Foundation Marketing Inc. Foundation Mktg, Ian Laird Pyramid Scam, Pryamid scheme, Pyramid direct sales, San Diego, California
This company advertises on craigslist for marketing jobs that will lead to mangement opportunites, Promotions,Sales, Marketing, Entry-Level Management, and Training.
They convince you that you can do all of this if you can first sell their product, in this case Victoria Jackson make-up, whatever that is? This consists of you walking up to every and any person on the street and asking them if they would buy a $80 package for $20, if no, on to the next for 8 hours a day, if so then you have just made a pryamid sale for your 'manager'. You made $7 for one sale, he made $7 for you selling for him, and the $6 goes to the actual product.
You are 'encouraged' to sell 15-20 packets a day at whatever cost and then you will be moved into the 'management program'. Now you get to bring in your own team/crew so they can start selling for you and for your 'manager'. The more they sell the more you get and he gets, and the pryamid keeps growing from there.
Foundation Marketing tries to pass this off as actual marketing, but it is direct sales in a shady setup. Anyone who actually knows a thing about marketing will know this a joke and should run quickly. They will try to teach you the 5-step sale method, and the 'law of averages' which mainly means the more people you try to pawn this product off to the better chance you will have to sell 15-20/day.
Please do not be fooled by the ad's for jobs, or the 'easy-money' you can make while becoming a 'manager'. All you are doing in lining the pockets of the people above you. Beware of this scam!
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Jacquelyn
Boston,Massachusetts,
United States
Definitely a pyramid scheme.....stay far away from Ian and Wendy. They are con artists!
#2UPDATE EX-employee responds
Fri, April 15, 2022
I remember when I had just moved out to San Diego at that time and I had to try and find work. I remember coming across an ad for Foundations Marketing Inc. on Craiglist San Diego. From what I had read looked like a corporate admin position looking for a front end desk manager to do clerical duties including computer data entry, admin role.
After applying I got a call by a woman by the name of Wendy she said that they wanted to meet with me and that once I had the interview they would make a decision. At first I thought it was great. I go to the location and that is where I met Wendy and Ian. He seemed very cocky and seemed to think he was better than everybody.
All he said was that this was a marketing position that this wasn't admin. I then told him well in the job description it states admin with data etry, he just laughed it off. The interview didn't take long so I left within 24 hours I got a call that I got the job. On the first day when i got there they told us to come dressed professional and get ready to sell.
I was like what so then Ian told me that I would be part of a team and that I was to go with them up in Encino so I got in the car and it seemed like everyone was happy, giving each other high fives. I thought very strange. All I remember was next that we were at a strip mall asking people with the product in hand if they were interested in buying the item and that it was only $20.
I didn't make one sale but my team member did. I remember for the first two weeks I only made $20. Ryumors started spouting about the company then when I heard the word pyramid scheme. I was like I never heard that before. After I found out I kept my mouth shut and remember that this was going to be my last day on the job.
I still didn't get any sales and my team member had informed to me that she would be out and that I would need to cover for her shift. I knew I wasn't going back there. That following morning I missed like 6 calls from my team member and she left me a voicemail asking me if I was going to show up or not but, I didn't respond.
All I kept thinking was how and why so many of the others were making so much money and giving Ian all of the money they made. After counteless attempts of trying to find work, living in shelters and even with a friend I knew it was time to move back to New England. After about two years went by and I was curious as to what had happened to the company and found out they closed up shop and fled and opened under a different name in LA.
I still till this day 10 years later always wanted to know what had happened to Ian and Wendy and if they were ever caught. I now have been cautious before applying for work and I don't use Craiglist jobs either. I also am more careful and avoid any marketing job listings especially descriptions like only commission, no experience, admin, wanna share a beer or a high five....nope no way. Please if any of you are out there please don't reply to those.
They are definitely pyramid schemes. If you get caught your are talking about paying over $50k in fines and 10 years imprisonment for such schemes. These people don't care about you and it isn't worth your life for such fraud.