Complaint Review:
Foundation Inc.
Foundation, Inc. Foundation Marketing Deceptive and Illegal Business Practices San Diego, California
Roughly
three months ago I found an ad on Craigslist for a 'sports marketing position.'
I went on the interview and initially met with Ian Laird, the owner of the
company (he calls himself though Director of Operations). The company
represents Makeover Essentials (nothing to do with sports), a cosmetics line
owned by Foundation/Ian Lairds parent company, Smart Circle International.
I was new to California and I needed a job, so I took the position. It turned
out the company does door-to-door business sales. There are no booths,
conferences, or any type of appointments pre-set, basically soliciting (which
was fine with me). Ian Laird tells everyone though they don't need a sales
permit or a solicitors license (which is incorrect). Anyway, his office
(Foundation, Inc., but now changing name to Inspire, and previously named
Foundation Marketing, among other names) promote that if you go door-to-door
for roughly six months, hit your sales targets, and build a team you will then
be promoted to open your own office.
This couldn't be further from the truth. Admittedly I wasn't the top sales
person in the office, but 90% of the time I hit my goals and I was promoted
into leadership. It quickly became clear to me that Ian Laird though didn't
value individuals who showed exemplary leadership skills and who also excelled
in sales.
There
were three leaders in the office who consistently ranked the highest in sales
(Bob, Latham, and Jacque), and who also were very ethical and always helped
others excel. Ian though consistently disparaged these individuals, and would constantly
praise individuals who were not leading by example. I soon learned these
individuals had moved to San Diego with Ian, and with whom he had a personal
relationship.
The
premise of do sales for 6 months, then own your own office was bogus. Ian
Laird let drug activity continue in the office, and while individuals were on
the job, even after hed been made aware of such activity. And we soon learned
that Sandy El-Reyes didnt earn her promotion to the Los Angeles office based
on her sales, but because she and her team were purchasing her own make-up sets
to artificially increase her numbers. Ian Laird again dismissed this claim,
though videos and photos of the sets all over her home were shown to everyone.
The
people in the office who are doing the right thing and are leading by example
are made out to be liars, yet those engaging in unethical and in some cases
illegal activity are being promoted.
So
the claim of do the right thing and work hard for six months, to then receive
your own office, is clearly a bogus claim.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Christopher
Tucson,Arizona,
United States of America
Company changed their name to Keystone
#2Author of original report
Fri, September 28, 2012
Instead of doing the right thing to improve its image by treating people the right way, Foundation Marketing instead changed their name once again to Keystone (http://www.keystoneusa.biz). It says a lot about a company that they just want to keep altering their name as if the bad publicity will just go away. It doesn't fix the root of the underlying problem though that this company is poorly managed.