North Carolina '99 alumnus who made more than $30,000 selling
products for Southwestern during in his final summer in college, said while Southwestern
has become more selective over the years to hire only qualified students for the job,
three in 10 first-year student sellers drop out of the program.
"Do some people fail? Yes. What's the proof? Southwesterncompanytruth.com exists.
Do some people succeed? Yes. What's the proof? I exist," Crafton said.
Kreysa, one of those success stories, thinks it's ridiculous that the Career
Center doesn't encourage students to check out the Southwestern summer program.
"If a counselor truly understood what a student could gain from the Southwestern
experience, she would recommend it all the time," Kreysa wrote.
jnashdbk@gmail.com
Jeff Nash
jnashdbk@gmail.com
The Diamondback Newsroom
media.www.diamondbackonline.com
University of Maryland
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Amway Report by G. Robert Blakey
Door-to-Door Sales Company:
Amway
Trade Group:
Direct Selling Association
Posted On This Website: 01/13/09
Amway Report by G. Robert Blakey
"It is my opinion that the Amway business is run in a manner that is parallel to
that of major organized crime groups, in particular the Mafia. The structure and
function of major organized crime groups, generally consisting of associated enterprises
engaging in patterns of legal and illegal activity, was the prototype forming the basis
for federal and state racketeering legislation that I have been involved in drafting.
The same structure and function, with associated enterprises engaging in patterns of
legal and illegal activity, is found in the Amway business."
G. ROBERT BLAKEY
G. Robert Blakey
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|
Quixtar/Amway Scammers and Traveling Sales Crew Desperadoes
Door-to-Door Sales Company:
Amway Global
January 13, 2009
Quixtar/Amway Scammers and Traveling Sales Crew Desperadoes
Posted by quixtarisacult at 6:50 PM
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
While writing on QCI, I focus my research on
current affairs or any other topic which
strikes me as interesting, and of course on
Amway/Quixtar corruption.
Many times it is a current news story, or a
fellow blogger who sparks my interest in doing
a little more research on a topic of interest.
It has been some months since I published an
article on the traveling magazine sales crews.
After reflecting subconsciously on those
articles, I have developed additional insight
into what this Amway-Quixtar, DSA, and
Traveling Sales Circus really is. I have used
this insight to write the following expose
-desperadoes- to describe a nightmare too
incredibly unusual for many normal people to
fully comprehend, yet understand. The traveling
sales crews horror merely points to an
intersection on a street with Amway and the
Direct Selling Association. Of course the DSA
is a front for the corrupt money funneling
AmScam Cult Initiators, operators of a World
wide cult which has extracted untold Billions
in a money extracting closed market swindle.
Why should this matter; ask the good citizens
of Wisconsin, and discover how the DSA furthers
corruption and worse, crimes--horrible,
sickening, much too horrid to describe in the
presense of mixed company. Therefore, friends
of QCI, enjoy desperadoes.
**********************************
Desperadoes
-desperadoes of all sorts, runners from life,
the drug users, the mentally ill, the lost, the
abused, the cast offs, and the abusers
themselves-
Many times these traveling sales outfits employ
people who were in--or potentially in-- a state
of homelessness--possibly one of the most
desperate situations anyone could ever find
themselves in--where victims are exposed to the
predatory school of hard knocks. They come from
all segments of society; the majority being
temporarily homeless youth, first timers
experiencing life on the street; rebels, some
heading down a road that has been or could be
decades long. These unfortunates finding
themselves fodder in a market that makes them
the unfortunate clay in the hands of
unscrupulous potters, the predatory mafia-like
organizations which stand just out of view, all
looking out of their corporate office suite.
The predators:
--boiler room
--sex trade
--traveling sales
--day labor
--agricultural
--panhandling; begging industries
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
For the people locked into a soul destroying
affair, the lines seem to blur between the
good, the bad, and the ugly. Here you have
potential predators riding with naive youths,
many of which are already out looking for a
good time in life; a situation absolutely rife
with the potential for lawlessness, sexual
perversions, physical abuse, and cult-like mind
control exercised upon people much too
desperate to resist.
When do the abused cross over and become the
abuser in these situations?
How many potentially good college aged kids
drop out of school and follow these caravans of
deceit, society destroying misfits on the road
of perdition? The cream of our youth, thrown in
amongst the dregs of society where teenage
virginity and innocence are relegated road kill
on the traveling sales crew ride into the
dark-side.
The urban drug kingpins, in their sick world,
operate similarly to these traveling caravans
of human exploitation; where the abused many
times--in the long and short of it--becoming
the abuser. The pusher many times has been
victimized by the drug or system that he must
now somehow use to advantage.
Hasn't the god of any big city urban drug
dealer been cheese, the green backs worshiped
by the scoundrels that sit in the shadows;
those who would benefit substantially by the
exploitation of the youth and the desperadoes?
Low life desperadoes, attracted into a life in
a traveling sales crew, asked to supervise male
and female college recruited door knockers as
well as the downtrodden depraved, who all
unfortunately find themselves part and parcel
of a traveling circus of misfits and youthful
optimists. The desperadoes are problematic, a
situation that could be avoided with some
oversight and scrutiny by our elected
representatives whose duty it is to protect all
citizens from these exploitative affairs and
the potential for harm that they represent.
Unscrupulous affairs always require willing
unscrupulous individuals, all generally more
easily recruited from the dregs of society, and
those desperadoes wanting to find an easy means
to fulfill whatever corrupt dreams they may
possess. These positions are not exactly
something you might find the upstanding
citizenry being involved in. Add in other
similarly situated desperadoes for the
potentially sinful journey, and you have the
wonderful world of the traveling sales crew
horror circus--all coming to your town every
summer; a very corrupt affair indeed!
Victims and victimizers all locked in a
potentially catastrophic situation. Drug use,
sexual deviation and cult-like control being
only the minor horrors on the road to potential
dusty death. Good people caught up in a
carnival of door knocking corruption. The door
to door sellers of fraud, involved in
corruption, victimized, by it and in some cases
becoming the victimizers along the highway to
hell.
Imagine Gary Ridgeway at the wheel of one of
these van loads of youthful traveling hopefuls;
all coming to a neighborhood near you? The
good, the bad, and the ugly. Sales fraud, order
destruction, and check washing being the minor
sins being taught on these caravans of shear
exploitation.
If only this were the worst of the crime, but
sadly, murder, rape, robbery, theft, treachery
and the devil himself ride on these traveling
vans from hell!
Knock, knock, who's there?
Did you know that any number of direct sellers
claim to be door to door salesman? One of these
of course is Amway. You know, AmScam. They
always like to defend themselves from pyramid
scheme allegations by perpetuating the myth
that they also are door to door sellers. They
seem to find some degree of legitimacy for
their particular fraud. People familiar with
the Amway organization know this to be a retail
sales farce fabricated to defend their self
consumption fraudulent scheme from governmental
regulators.
Amway stands behind the Direct Selling
Association. The DSA, opponents of laws to
regulate the traveling sales crew and door to
door selling industries is supposedly made up
of several hundred (mostly shady) companies who
generally ply their wares using the Multi-Level
Marketing model--an industry where many pay to
play but few ever win in. Most are money
extracting affairs operated in cult like
efficiency. Their corrupt money fund the DSA to
actively oppose any law which would regulate
the traveling sales crew and door to door sales
industry.
Kirby and Amway, strange bedfellows indeed,
both DSA companies, strongly opposes and work
against passage of Malinda's Law in the State
of Wisconsin, all the while being engulfed in a
history of distributor fraud, and in the case
of Kirby, horrific capital crimes, all of which
they conveniently have passed responsibility
off onto their 'independent' door knockers.
Malinda's law seeks to establish an
employer-employee relationship, currently
lacking, which permits corruptions to hide and
escape liability in an affair where they are
the capitol benefactors of.
Significantly, State and Federal governments
regulate or outlaw other industries that prey
on the dignity of people--like the sex trade.
Why allow loopholes exist which make the
traveling sales crews avoid scrutiny? Out of
the list of industries that prey upon the
downtrodden, only the traveling sales and door
to door knocking industries are not regulated
to protect the dignity of the citizens of these
United States. Laws already are enacted which
regulate the employee/employer relationship.
These companies operate schemes which rely on
the current 'independent contractor' loophole
to carry their pernicious affairs forward.
Malinda's law would be a great start toward
doing something that can be done, regulate a
industry that will continue to prey on the weak
otherwise.
Posted by quixtarisacult at 6:50 PM
quixtarisacultintervention.blogspot.com
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Cardiff University, UK
Cardiff cold shoulders commission-based companies
Door-to-Door Sales Company:
Southwestern Company
December 6, 2008
Cardiff cold shoulders commission-based companies
by Cristofer Lloyd
Gair Rhydd
Issue 885
December 6, 2008
Businesses advertising commission-only jobs on campus at Cardiff University will no
longer be supported by the Careers Service, a University spokesperson said.
Enterprises like The Southwestern Company that recruit Cardiff students may be restricted
by new rules aimed at preventing external bodies from advertising any work opportunities
paid solely by commission.
Concerns have been raised at universities including Cardiff University over the recruitment
tactics of companies who sign up students for direct sales work in Britain and America.
Megan Robson, who signed up to work with Southwestern last year, complained to Cardiff
University after claiming that she felt pressured into paying $750 in fees.
Southwestern said that this pays for the time-consuming visa application process, necessary to
work legally in America.
However, Megan said that the company’s advertising was “misleading” and that the Sales School
training is “cult-like, with intense, long hours.”
Megan complained that her pay was not sufficient at $6/hr and that she had to travel home
late and live in substandard accommodation.
After experiencing these problems Southwestern offered her another job, which she rejected,
describing the whole experience as “really frustrating.”
Southwestern Vice President, Dave Causer, said: “I am not sure a person who did not complete
the training week would be the best judge of how it works.”
He added: “[Megan] has been trying to blame Southwestern for problems she had with that employer,
even though they are a completely different company and have nothing to do with Southwestern.”
“I can only assure you that we do everything possible to prepare them properly. It is our goal
to help all of the students have a successful summer.”
Amy Davies, who also worked with the company, said: “It’s really brainwashing. They try to
make you feel included, but it’s quite false.”
However, other students have described positive experiences with Southwestern.
Alistair McAloon, a student at Cardiff University, said:: “The Sales School was great, motivating
and empowering. It really prepares you for the summer.”
A University spokesperson said that the University takes complaints “very seriously” and that
grievances against Southwestern are “under active consideration.”
by Cristofer Lloyd
Gair Rhydd
gairrhydd.com
Cardiff University, UK
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|
DSA - Not what it appears to be
November 9, 2008
DSA - Not what it appears to be
ARE ALL INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS GOOD FOR DISTRIBUTORS?
by Dr. Keith B. Laggos
Sunday, November 9, 2008
DSA - Not what it appears to be
ARE ALL INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS GOOD FOR DISTRIBUTORS?
You would think they should be. After all, isn’t the direct sales and network marketing industry
built on the backs of distributors? If you continue to read this “Publisher’s Perspective”
you may have a rude awakening. Why? All industry associations are not built the same. They
were created by different segments of the industry with different interests.
There are four main associations that serve the direct sales and network marketing industry. They are:
Distributor Rights Association (DRA); Direct Selling Association (DSA); Direct Selling Women’s Alliance
(DSWA); and the Multi-Level Marketing International Association (MLMIA). I will discuss them in the
order that they’re listed in above – alphabetical.
DSA is oldest but is it best?
The DSA is the oldest and best-financed association. Although with less than 10 percent of the
industry companies as the only voting members, it has the fewest voting members. It was founded in 1910.
About 15 years ago, it almost went bankrupt. Amway, and a few other large companies, helped save the DSA.
Dues Start at $1,500 for new companies and quickly rise based on net sales for the previous year to as
much as $250,000. Supplier companies pay a rate of $2,500. By the time the large companies pay fees
for various committees, the DSEF, sponsorships and donations, they can easily spend more than a
million dollars a year with the DSA.
The DSA is a private, non-profit corporation. What does that mean? When I asked Joe Mariano, the
DSA’s executive vice president, who owns the DSA, he said, “Member companies own the DSA.” I asked,
“Do all member companies own the DSA equally or are they prorated in amount of dues? He replied,
as you can expect a lawyer would, “All the companies that own the DSA are member companies.” So
who own the DSA? Do your own research. Don’t be surprised to find the same large companies
heading the important committees year after year are the same ones that contribute the majority
of the total funds and receive most of the awards.
Only direct sales companies can be voting members of the DSA. Its members include about a dozen
large direct sales and network marketing companies that virtually control it and a couple of
dozen mid-sized companies. The balance of the DSA voting membership consists of mainly small
party plan companies. The DSA also accepts dues from vendors, who have no votes or virtually
no say, but distributors cannot be members at all. Who’s interest do you think the DSA has
in mind? Vendors? Distributors? Anyone but the few large controlling companies? Do you
think the DSA even represents the interest of the small corporate members or are these
small corporate members just being used to give the DSA and large corporate members the
appearance of legitimately representing the industry?
Do you think the DSA cares at all about distributors other than as assets of companies?
Consider the following. I have never heard the DSA consider one distributor issue out of
concern for distributors. Any policy that seems to protect the distributors has been a
result of trying to protect the companies, usually from over regulation. When the NSA
company came under fire for “front-end loading,” the DSA implemented a 90-day buy-back rule.
It may help protect distributors now, but if it was not for the threat of corporate regulation,
do you think that the DSA would have implemented the 90-day buy-back rule?
Consider what the DSA has done over the years. It has held training sessions teaching
companies how to write policies so that distributors do not have any rights. These
include clauses that give companies the right to terminate distributors without cause
and to define the distributor’s entire business to be the sole property of the company.
It has advised companies to control the ability of distributors to sell their businesses
or forbid passing their businesses to their heirs. At an annual conference, in a speech by
Neil Offen, the DSA’s president, he talked of the need to stop distributor associations.
He said it may become necessary for the DSA to start its own distributor association so
that it can continue to control the distributors. NMBJ and MMM have reported on these
events in past issues.
Recently a top DSA executive was named as an expert witness to defend a company who,
without a written policy on the issue, had taken a distributor’s business away. This
distributor had been numerously recognized for her high performance and support of her
downline. The company also allowed cross-sponsoring and downline raids of cross downlines.
Is the DSA defending these actions because, under the DSA’s apparent policies, a company can do
whatever it wants with a distributor’s business, since the DSA believes the company owns it?
Why would any distributor want to be a member of a company that belongs to the DSA?
If your company does, what should you do? I cannot tell you to ask your company to resign or
petition them to resign. I cannot suggest that if the company remains a member, that you
should move your business to a non-member company. But ask yourself, why would your
company belong to an association that does not represent or seems to not even respect
distributors’ rights and not be members of the other three associations that protect
distributor rights? Why would you want to join a company that does not
support distributor rights?
Thank goodness, Jewels by Park Lane is NOT a member of the DSA! Julia
Posted by Julia Moore at 7:54 PM
Labels: DSA - Not what it appears to be
Blog: Smart Woman and Jewelry
Posted by Julia Moore at 7:54 PM
smartwomenandjewelry.blogspot.com
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Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Dexter upends Moulton
November 5, 2008
Dexter upends Moulton
By Julian Emerson
Leader-Telegram staff
Leader-Telegram
Updated: 11/5/2008 12:37:01 AM
Democratic challenger Kristen Dexter knocked off two-term Republican incumbent Terry
Moulton in a tightly fought, see-saw battle for the 68th Assembly District seat that saw
several lead changes Tuesday night.
Dexter tallied 15,434 votes to Moulton's 15,159, narrowly winning an oftentimes bitter
campaign marked by unprecedented advertising by outside organizations for an
Assembly district race in this part of the state.
"We've been sweating it out for hours," Dexter said minutes after learning she'd won.
"This is very sweet."
The contest's outcome remained in doubt throughout the night as Moulton carried
Chippewa County by a 56 to 44 percent margin, tallying 4,955 votes to Dexter's 3,870.
There were several lead changes throughout the evening. Moulton led early in the night as
Chippewa County vote totals were reported more quickly than those in Eau Claire County.
Moulton grabbed an early lead in Eau Claire County as well, but Dexter's vote total surged
as more numbers were reported. Moulton then grabbed a late lead before Dexter won the
last two precincts.
Moulton was predicted to carry Chippewa County, where he makes his home and
operates Mouldy's Archery and Tackle, his fishing and hunting store. Likewise, Dexter, an
Altoona school board member from 2000-06, was expected to carry the vote in her home
town.
