In this article, the University of Rhode Island’s Department of Communications is proud to tell you about their recent URI graduate and starting basketball player who is beginning a marketing career in Manhattan. According to the article, the new grad has accepted an offer from Universal Online Promotions. (UPDATE: Now possibly operating as PolarisNYC.)
Congratulations, graduate! You just got scammed.
Universal Online Promotions is a borderline multi-level marketing scheme (MLM), similar to a more commonly known Pyramid Scheme, and is operated by a man named Raf (Rafael) Diaz in NYC.
Rafael “Raf” Diaz
Universal Online Promotions, President
(a.k.a. DOUCHEBAG)
Imagine that you are offered a job from this company or individual. You would probably at least do a quick google search before signing on the dotted line, right?
Well, some people aren’t that smart.
Neither URI’s recent grad, in her choosing of a job offer — nor the writers/editors of the University of Rhode Island website bothered to perform google searches on, “Universal Online Promotions” or “Raf Diaz”. Both queries return damning results.
What does this say about the competence of our higher education institutions and the products (kids) they produce?
For the record & On the record:
- I gave 3-days notice to the University of Rhode Island’s media contact of record, David Lavallee, to amend their article before I wrote this post, as to avoid unnecessary losing of face among their organizational standards in relation to their capacity to ensure their graduate’s success in the modern job market. They have not amended their article nor have they contacted me.
- I gave Raf Diaz, President of Universal Online Promotions (pictured above) 24-hours notice to contact me before I published this post. He chose not to contact me, despite me receiving a read receipt from my e-mail to him.
- The student subject of this article whom I easily found on Facebook, did not respond within the 3-day time frame. I have no proof of receipt of communication from her.
- The President of [redacted], a Cydcor office located in Knoxville, TN, contacted me within the given time frame. Though his interview was less than candid, his name and company name will not be mentioned, as promised, but will be discussed anonymously in later installments.
- Adam Balsinger’s “Bold Acquisitions” in White Plains, NY is a scam running under the same umbrella.
This is a preliminary article based upon my recent investigations into Cydcor, a seriously fucking evil corporation.
UPDATE: Read the comments for names of other companies who are operating on the same model.
Filed under: nyc
Interesting stuff! I look forward to more!
Some days I’m convinced that you are twice as thick as manure and half as useful.
@Shane: Can you give a few examples of other days in which you have felt this way? Thank you, come again.
i’m looking forward to this.
@Todd & quin: I’m glad you’re interested in this story. The depth of this scheme is astounding. This con is layered like some of kind of secret-super-onion. What I have mentioned only scratches the skin.
I urge all readers to take a few minutes to familiarize themselves by googling the relevant terms in this post. It’s really quite fascinating.
Fascinating! How did you stumble upon this?
@brooklyn gal: Universal Online Promotions contacted me about an “Account Executive” position at their company. With a quick google search, it took me about 3 seconds to figure out what was really going on. However, I was shocked to find out how many people have been, and continue to be, sucked into this scam.
More about all that in later posts.
Hey,
I have been offered an interview by these people and did a quick search and have found words like “scam” and what not but am a bit confused on how they are scamming people??? Please send me any info on the subject!
Somehow i missed the point. Probably lost in translation :) Anyway … nice blog to visit.
cheers, Litterer!!
this scam is massive. they target recent graduates who are eager to get a career started, and before they know it, they are going door to door to forcefully sell a product to customers. come hell or high water, you will be outside, walking the streets. they slave you. i dont know about universal online, but Bold Acquisitions, Inc and Adam Balsinger will treat you like less than a human if you dont sell their product.
@ Jon C.: Thank you for your response. Like you, I am surprised at how massive this scam is and how little attention in garners. I would appreciate any insight you might provide.
i was abused by Raf Diaz, I wish someone could punish them..
1) The “merch” selling on the street is not the same company as Raf’s. Similar umbrellas, different concept.
