Complaint Review: Encore Marketing Group

I stand by what I wrote - numerous times. I was in sales and sales management for over 23 years, and had the pleasure of working primarily for Fortune 500 companies. That said, nothing will ever remove the sour and foul taste of Encore Marketing.

I will continue to rebut any comment made in support of this pathetic company. I promise to rebut with some measure of respect for the poster. Any respect I had for Encore and Craig Stapel went out the window years ago.

Encore is being sued in the federal court for fraud. I spoke with the attorney for Idearc and their case looks very strong. I'm laughing at all those who called Encore a reputable company.

You've been rebutted by a former Sales Director.

I still stand by what I said in the beginning. It's not that I am nowhere to be found it's just that I moved on. I am still in Sales and still make a ton of money just like I did at Encore. Throughout the interview process it is explained in detail what you will be doing and what the pay structure is. I was never lied to nor was I ever not paid!

Encore offered an opportunity at a time and I took advantage of it then moved on. Making money is for some and not for others. Sales is an industry in itself, try adding commission sales to it. It's a hustle but those who have had a taste of it like myself and others know exactly what it is about and don't mind working for our money.

It's unfortunate that some feel they have been betrayed I was not one of them. I worked for Encore and made great money doing it..

I still stand by what I said in the beginning. It's not that I am nowhere to be found it's just that I moved on. I am still in Sales and still make a ton of money just like I did at Encore. Throughout the interview process it is explained in detail what you will be doing and what the pay structure is. I was never lied to nor was I ever not paid!

Encore offered an opportunity at a time and I took advantage of it then moved on. Making money is for some and not for others. Sales is an industry in itself, try adding commission sales to it. It's a hustle but those who have had a taste of it like myself and others know exactly what it is about and don't mind working for our money.

It's unfortunate that some feel they have been betrayed I was not one of them. I worked for Encore and made great money doing it..

I still stand by what I said in the beginning. It's not that I am nowhere to be found it's just that I moved on. I am still in Sales and still make a ton of money just like I did at Encore. Throughout the interview process it is explained in detail what you will be doing and what the pay structure is. I was never lied to nor was I ever not paid!

Encore offered an opportunity at a time and I took advantage of it then moved on. Making money is for some and not for others. Sales is an industry in itself, try adding commission sales to it. It's a hustle but those who have had a taste of it like myself and others know exactly what it is about and don't mind working for our money.

It's unfortunate that some feel they have been betrayed I was not one of them. I worked for Encore and made great money doing it..

I still stand by what I said in the beginning. It's not that I am nowhere to be found it's just that I moved on. I am still in Sales and still make a ton of money just like I did at Encore. Throughout the interview process it is explained in detail what you will be doing and what the pay structure is. I was never lied to nor was I ever not paid!

Encore offered an opportunity at a time and I took advantage of it then moved on. Making money is for some and not for others. Sales is an industry in itself, try adding commission sales to it. It's a hustle but those who have had a taste of it like myself and others know exactly what it is about and don't mind working for our money.

It's unfortunate that some feel they have been betrayed I was not one of them. I worked for Encore and made great money doing it..

to "David" or whatever shill is out there..

Read "Shilo's" posting. Funny how she hasn't been heard from again.

Read all the other threads that appear on ROR.

You have a right to your opinion, just as all the other have a right to theirs.

But the overwhelming preponderance of the evidence suggests that you'll be on our side soon enough.

I just can't believe all the lies that have been said about Encore. They have call it a "Pathetic little company" when it's worth millions! They said that we do fraud, when the first thing that we tell you as soon as you step in our office is that we do not slam people or do fraud, if you do fraud you'll be fired. I have made tons of money, and I never had to lied to anybody.

They said that we Reps, don't make any money on this job, but just pass by our office and look around the parking lot. Our sales director is driving a 100k Mercedes! If you don't like commision jobs then get paid for your time and get a 9 to 5, this job is not for everybody. But don't start telling lies about my company or about my people.

People like laurent can talk all they want, but they'll never beat that person that think nothing of them. Carlos Loiza is a wonderfull person and a tremendous human behing. He's honest and he has a lot of integrity. I seriously don't see why Laurent had to call him a "crook" or a "liar."

New Phone number and location in Jackson, MS-but now this pathetic company calls itself an "International" company. What gives?

To the poster from Las Vegas..maybe you are the beneficiary of all the previous posters' comments. Maybe Encore has cleaned up its act and your reps are getting paid on time, and getting exactly what they earned.

Or maybe not.

And if you believe a Wendy's employee is a "customer service" rep-hire a few, like I did, and see what happens.

Don't begrudge those of us with axes to grind against Encore.

I am currently part of the Encore Team and wouldn't work for any other company. There arn't many companies out there that offer a career opportunity like the one Craig & Encore Marketing Offers. I am responding to this report today because I lost 2 new reps with great potential because of comments from 2 - 3 angry people. If you read the report out of 28 messages 11 of them are from the same person. The rest of the messages go back & forth between 2 maybe 3 other people. Encore Marketing has had over 200 reps nationwide. What gives?

The company offers a career opportunity to the average everyday person without judging them on there education, nationality, or past experience. They give you an opportunity to succeed in today's corporate world. Not only do they give you this opportunity they help you develop it and grow within the company.

Since I have been with Encore it has been a GREAT growing experience with opening an office. NOT ONCE have I been misled or misinformed, NOT ONCE have my reps not been paid, and NOT ONCE have the ones who truly earned there bonus not received it.

I can only account to one mistake on payroll since I have been with the company and I emailed it and called it in and had new checks cut immediately and sent out via fed ex for next day (Saturday)delivery to my home address so I could deliver to my reps. Not many corporate companies would go over and beyond like that to make sure people were paid. Keep in mind I am on the West Coast and they are on the East Coast so they truly went out of there way to make sure my reps were paid.

The complaints that seem to be common in these threads are the ads listing "CUSTOMER SERVICE". Any person who is currently in sales, has past sales experience, or any real business sense would know that without customer service skills you can't do sales. People do sales in there everyday life and don't realize it. Do you really think the person working at WENDY'S asking you if you would like to Biggie Size your order is in sales? That person's title would be Customer Service, however what he is doing is sales. MAKE SENSE RIGHT? OFCOURSE IT DOES!

People buy people not your product and Encore Marketing only deals with top companies offering superb products, therefore they need PEOPLE, with everyday customer service skills to educate the market on the current campaigns.