The contest between Dexter and Moulton was among the most-watched - and most
bitterly contested - among Wisconsin's Assembly races. Democrats viewed Moulton as
vulnerable to defeat and targeted him in an effort to win at least two Assembly seats to
even the Democrat-Republican Assembly membership at 49 apiece.
The contest attracted unprecedented spending by outside organizations for an Assembly
race in this region, resulting in a blitz of negative advertising portraying Dexter as a liberal
spender and Moulton as ineffective.
Dexter attributed her win to "pure, hard work."
"I'm elated. I'm very grateful.
Her top priority: "Working together to make the changes the people have said they're
waiting for."
By Julian Emerson
Leader-Telegram staff
Leader-Telegram
Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Wisconsin
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|
Madison, Wisconsin
Exactly Who is Terry Moulton Working for?
October 29, 2008
Exactly Who is Terry Moulton Working for?
Post from Cory Liebmann's Blog:
By Cory @ One Wisconsin Now - Oct 29th, 2008 at 5:14 pm EDT
http://www.onewisconsinnow.org
After repeated problems involving door-to-door sales crews in Wisconsin, legislation was
proposed in the state legislature that would regulate the practice. That legislation was
almost singlehandedly blocked by the Eau Claire state Rep. Terry Moulton who chaired
the committee responsible for taking up the measure.
Blocking such common sense legislation is bad enough, but doing so with questionable
motives makes the act much worse. The Associated Press confirmed this week that Rep.
Moulton received $1,000 in June from three executives of Southwestern Company, a
company that hires such door-to-door sales crews. The Tennessee based company was
the only one registered against the legislation. Moulton received the campaign cash after
he succeeded in blocking the measure in his committee.
Moulton claims that he “worked my butt off” on a compromise on the proposed legislation.
Unfortunately the bills original author added that Moulton certainly did work hard but it was
mostly for the executives at Southwestern not for the best interests of his constituents.
Post from Cory Liebmann's Blog:
By Cory @ One Wisconsin Now
Madison, Wisconsin
Read This Story
|
Madison, Wisconsin
Wis. father rips lawmaker on sales bill
October 28, 2008
Wis. father rips lawmaker on sales bill
By TODD RICHMOND Associated Press Writer
Associated Press
Wisconsin Wire
wcco.com
October 28, 2008
MADISON, Wis. (AP) A dead teenager's father and a liberal advocacy group have accused a
Wisconsin lawmaker of blocking a bill regulating door-to-door sales crews in exchange
for campaign contributions.
The accusations come a week before the Republican lawmaker, state Rep. Terry Moulton
of Eau Claire, faces re-election against Democratic challenger Kristen Dexter in
a race Democrats targeted. Moulton roundly denied the charges, questioning their timing.
Campaign finance reports show Moulton, chairman of the Assembly Small Business Committee,
recorded $1,000 in June from three executives of Southwestern Company, the only company
registered against the measure. The money came after Moulton's committee failed to vote
on the bill earlier this year. The measure passed the state Senate 28-5 in April 2007.
Moulton said the bill would have hurt small businesses.
A spokesman for Southwestern Company, a Nashville, Tenn.-based company that employs college
students as salesmen, had no immediate comment.
Asked why the company gave him the money, Moulton replied: ''Why does anyone
give a candidate money? They give money to people who have the judgment to
uphold the same kind of ideals and philosophy they do.''
Phil Ellenbecker of Verona has pushed for tighter regulation of traveling sales
crews since his 18-year-old daughter, Malinda Turvey, and six other members of a traveling
sales crew died in a van crash near Janesville in 1999.
Ellenbecker and One Wisconsin Now, a liberal political group, have been researching
Moulton's campaign contributions for several weeks.
''I'm up in arms against Terry Moulton. I'll do anything in the world to make sure he doesn't
get re-elected,'' Ellenbecker said. ''He has ignored his responsibility as a representative.''
Moulton said he ''worked my butt off'' on a compromise, but the bill's original author,
state Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, wouldn't have it.
Erpenbach said Moulton worked hard for Southwestern.
By TODD RICHMOND Associated Press Writer
Associated Press
Wisconsin Wire
wcco.com
Madison, Wisconsin
Read This Story
|
Wisconsin
October 27, 2008
Political Info Clip
Editorial
Wisconsin 68th District Voters Beware
Dedicated Memorial Parents Group
Posted: October 27, 2008
It is a documented fact that Terry Moulton (Republican – 68th Assembly District) has accepted
campaign contributions from the Southwestern Company. In return for their generosity
Terry Moulton fought against ‘Malinda’s Traveling Sales Crew Protection Act or SB-80
authored by Wisconsin State Senator Jon Erpenbach.
In so doing Terry Moulton has sided with an out-of-state special interest group and has
blatantly ignored his primary responsibility as a Wisconsin State Representative.
Terry Moulton has chosen to protect the business interests of the Southwestern Company over the
safety and well being of Wisconsin kids and homeowners.
Terry Moulton should be stripped of the privilege and the right to represent Wisconsin citizens.
Because Terry Moulton likes the Southwestern Company so much maybe he should get a job with them
selling bibles door-to-door and stop pretending that he represents the
best interests of the 68th district.
2008 Southwestern Company Contributions to Representative Terry Moulton:
Henry Bedford, June 28, 2008, Franklin TN 37064: $250.00
Spencer Hays, June 28, 2008, Nashville TN 37230: $500.00
Daniel W. Moore, June 28, 2008, Brentwood TN 37027: $250.00
Wisconsin Democracy Campaign Website:
http://wisdc.org
Wisconsin Cooperative Campaign Finance Database:
http://www.opensecrets.org/wdc/employerdetail.php?name=Southwestern+Co
Research: Southwestern Company/DSA:
Southwestern Company/DSA
Wisconsin Legislation 2007:
SB-80
DMPG Staff
www.dedicatedmemorial.org
www.travelingsalescrews.info
Verona, Wisconsin
|
Hayden, Idaho
RipOff Report
Door-to-Door Sales Company:
Southwestern Company
Trade Group: Direct Selling Association
August 29, 2008
RipOff Report
Report: #368272
Report: The Southwestern Company
Category: Rescue Mission
The Southwestern Company The Southwestern Company deceives foreign
students into slave Labor!
Nashville Tennessee
*Consumer Suggestion:... 4 words to help stop this.
The Southwestern Company
www.southwesternathome.com
Nashville, Tennessee
U.S.A.
hayden, Idaho
Submitted: Friday, August 29, 2008
Modified: Saturday, August 30, 2008
hayden, Idaho
Long story I am going to make short! NOT!
We had a young lady from a foreign Eastern Block country knock on our door trying to
sell us educational books and also looking for a place to live. Now I have
been in the business of coordinating high school exchange students for over a
decade, so when this gal came to my door with her very broken English
my heart went out to her.
When she began her sales pitch--broken English attempting to sell me American text books--
I had to make her stop...it was painful to listen to. I knew immediately that she
had really no idea what she had gotten herself into. So I began to explain that in
America, our public school students received their books free from the schools---
she had no idea about this...I asked her if people in HER country liked door-to-door
sales people, and she said--"NO NO, BUT THE RECRUITERS TOLD ME THAT AMERICANS WERE
DIFFERENT AND DIDN'T MIND THIS TYPE OF SALES." I asked her if she thought that was true...
I must have hit a nerve because she let it all out! She told me about the lies she had been
fed by the recruiter as well as the 6 day cult like MLM training she had received with
hundreds of other foreign students in Nashville.
She told me about the schedule that these kids were told they MUST adhere to. Wake
up at exactly 5:59, take a ONE MINUTE COLD SHOWER, out the door and sell until 9:00 pm.
EVERY day except Sundays. On Sundays they were all told by their student managers that
they must go to a meeting, which was held at a different location every week.
At these meetings they performed what was called execs. These are cult like chants---
running in circles, rhythmic hand clapping...below is an excerpt taken from this
site (http://www.gatorpressure.com/David/archives/000308.html) which details this
bizarre activity: "Executive Exercises.
In the morning, we will do execs at our breakfast spots out in the parking lot or in a
nearby open area. We will do them in front of roads or highways, we will do them in
front of the restaurant's patrons, and on Sundays when we are at a hotel we will do
them in the hotel parking lot.
What are these 'execs?'
Well, they start with someone mentioning execs. That person will usually then raise his
hand up in the air shout "ohhhhhhh...hhhhh... Ohhhhhh...!" indefinately while running
around in a large circle. Everyone else follows this person doing the same exact
thing until everyone is present in the circle.
At that point we will start skipping and singing a song. The song goes --
It's a great day to be a bookman.
It's a great day I know.
It's a great day to be a bookman everywhere I go.
Goodbye no-nevers, goodbye doubts and fears
It's a great day to be a bookman -- be of good cheer.
I feel happy. I feel terrific. I feel GREAT!
Then someone will yell out loud "UH-OH!" and we all will chime in "Book Time!" We all
sing/chant this in unison four times while doing a very specific rythmic clap that
took me a few tries to get down. (I still mess it up on the really sleepy mornings.)
After chanting that four to five times someone makes the conductor's sign for stop
and everyone goes silent.
After about three beats another iniative-taking (sic) individual will jump or dance into the
center of the circle and yell/scream out, "Now let me see that funky chicken!" at the top of
his voice, and everyone else will yell something like, "What's that you said!?!
This happens three times with slight variations each time based on the whims of the person in
the center of the circle. At the end He will say "I said unh..." and everyone in unison will
sing "Oooo, ah ah ah oooo; ah ah ah oooo; ah ah ah oooo; one more time now!! Oooo, ah
ah ah oooo; ah ah ah oooo; ah ah ah oooo." Or whatever other chant, saying, or sounds
that go along with the particular thing that the initiator wanted to "see."
The variations on this are numerous and growing. We come up with new stuff from time to time.
I come up with new stuff all the time, because I enjoy execs and I come up with stuff
that I think will be fun all the time. Most of the time the stuff I come up with
doesn't really pan out, but that is fine because every once and again I'll come up
with something really fun and even "classic."
After doing that there are several other execs that we do. Some we only do in a large
group on Sundays, but most of the other ones are just thrown in as people remember them.
If no one remembers a particular exec it's fine -- it doesn't get done.
At the end of execs we do this thing where we all gather in a circle and get fired up and
then we all run off acting like birds, ostriches, video game charaters or bookmen..."
THIS IS A CULT PEOPLE!
So, after hearing this and taking the time to go over the money this gal has made --
$400.00 GROSS, she gets 40% of this...she worked 80 hours a week for 4 weeks...
YOU DO THE MATH! However, the worst part of this, for the unfortunate foreign
students is they get here about $3000+ in debt! They pay for their own way here
(round trip), they pay about $600+ for visas and then they pay for the 6 day hotel
stay in Nashville to undergo an intensive brainwashing seminar...then they are
made to pay for a plane ticket to go to what ever city the company decided to send
them to. In this girls case it was half way across the country. She had $26.00 in her
pocket when she came to live with us!
I had a mission to look this company up on the internet. So many horrible experiences...
But it was just amazing to see how many people write about their wonderful experience
selling with this company! This type of Brainwashing, results in an unbelievable, long
term psychoses. These people actually believe that coercing individuals to by books,
using very persuasive, scripted sales tactics builds character and has helped them for
their future. In my book, this is really learning the art of lying, deceiving and and
making a buck on nice people who buy items they really don't need out of pity for the
sales person or getting totally bamboozled by a slick salesman! Every one of the items
the girl who came to my door had in her book bag were available online at a fraction of
what she was selling them for! 'MAKE THE SALE IN 20 MINUTES OR LEAVE! As I read through
their scripted sales "BIBLE" manual I was just disgusted at the different scripted sales
PITCHES these young people were told to memorize! When this gal came to my door, her
words were verbatim from page 45 of the sales manual...well at least those that I could
understand in her broken English!
To make matters worse, the Southwestern company tells these foreign kids that it doesn't
matter if you can speak English well, "ALL THAT MATTERS IS YOUR ATTITUDE!" GIVE ME A BREAK!
And through their 6 day, intensive brainwashing seminar, they actually cause these kids to
believe this lie!
Then there is the matter of housing. Some of these foreign kids have families who have
worked for the SW company host them. But this is very, VERY FEW! The girl who came to
my house was asked to leave by the older man who agreed to house her and another girl.
When I went to pick up her things from this man, it was a very CREEPY situation.
I can't put my finger on it, but when I left his house I had terrible uneasy
feeling in the pit of my stomach!
Shortly after this girl came to live with us, we found her another job...even though student
managers and people from SW made it very difficult for her...people who she thought were her
friends were now her enemies. Within 2 days, 4 other students found their way to my house
and asked for help to get out of this company and help to to secure housing and jobs.
It was hard to believe the type of life these foreign kids were living...but when I heard the
EXACT SAME STORY FROM ALL FIVE, it became appalling! Oh and did I mention the white
bracelets they HAD to wear, showing their commitment to this company!
All of them had these white bracelets...when you took this bracelet off you were no longer a
part of this company!
The kicker to all of this is that the Southwestern company makes them sign a contract--which
most do not understand---that states several places that they are NOT employees or agents of
this company....NOT EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS! And that they can run their company as independent
owners as they see fit. But still, they have been brainwashed into a way of thinking that to
be successful in this company they must adhere to the schedule! Yes the unwritten schedule!
These kids are told how to micro manage their lives on a minute by minute schedule. This is
pounded into their brains by the managers. All 5 of these kids have talked about "KEEPING TO
THE SCHEDULE....KEEP TO THE SCHEDULE!" This schedule starts at 5:59 and doesn't stop until
they get home and are schedule to contact their managers to report on the number of doors
they went to, number of demos they showed (should be 30 a day) how many sales they made--$--
and what their plans are for the next day. This schedule, as precise as it is, is NOT written
down by ANY manager and given to these kids. WHY? Because that would be a paper trail showing
that this company controls these student's every move even though the contract they signed
explicitly states that they are NOT EMPLOYEES and are free to sell these materials anyway they choose!
CULT CULT CULT!
I am getting sick and tired of reading all the canned spam.... about how this job is not for
everyone....builds character, long hard hours.... Best experience of my life....And I made
lots of money taking advantage of people by selling them materials that were obviously over
priced and they didn't really need! Here (http://www.youbyte.com/images/SWC_price.jpg) is
a price breakdown for books taken directly from the j1 visa agreement on the Southwestern
Q&A page (http://www.southwestern.com/site/international/FAQ.aspx).
ANYONE with access to the internet can see that they are getting ripped off, buying over priced books!
Then there is the letter of Endorsement that this company makes these students parents or
friend or relative sign. This guarantees that if these kids don't send in the money they
receive for books, the signers of this letter of credit will pay this money for them!
My group of 5 student has had to spend this money to live as they were averaging less
than $1.50 a hour working 80 hours a week---EVEN FOLLOWING THE SCHEDULE! Attitude
is everything, who cares if you can barely speak English! I FEEL GREAT, I FEEL
AWESOME, I FEEL TERRIFIC!
Right? And the people who signed these contracts can not even speak or READ English,
but are convinced by their students that this is such a great opportunity for them
to come to America and make HUGE amounts of money...remember Americans are different,
we just love to buy things from door-to-door sales people!!!!
Ok folks, I really have to wonder with the motivation is behind this company. Really?
Why does this company recruit these kids from Eastern block countries...students that
barely speak the English language? What is the point? What is the agenda? I understand
that the students that came here previously make money on the ones that they recruit to
come again, but what is the big picture?
I am beginning to believe that it is a conspiracy to see just how far you can warp someone's
mind to make them believe an idea and to cause them (normal people) to do things they would
never consider doing....like EXECS! This psychoses carries on in some for years after they
have worked for this company. Look on line...it is like a mission...recruit, recruit, recruit....
When I asked these kids why they actually took one minute COLD SHOWERS, they all replied,
"Because they told us to!"
I sincerely hope that if one of these young foreign students comes to YOUR door,
you will do everything in your power to help them escape!
Oh, and I forgot to mention one thing...the company that sponsors the j1 visa for these kids
is totally OWNED by the Southwestern company! It is NOT an independent j1 visa sponsor who
helps foreign students come to America to work for the summer at any j1 visa
appropriate job....it is a company owned by The Southwestern created specifically
to bring these foreign students to America to sell door-to-door. Can you say
conflict of interest!
"IT WILL BE THE BEST EXPERIENCE OF YOUR LIFE!"....as long as you don't get raped, mugged,
murdered, or commit suicide because you're scared, lonely...so far from home,
in a foreign country, can't speak the language...deeply in debt, with no money!
Important financial information for ANY FOREIGN STUDENT TO KNOW BEFORE WORKING FOR SOUTHWESTERN!