2) The scam that people talk of is that usually people know that it is commission only, can’t make money, stay on longer than they should and leave before getting to do anything
3) Its bigger in blogs and rants than in legal cases because they’re not a pyramid scheme (you don’ t pay money directly to them, then ask friends for more), nor are they a classic MLM.
4) LOTS of complaints are valid and you need to contact your local DOL if you were a w-2 employee (which most are) and were not receiving wages comparable to minimum wage.
5) Hey, not a supporter- just know that the actual set-up isn’t a scam…its the owners and managers out to make the quick buck who don’t tell you everything that makes it a scam…LEARN TO LEAVE BAD SITUATIONS-
6) seriously…this is no cult, no scam…just a crappy job IMO. Ever sold life insurance or been asked to become a “financial planner” by a big company? Better product, better backing…this is just the dollar store version of Edward Jones~
found this interesting tidbit about your boy Adam
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2004/11/11-12-04tdc/11-12-04dnews-13.asp
GET OUT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I worked for Distinctive Marketing Solutions in Philly, which is under Cydcor. Seriously creepy. Seriously cultish. Seriously scamming.
I left after two weeks because they told me if my family didn’t support my job, then I should cut out the negative influences in my life. Also, I was not a “team player” because I didn’t hang out with my coworkers after hours as often as they wanted me to.
I also realized I never gave them my social security number…which would mean I wasn’t on the payroll…?
This corporation is run by bad, bad people. Maybe its not technically or legally a scam, but there are definitely malicious intents here. I’ve been investigating this place too since I left…its crazy.
HELLPPPP!!!!! i recently went on an interview with this company and thought they were all SOOOO NICEEE…but then i come here and read all these bad things…now i dont even kno if i should go on the second interview…somebody please advise!!!
it’s not a scam . everyone i’ve worked with the last 2 months have been extremely supportive and helpful. they have all become part family and support me emotionally. i lost everything working for a restaurant as a manager, long hours, ok money but no future this is an opportunity that u have to believe in to make it work. it’s sales and marketing. u have to succeed to succeed
Its only a matter of time sweetheart….
Sweetheart, this is NYC, get the hell out! Send them and email and let them know you have been given an offer by someone else. If you still want to do it go ahead but they are not in it with your best interest in mind; they want something from you which is why they are being nice…Keep that in mind!
@JAMES:
In order to be fair, I suggest that you do your own research and make your own decision. As such, I will now guide you to make your own correct decision. ;)
Search Google for “Universal Online Promotions” or “Midtown Promotions” or “Raf Diaz” or “PMG Affiliates” or “Adam Balsinger http://www.linkedin.com/pub/8/248/a17” or “Bold Acquisitions” or Stefan Mainhart http://www.linkedin.com/in/apexmarketingandpromotions” or “CYDCOR” (they are all under the same umbrella.)
To answer your question:
YES! You should go to the second interview and tell every other fellow interviewee what you have learned here! This company is trying to punk you! They’re trying to hurt you and your family. Provide the evidence (print-outs of everything I mentioned above) and start a fucking riot!!! Destroy everything in the office! Throw Raf Diaz’s computer at his head! They don’t have security, you won’t get caught. Whatever you do, just go into that office and fuck some shit up.
Remember: They tried to punk you, James. Don’t let them get away with it.
Got it?
Raf Diaz now operates in New York under the company name of Polaris Inc. Be aware of the scheme that is advertised as a marketing job on careerbuilders.com.
Thanks for the tip!
so this scam is now polarisnyc.com ???
Yes. I can confirm that Polaris (polarisNYC.com) is part of the same scam.
How did you confirm that PolarisNYC is a scam?
I too answer their ad on craigslist and found it odd that I received a phone call to schedule an interview right after I got an email requesting me to call them to schedule an appointment. It threw me off for them to be so desperate so I decided to do a search on their name and came to this page. Now I’m thinking twice on whether I should go to the interview tomorrow.
