Complaint Review: Palmetto Marketing - Coral Springs Florida

Just because someone calls you an independent contractor doesn't make it so. This is the biggest labor scam going. If you provide anything for a person to do thier job, they are an employee. That is the law, and is also the IRS code too. See IRS form SS-8 determination of worker status. If you in any way establish work rules or schedules of any person, that person is an employee. These magazine sales companies are operating illegally. They use employees, NOT independent contractors. AND many of these kids are 17 working with parental consent. It is illegal to contract with a minor. The magazine sales companies provide transportation, meals, hotel rooms, etc to the sales force, and they dictate work rules and hours. These kids meet every requirement of being an employee. Both by labor laws and IRS code. I spent many years as a labor activist in Las Vegas. I have taken these issues to court and to the IRS.

I had an eeriely similr experience with one of these "kids." She even used the same "corner of your table phrase" and asked to use my bathroom (she took a long time as well) and my phone to call her boss. My phone wasn't working at the time and I SURE wasn't going to let her use my cell phone (which she did ask about). She then asks my room mate if she could buy some "weed or bars" off of him. So she was trying to support her drug habbit in my own apartment!! I don't know about anyone else, but there was VER LITTLE info in my receipt. No contact information, not even a full name of the company (only PMI). There was certainly no mention of a way to obtain a refund, so I had the check stopped. Today I recieved a debt collection notice in the mail, which DID have contact info on it. I called the number, at Noon on a Friday, and suprise suprise, "I'm sorry, please call back during normal business hours, Mon. - Fri. 9am to 5 pm."

I do have to agree, on the ex employee's there is more to life than a mag crew. I worked there for 2 years and it was what you made it.I did make alot of money and even became a carhandler. I was only 19 and was making money off other people.The time I worked there my boss always took care of me. She never left me stranded any where. I guess its just what company you worked for. I am not trying to be smart but if you read the reciept it tells you no checks will be held it is not dealing with school and no verbal agreements are reconized. All you would have to do is read the thing before you sign it and to stop the keeping of cash orders just dont give them cash. They cant do anything with a check written out to PMI. This job is only for a few. You really have to be strong minded to make it. SO not people are bad on the mag crew. I met alot of good people on the road. I also got to see things I never thought i would, but it really and something you want to retire from.

Well, it seems everyone has an opinion and noone really knows anything... first off, all the ex-employees out there, get a life, then get a job. You are sitting there defending this wannabe company who's name is torn apart all over the internet, even on the BBB, like it is some sort of Kick @$$ job. Losers, join the army if you want a job to keep you off drugs. Second of all, Edward, we see why you had to take this job, cuz unless there is a lot of sand or gritty substance in your response, COARSE is spelled COURSE, as in of course, go back to school, finish 8th grade. And Kelly, no, we were not all sitting here thinking "at least there would be a market for the drugs", pot-head... and next time you would like to defend an industry, make sure you know who you are defending... February 2002: Two magazine salesmen are convicted in the beating death of a Ft. Wayne, Ind., man at a motel used by the magazine sales company to house its sales force. One is awaiting trial and the other received 25 years in prison. January 2002: A magazine salesman was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a 12- and a 13-year-old girl in their home after asking for a drink of water in Parker, Colo. A second salesman is also awaiting sentencing. October 2001: One magazine salesman was killed and 10 injured, several of them seriously in Minneapolis, Minnesota after an auto accident. August 2001: A 66-year old woman was beaten, raped and stabbed to death in Knoxville, Tenn. The magazine salesman who allegedly committed the crime is awaiting trial. April 2001: A magazine salesman pleaded no-contest to stabbing another salesman with a pair of scissors in a motel room used to house a sales crew in Boulder, Colo. He received one-year of probatiion. March 2001: Cooper is murdered in her Fulton home. February 24, 2001: A magazine salesman was sentenced to two to four years in prison for the attempted sexual assault durig a robbery in a parking lot in Lincoln, Neb. A second salesman was sentenced to two-and-half to five years for attempted robbery in the same incident. January 2001: A local drug dealer in Norfolk, Va., was sentenced to 43 years in prison for gunning down a magazine sales crew manager during a drug deal in a motel room the manager had rented for young salespeople. January 2001: A magazine salesman pleaded guilty to luring two sisters, one seven and one 10, into a secluded park in Olympia, Wa. He was sentenced to five months in prisona dn one year probation. WAY TO GO GUYS, SAY NO TO DRUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kelly, the lady is right. i worked for this company from nov29,2002- april17 2003. this company is a rip off, and all the PEOPLE not kids are brain washed. kelly dont refer them as kids bc they are adults and if you suposely work for the company than you should know that . they do rip people off alot. kelly why dont you do your research a lil better. over half the employees there are working to suport their drug habbit and they will lie cheat and steal, ask ciarra and matt. for the lady who got cheated i am very sorry but dont ever trust any1 that you dont know, especially when they sell mags.

Hi, I used to work for this company several years ago. If I had to choose negative or positive, I would have to choose the latter. The only statement that I would like to make and have impact may not pacify all of these complaints, but I would still like to put it out there. These kids, or shall I say people, are out there trying to make a living at a legitimate business. They could be out there selling crack, meth or themselves if the situation were different. I know what you're thinking, "At least there would be a market for the drugs." There would definately be more money in it, of that I'm sure. Or, maybe, you would be cool with all of these independent contractors being on welfare. Hey, who pays for that? Need a hint? You will get your magazine(s). If you were promised something more, I can't vouch for those things. Next time you would like to bash an industry, make sure you are educated about the ENTIRE industry. Don't be so grandiose.

