Complaint Review: Cyberwize

I was hired as an associate editor for the marketing department in the corporate office of Cyberwize.com, and then was let go after a month. The job was offered as a full time job, for $35K per year. I was interviewed by the head of the marketing dept. and their part time editor.
I asked in the interview whether
1. there was enough work for two people and
2. if I would be stepping on the part time editor's toes by coming in full time. I was assured that they had tons of work and that "everyone gets along so well, it's like a family."

More like a dysfunctional family! I was willing to work part time but I was hired to work full time, with benefits and a 401K. The benefits kicked in after a 60-day probationary period. Ahh-that is the catch! Cyberwize makes a habit of hiring people on a full time basis, but then letting them go during the probationary period.

At the same time I was offered this job, I was offered another job for less money, which I had to turn down. The man at the other job warned me about Cyberwize. He said he knew two people who had been hired and then fired after a short time. From the time I started, there was very little for me to do, except for my second week there, when the part time editor was on vacation.

I believe they hired me simply to cover for her while she was away. When she returned, the part time editor (who has no benefits, no 401K) would not assign me any of the editing work she had. She seemed to be very indignant at my presence. I wondered why they hired a full time person, but I found work to do and did a lot more than what they asked of me.

As for Cyberwize, it is a pyramid company. It was like working for a cult. The owners have their kids and their kids' friends working there as "interns." All the emphasis is on keeping the "IBOs" (independent business owners) happy so they will sign up more and more people for the pyramid. The people at the top are raking in bundles of money, not from actually selling anything, but from their "downline" signing up more people. Their main product that they are focusing on now is called Tunguska Blast.

They charge $49.95 for a 32-oz. bottle of this stuff. It contains herbs and is supposed to have miraculous health benefits. But they gave me a free sample and I started taking it. I have taken it for a month and there is no difference in the way I feel. All the marketing effort goes toward selling this over-priced drink and on signing up more IBOs.

I am an editor, and I was hired by Cyberwize as an editor, but I did hardly any editing work at all. They hired me to catch them up on a bunch of work that no one else had time to do, and when I was done with it, they let me go. I turned down a job offer, and offers of several job interviews shortly after being hired by Cyberwize. When they let me go, the HR manager told me there were no plans to hire a replacement for me. I believe that when they get behind in their work, they hire people with the promise of full time employment, then let them go before they have to give them any benefits.

There is no reason why they could not instead hire a temp. This company defrauded me by offering me a job, and also by causing me to lose out on the income of the job that I turned down, and the potential jobs I could have had at the companies that wanted to interview me. Even though I was still "on probation" I still feel that I am entitled to some sort of compensation, especially since no reason was given for letting me go. They told me "It's just not working out." I think that's code for "We're done with you now, and we don't want to pay you benefits."

I think the people running Cyberwize should be held accountable for their fraudulent hiring practices, and they should not be allowed to continue this practice and mess up anyone else's life. I now have to start the application and interview process all over, never mind that now I will have no income until I find another job. Please beware of this company!

Teresa
Sarasota, Florida
U.S.A.