I currently live in Miami and was looking for jobs in New york and thought this would of been a great opportunity to move, but thanks to this article I wont even bother replying to the email nor make a call. I guess I will just keep looking…thanks again
@norlan: This is the reason I wrote the article. I’m so glad you found it! Consider doing the same in your area. Best of luck to you.
THIS IS BULLSHIT! A HUGE SCAM. SKETCHY PEOPLE. DO NOT EVEN GO TO THE FIRST INTERVIEW.
I WENT AND FOULD OUT THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE FULL OF CRAP.
Hello,
I am a college graduate and have been working for nearly a year at this ‘Pyramid scheme.’ There are a few things reader’s should know.
This business model does not resemble a pyramid scheme. Nobody is compensated for recruits. It is merit based and the only compensation is to the representative for the sales he/she generates and the owner gets compensated for those sales, as well.
I have continued to be an employee despite reading the negativity all over the internet. Why? Because I dont care what people think, its my opportunity. Many of the stories and ’sketchy’ behavior may be true. Unfortunately it was merely a lack of communication, failure to alleviate any grey area, failure to voice one’s opinion, never working in a high-energy sales environment before and/or it was too hard. If it was easy everyone would do it, wouldn’t they? And a majority of these postings wouldn’t exist.
Also, a majority of the postings have grammatical errors, misspelled words and don’t convey a concrete message. I wasn’t a psychology major but it certainly doesn’t take a genius to conclude most postings were done by uneducated individuals who likely got fired for poor performance, failing a drug test or a background check.
I have learned more over the past year about myself, how to talk to people, business, sales, work ethic, time management and leadership than my entire college education.
I encourage everyone to interview and take on the sales position. Over the course of a month you will know if it’s for you. If not, at least you can say you tried and most likely took something away from it.
And for college graduates? It’s something to throw on your resume. We are in a recession. What will set you apart from the other graduates and the unemployed is what you’ve done during the difficult economic times. Dont be a victim; be proactive.
Thank you and good luck!
Dear Love…I take it your parents are paying for your bills?
Ahaaa!! So true!! This isn’t a job for a college graduate it’s a job for a high school drop out! You’re going door to door in neighborhoods like Queens selling a huge magazine of office supplies that the company really doesn’t teach you anything about… You use your own cell phone which you are not compensated for to call multiple “clients” and pay your way around the entire city. You don’t even make minimum wage you make 28% of your sales which is taxed at the end and the things are impossible to sell to begin with!
Polaris Inc. IS a scam in the sense that you will only be compensated 28% of your sales and will be expected to walk around dangerous neighborhoods door to door using your own money for transportation and your own cell phone to call “clients” with a gigantic catalogue of office supplies that are expensive and impossible to sell. You will probably sell nothing all day and end up losing lots of money so in my mind that is a scam.
Posted by Erick
“Also, a majority of the postings have grammatical errors, misspelled words and don’t convey a concrete message. I wasn’t a psychology major but it certainly doesn’t take a genius to conclude most postings were done by uneducated individuals who likely got fired for poor performance, failing a drug test or a background check.”
Wow. Typical salesman spin. I went to a fantastic (Top 40 college, not that it matters), was an English Literature Major, and wasted 5 months of extremely hard work at one of your offices. You should certainly be ashamed for slandering people who have the common sense to call your pyramid scam for what it is. Or Pyramid-shaped business if you prefer.
“Nobody is compensated for recruits.”
…Ok, then how does one get promoted. Don’t assistant managers get 10% of what they’re “office” (people below them make)? And what do the managers get…. can’t remember.
If you can convince yourself of anything, seriously, go work for Cydcor.
polaris communications group, polaris inc, BART YATES = all scams!!!
I was actually sent an email asking me to call for an interview. I always google companies that send emails of this sort and I’m glad I did. I would’ve probably just wasted my precious time with this scam. There are many more websites which state that polaris inc. is a huge SCAM. Thanks for the extremely useful blog….well, I guess this means I have to keep looking a job and google the companies.