According to the company, in 2006 the average first-time sales program
participant made a gross (before expenses) profit of $7944 over a
four month summer. Site (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwestern_Company)
80 hours a week, plus Sundays=88 hrs. wk
15 weeks of summer
1,320 work hours
Gross profit of $7,944.00
Net Profit $40%=$3,177.60
Hourly wage=$2.40
Minus $100 week living expensive=$1,677.60
Your take home is $1,677.60
Do not come to America and spend $3000+ dollars getting here only to be an indentured servant(SLAVE)
to the SouthWestern Company!
The numbers above are for average English speaking students.
Imagine how little you will make when you can't speak the language!
Post Script: As of the posting of the original text above on my personal website,
several more foreign students have contacted me regarding the horrible experience
they suffered with the Southwestern company.
Witznd
hayden, Idaho
U.S.A.
Click Here to read other Ripoff Reports on The Southwestern Company:
http://www.ripoffreport.com/Search/Company/The-Southwestern-Company.aspx
RipOff Report
Report: #368272
Witznd
Hayden, Idaho
U.S.A.
ripoffreport.com
Read This Story
|
Charlotte, North Carolina
Door to door: big bucks or bust?
Door-to-Door Sales Company:
Southwestern Company
August 17, 2008
Door to door: big bucks or bust?
Book company recruits college students for long days away from home
Melissa Caron, The Charlotte Observer
Knocking on doors thousands of miles from home for 80 hours a week might not be a typical summer
for a college student. But 22-year-old Kyle Stantus says the long hours and the three days drive
from his home in Arizona are worth it.
Six days a week, he spends his days going door to door in the Monroe area selling books for
Nashville-based Southwestern Co.
The possibility of making more than $8,500 in a summer -- as Southwestern boasts in promotional material --
has attracted more than 2,700 college students into its ranks this summer. Nearly 40 students from
Arizona and New Mexico are selling for Southwestern in the Charlotte area, with another 15 in Raleigh.
About 55 students from UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State University are peddling west of the Mississippi
River this summer.
Praise and criticism for the 150-year-old, privately-held company can run the gamut. Sellers
such as Stantus laud the discipline the Southwestern program gives them or how it helps them
pay college costs.
"It's great money," said Stantus in his second summer of selling. "Nothing in life ever comes easy."
But some former sellers criticize the long hours and disavow the company's claim
that students make an average of $8,500 a summer selling academic study guides.
Some states have tried to pass laws aimed at the direct selling industry in general that
would prevent Southwestern from operating under its business model of hiring people as
independent contractors.
Students buy the study guides from Southwestern, which is the main publisher of the materials.
Students then sell the books at retail, keeping the profit -- which can be as much as a 40 percent,
said Southwestern spokesman Trey Campbell.
As independent contractors, sellers do not receive an hourly wage, which can leave some with
nothing if they are unable to make a sale. With three out of 10 first-year sellers quitting, the
program isn't for everyone, Campbell said.
Quily Ho, 19, left the program this summer after selling books for two weeks in Georgetown, Ky.,
and working 14 hours day.
"I didn't last very long," said Ho, a student at the University of Texas at Austin. "I think
I kind of overestimated myself."
Without a car, Ho was dropped off in the morning by another seller and was picked up at
night after walking for more than 12 hours. Sunburnt and having made one sale for the summer,
he said everything finally brought him down. He turned over his one sale to another
seller and flew home on a plane ticket he hadn't used for his brother's graduation in May.
He estimates he's out more than $380 from travel and living expenses for the summer.
In the end, he said it came down to not having the right mindset. "Since everyone in the
organization is doing the same thing, everyone is motivated," Ho said. "If everyone else
is doing it and you are not, it's awkward."
Restriction rejected
While North Carolina hasn't restricted companies such as Southwestern, Wisconsin
legislators recently tried to require direct sellers to designate peddlers as employees.
This would have held companies responsible for the actions of sellers and put them under
laws governing 40-hour workweeks.
Campbell said Southwestern opposed the bill because it would have disrupted its business model
and prevented students from operating as their own businesses -- a benefit that many students like.
The measure failed.
"We are set up to provide training and products," he said. "Not to have 3,000 employees."
The door-to-door industry received some attention in the Charlotte area five years ago when a
man sexually assaulted and killed 18-year-old Jin-Joo Byrne of Seattle,
who stopped by his apartment soliciting money for the Unification Church.
Safety is always on the minds of Southwestern sellers, said Monique Flores, a 24-year-old seller
from Arizona. She said she uses census and poverty data to determine an area's safety.
"Nobody ever works (in areas that are) past the poverty line," said Flores, who is selling in
Concord this summer. "Nobody would work in a place that has $40,000 or less annual income per household."
Campbell said the students sell in areas where crime levels are lower than on their campuses,
although there is no direct formula for determining this. He adds that students
typically have their cell phones with them and they are just a 911 call away.
Students generally sell outside their home state to cut distractions.
There are nearly 80 sellers in the Carolinas this summer, Campbell said.
There more than 70 students from colleges in the Carolinas working west of the Mississippi River.
The company depends on the enthusiasm of sellers like Stantus.
A student at Arizona State University, he was one of the top first-year sellers last year.
He says he made more than the $8,500 average but wouldn't give an exact figure.
He admits the summer is tough, with workdays averaging 12-14 hours and rejection happening more
often than sales.
Starting with lively breakfast
Every morning he wakes up before 7 at the home of a host family arranged by the company and
meets with two other sellers at the Village Grille in Monroe. Over breakfast, they plot out the
day -- analyzing worn maps, drawing out targeted streets on legal pads and getting order forms ready.
Stantus, in a morning ritual, reads aloud a passage from "The Greatest Salesman in the World"
by the late sales guru Og Mandino.
" 'I will sell more goods than ever before,' " Stantus said. "' I will earn more gold
than ever before. I will live this day as if it is my last, and, if not, I shall fall to
my knees and give thanks.' That's pretty good."
Stantus says goodbye to his fellow peddlers and heads out for a day of driving and
knocking on strangers' doors. Homeowners are sometimes angry, and there are occasional
encounters with pets. He was once chased by a peacock.
He tries to stay positive. He often turns to the daily passage by Mandino and says he
focuses on the present to keep his spirits up.
"If you are able to see the most prospects with the best attitude, you will
probably be the most successful," Stantus said. "But that's obviously a lot harder said than done."
Melissa Caron, The Charlotte Observer
newsobserver.com
Charlotte, North Carolina
Read This Story
DMPG Info Clip:
This company is lobbying against legislation in the state of Wisconsin that is
specifically designed to protect Wisconsin kids and homeowners.
To research this company: Research Southwestern Company
To research legislation: Research Wisconsin Legislation
|
August 16, 2008
Continued Exploitation of Traveling Sales Crews
Supported by the Direct Selling Association!
Posted by quixtarisacult at 8:51 PM
Saturday, August 16, 2008
http://quixtarisacultintervention.blogspot.com
Read This Story
|
Billings, Montana
Door-to-Door Sales Company:
Southwestern Company
August 15, 2008
Strange Questions Update
By KULR Staff
Story Published: Aug 15, 2008 at 7:12 PM MDT
Story Updated: Aug 15, 2008 at 7:44 PM MDT
BILLINGS – There is new information on a story on local parents concerned about a
stranger going door to door asking questions about children.
KULR-8 has tracked down the company likely responsible, that claims to have done business for
nearly 150 years. Southwestern Company hires college students to sell children's books and
educational software.
Students are trained in Tennessee and many come from other countries.
A company spokesman says it's not the first time the students have caused
concerns, especially since they ask neighbors for referrals.
Trey Campbell with the company says, "We really love being able to send students
to communities that does have concerns like this when there is a stranger in the
community and they bring it to the attention of the proper authorities because
that is a real indicator of a safe community."
Campbell says many of the students carry hand written maps because they are not
familiar with the neighborhood. He says it also helps them keep track of their sales.
For more information on Southwestern Company,
click here.
By KULR Staff
KURL8 TV
kulr8.com
Billings, Montana
Read This Story
DMPG Info Clip:
This company is lobbying against legislation in the state of Wisconsin that is
specifically designed to protect Wisconsin kids and homeowners.
To research this company: Research Southwestern Company
To research legislation: Research Wisconsin Legislation
|
August 14, 2008
The Horror of Traveling Sales Crews Revisited
and A Condemnation of the Modern Direct Selling Industry!
Quixtar Cult Intervention
http://quixtarisacultintervention.blogspot.com
Read This Story
|
Billings, Montana
Door-to-Door Sales Warning !!!
August 13, 2008
Strange Questions
By Sarah Gravlee
KURL8 TV
Story Published: Aug 13, 2008 at 6:23 PM MDT
Story Updated: Aug 13, 2008 at 6:23 PM MDT
BILLINGS - Imagine this, you're home on a Friday afternoon and someone knocks on your door.
When you open, it a stranger is standing there and asks to see your kids.
Mike Craighill of Billings said this happened to him. He said the stranger went on to explain
that he was a foreign exchange student studying kids. "There was no chance he was getting in
the house," Craighill said. Craighill started to close the door, but the man had one more question.
"He asked if I could help him with his map," Craighill said.
Being a good guy, mike decided to help because he thought the stranger might be having
trouble with the local language, but that wasn't the case. "He had a handwritten map that
had a bunch of houses on it," Craighill said. "He asked me what houses had children and I said,
'not a chance.'" Mike was talking to his sister later that week and found that one of her
friends had a similar story.
Elizabeth Krivitz was on her way to work one day when she received a strange phone call.
The man on the other end wanted to talk to her about her kids. We called the number back
and reached an insurance agent who said the company is offering free DNA sample kits to
parents in the area. Krivitz said the way he went about it was a bit disturbing.
"Nothing felt good about the whole situation," she said. "My stomach started turning."
Sergeant Kevin Iffland with the Billings Police Department said that feeling should
prompt you to call the police.
"If you get that gut feeling that, hey, this just doesn't sound right that's why we're here,"
he said. Sergeant Iffland confirm that there was an insurance company in town going door
to door and that these cases could be related to that.
Whether the threat was real or not, Krivitz said the experience completely changed they way
she thinks about parenting. "My son, who before it was cute if he answered the phone, now
he's not allowed to answer the phone at all. At all. No matter what," She said.
Though the phone call has been explained, we're still not certain that the man who knocked
on Craighill's door was with that agency. Sergeant Iffland said if something feels
even the slightest but wrong to you, try to get as many details as you can about
the people and vehicles involved, then don't hesitate to call the police.
By Sarah Gravlee
KURL8 TV
kulr8.com
Billings, Montana
Read This Story
|
Direct Selling
Trade Group: Direct Selling Association
August 12, 2008
DSA Finally Responds to Bad News Regarding One of Their Member Companies
- Issues Statement Regarding YTB Lawsuit
Rachel | 08.12.08 |
The DSA has finally made a statement regarding the status of one of their companies that is
currently in trouble, namely, YTB, the online travel company and DSA member currently
being sued in 2 states for over $100 million dollars for fraud as well as the California
DA. Recently, there have been several DSA member companies that have run into some major
problems, making us wonder what the purpose of the DSA really is. Their requirements are
so strict, yet recently DSA member companies have closed, (Weekenders) or been sued (YTB).
Finally, the DSA, who has been awfully quiet lately, has released a statement:
“DSA maintains a rigorous Code of Ethics that provides both independent sales representatives
and consumers with the opportunity to file complaints with the independent DSA Code Administrator.
The DSA Code of Ethics prohibits pyramid schemes, unsubstantiated earnings claims and
unfair or deceptive sales and recruiting practices. As is the case with any DSA member
company, YTB distributors and customers who feel they have been treated unfairly are
invited to file a complaint under DSA’s Code of Ethics.
“Although the allegations made by the California Attorney General against
YourTravelBiz.com are unproven, DSA takes any allegations of this kind seriously and has
set in motion the standard procedures it follows when a member company is accused of
possible violations of the DSA Code of Ethics.
Specifically, DSA is:
-Seeking additional information about the complaint and the allegations from both the
California Attorney General and YTB.
-Advising the independent DSA Code Administrator of these developments and forwarding
any additional information DSA receives.
-Evaluating the materials related to this case and will take further action as appropriate.
Closely monitoring the situation and keeping the Code Administrator and other DSA members
apprised of related news and developments
“Information on the Code of Ethics, the complaint process and penalties for violation
can be found on the DSA Web site at www.dsa.org.”
Its great that they have finally said something about whats going on- we’re still waiting
on the official word on what they are going to do about all the people who lost money
with Weekenders- the same people who trusted the company due to its association with
the DSA but this is absolutely a step in the right direction.
It is our strong opinion that in cases where a company is being sued for fraud by a
State agency or has an excessive number of complaints against them filed with the
Better Business Bureau, it should be the Associations obligation to notify its
members and put the company on probation until the matters are settled.
The problem is, then it may find the member company will withhold membership dues
which is the lifeline of the DSA.
Rachel | 08.12.08 |
OpTree
optree.com
Read This Story
DMPG Info Clip:
This trade group is lobbying against legislation in the state of Wisconsin that is
specifically designed to protect Wisconsin kids and homeowners.
To research legislation: Research Wisconsin Legislation
|
Direct Selling
Trade Group: Direct Selling Association
August 12, 2008
Another Lawsuit Filed Against YTB
- Class Action Suit Filed by Two Former YTB Agents
Seeks $100 Million in Damages
Rachel | 08.12.08 |
As we told you a week ago, YTB Travel is being sued by the California Attorney General
claiming that the online travel company is operating a pyramid scheme. Now, YTB
has more problems on its hand. Two former agents have filed a $100 million dollar
class action suit, and the Better Business Bureau has released reports claiming the
have received numerous complaints against the company and has a rating of “unsatisfactory”.
The new suit that has been filed in federal court in Illinois makes similar claims to that
of the California suit. The suit claims that YTB ran an illegal pyramid scheme and defrauded
“agents” out of thousands of dollars. The class action suit was filed both on behalf of as
many as 1,000 people who were former YTB members.
The Better Business Bureau also released many complaints it had received about the
company. The BBB says that they have received complaints about the company in at least 31 states.
The lawsuit, brought about by the plaintiffs, two former YTB agents,
Faye Morris of St. Louis and Kwame Thompson of Atlanta was filed Friday in
federal court in Illinois and seeks $100 million in damages on behalf of the
named plaintiffs along with 1,000 other former members.
The defendants named in the suit were the same as in the California suit;
YTB International Inc., YourTravelBiz.Com, YTB Travel Network Inc., YTB Travel Network
of Illinois and its technology unit Rezconnect Technologies.
Along with the company itself, several officers of YTB were also named including
founder J. Lloyd Tomer.
Executive Officer Scott Toner, released a brief statement addressing the accusations
saying that they were “unaware” of any unresolved BBB complaints. He added, “we are
proud of our business model and how our operations are conducted in an ethical and
transparent way. We also are wholly confident that our business model will withstand
scrutiny, and look forward to setting the record straight in court.”
Class action suits are easy to file against publicly traded company so expect to see
more of them. Unfortunately, a lot of people will try and jump on this bandwagon and make
it frustrating for YTB - especially if it is not guilty of the charges alleged.
Rachel | 08.12.08 |
OpTree
optree.com
Read This Story
DMPG Info Clip:
This trade group is lobbying against legislation in the state of Wisconsin that is
specifically designed to protect Wisconsin kids and homeowners.
To research legislation: Research Wisconsin Legislation
|
Direct Selling
Trade Group: Direct Selling Association
August 11, 2008
Another Direct Selling Association Member Under Fire
Steven | 08.11.08 |
OpTree
As we have reported in the past couple of months, there have been numerous actions taken
against companies which proudly feature(d) the DSA logo and go through rigorous due
diligence to become a member of the DSA - Direct Selling Association (Weekenders,
NHT Global, Mannatech, Herbalife).
In some cases the suits can be considered frivolous or just class action based on stock
performance (lack thereof) but we also have examples like Weekenders who decided to close
its doors with no warning to its distributors at all and the latest $25m lawsuit against
YTB brought by the California Attorney General alleging fraud.
While we have made several attempts to get answers from the DSA about the Weekenders demise,
we have been met with a lack of any information on their part. In fact, the DSA never posted a
single announcement on their website about Weekenders closing nor did it provide any information
online to Weekenders distributors as to what they can do or offer any assistance to them that we
have seen. What was equally as puzzling was the fact that even weeks after Weekenders had closed
its doors, it was still featured as a member of the organization on its website.