The problem with people today is that EVERYONE WANTS THE MONEY, BUT NO ONE WANTS TO WORK FOR IT! If your looking for a career and not a job, if your looking for an unlimited amount of income, if your looking for a company to reside with on a long term basis, and if your looking for a corporation without the corporate BS... CALL ENCORE MARKETING and join the Encore Marketing Team!!

The latest ad in Mississippi from this pathetic company reads:

"Aggressive marketing arm for BellSouth & AT&T seeking self motivated, high energy individuals to accomodate rapid growth. Will train! Average income $15/hr. Call 866-406-6967"

Aggressive-yep, it's 100% cold calling!
Will train-maybe an hour or two, but only on product, no real sales training available!
Average income-$15 a day is more realistic!

Save yourself some time and grief, don't answer the ad.

You've been alerted by a former Sales Director.

While your comments are welcome, this thread is about a pathetic little company called Encore Marketing. Encore may have DS-Max characteristics, but there is no proof that they are associated with DS-Max.

As an employer, Encore is just slightly better than Scentura.

The hope of this thread is to keep people from ever associating with Encore Marketing and their BellSouth/SBC/Verizon campaigns.

For sure all you guys went for your inteviews made it all the way, and now your angry cause DS-Max gave you a chance for fincail succes and you didnt take it.

i work for a branch in South Africa, yes at 1st i did think that everyone was on drugs and all. but there not. they just know that to get ahead in the business you need to have a good attitude, you cant complain that you have to walk 5 mile every day just to become an owner. since when did you become finacally independant from sitting on your arse all day.

success comes with hard work, and having no excuses, you cant say oh i dont like saling stuff to people for a living. thats not what your there to do. the reason we make you see so many people is to get you to be comfortable with talking to different kinds of people.

im in a manager role at the company and i have fun going to work everyday not cause i like selling stuff to people but because i know that if i work hard i can retire at the age of 35 with afew business under my belt. if you dont think thats worth waking up so early for everyday then juice by you, adn if you quit cause you thought it was to much work to own a successful business then i feel sorry for you because how are you going to get anywhere in life without alittle elbowgrease

Nick
DS-Max South Africa

Encore is now starting a Verizon campaign in El Paso, Texas.

Read the above comments before you apply!

This pathetic company is only slightly better than Scentura.

This pathetic company is advertising in the "Office Help" section of the Clarion Ledger. Their latest ad reads:

"CUSTOMER SERVICE $15 PER HOUR. Work with BellSouth retemtion team. Previous customer service or sales exp. pref'd. CALL 601-206-1150."


THIS IS COLD CALLING..door to door or in Cingular stores. There is no "customer service" involved.

THIS IS COMMISSION ONLY. It's unlikely anyone will see $15 an hour. $15.00 a day is more realistic.

EVEN IF YOU ARE DESPARATE, DON'T APPLY! This job doesn't pay gas, salary or expenses. Chances are you will LOSE money rather than make money!

You're better off working at McDonald's than at Encore.

You've been warned by a former Sales Director.

This pathetic company is advertising in the "Office Help" section of the Clarion Ledger. Their latest ad reads:

"CUSTOMER SERVICE $15 PER HOUR. Work with BellSouth retemtion team. Previous customer service or sales exp. pref'd. CALL 601-206-1150."


THIS IS COLD CALLING..door to door or in Cingular stores. There is no "customer service" involved.

THIS IS COMMISSION ONLY. It's unlikely anyone will see $15 an hour. $15.00 a day is more realistic.

EVEN IF YOU ARE DESPARATE, DON'T APPLY! This job doesn't pay gas, salary or expenses. Chances are you will LOSE money rather than make money!

You're better off working at McDonald's than at Encore.

You've been warned by a former Sales Director.

This pathetic company is advertising in the "Office Help" section of the Clarion Ledger. Their latest ad reads:

"CUSTOMER SERVICE $15 PER HOUR. Work with BellSouth retemtion team. Previous customer service or sales exp. pref'd. CALL 601-206-1150."


THIS IS COLD CALLING..door to door or in Cingular stores. There is no "customer service" involved.

THIS IS COMMISSION ONLY. It's unlikely anyone will see $15 an hour. $15.00 a day is more realistic.

EVEN IF YOU ARE DESPARATE, DON'T APPLY! This job doesn't pay gas, salary or expenses. Chances are you will LOSE money rather than make money!

You're better off working at McDonald's than at Encore.

You've been warned by a former Sales Director.

This pathetic company is advertising in the "Office Help" section of the Clarion Ledger. Their latest ad reads:

"CUSTOMER SERVICE $15 PER HOUR. Work with BellSouth retemtion team. Previous customer service or sales exp. pref'd. CALL 601-206-1150."


THIS IS COLD CALLING..door to door or in Cingular stores. There is no "customer service" involved.

THIS IS COMMISSION ONLY. It's unlikely anyone will see $15 an hour. $15.00 a day is more realistic.

EVEN IF YOU ARE DESPARATE, DON'T APPLY! This job doesn't pay gas, salary or expenses. Chances are you will LOSE money rather than make money!

You're better off working at McDonald's than at Encore.

You've been warned by a former Sales Director.

Glad you posted your "success" story and ran from Encore when you read our postings. Those "commission" checks they show you are probably fake, like so much else with Encore.

To all-beware of a company that has to hard sell you a job!

DANGER, Will Robinson, DANGER!

When you see this ad, keep reading:

"$$$$$$$$$$$-NATIONWIDE COMPANY opening new division, looking for 8 Reps and 2 Mnagers
IMMEDIATELY! Call Now! 601-206-1150"

No money, no future, no opportunity. This company is every bit as bad as Cydcor/DS Max, and just one step above Scentura.

You've been alerted by a former Sales Director..

When you see this ad, keep reading:

"$$$$$$$$$$$-NATIONWIDE COMPANY opening new division, looking for 8 Reps and 2 Mnagers
IMMEDIATELY! Call Now! 601-206-1150"

No money, no future, no opportunity. This company is every bit as bad as Cydcor/DS Max, and just one step above Scentura.

You've been alerted by a former Sales Director..

Wow! Just finished reading the rip-off report. I can't honestly say that I was "ripped-off for a paycheck" at least not yet, only my time and gas money to get to the Encore Marketing Group interview and training have been lost, plus all my time I spent this weekend trying to generate leads.

