| Advantage Promotions |
| Advantage Promotions athleticschedules.net, Score One, Innovative.....Charlotte, NC BEWARE! Charlotte, Nationwide |
| 6th of Apr, 2011 by User316614 |
| I almost got scammed by Larry O'Brien and Lesley. I was stupid enough to do their "trial day" or whatever they call it, and was told by Larry that you can get ANYONE to sign an agreement at the schools, and that this was a "one call close", neither of which makes ANY sense whatsoever. I have been a professional salesperson for over 20 years, and as any true professional, I understand that business is built through trust, relationships, and delivering a solid, valuable product to your clients. These are foreign concepts to Mr. O'Brien. So, if you are like myself and have been out of work and are getting desperate, just avoid these people. Needing a job makes us all a bit more gullible, I suppose, but trust me, this company is a total scam. It can be hard for honest, hard working people like myself to believe that people like Larry O'Brien and Lesley are out there, but they are...............and stay away from them. |
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| Can I get more details? I have interviewed with this company and am scheduled to do the "trial day" on Monday, July 11th. Why is it a scam? Any other background on this company? |
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| Thank you for the 'heads up' on this less than ethical business preying on desperate people who will not take the time to perform due diligence before getting involved with fly by night companies taking advantage of tough economic times to sucker punch the unsuspecting! |
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| Please tell me this is not true! Can I get more details? I have interviewed with this company and I am scheduled to do the "trial day" on Monday Aug 1, 2011. Why is it a scam? I researched their website and they seem to be a legitimate company. Are these your personal feelings, maybe you just did not like that style of selling. Help me out here... I do not want to come across as being judgmental, however I am not ignorant and if there is a red flag regarding this company I want to investigate further and fully understand. |
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| It's a scam Ghanley, SCAM! |
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| I did the trial day, and decided to come on. I gave it a week, and got nothing. I called Larry back and told him it wasn't for me, but I had spent $150 on gas that week. He said that I would be reimbursed the gas money. If it doesn't come tomorrow, I will contact them again. If it does, that would tell me that they are legitimate. Either way, I will post here and let you all know what happened. |
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| Same thing happened to me with this outfit named All-Star Marketing. Went to an interview in Huntsville, AL and met with Lindsey. Told to call Kevin Many at 9:30 AM the next day for a phone interview. Kevin was unavailable so I talked to Larry O'Brien who answered the phone. He asked me some questions which were in the info they gave me and set up a trial day. He told me to put together a list of 20-25 high schools and colleges within five minutes to one hour away from my home. Said something about nice areas where shopping malls were. I googled All-Star Marketing but nothing came up until I figured it our and googled Advantage Promotions. Found out I had been scammed too. Wasted time, gas and got my car hit with a truck tire retread going to Huntsville. Damaged my car. I just knew something wasn't right and everybody I told about this trial day said it sounded like a scam. Who in their right mind would pick up some guy named Larry O'Brien who I've never met before and spend my day and gas carting him around to make some quick sales without any pay or expense reimbursement. It's sad that people would do something so terrible. |
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| Ok for all those who have interviewed and worked with this company for us who have recently been contacted by them please start at the beginning, how did they contact or find you, what did they want?, what did the interview or meeting consist of, then what is this "trial day thing"?.. and did you have to fill out paperwork like an application for employment and give out your name, address, and soc sec #? etc?..Please elaborate what is the gimmick? what are they trying to scam you for ?..is it to get your personal info to submit credit card fraud?, or make you buy something?.. what is the gimmick or scam.. Please elaborate in details .. I am trying to investigate this and have some more info for you guys and need to know more? |
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| They want the checks from the sales. I know I'm working with them right now. There's no trial day, they don't even come out to train there reps. I have been in direct marketing for since 2001. The companies are just getting worst and its really about payroll. The Larry O'Brian or Kevin Many guy is most likely the same dude. Every time I call him it sounds like he talking in the bathroom. I knew something was up when I set up a interview with Robin. Robin told me she was the only person in the office. Robin didn't even exist. Most people that tell a lie at the beginning have to continue lying. Plus I was told a manager would fly out to do the training. No one came. Hell they already gave me my supplies so I did what any other experienced Field Manager would do and I went to work. Yesterday they gave me a funny public relations number the went to voice mail only. Its what ever. They think I'm out here working in the hot sun right now and after reading these stories, well I'm just gonna have some fun now. I will keep you guys informed. |
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| Oh man, I was right they just want the check or credit card information. If its not a scam why would I mail my sales receipt into a different location than the office where I was hired. Like I said I've been in the direct marketing business before. The customers information was always handled by the office people. For all I know I'm just paying them. Not having a direct contact with any one here is really BS. |
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| There is no application, nothing you have to fill out. That way when you do submit a sale they will not be liable to pay you because you are not considered a employee. |
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| I have come to the conclusion after reading these stories and the other 27 reports on ripoff.com that Lindsey is Mr. O'Brian. He-she has too be. this he-she has no figure of a woman and I don't think two people can get away with this without at least one of them knowing how to spell. All Star, is now All Sports. Advantage is the same thing. Maybe I'm wrong about He-she. But all of us are saying the same thing. Check out ripoff.com there are over 27 reports. I can tell the same story as the rest of them except I haven't spent more than time with these frauds. Thank goodness I'm broke. This dude should be put in jail. I would love to help. |
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I forgot about this. Larry promised me a check for my gas to be in the mail. Waited a week, and nothing. I called back, and he went on a rant about how "payroll" is screwing up, and guaranteed me a check. A week went by, and nothing. I played this game with him for 2 months, and it was the same thing over and over. I will be moving to the area (Charlotte) in a couple months, and I plan on paying that office a visit.
FRAUD!!! |
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| Went along with their little scheme. I was so ready to leave my current company, that my normal red flags didnt really click. So I went to interview in Huntsville. Wasnt really an interview, it was in a Regus office, and the little office was barren with a few posters on the desk. After about 20 minutes of her going on and on about the company, she gave me a folder. In this folder was some business cards that looked like they were printed by a printer from 1992. There was a cheesy sales script. She then gave me a University of Tennessee poster. I didnt think anything of it, and called in the next day for the phone interview. It was more like a pop quiz than an interview. So he told me to do a trial day, I was like WTF ever, so I called this dude named Kyle. He told me to go talk to local businesses. My spider sense went off. I thought, who would send some jo blow off the street to represent their business, none the less a school. So I got on the ipad and did some research on this company. I found nothing good. Well, then I looked at the UT poster they gave me. After looking at it, I noticed that there were two things missing. The first was the actual logo of the school. The second was the NCAA logo. After working for a university athletic department, I know that any print must have that on there. I then cross referenced the school he told me to work for. The teacher contact was not even a staff member there. (Thanks Google) It started to storm, so I just went home. I called today, and he asked what school I was working, and how many sales I had. I made up a school name and mascot. He didnt know the difference. I played along, and then asked the questions about the missing items. He told me to call back at 1:30. I told him I wanted answers and that I wanted this in writing. He accused me of having a bad attitude, and he (Larry OBrien) got all flustered and told me to go play with myself, and he hung up. Well, I decided to bring my buddies in on this. After several calls to the BBB, and several local chamber of commerce, we took turns calling. We kept giving him made up names, and schools. It didint effect him at all, and he acted like he know what was going on. Total scam. I have sent several emails to various schools they mentioned, as well as the newspaper to warn the business owners of Advantage's treachery. |
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