Complaint Review: Allianz Security Protection

Rip offs know no discrimination of age, income, sex or race. They are happy to include all of us. To the young 25 year old man who posted on 9/9, I am much older than you, but fell into the same trap.

It is easy to drop your guard when you are promised, in person, for employment by a person who seems personable, plausible and professional. Ms. Porsha, not the car, or the Shakespearean spelling, was very efficient, and answered every question with a ready answer - no hesitation or pause. That should have warned me off the bat. But, hope, "and change" is a very seductive allure - particularly to someone who is ready, willing and able to work, and looking for options.

Like most who have taken the bait, the $80 registration fee seemed reasonable (as I imagined that it might be to cover a background check - usually$50 plus perhaps some clerical handling fee). Without repeating the already aforementioned processes that the other (thankful to you all) individuals posted, I started to get the sinking feeling when I was asked "were you not told by my assistant, that you had to be certified?" "No, I said. Not a problem, he replied. Please follow me". I was ushered into another room, much more private, and informed that all I needed was to take several "Certification classes" and I could start working in less than a week after that. They have classes every day 9-1, 1-3 etc. every day (7 days of the week; I have the copy of the printed out schedule. My mind was just trying to figure what schedule and how to fit it in my next week so I could start the following week. I bought it - hook, line and sinker.

It seemed logical. If you are going to have to work in building security, you should be certified for several things -fire, inspection, and general matters. It made sense. "But, I said, how can you guarantee me a job after that?" "Oh we have many jobs available, but you must be certified for them." I believed, or wanted to believe them. I know many of you reading this will say "boy are you dumb!" Perhaps, a moment of insanity, or confused expectation, or wishing". To test my
vulnerability to the con, the nice, dapper young man who came over said " if you pay in full now for the training, you will have the $80 amount waived." I replied, "no, I think I will just pay each time I go" (they ask you to pay a portion each time you attend the training, until the last class for the final payment and then you are done). I don't think I smiled because my brain and my expression were frozen in disbelief and paralysis.

But, it looks legit. They have a contract "Don't lose this, Ms. Porsha says, as it is your identification, each time you come into the office for training" - yes it is held in the same building. And, if you look at the contract and read all the print (it has a disclaimer, that they "can only guaranteed Job Placement Assistant services. Obtaining the actual job is the client's responsibility." So, in reality, the  hearsay "yeah, you definitely have a job" is just that. It is your word against theirs. And, they will provide you with a service - Training and certification which they claim "is accepted throughout all of NY state" - reasonable, plausible. They provide training (a service) which you sign and agree to pay for. Not illegal, unethical, but not illegal.

The Better Business Bureau which says there were 32 complaints against them, is unclear about what happened, and can not "comment". They say the complaints were closed but that is ambiguous. Upon further contact with them we uncovered that it just means in this case that "the organization never responded, so they close the case after awhile - fat lot of help that is. We called the NY State licensing bureau - no help or information, and the NY Attorney General's office who said, "just put it in writing". They could not offer anyplace for us to check on the organization except the BBB.

Thanks to the Rip Off Report, we finally found (my friends and me) the real situations my fellow New Yorkers experienced. So, as my old boss used to say, about an unsuccessful campaign, "it was a very expensive learning experience". Unfortunately the refund is a "phantom" option, and I have no expectation about receiving it back from them.

How appropriate that this had occurred on 9/11 - who would expect this from not only our countrymen, but fellow New Yorkers? I just recall PT Barnum's so-called  phrase "There's a sucker born every minute." and Caveat Emptor (buyer beware). So, in addition to being jobless, we are doubly hit with insult to injury. Beware everyone, and God bless.