You see my first full day of training is scheduled for tomorrow, Monday, November 6, 2006. I was so excited about getting started that I spent most of my weekend trying to generate leads. Yes we are suppose to be selling online business listings for Verizon Superpages.com, however, since the listing are free by law then we are suppose to convince the the customer to upgrade to their plantinum packages so we could make a commision.

We too were also told we would make $20.00 an hour, but then were later told it was all commission based (not including the first week which you are suppose to get $300.00). They stated that the reason they say you are going to get paid $20.00 an hour is because they claim this is how much the average commission averages too. Then they showed us some copies of payroll checks claiming that there reps usually pulled in $1600.00 to $2700.00 a week.

We were also told that we would receive Verizon shirts so that we "LOOK" like we work for Verizon Superpages.com, but since I am not going to go in tomorrow I guess I don't know if that is going to be true. We were told by the Sales Director Monique Fernandez that we could not use the Verizon name on a business card but we could use the Encore name.

The only reason I even found out bought Encore is because I decided to do some homework on the company I am suppose to be working for and that is how I found this report. I almost gave up a real temp job working for TBN because I thought I was going to be so successful with the rep position. I'm so glad spirit guided me to this rip-off report on Encore Marketing Group.

Anyway the info on Encore Marketing Group that I have in California is: Address: 5400 Olympic Boulevard, Second Floor, Suite 250, City of Industry, California, Sales Director: Monique Fernandez, Cell phone number 310-482-8191, can't find the office number right now but I'll add it later. Don't know if it will do any good though because it looks like this place was just rented out as the office looks pretty empty and they don't even have a regular receptionist staff there. They just use the sales reps to answer the phone if they are available.

Thank you Jesus for not letting me waste my time there and for watching out for me. Everyone please take this as your WARNING. Especially it being around the holidays, gotta really watch out for rip-offs. God Bless and Be With You All!

Here is the lastest ad for this pathetic company:

"ENCORE & BELLSOUTH IS HIRING! High energy team env. Looking for 8 self motivated, Career minded individuals. EARN $800-$1200/wk. Call 601-206-1150"

The TRUTH:

You need high energy because it's either door to door or cold calling people in Cingular stores-

They need at least 200 calls to get 100 appointments to get 50 interviews to get 25 people to show up for training to get 12 people to stay more than 1 day to get 6 "Career-Minded" people to work more than 1 week.

$800-$1200 a week? Puh-lease! If you see $200 a week, consider yourself lucky!

To all potential applicants, see related threads regarding both Encore Marketing and the DS-Max/Cydcor.

Encore may not be Cydcor, but there are too many similarities between Encore and Cydcor to ignore.

If you apply-good luck! You'll need it!

You've been warned by a former Sales Director..

They are a big waste and time and money. The only reason why the owners of such companies will tell you that the opportunity is worth it, is because most likely they are in too deep themselves and they need you to keep their business afloat. You are their life-line.
It's a very predatory business.

They prey on your desperation for a job. No matter how desperate you are, nobody needs to be lied to, scammed and treated like work horses. 60 hour work weeks for less than half of minimum wage is not worth any opportunity. If you want to be an entrepreneur, try opening your own business in something you will actually like doing. Going business to business trying to get owners to sign up for Verizon services (I worked for BMK Marketing in White Plains, NY. See my threads on those con-artists), is not what I would want to open my own business for.

If you choose to start your own company, at least it should be something you like doing. Not peddling products door to door, and not spending any time with your family and friends. At least you won't be broke while you are trying to build someone else's business.

A (former)coworker told me she took out a loan, just to continue working at one of these places. Now, I know some people take out loans while they are working, but that is usually to buy a house or a car, or something they can't afford to pay off all at once. It's hardly ever so that they can eat and buy gas to travel around all day long with no compensation from the company.

Please stay away from these ads for other MLMs like them. I can speak from first hand experience that they are professional scammers and liars.

Encore never had the "Day of O," nor chanting or gong ringing.

What they had, however, was the hype, the over promise and under deliver, the missing payroll, the incorrect payroll, and the extreme promises of lots of $$$.

As the Sales Director, I thought I was making a positive difference in people's lives. I took "entry-level" (read: uneducated) people and tried to train them in proper cold calling, presentation, and closing techniques.

After a few weeks, it dawned on me that Encore was only interested in "fresh meat for the grinder." The focus was on recruiting, not training, retention, and promotion, but simply running ads and hire anyone with a heartbeat.

This naturally led to a decline in the overall "professionalism" of the office. After putting up with the dregs of Jackson, and after being physically assaulted in my office, I quit.

Thank God!

If anyone reads this thread, and the other one based on Encore, and all the threads, hopefully they will think long and hard before working for any company like these.

If I (and the other posters) can prevent one person from accepting a dead end position like the ones these pathetic excuses for employers offer, than my long winded typing will be worth it!

Working at McDonald's is a better opportunity than working for any "Marketing" company that only pays straight commission.

Marketing groups such as BMK Marketing and TMP Marketing (in Conshohocken, PA) are NOT affiliated with Cydcor or DS Max. Anymore, that is. Cydcor used to be the parent company of BMK Marketing in White Plains, NY but they have branched off from them. They still, however, use the same tricks and tactics that Cydcor uses to fool people into believing that they will be millionaires by the time they are 26.

I worked at BMK for 6 months before the smoke cleared from in front of my eyes and I left. Shortly after that, the whole office left. The problem is not the door to door sales. I was aware of that on my Day of O. The problem is that they brainwash you into believing that you will be making at least $500 a week.

They are not selective with their hiring process. They tell you that you are the one special interviewee that they decided to hire, but when you get into atmosphere the next day, you will see a few people that were waiting in the lobby with you on your first interview. They will hire just about anyone stupid enough to take the position. The person I took out on a Day of O could barely pronounce the name Verizon (which is the campaign) and she was hired.

Please be warned people. They lie in their job ads. Why do they stress that they want sports minded people, when phone lines are their campaign? If they were honest and stated that they are door to door sales, then those people who want those types of jobs will apply. Any company that has to lie to get interviews should put up a red flag in your mind.

