Scentura Creations Larry Hahn ripoff scam misleading illegal peddling pyramid MLM fraudulent Las Vegas Nevada
I recently had a job interview that I believed was for an office staff position. The 1st interview went well, and i was still convinced this was an office position. I went back for a 2nd interview and was terribly disappointed. The very young "managers" introduced themselves as an International Distribution Center. They said they were not sales but would later say they were, and that we would begin by selling to our family and friends. No way was I going to hock some smelly perfume for some unknown company to MY friends and family. I wouldn't like it if someone pulled that with me.
They went on about the great income and benefits we would receive. They made it all sound so wonderful when it was really too good to be true. No questions were taken. We were told to hold our questions till training began. I began to think that they wouldn't be answered even then. The facts we really wanted about this company and our jobs were vague or unanswered.
Needless to say, I left with a bitter taste in my mouth. Firstly, because I had gone for this interview believing it was a different job opportunity all together. Secondly, I was suspicious. I decided to plug in the name of their supposed founder into a Google search. Where Larry Hahn's name appeared so did Scentura Creations, ripoff, scam, and so on.
I found no positive reports on this man or his company. I found many very similar reports from job applicants and trainees across the country denouncing this "business" as a con. Many of the promises and guarantees made to me during my interviews were echoed in their complaints. In short, I discovered that I would receive no great wealth, benefits, or office. Many people that took this job missed out on other opportunities or gave up the job they had. Selling was actually "peddling" on the streets. There were mentions of attacks and arrests against these unknowing employees.
Websites such as this provided me with much insight. By the end of my research, I was thoroughly disgusted. I wanted to do what I could to make others aware of this fraudulent company. That is how I came to post here. I also have plans to file with the Better Business Bureau and Consumer Affairs.
Everyone, be wary. Take the time to do some research for your benefit and possibly others. I hope this action helps in making this company and others like it known to jobseekers. It's an old saying, but still rings true: If it's too good to be true, then it probably is. I was glad I only wasted a few hours in some interviews, compared to days it took others to see the light. Needless to say I won't be showing up for training. Good luck in your job hunts.
Buffy
Las Vegas, Nevada
U.S.A.
Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Scentura Creations
STOP! ..before you think about using the Better Business Bureau (BBB)... CLICK HERE to see how other consumers were victimized by the BBB's false or misleading information. Don't be fooled! It has been reported, when there are thousands of complaints and other investigations underway by authorities, the BBB has no choice but to finally give an UNsatisfactory rating to a BBB member business that is paying the BBB big membership fees every year. When a business is reported that is NOT a BBB member, BBB files WILL more likely show an UNsatisfactory rating, then reportedly shake down that company to become a member of the BBB. One positive thing about the BBB is, either way, if a business has an unsatisfactory rating with the BBB, you can be sure, the business is bad. But what about all those BBB member businesses that had complaints filed against them? Consumers never get to hear about them. What about the BBB advertising to the public? Is this a false and misleading perception they are giving about consumer confidence when dealing with a business? Click here to understand more of what consumers and business alike are saying about the BBB. You decide. ..Remember. The BBB membership is not earned, it's paid for!
7 Updates & Rebuttals
Rio
Arvada,Colorado,
Dear Nick Brunson
#8UPDATE EX-employee responds
Tue, March 19, 2013
Three words, you scam-a** worthless human being:
$uck. My. B*lls.
Scentura Creations is the biggest scam going, and you're it's biggest brainless d**k-head on the planet.
I just loath how you respond to all the complaints.
"We just make the stuff. We aren't responsible for all the criminals who actually messed you over".
Would that be accurate, Mr. Brunson?
Well, my goodness. Isn't that convenient.
And WHO IS responsible, Mr. Brunson? You certainly don't spend any amount of time spelling that one out, do you?
Oh, and why would you do anything like that anyway? All those 'repulsive people' are the ones MAKING YOU MONEY!
F**k Scentura Creations.
Marcelo Gonzalez
Stafford,Texas,
United States of America
Larry Hahn in 1985
#8UPDATE Employee
Mon, March 11, 2013
I have read this report and all the responses to it, and I want to share what inside information I have seeing as I worked for a Larry Hahn enterprise before Scentura.
So let me state that first: I am not nor have I been involved with Sentura Creations. However, I am very familiar with Larry Hahn and his, what I can describe as his pyramid schemes.
