First and foremost, I would like to thank those who posted here for those of us who were dumb enough to fall for this ridiculous scam or wasted their time to inquire about this potential employment opportunity. Now, on to the good stuff. I, like many people in Missouri and around this great nation of ours am presently unemployed. Like a great number of people, I too lost a good job due to the economy. Little did I know that I would be fortunate enough to stumble upon an opportunity that seemed to be great, but at the same time just to good to be true. Like many others have stated, I too applied to this position that I came across on Craigslist (Entry Level Manager position). I mean, who in there right mind wouldnt want to manage others and be the one in charge. Not even an hour later I was contacted explaining that interviews would be held the next day and that they were really impressed with my resume. Naturally, being out of work and eager to get back in the swing of things I contacted April about this opportunity like she had suggested in her email. She let me know that it was imperative to come in today for an interview because tomorrow the position or positions may be filled. Not wanting to miss out on what seemed like a great opportunity I decided to go in. Dressed accordingly, I showed up early and somewhat excited. Pulling into this parking lot, I noticed that the building not only didnt mention Five Star International Fragrance (or whatever the hell they go by), but the suite number that April gave me was not even on the sign outside unlike every other business that was part of this large building. Getting into the parking lot, I noticed that there were several people who seemed to be dressed accordingly like myself and seemingly were just shuffling in and out of this place. That in itself alarmed me. I mean, how many of these awesome opportunities can this place have available? Being that I had already driven 45 minutes I went in. It was a good thing that April told me to follow the loud music because she liked to rock out while at work, (I mean who doesnt rock out in a professional office work environment?), because there were no signs whatsoever that would point this place out to anyone who was looking for it. As I went in I was shuffled into a room alone and waited for my interview. Then began the show. She began the interview by telling me no offer would be extended from this particular interview, which is fine. She mentioned that the salary would be between 35-45K my first year. Being a college graduate and already making that kind of money I wasnt blown away. April then began to tell me how that was chump change compared to what she made but I would make considerably more because she could just tell that I was a go-getter. Keep in mind that I can't even get a word in because she is busy giving me her schpiel, but I guess she just knows me. Once she was done she asked me if this was something that I think I might be interested in. Well not even knowing what the business was, I tried to ask a few questions as to what the company did, benefits were and where I would exactly be working at. She told me that they were a wholesale fragrance company and that I would be a manager of one of their offices. She explained that I would learn to run a business in 3 stages like so many others have mentioned and then went on to promise me keys to an office after a simple 6-8 week training period. Since she really didnt answer all of my questions and I was even more worried about exactly what was going on. Telling her that I would like to think about it and let her know, she said it was fine and that I should call her back at 4pm and see if they would like to invite me back for a 2nd interview. As I left, something about this place just didnt sit well with me but being out of work I thought that if invited back for a 2nd interview, I would seriously contemplate coming back to the next one. Well, naturally, I was chosen to come back for a second interview. I am supposed to show up on Wed dressed accordingly with a pen and paper to take notes. Apparently this interview will take around and hour and a half and will be more of a personalilty interview. Usually the first interview will tell an employer what kind of personalilty you have and if you are right for their organization, but I guess things just go differently there. Thinking about what seemed like a new job all evening, I decided to try and find something on this company one last time before I went back. I had tried to research this before but just had no luck finding anything because they seem to change names so frequently. Luckily I stumbled upon all these posts about this place and I can avoid having to peddle knock off perfume onto people that really dont want the s**t. From everything that I have read, this company is a complete nightmare. Not really sure why anyone with half a brain would want to be apart of any company like this. It seems that people who do take part in this seemingly have no morals and are blinded by greed. Speaking for myself, I am thankful for those who have put things out here for others so they too can make a reasonable, responsible decision. I have posted the job description for others to see. If you come across this, ignore it and dont fall for it. I dont know anyone that wants to sell this s**t door to door or parking lot to parking lot especially when you dont make much money, if any at all. Needless to say, I will not be showing up for my 2nd interview.
Job Description from Craigslist below along with Aprils response to my email.
PostingID: 1402870981
Thanks for your interest. We will be conducting interviews tomorrow between 10:30 and 11:00 P.M. and between 1:30 and 3:30. We would like to meet with you. Please call in the morning between 9:00 A.M. and 2:30 P.M. to schedule an appointment. The interview will only take about 5 minutes. I would also ask that you bring a hard copy of your resume if you have one and please be on time to your appointment given the amount of applicants that have been responding. The interview would be at our Bridgeton location off of St. Charles Rock and 270.
I look forward to meeting you!
April 636-209-4546
Five Star International
Good luck to those who are still looking for reliable, honest work.
-gulliblegrad-
P.S. This is just a sidenote to the serial poster Earley Gaynor. The fact that you are 22 years old and a black man has nothing to do with this post or any previous post like Noah entered. He and others were clearly just trying to make people aware of how this company operates and what is to be expected of those who chose to take part in whatever it is that you do and call a job or career. Now the fact that you seem to be an uneducated person with who cant spell, type, has poor grammar and internet access is very apparent. Maybe pedding knock off perfume is what your calling in life really is. Congrats, your legacy in life will be so! I find it ironic how you say that you work so hard doing this and mysterioulsy you have time to respond to all the so called blow out responses. I also find it hard to beleive that your income jumps from 35k to 82K to 300K in just mere months if a year. Reading your entries are painful to say the least and after doing so it is apparent that you once did and probably still have no life plan. Maybe with all of this money you are supposedly making you can buy some morals, ethics, a life plan, and proper grammar lessons to go along with your new massive 2 bedroom condo and Acura. Best of luck to you!