This is a very unprofessional company, and they don't tell you the truth. If someone quit, they would tell you that they got fired because they weren't strong enough for the business, or they didn't act right. When I called people that were "fired" they always told me that they quit. They were never fired. If you see any ads that they put out, do not even respond to them. If you ignore me, just beware that I warned you. You will not get paid for at least 3 months. And with this type of campaign, we didn't even get cash in hand. We "sold" centrex lines to small business owners. Centrex is where you dial 9 to get an outside line like most companies. We signed them up for that service. We had bodegas dialing 9 in a deli!! And, once that account was switched onto centrex, there was a whole other process to get your commissions from that. What's worse is when they cancel their contract with Verizon, you don't get the commission! We couldn't even say that we were from Verizon.

We had no ID, no badges. People were printing out their own business cards that said Verizon on it, just so business owners would believe them. We only got about $250 every two weeks and after working 60 hrs a day, that's a little over $2 an hour! You definitely can not live off of that.
On top of that, payroll was always messed up and the money that you thought you were banking all along is yet to be seen. To earn $250 after 3 months is ridiculous and insulting.

The cult-like tactics they use on you are very powerful. After a while, you will start repeating the same mantras and chants they feed you without even realizing it. The manager has even refered to it as a cult. He prides himself on comparing his business to the movie "Boiler Room". Not a great comparison. We see what happened to that business at the end.

BMK Marketing is unprofessional, full of deceit and very degrading. After myself and some of my friends quit, the manager called us up yelling at us saying he heard us talking trash about him and he wanted to confront us and told us how he would sue us for slander. First of all, if we talked trash about him, so what? We no longer worked for the company. We talked trash while we worked there too. He just wanted to make sure that we didn't call people who still worked there and tried to get them to quit, because his business would fail. At that point he was only down to about 5 people in the office, and they were on their way out the door all by themselves. I had no influence on their decisions. I was just glad I was finally OUT!

I wish I found this site 3 years ago when I got the first interview. I wish someone had let me know the tricks of the game before I got it. I stayed because I was dreaming of this "opportunity" they kept saying was so great. I honestly thought that 3 years later, BMK would be out of business by now. BMK is a scam and they are frauds. If you don't believe me, go ahead and take a job with them. They will hire you. They hire anyone so that they can brainwash them. If I have stopped one person from going to that first interview, then I have served my purpose on Earth.

If you have worked for this company, please post a complaint. The more complaints, the more it will show up in searches and the more likely people will stop coming in for interviews and will no longer be duped. If you know someone who works for this company, help them get out. If you see an ad for BMK Marketing, and are desperate for a job, I suggest you by-pass it and try pan-handling instead. You'll make more money.

First let me state that the office does state there is only a 2% chance you will make it to management. (This is after you're hired BTW) This is very true. When I was in my office I saw many people quit. The thing that I hated the most is the fact that the people that stayed chalked the whole thing up to those people couldn't make it I hated that so much, especially so since I, myself am dubbed with that title. I also hate that the reason most of the people quit is they needed money so bad that they HAD to quit or they would loose their houses, cars or families.

I guess you can say I didn't make it. I didn't make a lot of money because I REFUSED to rip off unsuspecting people. If this is a bad thing then call me a bad person. I saw people knowingly rip off old people and their response to me when I asked why they did it was old people always have money, they just try to act like they don't I didn't want to have to live with myself knowing that peoples bills are being messed up knowingly by me. So I quit. But that's only the tip of the iceberg with cydcor read on.

Let's start with how they sucker you in. Here is an e-mail that I sent to an online job search about the company I used to work for. I picked apart their ad and told the .com what they were really about. The company sent me an e-mail stating they would talk to the company, but I don't think they ever did because the same stuffs still up. You will see a lot of ad's like this online and in your local news paper. RUN when you see them.

"I am just contacting to you let you know about a fraudulent Ads on your website placed by F*****m*****. I was lead to believe this was a legitimate company based on their ads on your website and in reality the company was nothing like their ads suggest.

The things I'm telling you did not get told to me until AFTER I was hired. Everything they say in their ads they use to get you to join the company.

For starters

"F****M****is an industry leading Marketing & Advertising firm representing a variety of Fortune 500 clients in the areas of Retail, Communications Companies, Financial Institutions, Dot.com industry leaders, Internet service providers and more. We execute promotions within the Jacksonville area working with new & existing customers to expand our client's customer base."

They do not represent "a variety of fortune 500 clients" in fact they only represent two. That is Bellsouth and Direct T.V. The people who represent the clients are actually their mother company Cydcor.

In fact they even mention on their ads that they '"f******m****, is a premiere, privately owned and operated sales and marketing firm based in J****, Florida." They are governed by Cydcor.

Second Our new and unique form of marketing is consultative and requires excellent people skills. However, we do not do any form of door-to-door sales, cold calling or telemarketing." "Our forms of marketing are direct, personal and face-to face, but guess what, the customers come to us. Sound different?

What we did was not any kind of "consulting" work. The interview processes lead me to believe that we would be in an office, conferring with prospective customers. Not inside a Cingular store accosting customers as they tried to get out the door to sell them Bellsouth products. We may have not been "cold calling" but we were defiantly doing cold face to face sales. We were glorified solicitors.

Another thing they fail to mention in the interview/hiring process is two of the stores that you are sent two are at least an hour and a halves drive away.

Here is another fraudulent statement they have made. "We expect a deep personal commitment from all of our employees and in turn reward them not only financially, but with advancement within the organization as well. Growth and compensation are based on personal performance.

This marketing firm was the basic pyramid scheme. You were not granted "rewards" at all with advancements. In fact, you got paid minimum wage no matter what you were within the company. You were in training, then you become a leader who had to train others, and when those others trained a certain amount of people you became an assistant manager, then maybe when your "second generation" trained a 'third generation" you became a Manager of your own company. You do get commission. But you basically make the same the whole way through because you are constantly training someone else.

Compensation was not offered at all. I did not even know you had to drive anywhere until my first day on the job. Gas was not compensated at all, neither was lunch. You were not even compensated for the ACTUAL time you worked. Most nights we did not leave until 8pm, but they would only pay us up to 7:30 pm. When I asked about their ad saying you were compensated, they told me to write it off on my taxes.

Business trips with this company are the worse. I was told that my gas would be compensated (no tax write off on this one) since I had to use my own car, and that I would be furnished a hotel room. They furnished the hotel room the problem I had with that was I had to share it with three other girls, and there were only TWO beds. This is totally unethical on their side.