I thank you for your rebuttal to Edward! And it comes from someone who really knows because you were also a former employee! This company needs to reconsider their methods and stop putting these young people into these kinds of situations! I know that if one company has over 500 posts on this site about rip-offs that there has to be some truth to what I have said! And you are right..a rip-off is a rip-off but I am the one who was a fool! Always trying to believe the best in people...the next time I feel uneasy about anything--I will do with my gut all the time! Thanks again, for your comments!

What a jerk you are, first of all you say you had to leave to go to school in September? My God it's about time, my 4 year old can spell better than you!! Second, how dare you insult this woman, a rip off is a rip off. You say the independent contractors are doing nothing wrong? Well in almost every city and town in the US, it is ILLEGAL to solicit without a permit. When in your mag crew career did you ever carry a permit? I was on crew for 2 years, you know how many permits I got? ONE! And the sad thing is, they're usually about 5 bucks a piece. I'd say that they are doing something wrong. And third, an independent contractor did indeed murder a woman in her home. His name was Matthew Maxson, and the woman's name was Diane Cooper. Do a search for both names and tell me what you find. Do yourself a favor, keep your opinions to yourself.

I am responding to Edward's rebuttal of my initial post on this site. Edward, you failed to mention about the fact that she flat-out lied to me...telling me that I had 2 weeks before they would cash the check..and that the company would call me within that 2 week period to make sure it was okay to cash the check! Well, in all honesty, I was a FOOL to believe that that would ever take place! I was scammed by that fact alone! Forget about the magazines! I could care less about the magazines...I still don't feel that this company is a reputable one and I will pass this info about this company along to everyone I know about these door to door people. Yes, I do realize it is not the kids fault on most of this...but she still lied to me...or maybe the company told them to say that and it was the company's fault in the end...whatever the case..I was still lied to...and you are right..I am the one who wrote the check all along thinking this was not right! So I will take the blame for that...but I still feel I was treated unfairly and lied to! Thanks for your opinion...

Calm down Renee, if you really didn't have the money than you wouldn't have given the girl the $34 dollars ok, so stop going on here and making the company look worse. Thats the problem with you people, you go on here and spread your rumors as if you were really scammed. First you say you were nervous that the girl had to use the bathroom and she took so long. You let her in and you let her use it. Perhaps the poor girl did have to use the bathroom. Besides you never said anything came up missing, so please drop it. Second you say she said something about school........ SENIORS CONTEST, its not our fault you misunderstood it, unless of coarse she came right out and said it, but thats illegal. Be more specific. Third you were into Good Housekeeping and picked that magazine and didn't even give it time for the d**n magazine to get there before you said it was a scam. I was just in Connecticut recently and I know it wasn't four months since then yet so calm down and give it some time. Fourth there not being NOSIE... They are coming to your house and don't know you at all, instead of being silent and scaring you, they are very outgoing, talkative, a people person, but at the same time really want you to help them out. They bring out your personality. You don't know them either, so don't call them NOSEY. lol, when I was independant, I loved talking to yall. Its fun and its what keeps them in it. I heard everybody that I talked to, talking about how they loved talking to yall... even the one that your talking about. Fifth you CAN cancel within 3 days, just like anything else you order. Any magazine you order says that and being that you have a daughter with a home I think you should be pretty wise of that. Sixth its people like you that make things difficult for these kids, they're out there doing nothing wrong and people like you get out there and ruin it for them, they don't want to make your life miserable, they just want to win the thousand dollars and possibly a trip to Cancun, Bermuda, or Nasaa. Seventh there really is a contest to win a trip to Cancun, but usually the kids don't stay in it long enough to fulfill that goal, because people don't believe them because of s**t like this. They have to get 20,000 credits or points to win the trip, they get only whats listed on the points sheet. Individually they all have a chance at winning $1000 cash, but thats only when they make the company $20,000. Which is why on the contest card it states that the thousand dollars is not competitive and also says not affiliated with any school sponsored programs, ect. Now the part with the 20,000 dollars cash does probably sound infuriating but its a job. Its the same thing with the news paper, if you look in the paper you might see a job for kids ages 14-16...gives them the opportunity to make a little money, but its local for the sales of the paper you read everyday. And they have a pitch just as they do. I have so much to say but its not that important to me. I just don't want you to think you are right about everything. What really is bad that goes on you don't even see so you have no right to say anything of what you don't even know about...lol ha that didn't even happen yet and you are already complaining. Not that its right, but do you think the owner of your company really cares about you? Would he cry if you passed on? The owner of the company came to visit and would stay with us for weeks at a time. Don't get me wrong though, I'm not fully agreeing that he cares though.(Disregard if your either a Novice Business owner, or an Entreprenuer) Eighth they all travel all over the USA. There has been an accident, but somebody killed from an independant contracter? Never heard of it. They do travel alot, so anything could have happened in those places. Ninth there is a 10 dollar processing service and even I don't agree with it, but if you were to get like 10 magazines it would only be put in there one time. Unless of coarse you get two kids who came to your door and you wanted to help them both with points. and Tenth when the receipt is written, most of the time its written by the kid unless of coarse they didn't know what town they were in so they would say something like "I don't like writing in small boxes" or "You know your address better than I do" But if they know it than they write it all fast and sloppy. I never did, but most of them do, and then it's hard for the company to understand, so the person don't get there magazine. But they look that stuff up persue it, trust me I was there to witness it, but I just couldn't stay any longer. I had to go home for the summer being that I am starting school in September. Then there are other ways to, like for instance; if somebody was given cash for an order, that little b*****d might be one of the bad apples in the companies tree; keep the money and rip the receipt up like they tried blaming on me one time. 50 dollars was taken off my account. Sorry talking about me now, ok well like I said in another one I could talk forever, but I'll stop now.