What is most interesting about the chain of events that has taken place recently and how
it relates to the DSA is to better understand how the DSA makes its money - off of the efforts
of these companies distributors hard work. Once you have been approved by the DSA - a process
which takes one year in which time “the company’s business plan is reviewed to verify
compliance with all provisions of DSA’s Code of Ethics” - you then have to pay “Membership
Dues”. Any company accepted to the DSA must pay these membership dues according to its website.
The Dues are “based on the yearly total of direct sales a company generates. This does
not include any retail or catalogue sales a company may have, only the direct selling
portion of the business”. This means that the distributors who represent these various
member companies products are in essence subsidizing the DSA since its their sales in
which the DSA gets a percentage of for the participating company to continue to preserve
its membership.
So the question is, if the distributors are in essence subsidizing the participating
companies dues, why doesnt the DSA support these distributors more? Yes, the DSA says
on its website that member companies will “Repurchase 90% of the marketable inventory
and sales aids you have purchased within the past 12 months if you decide to leave the
business” but what happens when the company goes out of business? what happens when
there is no “marketable” inventory such as companies like YTB and others who sell
services and not products and then the big question, who determines what “marketable
inventory” is? Clearly if the company went out of business there is likely to be
little to no market for the inventory, yet conceivably speaking, when the company
was in business and a member of the DSA, those sales representatives helped contribute
hundreds if not thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars to the DSA and are now
left with nothing.
We have hundreds of messages from Weekenders distributors who worked very hard to generate
money for the company - a percentage of which went to preserve its membership with the DSA -
and now have nothing at all. There is no information as to how they can recoup any of the
inventory they are stuck with and no information as to how to contact that DSA member
company (or former). What the DSA should do is recognize that its bread is buttered
indirectly from the millions of distributors who are selling products that generate
fees back to the organization and create a fund to support them in cases like Weekenders.
Since they supported the organization when the company was healthy, why should they be
abandoned when the company screws up and goes out of business or has shady practices?
As well, there should be a policy that if an organization receives more than 20 calls to
the Better Business Bureau, they are put on suspension for a year until such time that
the number of complaints drops. YTB had over 90 complaints in 3 years just in the eastern
Missouri and southern Illinois region alone!
While the DSA says it generates its revenues from the 200+ member companies,
the truth is there are MILLIONS of distributors who are actually subsidizing these
membership fees and the question remains what does the DSA truly offer to
those that are paying its dues?
Steven | 08.11.08 |
OpTree
optree.com
Read This Story
DMPG Info Clip:
This trade group is lobbying against legislation in the state of Wisconsin that is
specifically designed to protect Wisconsin kids and homeowners.
To research legislation: Research Wisconsin Legislation
|
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Door-to-Door Book Sales
Book Sales Company: Southwestern Company
July 31, 2008
Bookseller not affiliated with local school districts
By Andra Atteberry Staff Writer // andraa@nwanews.com
The Benton County Daily Record
Posted on Thursday, July 31, 2008
BELLA VISTA - A college student who has been knocking on doors and selling school reference
books to parents in Bella Vista said she hasn't had problems until recently.
Cami Alvarado, 21, said she has been selling a five-book series called the "Student Handbook.
"Each book covers different subjects a pupil might need for homework, she said.
In the last couple of weeks, a few residents who heard her sales presentation called the Bella
Vista Police Department out of concern that Alvarado seemed to indicate she was an employee
of the Bentonville School District.
Brad Reed, director of student services for the school district, confirmed Monday that no
district employees are selling items door to door.
Alvarado said she is an independent contractor for The Southwestern Co., based in Nashville, Tenn.
She earns a commission on her sales, which will go toward her college tuition, Alvarado said.
"People in Bella Vista are very nice," she said.
Some people have written Alvarado checks for up to $ 400 without asking to see her identification,
she said.
When residents open their doors, Alvarado tells them," I'm a college student from North Carolina.
I'm not from the area.
"I always say I'm not with a school," she added.
Alvarado never shows anyone identification, and no one has asked for it, she said. However,
a photo ID is displayed in a clear plastic slot on her backpack, which she places on the
ground by the door when she is giving her sales pitch, she said.
Once Alvarado introduces herself, she asks if there are children in the neighborhood and, if so,
whether the children attend Cooper or Baker elementary schools. The questions may confuse people
and lead them to believe Alvarado is a school employee, she said.
She asks about children in the neighborhood because the books are suited for elementary-
to high-school-age children, she explained. Alvarado does not question young children if
they answer the door, she noted.
When Alvarado arrived in the area, she visited the Rogers and Bentonville police departments to
ask about regulations on selling door to door, she said. She didn't check with Bella Vista police,
however, because she didn't know the city has its own law enforcement, she said.
Alvarado said her summer job is almost finished. She will begin delivering orders Aug.
4 and will go back to North Carolina on Aug. 13.
By Andra Atteberry Staff Writer // andraa@nwanews.com
The Benton County Daily Record
NWAnews.com
Fayetteville, Arkansas
nwanews.com
Read This Story
DMPG Info Clip:
This company is lobbying against legislation in the state of Wisconsin that is
specifically designed to protect Wisconsin kids and homeowners.
To research this company: Research Southwestern Company
To research legislation: Research Wisconsin Legislation
|
Bella Vista, Arkansas
Door-to-Door Book Sales
Book Sales Company: Southwestern Company
July 30, 2008
Book sales legitimate
By Douglas Grant Staff Writer // douglasg@nwanews.com
The Benton County Daily Record
NWAnews.com
Posted on Wednesday, July 30, 2008
BELLA VISTA - Young people going door to door selling educational material are doing so as
private contractors for a company in Tennessee and are not involved in any kind of scam,
a company official said Tuesday.
Earlier this week, a dispatcher with the Bella Vista Police Department said she had been
visited by a woman who said she was a North Carolina college student selling educational books
to help raise money for school.
The dispatcher said the woman offered information that seemed to imply that she was
working for the Bentonville School District, when, in fact, according to one district
official, she was not.
The woman is an independent contractor for The Southwestern Co. in Nashville, Tenn., Trey Campbell,
director of communications, said in a phone interview from company headquarters Tuesday.
Campbell said the company sets students up with inventory and a territory they can work
during their summer break.
Each student is provided training and a script to be used when contacting potential buyers.
They also have identification provided by the company.
Campbell said he had not had a chance to talk to the woman in Bella Vista since the story
appeared, so he wasn't sure if she had presented her ID and followed procedures in making her pitch.
"The students usually wear (the ID ), and I haven't had a chance to confirm that with her," he said.
He said it is possible that the conversation was such that it might have sounded as though
the woman, a student from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, was indeed working
for the local school district.
Campbell said the students are supposed to go to city hall or the local police department
when they arrive to make sure officials are aware of their presence and to check on
any changes to existing solicitation ordinances. Bella Vista has no such law on the
books, and he said the woman didn't check in, to his knowledge.
Campbell said he understands how people can become suspicious of doorto-door solicitors.
"Find out as much information as you can," he said," including who they are, who they are
working for and what they are doing."
He then said to check and double check what the salesperson is saying before handing over any money.
The company Web site is www.southwestern.com.
By Douglas Grant Staff Writer // douglasg@nwanews.com
The Benton County Daily Record
NWAnews.com
Fayetteville, Arkansas
nwanews.com
Read This Story
DMPG Info Clip:
This company is lobbying against legislation in the state of Wisconsin that is
specifically designed to protect Wisconsin kids and homeowners.
To research this company: Research Southwestern Company
To research legislation: Research Wisconsin Legislation
|
Augusta County, Virginia
Door-to-Door Book Sales
Book Sales Company: Southwestern Company
July 30, 2008
Valley People Concerned About Salesmen
Posted: 5:58 PM Jul 30, 2008
Last Updated: 8:15 PM Jul 30, 2008
Reporter: Michael Hyland
Email Address: mhyland@whsv.com
WHSV-TV3
Door-to-door salesmen have been spotted in Dayton, Weyers Cave, and throughout Augusta County.
People are contacting law enforcement about some aggressive ones.
You don't see them as often as you used to, but one company has been sending the salesmen
to the area for more than 100 years.
A Broadway woman was recently visited by a door-to-door salesman from Southwestern Company.
She asked to be identified by her first name only due to an unnerving experience she had
with the salesman.
"He just walked in the house. He plowed me over," says Jo. "It was something I was not expecting."
She says she had seen him in the neighborhood before. When she answered the door,
he immediately knew her name, as well as her kids' names.
The salesman is one of five college students spending the summer in the area to sell books
door-to-door for the Southwestern Company. It's supposed to be an opportunity for students
to get hands-on sales training.
However, several people have contacted law enforcement saying the salesmen take it too far.
Officials at the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office say some satisfied customers have
even contacted them to compliment the salesmen.
According to the company spokesman, they work with the salesmen to teach them how to
handle this difficult type of business approach.
"There's a fine line between being persistent and being pushy," says Trey Campbell.
"And we talk about that in the sales training. I've been in my position for nine years,
and I've never had anybody just push open the door and walk in the house uninvited."
With the rise of the Internet, fewer door-to-door salesmen are seen, which maked some people
increasingly leery of them when they come to the door. The company holds a training session at
the start of the summer at their headquarters in Nashville.
"It's about 80 hours of training that covers everything from product knowledge and
sales presentation to safety, ethics, and business management," says Campbell.
"These people, you know, they don't belong in our community, I feel, because it was a
scary moment," says Jo.
Southwestern says they encourage their salesmen to explicitly state who they are and show
potential customers an identification badge.
Reporter: Michael Hyland
Email Address: mhyland@whsv.com
WHSV-TV3
whsv.com
Augusta County, Virginia
Read This Story
DMPG Info Clip:
This company is lobbying against legislation in the state of Wisconsin that is
specifically designed to protect Wisconsin kids and homeowners.
To research this company: Research Southwestern Company
To research legislation: Research Wisconsin Legislation
|
Bella Vista, Arkansas
Residents warned of book scam
July 29, 2008
Residents warned of book scam
By Andra Atteberry Staff Writer // andraa@nwanews.com
Posted on Tuesday, July 29, 2008
The Benton County Daily Record
NWAnews.com
Northwest Arkansas' News Source
BELLA VISTA - Bentonville School District officials warn residents here to be on the lookout
for a woman knocking on doors giving the false impression that she is selling student
handbooks for the school district this summer.
"We don't have any of our employees selling door to door," said Brad Reed, director of student
services for the district.
Sometimes student groups may hold fundraisers, but such events would be well publicized, he said.
They would be listed on the school's Web site - www. bentonville. k 12. ar. us - or in school flyers.
The fundraisers would also be announced in newspapers and on the radio, he said.
The woman in question stopped at a house on Grandshire Lane in mid-July and tried to sell
"The Student Handbook"to Bella Vista Police Department dispatcher Shelly Frederick.
The woman never actually said she worked for the district, but her sales pitch made it
seem that way, Frederick said.
"If you're not clearly listening to what she's saying, one could mistakenly believe she's
with the school system," Frederick said.
The "handbook"the woman is selling is actually a reference guide that includes such
things as information about presidents and other school subjects, she said.
To the best of Frederick's memory, the woman was selling the books for $ 300 or $ 400 each.
Frederick said the woman called herself Cami, short for Camila, and was very friendly.
She told Frederick she was a communications major from a North Carolina college and was
working in Arkansas earning school credit and sales commissions.
Frederick isn't the only person who has come in contact with the woman.
Linda Largent, who lives on Tillingham Lane, reported the woman stopped at her house
Friday and visited with Largent's 16-year-old daughter.
Largent said the woman asked her daughter questions about neighborhood children.
Those actions made Largent suspicious, so she said she called the school district
and spoke to Reed, who told Largent to file a police report.
By Andra Atteberry Staff Writer // andraa@nwanews.com
Posted on Tuesday, July 29, 2008
The Benton County Daily Record
nwanews.com
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Read This Story
|
Knoxville, Tennessee
Door-to-Door Book Sales
Southwestern Company
June 14, 2008
Updated: Door-to-door salesman in Hardin Valley surprised by school phone alert
Posted By: Katie Allison Granju
WBIR TV-10
WBIR.COM
June 14, 2008, 29 mins ago
A door-to-door salesman working his way around West Knox County may have been misunderstood by some,
according to the sheriff's office, but not by Shelly Connard.
"We loved this guy," the mother of three children explained. "We even talked about him
after he left, how clean cut he was and mannerly, and how he's such a sweetheart."
Connard was leaving the house when the salesman first caught her, but she and
her husband arranged a time to meet later to look over the educational material he was selling.
"He never said he was from the school system, but he did know a lot about the curriculum,"
Connard explained "We ended up getting the whole set. We talked with him afterward and
even invited him to dinner."
However, others were concerned by the sales pitch and contacted the Knox County School system.
It issued a warning to hundreds of people by phone Thursday, using its "parent
notification system." The schools warned people to be on the look-out for
a man posing as a representative of Hardin Valley Academy.
When Connard read about the alert on wbir.com, she contacted 10News.
"I immediately thought, 'No, people have totally misunderstood this guy,'"
Connard explains. "When I saw the story, I was shocked and horrified, for him.
Here he is, a college student from Texas, living with a family here, and that's
the welcome he gets?"
10News met up with Scott Steffen in Karns Friday while he was selling books
for Nashville-based company, Southwestern.
The description used by the schools warned of a man in his early 20s, clean shaven,
neatly dressed, wearing a ball cap, and carrying a folder.
Steffen matches that, and he also drives a blue-steel colored, older model Toyota
Camry that sits low to the ground because the trunk is loaded with books.
The Texas A&M senior says he'll graduate with a degree in Agricultural Engineering,
thanks to those books.
Southwestern's director of communications says the company has been hiring college
students to sell its material since 1868. Right now, he says they have almost
3,000 student dealers spread out across the country.
And many, including Steffen, actually run from house to house to save time.
"I've done this now for five summers all around the Eastern U.S.," he explained. "I've
been to Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Georgia, South Carolina and now Tennessee. And
through that, I've been able to finance all of my college expenses."
Steffen says he gets college credit for showing the books to 30 families everyday.
Although, he says he works from 8 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. most days to meet that quota.
He also says he tries to identify himself as a college student within the first
30 seconds of introducing himself to a potential customer.
"That's one of the first thing I say, 'Hi, I'm Scott, I'm a college student from Texas,"
Steffen explained.
Steffen wears a double-sided identification badge around his neck and he also
keeps a copy of the permit to sell door-to-door that he obtained from the
Knox County Clerk's Office. The Knox County Sheriff's Office runs local
background checks of everyone issued the permits.
"I'm supposed to be seeing all the families out here in the Karns and Hardin Valley
area with children ages high school down to babies to explain early learning tools,"
Steffen delivered his sales pitch to a mother on her front porch. "One thing I
find is all the moms are really into their kids' education. How do you feel about the
schools out here?"
Steffen says he can understand how some people could have thought he was with the schools.
"I'm obviously a door-to-door salesman," he explained. "I'm not the first person they
want to talk to, so they may not hear everything I say. I try to make it as clear as
possible I'm not with the schools, but inevitably, people don't hear everything I say.
I tend to talk quickly."
Steffen says he's been misunderstood before, but in smaller communities
where he had an easier time making sure leaders knew who he was and what he was doing.
Steffen says his host family alerted him that he'd made the news. He's living with a
local businessmen and two other college students who will also be selling books
in the area through mid-August.
"I never knew anything about a calling alert," Steffen said. "That's kind of neat."
The President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Greater East
Tennessee says people should use common sense when dealing with door-to-door sales people.
"I personally don't buy door-to-door," Jerry Tipton explained. "Some people do.
There's nothing wrong with that, as long as it's a legitimate company."
Titpon says one should always ask what the person is selling and for whom. He says
potential customers should also ask to see the government-issued permit.
"There is an element of danger sometimes," Tipton said. "Don't let anyone in your
house unless you know who they are."
Tipton also cautions that the sales people often use high-pressure tactics.
If you do buy something, he says you should make sure any agreement you sign includes
a three-day "cooling off period" clause. By law, the consumer has three days to
change his or her mind.
Meanwhile, the Knox County Sheriff's Department has looked into the matter and determined
Steffen was legitimate.
"He is not impersonating anybody," spokesperson Martha Dooley explained.
"He is legitimate, and he has all the proper paperwork."
Schools spokesperson Russ Oaks maintains the schools did the right thing by
issuing the alert to several hundred homes in the Hardin Valley area.
"If it had turned out some other way, you'd be asking me why we didn't notify people,"
Oaks said. "It's absolutely appropriate to share information we have with the public."
Posted By: Katie Allison Granju
WBIR.COM
WBIR TV-10
Knoxville, Tennessee
Read This Story
DMPG Info Clip:
This company is lobbying against legislation in the state of Wisconsin that is
specifically designed to protect Wisconsin kids and homeowners.