They also failed to cash my check until three days after I was supposed to receive it. I over drafted my account because I trusted this company to cash my check on time. When I called to get the gas money ahead of time, this is when I was told, the company doesn't compensate it, and the people who rode with you pay you back. So now we are paying for our own gas to drive from Jacksonville Florida to new Orleans!!! I spent nearly 500 alone in gas just to get there and back.

They also state that you get base pay AND commission. You do not. You get base pay if it does not EXCEED your commissions. If you do exceed your base pay (6.15 an hour 60 hours a week {that they will count} ) you only get your commission.

I sincerely hope that you take this e-mail seriously, if you do not believe me just check ripoffreport.com, search cydcor and you will see the truth as it is. This company is putting fraudulent ads on the internet and they are causing me and many people like me to go into the poor house.

The pay blows. And the lie out of their teeth during the interview process about it. I was told my first month I would be bringing in 500-700 dollars, My second to fifth month id be bringing in 750-1000 and when I become a manager that I would be clearing well over 100,000 a year. I was told no matter what I was guaranteed a minimum wage of 400 a week. Again, a big fat lie. My largest paycheck was for 380.00.

The people on this webpage that are still with the company trying to make it sound like they make a lot of cash are liars. I've been there. I have proof. How? Because at the meetings they tell you what other people made, and every week the top person MIGHT bring home 700 but that's not too often. The only time I saw someone bank over 1,000 is when we went to New Orleans to open a new market. (New people to scam)


Here, I'll break it down for you


If you are a leader now, let's say that you work from 8am to 8pm (we'll just pretend your not there till 9 verifying LOA's okay?). That's 12 hours. That means that you work 72.00 hours a week. So 72 hours times the minimum wage, its 6.15 in my state equals $442.00 a week. Not too bad. (Yes I did the math right, overtime seems to be optional to these people)


But wait!!! You have a leaders meeting that lasts from 8 to 8:30am that YOU DO NOT GET PAID FOR. So there goes 30 min a day out of your time (3 hours a week). Then there is this so called lunch hour that you know you don't take, but you still don't get paid for, so there's an additional 6 MORE hours out of your paycheck. Then your manager makes you sign out at 7:30 PM every night even though the bell party doesn't begin till 7:45pm, no matter how late you stay, with no explanation why. So there is an additional 3 hours out of your 72 hard earned hours. So now you're left with 60 hours a week that they decide that they will pay you for.

They will not give you an explanation why they cut your hours down like this but I have a pretty good idea. They do this so people cannot complain to their state about being paid under minimum wage. Example, you make 400 in commission divide that by your 72 hours, Wa Lah, you have now made $5.56 an hour. Nearly .75 cents under Min.Wage.

Since they do only pay you for 60 hours you only make $369.00 a week. That's not even counting taxes. Not that bad as long as you don't have rent, car payments, a stomach. ect.



So let's get on to the deductions! Let's say you spend $5.00 a day in gas, 30.00 a week. Lets say you DO take that lunch break, and oops,, you have a trainee that doesn't have any money. So we'll say, 10 dollars one day for you and your trainee, and 5 dollars for lunch rest of the days (35.00 a week) Still 309.00 not too bad.

But wait! There's more! How about Team night? Oh yes, the night you and your little minions go out to drink and party. And yes, it's REQUIRED! SO let's just be modest and say you have a beer and dinner. That will usually cost you around 30 dollars, since it seems no one ever wants to meet at a fast food chain. Now you have 279.00 in your wallet.

On top of team night, you also may have office night; (also required unless one wants to be considered the outcast of the office) this is a bi-weekly maybe monthly thing in most offices. This night your manager wants to go bowling. So, three games, shoes, some food, and a beer, well say you just blew 45 dollars. Now your paycheck is 234.00 dollars.


You still haven't paid Uncle Sam! The Avg taxation in my state is around 5%. So now you have made a whopping 187.20 for the week.

But let's say that you (gasp!!!) bypass your salary, (kind of hard to do when the thing that you sell the most only gets you $7.00 in commission) Lets say you make oh, $500.00 dollars. Breaking it down per hour based on the 72 hours you work is a whopping 6.94 an hour. After taxes you've made 400.00 for the week. That breaks down to 5.56 an hour.


You can get more than that for fewer hours at your local fast food chain.

Also note that it takes you THREE WEEKS to get your paycheck. When I finally quit I picked up my paychecks from the office because I heard horror stories about people not getting their checks after the fact. They even had the wrong address on my last three checks even though it was right on the rest. I'm pretty sure they tried to get one last rip off in but I wouldn't let them because I picked my checks up.

This is barley enough money to live off of!!!!!! But don't worry, you won't have time for anything else but work anyway.

Enough with pay, lets get to this we do not give false information to customers thing. You have to call in to someone to get the customers current bill information, and before I left I know they changed the systems. They do not tell you if this customer has any additional things on their bill such as inside wire maintenance, or Equipment maintenance, or any international long distance plans. They just let you know what regular plan they have and what regular long distance plan they have, and they also include taxes when they tell you what the person's phone bill is. You know that the welcome center does this and you are trained not to ask too many questions because it will scare the customer off. So you just base your pitch on price instead of trying to find out what the customer REALLY has. This is how they teach you!!!

So let's say this person has, BPP, with the nickel plan. That's 25.99 without taxes or anything else. But let's say the person giving you the information forgot to mention that they have both maintenance plans (a 9.00 charge) and that they also have a $5.00 international plan as well. So all of this with taxes is running them, oh, $80.00. so you just take that figure, don't ask any questions and just ASSUME that they don't have anything else on their bill and decide to go for the big buckaroos and sign them up with the complete Choice unlimited plan. Its only 49.99 why wouldn't they want it it's cheaper and they don't have to pay 5 cents a min for long distance???? What the customer doesn't know when you go to pitch them is you haven't added the additional features they already have to that price.


So you're taught to confront the customer just like this. Awesome, I just got your information and I can defiantly help you out today! What im going to do for you is put you on our new and updated plan, its exactly like your plan now but you get more features on your phone, and its only going to cost you 49.99 plus tax. Customer is very excited; you get the information and the signature. This is when you tell them they get long distance for free now, just to get them hyped up so you can rehash. So customer, who are you using for your internet? AOL!

Ugh, look, since you're obviously a wonderful Bellsouth customer this is what im going to do for you today, I'm going to let you have DSL internet for only 32.99 a month. Oh, you'll think about it later? Im sorry but this promotion is only good for today. Well, you know what, since you are such a great Bellsouth customer, what I'll also do for you is throw in a $100 gift card just for trying it out. That will give you $75 dollars to cover your modem, and you'll have an extra $25 to spend on whatever. Okay? Great! Get customers info again.

