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Report: Scentura Creations (Gateway Management) PYRAMID SCAM Van Nuys California
They had an ad on craigslist.org so I called. I went to the 1st interview and wasn't even really interviewed. They just asked to questions. They said they started out in the east coast and want to start opening office out in the west coast. They say you need "NO EXPERIENCE and will earn $30,000/yearly."
I was very excited to here I was invited back to a 2nd interview. Today I went back to Gateway Management to find 25 other people for a 2nd interview. I got suspicious because they had mentioned previously that during the 2nd interview you'd get a personal interview, being the first time around "they're in a rush to interview".
Well everything sounded cool, I figured, maybe they'll interview everyone individually after this, but they dont. In fact, they tell you the there is no set paycheck at the end of the each week for training. They tell you training should take 6-8 weeks, but they'll make training move fast so you can be trained in 4 weeks. Who doesn't pay for training??? Isn't it against the law to have someone working for less than minimum wage?
Anyway, they take small groups of 3 or 4 and they let you know if they'll hire you. I was in the group they said: "See you next Monday at 10:45am" for orientation of course. But during the time they're talking to the group of 25 they promise you $30K/yearly and say there will be contract. They promise you your own office too.
Being I was excited, I started telling friends and of course they say it sounds to good to be true. So I decided to check online, I figure if they said "Larry Hahn (their president) was said to be worth $400 million on Forbes magazine" it must be online. Sad to say, I didn't find any Larry Hahn, all I found was this RIPOFF REPORT, which made me want to file a report myself. They said they were registered with Dunn & Bradstreet.
Apparently this company has moved around the country changing names, but Scentura Creations was a common name I found. They have been located in many areas, all I have found serious scam complaints. It all makes sense now. They left out the companies real name (calling it SCI), and now I know the true nature.
90 days of manager 'training' where you sell the product on the street with no pay check. Just a small amount of commission. They used good psychology claiming it was a good idea and you would make money, not according to many testimonies I've read.
This is a warning that they are now in LA, trying to scam the masses. Be careful, they use the name Gateway Management now in an old dentist office. It's a very dirty office too, so it should make you question the validity of their business. If they're really growing, can they not afford something better?
They promise 30K per year, but they do not promise a solid wage for training. I cannot afford that.
I noticed Sam did make a rebuttal, but if you think about it, he would be the one doing the scam. Here is the following info I got at the 2nd interview
PRESIDENT: LARRY HAHN
DIVISIONAL MANAGER: DONNY ZINKIN
REGIONAL MANAGER: HOLLY JACOBETZ
BRANCH MANAGER: SAM MULL & LAURA DONCELL
They also have this others working there by the name of Victoria and Luis.
C.R.
VAN NUYS, California
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
JHyde400
United States of AmericaScentura Creations Guide
#4Consumer Comment
Tue, September 25, 2012
I found this website that seems to explain what Scentura is: UnderstandingScenturaCreations.com
It's pretty straightforward, worth a read.
workinghardformyownsuccess
none,Kansas,
United States of America
To Educate Speculation and Misinformation
#4Consumer Suggestion
Thu, August 09, 2012
Hello, I run an office now for the company. Let me just say that when I read peoples OPINIONS online it is disturbing. Heres everything in a nutshell: If you go to college to get a degree you may make 40 to 50k a year and owe the government anywhere from 10k to 100k for some professions. You go to school every day and learn while working your way through school trying to pay your bills and school at the same time. Not to mention if you have children you have to buy lots of things for the daily support of those children. Then depending on your major you could school for 2 to 10 years to gain a living. Meanwhile you find yourself in debt when everything is said and done. Now you have your degree and hope you find a job to make up for all the time and money your education cost you. And for some of us we don't find a job. Collectors calling daily asking for money, adding interest, threatening to put a lien on your car, home, or take money from your account. So now, not only do you owe the government for the education they gave you, they make you pay way more than the cost was to begin with. Now what?
Is education important, YES. Without it we would not have doctors, lawyers, social workers, and all the rest of the important professions that are necessary for the well being of the public. An education is direly important. However, not everyone has a good experience with the process. Those of us that get turned down for a student loan in the middle of obtaining our degree now wasted years of our lives and owe all that extra money for what? Nothing! However College is for alot of people but not for others. just like Scentura Creations.
See there are alot of people in the world like myself struggling paycheck to paycheck. Single Mothers struggling to pay the bills and scared of being homeless. The vicious cycle of constant fear and stress daily. People like us search for a way to make more money, venture out try new things. I myself, tried alot of work at home systems that did not work. I also invested 4k of all my savings into a company trying to make it work, thinking I was smart. Well I lost all that money because it did not work out for me in the end.
Then I found Scentura Creations. Now dont get me wrong, I was confused with the interviewing process just like alot of people. The only difference for me was that I was willing to listen, and hear them out to make my own perception of the company. I was a little scared of the sales and fearful I wouldn't be able to pay my bills just like alot of people. I expressed my concern to the Branch Manager and I will never forget what he said, " Give it a full week to understand everything. After you understand the big picture and what you can gain if you do it right, then make an Educated decision about your future. If you had just started a regular job it would take you 2-3 weeks to get any kind of money right? Here you've been given a chance to make money from day one. If you don't think you can do what it takes to run an office, then by all means quit and go back to your experience in your job field." I did just that. I stuck around and I got a chance to see what my future would be.
See the reason why most people do not understand the concept of what Scentura Creations has to offer is because they expect it to be a normal job. In a normal job, yes you would get paid for training because you are hourly rated. Meaning someone says your only worth a certain amount of money an hour. Then you have to wait a year to even be evaluated for a l0 cent or 50 cents raise. You work for that Company for years and the Company gets rich off of your efforts and then when they dont need you, they lay you off and then what, back to square one.