Back in 1985, in much the same ways are described here, my girlfriend at the time and I responded to an employment ad in the paper looking for well-paid administrative work. We did this at separate times, but we were "interviewed" and asked to attend a second interview a few days later.
This second interview had about 30 people and was really not an interview at all, but more of a feel-good pep rally with videos and presenters who kept talking about helping each other, taking bold steps in your life to do something different, and of course, making $100,000 within six months (this was 1985, remember). We saw videos of these award banquets where people who belonged to the company, Wholesale Merchandise Industries, or really just WMI, were boasting, in their tuxedos and designer dresses how they were flat broke and had no confidence and how Larry Hahn and WMI saved them and now they have a zillion dollars. Then the man himself, Larry Hahn speaks and boasts about his mansions and cars, etc.
Then we were hit with the deal (more or less): You are going to work to start your own company. First, you are working for another company wholesaling merchandise which ranges from pots and pans (how Larry started, he said so in his video) to jewelry to art. When your sales get to a range, I think it was like ten units a day for a couple of months, you would get your own business where you would recruit people to sell for you.
From there, were were split up into small groups and funneled out into the streets of Houston, Texas and trained on how to do this. We went business-to-business selling to employees and managers there, we went to parking lots, gas stations, etc.
Eventually I got in the jewelry side of things and I was told, sell units, lots of units. I got the merch in the morning, and had to turn back what I had left at night, and I had to turn in $20 per unit I sold. If I could sell them for more, that was my cut. No more. No salary. No commission other than anything over $20 I got. When I became an owner, I had to now turn in only $10 per unit plus I had to recruit my own members under me. They kicked $20 to me and I kicked $10 of that up.
Does all this sound familiar? It should. It's the exact same scheme as Scentura Creations with the exact same CEO, Larry Hahn.
I was hooked, I'll admit. I stayed with it about a year and here's what I discovered. It's a pyramid scheme predicated on a lot of people busting their asses to work hard so a very few others could make the money promised....that $100,000 in six months, which later was really per year. The system doesn't work unless hundreds, even thousands of people sell the crap and kick up money up the chain of command, which is topped by Larry Hahn, the main guy, the multi-millionaire with the houses and the cars. He ultimately gets the big payday, he and a few select others, not you, not me. We can't, for the system to work.
Is what they are doing illegal? Not completely, no. They lie in their ads, sure. But really, the main company never abdicates breaking laws. What they are is UNETHICAL and DECEPTIVE. They key word among them (us, me at the time) is you need to hustle. Hustle and work hard, hustle people by misleading them, hustle the people who work for you to keep their morale up so they can hit the streets every day, and of course, be hustled by videos and "bosses" trying to earn their nuts.
Thats what the whole thing was in 1985. Doesn't sound all that different now. And yes, Larry Hahn has been doing this successfully for 35 years. Well, not as Scentura Creations, but also as WMI and a few other entities. Is this a lie? Hmmmmm, well, not so much as a deception....
Sassylv80
las vegas,Nevada,
U.S.A.
I Hope This Worked For You.
#8UPDATE EX-employee responds
Fri, February 01, 2013
To the gentleman speaking on behalf of Scentura: Your rebuttle of not condoning "unethical business" is balogne. I do believe you have these people attend your anual get togethers for awards, kudos, etc... blah blah blah. Videos of these get together's are presented at the interview! You even keep a list of all your groups with monthly news letters of your best producing offices. I'm pretty sure you know who conducts bad business, YOU JUST DONT CARE! So yet another LIE!
To the Entreprenuer: I've read the last thread and how you need took look deeper and try harder being an entrepreneur, and I agree 100%. But from my own experience in "Trying" I WORKED MYSELF CRAZY EVERYDAY I will repeat EVERYDAY for almost 5 months before figuring out how they really operate. It may depend on the person running the particular "office" as they are also self made independant contractors. The place I "worked" for (DVA) operated by Hester Hernandez and her friends, lover, etc... who cares. Anyway I was not allowed to take the inventory home first off so good luck kicking your feet up since more than likey if they all operate the same way, you will only be allowed to illegally solocit parking lots and approach people with products out of the trunk or back seat of your car (Imagine how that looks). I was asked numerous times if the merchandise was stolen. If you have a car they will make sure to squeeze as many other "employees" in your vehicle as possible and most will look like thugs off the street. Imagine how stand offish you would be if some people approach you in a parking lot with an unfamiliar looking product to sell for CASH only. But I hope its worked out for you ;).