Yay for you. You just signed a customer up and made a little cash. But, you lead the customer think that he or she is getting free long distance, internet, and more on the phone for what they were paying before.

Now let's do more math shall we. The internet is $32.99 a month, plus an additional small connection fee every month, plus tax. In essence, the internet will end up costing them around $50.00 a month. Next the phone, the plan is $49.99 plus the maintance plans they did not tell you about (and you did not care to ask about) so, that's 9 more dollars, plus the international plan they had, so that's 5 more dollars, plus the long distance tax, that's .99 cents then the federal tax that's $7.15 then the other taxes, about 15.00 more dollars. That means this customer will be paying about $87.13 JUST FOR THEIR PHONE LINE! In essence, they will be paying around $140.00 for the package that you lead them to believe would only be $80.00.

If that is not manipulation, I do no know what is. You most defiantly hide things and you most defiantly misrepresent information

How does cydcor misrepresent information?

1. There is a sheet that the customer has to sign with the prices of each individual package on it. The only tax that is shown is the $7.15 federal tax. They train you to skirt around the tax issue and if the customer is insistent, to just tell them it may be a few more dollars.
2. You also tell the customer that your only going to be there that day (hence the meaning for having to switch stores everyday)
3. You also tell them that deal ends that day as well; when you defiantly know that the promotions you get go on for weeks at a time.

We are actually taught to LIE! Now they don't call it lying, they call it using your FIGS.

F. Fear of loss. What this means is you tell the customer you're not going to be there the next day and or the promo ends that day.
I. Indifference. You act the opposite of the sales person. Shrug your shoulders, tell them that it doesn't make a difference to you if they want help with their bill or not.
G. Greed factor. Tell them you have been helping EVERYONE out today.
S. Sense of urgency. You tell the customer you have a lot of people to help out in the store and you can't take all your time trying to help them.

They also do not allow you to talk to interviewees unless you are the Leader that happens to be interviewing them that day. They make it sound like the best thing in the world now don't talk to them, we want the leader to feel them out and well see if they work out for the company The real reason they don't want you talking to them is every time someone gets interviewed the first thing they want to ask you is what is the pay REALLY??? How many hours do we REALLY work ect. If you answer them, you're fired. So not only are we trained to rip off customers, we are told to rip off potential employees.

What wonderful ethnics for a company to have. They will stop at nothing to get you in, and got forbid if you get out, they will not let you live it down. I have never left another job where I was treated so badly after the fact. When I went in to tell my boss I was done and that I quit he actually said look I don't have the time for this, could you please hurry up then I was called by my leader, I did not pick up the phone but im pretty sure she was trying to hound me as well. They just wont leave you alone.

That is why i am not putting the name of the firm I worked for. These people have gotten away with so much crap. It seems to me they have powerful people backing them up in every city they are in. I do not want these powerful people coming after me.

In conclusion, before you go on here and try to lie to the public, remember there are many many many of us that have worked under cydcor and know its schemes and we will call you out on it. Do not be deceived by the promises your manager gives you because as soon as one of those customers calls Bellsouth to complain because of YOU. You better believe that anyone who's taught you anything about skirting around customers questions will retract what they said to keep from getting fired with you. You better believe that the company you're working so hard to protect will be the first one to throw you under the bus if any complaints arise.


Regards,

As I read a lot of the posts regarding Cydcor and DS-Max, I can't help but think..is Encore Marketing another spawn of Cydcor?

The way Encore focused on recruiting, the hype, the lack of pay, the revolving door..it just leads me to ponder..

Anyone have any theories? Proof?

Now the ad here in Missisippi reads,

"Encore and BellSouth is hiring Sales and Marketing Agents. Make up to $20/hr. Call Derek 601-206-1150."

Another new Sales Director (5 in the past 7 months),

And now they are openly calling their people "sales and marketing agents."

Different ad-same nonsense.

Here in MS they have an ad which reads:

"Encore and BellSouth hiring 2 Assistant managers and 6 Representatives. New Office! Nationwide Co. $800-$1200/wk"

and the phone number for the Ridgeland, MS. office.

The MS Secretary of State, Business Regulation office, and the MS Attorney General's office were notified of Encore's business practices.

According to very reliable sources, Encore lost their contract with SBC. Craig has 8 office rents to pay on, so that will be a strain..

But wait, there's more! It appears our ol' buddy, Carlos, is guilty of allowing fraud. Seems BellSouth heard about it, and they are investigating Encore..

But wait, there's more! Seems the Assistant Sales Director sold PDAs to complete strangers who then took the equipment to New Mexico and ran up $10,000 worth of calls (bye-bye Assistant SD)

But wait, there's more! Seems Craig didn't pay a lot of people, including Sales Directors, ASDs, and reps. Will there be a class action suit against Encore? Stay tuned.

OK, wrong John, but I know John R in Miami left, also, and was no slouch, either.

I fired reps for coming to work late, wearing jeans (violation of BellSouth's Code of Conduct), excessive profanity, conduct unbecoming, and fraud. That was in my first two weeks!

So you had to fight for your last check, too? I wasn't 1099, and let Craig know this. After some hemming and hawing, where he said I "made disparaging comments against him and Encore", he finally paid me with a wire transfer to keep it off the books.

I don't recall Craig giving me a boatload of drams, but a boatload of crap? You bet! Especially with payroll, which was frequently incorrect (see my post on the other Encore Marketing thread). I was cussed at a lot, people witheld their PDAs (and Craig expected me to file larceny charges against the reps to reecover the precious PDA), there were obscene calls made (legally called the tort of assault), personal death threats (tort of assault), and a rep who pulled a knife on me (felony aggravated assault indictment handed down). And Craig laughed about it.

So months after you left, Encore went further down the gurgler. Now I see there's a new SD in MS, and I wish him well until the merde hits the ventilateur.

Hate to play one-upmanship (LOL). Stay in touch; this is proving to be quite enlightening.

By John I meant Briggs. He was the VP of Encore back in 05. He was basically the "balls" of the company. I seen him fire Reps on the spot for walking into one of his meetings 1 minute late. This dude was hardcore. A very respectable person. I kept in contact with John for a while after I left Encore. Craig and Angelo are Drama Queens. I had Craig on the phone about 2 weeks after I left, questioning my last paycheck. After he fed me all the BS, he asked "Oh by the way, I hear your working for John now." I laughed. I ended up not working for John, because I wanted to get out of the business.