To research this company: Research Southwestern Company
To research legislation: Research Wisconsin Legislation
|
Debunking the Direct Selling Myth
June 13, 2008
Quixtar Cult Intervention
Posted by quixtarisacult at 12:15 PM
Friday, June 13, 2008
Discussion of Multilevel Marketing Scams and People
Victimized by the likes of Amway,
Quixtar and Their Motivational Organizations.
Debunking the Direct Selling Myth: Where Are All The Direct Sellers? Seen Any Lately?
Regardless of all the hype MLM businesses like to make about their cons being direct selling,
direct selling is basically a myth that has been the “cover story” for multilevel marketing
pyramid schemes for some time now. Where are all the door to door salesmen? Where are all
the door to door sales which would be necessary to make direct selling a successful business
opportunity. In our day and age, door to door selling is nearly non-existent, a relic of the past.
Okay, the closest equivalent to door to door selling is telemarketing, also a
marketing strategy under fire and probably destined to disappear along with door to
door salesmen. Direct sales parties may represent the last legitimate direct selling
strategy. These gatherings show products, product catalogs, and present the opportunity
to become a distributor to potential customers/business partners. For example, many people
have probably seen or bought a kitchen utensil from a Pampered Chef distributor. Folks who
buy and like Pampered Chef products may have been shown the opportunity to become a
Pampered Chef representative (or distributor).
I do not intend to say that direct selling doesn't exist (or have the potential to exist)
within all companies that claim to be direct selling businesses. Quixtar/Amway Global,
regardless of all the hype and product branding that it does, isn't truly a direct
selling company. It is a recruitment selling company, and the direct selling that it
purports to make is really a con on the distributors it recruits. They are the primary
focus of the company's product sales. Distributors are the customers that the company is
really seeking. Believer's in the opportunity buy nearly all the products and the deceptive
propaganda masquerading as training materials.
Imagine if you will all the hundreds of thousands of supposedly direct sales distributors
actively trying to sell their products to non-distributors. A direct seller would have to
constantly be approaching potential customers. One would have to approach and pitch the
product everywhere: on the street, at the office, at the factory, and most importantly
at your door. I must ask, are Amway reps showing up at your front porch asking you to see
their catalog of products? Not likely.
For all intents and purposes, Amway Globule doesn't “Roll like that” in your town or
in my town. Quixtar/Amway rolls like this: Dream Selling, Recruitment, Buy From Yourself,
Recruit others to do the same. Direct Selling remains a myth to give some degree of
respectability to the con. Amway Global/Quixtar isn't truly a direct selling company,
unless you consider the direct selling of the opportunity and the subsequent high priced
products the newly recruited buy in hopes to achieve their MLM dreams.
The Direct Selling Association therefore presents a fraud. The minimal amount of direct
selling to non-distributor customers presents the enormity of the direct selling deception
being presented to people by the DSA. When Amway/Quixtar present themselves as a direct
selling company, they are presenting themselves in a fraudulent manner. Oh, they play
“lip service” to direct selling objectives to thwart criticism, but it is not my
opinion or the opinion of any critic that defrocks the fraud; it is the cold hard
facts which represent the truth everyone needs to understand. Pro-MLM direct selling
proponents attempt to discredit and bury these truths under deceit and emotional
“spin”. Nationally respected experts in MLM pyramid schemes like Robert Fitzpatrick
and Jon Taylor are presented as kooks by the Direct Selling Association. The real
kooks are the people who believe the DSA lies.
Direct selling remains a deceptive con which the direct selling association is trying to
sell on consumers. Since many (if not most) of the MLM businesses that are members of the
Direct Selling Association are product based recruitment schemes
designed to attract new customers (called distributors), The DSA
promotes a fraud to the public. As I have said several other times
on this blog, the direct selling association attempts to put makeup on
pigs and marry them off to people gullible enough to believe the deceptive
fraud that these pyramid schemes are legit direct selling companies. THEY ARE NOT!
There may be any number of people who's dreams are being threatened by the real
world truths QCI presents. Defenders of the direct selling myth fail to discredit
the negative truths, while they cast scorn on those presenting these truths. Truth
about the direct selling con is reduced to spin and rhetoric which can be shrugged
off by people foolish enough to believe lies and pro-MLM propaganda.
People believing in deception become the victim of self deception. They are brain-washed
to “block out” any and all information that question their belief in the dream. Believer's
are taught and encouraged to become victims of their own system. One of the craziest ideas
in Amway/Quixtar is this:
“If the dream is big enough, facts don't matter!”
The “facts” obviously are the facts MLM critics present to anyone intelligent and careful
enough to consider when presented with an MLM opportunity. Deception, lies, and spin are
tools of MLM pyramid schemes and the tool most often used by the Direct Selling Association
to hoodwink weak minded people. Pyramid Scheme Alert and the Consumer Awareness Institute
and nationally respected experts on MLM pyramid schemes like Robert Fitzpatrick and Jon
Taylor deserve respect for their work in debunking the direct selling lie. They expose
the lies presented as truth by MLM and the deception dishing Direct Selling Association.
They do not ask people to believe opinion only. They present analysis supported by
extensive research to make their case. They present the facts upline MLM mentors
do not want their downline recruits to see.
Has your MLM intervention begun yet? Are you considering an opportunity? Quixtar
Cult Intervention presents a way out for those in, and a way to avoid the problem of
involvement all together. Truth will set you free, and truth will keep you free.
Posted by quixtarisacult at 12:15 PM
Labels: direct selling myth, door to door selling, pyramid scheme, telemarketing
Quixtar Cult Intervention
Posted by quixtarisacult at 12:15 PM
quixtarisacultintervention.blogspot.com
Read This Story
|
Yomiuri, Japan
Draft to ban door-to-door sales
June 3, 2008
Draft to ban door-to-door sales / Akita Pref.
ordinance aims to stop unscrupulous people tricking elderly
Etsuo Hayakawa and Hideharu Tabuchi / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers
June 3, 2008
The outline of a draft ordinance to ban door-to-door sales has been drawn up by members
of the Akita Prefectural Assembly, but this has some people up in arms as they believe
such a measure would dampen business activity.
The envisioned ordinance is designed to prevent elderly people from being tricked
into buying expensive and high-risk financial instruments from unscrupulous salespeople
without understanding the details.
In February, eight prefectural assembly members drafted an outline of the ordinance to
ban salespeople from making uninvited visits to homes, effectively meaning they could
not do so without prior arrangement.
The proposed ordinance will ban all salespeople from visiting, faxing, telephoning
and e-mailing those aged 65 or older as well as minors.
However, anyone regardless of age can stop visits and telephone calls from salespeople
selling products requiring consumers to pay 5,000 yen or more in monthly installments by
registering with the prefectural government, according to the draft ordinance.
If the ordinance is adopted, door-to-door sales of stocks and other financial products,
that do not guarantee the refunding of principals, will be prohibited.
===
Prison terms, fines considered
Salespeople who violate the ordinance may face suspension of business, imprisonment for up to
two years or a fine up to 1 million yen.
Elderly people and those who do not want to be bothered by such visits can post a notice on
their front door.
Salespeople who want to telephone, fax or e-mail potential clients will have to confirm
in advance with the prefectural government to see whether households will permit such sales calls.
In 2004, the bar association in Akita Prefecture submitted to the prefectural governor
and the speaker of the prefectural assembly, a proposal to incorporate the right to
refuse uninvited door-to-door visits into the existing prefectural ordinance for the
protection of consumers.
In the United States, a system was established in 2003 to allow consumers to refuse
uninvited telephone sales calls once they had registered with the local governments.
Inspired by the U.S. move, some Akita Prefectural Assembly members began work on
introducing a similar system in 2005.
In 2006, a futures company in Akita collected money from more than 200 elderly people
who bought U.S. commodity futures and options by telephoning and visiting potential clients.
After it was revealed that the company failed to repay more than 2 billion yen, calls for
implementation of an ordinance to protect people from unscrupulous sales gained momentum.
Eiichi Setagawa, a 60-year-old assembly member who sponsored the proposed ordinance,
said visits by these door-to-door salespeople had to be stopped to prevent them from taking
advantage of consumers.
Lawyer Naoto Omi, who helped compile the outline, said it was more important to protect
people's safety and their right to protect their property, than the freedom of salespeople to conduct their business. "That means door-to-door sales has to be curtailed," he said.
However, some people have raised questions about the envisioned ordinance.
According to the outline, products that require payments of 5,000 yen or less a month,
such as newspapers and dairy products, are exempted from the envisaged ordinance,
with the exception of the elderly.
But those who register to refuse uninvited visits from salespeople could mistakenly turn
away people selling newspapers and dairy products.
===
Controls to hurt insurance firms
Furthermore, no decision has been made on the 4,600 insurance salespeople in the prefecture.
Restrictions on their sales activities will significantly affect employment and tax revenues.
In addition, tighter controls on sales activities could undermine seven companies,
which have set up call centers after the prefectural government invited them to do so.
Other companies may also invest in other prefectures instead of doing business in Akita Prefecture.
On March 11 and May 20, a group of assembly members, including those who sponsored the
ordinance, collected public comments from 13 sectors, including banks, securities houses,
life and nonlife insurers, local agricultural cooperatives, automobile dealers, newspaper
sales agencies and door-to-door marketing firms.
With the exception of two organizations, including the federation of the prefectural
elderly people's clubs, all the groups opposed the outline.
An official of the Life Insurance Association of Japan said only a small number of
salespeople are responsible for unscrupulous sales. "It's preposterous to ban all sales
activities, including those by conscientious salespeople," he said.
An official of the Japan Securities Dealers Association said the envisioned ordinance
would prevent securities houses from providing useful information to elderly people, who are interested in making investments for their retirement.
Their comments supported the view that such an ordinance would hurt consumers as well.
An official of the Japan Direct Selling Association said it was unclear
whether the ordinance would keep unscrupulous salespeople away as a notice placed on
the front door of a residence would only alert salespeople to the fact that senior
citizens lived there. "Unscrupulous salespeople would target such residents," he said.
Such objections have prompted some assembly members to have second thoughts about
approving the outline as many problems need to be solved.
An outline of the ordinance was scheduled to be submitted to the assembly in September
by the assembly members and implemented in April, but this is highly unlikely now.
Tsuneo Matsumoto, a Hitotsubashi University law professor who is a member of the central
government's Consumer Administration Promotion Council, said consumer distrust was the
reason for the compilation of the ordinance.
"Companies did not make sufficient efforts to clean up their businesses," he said.
However, he said many problems remain as the outline fails to discriminate between
businesses engaged in door-to-door sales.
Although consumer protection is a very important issue, excessive restrictions
would have adverse effects. Therefore, the Akita Prefectural Assembly must
debate the issue extremely carefully.
===
Concerns about side-effects
The ordinance outline contains measures that are tougher than the special trade law
governing door-to-door sales and mail sales, and the Financial Instruments and Exchange
Law regulating dealings involving financial products.
The central government's ministries supervising the relevant laws are concerned about
adverse effects caused by stricter regulations.
The revised Building Standards Law, which went into effect in June and made approval
of construction plans tougher, has resulted in a rapid decline in the number of new housing starts.
Since the Construction and Transport Ministry was criticized for creating a
"government-triggered economic slump" in the construction industry, the government is
concerned that a second government-initiated economic downturn could result if the
Akita Prefectural Assembly passed the ordinance.
A bill to revise the special trade law submitted by the Economy, Trade and
Industry Ministry to the current Diet session only states that salespeople are
obliged to make efforts to affirm whether consumers are willing to see them.
A ministry official said an across-the-board ban on uninvited sales activities
would undermine efforts by legitimate, conscientious salespeople and have an
impact on local economies.
A senior official of the Financial Services Agency also said restrictions imposed
by each prefecture could contradict the central government's policy of promoting deregulation.
The outline has brought to light the possible side effects that such a document
could have on both local economies and consumers.
(Jun. 3, 2008)
Etsuo Hayakawa and Hideharu Tabuchi / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers
yomiuri.co.jp
Yomiuri, Japan
Read This Story
|
DMPG Info Clip:
The Dedicated Memorial Parents Group Staff Research:
DSA Website
|
Bandera, Texas
An out-of-towner has come a'knockin
June 3, 2008
An out-of-towner has come a'knockin
By Jessica Hawley-Jerome
Managing Editor Tuesday, June 3, 2008 8:33 AM CDT
The Bandera Bulletin
In response to a community alert sent out last week, a visiting door-to-door salesman has
come out and come forward with his identity, nature of business and bonded intention.
His presence came to the attention of Bandera ISD and local law authorities as a potential
threat, though he claims to be nothing of the kind.
Derrick Martin, Jr., who lives in North Carolina and attends North Carolina State University,
said that this is his fourth summer spent selling books as an independent contractor for
Southwestern Company, an intern-based wholesale business. He refutes the rumor that he has
represented himself as a member of Bandera ISD, stating that his only reference to the
district has been by using names of customers with school children who have purchased his
books. He has previously sold books in Indianapolis, Ind., Quincy, Ill., and Arlington.
Martin, who is reportedly living with host family Quinn and George Tabbert on Elm Cove Drive
in Lakehills, said he was bonded by The Southwestern Company for $2,500 on May 28, and the
bond will remain in effect until the end of the year. Bandera County Sheriff's Investigator
George Wintle reported that Martin has no active warrants and no felony record. Martin said
he was in the area only to sell educational books door to door.
The county does not have any licensing or permit requirements for door-to-door sales,
however, the city does prohibit such activities. According to Bandera City Administrator
Gene Forester, peddlers are only allowed to call upon commercial businesses in the commercial
district, per city ordinance.
"No door-to-door or house-to-house solicitation is allowed - period," Forester said.
"We are trying to protect our citizens."
Forester also said that if any person who lives in the residential district of the city is
approached by a door-to-door salesperson, they can call the police to ask them to leave.
By Jessica Hawley-Jerome
Managing Editor
The Bandera Bulletin
banderabulletin.com
Bandera, Texas
Read This Story
|
DMPG Info Clip:
The Dedicated Memorial Parents Group Staff Research:
The Southwestern Company
2451 Atrium Way
Nashville, TN
37214
Southwestern Company Website:
Southwestern Company
Research Southwestern Company
Southwestern Company Research
Southwestern Company is a member of the Direct Selling Association
DSA Website
|
Goldsboro, North Carolina
Book Seller - False Representation
May 25, 2008
Salesmen don't represent school system
By Phyllis Moore
News-Argus
Published in News on May 25, 2008 02:00 AM
Peddlers canvassing the Eastern Wayne school district are believed to be a national book-seller,
Wayne County Public Schools' officials said Friday.
Earlier, Ken Derksen, public information officer for the school system, had alerted the
community to be aware of individuals going door to door, claiming to represent the school system.
There is no connection to the district, Derksen said.
"We have contacted the company and told them to stop representing our school system,"
Derksen said. "This is a legitimate company but we can't have people representing our school system."
By Phyllis Moore
News-Argus
newsargus.com
Goldsboro, North Carolina
Read This Story
DMPG Info Clip:
The Dedicated Memorial Parents Group Staff has learned from Wayne County public officials and the
Sheriff's Office that the above mentioned sales agent is employed by Southwestern Company out of
Nashville, Tennessee:
The Southwestern Company
2451 Atrium Way
Nashville, TN
37214
Southwestern Company Website:
Southwestern Company
Research Southwestern Company
Southwestern Company Research
|
Goldsboro, North Carolina
Book Seller - False Representation
May 23, 2008
School officials cautions residents about solicitors
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on May 23, 2008 02:09 PM
County school officials and the Sheriff's Office are investigating reports that someone is
going door to door claiming to represent the school system.
It is unclear how far-reaching the situation is, or the specifics of what one or more
individuals may be seeking, said Ken Derksen, public information officer for Wayne County
Public Schools, though they seem to be affiliated with a book publishing company.
But so far, it seems to be isolated to the Eastern Wayne district, he said, naming
Parkstown and Beston Road areas specifically. Several parents have contacted the
schools this week, Derksen said.
"Right now we have only heard from parents in (Eastern Wayne) elementary school but
in case this is outside of the Eastern Wayne district, we want the public to be aware,"
he said. "They're making it sound like they're representing the schools and they're not."
Derksen said it does not appear that money was being solicited and advised residents not to
give out any personal information and not to allow individuals into the home.
He said that parents in the Eastern Wayne area have been alerted and officials determined it
would be wise to broadcast the concern in case it spreads to other parts of the county.
Derksen also noted that they had a description of a vehicle believed to be connected to the
incidents -- a silver Volkswagon Jetta.