John Chase
Encinitas,California,
United States of America
Some Objective Thoughts Outside-the-Box
#8General Comment
Fri, August 03, 2012
I am on the internet right now doing my due diligence on Scentura and Larry Hahn. Why? Because 3 hours ago
, after a 3.5 hr 2nd interview, I was one of 8 selected out of 90 applicants to begin training on Monday Aug 6,2012.
The 1st link I clicked was Larry Hahn's Bio. The 2nd was this site. Hmmm, good, the ''other side'' of the coin?... Maybe.
I had a brief interview yesterday where I was asked if I knew who Mr L. Hahn is. I said no and went on to listen to a fairly vague description of who they were and what I was interviewing for. I forgot the name so could not research him last night
after getting the OK for the 2nd meeting today. They quoted an attractive range for 1st year income and as I said it was brief, more people were waiting.
I'm 53 and have been around the block enough times to get suspicious. Was that mid to high 5 figure 1st year income salary, commission or a combination? Was this an MLM? Was opening a 'Branch Office'' working from my bedroom? What about medical and other benefits? I didn't know, but what the heck, I had the 3+ to hours to spend finding out that and more.
It's NOT an MLM as far as I can see, there is NO Investment or Purchasing of inventory. They offer Medical, Dental, 401K, quarterly profit sharing and more. No MLM I have ever heard of does this. And they have a 60-90 day intensive in-house training to make sure you have all the tools to succeed. This is not in home ''parties' getting 5 to get 5 to get 5.. to get 5 . Is all this a veiled attempt to look legit? Maybe. Maybe not.
I still have many questions and I'm not 100% sold. But what have I got to lose by beginning the training and digging deeper? Nothing, except some beach time and adding to my killer tan. I can invest a week or two to investigate them in the open
and in their own home. Im not afraid to ask uncomfortable questions I may Not want to know the answer to for fear of bursting my own balloon.
With what I observed and learned today, it doesn't take an Einstein to see that this is going take WORK, a lot of it combined with unwavering confidence, motivation, enthusiasm and an above average belief that I can pull something off income
wise that the masses can't. This is obviously not for everyone.
I have had an entrepreneurial spirit all my life. I was a professional Porsche mechanic for 8 years-100% commission. In Sales of PC hardware for 11 yrs- $1k/mo base + commission. I was selling $5 Million a year at 26. After that I opened my own service business at 35 w/$5000 in capital, worked from pre-dawn to after dark my 1st 2 years and made 6 figures for
most of the next 10 yrs in business. I don't like a cap on my income and 2% raises. It takes risk, hard work and the belief that ''I CAN DO THIS!".
I also LOST Everything in 2008 and was homeless for 4 years so I know the Other side AND a Negative outlook along with a Total loss of belief I could ever rebound. I Have, slowly over the past year at $12/hr to the point that I share a beautiful house at the beach, have a used car, and can pay my cell , insurance bills, gas and food.
It's a start.....
Do I have what it takes to be one of the people that DOES make a 6 figure doing this (Scentura) or More, and once again have all the freedom and lifestyle that goes with that, starting again at age 53??
I DON'T KNOW.
What I do know is I feel I have one more ''I CAN DO THIS'' left in me. Will I come to find it's mostly BS? Maybe. But I'll Never know if I don't TRY and LEARN about it FIRST HAND, Instead of giving up the race before it starts. And all because someone
wants to bash them after reading something "they" said and gave up without investigating further and just don't believe that they can do it.
Most ''self-made'' Millionaire will tell you of failures, bankruptcies, drug addictions (many) and falling on their face a time or two. What made them what they are is that they kept getting back up and said ''to hell with fear'' I'll learn from my mistakes and push on.''
Winners keep their eyes open; go with their gut feelings and Go For It, without paying attention to the multitude of people who will site a multitude of negative reasons why it's Too Good to be True. I said the same thing about HerbaLife in the 80's.
I did not see myself as able to do it , I listened to the people who said I couldn't and I bashed every ''Ask Me How'' bumper sticker'd car, well dressed person that I saw on the road. Who are THEY to be so HAPPY and on top of the world?! It must be an act! A scam!