As far as branch locations...I never really cared enough to think about it. Im not too familiar with Mississippi, but I know Maimi is mostly a spanish speaking community. I went out to the Maimi office with Carlos when he opened it up. All of the reps were spanish speaking, and a couple of them didnt even speak english. (I was never comped for the $$$ I spent going out to FL with Carlos....we drove from LA to FL in 2 days, moving him out there.) There were rumors of a FT lauderdale office opening up, but I didnt stay at the company long enough to see if they had any truth to them.

Encore was at one time W-2. Maybe he hasnt updated the website in 2 years.

Hi Rob,

By "John", do you mean John R. from Miami? I was the Sales Director in MS from 11/05-1/06, so some of your stories predate me.

I didn't hear anything about rapes or sexual harassments on the East Coast. I did hear a lot, though, about missing commissions, incorrect payrolls, and Encore's excuses (see my post on the other Encore Marketing thread). Seems the BellSouth Welcome Center & Spectronics was a lot like Chasecom.

How come Encore had branches in Jackson, MS, Macon, GA, and Miami, FL? Wouldn't it be geographically prudent to have branches in, say, Orlando, Ft Lauderdale, Atlanta? Why space branches so far apart if Encore was such a major player in the telecommunications vending field? Why would a VP out of Miami want to travel hundreds of miles to his nearest branch? Hmm.

Why does Encore's web site boast that all employees are W-2 when we know they are in fact 1099 contractors? Seems fradulent to me.

Why did Craig laugh and joke about me being the first SD to be physically assaulted? What does that truly say about his character?

Can't wait to hear your comments, Rob.

Hello Russ. There is way more to the story than most know. I left the company In May 2005. During that time, there were things being said about someone being raped or sexually harrassed during an interview on the east coast. Jon had already resigned from the company (good move Jon) and I actually had the privlidge to hear the confrence call all the managers were on, when Craig gave his half winged story about Jon leaving the company. I wish the sales reps were able to listen to that confrence call nationwide. Lets just say I had friends in high places. I knew when the checks were coming late before Angelo had to lie to his team about fed ex and other lame excuses.

Id like to hear some of your stories Russ, and I believe this is the perfect thread to post. Talk to you soon.

Oh, please, if you can't see the sarcasm just dripping off the keyboard.

Hi Rob! I was a Sales Director in Jackson, MS. Not raped, just attacked by an ex-employee who was tired of being screwed out of her commissions. Read my posting on the other thread involving Encore.

John left? Bummer. He was probably the best asset Encore had.

Not going to sue Encore? Not worth the hassle. I agree that it's better (and more fun) to watch this pathetic little company wither and die.

Laurent-if you're still out there-heed Rob's words. Or better yet, find a real job with real pay and benefits, and live well. Just remember to warn your family and friends about Encore.

Rob-stay in touch through this thread.

First of all lets get one thing straight. All these comments about Carlos are false. Carlos is a good Manager. I had the pleasure of working with him, and I saw how he treated his Reps. Lourent...I understand your argument, but your rebuttal to the claims of you being fired for fraud were childish and empty. Saying encore couldnt handle your sales skills is like saying you can walk on water. Ive never heard of your name, so obviously you were merely average. To quote such statements, id appriciate hearing it from such names as Carlos himself, Joshua Buma, or a couple other names of Reps from CA offices.

And Craig...boy do you have some balls....

Fraud? Lets not forget about your "Chasecom" friends who deleted orders or simply marked them "incomplete" because they didnt like the sales rep on the other end of the phone. Lets not forget about Managers encouraging their reps to get the most out of every deal..."Works on every line" If you want to get real specific, according to Tracy Watson, in almost all meetings, she mentioned that we had a high volume of SBC customers complaing that the prices were misquoted by sometimes up to 200 bucks! Pricing sheets that Sales Reps had were wrong. These were documents handed out by YOUR managers in Encore training classes. Reps were NEVER accuratly updated on new promotions. Most of the time the wonders at Chasecom didnt even know what they were doing anyway, so the deals would get rejected.

Craig. Why did John leave? What did you do to him? What happened at the company so bad and tatse-less that made such a stellar VP like John leave? Were you stealing money from ex Reps Craig? Did someone get Raped Craig? What happened?

Then you made, probably the best decision ever by trying to fill the shoes of Briggs with little man Angelo who said nothing else but "hook it up" and "make it happen". I see no point, personally to file suit against you. A person like you will run your own business into the ground. Maybe youll run out of reps,or maybe your contracts will get pulled by your clients when they find out what type of a show you really run.

No matter what is stated in the contract you always have the right to sue. Companies put the useless line in the contract to try to avoid getting sued, but they still do. You can not sign your rights away.

Laurent--I understand your outrage, but insults will not further your cause. Calling Carlos a "twit", "crook", or "liar", whether true or not, detracts from your message.

While the Independent Contractor agreement prohibits you from suing (and the burden of proof in cases like this is on you), there are avenues available.

Did you call the Florida Wage and Hour Commission? It's their job to investigate all claims and make recommendations regarding compensation for work performed. Even though you had IC status, it is incumbent on you to contact them in Tallahassee.

Did you call the Attorney General? Charlie Crist has always been a consumer advocate. Remember the hurricanes of 2004? All the illegal contractors? The price gouging? Who do you think led the charge to aggressively prosecute?

Did you call the US Attorney's office in Miami? Encore does business in more than one state, and federal statutes regarding employment and "fraud" are more stringent than most states.

Did you actually call Bell South? Who did you speak to? What was the result? Bell South has hundreds of vendors, some good, others not so good. You claimed that Bell South "knows" about Encore. What do they know?

Finally, if you must attack, have your ducks in a row. Do you have copies of your LOA's? Did the people you signed up receive service(s) from Bell South?

Lord knows, I'm not defending Craig or Encore. I spent almost two months with Encore, and they certainly are not on my Christmas list. But name calling comes across as spiteful. Companies like Encore can weather insults and finger pointing, but having their books cracked open and their business dealings aired out in public can hurt them.

Laurent--I understand your outrage, but insults will not further your cause. Calling Carlos a "twit", "crook", or "liar", whether true or not, detracts from your message.