Sheriff Carey Winders cautioned residents to be careful any time someone calls or comes
to the door posing as a school representative, or soliciting for organizations not
typically known to do that.
"Usually they don't send anyone around to collect money," he said. "This is probably not
the first time something like this has happened and it probably won't be the last."
Sometimes, he noted, the person is not after something in the short run, but is at a
residence to "scope things out to see what's there."
"If somebody goes to the house and tries to solicit or whatever," he advised, "make sure
they call 911. Obtain as much information as you can about what kind of car, or a
description of the tag. If you can get a license number, that's also good."
By Phyllis Moore
News-Argus
newsargus.com
Goldsboro, North Carolina
Read This Story
DMPG Info Clip:
The Dedicated Memorial Parents Group Staff has learned from Wayne County public officials and the
Sheriff's Office that the above mentioned sales agent is employed by Southwestern Company out of
Nashville, Tennessee:
The Southwestern Company
2451 Atrium Way
Nashville, TN
37214
Southwestern Company Website:
Southwestern Company
Research Southwestern Company
Southwestern Company Research
|
|
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Supporting pyramid schemes is lucrative for politicians
May 14, 2008
Supporting pyramid schemes is lucrative for politicians
The Fraud File Blog
Sequence Inc.
Wed 14 May 08 ·
Filed under Pyramid Schemes & MLM, Scam Busting
As Barry Minkow (Fraud Discovery Institute), Dr. Jon Taylor, Robert FitzPatrick, Eric Scheibeler
and others (including me) continue the unpopular fight against multi-level marketing companies
(which are nothing more than disguised pyramid schemes), I occasionally come across items of interest…
Like this one. Did you know that Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff has received tens
of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Pre-Paid Legal Services (NYSE:PPD)? He has.
From Utah’s website:
All Contributions for Shurtleff, Mark Leonard
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc
P.O. Box 145
Ada, OK 74820 10/23/2006 20,000.00
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc
P.O. Box 145
Ada, OK 74820 12/12/2007 20,000.00
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc
P.O. Box 145
Ada, OK 74820 04/28/2005 20,000.00
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.
321 E. Main St. PO BOX 145
Ada, OK 74820 04/25/2003 20,000.00
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.
321 E. Main St. PO BOX 145
Ada, OK 74820 06/14/2004 20,000.00
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.
321 E. Main St. PO BOX 145
Ada, OK 74820 03/02/2004 10,000.00
$110,000 in campaign contributions just since 2003 is a nice little chunk of money, I think.
And then you have to ask yourself why. Well if you’ve done much research on MLMs, you’ve found
that Utah is a hotbed for these pyramid schemes. And Attorney General Mark Shurtleff loves
them! Remember this video, in which Shurtleff endorsed Usana Health Sciences and said they
were a wonderful company? (Wait, I thought the chief law enforcement officer wasn’t supposed
to do things like this… and was instead supposed to be enforcing laws? Oh well.)
Multi-level marketing expert Dr. Jon Taylor knows exactly why Pre-Paid Legal is so motivated
to give money to Mark Shurtleff….
In July 2006, Bill SB182 went into effect in Utah, essentially diluting the power of the
Pyramid Scheme Act (Title 76) in Utah. The Pyramid Scheme Act dubbed companies illegal pyramid
schemes if compensation is primarily from the sales of products/services to downline participants
(rather than legitimate 3rd party customers).
SB182 essentially negated that provision by saying that “compensation” as defined in that Act excludes
money received because of downline purchases. (i.e. Ignore the fact that the upline makes most of
their money from associate purchases of products that are never sold to real retail customers.)
This seems like a picky distinction, but it’s really not. The problem with most (if not all)
multi-level marketing companies is that there is not a real retail market for their products
and services. There is a very, very small base of actual retail sales. But the vast majority
of “sales” made by the MLM are to pyramid members who are meeting minimums or trying to move
up in the pyramid. The name of the game is not retail sales, it’s recruiting other pyramid
members under the guise of retail selling.
What does any of this have to do with Mark Shurtleff? He was instrumental in getting SB182 passed,
essentially weakening the Pyramid Scheme Act so much that just about any product-based pyramid
scheme is now legal in Utah.
Dr. Taylor writes:
In both Senate and House hearings, it was clear that legislators lacked the time to
review research that should have led to the defeat of the bill. Instead, they
relied on testimony by Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, who claimed the bill
retained protection against the “really bad schemes” that offer no legitimate
products. Obviously, he had not read any of the research that shows that the
most damaging pyramid schemes in terms of participant losses are those with products
for sale – even very good products. And Mr. Shurtleff failed to disclose that his top
corporate campaign contributors were companies protected by the bill…
And here’s more on why this matters:
Utah’s top law enforcement official, Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, supported the bill.
He argued, contrary to the facts, that one of the distinguishing features of illegal pyramid
schemes was the lack of legitimate products. This may have been a valid argument 30 years ago
when product-based schemes were less common. Since then, however, the largest and most harmful
of all pyramid schemes that have been prosecuted—such as Equinox, Trek Alliance, and International
Heritage—offered products or services as their form of “paying consideration.” The existence or
quality of the products is, today, irrelevant to the analysis. Some of Shurtleff’s top
contributors were the very companies that would benefit the most from SB 182 [2]. Their
operations would no longer violate the state’s anti-pyramid scheme statute.
The Direct Selling Association (DSA) initiated this bill. While the DSA likes to pretend it’s a
group looking out for consumers, it is really an organization that looks out for the best
interest of multi-level marketing companies. It’s member-run, and their real purpose is to
pretend that 99% of participants in MLMs don’t lose money, and that MLMs are the way to
financial freedom for many.
The DSA wanted this bill passed in Utah because the Pyramid Scheme Act was much too restrictive,
and if law enforcement in Utah ever decided to enforce the law (not likely while under Mark
Shurtleff’s command), then a lot of MLMs would be in trouble.
Let’s face it. Utah AG Mark Shurtleff is heavily influenced by MLM companies, which are big
campaign contributors. Check out this listing of contributors to his campaign since 2003.
$231,000 alone from known MLMs and the DSA. This doesn’t include any individuals who
might be associated with the MLMs, as I was only looking for relevant company names.
That sheds a little light on Shurtleff’s favorable stance on this legislation, doesn’t it?
Sequence Inc.
111 East Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1230
Milwaukee, WI 53202
414.727.2361 Phone
414.727.2362 Fax
info at sequence-inc.com
Chicago:
Sequence Inc.
10 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 1800
Chicago, IL 60606
312.498.3661 Phone
312.276.4960 Fax
info at sequence-inc.com
Read This Story
|
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Southwestern Company
February 21, 2008
Door-to-door 'internship' tricks students into work
Summer program involves book and software sales
By: Sarah Krasin
Marquette Tribune
Posted: 2/21/08
Side Bar:
Many students received phone calls this month inviting them to an information session regarding
internship opportunities The Southwestern Company sponsors these sessions
The company offers a summer program selling books and software door-to-door
Southwestern's vague phone calls frustrated many students, leading to an intervention from Career Services
---------------------
Kortni Smith thought she was getting a great deal when a representative from the Southwestern
Company called asking if she would be interested in a lucrative "internship opportunity" for the summer.
However, after attending an information session, Smith, a freshman in the College of Business
Administration, said she left feeling "frustrated and aggravated."
Southwestern's internship opportunity involves selling books and software door-to-door,
a program Smith said the company "tries to make seem better than it actually is."
"I know they're not technically doing anything wrong, but I feel like they're
getting people to the information session under false pretenses," Smith said,
referring the initial phone call in which the amount of money she could make
was the main focus and the actual job description was barely touched on.
Jason Eckert, associate director of the career services center, said there have been
several complaints from students regarding Southwestern's "vague" phone calls.
According to Eckert, Marquette Career Services representatives met with Southwestern recruiters
about the concerns. At the meeting, Career Services reviewed Southwestern's phone script and informed
them of the need to be upfront and honest about what the actual job entails.
Career Services has not had any more complaints since the Jan. 29 meeting, Eckert said.
Students were also concerned over how Southwestern obtained their personal contact information,
such as cell phone numbers.
"Certainly, no one at the university would give out a student's confidential information,"
Eckert said. Rather, companies such as Southwestern rely on surveys students fill out in class
and personal referrals from students who attend their information sessions.
Though some students expressed annoyance at the company's recruitment efforts, others
said they would consider the opportunity.
Cortney Krauss, a freshman in the College of Communication, said Southwestern's emphasis on
building lifelong communication and business skills as well as their extensive alumni network
attracted her initially.
Krauss, who went through Southwestern's three-day interview process and was accepted
into the program, ultimately turned the opportunity down.
"The second or third day, I definitely left feeling like I was being sold on something,"
Krauss said. "It's important to remember that people working for the company are good salesmen.
They're trying to sell you (the job)."
However, Krauss said the biggest reason she turned down the job was her concern over safety.
According to Krauss, the fact that she would be working in a strange neighborhood from 9 a.m.
to 9 p.m. was especially worrisome.
All students hired through Southwestern relocate to a different area of the country, and Marquette's
recruits will head to the East Coast this summer. Dan Dougherty, corporate recruiter for Southwestern,
said the relocation aspect is "part of the adventure."
According to Dougherty, the company is well aware of these concerns raised by students and parents.
Students who work with Southwestern do not travel extensively, but rather are assigned a middle
to upper-class district and stay there the entire summer, Dougherty said.
The company and its recruits are not the only ones concerned with possible safety issues.
In 2005, the Wisconsin State Legislature responded by introducing Senate Bill 80. This legislation
would no longer allow companies such as Southwestern to have "independent contractors," but would
require the company to consider every student working for them an "employee."
Supporters of the bill, such as state Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton), said this would stop
what they view as exploitation of student workers by insuring they have basic employee rights.
The bill has been simmering in the legislature for years, but yesterday's public hearing on S.B.
80 renewed interest in the issue.
Southwestern is a registered opponent of the bill and claims it will hurt their business
model that allows students to be their own bosses.
Loren Groeschl, a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a two-year employee of
Southwestern, said he agreed with the need to protect rights of independent contractors,
which include individuals who represent companies such as Mary Kay cosmetics.
Groeschl, who spoke against the bill at Wednesday's hearing, said he's had a very positive experience with Southwestern's internship program.
"The hard work of the program has benefited me the most," he said. "I'm coming back for my
third summer this year and am really excited."
Eckert said Career Services does not necessarily endorse the Southwestern internship, but
by policy the company must be allowed to recruit on campus if they follow certain guidelines.
By: Sarah Krasin
Marquette Tribune
media.www.marquettetribune.org
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Read This Story
|
Mississippi
Door-To-Door Book Sales Alert !!!
Southwestern Company
August 22, 2007
Man arrested selling books door-to-door
By ROBERT LEE LONG/Community Editor
Updated: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 9:00 PM CDT)
DeSoto Times
HERNANDO - An Estonian immigrant soliciting sales for educational materials in DeSoto County
was arrested Tuesday by Hernando Police and charged with disorderly conduct.
Hernando Police Lt. Russell Perry said Viljo Kase, a resident of Estonia, was
arrested after complaints from residents that Kase asked about the ages of their children
and other personal information.
"He was selling books by going door-to-door and making people feel uncomfortable,"
Perry said. "We told him about a week ago, back on Aug. 16, that he need to stop it
(soliciting). Door-to-door solicitations are not allowed in Hernando. He did not stop
and we arrested him."
Southaven Police Chief Tom Long said his department also received several complaints about Kase.
"They complained he was being pushy," Long said of Kase's aggressive sales pitches.
However, one rural DeSoto County resident defended Kase, saying that he was polite and
courteous and was being singled-out unfairly by authorities.
Cecilia Witt, a Eudora resident, said Kase sold her some educational materials last week.
Witt's children are home-schooled, and she is a frequent customer of Kase's company,
Southwestern Company.
"I hate for him to have become part of a witch hunt," Witt said. I just hate to see him as
part of this mob mentality. This young man is representing his company. He has been a gentleman.
He was in our home and represented his company well. He did ask the ages of my children and he
would say, "I have something for a child that age,' and so forth."
Wittt said because Kase stands more than six-feet tall and has a "thick European accent" that he
might intimidate people.
"He's not some creepy door-to-door salesman," Witt said. "I would invite him into my home now."
Trey Campbell, a representative for the Southwestern Company, said Kase is an independent contractor.
"We're really still learning all the facts," Campbell said.
"He had been to Southaven and Horn Lake and was told he did not need a
solicitation permit. He assumed this was the case in Hernando. It was his
responsibility to get a permit."
Kase could not be reached for comment.
Robert Lee Long can be contacted at rlong@desototimes.com or at (662) 429-NEWS, Ext. 252.
By ROBERT LEE LONG/Community Editor
DeSoto Times
desototimes.com
Hernando, Mississippi
Read This Story
|
Mississippi
Door-To-Door Book Salesman Arrested !!!
August 22, 2007
Sneaky Salesman Arrested in Hernando
Contributor: News Desk
ABC24 Eyewitness News CW30
Email: newsdesk@myeyewitnessnews.com
Last Update: 8/22 9:29 am
Viljo Kase was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and failure to comply with a police officer.
A door-to-door salesman selling children's textbooks was captured by police. The man was arrested on
charges of disorderly conduct and failure to comply with a police officer.
Hernando police arrested Viljo Kase Tuesday morning and he has made bail. Several parents contacted Eyewitness News Everywhere about Kase after our story first aired Saturday, August 18. The parents were concerned because they say he was asking questions about their children.
Other parents called Eyewitness News Everywhere to say they thought Kase was a legitimate salesperson.
Stay with Eyewitness News Everywhere for more information on this developing story.
Contributor: News Desk
ABC24 Eyewitness News CW30
myeyewitnessnews.com
Memphis, Tennessee
Read This Story
|
Mississippi
Door-To-Door Book Salesman Alert !!!
August 20, 2007
Creepy Door To Door Salesman
Contributor: News Desk
ABC24 Eyewitness News CW30
Email: newsdesk@myeyewitnessnews.com
Last Update: 8/20 5:49 pm
Mid-South parents are asking police in Northern Mississippi to keep their eyes peeled for a
creepy door to door salesman they say is targeting homes with young children.
This is new information on a story we first told you about on Saturday, August 18, 2007.
That’s when a mom in Hernando told us about the guy who came to her door selling textbooks.
Two days later, we got a call from a dad in Southaven who says the same man came to his door.
“He came around 7:45 in the morning and was very pushy. He wouldn’t take no for an answer and
wanted to know how old our kids were and where other homes were that had young children,”
says Patrick Giamportone.
Eyewitnesses describe the man as 25 to 30- years old, 6’2” with a strong accent.
He tells people he is from Estonia and often wears a backpack. Witnesses say he drives
a beat up maroon Volkswagen.
Some parents say besides selling textbooks, he also offers tutoring services.
And in one case, an eyewitness says when a young child answered the door, he tried pushing
it open when a neighbor ran him off.
Hernando police tell us they are on the lookout for him and are patrolling near school bus
stops in the afternoon.
Here are the subdivisions we know this guy has been: In Hernando: Forked Creek, Green Village,
Edgewater, and Forrest Hill Estates. In Southaven, Bell Point, Dicken’s Place, and Broadmore near
DeSoto Central School.
In Southaven, there is a transient vendor ordinance. It states you can sell door to door but
cannot take payment, only an order. You can only sell 30 minutes after sunrise to 30
minutes before sunset. You do not have to have a vendor’s permit.
Contributor: News Desk
ABC24 Eyewitness News CW30
myeyewitnessnews.com
Memphis, Tennessee
Read This Story
|
Mississippi
Door-To-Door Book Salesman Alert !!!
August 18, 2007
Sneaky Salesman has Parents on Alert!
ABC24 Eyewitness News CW30
Last Update: 8/18 9:50 pm
A group of angry moms in Hernando, Mississippi say a man
posing as a salesman is targeting their kids. The moms say
he has a list of all the families in the neighborhood with
kids, and is relentless when it comes to getting closer to
their children.
Carla Alexander says, "I have a son. I have a daughter. I
don't want anything to happen to them."
Alexander says the guy usually asks for the woman of the
house. Sometimes he says he is selling textbooks. Other
times he says he selling tutoring sessions. The man says he
is from the country Estonia and has a very strong accent.
Police are now waiting at school buses in the neighborhood
after school to make sure kids make it home safely.
People in other neighborhoods in Desoto County have reported
seeing this same man.
ABC24 Eyewitness News CW30
myeyewitnessnews.com
Memphis, Tennessee
Read This Story
|
Lets Take a Close Look at The Southwestern Company's Trade Group
Multi-Level Marketing Industry’s Lobbying Organization:
The Direct Selling Association
Sri Lanka
Pyramid scam alert !!!