Giselle
Bloxwich,#2Consumer Comment
Thu, May 05, 2016
I am wondering how this company expected to pay the letter writer 35-45k per year. I just checked the manta site, and according to them, Ultimate Fragance on McKelvey Rd in Bridgeton, MO has an annual estimated revenue of $110,000. Deduct from that rent, utilities, advertising for employees, taxes, inventory and day to day operating costs, and I ask you, WHAT IS LEFT TO PAY ANYONE????
Two Cents
St. Ann,#3UPDATE EX-employee responds
Wed, December 09, 2009
Here's what happened with me. I've got about a year's worth of material here so bear with me if it gets long. I got started with then Paradise Enterprises (one of their changing names) last Feb. I started at the Westport office which is Richard & Jez's office. I was a slow started but got the oppertunity to go on Satellites with another "manager" named Will. And I started doing better. Now once I got going I was making about $250-$350 a week in performance bonuses and sales profits.
Now here is where the SCAM is. I interviewed for a "entry-level management" position. And I was there for 5 months and all I did was sales. Satellite every week until my car broke down, then I quit. The reason I quit was because some of my friends that I made there were all quitting. Some of them had been there over 6 months. The scam comes in because during the interview process we were told 60-90 days of hands on training. Including Sales, Teaching and Training, And Admin and Office Jobs. I was there for 5 months and just did sales, never even moved up to a "Leader" position.
Now if in the interview process they said it was a min of 6 months of training I wouldn't have got started with the company. And in the interview process they said you work strickly off of sales profits and sales bonuses I wouldn't have got started. In the interveiw they said 200-500 per week at what level you were at. Everyone worked off of sales profits even the "managers"
Next while I was there I got a lot of info from these "managers" besides Richard. And Jez who was makeing so much $$ lived in a hotel at the time?? But anyways Richard said he was a Divisional Manager. So me asking my trainers and managers what that meant most didn't have a answer, but then I was shown a "company Bulleton" and Richard's name was only in there once saying he's made $400,000+ in a promotional pool. I got that from one of the "managers" Now I also had the oppertunity to work with some of David's "managers" and they told me he was a regional manager and that he had 7 offices up and running. Well in the bulleton David's name wasn't in there at all as a Regional or Distrubtion manager. And the office I worked out of was Sarah Bravo's office. I never even met her?? I asked who she was and they said she was Richard's wife. There was pictures of her on his desk same as bulleton. Whatever?
And then one of my friends went in for a Interview and she knew it was the same company (Enterprises at that time) and asked me what I thought. I told her she could make some money but to be ready to wait it out. Now while I was there I seen one "office manager" quit and zero offices promoted. Now I do believe you can get your own office because one of the people I trained with got his after 9 months.
Well she went in and got "promoted" to a staff person right away, she is good looking like all the other staff people. So she just worked in the office all day and went out on Power Teams on Fridays. Now she did get to a Leader position just before she quit. But she also was just working on sales profits. But she was there almost exactly 90 days before she quit and the reason she quit is because she got sick of all the people in her personal life giving her crap all the time. And at that time no one had ever talked to her about getting her own office, it was always just "get more people in for interviews" at the wesport office. And during her time there was still a guy there from when I was training he'd been there for a full YEAR and still hasn't got his office yet?
Now while she was there she did see two people get promoted into their own office, but she also seen another office close down and move back to St. Louis from Memphis. Now I'm not saying the bussiness doesn't work while I was there it was the #1 office doing over 1000 transactions a week every week. But the only people that I seen or heard of making money was David and Richard. None of the other "managers" I heard some people were making more money during the training 500-800 a week then any of the other "office managers" I seen make. So what is the real truth?
papa perfume
United States of America#4UPDATE Employee
Mon, November 16, 2009
It's funny how someone can slam and bash someone because of thier english grammer skills. I too work for the company and have very poor spelling but I can say that I have a good job, with a great company, have job security, and unlimited earning potential. I wonder if the same is true for these people making uneducated comments about a company that they never even started with? Good luck blow-outs
Zombie Armageddon Survivor
Monroeville,#5Consumer Comment
Thu, October 08, 2009
Check the Link below and see for yourself! You'll have to scroll down a little to find it but it reads, Earley Gaynor, 22, of Mount Vernon, N.Y., was arrested Sunday on a failure to appear warrant and released after posting $120 bail. This was back in June of this year. So what was the warrent for Earley? Come on!..... We're all waiting.......
http://www.nj.com/cumberland/index.ssf/2009/06/camden_man_charged_with_hitand.html
When the zombies come, they'll be after everyone! Will YOU survive?
Kris10scud
arnold,#6Consumer Comment
Thu, October 08, 2009
I just got the email form this company. Thanks to the users of Ripoff Report I will not have to waste any time or money on this place- although I would love the chance to educate April on a few things ;-)
Thank You All Very Much!!