Well, my cousin made $100,000,000.00 in HerbaLife. He's now 65 and lives the life of a Playboy. He believed
he Could DO It and in the people that WERE doing it, Not in those who couldn't or wouldn't and bashed it out of their own FEAR.
What I know for sure at this point is that Larry Hahn has been doing this for 30+ years and is a mega millionaire which proves he knows something more than the rest of the pack and wasn't afraid of failure. Nor did the man give a d**n what everybody else said. He owns a $30Million home, a jet and a fleet of cars (bet they're not economy cars). Thats a good enough reason for me to look further.
Like they say, ''You can't win the Lotto if you don't buy a ticket''. The person who's post I am replying to obviously didn't even give it a chance, dropped out of the race before it began and got seduced by the ''dark side'' of the mind that says ''I CAN'T.
Misery loves company and so does Fear.
Just sayin.
IMO
John Chase
NickBrunson
United States of AmericaResponse
#8General Comment
Fri, July 08, 2011
Thank you for your thoughts, they are not taken lightly.
However, it's important to point out that Scentura is only the product manufacturer and supplier. And while they certainly do not encourage unethical business practices, ultimately Scentura does not dictate the
actions of the independent business owners who are supplied by Scentura.
Again, thank you for your thoughts.
Sassylv80
las vegas,Nevada,
U.S.A.
Reply For Mr. Brunnon
#8UPDATE EX-employee responds
Thu, July 07, 2011
1st of I would like to say that in no way is this operation legal! I was taken by Hester Hernandez in 2007/2008. I am still owed $180 from either scentura or hester herself from "FFAR" for merchandise that was NEVER given to me which I had paid for, now this classifies as THEFT! 2nd of all you do not provide a seller's permit, re-sale licence, or any type of documentation for your victims to be legally selling your fake perfume crap, not to mention solicitation is ILLEGAL. I dont care how you try to word this to make it seem legal or legitimate, ITS NOT! You sir are a LIAR! I hope all of this comes to an end for all of you that think its ok to sell someone on a fake dream by lies and deception. I'll do my part to make sure any place I go these poor people are warned.
NickBrunson
United States of AmericaAn Objective Perspective
#8General Comment
Fri, June 17, 2011
Unfortunately, it seems theres a lot of negativity and
false information circulating the internet regarding Scentura, and I think its
based mostly on peoples misunderstanding of the Scentura Opportunity. I
thought Id post something brief that would help make things clear.
First of all, Scentura Creations is a manufacturer and supplier of rendition
fragrances. They distribute their product line to Independent Wholesale
Business owners throughout the U.S. and have been in business for more than 35
years. Theyre unique in that they provide merchandise without any capital
outlay to these Independent Wholesale Distributors, meaning they dont pay
Scentura until after theyve sold the merchandise. This is key because it
removes a huge barrier of entry into business Inventory costs.
Second, the sales model used by most independent businesses that sell
Scenturas products is that of Direct Selling. Its a business to business,
face-to-face sales strategy that has worked for over 35 years. Its not
glamorous, and its probably not for everyone, but it just works.
Last, and most importantly, Scentura doesn't ask you to invest any money, it's
not a franchise, it's not a pyramid or multi-level marketing business, there's
nothing to purchase, there are no sign-up fees. The only thing required from
you is your time and hard work, and youll get a chance to run your own
business. How many companies out there are willing to offer that?
It probably sounds too good to be true, but it makes sense when you understand
Scentura's incentive: It's a Win-Win scenario for everyone. You get a chance to
own your own business, and Scentura gains a new customer, which means more
volume. If Scentura only dealt with individuals who had hundreds of thousands
of dollars to invest, they'd be waiting a long time,
especially in this economy. So they're willing to take all the financial risk.
Again, this is not for everyone, but the opportunity is definitely real, and
many owners have gone on to make six-figure incomes running their own
businesses that sell Scentura's products.
Please visit the following website dedicated to new business owners that
answered the ad and started just like everyone else: www.RookieOwners.com
If youd like to read more about Scentura Creations, please visit the following
sites:
www.ScenturaCreations.com
www.TruthAboutScenturaCreations.com
www.Larry-Hahn.com
If you have any further complaints, please direct them to
pr@scenturacreations.com
Thank you.