API Athletics Advantage, API SCAM--not a real sales job Roanoke, Virginia
First off if anyone gets an email about wanting to interview you for a sales position. Dont do it. I was sent an email from "API Athletics" I went to Charlotte, NC and had an interview with a very atrractive, tall, thin, blonde haired, woman named Lindsey. I got the job and in the next business day I was told I would get a call from the bigger boss, Jim. Monday morning came and I took the 2 posters I was given by Lindsey went to the Glenvar, VA area and called , Jim. He then told me to go into some local businesses, try to sale, and call him at a specific time.
I was told not give out my personal phone numbers or business cards that had a fill in the blank name spot. I was also told not to contact the athletic director for the school. I was expected to make 2 sales this day. I was given no training. I was also instructed that I would be making 30k plus commission. $400/week car allowance. At the end of the day I called Jim and told him I hadn't made any sales and all he did was say this has never happened before and hung up on me. I later googled the phone number and this is how I found reports on this website and many other reports on business bureaus. Hope this prevents someone else from being scammed and wasting their day like mine.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
4315 Golf Club Drive #709
36830,Alabama,
Also in "interview" process with API
#2General Comment
Thu, June 27, 2013
This is getting too weird. I drove a total of 4 hours yesterday to have my first "interview" with a girl that fits the same exact description that the other person provided, except her name was Casey instead of Lindsey. There were so many red flags, but usually red flags occur during phone calls or on websites, not during face to face interviews in a respectable looking office building. The first red flag was that she told me before our interview started that my second interview with "Jim" would be the next day. I was thinking, don't you want to see how this interview goes first before guaranteeing me a second interview?! And before that,the first red flag is that there is nothing you can find for this company on "glassdoor", etc. In fact, they don't even have their own website.
Now, for the ultimate red flag. I talked to Mr. "Jim Anderson", who said we had a match two seconds into the conversation. Then, he basically told me to work one day for them before I was even under contract. According to Jim, "It is the only way to see if we are a "match." They also give you a folder after the face to face interview, one in which Jim had me identify everything in it. It is similar to one that a company would give to a new hire. Except not after the first interview?!
So now, I am pretty sure I have figured out the scam. I am guessing there are three people total. The tall, thin blonde girl that changes her name. Jim Anderson with the mafia sounding accent and whoever answers the phone at the 855 number that you call to set up the interview. This company rents office space for two days in some random place along the east coast. They give you their phony posters and have you try to make a "sale" at a local business near one of the High Schools. I am guessing that after the "potential sales rep" sends them the check, they never hear from the company again. That or the company tries to see how many times they can get these sales reps to rip off the local businesses before the sales reps realize it is all a big scam.
Oh. and a few other red flags. The poster that they want me to bring to a local business on Monday says that the third game of the season starts at "6 a.m". That seems awfully early for a HS Football game!
Also, they tell you during the interview that you will provide customer service to their existing accounts. Then, on the sheet it says in bold letters Do not jeopardize our relationships with the local schools by calling their athletic directors. How can we provide customer service for the current accounts if we are forbidden to call them. So let me translate what it means. Do not call the athletic directors of the school on the posters because we are a fraud company and they will have no idea who we are.