So most people says who doesn't pay for training? I'll tell you who, the people who are training you not to have a job but to have something you can call your own. They train you for free, pay thousands of dollars to put you in business. Mentor you through the ups, the downs, the situations, and confusion of running your own office. Can you be salary, yes, you can. For those people who just want a steady check. However, even if your salary you can get bonuses, profit sharing, and bonuses quarterly. Our goal is to make you independent. So even if you do a salary for a year you can change when its over. Now you make all the profit of the office sales and you can give your trainees incentives of profit sharing, bonuses, and they also make their own sales profit. Its almost like an internship you make money doing. Or an apprenticeship. Anyway, we go on paid company trips and we now have our very own business. We make our own hours, rules, decisions, and manage our new found life.
Was training hard? Yes it was. But after a couple of weeks I was making more weekly than the 4 and a half year position I had working for McDonalds. I was an Assistant Manager by the way. I learned to make my own money and be independent. I was learning people skills, problem solving, how to handle situations and manage my life all with the guidance of a business owner. I was excited. I always did the right thing and I had a good attitude and I listened. I have always wanted to do good things on my own without someone else breathing down my neck.
I opened my office in the summer of 2008 and it was hard. The economy started failing as soon as I opened the doors. I saw many companies shut down over the years. But I am still in business. The business to business sales taught me how to keep my business going no matter what. So while these big corporations were shutting down that had been in business for years, My Company had its ups and downs but I learned from my mistakes and hundreds of people in the Company helped me whenever I needed it. They were so willing to help me make this work for myself. Again, I had my ups and downs. I never gave up. I was determined to give my children the life I didn't have. More options, you know.
So I pressed on and on in the field, selling perfume and cologne. Teaching others to sell perfume and cologne and to run an office of their own to give them the same chance I was given. And now my office is doing great. I have promoted people made alot of money and investments while again helping others who want something better through hard work.
I am a good person inside and out. I help people, donate to charity, give good advice and preach happiness and a positive attitude. But you want to know what the hardest part about running an office is?
People that look for others opinions and base their own opinion on that alone. People that dont even know me nor the morals I have. Yet they harrass my office. Calling, leaving nasty messages saying I am a scam. A wolf in sheeps clothing. People threatening me and my office because they THINK I am this horrible person. People that come in 2nd interview and know nothing about me yet they judge me because of what they THINK MIGHT BE. You know what I am a WOMAN of faith. I believe in doing the right thing and finding happiness in success. However people are so quick to judge what they dont understand. One piece of information, if you dont understand ask the Branch Manager questions. Dont just run to the internet to see other peoples perception of people they do not know.
Now I have been running my own office for 4 years. I have 2 beautiful daughters, and am engaged to be married with the love of my life. I am buying my 2nd house and I have opened 15 people into their own office location. I have paid off all my student loan debt and building my credit. I strive to make people a better version of themselves.
F.Y.I - If people were worried about themselves and not always so focused on trying to find faults in others like there is a reward for it. It would be a better world. Not to mention less teen suicide and bullying. Killing and jealousy. Greed and Envy.
Can't people just try to better themselves and help others. Why are so many people HATERS! Worrying about what other people are or are not doing.
This business is not for everyone. But do not bash positve people because you dont want to do it. Just do what your used to and let people live. With all the negativity happening in America these days you would think people would appreciate someone helping you gain a better financial and career situation.
Yours Truely
Motivated Business Owner with Scentura Creations.
Jay
Rio Rancho,New Mexico,
U.S.A.
The truth is...
#4Consumer Suggestion
Fri, July 10, 2009
As a late note to the above posters. I used to work for Sam and scentura creations. I was with the company for almost 3 years. The honest truth is that the company is not a scam. It is just hard to do. I know most people love to think that they have a strong work ethic and can keep a great attitude all the time but the hard facts are that most people cant. So ppl blame others when they cant cut it. Sam tells you in the second interview that it is hard and that it is not for everone but no one wants to think that they dont have what it takes. It is true that you have to do sales, but he tells you that too. It is true that you work only on commision while in training, but they tell you that too. You are gauranteed 30,000 a year by some of the companies, but you have to work for it. If you are a 9-5 er and want to stay that way dont work here, but if you are ambitious and dont mind working for your future then this might be for you. Remember nothing in life is free, you have to work for it. How many successful ppl do you know that havent made sacrafices to get where they are? And this is a free education, even if you are not successful here you learn invaluable skills here. Read any multi-millionairs book and you will see that they value the skills that you learn here. AND to think there are no student loans to pay back and you get your own bussines within months. This is true for the ppl that have the skills. They gave me an office in 3 months and payed for the whole start up. I had to invenst nothing. Though in the end I failed due to my own bad habbits, I regret nothing. I met my wife here, we have 2 beautiful daughters and live in a nice house. I am happy and am grateful to have met Sam and the other people I met there. The experience was priceless. So dont just say this is a scam, tell the truth, its a hard bussines that can make you rich, like the many millionairs that scentura has made, and it can break you if you find out that you dont have the drive to do what it takes. You are either someone who makes excuses or someone that makes things happen.. Its up to you. If you have anymore questions about the business, call sam and have him call me. Ill can you back and answer all your questions honestly.
BTW, everyone should read Rich Dad Poor Dad the book. If you dont want to have excuses instead of money for the rest of you life. (and Robert, your should teach me personaly lol).
Thanks for reading, Jay
and Hi to my many friends that Im sure will read this because everyone in scentura loves to read these and laugh at the lazy complainers. I miss you guys.