I applied to the job posting on craigslist.com, and I just got an email asking me to call for an interview also. I just sent them my resume last night, and I am so glad that I googled them first. Their response was way too fast, and their excuse for their fast response was the company’s rapid expansion. Thanks you for all the people that made it be know that it was a scam!!
Ryan,
THANK YOU. Thank you so very much for shedding some light and creating a community for the atrocities that this company commits. I graduated college in ‘07, lived in Europe till this past September. I sent my resume to just about every job ad on craigslist in this section, so I was sending CV’s to anyone who wanted one. The particularly quick reply was what caught my attention, being a waiter at the time (not that it’s a bad job, it just isn’t for me), I was eager to go in for an interview. I arrived to the unimpressive offices of Universal Online Promotions at 35th street sometime in late October.
Upon arrival I was greeted by someone randomly who saw me from the hallway, he gave me a ready made clipboard with a general personal information sheet, and had me take a seat while he fiddled with the ipod…”cool, the listen to music here” I thought. Wow. I had my interview with BART YATES, a blonde haired, shit eating grinned prep school-ivy league shmuck who has me sit down and we get into the interview.
“Quill….Staples…Verizon…Fortune 500….blah…blah…blah.” “Great, what sort of sales will we be doing” I asked, “Will I have a cubicle or a workspace here in the office?” And Bart would just go on spewing what I really couldn’t understand, and I never really got any answers at all from him.
He said someone would call by 7:00 pm if they “chose” me to come in for the day of “O” or observation, if they didn’t call, it was a respectful “no” Bart told me. I was nervous…. “Was I good enough in there?” I asked myself. 6:59 rolls around and someone other than Bart calls to say that after long discussion, I just sneaked in for a second interview with someone else at the bottom. Only one of us would get in.
I got excited, I told my mother, she got excited. Then I rolled a J and decided to find out more about this company so i could have an edge on that other person. First ten hits on google? Ripoffreport.com. Thank goodness for that website…I’ve been itching to do something about it ever since, and I’m glad that Ryan has! It’s SO amazing to me that all over the country the process is the same, the sick influx and outflux of people with no disregard for emotion or decency, or value of the American worker. Fucked up if I may say so, and Cydcor is the the top of the problem; who are these people? Let’s get Kris Hansen in on this one, he’d get the job done.
Anyway, great to see this amazing community here; keep it up and keep as many people informed about this bullshit as we can.
I happen to work for an AMAZING sales company here in manhattan, it’s ad sales, its telephone sales, and the environment/pay/benefits structure is more than fair.
http://www.mediaplanet.com, ask for Jon.
I think polarisnyc, universal online promotions have a new “friend” and I believe it to be nypartners.net. LOL I saw this ad(nypartners.net) on craigslist and I applied. After I googled the the company name along with scam nothing came up… so I checked the nypartners.net website and it’s 35 West 35th Street which is the same as Universal Promotions Online which is also 35 West 35th Street LOL.These people are low and scammers everybody needs to stay away.
I just got asked to be interviewed for the nypartners one. Thanks for bringing this to my attention! I am glad to know it’s a scam before coming in for an interview. I still don’t really get what they are getting out of it, though?
Thank you again for saving me the trouble!
Chas -
I was also contacted by them and have and interview in the morning, which I just canceled my plans to travel for after much debate because something just “didn’t seem right” with them.
