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  • Report:  #87544

Complaint Review: Bernard Haldane - Midvale Utah

Reported By:
- Pleasant Grove, Utah,
Submitted:
Updated:

Bernard Haldane
6975 Union Park Center Midvale, 84047 Utah, U.S.A.
Phone:
801-208-3680
Web:
N/A
Categories:
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good? What's this?
Bernard Haldane contacted me, having harvested my personal information from legitimate job sites on which I'd registered, representing themselves as executive recruiters. I was told that I was selected because of my unique qualities, and I was scheduled for an interview.

The interview turned out to be a high-pressure sales pitch in which I was told I would be put in touch with high-level, high paying executive jobs that were hidden from the rest of the job market. They told me they would market me in this unannounced, executive job market, and that they would negotiate my salary once I landed a job.

I was charged $6450.00 for the service. I paid $5,000.00 up front with $1,450.00 due after I landed a job paying over $60,000.00 a year. I was also credited $450.00 if I paid right then. I charged $4550.00 to my VISA, with whom I've also lodged a complaint against Haldane.

To access these unannounced jobs, I would be given access to some exclusive Web tools and sites. I was told that my expenses with Haldane were tax-deductible, and that the high-caliber companies Haldane serviced would repay my fee. Once I signed on and paid the exorbitant fee, the relationship changed drastically.

Haldane provided no marketing whatsoever, and I was left on my own to come up with business contacts. I'm convinced their Web tools and sites are fake:

a Web mailbox that was supposed to fill with contacts from hiring employers, remained empty for over five months, despite being set to accept messages from all over the US and parts of Europe

a job board containing few announcements, many over three years old, and all gleaned from unrelated recruiter Websites

a search engine that simply didn't work

When I pressed the issue about negotiating my salary for me, they admitted that their role was only to tell me what to say when I negotiated myself. Haldane's services are not tax deductible, and since they don't have contacts with employers as they claimed, there would certainly not be any compensation for the outrageous fee.

I asked Haldane why the service seemed so different from what was promised, but they brushed my questions aside, saying things like it's too early to worry about that now. As I began with Haldane, I was asked to sign forms indicating that I had finished a module and was ready to proceed to the next. I've just recently learned that these forms act as some type of affidavit proving my satisfaction with the service.

The Haldane Method is basically over-pushy salesmanship. I was to write to an executive, asking him or her to help me develop my resume, and informing them that I would call later to set an appointment. When challenged by the receptionist, I was to tell him or her that Mr. or Ms. X was expecting my personal call. Once in, the executive would then be tricked into reviewing my resume with me. After I interviewed this executive, I would then ask for other executives with whom I could speak. Theoretically, my contacts would expand virally until I finally found one that happened to have a job for me. For announced jobs, I was to ignore the instructions on the ad, and send only a teaser letter. When I called the contact later, I was to then ask for an interview during which we could discuss my complete resume.

In practice, none of my executives were fooled. They never answered my calls, and never returned messages. About four very close friends in high positions reviewed my Haldane resume, each horrified at the poor quality, but refused to give references to other executivesapparently a very unprofessional thing to do. The strategy for the advertised jobs was equally ill-conceived: 100% of the responses to that gimmick were, you send the information for which we asked, and if we have any more interest, we'll call you for an interview. Needless to say, they never called back. After five months of this, my family and I finally ran out of money.

When I confronted Reed Swain, the salesman with whom I'd spoken, he recommended I take the first little job I could find, even suggesting a telemarketing job of which he knew. He went on, exploiting our common religious faith, citing his service in three consecutive bishoprics, and telling me to go on LDS (Mormon) church welfare. He scolded me for not having done it sooner. When I insisted on my money back, he simply enforced the contract. That's when I knew I'd been taken.

I've since landed a modest job by using my own resume and the tried and true methods. We'll be OK now, but my family has been severely set back by this scam.

Richard

Pleasant Grove, Utah
U.S.A.

Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Bernard Haldane Associates

CLICK HERE, You must read this!! ..Financial Post Article LINK - Haldane not up to the job ..exposing this company for what it really is - a huge scam


2 Updates & Rebuttals

Richard

Pleasant Grove,
Utah,
U.S.A.
I should have worked harder to iron out our differences. I've vilified Reed Swain unfairly, and I apologize.

#2Author of original report

Wed, April 21, 2004

Reed Swain's Bernard Haldane Office I have apologized to Reed Swain and his office. Midvale Utah I was a Haldane client last Fall, and benefited from their counsel and ideas. I had some questions about some Web tools, and was having trouble with method. I became discouraged. When I happened on across some legal problems some Haldane clients were having in Kansas, Illinois, et. al., I panicked and assumed I had fallen under that same scam. I questioned Reed Swain about these problems, and he assured me that his franchise tried to be fair and honest. I didn't give him much of a chance. I set to work making my case for all of the relevant agencies, and in doing so described my experience in the most cynical, negative way I could. I thought I was protecting myself. I should have worked harder to iron out our differences. I've vilified Reed Swain unfairly, and I apologize.


Richard

Pleasant Grove,
Utah,
U.S.A.
Apology to Reed Swain and His Office, Reed Swain in NOT dishonest, and his firm of Bernard Haldane can help. I will be more patient and level-headed in the future.

#3Author of original report

Wed, April 21, 2004

I wish to apologize to Reed Swain and his franchise of Bernard Haldane, in Midvale, Utah. I lost my temper, panicked at other reports I read, and acted unfairly to him. For associating his name with terms like cheat, dishonest, etc., I am sincerely sorry. Despite his understandable anger, he is still willing to discuss issues with me. Not at all the villain I made him out to be. My allegation that Haldane contacted me out of the blue was not fair. I remember filling out a questionnaire from a Haldane website, no doubt giving them permission to contact me. At the time, I was excited to start, and Reed's staff was accommodating and helpful. I did pay a lot of money up front, but I agreed to it. I didn't have to sign the contract. Further, the contract was to span three years of help. I asked Reed about the faulty Web tools, but didn't give him a chance to follow up on them. Hardly fair on my part. I apologize for oversimplifying the method; I have a neighbor who considers himself a happy Haldane customer. He attended Reed's program a few months before I did, and even had the same counselor. His application of the method was much more devoted than was mine, and that made it work for him. Unemployment is very demoralizing, and I blamed my discouragement on the method, when I should have tried harder. I accused Reed of exploiting our common religion; this was out of line. Reed was trying to help, and I cynically refused his advice. I will be writing him a personal apology letter for that. Please disregard my complaint. Reed Swain in NOT dishonest, and his firm of Bernard Haldane can help. I will be more patient and level-headed in the future.

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