Complaint Review: GCI - Lincolnwood Illinois

I went to the interview for the "management trainee" position they advertised for on "careerbuilder.com". They gave the same song and dance that everyone here has described. The building I went to was a bank and the office was the penthouse at the top of the building, very small. There were two small offices, a sign-in desk, and an empty tiny training room. My first interview was a two-person interview, which I thought was a bit odd that it wouldn't be individual. The person I was supposed to interview with, "Jenny", wasn't available and instead I was interviewed by a man named "Bart". No last names of anyone at this place were given. They didn't give much information about the job in that interview. I was asked how well I knew the area and if I had reliable transportation, along with a few questions about my experience. They called me back a little later and said I was invited to the second round of interviews.

The second round of interviews was really just a recruiting session where they went over the history of the company, of perfumes (Giorgio, Primo, and Observe L'Essence). They talked about the company owner, Larry (no last name given), and the basics of the business. They made a point of using less-than-office-friendly language, told jokes, and even had a dog in the office. They promised we would make good money in training, $300-$400, and then later would make lots of money when we became managers (either the "guaranteed" $35k or the "I want a piece of the action" $80k). They said we didn't have to pay anything, buy anything, do door-to-door selling, or telemarketing. The training would only take 60-90 days, which we would be making $45k-$55k afterward. They said in time we would have our business and own employees, and made a point of mentioning we were not going to be under a contract. They said the company would pay for everything, until we started our own branches. They said they wanted us to succeed because then they would succeed and everyone would have more money. Also, they mentioned we would all be paid off the top of earnings and not the final profit.

I went home and talked to my husband about it and he confirmed what I had begun to suspect, it was too good to be true. He told me it sounded like a marketing scam and to do more research. I found the ripoff reports, information on wikipedia, and read up on the company because I finally had the owner's last name to look it up. I'm glad to not have pursued it further.

Here is what the ad looks like in Illinois:

Other Pay: Extra Bonuses and Incentives

Employee Type: Full-Time Employee

Industry: Other Great Industries

Training Sales - Marketing

Manages Others: Yes

Job Type: Entry Level

Business Development Management

Experience: None

Posted: 2/17/2009

Contact Information Phone: 847-679-8510

Description

***ENTRY-LEVEL***

Assistant Manager/Manager Trainee

Are you tired of being unemployed?

Are you tired of hearing too young or inexperienced?

Are you tired of the same old boring job with the same old boring people?

And worst of all. . . the same old boring paycheck! Well we were too!

*

We are looking for 12-14 FUN people for our assistant manager/manager trainee positions.

*

No experience ok!

*

We will train from the ground up

*

Earn up to $400 week during training

*

Start immediately

Requirements

* Career-minded

* Must be looking for rapid growth

* Great attitude

* Trainable

* Strong work ethic

Please contact Dawn at 847-679-8510

Nothing has happened to me from this, but I did miss a day of work to go to the second interview because they said there was no other session. I am simply providing this information for the sake of others. This is Scentura, GCI, and may have other names, but the company tactics are the same. They tell you nothing up-front, yet claim to be straight-shooters and say they want only honest people working for them. They make promises of profit-sharing, mandatory two-week vacations, performance bonuses, and other rewards. They greet you with big smiles and jokes, shake your hand, and appear to be really friendly and welcoming. DON'T BE FOOLED! GCI IS SCENTURA! DON'T GIVE THEM YOUR TIME!

Concerned in illinois

chicago, Illinois

U.S.A.

Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Scentura Creations