After second guessing myself and thinking that I may be pissing away a huge opportunity, I did some more searching and found this thread that i missed while trying to research the company earlier. Thank god I did, and thank god my instincts haven’t gone numb while remaining patient in this job market.
it’s all true. I thought after my “second interview” that i was going to join the jehovah witnesses or kill some babies. weird sketchy shit. stay away. i thought about it after being hired, then i looked it up. they never said the company name until they hired me today. still, payment was barely talked about. we should firebomb these scumbags. i’m not some slave
OkAy! it’s not a scam! you actually do earn money lol just going door to door! well let me ask you something did you actually go to college and do all that hard work to get a a four year degree, or may be for some a 2 years degree to get this job? I took some courses at college to do with sale and marketing, actually did my BS in Marketing but I was never told that I had to take some stuff and knock on the doors you know like what they expect you to do! I’m looking for a job that would pay me, of course I don’t mind commission but there has to be a base salary, as well I don’t have to walk in the sun, cold, and wind to earn less than a person who is working on the street selling newspaper and don’t required any college education or has to pay all the student loans. The people that are behind this whole scam call it a marketing job, but can you actually go on a define the marketing to them. Marketing is not Sale, esp from the conservative view of Marketing. These people should just title it as a door to door sales job. I got so many calls, after I posted my resumes on those jobs sites. When I ask them what’s the job about, they always tell me we can discuss when you come here, it’s too much information to go over the phone… You know if you just go out of high school, and want to some extra money, or may be you don’t have anything else to do! go for it, but don’t put it on your resumes because no employeer would consider that as experience. They might look at you someone who was so stupid to actually worked there! best of luck!
God Bless America!
It’s not a SCAM, lol it’s stupid
Don’t work for NY Partners, NYpartners.net, NYPartners, NYPartner. They all the same, I Just wanted to write it all the different way someone might search it up google! They don’t pay you, plus they want you to talk in the rain, snow, sun and sell stuff. They don’t have any benefits, you pay for your own transportation etc….They could be looked as a small business, they buy products that you sell for them, They buy those products as a promotional base, and it cost them nothing, now whatever you sell, you get 28% and their profit is 72%, on top of that the companies that they do promotion for, also pay them, so their earning is over 150% on each sale you do for them. Anyone can start their own company, just contact any of those companies, and present them with your promotion stratagies, and get the contract, once you have own the contract go on craigslist or all these job websites, and scam young adult coming out of colleges! but before you start with such a job, you think it’s worth it to scam people? God Bless you all, try to be on the right path and do good, don’t steel someone else money! These companies knows that not many people would stay with them and work for them, but hey it’s like one drop out of a bucket, and the other drop getting into the bucket, can that bucket be ever empty? Think before you join any of these promotion marketing companies, if they say you will work for commission you don’t take it, Marketing companies supposed to offer you a salary and bonus, not str8 commission, also there is no sale in Marketing, Sale and Marketing is two different things!
everyone send an email to these companies and tell them STOP SCAMMING!
I sent my resume (late) last night and got a call today. This quick turnaround was a little suspicious so I googled Polaris NYC. Thanks for the site, I won’t be wasting my time! For first-time NYC job seekers: There are a lot of bullshit companies here that prey on new grads or eager newcomers. Make sure you do your research.
A miss jenny just called me from NY Partners, first she said they are located in the New Yorker Hotel and wanted to speak to me about a position.
Thanks for giving the heads up about this scam. same with PolarisNYC.
NY Partners is the new one. A bunch of phony losers
why is ny partners a cam
Got an e-mail from Polaris, Inc, today too. I didn’t even apply for the position they e-mailed me about! I thought maybe I’ll do a little Googling anyway to see if maybe it’s worth checking out, but it obviously isn’t. I, too, was surprised that they emailed me so quickly and most legit job leads I’ve dealt with would rather directly call than to just e-mail me.
Anyway, thanks for making this post. It’s obviously helping a LOT of people!
This company now operates under NYPartners and has an office on 5th Avenue and 35 Street. The system is set up so that you will never progress and open your own branch UNLESS you can get more and more people to join. I worked for them for a while (started as account executive, and moved on to coporate trainer), and finally realized that I will never advance unless I suck more and more people. While not a pyramid scheme as you are not putting money into this, you are putting in time and effort, which is just as precious, if not more.
Please do your research and ask questions during their interviews and decide for yourself.