While the Independent Contractor agreement prohibits you from suing (and the burden of proof in cases like this is on you), there are avenues available.

Did you call the Florida Wage and Hour Commission? It's their job to investigate all claims and make recommendations regarding compensation for work performed. Even though you had IC status, it is incumbent on you to contact them in Tallahassee.

Did you call the Attorney General? Charlie Crist has always been a consumer advocate. Remember the hurricanes of 2004? All the illegal contractors? The price gouging? Who do you think led the charge to aggressively prosecute?

Did you call the US Attorney's office in Miami? Encore does business in more than one state, and federal statutes regarding employment and "fraud" are more stringent than most states.

Did you actually call Bell South? Who did you speak to? What was the result? Bell South has hundreds of vendors, some good, others not so good. You claimed that Bell South "knows" about Encore. What do they know?

Finally, if you must attack, have your ducks in a row. Do you have copies of your LOA's? Did the people you signed up receive service(s) from Bell South?

Lord knows, I'm not defending Craig or Encore. I spent almost two months with Encore, and they certainly are not on my Christmas list. But name calling comes across as spiteful. Companies like Encore can weather insults and finger pointing, but having their books cracked open and their business dealings aired out in public can hurt them.

Laurent--I understand your outrage, but insults will not further your cause. Calling Carlos a "twit", "crook", or "liar", whether true or not, detracts from your message.

While the Independent Contractor agreement prohibits you from suing (and the burden of proof in cases like this is on you), there are avenues available.

Did you call the Florida Wage and Hour Commission? It's their job to investigate all claims and make recommendations regarding compensation for work performed. Even though you had IC status, it is incumbent on you to contact them in Tallahassee.

Did you call the Attorney General? Charlie Crist has always been a consumer advocate. Remember the hurricanes of 2004? All the illegal contractors? The price gouging? Who do you think led the charge to aggressively prosecute?

Did you call the US Attorney's office in Miami? Encore does business in more than one state, and federal statutes regarding employment and "fraud" are more stringent than most states.

Did you actually call Bell South? Who did you speak to? What was the result? Bell South has hundreds of vendors, some good, others not so good. You claimed that Bell South "knows" about Encore. What do they know?

Finally, if you must attack, have your ducks in a row. Do you have copies of your LOA's? Did the people you signed up receive service(s) from Bell South?

Lord knows, I'm not defending Craig or Encore. I spent almost two months with Encore, and they certainly are not on my Christmas list. But name calling comes across as spiteful. Companies like Encore can weather insults and finger pointing, but having their books cracked open and their business dealings aired out in public can hurt them.

Laurent--I understand your outrage, but insults will not further your cause. Calling Carlos a "twit", "crook", or "liar", whether true or not, detracts from your message.

While the Independent Contractor agreement prohibits you from suing (and the burden of proof in cases like this is on you), there are avenues available.

Did you call the Florida Wage and Hour Commission? It's their job to investigate all claims and make recommendations regarding compensation for work performed. Even though you had IC status, it is incumbent on you to contact them in Tallahassee.

Did you call the Attorney General? Charlie Crist has always been a consumer advocate. Remember the hurricanes of 2004? All the illegal contractors? The price gouging? Who do you think led the charge to aggressively prosecute?

Did you call the US Attorney's office in Miami? Encore does business in more than one state, and federal statutes regarding employment and "fraud" are more stringent than most states.

Did you actually call Bell South? Who did you speak to? What was the result? Bell South has hundreds of vendors, some good, others not so good. You claimed that Bell South "knows" about Encore. What do they know?

Finally, if you must attack, have your ducks in a row. Do you have copies of your LOA's? Did the people you signed up receive service(s) from Bell South?

Lord knows, I'm not defending Craig or Encore. I spent almost two months with Encore, and they certainly are not on my Christmas list. But name calling comes across as spiteful. Companies like Encore can weather insults and finger pointing, but having their books cracked open and their business dealings aired out in public can hurt them.

You are completely wrong......meanwhile, you are enjoying the lovely commissions you did not have to pay.

I did not violate any rules, but my sales were too good for your company to pay them.

Encore is FRAUD... Your twits Carlos Loaiza and Frank do not know how to train their teams... The training was a fraud, because it did not exist....; Everyday was a surprise....

So, keep my hard earned money and see you in Court. Bellsouth knows about it already

Laurent

Laurent filed a report against Encore Marketing. Encore would like to respond.

Encore Marketing has a policy of seriously pursuing violations to our code of conduct. Laurent violated our policy by fraudulently submitting orders. We therefore terminated Laurent according to our policy.

Laurent speaks of how our actions are bad for Bell's image. Nothing could be more harmful for our customers than committing fraud against Bell, their customers or Encore. This is what Laurent did.

If you look through the archives, you will see Encore Marketing mentioned more than once. Two comments were posted from California (different campaign, same company) and mine in Mississippi.

Hopefully, comments like yours and mine will alert people to the hazards of working for companies like Encore. Blind ads, lack of integrity, and false promises do not make for good business.

Glad to see you got out before you wound up losing money. Please, please, please, do not stop here! Tell your friends and family (and even your enemies) not to be suckered into Encore's trap.

If you look through the archives, you will see Encore Marketing mentioned more than once. Two comments were posted from California (different campaign, same company) and mine in Mississippi.

Hopefully, comments like yours and mine will alert people to the hazards of working for companies like Encore. Blind ads, lack of integrity, and false promises do not make for good business.

Glad to see you got out before you wound up losing money. Please, please, please, do not stop here! Tell your friends and family (and even your enemies) not to be suckered into Encore's trap.

If you look through the archives, you will see Encore Marketing mentioned more than once. Two comments were posted from California (different campaign, same company) and mine in Mississippi.

Hopefully, comments like yours and mine will alert people to the hazards of working for companies like Encore. Blind ads, lack of integrity, and false promises do not make for good business.

Glad to see you got out before you wound up losing money. Please, please, please, do not stop here! Tell your friends and family (and even your enemies) not to be suckered into Encore's trap.

If you look through the archives, you will see Encore Marketing mentioned more than once. Two comments were posted from California (different campaign, same company) and mine in Mississippi.

Hopefully, comments like yours and mine will alert people to the hazards of working for companies like Encore. Blind ads, lack of integrity, and false promises do not make for good business.

Glad to see you got out before you wound up losing money. Please, please, please, do not stop here! Tell your friends and family (and even your enemies) not to be suckered into Encore's trap.