Bernard Haladane Associates Rip-off Deceptive misleading high pressure sales of NO service priced too high Dallas Texas
In September 2002, I saw an ad in the Dallas Morning News Sunday edition. It was for a job listing, engineering technician of some sort. I t looked like a job ad anyway. It had just the name "Haldane & Associates", then phone number I think or just an email (not sure).
I called and finally go through. I asked about the position posted. They said I needed to come in for a face-to-face meeting. I scheduled the meeting, went at that time. When I arrived I was led to an office. I asked about the job that was listed. He said that we would discuss that later; later never came.
He started the smooth sales pitch. He started throwing termsw out: "hidden job listings", "we have contacts in major industies in the area", etc. He asked if I was married or had a significant other. I am not so he continued the sales pitch. Telling other exaggerations and outright lies (I found out later). The contract never supported any of the claims the salesman had made.
He mentioned the service would cost me $4500 up-front, $1410 more if I accepted a job over $45000 (I think). I was pressured to sign the contract without being given time to read it as he had another appointment very soon.
I did sign and charged the $4500 to my credit card (I am unemployed with no income and have just added $4500 more debt!) I was rushed out of the office with a photocopy of my contract. I was told to schedule a time to return to be introduced to my advisor.
I returned at the designated time and was introduced to him (Mr. B). I asked again about the job posting I had clipped from the paper. Mr B side-stepped this and went into the description of the first lesson: self-evaluation and assessment. I was given a workbook and a piece of paper to sign. I asked what the paper was for; Mr B said it was for his supervisors to evaluate his performance as an advisor, of no real importance (later I was to find out different). These were signed at the conclusion of each and every meeting. Mr B continued making exaggerated statements and evading direct answers to my questions.
I was returning weekly for about 6 weeks or more with lessons and homework to perform before the next meeting. Along the way a mock interview session was set-up. Mr B (business trained) acted as the "engineering hiring manager" for an example job listing I found and researched per his instructions. The interview was video taped and was a "JOKE", he asked me business questions and could not ask any intelligent technical or engineering questions. We reviewed the video and I took it home and was told to review it again there.
I signed the "not of any consequence piece of paper" and left. Not really satisfied with the proceedings. At some time along here he finally explained that the "hidden job listings" were a result of networking with people inside a company directly! They were not postings with Haldane as I had assumed.
In early December I joined a group called "Career Connections" in Dallas (well worth the $10/month membership. I got no mailing lists with different sub-groups of CC. One day I received an email warning that someone almost got suckered into signing with them, but had seen the articles in the Kansas City newspaper about them. I contacted Haldane and presented them with those articles, and asked for a refund. Nbody talked to me, they said a formal letter would be delivered in 10 working days.
Sure enough, it arrived today. I read it and saw all the "not of any consequence documents" being used to prove I was 100% satisfied with the service to date. Result was that no settlement was warranted in this situation. That I should continue to implement the "employment strategy plan" as layed out. And here I am! I wondered if there was any "class actions" or investigations in Texas like there were in Kansas, but I could not find anything.
So I am already out $4500 and wondering if they will come after me to collect the $1410 if I get a high enough base salary when I do get re-employed again. Is anyone else in Texas considering action against Haldane?
Tommie
Southlake, Texas
U.S.A.
Click here to all the others who have been victimized by Bernard Haldane Associates'>Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Bernard Haldane Associates
CLICK HERE, You must read this!! ..Financial Post Article LINK - Haldane not up to the job ..exposing this company for what it really is - a huge scam
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Adolph
South Bend,Indiana,
U.S.A.
Amen, Jerry! I second that statement! ..a very brilliantly orchestrated dog and pony show
#5Consumer Comment
Thu, January 16, 2003
Joe (quote):"You got suckered by no fault of your own."
If you truly believe that statement you, sir, are fool as well as a 'jackass'.
Bernard Haldane has a very brilliantly orchestrated dog and pony show that is totally not representative of their services. And they're d**n good at it! If only they posessed talent to deliver the promised and alleged services that they display in defrauding and misleading vulnerable people. THEN they might be of some value.
Joe
Phila.,Pennsylvania,
U.S.A.
Sorry You Feel That Way!
#5Consumer Suggestion
Thu, January 16, 2003
Jerry,
If you read my suggestion, it had nothing to do with apologizing FOR Haldane. What I referred to was the supposed documents signed that were later found out to be "not of any consequence documents." This was not the basic contract...as I said, Haldane is a rip off, plain and simple. But the other documents that were "slipped in front of him" and he was told they weren't important or they were an evaluation of the Haldane scammer's job performance, or whatever other excuse was given is what I talked about. These are what gave the poor sould no recourse because he did not read them and signed them blindly.
Call me whatever you want, but you are the jackass if you think everything that is wrong in the world is someone else's fault. Sure there are plenty of low lifes out there waiting to prance on the next victim and most times it is hard if not impossible to see what's going on. But don't take away from yourself what little recourse you may have by just signing away because someone said so.
Protect yourself by never signing on the dotted line until you know what it is you are signing. And if you don't know what it is and don't understand it, don't sign. That is what I said. So next time, Jerry, please read what you are responding to before you go and put your foot in your mouth!
Joe, you'r a JackAss!
#50
Wed, January 15, 2003
A contract is a 2-way covenant, Jackass! The b***h from these complainants, as I see it, is that Haldane broke the contract by not providing what they promised, or not having what they have claimed to begin with. This is the crux of the scam... if you read ALL the complaints. Your apology for Haldane seems so stilted to me that I wonder how much you are being paid. Get off the legal pitch unless you preach the whole truth.
Jerry
Detriot, Michigan
Joe
Phila.,Pennsylvania,
U.S.A.
Read What You Sign!
#5Consumer Suggestion
Wed, January 15, 2003
I am sorry for what happened to you and Haldane are crooks. But I am sick and tired of reading all these complaints against various companies where people sign legal, binding contracts that they do not read and then blame someone else!
Again, Haldane is a rip off...no doubt about it. You got suckered by no fault of your own. But when you signed something, regardless of whether they had another appointment, you were late, or whatever their excuse is, YOU ARE SIGNING A LEGAL DOCUMENT. That is nobody's fault but yours and if you don't read what you sign, you are going to be ripped of. Plain and simple.
So, everyone out there in rip off land, please READ EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU SIGN IT. If you don't like what the document says or do not understand it, don't sign and the company has no legal recourse.