You guys are funny!!! most of you didn’t even check out but you claim that it is a scam…
several things:
1. yes, it is a sales job…if you don’t want to do sales,don’t bother coming…
2. yes, it is 100% commission, if you think that you’re not gonna be good enough, don’t bother coming…
3.it’s not a pyramid scheme…you don’t get compensated for bringing people in…there’s only one person who gets money off your sales and it is the manager…(like in every single business in the world, the owner will always make money off of what his employees do)
Now,the opportunity is to own your own sales company after an average period of 12 months…sounds kind of crazy…but I saw several people making it and i actually know personally several owners working with CYDCOR…
so, yes this shit is hard…you will have to work hard to make a good living as a corporate trainer but for those who have the guts and the skills will be rewarded by owning a company at the end…
Seeing is believing and until I saw people getting promoted I wasn’t sure if it was possible of not…
So yes,only 1% of the people who start make it but the experience is worth to be tried I would say…
I mean it’’s pretty black and white: a sales job paid 100% commission with a huge opportunity to own your company after 12 months.Can you handle it? If not, keep looking for a 9-5…
Keith Keith Keith… You need to stop with the sales pitch and actually address the people’s concerns.
1. As you said, it is a sales job, but it is a VERY BAD sales job.
2. 100% Comission is fine, but how much you actually earn is VERY LITTLE.
3. You will NEVER ADVANCE unless you bring people in. Bringing people in builds your team, which you will need in order to open up the branch as you cannot progress further UNLESS you expand your team. This is a pyramid scheme but it is clever enough to disguise itself.
Please, try to respond to my concerns.
theres no sales pitch, i just told you what i was thinking…
1.Why is it a very bad sales job? because it is hard? because you couldnt make good money? maybe you just didnt have enough game… if it was easy, everybody would be doing it and everybody will get a company….that wouldnt be so special anymore…
so you can call it a very hard sales job but the rewards are just big so it is worth it…
2.the money you earn is very little if you suck…ive been doing it for several months and i make OK money…im not a baller but i can pay my bills and enjoy myself on weekends…its fine for now…i could definitely make more money with a 9-5 right now however the opportunity to own a company wouldnt be there with a 9-5…
3.i agree with the first point.You cant advance if you dont bring people in….its a recruiting business…
however you got lost when you said it was a pyramid scheme.
To correct what you said i will describe a pyramid scheme for you:
in a pyramid scheme you get money for bringing people in and get money on whatever they sell…also whoever you brought in cant pass you and will always be under you….
With cydcor, not only you dont get money for bringing people in and you dont get any money off the people you brought in…and what is good is that if you’re better than the person who brought you in, you can pass this person…
In 2003 I was interviewed by Rafael Diaz and got the job on Monday. But I quit on Friday morning while I was on my way to the office.
Why?
I COULDN’T TAKE IT
I had to get to the office every day at 7am, walk around the city in a suit and tie, hauling a heavy bag of sales catalogues. The program was ridiculous; you would have to canvas a huge area where NOBODY would want to buy office supplies. All the businesses in Jamaica, Queens were tiny. We had to interview every single business on route.
Why be a commissioned salesman when you know you can’t mae anything?
I got scared off quickly. But the others in the business seemed to be enjoying it. They were all acting as though they were Gordon Gekko. I wonder if Diaz has a “welcoming” personality that makes you think you’re actually a “player” in his club?
Anyway, I wouldn’t call him a con man. If you get a job and find that there’s no pay, you quit. It’s that simple.
I worked there this job blows. As Keith said, If you can’t “handle” walking door to door selling stuff on 100% commission from 8am-6:30pm; you might want to look for a 9-5 job (which will undoubtedly pay more unless its a dish-washing gig).
Good luck taking over the world y’all
Okay Keith, I really need to get through to you as I think you have the wrong idea about the job. If you are doing very well, GREAT! You are a good salesman and has some great skills. I liked the training as an account executive and the different skills and impacts that we learned each morning as well. If you are good, seriously consider getting a job somewhere else. Here is why.