July 22, 2007
Pyramid scam alert
The Sunday Times Online
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Financial Times
Vol. 42 - No 08
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Once again, thousands of consumers have been duped by a “multi-level marketing” scheme, based in the
USA. More than 50,000 consumers are now caught up in a federal prosecution. The US Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of
California against BurnLounge, Inc. and is seeking a permanent halt to the illegal pyramid
practices alleged in the complaint.
The Sunday Times FT has been in the forefront in alerting the public of pyramid scams including
GoldQuest that swamped Sri Lanka some years ago.
As a result of these reports and investigations by the newspaper, the Central Bank stepped up public
awareness against the scam and the probe against pyramid schemes is an ongoing process.
In a new column today titled ‘Pyramid Scam alert”, the newspaper will provide news and information
about MLM scams across the world as an when new stories like these are available.
The information is provided courtesy Robert L. FitzPatrick, President of the PYRAMID SCHEME ALERT
in the US. The organisation’s website is: http://www.PyramidSchemeAlert.org.
FTC charges MLM – BurnLounge
Once again, thousands of consumers have been duped by a “multi-level marketing” scheme,
based in the USA. More than 50,000 consumers are now caught up in a federal prosecution.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court
for the Central District of California against BurnLounge, Inc. and is seeking a permanent
halt to the illegal pyramid practices alleged in the complaint. BurnLounge is one of the
hottest multi-level marketing schemes. Its "product" is downloaded music, similar to i-Tunes.
Some of its top promoters were previously recruiters with the MLM, Excel Communications. (now bankrupt).
Burnlounge attracted superstars from sports, such as Shaquille O’Neal, and from the music industry –
e.g. Justin Timberlake – to endorse it.
Evidence of scam against Usana
An investigative article in the prestigious New Zealand business magazine, National
Business Review, reveals that thousands of New Zealand consumers are being solicited by
Usana without getting true or complete facts about almost certain financial losses they
will suffer in the scheme. Entitled, “Most People Won’t Get their Money Back” the article
quoted government statistician Murray H Smith, who has served as an expert witness in New
Zealand pyramid scheme cases, “you can make a very strong argument that this could be a pyramid scheme.”
A new report shows that Usana operates in a very similar manner to Burnlounge Inc. which is
now being prosecuted by the Federal Trade Commission as a pyramid scheme. Very little revenue
is gained from actual retail customers (consumers who are not in the pay plan) and even less
distributors’ profits come from retail sales.
Texas AG wants to stop Mannatech from operating in Texas
The Texas Attorney General claims that Mannatech, a publicly traded multi-level marketing (MLM)
company – very similar in product, size, operation, publicly traded status and many other
features to Usana Health Science – is deceiving and misleading consumers with its product claims.
The Texas AG did not charge the company with operating a pyramid scheme as it did in a recent
prosecution of the “gas mileage pill” company, BioPerformance, also a multi-level marketing company.
The Texas AG said BioPerformance was a pyramid partly because it had almost no retail revenue.
Neither does Mannatech. Both companies gain most revenue from new participants in the pay plan,
not from retail customers, and recruiting is crucial to earn a profit in the pay plan.
Why didn’t the Texas AG charge Mannatech with violations of its anti-pyramid scheme statute?
One obvious reason is that the multi-level marketing industry’s lobbying organization,
the Direct Selling Association – Mannatech is a member of the DSA! – lobbied to change
the law in Texas in 2000 so that MLMs are now generally exempt.
The law says that if payments and rewards are included in the price of products,
the scheme is excluded from the law’s definition of a pyramid scheme.
Amway recruiting stopped in the UK?
Amway’s operations have been halted in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The government of
England is prosecuting Amway for deceptive marketing. Some of the claims involve Amway’s infamous
“tools” business in which distributors are lured into buying bogus “motivation and training” books,
tapes and seminars in addition to large amount of Amway inventory. The promoters claim these
tools help the distributor to be "successful". Much less than 1% of Amway’s distributors
ever earn a profit. Millions of consumers worldwide lose money and quit the Amway scheme each year.
Is MLM a scam?
Questions pour in from all over the world asking about multi-level marketing companies.
The answer is usually the same: If (1) recruiting other participants is the main basis for
the scheme’s income promises; (2) the pay plan offers money from multiple levels of a
“downline”; (3) most of the money is going to top levels (4) the income scheme requires
you to make initial and/or monthly purchases and (5) there is very little retail selling
(to people other than the salespeople) occurring --- it is a scam. This description fits
nearly all MLM operations. Bottom line: A wise consumer should generally consider all MLMs a scam.
Warning: Before you join any MLM, read the fine print of the “contract.”
Like Amway, most MLMs impose severe restrictions to limit “competition” and to prevent the
consumer from seeking legal recourse. Few consumers understand these extraordinary restrictions
on their freedom or their legal jeopardy when they sign up at an MLM “opportunity meeting.”
The Sunday Times Online
Financial Times
Vol. 42 - No 08
sundaytimes.lk
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Read This Story
|
South Carolina
Southwestern Company
Door-To-Door Salesman Warning !!!
July 12, 2007
Door-to-door salespeople apparently pretending to work for Lexington One
Reported by Angie Goff
Posted by Chantelle Janelle
WIS10 TV
wis10.com
July 12, 2007 05:12 PM CDT
LEXINGTON COUNTY, SC (WIS) - Investigators say people posing as school officials selling supplies are
targeting children's homes. More than a dozen reports of men and women saying they are with
Lexington School District One have been reported.
The school district says it never hires anyone to do anything door-to-door, which put many parents on alert.
Lexington County Sheriff James Metts tells WIS News 10 their investigation shows there is no immediate threat. "There reports all over the county of these people out there selling, trying to sell material, trying to gain entrance by using the fact that they're with the school district when they're not."
Trey Campbell, a spokesman for "Southwestern Company," spoke to WIS News 10 about this matter.
The company's website says it hires 3,000 students from 350 colleges around the country every summer.
They sell books and educational software to students - who in turn go out and resell the items to residents.
Their company has a strict code of ethics that says salespeople should make no statements that
may mislead consumers.
Campbell says the company will look into the matter and if it's found some have violated the
policy they could be terminated.
Metts says they're questioning some of the salesmen - students from Texas - whose unethical
behavior could end with charges against them.
If you have a run-in with one of these salespeople, you are asked to call the sheriff's department.
Reported by Angie Goff
Posted by Chantelle Janelle
WIS10 TV
wistv.com
Lexington County, South Carolina
Read This Story
View Angie Goff Video Clip Of This Story (.wmv) File
Play Video Clip
|
South Carolina
Southwestern Company
Door-To-Door Salesman Warning !!!
July 12, 2007
Deputies: Sales People Posing as School Officials to Sell Books
Updated: 7/12/2007 7:28:13 PM
First Posted: 7/12/2007 11:22:55 AM
WLTX-TV
(Lexington County) - Lexington County deputies say various people claiming to work with Lexington
School District One have been going door to door in West Columbia neighborhoods, asking to
speak with children and their parents.
Investigators say they were tipped off to the college-aged imposters when the district began
receiving complaints from parents. Deputies say they received at least eight phone calls
regarding the people Thursday alone.
Lexington County Sheriff James Metts says the people are actually sales associates that work
for a book company. Metts says they ask to speak with the children, asking questions about them,
as part of their sales pitch. Investigators say the questions are what alarmed the parents.
School officials say the salesmen are not employed with the district, and they say they do not
send their employees door to door.
Authorities say the concern of deputies and parents was for children's safety:
"That's a little scary to know that there are people out there doing this and you're not sure
as a parent how to fell about it. For example, whether you should let them into your house or not.
There are so many people nowadays going and doing things and you're not sure who is genuine and
who is not," said Dawn Coulter.
Coulter lives in one of the West Columbia neighborhoods targeted by the sales reps.
Deputies say the seller canvassed Steele Road, Brookedale neighborhood and Hamlet
South neighborhood among others.
"As parents I feel like we can never be too careful or over protective of [our kids]," Coulter said.
Deputies say they received varied information on the appearance of the suspected man,
so they believe there were more associates working with him. Metts says posing as a school
official is not a crime, so they cannot file any charges against the associates.
Investigators say the people were trying to sell text books for The Southwestern Company, out of
Nashville, Tennessee.
WLTX-TV
wltx.com
COLUMBIA, South Carolina
Read This Story
|
VANCOUVER Canada
Slamming The Door On Travelling Salespeople
July 5, 2007
CITY COUNCIL
Coquitlam considers slamming the door on travelling salespeople
IAN BAILEY
theglobeandmail.com
July 5, 2007
VANCOUVER -- The welcome mat could soon be rolled up for door-to-door salespeople in suburban
Coquitlam if a proposed ban, with fines to punish violators, is instituted.
City council in the community of 114,000 unanimously asked staff this week to draft two bylaws -
one to ban door-to-door sales of natural gas, and a second to ban all commercial door-to-door sales.
They will decide whether to pass them in September, after the summer break.
One councillor said he thinks some form of a ban is a done deal.
"This is going to go through," Doug Macdonnell said. "There is enough will on council to put
this thing through. The day of door to door is past."
The issue came to council because of complaints about aggressive sales of long-term gas
contracts resulting from a regulatory change in B.C. that allows Terasen Gas customers to
buy from other companies.
But now councillors and the mayor are talking about a much wider ban, with some arguing door-to-door
sales have no place in a world of big-box stores and Internet shopping.
"Fifty years ago, the door-to-door sales was probably a legitimate part of our communities, but
we don't shop that way any more," said Counsellor Richard Stewart, who proposed the motions.
"We've heard from residents, 'The front porch isn't the place I want to buy my commercial
goods,' " the former Liberal MLA said.
"We shop on the Internet. We shop at the shopping mall. We make our decision to purchase something,
and we go do the research of that subject rather than waiting for a salesman to come with
encyclopedias and buy them on the door."
And Mr. Stewart, recalling an unpleasant personal experience with a zealous salesperson,
said that problem isn't restricted to gas vendors.
The salesman "was trying to sell me frozen beef, roasts and steaks and stuff out of the
trunk of his car," Mr. Stewart said. "And I told him, 'I don't buy my beef on the front porch,'
and he got offended that I would denigrate his chosen profession of selling door-to-door meat."
Coquitlam would be following the smaller Lower Mainland community of Langley if it enacts a ban.
Langley, with 25,000 residents in 10 square kilometres, enacted a ban in April on sales for
commission paid by third parties, although registered charities can still make their case on
Langley-area porches.
"We want to let people enjoy their evenings at home without being besieged by door-to-door
canvassers," Langley Mayor Peter Fassbender said.
In Coquitlam, Mr. Stewart said council is discussing various exemptions for newspaper sales -
because papers are a product that comes to the door - as well as landscape contractors,
religious groups and non-profit organizations.
"We would obviously exempt Girl Guide cookies and other not-for-profits, non-commercial sales.
There's widespread support for making sure those avenues of fundraising are still available," he said.
Council will also have to eventually reach a consensus on fines, he said. Coquitlam municipal
fines run between $100 and $500 per offence, and he expects residents visited by offending
salespeople could call bylaw enforcement officers, who would impose a fine.
"We're not talking capital punishment here, but we obviously have to make the fine large
enough that it's an actual deterrent," he said. "It has to have the effect of prohibiting
that kind of practice. If it's just a cost of doing business, then we have failed."
The president of the Direct Sellers Association of Canada, Ross Creber, said a ban is
inappropriate, calling on Coquitlam to target the specific vendors who have prompted
complaints. The head of the Consumers Association of Canada also slammed the idea,
acknowledging complaints about the work of some salesmen, but suggesting it is unfair
to penalize all such salesmen.
"We don't have a problem with door-to-door sales as long as they are done on an ethical
basis," Bruce Cran said. "An outright ban is overkill."
Mr. Cran said door-to-door salespeople are now too rare to warrant the effort of bans.
"I am surprised Coquitlam would think there were enough surviving to be a problem."
IAN BAILEY
theglobeandmail.com
VANCOUVER, Canada
Read This Story
|
Kansas
June 26, 2007
Jackson County Book Scam
CBS 13
WIBW-TV
Posted: 9:34 PM Jun 26, 2007
Last Updated: 9:34 PM Jun 26, 2007
In Mayetta, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office says a man is claiming to sell books for the
Parents as Teachers Association of Topeka.
A woman told police the man is white, around 5'10" - 6'1" with sandy to light brown hair,
carrying a dark backpack and speaking incredibly fast.
He asks for payment up front and says he'll deliver books at the end of summer.
Parents as Teachers says it does not have anyone selling these items.
If you have any information on this individual please call Jackson County Sheriff's
Office at (785) 364-2251.
CBS 13
WIBW-TV
wibw.com
Topeka, Kansas
Read This Story
|
D.M.P.G. Info Clip
July 22, 2007
DMPG research into the above sales company indicates that the
door-to-door sales agent works for The Southwestern Company
out of Nashville, Tennessee.
To research The Southwestern Company Click Here
Note: The DMPG collects information from various sources:
police reports, court documents, media articles, and secretary of state websites.
The DMPG is not responsible for inaccurate data in any of the above sources of information.
Various company websites change over a period of time. Information and Links also change.
The DMPG cannot control this and for this reason cannot guarantee 100% accuracty of data.
If you have a question or find an error on this website please contact the DMPG WebMaster:
WebMaster
~or~ read the DMPG disclaimer:
DMPG Disclaimer
|
Illinois
June 26, 2007
Southwestern Company's negative impact
Voice of the People
A Chicago Tribune blog for letters to the editor
Originally posted: June 26, 2007
This past Saturday my wife and I were shocked when we found a young woman walking around Elmhurst
looking for a place to sleep. I am very sympathetic to the homeless and this young woman
had an added factor that made her case even more distressing. She and two other young
people were dropped off in Elmhurst and told that they had to find their own shelter.
Then the circumstances began to come to light.
They are Bulgarian students on J-1 visas, which allow them to work in the U.S. for
four months in the summer. College students like them come to the U.S. to sell the products
of the Southwestern Company.
When these students find a family who is willing to host them, they give the family a sheet that
clearly states that the students are expected to work an 80-hour, six-day week. Sundays are
reserved for group meetings. The students have no cars or means of transportation. They have
little money. Yet the three Elmhurst salespersons are expected to cover the entire town door to
door. We know that similar efforts are also being made in surrounding communities.
The company protects itself by making sure that each student is registered as an "independent contractor,"
which absolves the organization from legal responsibilities.
To talk to the students, one gets the impression that they have almost been brainwashed into a
cult-like admiration of the business mode they are in. Yet we think that using these
international [as well as national] college students as the lowest rung of a multi-layered
management business without even giving them the benefit of being employees is not acceptable.
Door-to-door sales are very hard to do. Cold-calling people in a community to ask for a place
to stay is even more difficult and potentially dangerous.
If the Southwestern Company is going to bring students from overseas, they need to make sure
that their basic needs are met and not just in Tennessee but in every placed community.
It is our opinion that Southwestern is also using Americans who, out of the goodness of
their hearts, take in these students to keep them safe. That is double exploitation.
It is disgusting to think that an American business association could stoop so low as
this effort seems to be.
We have been previously involved in exchange programs. It upset us greatly to hear that
these students were told that it would be a great character-building experience for them
to go into a community and knock on doors asking for lodging. The Southwestern Company is
making money as a result of these students' work, and Southwestern is also using the
people who host them. Southwestern has the moral responsibility to find safe housing
prior to their arrival in any community. As consumers we don't think we should support
or purchase products from such a company.
We are appalled at what one company can do to harm innocent young lives and hurt the
American image abroad.
Charlie and Betty Laliberte
Elmhurst
Charlie and Betty Laliberte
Elmhurst, Illinois
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com
Read This Story
|
Pennsylvania
Door-To-Door Salesman Alert !!!
June 7, 2007
Sentinel Morning Update: Salesmen's license revoked in Upper Allen Township
By staff reports, June 7, 2007
The Sentinel
Last updated: Thursday, June 7, 2007 7:35 AM EDT
Upper Allen Township police revoked the transient retail business license for Michael Ford this morning
after an investigation Wednesday into complaints about aggressive door-to-door salesmen who claimed
their product was endorsed by the Mechanicsburg Area School District, when that was not the case.
Ford, representing the Southwestern Company, had been in the area for the past three weeks going
door to door to sell books for children of all ages.
The township's press release said that Ford does work for a legitimate company and any previous
orders placed with him should be fine.
The release also said that Upper Allen Township residents should contact the police department if
any further solicitation is received from Ford. They may call 717-795-2445 or 717-238-9676.
