Complaint Review: The Promotion Group "Promo Group"

I was forced to sign a contract with this company saying I would not bad mouth the company. However, I do not view this as bad mouthing- it is just giving people the facts surrounding a certain unfortunate event.
I found an ad on Craigslist. It read that it was looking for an Event Coordinator to plan parties/ events...I was looking for a Public Relations position and it sounded interesting so I applied. I got a call back that day asking for an interview the next day. When I got there I found out that it was a group interview. (that was the first red flag).

We all introduced ourselves, while Leslie Joy wrote on her pad, taking notes on us. Leslie proceeded to tell us about the job- we did not coordinate events, we are to hand out "invitations" for an event that had already been planned. The event was a practice commercial set up for kids between the ages of 6-17. (Basically, they want these kids to sign up for Barbizon's acting classes. All kids get a call back, there is nothing special about being selected- it is not for a real agency, it is not an honor- they just want the kids to buy acting classes.) Leslie said that we got paid $30 an hour. It sounded too good to be true, but I really needed money. So I stayed. 

The interview lasted about an hour and a half. We were told we would be contacted that evening if we were hired and that if we were hired we would take their 2 hour training session the following morning. I was hired. I was desperate for money, so I went even though I had reservations. Basically all the girls in from the interview were hired. Leslie explained the job- that The Promotion Group was hired by companies like Barbizon modeling and talent agency to promote their weekend practice commerical event.

Leslie said that the Promoters Group had a right to be at every location we were sent to to hand out the flyers. Leslie also informed us that we were paid based on the amount of kids we brought in- "accepted families" that is. So, if I brought in 6 families (six kids) I would get paid the equivalent of $30 an hour. They made the job seem so easy that it would be cake to get 6 families. Leslie said that Vester Mapp would handle our payment and that he was meticulous so we wouldn't have to worry about getting paid. I never saw Vester though. I think he is a phantom. 

The next day we were sent out with partners to different locations they had mapped out. I was sent to 2 Targets, a Walmart, a Mall and a Toys R Us. I got kicked out of the first Target. Like an idiot, I told the manager who was kicking me out that she was confused because the Promotions Group had the right to solicit information on their premises. The manager had never heard of the Promotions group and kicked me out. I was really angry to say the least. I spent the rest of the day dodging sales clerks and managers as I passed out the invitations. 

The next day when I saw Danny, the boss-man, I asked him why I got kicked out if we had "the right" to be at all the locations. Then the truth came out, they don't have any rights, any agreements at all. He said it all in a very slick manner and tried to dodge the issue but the bottom line was that it is illegal to solicit information in stores without permission. Then Danny told me to pretend to be a shopper at Target and if I saw a child to discreetly pass on the invitation. I was sketched out, and annoyed that I had been driving constantly that weekend to different locations to pass out flyers. 

Oh, I was also told that I was going to work at the practice commercial event stapling papers where I would earn a solid $15 an hour but they then told me they had enough people that weekend and didn't need me to help. So they tried to send me out again with flyers to get people to come to their event, but I just went home. I was done wasting my time and gas. I also just felt like a child predator going after kids to hand out invites. It was just creepy all around. 

Quick summary: 100% commission job handing out flyers presented as a salaried Public Relations job. Illegal solicitation of information in stores like Target, Walmart and Toys R Us.