First, you will not have your own company. It is a pyramid scheme as you will NEVER have your own office unless you can recruit enough people on your team. This is completely unsustainable and those who get in first will be rewarded and those who go in last will waste their time as they will NEVER have their own office.
Second, it is a cleverly disguised pyramid. You are not putting in money, but MANPOWER. Which is more important than the money. They take your MANPOWER instead of money by selling you an impossible dream.
Third, if you want to start a company, start one. People start companies not by working for a company like NY Partners or Cydor or whatever. They start companies by coming up with a business plan and finding investors. That is the real hard job. What Filipe in the Manhattan office promised me is simply the same unsustainable model which is not a company. Don’t believe me? Take what you know to any investor worth his salt and you will find out.
THIS IS A PYRAMID SCHEME THAT TAKES YOUR TIME!
You say it’s impossible to get your own company? hahahaha….
a good friend of mine just opened up his office this week…he’s not even 25 and owns a company…that’s why i believe that shit….because i see it in front of me every day!!!
SO of course,out of 500 people working there maybe 2 or 3 will open up offices because the other ones are just like you, they dont have the guts,the skills or whatever is needed to finish it…but this shit is not impossible, its just really really hard!!!
If you don’t think you have what it takes,you were right to quit…and to work somewhere else…
Now the Cydcor business model is very simple.
You do door-to-door sales, recruit enough people,teach them how to do it.If you can teach it to a crew of about 10 people and hit all the requirements,they will give you a company.Thats it!!! Not rocket science…but fucking hard shit!!!
I’m sorry that it didnt work out for you but it did for some people…so its definitely possible.
You knew the rules before starting working there so please dont complain after your failure please…
I take back everything positive that I said about you. It seems that you more dense than I previously imagined. First of all, I finished my account executive position in 3 days. I moved on to the next step and was doing very well. But something was wrong with the system.
The Cydor business model is a PYRAMID SCHEME. It is not “hard shit”, it is a very simple scheme that hooks idiots like you by selling you a dream. Guess what, you don’t own the company, you simply open up a branch spreading the same disease you contracted from Cydor. You are SELF-EMPLOYED, not a BUSINESS OWNER. Maybe you have never had any business experience, so do yourself a favour and educate that dumb brain of yours. Maybe you will see the light.
Like you said, if out of 500, only 2 or 3 will actually benefit, then it is a SCHEME! You yourself admitted it. These offices change their name every once in a while. Why? Because people caught on to their little scheme. If you still cannot see where you went wrong, then I am no going to waste my time with your stupidity.
Just as a warning, here are the locations of some of their offices:
Whiteplains, NJ – ran by Filipe
New York City – ran by Bill
Midtown Manhattan – ran by Filipe
Miami, FL – ran by Nicole
Philidelphia, PA – ran by Stefan
Hartford, CT – ran by Jason
Fort Lauderdale, FL – ran by Pani
Atlanta, GA – ran by Bruno
Houston, TX – ran by Paul
If you are contacted by any of these offices, BEWARE! You have a choice. Either stay with them like Keith, or do the smart thing and leave like I did.
It seems like you know a little bit about the organization so I’m not gonna call you idiot like you did with me.However, you keep saying that they sell you an impossible dream…it’s not impossible since some people finished it.Its just very difficult.
It’s not “hard shit”? you probably mean that its not complicated but it is actually hard to finish since out of many who tried,only a few will finish it…
You don’t own a company? hahaha…
You do own a company since its what they call an ICL (independent corporate Licensee) and you can check the names of all these ICLs are Incorporated which means that every manager is GUESS WHAT ? a business owner.
Now,you sell what Cydcor tells you to sell cause without them you wont deal with Fortune 500 companies but more with pop and mom’s shops.