Township police chief James Adams said his department received calls Wednesday afternoon from local
parents concerned about the tactics of the salesmen. The police then launched an investigation,
interviewing school officials, callers and other township residents.
MASD spokesman Dennis Baker said the biggest concern school officials have is the claim that their
"Young Learners" books and CDs were endorsed and being used by the school district.
"That is not true," Baker said, adding the salesmen were using such questionable techniques as
making parents feel guilty about not buying material the men claim would benefit their child.
By staff reports
The Sentinel
cumberlink.com
Allen Township, Pennsylvania
Read This Story
|
Madison, Wisconsin
Door-To-Door Sales Legislation
June 1, 2007
Legislation Seeks To Curb Abuses By 'rogue Van Crews'
Violence, Drug Use, Cheating Customers Reported By
Young Magazine Sales Workers
BY JENNY PRICE
Wisconsin State Journal :: CAPITAL REGION BUSINESS
JOURNAL :: 12
Friday, June 1, 2007
A Tennessee-based direct sales company that uses
college students to go door-to-door on its behalf is
taking issue with a bill that would make it harder for
traveling sales crews to operate in Wisconsin.
The legislation, which the state Senate approved this
spring, has been in the works since 1999, when a van
carrying a traveling magazine sales crew on the
Interstate crashed near Janesville, killing seven teens
and seriously injuring seven more. A similar bill
passed the Senate last year but did not come up for a
vote in the Assembly.
Senate Bill 80 would change the definition of traveling
sales workers from independent contractors to actual
employees. That's one of the main provisions The
Southwestern Company objects to, according to spokesman
Trey Campbell.
"At the heart of the matter, the safety of the young
people making up those crews and the protection of
Wisconsin citizens is the driving force behind this
bill," Campbell said.
But while the bill "seems like a quick fix to prevent
operators of traveling sales crews from abusing the
independent contractor status by avoiding worker's comp
and scheduled paydays," Campbell said its initial
language would also prevent law-abiding and legitimate
companies, like his, from operating as direct sellers.
A similar bill failed to win passage in the New Jersey
Legislature last year, but Sen. Jon Erpenbach,
D-Middleton, the main sponsor of the Wisconsin bill,
said action on the issue is long overdue here.
"There are just horrific stories out there and examples
as to why this is needed," Erpenbach said.
A New York Times story published earlier this year --
based on interviews with more than 50 current and
former members of magazine sales crews -- found many
traveled in unsafe vehicles operated by unlicensed
drivers. Those interviewed for the article also
reported incidents of violence, drug use and cheating
customers.
"I'm sure there's examples all over the country
everyday where something goes wrong or an employee is
mistreated," Erpenbach said.
Campbell agrees there's a need to curb the abuses by
"rogue van crews" but maintains those enterprises are
vastly different from other kinds of door-to-door sales
enterprises that operate within the law, including
Southwestern, which contracts with thousands of college
students each summer who live with a local host family.
"The superficial similarities end once you get past the
youth of the college students and the fact they
'travel' in order to relocate to another town for the
summer," Campbell said.
And Campbell said the bill could take away a
significant entrepreneurial opportunity for students
who are essentially running their own small business.
Last summer, 30 UW-Madison made $387,665 gross profit,
he said.
Still, Erpenbach said Southwestern's request to amend
the definition of traveling sales crews in his bill is
not realistic.
"To exempt one company is ridiculous," he said.
"They think it's a good idea except for them,"
Erpenbach said. "They may be a fine company but that's
not the point. They're in an industry that isn't really
regulated at all."
The bill also has vigorous support from families of the
Janesville van crash victims, led by Phil Ellenbecker,
whose 18-year-old daughter, Malinda Turvey, died in the
accident.
The driver of the van was trying to switch out of his
seat to avoid being detected for operating without a
license. Ellenbecker has been fighting for the bill for
several years and spoke in favor of it during a Senate
hearing last year.
Ellenbecker testified the bill was intended to protect
young sales people and their potential customers in
Wisconsin "from the brutal violence that has plagued
the traveling door-to-door sales industry both here in
Wisconsin and across the country.
"The bill is a matter of public safety and as such
requires that the needs of the many must outweigh the
needs of the few."
ON THE WEB
Wisconsin Legislature: www.legis.state.wi.us
The Southwestern Company: www.southwestern.com
BY JENNY PRICE
Wisconsin State Journal :: CAPITAL REGION BUSINESS
JOURNAL :: 12
madison.com
Madison, Wisconsin
Read This Story
|
Lawrenceville, Georgia
Ripoff Report
Report: #250520
Report: Southwestern Company
Category: Sales People
May 26, 2007
Southwestern Company Lied, Harassed, Threatened, Exploited, Cheated, Raped
Nashville Tennessee
Southwestern Company
2450 Atrium Way
Nashville, Tennessee, 37214
U.S.A.
Phone: 800-843-6149
Submitted: 5/26/2007 8:55:47 AM
Modified: 5/27/2007 12:46:00 AM
Kristen Rae
Lawrenceville, Georgia
The Southwestern Company is a company which recruits students to door-to-door sell their books
in America over the summer. The issues with this company are limitless.
Many concerns have been raised about the way this job is marketed to students and
not an insignificant number of students have had extremely bad experiences while
working for Southwestern.
I had Southwestern Company recruiters sit at my kitchen table and tell my parents and
boyfriend that I would be selling in safe neighborhoods, that I would be accompanied by
another person for safety, that I would have time to attend church on Sundays, and that
I would make $8500.
I sold books door to door in the 4th ranked highest crime city in America.
I was not accompanied for safety. I was not allowed to attend church. I made -$150.
At the end of the summer I had totaled my car, been raped by a coworker (no background check
was run on him) and owed the company $150. I walked away with nothing. However,
the company made $5,822.48 off my summer from hell. I was not compensated for
the car wreck, the rape, or the mental and physical distresses.
I put up a site to educate students and parents regarding issues within the company:
http://southwesterncompanytruth.com
The company has sent threatening letters to me and my family trying to shut the website down.
According to my attorneys, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the site. It is a
personal site and meant to educate parents and students.
Now, the company is in the midst of filing suit against me for $250,000 in punitive
damages for the website with another $50,000 in attorney fees.
So to sum things up: I was lied to, in a car accident, raped, and scammed.
I posted a website. Southwestern is filing suit.
What a monster of a company!
Kristen Rae
Lawrenceville, Georgia
U.S.A.
Read This Ripoff Report
|
Athens, Georgia
Death of a saleman's internship
Book Sales Company: Southwestern Company
May 26, 2007
Death of a saleman's internship
Contributed By Allie Byrd
The Red and Black Publishing Company Inc.
Issue date: 4/17/06 Section: Opinions
Last week, I received a very exciting and potentially careerchanging phone call.
A friendly man on the phone informed me I had been "recommended for a summer internship"
and he was a "corporate recruiter for the University."
After being asked to confirm I am a second-year journalism major, the man told me not only
I could receive up to three hours of college credit for this internship, but also
I could make an average of $8,400 in the process.
"Well sign me up," I thought excitedly. He also told me to come to an informative meeting
about applying for this "internship" the next day at the University Career Center
in Clark Howell Hall. He even told me I could bring along a friend to apply for the internship as well.
During the meeting, I found this "internship" was less of a career-furthering opportunity than
I had been led to believe. After sitting in a room with 12 other students for about an about
an hour and a half, I learned this so called "internship" was actually a job going door to
door selling "educational textbooks and software." Not quite the summer internship I had in mind.
The job offered by the Southwestern Company actually entails moving to another state for
the summer, most likely in the Midwest, living with a host family in a garage
or basement apartment and soliciting to families door-to-door.
I was told I had the potential to earn as much as I wanted to, and some students made
anywhere from $40,000 to $90,000 in one summer. I also had the potential to make no money.
I guess that would all depend on my salesmanship skills. Maybe all those years of selling
wrapping paper to my grandparents for elementary school fundraisers would actually pay off.
Astounded that the University would allow this company to use the Career Center for
their business scheme, I wondered how much the University really knew about the
way in which The Southwestern Company solicited to students.
Career Center Executive Director Scott T. Williams is fully aware of the company's
doings and said they use "cold calls" to contact students.
Dictionary.com defines a cold call as "a telephone call or visit made to someone who
is not known or not expecting contact, often in order to sell something." Gee, this
sounds just like a summer internship opportunity phone call to me.
Students' phone numbers are retrieved when they are recommended by someone within the
company and when students respond to internship surveys in classes, Williams wrote.
He added this opportunity is an internship only if it is alignment with "an individual
student's career goals."
Perhaps I missed the memo, but I was unaware the University now offers a major in door-to-door
salesmanship. In fact, I was under the impression door-to-door sales is a dying business
because of the popularity of online purchasing. Maybe it's making a comeback.
The next time my local milk delivery man stops by, I'll make sure to ask him how business is doing.
Yes, the Southwestern Company is a legitimate business. Yes, you can make a decent sum of
money in one summer, and earn three hours of college credit. But,
unless you a majoring in door-to-door sales, or perhaps want a future
career as a spin doctor, students should know that this "summer internship"
offered by the Southwestern Company is more like selling Girl Scout cookies
than furthering your future career.
- Allie Byrd is a sophomore from Fayetteville majoring in political science and newspapers.
Contributed By Allie Byrd
The Red and Black Publishing Company Inc.
media.www.redandblack.com
Athens, Georgia
Read This Story
|
Wisconsin
Door-To-Door Book Sales Scam !!!
1999
Textbook sales tactics become major turnoff
By Phil Pfuehler
rivertowns.net
River Falls, WI
1999
Door-to-door salesmen are rare these days, but not rare enough for Brad Viney.
Viney was visited several times this summer by a persistent young man peddling school books.
"The thing that disturbed me was his very high-pressure schtick," Viney said. "He didn't let me
get a word in. He wanted to come into my house and show me what others had purchased, including teachers.
"He also knew that I had two boys in the middle school. At that point I told him that he knew more
about us that I cared to have him know. He led me to believe he was associated with the school district.
When I asked him about this, he backed off and said he wasn't really from the school district. It seemed
like a scam."
Since late July, Meyer Middle School Principal Elaine Baumann has gotten complaints similar to Viney's
and other inquiries about school-book salesman.
So Baumann investigated. She learned that two young salesman from a publisher called Southwestern
Company in Nashville, Tenn., are working the River Falls area.
"My concern is that parents want to do what's best for their kids in school and will feel
pressured into buying these books because the school district is endorsing or recommending them,"
Baumann said. "That is not the case. The district has nothing to do with these books. You have to
take what they're selling for what it's worth and make your own judgment."
Just last week Baumann was visited at home by a Pierce County deputy. Two of her neighbors had
called about a school-book salesman trying to get into houses. The deputy wondered if Baumann
had seen the guy.
Baumann hadn't but others had.
Like Greenwood Elementary Principal Pat McCardle.
"He was very aggressive, and I deal with salespeople every day at school," said McCardle,
who was visited at his home by the book peddler last month. "He might have been using my
name in is his sales pitch to the neighbors along with names of other school district employees.
"The books were some kind of series focusing on basic skills in the core areas - reading,
science and math. I didn't give him much time. I got him off my property in 5 minutes."
McCardle's objection was simple: "It may have been a quality product, even priced appropriately,
but what was offensive was his using as a sales pitch the endorsement by certain individuals from
the school district."
Middle school social studies teacher Sue Covill said the same young man visited her house three times.
The first time he met Covill she was leaving with her daughters.
"Somehow he knew my name. He came up saying, 'Mrs. Covill, you're the only teacher I haven't talked
to yet.' He also said he was going around talking to parents of honors students," said Covill,
whose eldest daughter, in fact, regularly makes the honor roll.
The last visit to the Covills was a Saturday night, late, around 10:30 p.m.
"We were inside watching a movie," Covill said. "We saw this car pull up in the dark and thought
'Who the heck is this'?"
The young school-book salesman, of course. Covill said her daughters were "a little freaked"
by this late-hour visit. Covill's husband, Ty, told the young man this was an improper time
to visit and to leave.
Another woman, who asked not to be identified, said the young salesman stopped to see her twice.
"He addressed me by my name and said, 'Don't you know me?' I said, 'Well, no, I don't." And he said,
'You should,'" said the woman, who did invite the man in her house.
"I thought he was representing the school district," she said. "He said he was here from the school
as an exchange student."
The woman said the salesman was evasive and inquisitive: "He had a map of the neighborhood.He even
asked what time I went to bed at night and what my work schedule was."
All the complaints about the Southwestern Company salesman were outside River Falls in the towns of
Kinnickinnic, Clifton, River Falls and Troy. Police Chief Roger Leque said another Southwestern
salesman obtained a direct seller's permit to sell within the city limits.
"We haven't had any complaints about that person," Leque said.
A seller's permit costs $10 a month, plus a $25 investigation fee. Leque said his department
checks to see if applicants have a criminal background. Calls are also made to the state's
Office of Consumer Protection to see if there are a "pattern of complaints" against an applicant's company.
"It's not a rubberstamp procedure," Leque said. "We spend a fair amount of time checking."
While the city requires permits to sell, nothing is required by towns or the counties.
Baumann said she has sent a letter to Southwestern Company. In it she complained about the
salesman's falsely representing the school district, and his way of violating people's
privacy and security.
1999 River Falls Journal
By Phil Pfuehler
rivertowns.net
River Falls, Wisconsin
Read This Story
|
Wisconsin Consumer Complaints
Source: Wisconsin Dept. of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
Wi. Consumer Protection Website
March 15, 2006
Warning Letter:
Hartford, Wisconsin Consumer Complaint:
Direct Marketing-Face-to-Face Solicitations
Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 127, Subchapter IV
No person shall make an advertisement, announcement,
statement or repesentation which is untrue, deceptive or
misleading to induce a sale.
Wis. Stat. 100.18(1)
Warning Letter To Southwestern 03/15/06
Read complaint
------------------------
September 1, 2005
Warning Letter:
Wausau, Wisconsin Consumer Complaint:
Direct Marketing-Face-to-Face Solicitations
Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 127, Subchapter IV
No person shall make an advertisement, announcement,
statement or repesentation which is untrue, deceptive or
misleading to induce a sale.
Wis. Stat. 100.18(1)
Warning Letter To Southwestern 09/01/05
------------------------
December 2004
Warning Letter:
Thiensville, Wisconsin Consumer Complaint:
Direct Marketing-Face-to-Face Solicitations
Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 127, Subchapter IV
No person shall make an advertisement, announcement,
statement or repesentation which is untrue, deceptive or
misleading to induce a sale.
Wis. Stat. 100.18(1)
Warning Letter To Southwestern December 2004
------------------------
Wisconsin Bureau Of Consumer Protection
Consumer Facts - Magazine Sales:
Door-to Door Sales
State of Wisconsin Department of Justice
Division of Criminal Investigation
White Collar Crimes Bureau.
Traveling Sales Crews
|
Web Site Dedication
This website is dedicated to all of the children and families
who have suffered at the hands of "traveling sales crews"
throughout this country.
The purpose of this site is to honor their memories
and to aid in the transmission and discovery of recent events, media coverage, legislation and information related
to this silent killer of young adults.
It is also dedicated to justice and truth with the sincere hope
that these virtues will one day overwhelm the illegal and immoral practices that many of the traveling sales crews and door to door companies have engaged in.
The Traveling Sales Crews Information site was created to be used as a tool by legislators, law enforcement agencies at all levels, attorneys, and the media for purposes of researching and
monitoring the door to door sales industry.
Information on this site is also intended to be made available to the general public in an effort to warn parents, children and young adults of the many dangers involved when working for many of the
door to door sales companies.
|
~ Important Links ~
Parent Watch
Parent Watch is a clearinghouse for information
on child and youth labor abuse
in the door-to-door-sales industry.
Parent Watch
Traveling Sales Crews Information
A database site that archives news articles, tracks all known
illegal activities of the sales crews, and logs criminal
complaints and convictions.
Traveling Sales Crews Info
Magcrew
Magcrew is dedicated to helping individuals who have
or are currently selling magazines/soap for traveling crews.
It is meant to share stories (good or bad) and hopefully help
those who feel they were abused by the companies
who hired them.
It is also intended to help those who are currently selling
to get home if they want to.
MagCrew
Dedicated Memorial
Memorials dedicated to all of those who have suffered
or perished because of the door to door sales industry.
Dedicated Memorial
Cagey Consumer
Consumer Advocacy.
Youth Field Sales Alert
State of Wisconsin
Department of Justice
Division of Criminal Investigation
White Collar Crimes Bureau.
Traveling Sales Crews
|
|
|
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