Its called being outsourced and having a broker that provides you support and find clients for you.Any manager could decide not to deal with Cydcor anymore if they want to….it would just not be smart at all cause they would have to find the clients by themselves and do you think that fortune 500 companies want to do business with a random ICL or deal with Cydcor first (which is a much bigger organization)
To finish with you,I’d like to have your definition of a pyramid scheme…?
So thanks for your very smart advice but I’m pretty sure I know way more than you about the Cydcor business model.
So educate yourself first and then come to tell me what to do.
Seems like you are not really addressing any of the points directed at you. It’s more of a sales pitch redirecting the stated concerns to false hopes and lies. But anyone who finished an undergrad degree will easily spot this…. A bit sad really Keith.
I didnt really see what were your concerns JC, so can you remind me what they are please.
I’m sorry if somebody lied to you and promised you something that wasn’t true.
Every ICL is different since every manager is independent and can manage his company how he wants.
However in my case I wasn’t lied to:
-its 100% commission so you need to have very good sales skills to take the job.
-You have to build a team to finish it.Build a team is to recruit a certain amount of people and teach them to sell the product.
What did you get lied to about?
WOW! Denile is not in Eygpt Keith….
I am highly pissed that this organization called me in for an interview today. As I’m reading this and recounting my experience with them, all of the “SCAM” comments are making perfect sense. It is not a pyramid scam in the sense of making “immediate” money off of others, but “setting” others up to do a repetitive thing and that thing is to “set others up”. Keith your delusional and whoever “sold” you on selling yourself is brilliant because they did a great job of brainwashing you to do what you do!!! GET A HONEST JOB!
This place is crazy and depressing. The majority of the team, having worked there for less than 2 months, commit themselves to the over-hyped ‘rah-rah, knock em dead’ mentality. I would sometimes have to stop, look around and feel dizzy about the massive amount of fake-ness around me. Some of these people looked like they just wanted to just cry. The next step in the company, is when you realize that the initial hires are disposable. You are now the backbone of income; you can be fired at anytime for not making sales and/or assembling a team. You then move up the chain of manipulation and abuse. Also, you need to sacrifice enough:
time (12-hour, 100 % commission-based work days),
effort (walking through designated, less-than safe territories non-stop)
money (shelling out travel fees to get from home to office to territory, then reverse; constantly eating out; all while getting stiffed on due paychecks)
You then become ‘corporate trainer’ or ‘lead corporate trainer’ or ‘associate manager’ or whatever. Then, you learn how to lie to the new hires, and get them to repeat the cycle of abuse, all while keeping a positive attitude.
In this office, as you observe the players that are higher on the chain, they get sleazier, faster-talking,and put up a bigger financial front (as if they’re raking it in). By the time you made to Raf, Bill or Felipe’s position, your morals are gone, this dishonest work is your life, and you may or may not be making the ‘big bucks’ constantly promised. I feel bad for those tricked into it, but I feel less bad for those have realized what it is, and continue to hack-away at this job, where nothing is contributed to society, and are to weak-willed to walk away from this possibly lucrative power trip.
Keith: Your skills can be used to earn better money and karma elsewhere.
Well said Bobby, the trick about is waiting until you have too much personally invested before you realize that the hype and dream is really a pipe dream because it is a system set up on constantly rehiring people that will stay maybe 2-3 months until they find out they are working for leaf-blower wages. So people around you are creating this I don’t care, it’s all about the money mentality to project the image that they are making money. Other people see this and assume if they imitate it’ll happen for them too…..it’s a sad cycle and happens when you are working within a pyramid sheme type office. The people at the top are making the money off constant rotatation of people and repitition of words and ideas…That’s why all the interview are the exact same words no matter who is being interviewed and the results after a few months are the exact same results, no matter who is woring for them. Oh, except for that 1% out of 500 people, they’re are of a special caliber of people willing to get as grimy as possible and lie to everyone in order to make that quota. Face it if you work for any one of these companies you should not consider yourself a fabulous type of person, because your already aware your job is goign to require you to lie in the face of your new hire (aka sacrificial lamb) in order to move up!